Bishop of New Ulm diocese resigning, citing health reasons

NEW ULM, Minn. (AP) — Bishop John LeVoir is resigning from the Diocese of New Ulm, citing health reasons. The 74-year-old bishop has led the Catholic diocese since 2008. The diocese says LeVoir has been undergoing physical and psychological assessments at Sacred Heart Mercy Health Care Center in Alma,...

Los Angeles area pastor accused of sexually assaulting girls

HACIENDA HEIGHTS, Calif. (AP) — The head pastor of a Los Angeles area church has been charged with sexually assaulting young girls after a woman told detectives he repeatedly abused her in her home when she was a child, authorities said. Jonathan Tsai is scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 26. on charges...

Retired Rhode Island pastor charged with molesting girl

SMITHFIELD, R.I. (AP) — Police in Rhode Island arrested a retired church pastor and charged him with second-degree child molestation. A woman told the Smithfield police department that Archie Emerson, the former pastor of the Ocean State Baptist Church, molested her when she was a child between the ages...

Diocese of Covington releases report on clergy sexual abuse

COVINGTON, Ky. (AP) — The Diocese of Covington has released a report on sexual abuse that found 59 Catholic priests and 31 others associated with the church have sexually abused children since the 1950s. The report was released Friday on the diocese website along with a list naming the accused, The...

2 new lawsuits filed against Kansas City-St. Joseph diocese

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Two new lawsuits allege that the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph covered up abuse by two priests who were known to be sexual predators. The lawsuits, one filed Tuesday and the other on July 20, were announced by the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. One of the priests...

Suit alleges McCarrick, others abused youth at beach house

A new lawsuit alleges former Roman Catholic Cardinal Theodore McCarrick and several other clerics sexually abused a teenage boy at a New Jersey beach house in the 1980s. The suit filed this week in state Superior Court in New Jersey claims the youth, who is not named, was first abused at age 11 when he attended...

Missouri diocese: 3 new credible abuse cases against priest

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) — The Springfield-Cape Girardeau Catholic Diocese has reported receiving three new allegations of sexual misconduct involving a retired priest, and that a review has found the allegations to be credible. The Rev. Gary Carr, who is now retired, was initially named in April when the...

Vatican says bishops should report sex abuse to police

VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican told bishops around the world on Thursday they should report cases of clergy sex crimes to police even when not legally bound to do so, in its latest effort to compel church leaders to protect minors from predator priests. The Vatican issued a long-awaited manual for bishops...

Vatican says bishops 'should' report sex abuse to police, going beyond previous advice to follow local reporting laws

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Vatican says bishops 'should' report sex abuse to police, going beyond previous advice to follow local reporting laws.

Minorities under attack as PM pushes 'tolerant' Pakistan

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — It’s been a tough month for religious minorities in Pakistan, and observers warn of even tougher times ahead as Prime Minister Imran Khan vacillates between trying to forge a pluralistic nation and his conservative Islamic beliefs. A Christian was gunned down because he...