Coronavirus outbreak in southern Italy linked to Neocatechumenate retreat

Thursday, March 19th, 2020

As Italy’s coronavirus crisis continues, four small towns in the southern Italian province of Salerno have been placed under quarantine due to an outbreak of the pandemic that reportedly originated in a spiritual retreat led by the Neocatechumenal Way, one of the “new movements” in the Catholic Church.

The Feb. 29-March 1 retreat held in a hotel in the small southern Italian town of Atena Lucana attracted roughly 20 participants, among them a 76-year-old man from the nearby town of Bellizzi, who later died on March 10 from the coronavirus. His wife reportedly has also tested positive for the disease and has been placed under quarantine.

Since then, 16 other cases of infection have cropped up in four towns where residents participated in that retreat, as well as another retreat with some of the same people held in a nearby location March 4. Read more

Additional reading

News category: News Shorts, World.

Fifth Gospel Living – book review

Simple, sweet, sometimes heart-breaking, and always invigorating, Fifth Gospel Living is the latest publication from Fr John O’Connor and his Food for Faith ministry. It comprises stories of personal encounters with God. The 96 reflections are the result of a Read more

Treaty of Waitangi should be considered as a covenant relationship

A hīkoi opposing the Treaty Principles Bill has made its way to Wellington. Those who took part in the hīkoi, along with supporters around the country, both Māori and non-Māori, consider the Bill to be a betrayal of the commitments Read more

Christianity stands on threshold of new Reformation

Keynote speaker Tomáš Halík (pictured) a leading Catholic intellectual and author from the Czech Republic, says Churches must transcend national, religious, cultural boundaries A new reformation for the 21st century must transcend “the current forms and boundaries of Christianity,” resist Read more

CathNews New Zealand