CAIRO (Reuters) - An Egyptian court sentenced four men on Wednesday to death by hanging for the 2011 killing of a Coptic Christian priest in his apartment in the southern city of Assiut, state news agency MENA reported. Full story
KANSAS CITY, Missouri (Reuters) - A Catholic diocese in Missouri has agreed to a $600,000 settlement of a civil lawsuit tied to the arrest of one of its priests for taking lewd photos of a young girl in 2006, a church official and a lawyer for the girl said on Wednesday. Full story
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Disgraced Cardinal Keith O'Brien, who resigned as head of the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland after admitting to sexual misconduct, will leave his country for months of "prayer and penance", the Vatican said on Wednesday. Full story
Roman Catholics in Puerto Rico rallied Wednesday around an archbishop who is apparently under pressure from the Vatican to resign for allegedly covering up for sexually abusive priests and other misdeeds. Full story
RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - The Catholic Church has excommunicated a Brazilian priest after he defended homosexuality, open marriage and other practices counter to Church teaching in online videos. Full story
LOUISVILLE, Kentucky (Reuters) - In an emotional ceremony filled with tears and applause, a 70-year-old Kentucky woman was ordained a priest on Saturday as part of a dissident group operating outside of official Roman Catholic Church authority. Full story
“He’s being studied very closely,” Cardinal Edward Egan of the Archdiocese of New York said of Pope Francis, added that wherever he goes, priests want to know how the Pope will change the Catholic Church and what the implications will be. Cardinal Edward Egan is interviewed by TODAY’s Lester Holt.
After two years of training, novice Shinto priests in Japan take a ritual dip in freezing water as part of their graduation ceremony. TODAY.com's Dara Brown reports.
Father Albert Cutie, who left the Catholic Church in order to marry, joins Joy Reid’s panel for a discussion on the Catholic Church’s celibacy rules, gender politics, and what the pink smoke at the Vatican was all about.
MSNBC’s Chris Jansing reports from the Vatican about a group of men, studying to be priests… who say they’re trying to be “cool.”
MSNBC's Chris Jansing sits down with three seminarians to talk about what they want in a new pope, the sex abuse scandal and women priests.
A priest stands in a tent as he prepares for a mass baptising ceremony for Mandaen followers at the Lek River near Houten May 20, 2013. May 20 is a holy day for the Mandaeans all over the world as followers cleanse themselves by being baptised in a river of choice. The Mandaeans, also known as the
A priest splashes water at a believer during a baptising ceremony for Mandaen followers at the Lek River near Houten May 20, 2013. May 20 is a holy day for the Mandaeans all over the world as followers cleanse themselves by being baptised in a river of choice. The Mandaeans, also known as the Sabea
A priest helps a believer get up after a baptising ceremony for Mandaen followers at the Lek River near Houten May 20, 2013. May 20 is a holy day for the Mandaeans all over the world as followers cleanse themselves by being baptised in a river of choice. The Mandaeans, also known as the Sabeans, ar
