The head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church has pushed back on Pope Francis’ comments that Russia was possibly provoked by NATO into invading Ukraine. “The gift of reason from the Holy Spirit is so necessary in today’s world so that the devil’s wiles do not deceive the human person,” said Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, head Read more
Retired Belgian Bishop Lucas van Looy of Ghent has asked Pope Francis to withdraw his nomination for appointment as a cardinal. Francis has agreed. The Belgian bishops’ conference issued a statement last week announcing the decision and thanking van Looy for making the request. The statement said the 80-year old van Looy’s appointment “provoked many Read more
The Catholic bishops of France have written “a cover letter” to the national synthesis of the diocesan phase of the Synod on synodality. They produced a text that was significantly revised at the last minute to include calls for reform that emerged during months of consultations with the laity. The bishops approved the text during Read more
The great majority of practising Irish Catholics favour the ordination of women, marriage for priests who want it, greater roles for divorced and remarried people or couples and single parents, and more respect for LGBTQI+ people. They also want better-prepared, shorter sermons and the removal of bloodthirsty Old Testament readings from Masses and other liturgies, Read more
The FBI confirmed on Friday it is investigating attacks on pro-life pregnancy centres and churches, and episodes of violence and vandalism that surged after the leak of a Supreme Court draft opinion that would overturn Roe v Wade. “The FBI is investigating a series of attacks and threats targeting pregnancy resource centres and faith-based organisations Read more
The Catholic Church needs theologians who know how to transmit the truths of faith in a way that will speak to people today, help them live the faith in their daily lives and inspire them to share the Gospel with others, Pope Francis wrote. “The community needs the work of those who attempt to interpret Read more
Pope Francis told a gathering of Jesuit editors that restorationist Catholics, particularly in the United States, are “gagging” the Church’s modernising reforms. Nevertheless, he insisted that there was no turning back. Francis said the refusal to accept the reforms of the Second Vatican Council is the major problem facing the Church today. “In the European Read more
The Bishop of Hong Kong has likened the existence of the Church in the former British colony to plants growing in pavement cracks. Bishop Stephen Chow commented in the Sunday Examiner that these plants “are proofs of the amazing power of life that comes from the Creator. How can they grow up in such a Read more
The NSW government is planning to set up a specialist religious advisory council. It made the decision after the pandemic underscored the importance of closing cultural divides in Sydney. The Religious Communities Advisory Council will advise on and address safety and security concerns around churches and mosques, and engage with multi-faith communities. The Council and Read more
Plans to send a flight of asylum seekers to Rwanda from the UK have been abandoned after a dramatic 11th-hour ruling by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). The decision to cancel the flight capped three days of frantic court challenges from immigrant rights lawyers. They had launched a flurry of case-by-case appeals to Read more