On May 22 Pope Francis spoke about how the redemption brought about by Christ applied to the whole human race and that he would not be surprised to find himself sharing heaven even with atheists, at least with atheists who seek to do good. The very next day, the pope was corrected.

Pope Francis now faces an institutional church in need of substantial rebuilding and reform: a deeply divided church theologically; an entrenched and flawed, some would say incompetent, Vatican bureaucracy; a legacy of decades of scandals (in particular pedophilia) and of deception by members of the hierarchy; and an exodus of Catholics in Europe and America.

Perhaps it is time for the Third Vatican Council. Because Vatican III is going to be the only way sweeping change will ever take place within the Catholic Church.

After what I and many consider to be the disaster of Benedict's papacy, the future of the Catholic Church will be writ large in the coming months.

Whoever succeeds Pope Benedict faces challenges that will impact Catholics everywhere, but will the choice have any impact on Catholic doctrine, which many believe is suspended somewhere between the Council of Trent counter-reformation and Vatican II.

The leadership of any faith body impacts the way all religions do or do not interact respectfully and productively for the common good of the world.

VATICAN CITY — On Monday, April 4, 2005, a priest walked up to the Renaissance palazzo housing the Vatican's doctrine department and asked the d...

If the Vatican would drop claims of exclusivity over religious truth, and reexamine dogmas such as the Nicene Creed, it would pressure other denominations of Christianity to follow suit.

By Peggy Fletcher Stack Salt Lake Tribune/Religion News Service (RNS) Whether by accident, serendipity or divine design, four future heavyweights ...

There is only one U.S. religious group that is expected to grow to 100 million adherents by the middle of the century. Yet, to hear some critics, one might think the Catholic Church is slowly sinking in the U.S. religious landscape.

(RNS) Fifty years ago on Thursday (Oct. 11), hundreds of elaborately robed leaders strode into St. Peter's Basilica in a massive display of solemn ecc...

We should look to the Second Vatican Council for guidance and wisdom as we seek to make our house a place where no door is ever locked, but only awaiting a knock.

It was an exciting time. It was also a dangerous time, a time of great personal tension and deep spiritual struggle.

By Tom Heneghan, Religion Editor PARIS, Sept 3 (Reuters) - Carlo Maria Martini, the Italian cardinal due to be buried in Milan late on...

VATICAN CITY -- A breakaway group of traditionalist Roman Catholics has sent the Vatican mixed messages about ending a quarter-century of schism. The...

While Pope John Paul II's relationship with American nuns appeared to rein in the more exuberant experiments and freedoms they embraced after Vatican II, Pope Benedict XVI's recent decree is drop-dead shocking.

Why doesn't my Catholic Church get its own house in order first? Get the plank/log/boulder/semi truck/elephant out of its own eye before it tries to remove a speck from another's eye?

With each new outrageous act of control, the bishops are looking more like desperate old men, attempting to hold on to the last vestiges of their fading authority by defending their power over the institution while ignoring the gospel.

By Alessandro Speciale Religion News Service (RNS) The Vatican has summoned the head of a traditionalist group to Rome to assess the results of a ...

As U.S. Catholics mark anniversaries of the Civil War or of September 11, they would do well to also remember Vatican II, including what it had to say about peace and renunciation of war.

As Catholics and as citizens, we must oppose the move to de-fund Planned Parenthood and stand up for our rights and freedom to follow our own consciences on these personal issues.

By Kristen Moulton Salt Lake Tribune SALT LAKE CITY -- Colleen McDannell knew the title of her new book, "The Spirit of Vatican II: A History of Cath...

Pope Benedict is putting his own "personal stamp" on the matter of the death of Jesus. Anyone who thinks that Joseph Ratzinger personally "blames the Jews" will have to grapple with these clear comments.