An Italian court has dismissed Cardinal Angelo Becciu’s claims that unfavourable media coverage cost him the opportunity to be pope at the next Conclave. He has tried and failed twice to convince the court of his entitlement. Not only have Becciu’s claims been dismissed, but he has been ordered to pay thousands in damages and Read more
Back in the late 1960s and 1970s, detractors of St. Paul VI dubbed him the “Hamlet Pope” for his alleged waffling and the perceived fashion in which he would agonise over difficult decisions. Whether that image of the pontiff was fair or not, it stuck, so much so that it featured in the opening paragraphs Read more
Very charming, very stubborn. That’s Pope Francis in a nutshell, according to one of his doctors. Following a colon operation last year, Francis has repeatedly let it be known that he did not want more surgery, and since May, Francis, 85, has frequently been seen using a wheelchair or walking stick due to his knee Read more
If you are my age, then you will probably agree that our childhood coincided with the golden age of television situation comedies — “The Beverly Hillbillies,” “My Favorite Martian,” “Gomer Pyle,” and the under-appreciated masterpiece, “My Mother The Car,” in which Jerry Van Dyke discovers that his beloved mother has been reincarnated as a 1928 Read more
We’re all guilty, at least many of us whose job it is to report or comment on the Catholic Church. Let’s just admit it: we are obsessed with bishops. It seems like they are almost always the main focus or at least a significant part of whatever we write or talk about. And why not? Read more
Princess Anne has officially endorsed a historic friendship agreement between the Church of Scotland and the Catholic Church in Scotland. Anne, Princess Royal, formally signed the St Margaret’s Declaration at Dunfermline Abbey in Fife. The Rt Rev Dr Iain Greenshields, Moderator of the General Assembly and the Most Rev’d Leo Cushley, Archbishop of St Andrews Read more
The Bishop of Darwin has threatened to close Catholic schools if the Northern Territory’s Labor government changes laws that strip schools of the right to hire employees based on faith. Bishop Charles Gauci wants the Northern Territory government to shelve its plan to remove the right of religious schools to employ staff who share their Read more
The New Zealand Catholic Church is not on the expert speaking list at an Oceania Catholic climate crisis meeting. A world first, the conference is driven by the Australian Catholic University with support from the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. New Zealanders, however, are still invited to register and listen in over Zoom. Read more
A top court in the southern Indian state of Kerala has demanded a cardinal appear to face questions over his alleged involvement in the sale of Church lands. The Kerela High Court dismissed an appeal by Cardinal George Alencherry seeking exemption from appearing in a district court. The decision means the head of Eastern rite Read more
To mark World Day of the Poor on Sunday, Pope Francis challenged Christians to be lighted candles of hope in the midst of darkness. Walking the talk and supported by generous local businesses, Caritas and the Sant’Egidio community, Francis hosted a lunch for 1,300 poor and homeless. As well as lunch, other initiatives for the Read more