Jonathan Luxmoore

While no one doubts the pope's good intentions in seeking dialogue with the Russians, many have urged him to take a tougher stance against President Vladimir Putin's aggression.

A senior Russian priest dismissed President Vladimir Putin's threats of nuclear war as "just words," but said many young Catholics now fear being forcibly conscripted with their priests to join the war against Ukraine.

The Polish bishops' conference has cautiously endorsed new government demands for $1.29 trillion in reparations from Germany for damage during World War II, although a spokesman said the church hoped this would not impede relations between the neighboring countries.

Many of Ukraine's Catholics remain "upbeat and determined" despite fears of intensified Russian attacks on Ukraine's Independence Day, said a senior priest, who added that parish life was also continuing under tight surveillance in occupied areas.

The deep acrimonies surrounding the conflict in Ukraine have raised questions about interfaith ties with the Vatican and in the World Council of Churches, as well as about the realistic chances of religious mediation.

Church representatives from French-speaking Africa have urged closer regional cooperation in Catholic peacebuilding to offset mounting economic and security challenges across the continent.

When a group of Polish archbishops paid a "solidarity visit" to Ukraine in late May, their presence also highlighted the key role played by Polish Catholic clergy in sustaining Ukrainian religious life.

The bishops of Spain have asked forgiveness for sexual abuse by Catholic clergy, while defending the Catholic Church's right to oppose laws which violate Christian teaching.

France's Catholic bishops have stepped up calls for an 'integral ecology' to protect the environment while also warning citizens not to 'expect a savior or messiah' after the first round of presidential elections April 10.

A bishop in Ukraine accused Russian forces of deliberately targeting aid centers and of destroying the port of Mariupol to scare other cities into surrendering.

A Catholic bishop in the threatened Ukrainian port of Odesa warned of "ferocious resistance" if Russian forces launch a frontal assault.

Although Russia's Catholics hold different views about the conflict in Ukraine, a spokesman for the country's bishops said all are united in welcoming Pope Francis' plan to consecrate their country to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

As Russian troops battled Ukrainian forces during the third week of their invasion, the militant stance of Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill seemed to dash hopes of closer ties between his community and the Catholic Church.

The president of the Lithuanian bishops' conference warned that his country and its neighbors could be targeted if Russian President Vladimir Putin imposes his will on Ukraine.

The Laudato Si' Research Institute, based at Oxford's Campion Hall, seeks to utilize its research prowess to empower those working for global eco-societal change.

A Polish diocese apologized after its lawyer suggested a former altar server could have enjoyed being sexually molested by a priest.

In response to early January riots in Kazakhstan, the country's bishops called on priests to "continue praying for an early resolution and the reestablishment of peace and prosperity."

People are "afraid of a real escalation," says Bishop Sobilo of Kharkiv-Zaporizhia. "There are many mixed Ukrainian-Russian marriages here, so the front line runs through families, and our parishioners are praying for peace."

Volha Zalatar denies charges of extremism. Her lawyer and rights groups say she is a political prison and has been tortured.

During ad limina visits last month, Polish bishops questioned whether clergy in their country are being treated more harshly in sex abuse cases than elsewhere. The crisis coincides with growing criticism of the church's role in public life and fuels a sense of drift among Catholics.