Carol Zimmermann

In two recent actions, the U.S. Supreme Court revealed its death penalty decisions are hardly cut and dried.

Officials at Georgetown University were "deeply troubled" to learn that the school's former tennis coach, Gordon Ernst, is alleged to be part of a widespread college admissions scandal.

The initial groans from the audience during a "Saturday Night Live" skit when comedian Pete Davidson likened people who "support the Catholic Church" to R. Kelly fans were just a taste of the reaction this skit would receive from some Catholic officials.

A new report released March 6 just two days before International Women's Day stresses the urgency of making sure refugee girls and young women receive an education.

The Supreme Court gets attention not only for its decisions but also for what it chooses not to review.

The Supreme Court is sending a death-row case back to the lower courts to determine if the inmate's dementia, brought on by strokes he suffered while on death row, should prevent him from being executed.

For the second time in his case, the U.S. Supreme Court reversed an inmate's death penalty sentence because of his intellectual disability.

The Catholic high school student at the center of an encounter with a Native American tribal leader in Washington filed a $250 million defamation lawsuit Feb. 19 against The Washington Post.

The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear oral arguments in April about the Trump administration's push to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census and its decision will come just in the nick of time, since the Census Bureau needs to begin printing forms for the every-10 years-questionnaire this summer.

An independent investigation into the much-discussed encounter that went viral between Catholic high school students, a Native American tribal leader and members of another protest group on the Lincoln Memorial grounds in Washington in January found no evidence that the students of Kentucky's Covington Catholic High School issued "offensive or racist statements.

The Supreme Court's refusal to allow an imam to be present at a Muslim man's execution Feb. 7 was "unjust treatment" that is "disturbing to people of all faiths," said two U.S bishops.

The U.S. Supreme Court blocked a Louisiana law requiring abortion providers to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals Feb. 7.

Letters from lawyers for Covington Catholic High School student Nick Sandmann were sent to individuals and groups the attorneys think may have defamed or libeled Sandmann particularly in the initial reaction on social media.

The U.S. Supreme Court has temporarily put on hold a state law restricting Louisiana abortion providers.

Although the weeklong retreat for U.S. Catholic bishops emphasized quiet reflection, several bishops spoke out on social media during the retreat and after it wrapped up Jan. 8 with positive reaction about it and to give shoutouts to the retreat leader.

Jesuit Fr. Charles Currie, a social justice advocate and longtime leader in Jesuit college education, died Jan. 4 after a recent illness. He was 88.

James Grein, a Virginia man who said Archbishop Theodore McCarrick, former archbishop of Washington, sexually abused him for years beginning when he was 11, gave his testimony about what occurred Dec. 27 before a judicial vicar for the New York Archdiocese.

Year in review: The Supreme Court's past year will probably be remembered more for the shakeup at the bench than for specific rulings.

Year in review: 2018 will no doubt be remembered as a dark time for the U.S. Catholic Church. Catholics felt betrayed by church leaders accused of sexual misconduct and cover-up revealed this summer and this cloud still hung over the church at the year's end.

Just last year, Catholics were required to attend separate Masses two days in a row for the Sunday obligation and Monday's Christmas Mass. Now, they have a similar opportunity this year with the feast of the Immaculate Conception falling on a Saturday -- Dec. 8.