Any heir takes over any legal claims against the deceased, according to estate laws. 'I could get the shakes just thinking about how much I would have to pay out,' one cousin told Bavarian Radio.

French Catholic leaders initially played down clerical abuse when news of U.S. cases made headlines in The Boston Globe two decades ago, but the issue has now gone far beyond the “few bad apples” stage.

Germany’s churches have been criticized for their handling of clergy sexual abuse for years now by victims, believers, and the media. Now they face new pressure from an unexpected corner: the insurance industry.

The war in Ukraine has split Russian Orthodox parishes across Europe, forcing believers outside Russia to either stay loyal to the church leadership in Moscow despite its support for the invasion, leave the church in protest or seek a messy middle ground.