Catholics have every right to demand action, but there must be discernment and prayer before making decisions. Then comes the courage to enact necessary change.

The Vatican has confirmed that an Argentine bishop, who resigned suddenly in 2017 for stated health reasons and then landed a top administrative job at the Holy See, is under preliminary investigation after priests accused him of sexual abuse and other misconduct.

Over the past four months, Roman Catholic dioceses across the U.S. have released the names of more than 1,000 priests and others accused of sexually abusing children in an unprecedented public reckoning spurred at least in part by a shocking grand jury investigation in Pennsylvania, an Associated Press review has found.

German Cardinal Reinhard Marx of Munich and Freising spoke as the German bishops' conference prepares for a workshop debate to "review" the issue of celibacy for priests.

The author of a forthcoming book on the attitudes of U.S. Catholics finds anger over the sexual abuse crisis, but also the desire for a more active role for laypeople in the church.

In a letter distributed to the bishops at the beginning of their Jan. 2-8 retreat, Pope Francis said he was convinced their response to the "sins and crimes" of abuse and "the efforts made to deny or conceal them" must be found through "heartfelt, prayerful and collective listening to the word of God and to the pain of our people."