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A suicide bomber blows himself up at a busy intersection in Beni, Democratic Republic of the Congo. No additional casualties are reported. This is the first suicide bombing in the country and comes a day after a bombing occurred at a Catholic church, seriously injuring two people. Authorities ban public gatherings for two days in response to the attacks, warning about the possibility of further incidents. The Islamic State's Central Africa Province claimed responsibility for both bombings.
2021-06-28

Federal agents have joined the investigation of a fire that destroys a 125 year-old landmark Catholic Church of the Visitation in Westphalia, Texas. After storms destroyed two earlier church structures in the 1880s, the Church of Visitation was completed in February of 1895 and dedicated on May 23, 1895.
2019-07-30

Catholic bishops in Australia reject a recommendation from the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse that would force priests by law to report abuse to the police when they hear about it in confession.
2018-08-31

The Catholic Church announces that cremated remains must be kept in consecrated land, rather than scattered about or kept at home. The Church first permitted cremation in 1963, but still strongly favours burial.
2016-10-25

The Vatican suspends PricewaterhouseCoopers' audit of its finances over questions whether proper procedures were followed when the December 2015 contract, reportedly worth $3 million, was enacted. Analysts say this move exposes the rift between the church’s old guard and supporters of financial reform, and raises questions about the Catholic Church’s commitment to cleaning up its finances.
2016-04-21

Thirty young men join the ranks of the Swiss Guards today, taking an oath of allegiance to Pope Francis and promising to serve the Church by protecting him and his successors. Present at the guards' swearing-in are a number of Vatican dignitaries, the new Swiss ambassador to the Holy See, Pierre-Yves Fux, and Archbishop Giovanni Angelo Becciu, who is the Substitute for General Affairs of the Secretariat of State.
2014-05-6

Former progressive Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini describes the Catholic Church as "200 years behind the times" in an interview published the day after his death.
2012-09-1

The Crystal Cathedral Ministries, the California megachurch founded by televangelist Robert Schuller and best known for its weekly "The Hour of Power" television program, files for bankruptcy court protection.
2010-10-19

Cardinal Keith O'Brien who leads the Catholic Church in Scotland, defends the Scottish government's decision to release Abdelbaset al-Megrahi for humanitarian reasons and attacks the United States's "culture of vengeance" for trying to coerce Scottish ministers into "crawling like lapdogs".
2010-08-8

The Catholic Church requests the public to donate at least £1 million to church collections today to fund three big open air masses at which Pope Benedict XVI will present while in the UK. The rest of the money is paid for by the British government.
2010-05-23