Child marriages are common in Vietnam’s Pako ethnic community. Boys marry at 15 and girls at 13. They marry young. They become young parents. Mothers can be very young indeed. Money’s tight. Extended family move over to provide space. Couples commonly live apart with husbands and fathers chasing a living elsewhere in the country. Even Read more
A communication breakdown led to permission being given to a group of Anglican clergy (some pictured) to celebrate the Eucharist in the pope’s cathedral, Rome’s Basilica of St John Lateran last Tuesday. Auxiliary Bishop Guerino Di Tora of Rome, vicar for the basilica’s chapter, has acknowledged and apologised for the communication problem, which led to Read more
Robert F Kennedy Jr has become the fourth member of his family to run for the Democrat presidential nomination, launching his campaign in Boston to loud cheers from disgruntled Democrats in a sign of the vulnerability of ageing incumbent Joe Biden. Nephew of assassinated former president John F Kennedy and the son of Bobby, gunned Read more
The Director of the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace in Pakistan, Emmanuel Yousaf, says abductions and forced conversions of young women from Christian minorities are on the rise. “The problem is becoming more acute day by day,” the priest said in an interview with the international Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need Read more
A Chinese citizen journalist who was imprisoned for three years after a secret trial for reporting on the Covid-19 situation in Wuhan City will be released at the end of this month after completing his jail term, says a report. Fang Bin disappeared on Feb 1, 2020, after he live-streamed the pandemic situation from healthcare Read more
Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Msgr Carl Reid, 72, as the ordinary of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of the Southern Cross, effective July 1. The Pontiff also named Bishop Anthony Randazzo of Broken Bay (Australia), who took part in a recent visitation of the ordinariate, as the ordinariate’s apostolic administrator. Established Read more
King Charles’ May 6 coronation procession will be led by a cross containing religious relics gifted to the monarch by Pope Francis. The cross, named the Cross of Wales, contains two shards of the True Cross, which is said to have been used in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The Royal Palace made the announcement Read more
According to a recent study, the use of secular affirmations in court by defendants may contribute to jury bias, resulting in a higher likelihood of guilty verdicts from religious jurors. Tony Pagone KC, a former Australian Federal Court judge, has called for an investigation into potential juror bias linked to religious oaths. He suggested that Read more
The pope’s safeguarding commission must not merely be engaged in “PR”, but become a refuge for those abused by clergy and silenced by the church, says top anti-abuse expert Jesuit Fr Hans Zollner (pictured). As the commission moved into a palace in Rome’s historic centre, Zollner expressed his hope that the commission’s new home will Read more
In a Sunday address, Pope Francis made a heartfelt plea to the world to pray for Sudan, urging the country’s warring military factions to set aside their arms and actively seek peace. “I am following with concern the events unfolding in Sudan,” he said on April 16 from a window overlooking St Peter’s Square. “I Read more