Much hope now rests on a pastoral letter that the pope is preparing for Catholics in Ireland.
Hence, for Catholics and outsiders alike, the church hierarchy's inability to deal with the issue is baffling.
And religion matters far less than it did: church attendance, for Catholics and non-Catholics alike, is in steep decline.
Republican Catholics often cite abortion as the top issue, but for Catholics who are Democrats, other issues are more dominant.
None of these Catholic Democratic voters mention what is generally assumed to be the big issue for Catholics, which is abortion.
The church has a plan for Catholics to visit Cuba on a Miami cruise ship during the Pope's visit there in January.
Vatican experts have said John Paul wanted to use his illness to set an example for Catholics on how to handle suffering.
The Masses for gay Catholics have been held at the church for the past five years.
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He was for most Catholics a remote figure at the far end of the hierarchy.
For many Catholics, the fear is that once el Papa has left, nothing will have changed.
This week Mr McGuinness repeated his calls for more Catholics to join the police.
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For some Catholics, the unrepeatable quality of this papacy may also be a source of quiet relief.
This is not a problem just for young people but for all Catholics.
Special Masses for gay Catholics at a London church are to be scrapped, the Archbishop of Westminster has said.
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The Urbi et Orbi, which means "to the city and the world", is a customary part of Christmas for Roman Catholics.
Mixed couples have long been targets for both Catholics and Protestants.
Peter's Square, the pope called for a renewal of faith, and for the prayers of Catholics around the world both for him and his successor.
The McCain campaign recently formed a "National Catholics for McCain Committee" led by former Kansas Sen.
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After this cut-off point, it gives preference to Catholic pupils, with a proportion of places also allocated for non-Catholics.
Francis of Assisi, who gave up his own wealth and prestige, is revered among Catholics for his work with the poor.
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Francis of Assisi, revered among Catholics for his work with the poor.
Catholics for Choice said it launched its campaign after pressure from religious groups forced the Kenyan government to drop an advertisement in March promoting condom use in marriage.
In cities such as Amsterdam or Rotterdam, which aspired to be international commercial centres long before globalisation, it made good business sense for Protestants, Catholics and Jews to co-exist and trade together, live and let-live.
"I have been told that consulting the information available on the Internet would have made it possible to perceive the problem early on, " Pope Benedict later wrote in an open letter that stunned many Catholics for its candor.
Jon O'Brien, president of Catholics for Choice, an advocacy group that supports birth control, said he is skeptical that relying on insurance companies to implement a "work-around" for employees of religious organizations will prove to be an effective solution.
Now, under this mandate, unless a Catholic hospital only employs Catholic staff or cares for only sick Catholics it will no longer be regarded as a religious institution and will be forced to fund products and services contrary to the institution's religious and moral beliefs.
When John Paul died in 2005, this Popemobile was put on display in a Philippine church and became a pilgrimage destination for the country's Catholics who couldn't afford to go to the Vatican for the burial ceremony.
Today, Catholics account for almost a quarter of the total at the new PSNI.
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