(RNS) A Catholic priest who denied Communion to a lesbian at her mother's funeral has been removed from his church assignment and will be investigated for "intimidating behavior toward parish staff," the Archdiocese of Washington said. By Adelle M. Banks.

VATICAN CITY (RNS) Pope Benedict XVI on Friday (March 9) denounced the "powerful political and cultural currents" that are working to "alter the legal definition of marriage" in the United States. By Alessandro Speciale.

(RNS) A conservative Brazilian bishop who broke away from his church over the consecration of an openly gay bishop in New Hampshire was found murdered with his wife in the northeastern town of Olinda, according to the diocese.

All birth control, all the time: Catholic bishops say it all boils down to a ham sandwich, experts say critics don't know what they're talking about on birth control and abortion, and a student at BYU gets passed a note that says her outfit is what the Catholics would call a near occassion to sin.

(RNS) "Love Inshallah: The Secret Love Lives of American Muslim Women" is a new collection of stories about sex, lust, dating, marriage, and divorce by 25 women of diverse religious interpretations, ethnicities, and sexual orientations. By Omar Sacirbey.

LOS ANGELES (RNS) The appeals court's decision upheld a 2010 ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Vaughn Walker, saying that "although the Constitution permits communities to enact most laws they believe to be desirable, it requires that there be at least a legitimate reason for the passage of a law that treats different classes of people differently." By David Finnigan.

SPOKANE, Wash. (RNS) Opponents of same-sex marriage promised a fight at the ballot box after Washington lawmakers took steps to make the state the seventh to legalize gay weddings. By Tracy Simmons.

(RNS) A federal appeals court ruled Friday (Jan. 27) that the expulsion of a counseling student from a university after she declined to advise a gay client could be due to "hostility’’ toward her faith. By Adelle M. Banks.

"If my story can help a young boy or girl in their teens believe they can have a wonderful and productive life and family," says the Episcopal Church's first openly gay bishop, V. Gene Robinson, "then it's worth my putting up with a film crew following me around for two years in order to comfort and inspire them."

(RNS) The Obama administration said Friday that it will not broaden the religious exemption in new rules that require employers to provide contraception coverage to employees, a move that angered religious groups and opened a high stakes election-year fight. Instead, the White House will give faith groups a one-year extension to find a way to comply with the mandate without compromising their beliefs. By David Gibson. 800.

A bipartisan coalition of 80 U.S. mayors has launched a "Freedom to Marry" campaign to build public support for giving same-sex couples the right to legal marriage under U.S. and state laws.