The diocese said children could "only proceed to the sacrament of first Communion when they take part in the Church's life and understand the Church's faith".

BBC: Church refuses boy with Down's syndrome Holy Communion

The Catholic Church is never going to view marriage except from the perspective of a sacrament, an unbreakable bond between one man and one woman, open to the God-given gift of children.

BBC: Viewpoints: Successes and failures of Benedict XVI

Thomas Adams, 16, was practicing indoors in the gym of Blessed Sacrament School when he was struck by a pitch, stood up and said, "I can't breathe, " authorities said.

CNN: STORY HIGHLIGHTS

If the relationship is consensual and the participants are loving and caring, then who has the right to exclude this behaviour or keep these groups from the sacrament of marriage?

BBC: US gay bishop row: Your views

The experience of many Catholics is that this love in which God dwells can be found in multiple forms, all working towards the faithfulness and self-giving commitment to which the sacrament of marriage points.

BBC: Viewpoints: Successes and failures of Benedict XVI

And the sense it had given him, of union with nature and of the spiritual basis of all creation, convinced him that he had found a sacrament for the modern age: the antidote to the ennui caused by consumerism, industrialisation and the vanishing of the divine from human life.

ECONOMIST: Albert Hofmann, chemist, died on April 29th, aged 102

With a personalized examination of conscience for each user, password protected profiles, and a step-by-step guide to the sacrament, this app invites Catholics to prayerfully prepare for and participate in the Rite of Penance.

FORBES: Does Confession App by iPhone Commit a Sin?