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Spain

Spain moves closer to investigation into Catholic Church sex abuse

Spain's Bishops Conference has now refused an official inquiry into allegations of priest abuse.

Spain

Spain: Left-wing parties call for inquiry commission into church abuse

The call by Podemos, ERC (The Republican Left of Catalonia), and EH Bildu (Euskal Herria Bildu) follows a 3-year newspaper investigation and similar inquiries in other European countries.

Vatican

Vatican defends Pope Benedict XVI over fighting clergy sexual abuse

The Vatican's comments followed the publication of an independent report that faulted Benedict's handling of four cases of abuse when he was archbishop of Munich in Germany.

Vatican

Ex-Pope Benedict XVI admits attending meeting about abusive priest

The retired Pope had denied attending the meeting to the investigators but says his statement had mistakes in it due to editing "oversight".

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Vatican

Pope Francis pledges justice for sex abuse victims after Munich report

A lawyers' report found that Benedict XVI had mishandled four cases of sexual abuse in the clergy while archbishop of Munich.

Italy

'Horrendous': Catholic Church slams swastika-draped coffin at funeral

The swastika-emblazoned Nazi flag was branded “a horrendous symbol irreconcilable with Christianity".

Vatican

Pope Francis says COVID-19 vaccination is a 'moral obligation'

Francis also lamented that increasing "ideological divides" were discouraging people from getting vaccinated.

Culture news

Spain's youngest bishop stripped of powers for marrying erotica author

Xavier Novell may be an example of nominative determinism after having been professionally undone by that particular literary form.

Italy

Italian diocese apologises after bishop says Santa doesn't exist

A Roman Catholic diocese in Sicily apologised after reports emerged that a bishop had told children that Santa did not exist.

Greece

Pope blasts 'shipwreck of civilisation' on Lesbos migrant camp visit

"Please, let us stop this shipwreck of civilisation!" Francis said as he visited a migrant camp on the Greek island of Lesbos.

Greece

Europe 'torn by nationalist egoism' on migration, says Pope

The pope's trip to the region has focused on the plight of asylum-seekers as some European nations harden their border control policies.

Portugal

Catholic Church in Portugal urges sex abuse victims to come forward

Only a dozen allegations of sexual abuse involving Portuguese priests have been investigated by authorities since 2001 - more than half of those were dropped.

France

Paris archbishop who had 'ambiguous' relationship resigns

Pope Francis on Thursday accepted the resignation of the archbishop of Paris, who unexpectedly offered to step down last week after admitting to an “ambiguous” relationship with a woman in 2012.

Cyprus

Pope to meet Cyprus' Orthodox leader to strengthen ties

Pope Francis plans to meet with the leader of Cyprus’ Greek Orthodox Church with the aim of further mending an ideological and political rift between the Catholic West and the Orthodox East that dates back nearly a millennium.

France

French Catholic Academy questions findings of child sex abuse inquiry

An October report estimated that 216,000 children have been abused by French clergy since 1950.

My Europe Series

Spain's Catholic Church refuses investigation into sex abuse claims

“There are only a few cases," said Luis Argüello, spokesman for Spain's Catholic Church.

Green News

Pope: Protect the environment as everything 'seems to be collapsing'

Pope Francis told young people on Sunday that it is important to stand tall in the face of climate change.

Germany

Cologne Catholic church holds penance service on sex abuse

Germany's Roman Catholic archdiocese of Cologne held a service of penance for cases of sexual abuse by clergy, saying the ritual was a “confession of guilt.”

Portugal

Portugal's Catholic Church plans committee to probe child sex abuse

Leading Portuguese Catholics, including politicians and writers, had urged bishops to create a fully independent committee to investigate possible historic abuse.

France

French Catholic Church agrees to compensate victims of child sex abuse

A damming report last month estimated that around 330,000 children were sexually abused over 70 years by priests or other church-related figures.