Jonathan Luxmoore

A senior priest in Russia has said he fears uncertain conditions for local Catholics after March 15-17 presidential elections, in which Vladimir Putin claimed a landslide victory after the forced elimination of effective opponents.

Prominent Russian Catholics have urged church members to continue condemning human rights violations after the funeral of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, despite warnings people who attended could face police reprisals.

Greece’s minority Catholic Church has deplored a parliamentary vote to allow same-sex marriage and child adoption, the first in a predominantly Orthodox country.

Poland’s bishops have pledged dialogue with their country’s new liberal government, but leading Catholics warned that government plans for rapid secularizing change could spark conflict as the ruling coalition plans to limit religious classes in public schools and abolish the state Church Fund.