King Charles III has approved the Canadian government’s new heraldic Royal Crown design that swaps out its crowning cross for a snowflake and replaces other crosses with maple leaves. The Canadian Royal Crown redesign was recommended by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and is based on the bejewelled St Edward’s Crown used at King Charles’ Read more
World
Canada replaces crosses in new Royal Crown with maple leaves and snowflakes
Thursday, May 11th, 2023Beacon of hope – priest Bob Maguire laid to rest with state funeral
Monday, May 8th, 2023
Thousands of people gathered in St Patrick’s Cathedral on Friday to say their final goodbye to Father Bob Maguire, a beloved Australian priest who spent his life fighting for the marginalised and disadvantaged. Maguire, who passed away on May 8 at age 86, was remembered as a tireless advocate for social justice and a beacon Read more
US priest says ‘no place for AI in the synodal process’
Monday, May 8th, 2023
A priest in the US state of South Carolina has said “AI has no place in the synodal process,” responding to the Catholic Church in Asia’s use of artificial intelligence to create a document for use by the wider Church. Fr Jeffrey Kirby, a pastor at Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church in South Carolina, Read more
German bishops ‘spike’ proposed sexual ethics changes
Monday, May 8th, 2023
The German “synodal way” has failed to pass a resolution to change the Church’s approach to sexual ethics, with bishops not supporting the members of the synod. The resolution, called “Life in succeeding relationships – The principles of renewed sexual ethics,” was voted on by the synodal meeting’s 209 participants, of which more than two-thirds Read more
More lay people should help choose bishops says Vatican
Monday, May 8th, 2023
The Vatican says more lay people should help choose bishops. Listening to the people of God is important, says newly-appointed Dicastery for Bishops’ head Archbishop Robert Prevost (pictured). A good bishop is “a pastor, capable of being close to the members of the community, starting with the priests for whom the bishop is father and Read more
Pope introduces new law – the moment of reparation
Monday, May 8th, 2023
Making reparation to clergy sex abuse survivors is critical, Pope Francis told the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors on Friday. “The sexual abuse of minors by clergy and its poor handling by Church leaders has been one of the greatest challenges for the Church in our time. “Now is the time to repair Read more
Artificial Intelligence ‘could create religion of the future’
Monday, May 8th, 2023The world could soon see the first religion that attracts devotees with sacred texts created by artificial intelligence, the historian Yuval Noah Harari said. The Israeli scholar, known for the best-selling book Sapiens, told a science conference that AI systems such as ChatGPT have breached a new threshold because they are capable of using language Read more
Nearly half of world’s child brides are in South Asia
Monday, May 8th, 2023South Asia faces the daunting task of eliminating child marriages as the region is home to nearly half of the world’s child brides, says a United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) report. South Asian countries account for 290 million or 45 percent of the total of 640 million child brides globally, according to the report released Read more
Florida passes bathroom bill in latest wave of anti-trans legislation
Monday, May 8th, 2023Florida’s legislature Wednesday passed a bill that bans transgender people from using many bathrooms and changing areas that match their gender identity, on penalty of criminal trespass charges. The bill is the in a spate of anti-LGBTQ legislation that state lawmakers have taken up. A few Republicans joined their Democratic colleagues in opposing House Bill Read more
Catholic universities must be missionary in spirit, pope says
Monday, May 8th, 2023Pope Francis said that Catholic universities must be outward-looking and prepare their students to engage with the world’s problems rather than teaching rigid ideas. “We need minds, hearts and hands that are up to the challenge of reality, not the narrowness of ideologies,” he told a delegation from the Organization of Catholic Universities of Latin Read more