The Australian Government has denied forcing out three West Papuan activists who protested inside Australia’s consulate in Bali. The incident threatened to overshadow the Australian Prime Minister’s participation at the APEC summit, but Tony Abbott moved quickly to reassure his Indonesian hosts. Read more
Pumanawa: The Gift has been selected for the short film section of the ImagineNATIVE festival in Toronto, and the New Zealand Film Festival is trying to place it in other international festivals. Pumanawa it tells the story of a young woman with a traditional Maori spiritual gift who is attracted to a devout Christian whose Read more
War against Christians is being waged on a global scale, involving direct physical violence, harassment, and imprisonment, according to veteran Vatican journalist John Allen. In a new book, The Global War on Christians, he says 100,000 Christians were killed each year throughout the first decade of the 21st century — 11 new martyrs every hour. “I Read more
Elements of Anglican and Roman Catholic traditions are included in a new Holy See-approved Missal for the personal ordinariates for former Anglicans who have entered into full communion with Rome. The new liturgical rite includes material from the Anglican Book of Common Prayer — the 1662 text which became the main point of reference for Read more
A kidnapped Jesuit priest and peace activist who was seized by rebels in July is alive and well in the hands of an Al-Qaeda-linked group, according to an international news agency. Father Paolo Dall’Oglio disappeared on July 28, after he entered Syria, apparently in an attempt to negotiate the release of hostages held by rebel Read more
An Australian acadamic is calling for more research into the impact of abortion in Pacific countries. Joanna Spratt is a PhD candidate at the Australian National University’s Crawford School of Public Policy. She says governments need to start looking at reforming highly-restrictive legislation. Ms Spratt hopes the Pacific will make progress towards decriminalization and providing Read more
Is there any ethical discussion to be had about stopping the boats, or is it just a matter of whatever it takes? Professor of law at Australian Catholic University, Fr Frank Brennan offers his seven points for stopping the boats ethically in this article first published in Eureka Street. Read More
The papal delegate overseeing the Legion of Christ has announced a general chapter early next year to establish new constitutions for the institute and to elect new leaders. “The upcoming extraordinary general chapter comes at the end of a long journey of spiritual renewal and will have as its principle purpose the conclusion of the Read more
The German bishops have tabled a controversial new Mass translation that had been a bone of contention between them and the Vatican under the papacies of John Paul II and Benedict XVI. Cardinal Joachim Meisner, the president of the German liturgy commission Ecclesia celebrans (the equivalent of the English Vox Clara), presented the new translation. His Read more
During the shutdown of the United States federal government, many priests who minister to Catholics on American military bases worldwide are not permitted to work — even as volunteers. Because of a shortage of active-duty chaplains, many US military bases arrange for priests on a contract basis. But during the shutdown — caused by a Read more