The World Meeting of Families, the central religious event of Pope Francis’ first visit to the United States, is intended to convey a message of love and joy as it seeks to promote church teaching on marriage. Yet four weeks away from its opening in Philadelphia, friction is mounting as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Roman Catholics lobby for a broader role in the event and organizers move to limit them.

There’s a large clock on the homepage of “Just One Step for Democracy” that is counting down the days, hours, minutes and even seconds to the presidential election.  

Catholic bishops scrapped their landmark welcome to gays Saturday, showing deep divisions at the end of a two-week meeting sought by Pope Francis to chart a more merciful approach to ministering to Catholic families.

(CNN) -- At the conclusion of a contentious three-week meeting, Catholic bishops in Rome recommended a path for divorced and remarried Catholics to participate more fully in church life -- a top priority for Pope Francis -- but failed to forge a consensus on some of the deepest challenges facing many of the faithful.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops released an open letter demonizing transgender children and rejecting their identities as a “false idea.”

The expressions of sympathy over Orlando sent by the Roman Catholic pope, cardinals and bishops in the form of sweet words for the victims and their families need to be returned to sender because no heap of flowers nor blazing bank of candles can glove the blood on the hands of those who daily condemn us in the name of their god.

(EDGE) A Pennsylvania-based extremist Catholic group that once linked tornadoes in Illinois to gay marriage is up in arms about a play performed by an LGBT theater company 700 miles away in Atlanta, which they deem to be blasphemous.

(EDGE) Prom is one of the most exciting nights in a teen's life. But administrators at a Florida high school squashed the evening for a same-sex couple.

A Swiss Catholic Bishop who has been criminally charged for "inciting people to crimes" for using Leviticus 20:13, which says that "if a man lies with a man as he lies with a woman...they shall surely be put to death," is getting support from Bill Donohue of the Catholic League, who has trouble seeing the call to execute gays as hate speech.

A Catholic priest in Pennsylvania has pleaded guilty to stealing money from his church and using it for Grindr dates and sexual relationships.

An Australian Catholic school allowed two transgender students to choose their own school uniforms to match their gender identity.

(AP) Newman University, a private Catholic school in Wichita, plans to offer a group next year to support its LGBTQ students while continuing to emphasize Catholic teaching that condones sex only in marriage between a man and a woman.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Pope Francis refined his vision for the church last week when he said long-spurned divorced and remarried Catholics should be welcomed with "open doors." And he has famously parsed centuries of thought on homosexuality into a five-word quip: "Who am I to judge?"

CINCINNATI - The doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church is so complex the Archdiocese of Cincinnati is giving teachers a cheat sheet on some of the things that can get them fired.

From the Florida orange juice boycott, to the creation of sex education classes, to Pride itself, bisexuals have been integral in any fight for equality, time and time again. Yet our contributions are routinely ignored in favor of celebrating “gay pioneers” and our community concerns are erased, invalidated and diminished at every level.

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) — A Dominican cardinal upset over comments that the U.S. ambassador made about corruption in his country has said the openly gay diplomat should focus on homemaking.

Hilary Gold likes to stay updated on her health care options. This is why she regularly attends the Pride Center’s annual Senior Health Expo.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A Roman Catholic teacher fired over her same-sex marriage says she has been invited to the White House to help welcome Pope Francis.

SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. (AP) — A former Seton Hall University chaplain who says he was fired for supporting an anti-gay bullying organization has been given a new position in the Archdiocese of Newark.

Nora Roberts saved a Michigan library after it was defunded over LGBT books, and a Virginia school board voted to have required background checks for trans students to use their preferred bathrooms.

(AP) A Boston man who had a job offer from an all-girls Catholic high school rescinded after administrators learned that he was in a same-sex marriage has settled a lawsuit with the school.

(AP) A gay music director fired after he publicized his same-sex marriage engagement can continue his lawsuit against the Archdiocese of Chicago and the parish where he worked after a federal judge declined to dismiss the complaint.

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — The Polish monsignor who came out as gay and was fired by the Vatican just before a meeting of bishops about outreach to gays, divorcees and more traditional Catholic families says that a "special kind of homophobia" exists among priests, because those who are homosexual are forced to hate themselves.

ROME (CNN) -- A Polish priest who served with the Vatican's doctrinal arm will no longer be able to carry out his duties after announcing he is gay on the eve of a major church meeting, a Vatican spokesman said.

NEW DELHI (AP) — Hundreds of gay rights activists danced to drum beats and held colorful balloons as they marched in a parade in New Delhi, celebrating what they call the diversity of gender and sexuality.

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Gay rights groups are cautiously cheering a shift in tone from the Catholic Church toward homosexuals, encouraged that Pope Francis' famous "Who am I to judge?" position has filtered down to bishops debating family issues at a Vatican meeting this week.

Pope Francis’ statement that the Catholic Church cannot bless “sinful same-sex unions” is a continuation of the long-held and misguided belief that same-sex unions are inherently sinful, the leader of an LGBT-affirming global denomination said.

(WB) More than 250 Catholic leaders in the U.S. have endorsed efforts to protect LGBT people from discrimination.

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia — A big billboard of Pope Francis hangs over the center of Slovakia's capital, urging citizens to vote "Yes" in a referendum on restricting gay rights.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - Jury selection began Tuesday for a suspended western Pennsylvania Catholic priest charged with traveling to Honduras to have sex with poor street children during missionary trips.