Harry Farley

• Bishops' bar on official transgender liturgy angers campaigners

  Anglican bishops' decision not to allow special services to celebrate a person transitioning gender has provoked outrage from those pushing for change in the Church.

• Pope Francis ends South America tour amid backlash over sex abuse comments

  Pope Francis ended his tour of Chile and Peru with an open air Mass for more than 1 million people on Sunday, after a tour dogged by a backlash over what many see as his insufficient resolve to tackle sexual abuse in the Church.

• Church bells protected from noise complaints under new planning laws

  Church bells will be protected from noise complaints under new planning laws to be introduced.

• Mike Pence pressurises Egypt's Sisi over attacks on Christians

  Vice President Mike Pence pressured Egypt's leader over religious freedom and attacks on Christians on Saturday as the pair met on the first leg of a three-country tour of the Middle East.

• Church of England braced for 'controversial' next step in ending 200-year split with Methodists

  The Church of England's ruling synod is set for a 'controversial' debate over whether to end a 200-year-old schism with Methodists.

• CofE to consider call for women pregnant with Down's syndrome babies to get 'unbiased' information

  Biased and out-of-date information around Down's syndrome is leading to more women choosing to abort their unborn child, the Church of England is claiming.

• Pope Francis accuses sex abuse victims of slandering bishop

  Pope Francis has launched a stunning attack on clerical abuse victims in Chile, accusing them of slandering a bishop they accuse of protecting a paedophile priest.

• UK should follow Trump and give aid directly to Middle Eastern churches, says former cabinet minister

  A former cabinet minister has called on the UK government to follow Donald Trump's example and divert aid for the Middle East away from the United Nations and directly to persecuted religious groups on the ground.

• New monasticism: Why are so many young people choosing to become temporary monks?

  This month another new monastic community joins many others springing up across the Church of England. What is behind this trend?

• Pope Francis weeps with sex abuse victims as protests continue in Chile

  Pope Francis met with victims of clerical sex abuse in Chile on Tuesday, his spokesman told reporters last night.

• Faith schools battle rages among Tories as Damian Hinds told to scrap cap on religious admissions

  A battle over faith schools is raging within the Conservative party after hints the new education secretary Damian Hinds would scrap a cap forcing religious schools to give half their places to pupils from other religious backgrounds.

• Pope Francis feels 'pain and shame' over sex abuse scandal

  Pope Francis begged for forgiveness from sex abuse victims in Chile on Tuesday as he said he feels 'pain and shame' over the scandal.