WARSAW, Poland -- Poland's military archbishop urged security forces to prevent the illegal entry of refugees and migrants, as the country's bishops' conference announced a nationwide collection to help those amassing on the frontier with Belarus.

OXFORD, England -- Europe's Catholic bishops urged their citizens to "wake up" and find new hope by rediscovering the continent's Christian roots.

OTTAWA -- Getting the United Nations and the European Union to acknowledge the persecution of Christians is an ongoing challenge, but there are signs of progress, says Marcela Szymanski, a lobbyist for Aid to the Church in Need.

To much of the world, Britain’s clumsy exit from the European Union, slated to begin March 29, is somewhat of a joke. But to the people of a divided Ireland, particularly Catholics and Protestants in the North, it’s a threat to peace.

WARSAW, Poland – A prominent Polish archbishop accused his country's government of falsifying its data on refugees, while also fueling a crisis with Germany over new demands for war reparations.

BRUSSELS – The new head of a commission representing Europe's Catholic bishops pledged to combat populism and promote European unity.

WARSAW, Poland – Church representatives have accused the European Union of ignoring pledges to defend religious freedom, despite commitments set out in special 2013 guidelines.

VATICAN CITY – Europe must recover the memories and lessons of past tragedies in order to confront the challenges Europeans face today that seek to divide rather than unite humanity, Pope Francis said.

BRUSSELS, Belgium – Responding to the case of a receptionist fired for wearing a hijab to work, the Court of Justice of the European Union has allowed a qualified ban on religious headscarves in the workplace.

MANCHESTER, England – The European Union must be more democratic and less centralist if it is to avoid other disgruntled member states following the U.K. out of the bloc, Catholic justice and peace groups said.

BONN, Germany – As Europeans planned weekend street protests against a controversial trade treaty with the United States, a European Church leader said intergovernmental agreements were worthwhile when they reflected ethical standards.

LONDON – An English cardinal said he was delighted by the appointment of Theresa May as Britain's new prime minister because of the commitment she has shown in the fight against human trafficking.

British bishops were quick to condemn a surge in racist and xenophobic incidents that followed the divisive vote that saw Great Britain bid adieu to the European Union. In the aftermath of the Brexit referendum, police reported a 57-per-cent spike in verbal and physical assaults on visible minorities, immigrants and even on some long-time residents born abroad.

MANCHESTER, England – Catholic bishops condemned a sharp rise in xenophobic and racist attacks following Britain's vote to leave the European Union.

OXFORD, England – European Catholic leaders are concerned that the decision by United Kingdom voters to leave the European Union will threaten unity across the continent, but also cautioned the EU bloc to rethink its values and priorities.