U.S. Roman Catholic Bishops this week are expected to revisit whether President Joe Biden's support for abortion rights should disqualify him from receiving communion, an issue that has deepened rifts in the church since the Democrat took office.
The Vatican on Thursday abruptly canceled the planned live broadcast of U.S. President Joseph R. Biden meeting Pope Francis, the latest restriction to media coverage of the Holy See.
An annual census by the Vatican news agency, Fides, shows that the number of Catholics has increased in Africa, the Americas and Asia but gone down in Europe.