A Minnesota man charged with attacking a priest in North Dakota accused the reverend during a bond hearing of raping a woman, an accusation that the Catholic Diocese of Fargo says has no merit.
The experiences people have with loved ones before they pass on can be some of the most intimate and painful moments in life. That may be why we so often keep those stories to ourselves even though they can be life-changing.
The Associated Press obtained the eight-page letter, written in Francis' native Spanish, and was told by both the victim who wrote it and by members of the pope's sex-abuse commission that Francis' top adviser assured them he gave it to the pope.
The archdiocese says an adult has accused the Rev. Thomas Joseph of inappropriate conduct. Joseph says he is innocent and is cooperating with a police investigation.
It was an astonishing end to a visit meant to help heal the wounds of a sex abuse scandal that has cost the Catholic Church its credibility in the country.
The Trump administration has created a new Health and Human Services Department "Civil Rights" division that is fueling both praise and alarm in Minnesota.
The Division of Conscience and Religious Freedom is being established to aid health workers with objections rooted in conscience or religion to treating certain people and performing some procedures.