A lay Venezuelan theologian says bishops at the upcoming synod on synodality need to realise lay people aren’t just called to implement but also to make Church decisions. Rafael Luciani is one of three Latin American theologians chosen as consultants on “synodality” for the Synod. He hopes he will be able to offer the synod Read more
Pope Francis has given bishops greater responsibility regarding use of the 1962 Roman Missal. Apostolic See guidelines say it is the bishop’s exclusive responsibility as the moderator of his diocese’s liturgical life to authorise the 1962 Roman Missal’s use. In a motu proprio Traditionis Custodes (Guardians of the Tradition) published on Friday, Francis restored limits Read more
Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin says the long-awaited constitution for a reformed Roman Curia is basically finished. It is now undergoing a legal review by the Church’s canon lawyers, he says. How the Catholic Church continues to deal with the clergy sex abuse crisis, bioethical issues in society and the upcoming Vatican maxi-trial Read more
Climate change is a serious matter, one which we need to get practical resolve on, National MP, Gerry Brownlee said Thursday in a conversation with Green MP, Golriz Ghahraman. He made the comments on a new podcast, “The Backroom of Politics”. However, while taking climate change seriously, Brownlee says he does not use the term Read more
The New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference will work with Australian bishops – and any other conference that wants to contribute – on a new translation of the lectionary used in Mass. The Australian bishops are also planning to base their updated translation on the Revised New Jerusalem Bible (RNJB). Bishop Stephen Lowe says New Zealand’s Read more
Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, the papal almoner, July 1, confirmed about 50 transgender people were invited to have their COVID vaccinations at the Vatican. Their first shots were on 3 April and their second on 24 April. The group came from a parish near Rome, where Fr Andrea Conocchia has been ministering to a transgender community Read more
France’s nuclear legacy in French Polynesia is the subject of high level discussions in Paris this week. The discussions aim to ‘turn the page’ on the aftermath of the weapons tests. Between 1966 to 1996, France carried out 193 tests in the South Pacific. French president Emmanuel Macron called the meeting after a new study Read more
Pope Francis has encouraged the German bishops to continue on the Synodal Path and to discuss the questions openly and honestly. Francis also wants the German church to come to recommendations for a change in the church’s actions says Bishops Conference president Georg Bätzing. In return Francis received personal assurances from the German bishops’ conference Read more
Several inmates from one of Rome’s prisons met Pope Francis at his home on Monday. The group (pictured along with their accompanying escort), met Francis at Casa Santa Marta early in the morning before visiting the Vatican museums. With them, they brought a basket of bread they had baked earlier in the day to give Read more
Pope Francis has not commented about America’s Catholic bishops’ vote to deny US President Joe Biden Holy Communion because of Biden’s political support for abortion. The US bishops are drafting new guidance on the abortion-communion issue, which they expect to release in November. Their decision to vote about this matter flouts a letter from the Read more