On May 31, the California state senate passed a bill requiring priests to report anything they heard in the sacrament of confession from priests or colleagues relating to sex abuse. The bill passed with a 30-4 vote, with 4 senators not voting at all. Catholic clergy and survivor groups have clashed on the bill, the clergy against it, survivor groups all for "increased transparency."

Bishop Thomas Tobin sparked a backlash when he tweeted, “A reminder that Catholics should not support or attend LGBTQ 'Pride Month' events held in June.”

The big story in the European elections, writes Austen Ivereigh, was the collapse of the centrist governing coalition, with a multiplicity of small parties on the rise. One hopeful sign: A record voter turnout.

In their written responses, several readers invoked the Hippocratic Oath, from which the phrase “first do no harm” is derived.

The paramount concern of all prisons is safety. This is understandable, but it still seems unfair when security eclipses the health and well-being of inmates, writes John T. Booth.