Two Catholic midwives who, in April, won a legal case at Scotland's supreme civil court for the right to conscientious exemption from all involvement in abortion procedures, now face a further legal challenge.

Northern Ireland's biggest employer of teachers in Catholic schools has called for the scrapping of legislation that allows schools to legally discriminate on religious grounds.

Top writers, film-makers and artists in the Czech Republic are asking the Pope to practise what he preaches and to prevent the Czech Government from returning state-owned property to the country's Catholic Church.

Following the bad news for Christian leaders generally from the census figures, new research by the Latin Mass Society illustrates a catastrophic decline in Catholicism in Britain.

Catholic parish churches will be able to claim from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) an extra 20% for each donation of up to £20 without requiring the giver to complete a form.

The Spanish Government is preparing a reform to the country's abortion law that, some have argued, will return Spain to a situation similar to the one that existed under General Franco's dictatorship.

The National Secular Society has written to Kenny MacAskill MSP, the Scottish Government's Cabinet Secretary for Justice to draw his attention to a possible undermining of the impartiality, integrity and independence of the Scottish judiciary.

Councillors walked out of a meeting at Luton Town Hall this week when observers in the public gallery began shouting and waving placards in protest at the Councils plans to end free transport for pupils attending religious schools.

The Catholic Church in Austria has reacted "with satisfaction" at the failure of a referendum that sought to strip churches of their many privileges.

Two Catholic midwives have won a legal battle for the right to conscientious exemption from all involvement with abortions. Mary Doogan and Concepta Wood argued that being required to supervise staff taking part in abortions violated their human rights.

A new report, funded by a number of religious groups and researched and published by Lemos and Crane, recommends that agencies working with homeless people should encourage their clients to go to church and to talk about "faith."

The Catholic Church may be losing its grip on the Central American country of Costa Rica. While at present, Costa Rica is one of the few Western countries to have an official state religion, a recent poll shows that nearly half of the Costa Rican population would rather live in a secular state.

Following a survey of parents by the Irish Department of Education, 23 primary schools across the country will be divested of their Catholic Church patronage.

The National Secular Society has welcomed the decision by the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) to uphold its original ruling over the charitable status of a Catholic adoption agency.

Most people think that Pope Benedict XVI – who ceased to be head of the Catholic Church yesterday – and his leading Catholic bishops have not been influential in their societies.

The Supreme Court has this week refused to hear a case from the Catholic Church that it could not be held responsible for abuse committed by one of its priests because he was not an 'employee'.

The NSS has met with Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning, Mike Russell MSP, to discuss the Scottish-based adoption agency that excludes same-sex couples from consideration as prospective parents.

A UN Committee has expressed deep concern to the US Government about its failure to properly deal with sexual abuse committed by clerics and leading members of faith-based organizations.

The secretive and ultra conservative Catholic organisation Opus Dei is thought to be behind the opening of a new private school in Croydon.

The Pope has given his personal support to a campaign being run by right-wing Catholics to have abortion "defunded" throughout the European Union.