Pope Francis has encountered criticism throughout his visit to Belgium, with the country’s king and prime minister urging him to take stronger steps to support survivors of abuse by Catholic clergy. Additionally, a rector at another Catholic university called on him to reconsider the Church’s prohibition on ordaining women as priests. The visit underscored the Read more
On Saturday, Pope Francis laid out a template for living the faith in the deeply secular culture of Belgium. Belgium is consistently rated as one of the world’s most secular societies, but Francis insisted that doesn’t mean we can stop trying to follow our template of service, mission and joy. “We have moved from a Read more
The Catholic Church in New Zealand has pledged to implement the recommendations of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State Care and Faith-based Institutions. On 27 September, in the most detailed statement to date from any Church or the State, Catholic Church leaders expressed deep regret and committed to concrete actions to Read more
Pope Francis made headlines recently when, during an interfaith meeting with young people, he made the following statement: “All religions are paths to God. I will use an analogy, they are like different languages that express the Divine … There is only one God, and religions are like languages, paths to reach God. Some Sikh, Read more
Pinchas Goldschmidt, President of the European Rabbinical Conference, has criticised Pope Francis’ approach to migration, suggesting it may lead to political instability in Europe. Goldschmidt’s remarks, published in Neue Zürcher Zeitung, expressed concerns over the implications of the Pope’s immigration policy. He stated it could result in “chaos and political upheaval”. Rabbi Goldschmidt pointed to Read more
The Anglican Church, Presbyterian Support Southland and the Salvation Army are the only groups to meet a key deadline recommended by the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care. Even the Government missed the deadline. The Catholic Church says its response is nearing completion and will be made public by the end of the Read more
As I’ve mentioned, back during the lengthy pandemic lockdown, when we had few places to go and comparatively little to do, I decided to take advantage of all that unforeseen solitude by developing my spiritual life. Among other things, I studied the works of Roman Catholic mystics. One sublime idea they sometimes express is that Read more
Pope Francis concluded his three-day visit to Singapore on Friday with a powerful message of unity. The pope set aside his prepared text during his address and spoke candidly to the audience. Using an analogy, Francis said “All religions are a path trying to reach God”. “They are like different languages in order to arrive Read more
Spark NZ customers have voiced frustration after failing to receive the last two editions of CathNews. Spark has also been unable to assure their customers that they will receive today’s edition. Complaint ‘sparks’ investigation The issue first came to light when a CathNews reader complained about the missing newsletter. Initially, the focus was on potential Read more
Several warm stories of Bishop Denis Browne have emerged since he died on 1 September. One was retold when a photo was shared of a girl at St Peter’s School who was chosen to try on the new bishop’s mitre. The photo was taken by Waikato Times senior writer Mary Anne Gill who revealed that her Read more