Pope Francis met Tuesday at his residence with leadership from the US LGBT organisation New Ways Ministry. The group had previously been denounced by both the US Bishops’ Conference and the Vatican’s doctrinal office for causing confusion on sexual morality among the Catholic faithful. It’s unclear what the topic of the meeting was. The organisation Read more
News Shorts
Nicaraguan priests transferred to prison notorious for torture, deplorable conditions
Thursday, October 19th, 2023Eight priests have been transferred to a prison notorious for torture and deplorable conditions as the Nicaraguan regime again ramps up its repression of the Catholic Church. The churchmen were moved Oct 15 to El Chipote prison on the outskirts of the nation’s capital, Managua, after being held under house arrest in the National Seminary Read more
Israel’s Vatican envoy says pope’s remarks on self-defence, hostages ‘fill a vacuum’
Monday, October 16th, 2023Israel’s ambassador to the Vatican has voiced appreciation for Pope Francis’s recent remarks regarding the catastrophic surprise attack by Hamas, saying the pontiff’s call for the release of hostages and his insistence on the right to self-defence filled a “vacuum”. Raphael Schutz, who has served as Israel’s Ambassador to the Holy See since 2021, told Read more
Brian Tamaki rages at gutless Christians after election losses
Monday, October 16th, 2023
In a fiery address during a Destiny Church gathering on Sunday morning, Destiny New Zealand’s Bishop Brian Tamaki didn’t hold back in his criticism of what he called “gutless Christians.” Tamaki’s focus was the election result and the state of Kiwi society. The outspoken Bishop began his address with an apology for being late, attributing Read more
Caritas Jerusalem suspends all operations, calls for halt to violence in Holy Land
Monday, October 16th, 2023Caritas Jerusalem has, for security reasons, suspended all its operations following the recent violence but is drawing up an emergency plan to offer assistance as soon as the situation allows. “We want to express our deep concern about the escalating situation in the Holy Land, particularly the suffering of the most vulnerable individuals we support. Read more
Beginning today the Synod is addressing ‘some of the key points’
Monday, October 16th, 2023Speaking at the Synod on Synodality, Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich shared an introductory reflection on the “co-responsibility of the mission.” This is the subject of the third module, dedicated to section B2 of the Instrumentum laboris, or working document, which is being addressed starting today. B2 reads: “Co-responsibility in Mission: How can we better share gifts Read more
Pope Francis highlights ‘little greatness’ of St Thérèse of Lisieux in apostolic letter
Monday, October 16th, 2023Pope Francis has commended the “little greatness” of St Thérèse of Lisieux in a new message focusing on the 19th-century Carmelite’s relevance for the Church today. St Thérèse’s “genius consists in leading us to what is central, essential and indispensable,” the pope wrote in an apostolic letter published Oct 15. The young saint, whose life Read more
Pope appoints religious sister as Secretary of Consecrated Life Dicastery
Thursday, October 12th, 2023On Saturday, the Holy Father appointed Sister Simona Brambilla, MC, former Superior General of the Institute of Consolata Missionaries (Italy), as the Secretary of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. Sister Brambilla was born in Monza, Italy, on 27 March 1965. She graduated as a professional nurse in 1986 Read more
Israel Hamas war: Kiwi church group Connection City stranded in Jerusalem amid conflict
Thursday, October 12th, 2023A New Zealand-based Christian church group are desperately attempting to flee Israel as they feel the vibrations of daily rocket attacks from their hotel. Fifty-four members of the Connection City Church Assemblies of God were on a Holy Land tour when Palestinian Islamist group Hamas launched a surprise attack, killing hundreds and wounding thousands. “I’m Read more
Australia’s inhumane treatment of refugees needs urgent attention
Thursday, October 12th, 2023Shaminda Kanapathi is a Tamil from Sri Lanka who suffered dreadfully under the Australian-run immigration detention program in Papua New Guinea. While he now lives safely and productively near Finland’s capital of Helsinki, he is a prime example of why a parliamentary inquiry into this program on both the Australian mainland and offshore is needed Read more