MOSCOW, Russia (CNA) -- A definition of marriage as between a man and a woman is among several amendments to the Russian constitution proposed by president Vladimir Putin.

Belfast, Northern Ireland -- In the mid-19th century, St. Malachy’s Church on Alfred Street added to its existing structure the largest bell in a city full of Catholic churches and Protestant houses of worship.

MANCHESTER, England -- Four Irish bishops said abortion and same-sex marriage is about to be imposed on Northern Ireland after British politicians “hijacked” a bill intended for other purposes.

A private member’s bill that would decriminalize the purchase of sperm, eggs and rent-a-womb surrogacy would open the door to exploitation of poor women and legalize a form of child trafficking, according to a member of the 1990s Royal Commission on New Reproductive Technologies.

VANCOUVER – News about Trinity Western University’s attempts to open a Christian law school, and the ensuing battles in the courts and the media, has spread across the country many times over.

OTTAWA – The Ontario law society has gone too far by compelling lawyers to submit a “politically correct” statement of principles that may “override core Christian beliefs,” said the president of the Catholic Civil Rights League.

VALLETTA, Malta – Lawmakers in predominantly Roman Catholic Malta legalized same-sex marriage Wednesday (July 12), joining much of Western Europe by replacing the traditional "you are now husband and wife" declaration in civil ceremonies with "you are now spouses."

OXFORD, England – Germany's bishops' conference expressed regret over a June 30 parliamentary vote to allow same-sex weddings, vowing to defend the "Catholic understanding of marriage."

LONDON – Concern is growing among British Christians about their place in the country’s public life after Tim Farron, leader of the Liberal Democrats, resigned over his religious beliefs.

A Catholic farmer in Michigan is suing the city of East Lansing after he was barred from a municipal farmers market over his views on same-sex marriage.

MEXICO CITY – A congressional committee has voted against proceeding with a presidential proposal to legalize same-sex marriages throughout Mexico, reflecting a reticence among lawmakers to proceed on an issue against which Catholic and evangelical congregations have lobbied.

MEXICO CITY – Pope Francis' endorsement of pro-family marches made headlines in Mexico, taking by surprise people who saw his speeches in the country in February as being critical of a conservative Mexican Church hierarchy.