Religion

The Vatican issued a new document explaining a radical change in Vatican policy by insisting that people seeking God’s love and mercy shouldn’t be subject to “an exhaustive moral analysis" to receive it.

Pope Francis turned 87 on Sunday, closing out a year that saw big milestones in his efforts to reform the Catholic Church as well as health scares that raise questions about his future as pope.

Pope Francis went to the hospital Saturday for tests after he came down with the flu, but the results ruled out any respiratory problems, the Vatican said.

A “hazardous” 400-500 air quality level was recorded last week, but unexpected rain and wind improved the air on Diwali. But levels are expected to soar again after the celebrations.

Pope Francis on Saturday ordered the removal of the bishop of Tyler, Texas, a conservative prelate active on social media who has been a fierce critic of the pontiff and has come to symbolize the polarization within the U.S. Catholic hierarchy.

Ask Americans what their religion is, and nearly 1 in 3 say this -- none.

Pope Francis has suggested there might be ways to bless same-sex unions. The Vatican on Monday published a letter Francis wrote to five cardinals on July 11 after receiving a list of five questions, or “dubia,” from them a day earlier.

A federal agency has sued the restaurant chain Chipotle, accusing it of religious harassment and retaliation after a manager at a Kansas location forcibly removed an employee's hijab, a headscarf worn by some Muslim women.

Mitchell says NFL, NBA wouldn't allow him to express himself freely

A U.S. group that tracks sex abuse allegations in the Catholic church says Pope Francis' pick for a watchdog office in the Vatican is a "troubling choice."

In a defeat for gay rights, the court ruled 6-3 for designer Lorie Smith despite a Colorado law that bars discrimination based on sexual orientation, race, gender and other characteristics.

The Supreme Court is expected to announce major decisions Friday on Biden's student loan forgiveness program and a case that impacts gay rights.

Hundreds of German Protestants attended a church service in Bavaria that was generated almost entirely by artificial intelligence.

Robert Bowers was convicted on Friday in the deadliest attack on Jews in U.S. history. Jurors must now decide whether he should be sent to death row or sentenced to life in prison without parole.

"Still alive,'' the pope quipped when a reporter asked how he was while leaving the hospital on Friday.