Catholic Church

Biden is the second Catholic U.S. president, and his faith is central in his public image. The pastor at a D.C. church where the president worships tells NPR that Biden has felt supported by Francis.

The pope spoke about a report released Tuesday that estimated some 330,000 French children were abused by clergy and other church authority figures dating back to 1950.

From the balcony of a tenth-floor window, the 84-year-old pope gave a blessing and spoke of the importance of free and accessible health care.

The Vatican said the 84-year-old pope had been diagnosed with "symptomatic diverticular stenosis of the colon," a reference to a narrowing in the large intestine.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has voted to move forward with a process that could call into question the eligibility of politicians like President Joe Biden to receive Communion.

Francis urged political and religious officials to work toward "healing and reconciliation," but he did not formally apologize for the church's role in the forced reeducation of 150,000 children.

The first major revision of Catholic canon law in nearly four decades redefines clerical sex abuse and mandates specific punishments. It also sets punishments for the attempted ordination of women.

"The presence in such relationships of positive elements ... cannot justify these relationships and render them legitimate objects of an ecclesial blessing," the Vatican said Monday.

The pope spent the third day of his visit in the north of the country, where the Christian population is dwindling. He also prayed for the ethnic minority Yazidis, who were brutally targeted by ISIS.

Argentina will legalize abortion following a successful vote in the Senate early Wednesday. The decision could send shock waves throughout the heavily Roman Catholic region of Latin America.

Only 100 or so people attended the service, and they wore masks and socially distanced. The Mass began two hours early so all could make it home before Italy's virus curfew.

Since reopening churches in May, the Diocese has seen a gradual increase in people coming to church each week during the pandemic.