News/International

Churches stand on the hill in Jordan behind the Franciscan Chapel of St. John The Baptist at Qasr al-Yahud, on the West Bank of the Jordan River. The bullet-marked chapel was returned to the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land after being closed by the Israelis in 1967 because of land mines.

Mass is back on the banks of Jordan

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QASR AL-YAHUD, West Bank -- For the first time in 54 years, a Mass will be celebrated Jan. 10, the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, at St. John the Baptist Chapel on the banks of the Jordan River.

People maintain social distancing while attending Mass in the Church of Our Lady of Grace & St. Edward in London Dec. 13, 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Early in January, Cardinal Vincent Nichols of Westminster welcomed a decision by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to keep churches in England open during the third national lockdown, while Scottish bishops protested having to close theirs again.

In British lockdown, English churches open, Scottish churches closed

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MANCHESTER, England -- An English cardinal spoke of his relief that churches in England will not close during a third national lockdown.

French President Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech in Les Mureaux Oct. 2, 2020, to present his strategy to fight separatism. The head of French bishops' conference testified Jan. 4 that while he understands the need to strengthen national security, a proposed law designed to rein in extremist militancy would place religions and religious believers under particular surveillance.

French archbishop protests proposal to rein in religious extremism

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PARIS -- The head of French bishops' conference testified to a special commission of the National Assembly that while he understands the need to strengthen national security, a proposed law designed to rein in extremist militancy would place religions and religious believers under particular surveillance.

Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz of Minsk, Belarus, speaks to reporters at his cathedral after returning to Minsk Dec. 24, 2020. Pope Francis has accepted the retirement of the archbishop, who had been banned from re-entering Belarus.

Resignation of Belarusian archbishop accepted immediately by Pope Francis

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VATICAN CITY -- Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz of Minsk, Belarus, who had been blocked from entering his homeland for four months until negotiations between the Vatican and the Belarusian authorities allowed him back in time for Christmas.

Pro-life demonstrators react after the Senate passed an abortion bill in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Dec. 30, 2020. Abortion will be legal during the first 14 weeks of pregnancy.

Argentina legalizes abortion during first 14 weeks of pregnancy

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MEXICO CITY -- Argentina has legalized abortion during the first 14 weeks of pregnancy, despite strong Catholic opposition and polls showing deep divisions on the issue.

Chinese national flag is pictured in a file photo in front of a Catholic church in the village of Huangtugang.

Pope ‘badly advised’ on China-Vatican deal

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DUBLIN -- The last governor of Hong Kong criticized the Vatican’s agreement with China on the appointment of bishops and said Pope Francis has been “exceptionally badly advised” in concluding the pact.

Daniela Pompei confers with Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, the papal almoner, during a May 2019 visit to the Moria refugee camp on the Greek island of Lesbos. The cardinal has tested positive for COVID-19 and is hospitalized.

Two Vatican cardinals test positive for COVID-19; one hospitalized

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VATICAN CITY -- Two top Vatican officials -- Cardinal Konrad Krajewski and Cardinal Giuseppe Bertello -- have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus, Italian media reported, and a Vatican source confirmed.

Australian Cardinal George Pell holds a copy of his book, "Prison Journal," during an interview with Catholic News Service at his residence in Rome Dec. 18, 2020. Cardinal Pell talked to CNS about his new book, his time in prison and his plans for the future.

Cardinal Pell's book shares spiritual insights from prison

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ROME -- The first evening Australian Cardinal George Pell was incarcerated, he began writing a record of his thoughts and experiences in the form of a diary.

Italian Archbishop Luigi Ventura, the former Vatican nuncio to France, is pictured in a Dec. 4, 2016, photo. A French criminal court found the archbishop guilty of sexual assault against four men and handed him, in absentia, an eight-month suspended prison sentence.

French court finds former nuncio guilty of sexual assault

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VATICAN CITY -- A French criminal court found an Italian archbishop who was once the Vatican's ambassordor to Canada guilty of sexual assault against four men and handed him, in absentia, an eight-month suspended prison sentence.

Rain falls on the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington Dec. 14, 2020.

US Supreme Court rules against worship restrictions in Colorado, New Jersey

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WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court, once again siding with houses of worship opposed to pandemic-related restrictions, ordered lower federal courts in Colorado and New Jersey Dec. 15 to reexamine state-imposed indoor worship restrictions.

People pray during a 2020 Mass at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington. The Archdiocese of Washington filed a lawsuit Dec. 11, 2020, objecting to Mass attendance restrictions imposed by the District of Columbia as a measure to minimize the spread of COVID-19.

Washington Archdiocese sues over D.C.'s 50-person cap on church attendance

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WASHINGTON -- The Archdiocese of Washington has petitioned the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to lift the 50-person cap on indoor religious gatherings in D.C.

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