A German Catholic diocese has commissioned 17 women to administer baptisms, citing a shortfall in the number of priests. The Diocese of Essen, in Germany’s industrial Ruhr area, is the first diocese ...

BERLIN (AP) — The Roman Catholic Diocese of Essen has become the first in Germany to allow women to perform baptisms, citing a lack of priests. The diocese said in a statement Monday that Bishop Franz ...

President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced an historic policy change Wednesday morning allowing women and children to serve as witnesses of sealing and ...

Bishop Franz-Josef Overbeck of Essen explained that the decision to commission lay people — 17 women and one man — for a period of three years was a response to 'a pastorally difficult situation.' ...

This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. BERLIN (AP) — The Roman Catholic Diocese of ...