Here are some important law-and-religion news stories from around the web:
- Pope Francis calls for a major global summit with Catholic bishops to discuss ways to prevent clergy sex abuse.
- A federal judge in Michigan denied a motion to dismiss a lawsuit brought by the ACLU alleging the state is violating the Establishment Clause by permitting state-funded, faith-based adoption agencies to turn away same-sex couples.
- Sri Lanka’s government agrees to ban animal sacrifices at Hindu temples amid growing protests.
- Proposals for nationwide buffer zones around abortion clinics in the United Kingdom were rejected by the British Home Secretary.
- Pope Francis accepted the resignation of West Virginia Bishop Michael Bransfield after authorizing an investigation into allegations that Bransfield sexually harassed adults.
- The Vatican and China agree to sign a deal that includes Beijing’s first formal recognition of the pope as the head of the Catholic Church in China in exchange for Pope Francis recognizing seven excommunicated Chinese bishops appointed by the Communist government without Vatical approval.
- The U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation elevating the stature of the special envoy to monitor and combat anti-Semitism at the State Department.
- Cargill Meat Solutions has agreed to pay $1.5M to settle a dispute with 138 Somali-American Muslim workers who were fired after they were denied breaks for obligatory prayer.
