George Carey, the former archbishop of Canterbury, has urged Church of England bishops in the House of Lords to back a parliamentary bill on assisted dying, saying that in the past, “church leaders have often shamefully resisted change”. The 26 bishops should “be on the side of those who … want a dignified, compassionate end Read more
World
Rohingya refugees suffocate to death in Thailand
Monday, October 21st, 2024Three Rohingya refugees suffocated to death while packed into trucks in Thailand, with two suspected people-smugglers arrested on Oct 18, police said. The mainly Muslim Rohingya are heavily persecuted in war-torn western Myanmar, and thousands risk their lives each year to try to reach Malaysia or Indonesia through Thailand. A passing monk found two dead Read more
Call for end to Church’s ‘lonely decisions’
Thursday, October 17th, 2024
The Catholic Church must move towards collective decision-making, and “the time of lonely decisions in the Catholic Church is over” according to Synod advisor Thomas Söding. In an interview with Vatican News on Saturday, Söding stressed the importance of unity. “For us, deliberation and decision-making belong together. For us, commonality in decision-making is also part Read more
Pope Francis calls for unity among Christians despite differences
Thursday, October 17th, 2024
Pope Francis has called for unity among Christians, urging reconciliation between Catholics, Orthodox and Protestants while reflecting on the centuries-old “Filioque” dispute that has divided Western and Eastern Christians. During his general audience on 16 October, Pope Francis focused on the Nicene Creed, recited by Catholics during Mass. He reflected on the addition of the Read more
Pope Francis meets with transgender and intersex Catholics
Thursday, October 17th, 2024
Pope Francis recently met with a group of 11 transgender and intersex Catholics, including LGBTQ+ allies, in a 90-minute audience in the Vatican City. The meeting, facilitated by Sister Jeannine Gramick, co-founder of New Ways Ministry, centred on the personal testimonies of five individuals about their experiences as transgender and intersex Catholics. One of the Read more
Decentralisation of Church – decisive moment for Synod
Thursday, October 17th, 2024
The Synod on Synodality is now considering what is shaping up to be among its most contentious points: decentralising and regionalising church decision-making structures. One suggested option is to establish continental advisory and decision-making bodies with their own rules alongside or in addition to the existing national bishops’ conferences. This authority-sharing might even involve deciding Read more
Call to sterilise the homeless meets Church opposition
Thursday, October 17th, 2024
A controversial motion suggesting that homeless people should be sterilised was approved by the city council of Curitiba in Brazil. Councillor Eder Borges of former President Jair Bolsonaro’s Liberal Party introduced the motion, arguing it would address issues related to homelessness and substance abuse. However critics have labelled the proposal as “eugenicist” and “Nazi”. Borges’s Read more
Future cardinal does not have to wear cardinal’s robes
Thursday, October 17th, 2024Everything remains in white. This is roughly how the Pope’s recent decision to allow the English Dominican priest and future Cardinal Timothy Radcliffe to dispense with the cardinal’s robe can be described. In an interview with the English radio station “BBC” broadcast on Sunday, the Englishman said that he had asked the pontiff whether he Read more
Cardinal Zuppi returns to Moscow as Vatican peace envoy
Thursday, October 17th, 2024Cardinal Matteo Zuppi returned to Moscow on Monday to meet with Russian authorities as part of the peace mission entrusted to him by Pope Francis. The cardinal’s trip to Moscow is to “evaluate further efforts to promote family reunification of Ukrainian children and the exchange of prisoners, with a view to achieving the much-hoped-for peace,” Read more
Russia blocks Catholic and other religious websites
Thursday, October 17th, 2024Amid its war on Ukraine, Russia continues to block several external religious websites, social media accounts and apps from several countries, preventing believers of various faiths from accessing information and engaging in dialogue, according to a human rights watch group. Forum 18 — a news service that partners with the Norwegian Helsinki Committee in defending Read more