VATICAN CITY (RNS) The Roman Catholic Church has brokered a historic deal to release 52 political prisoners in Cuba, following three-way talks between Cuban President Raul Castro, Spanish Foreign Secretary Miguel Angel Moratinos and Havana Cardinal Jaime Ortega. “Five prisoners will be released immediately and will be able to travel to Spain accompanied by their…

LONDON (RNS/ENInews) The contentious issue of women bishops will once again be debated by the Church of England’s General Synod when delegates and bishops convene in York on Friday (July 9), years after the issue was first raised. Christina Rees, a campaigner for the ordination of women bishops in the Church of England, told ENInews,…

Associated Press – July 7, 2010 VATICAN CITY – Pope Benedict XVI will soon issue a document outlining the church’s procedures for handling clerical sex abuse cases that will gather the norms now in use and make them permanent and legally binding, a Vatican official and canon lawyer said Tuesday. The “instruction” from the Congregation…

Associated Press – July 6, 2010 LONDON – The Church of England may be on the verge of promoting a gay priest to bishop, a step that would widen the split over sexuality in the global Anglican Communion. If that happens, it would appear to be a significant turnaround for Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams,…

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