World & Vatican

MANCHESTER, England -- Cardinal Vincent Nichols of Westminster said he will not "walk away" from leadership of the church amid pressure to resign over his handling of child abuse cases.

WARSAW, Poland -- Spain's Catholic bishops warned of a "deep wound" left by rising inequality and moral collapse during the COVID-19 crisis, as churches across Europe also cited plummeting incomes and deteriorating conditions.

VATICAN CITY -- Combatting anti-Semitism requires condemning hatred and working with people of faith to promote peace, respect and religious freedom, said Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state.

VATICAN CITY -- Pope Francis' teaching on the "just war" theory is a crucial point of reflection in today's world where the historic motives to morally justify aggression and violence are often misused, said Cardinal Michael Czerny, undersecretary for the Vatican's Migrants and Refugees Section.

Hurricane Iota struck Nicaragua 15 miles south of where Hurricane Eta hit the Central American country just two weeks earlier, and early reports were of disastrous situations.

HANOVER, Germany -- Lutheran and Catholic churches in Switzerland and Germany are planning for people to celebrate religious Christmas services at home because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

VATICAN CITY -- Even during a global pandemic, the World Day of the Poor will be an important opportunity for parishes to highlight the importance of charity and spiritual comfort for those in need, said a Vatican official.

MANCHESTER, England -- The Catholic Church in England and Wales and the Vatican failed to show compassion or leadership in the fight against child abuse, a U.K. inquiry concluded.

VATICAN CITY -- The Vatican's extensive report on Theodore E. McCarrick revealed several crucial details that call into question the 2018 "testimony" of Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, including that he did not investigate the former cardinal when ordered to do so by the Vatican in 2012.

DENVER -- After the Nov. 10 release of the Vatican’s McCarrick Report, some survivors of clerical abuse told CNA they remain skeptical that the report contains the full truth about McCarrick, and say the were disappointed that rumors of McCarrick’s misconduct with adults largely appeared not to have been investigated.

VATICAN CITY -- In reporting historical and recent abuse of minors, the media should broaden its focus to include portrayals of survivors as active agents of reform, one survivor said.

VATICAN CITY -- Although dogged for years by rumors of sexual impropriety, Theodore E. McCarrick was able to rise up the Catholic hierarchical structure based on personal contacts, protestations of his innocence and a lack of church officials reporting and investigating accusations, according to the Vatican summary of its report on the matter.

Pope Francis offered prayers for the victims of Hurricane Eta, which deluged Central America, claimed at least 50 lives and caused widespread flooding and property damage.