Catholic leaders in Germany have compiled responses from lay Catholics in areas related to who holds power in the church, sexual morals, the role of priests and the place of women in church offices in preparation for an upcoming synodal assembly to debate church reforms.

The far-right nationalists who have used Joan of Arc as a symbol are missing her significance, writes the author of the novel “Saint Joan of New York.”

Locating, identifying and burying these remains is no easy task and has been met with opposition for decades. Strong resentments are still present in countries whose people were victimized by the German army during World War II.

In response to the U.S. attack that killed Maj. Gen. Qassim Suleimani, Iran has announced it will enrich uranium beyond the restrictions of the 2015 nuclear deal.

The horrors of abuse remain offstage, barely spoken of, yet the entire book is haunted by them.

Notre Dame kept Christmas going even during two world wars — a beacon of hope amid the bloodshed. Yet an accidental fire in peacetime finally stopped the Paris cathedral from celebrating Midnight Mass this year, for the first time in over two centuries.