BERLIN -- Father Hans Küng, the prominent and sometimes controversial Swiss Catholic theologian, died peacefully in his sleep in the university town of Tübingen, Germany, where he had lived and lectured since 1960, said a spokesman for his Global Ethic Foundation. He was 93.

PHILADELPHIA – An internationally renowned pioneer in climate science and climate change research, in an address at Villanova University, said that rather than "finger-pointing" about the causes of global warming, people need take collective action to slow the process.

SYDNEY – The widespread use of contraception has led to increased violence and aggression against women, the theologian of the papal household said during a mid-July visit to Sydney.

VATICAN – Pope Francis wished a happy 90th birthday to the "father of liberation theology" and thanked him for his contributions to the Catholic Church and his love for the poor.

Maybe punk music doesn’t mean much to you — not your generation, not your taste, not your concern. Maybe you hate punk, its aggression, its contempt for everything non-punk, its vulgarity.

VATICAN CITY – The Pontifical Academy for Life is and always will be against abortion and is committed to involving increasing numbers of people in the defence of human life, said Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, academy president.

MONTREAL – Fr. Irénée Beaubien, the Jesuit who founded what is believed to be the world’s first centre for ecumenism, is being remembered as a progressive theologian and a pioneer.

TORONTO – Fr. Ron Rolheiser’s next book will be about death. 

Five years ago the popular newspaper columnist, book author, theologian and university administrator was diagnosed with colon cancer. It was caught early. A six-month round of chemotherapy seemed to knock it out. But two years ago it came back. Now there are chemo pills every day and check-ups every six months.

TORONTO – One solution to the shortage of clergy available to Canadian Catholics starts with the ordination of women into the diaconate, according to Phyllis Zagano.

VATICAN CITY - Cardinal Georges Cottier, former theologian of the papal household, died March 31 at the age of 93.

VATICAN CITY - The church is called to embrace its past, present and future and to avoid the temptations to condemn or to legitimize everything just because it is new and different, Pope Francis told a group of theologians.

NEW YORK - Fr. Martin Schlag is a trained economist as well as a Catholic moral theologian, and when he first read some of Pope Francis’ powerful critiques of the current free market system he had the same thought a lot of Americans did: “Just horrible.”

WASHINGTON - In 1964, when Jean Vanier quietly began what would become an international network, he had "no idea that this would be a revolutionary reality ... that it would grow," he remarked joyfully.

VATICAN CITY - On International Women's Day, Pope Francis thanked women, "who in thousands of ways, witness to the Gospel and work in the church."

TORONTO - To Iain Benson, secularism in politics is comparable to a pair of yellow, spotted pyjamas.