Pope Francis opens divisive debate on preserving the Amazon

After a meeting with Pope Francis on a a farewell trip to Rome, German Chancellor Angela Merkel says that the Catholic Church must let the truth come out it is to rebuild the trust of Christians the world over.

It is estimated that 216,000 children have been abused clerics in the French Catholic Church since the 1950s. The inquiry that unearthed the scale of the abuse could also lead the way to reforms within the church.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has said the Catholic Church needs to be more transparent about abuse scandals. He and the pope also criticized a lack of coherent EU immigration policy with regard to refugees.

After a scathing report that revealed the abuse of over 330,000 children over 70 years, the church said it will sell its real estate assets or take loans to compensate the victims.

Here are a few reasons to pick up a copy of The Guardian on Saturday⁣

This week, France 24 commemorates the 30 years of the dissolution of the USSR. We continue our journey through former Soviet republics in Georgia, where the Georgian Orthodox Church enjoys considerable power and influence. After 70 years of communist oppression, it turned into a driving force to achieve independence and rebuild the country. Today, its position is threatened by the country’s pro-European liberal youth.

A stampede at a church gathering in Liberia's capital Monrovia killed 29 people overnight, the deputy information minister told state radio on Thursday. A large rush of people at a church gathering in Liberia's capital Monrovia has left at least 29 people dead overnight into Thursday, according to authorities.

Former Pope Benedict XVI has apologized for giving false testimony during a child sexual abuse probe. For many Catholics, the statement isn't enough; they are bitterly disappointed and demand an admission of guilt.

German Cardinal Reinhard Marx has said he is still willing to step down in response to a damning report on decades of sexual abuse in his archdiocese. The cardinal once again asked victims for forgiveness, "personally and in the name of the diocese."

A man interrupted Pope Francis' general audience at the Vatican on Wednesday, shouting "This is not the Church of God" in English and waving a medical mask he had removed from his face before being taken away by police, a Reuters witness said.

For the past 65 years, the Danish Church has brought together Danes of all generations in the French capital. It's a haven of peace located a few steps from the Champs-Élysées. Frederikskirken is part of the Lutheran Evangelical Church of Denmark. For Pastor Malene, the sense of community this institution offers is important. It's also a place for Danes to introduce Parisians to their culture and broaden their horizons. Our team reports.

More than 120 priests and employees of the Catholic Church in Germany have come out as queer and launched a campaign demanding an end to discrimination against LGBTQ people. DW met with one of them in Frankfurt.