Turkish bishops won’t contest plan to turn ancient cathedral into a mosque

Catholic bishops in Turkey pledged not to contest plans to turn Istanbul's ancient Hagia Sophia cathedral that now serves as a museum into a Muslim place of worship.
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Across Europe, shrines close, following directives for fighting COVID-19

Europe's Catholic shrines have followed directives for combating the coronavirus by tightly restricting organized events, although some pledged to stay open for Masses and pastoral care.
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As Dutch parishes close, some Catholics just quit going to church

A Dutch Catholic newspaper warned churches will continue to close in the Netherlands, where half of all Catholic parishes have already been dissolved amid plummeting church participation.
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Poland’s communist-era primate recalled for sanctity, statesmanship

"We must see him not just as a statesman who led church and society, like Moses, through the red sea of communism, but also as a fervent believer in God who served people," said Capuchin Father Gabriel Bartoszewski, vice postulator of the cardinal's process.
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New Lithuanian cardinal, ‘strong internally,’ spent time in Soviet prison

Lithuania's new cardinal, a veteran of Soviet prisons and labor camps, counts on not being assigned "specific duties" following his elevation so he can continue serving his local church.
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Letters to Blessed John Henry Newman show his role as pastor, evangelist

Thousands of documents relating to England's 19th-century convert-cardinal, Blessed John Henry Newman, are being released ahead of his Oct. 13 canonization, highlighting his role as a pastor and evangelist, said church experts.
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Marking start of WWII, Polish, German bishops urge new peace efforts

Catholic bishops from Poland and Germany have warned that peace and unity are still needed in Europe, 80 years after the start of World War II.
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Polish church leader condemns ‘worsening attacks’ on clergy, churches

The president of the Polish bishops' conference condemned attacks on clergy and places of worship in the traditionally Catholic country as the church countered media accusations of inciting violence against LGBTQ groups.
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After new reports on German choir abuses, bishop vows to boost prevention

Two church-sponsored reports confirmed systemic violence and abuse at the Regensburg Diocese's cathedral schools.
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Dutch priest critical of ‘euthanasia death’ reports of teen

A senior Dutch priest criticized media reports on the death of a teenager experiencing depression, accusing foreign media of "sensationalizing euthanasia" in his country.
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Martyred Romanian bishops symbolize church’s ‘resurrection from darkness’

A cardinal incarcerated for 18 years after refusing to abandon his church and a bishop thrown in an unmarked grave after starving to death in an "extermination prison" are among seven communist-era martyrs who will be beatified by Pope Francis during his upcoming visit to Romania.
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Cardinal Parolin urges Poland’s bishops to continue unity with pope

The Vatican secretary of state praised the Polish church's traditional closeness to Rome as key to its survival under hostile regimes, in a speech marking the centenary of the nation's conference of bishops and diplomatic ties with the Vatican.
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