Vatican issues new manual on reporting sex abuse

Cardinal Angelo Becciu has hit back at Pope Francis, after the Holy See announced his resignation on Thursday. The now-former head of the Vatican's saint-making body says the pontiff pushed him out over fraud claims.

European finance experts are in Rome as part of an audit and have praised the Vatican's efforts to clean its financial house. The pope likened the fight to Jesus expelling the money changers from the temple.

The investigation, sparked by a tip from US authorities, led to 17 arrests and more than 800 charges being laid. Police say the suspects had ties to alleged offenders in the US, Canada, Europe and Asia.

Pope John Paul II promoted disgraced former US cardinal Theodore McCarrick for years despite reports of sexual abuse. A new report details who knew what before Pope Francis defrocked him in 2018.

The retired archbishop was found to have groped men during church meetings. It's the latest in a series of sexual scandals to have rocked the Catholic church.

Is there a right age of consent? A bill introduced in the French parliament would set the minimum age at 15 for consensual sex with an adult. The law here bans sex with a minor, but that carries a much lighter sentence than in Anglo-Saxon countries where it's automatically considered statutory rape. Why not here? Child sex abuse is an abuse of power, mighty adults imposing their will on minors. The issue's been brought to a head in France by some recent high-profile cases.

An official decree from the Vatican department in charge of doctrine has nixed any possibility that the Roman Catholic Church might accept same-sex marriages.

The Vatican announced Wednesday it would reduce the salaries of religious at the Holy See to stave off job cuts as the coronavirus continues to hammer the Catholic Church's bottom line.

Some SOS Kinderdorf staff members allegedly knew about the sexual abuse and other violence but tried to cover up the accusations. The NGO came forward with some of its findings, and is investigating the issue.

Prime Minister Mario Draghi stressed the independence of the Italian parliament after the Vatican asked for changes to an anti-discrimination bill that would provide added protection from hate crimes to LGBT+ people.

Cardinal Angelo Becciu is one of ten individuals facing charges such as extortion, abuse of office and fraud. The indictment relates to a €350 million investment in a London real estate venture.

German police say they are investigating more than 1,600 people from multiple countries on suspicion of possessing or sharing images of child sex abuse. Many of the suspects are themselves children.