Although the U.S. bishops' spring assembly in Baltimore was mostly devoted to responding to the sexual abuse crisis in the church, the bishops also considered something described as the second-most important issue currently facing U.S. church leaders: How to get religiously unaffiliated, or "nones," particularly young people, back to the Catholic Church.Read More

Catholic bishops urged their fellow prelates to do more to support the suffering of immigrant families, to be with them spiritually as pastors and to voice support for legal measures to help them.Read More

Pope Francis advanced the sainthood cause of Father Augustus Tolton, who was the first African American diocesan priest in the United States and founder of the first black Catholic parish in Chicago.Read More

As the U.S. bishops gathered in Baltimore June 11 for their spring meeting, holding bishops accountable for their own conduct and their actions or inaction in handling clergy sexual abuse of minors was the focus of the morning presentations.Read More

The U.S. bishops are set to vote on a 10-point statement, "Affirming Our Episcopal Commitments," in which the bishops hope to regain "the trust of the people of God."Read More

Recalling "there were some expressions of 'dissent'" by some U.S. bishops when the bishops met last November over the Vatican's request that they postpone voting on agenda items related to the reemergent clergy sexual abuse crisis, Archbishop Christophe Pierre, the Vatican's nuncio to the United States, reminded them that "unity prevails over conflict."Read More

When the bishops gather in Baltimore starting June 11, Bishop W. Shawn McKnight of Jefferson City, Missouri, said he's "hopeful we will have some progress made in moving the football" on the church's response to the abuse crisis by approving several proposals to hold the bishops accountable.Read More

In a world of conflict and division and a culture of insult, people need to live filled with the Holy Spirit, who is the only one capable of bringing harmony and unity to diversity, Pope Francis said.Read More