In a bombshell announcement, the Diocese of Fréjus-Toulon in southeastern France has suspended this year’s priestly ordinations following a Vatican “visitation” that raised concerns over its seminary programme. On 2 June, Dominique Rey (pictured), the bishop of Fréjus-Toulon, announced that, at the express request of the Vatican, he had to postpone the ordinations of four Read more
All she did was cross the street but that small gesture by the Queen made an enormous contribution to community relations in Northern Ireland. By walking from the Protestant cathedral to the Roman Catholic one in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Her Majesty set a standard for others to follow. Viscount Brookeborough, Lord Lieutenant of County Fermanagh, Read more
A new constitution comes into force in the Vatican on Sunday, with which Pope Francis has reorganised the authority apparatus of the Catholic Church. Observers see in the new document which has the Latin title “Praedicate Evangelium” (Proclaim the Gospel) a clear will to reform on the part of the 85-year-old head of the Catholic Read more
The Philippines will look into thousands of killings in President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs, its justice minister said on Wednesday after a review of a sample of cases indicated foul play in dozens of deadly police operations. Menardo Guevarra said the Department of Justice (DOJ) would expand its review to include the more than Read more
Several experts on disability, who are also pioneers in developing a more profound theology of disability, have said the Catholic Church under Pope Francis is making good strides in terms of welcome and acceptance. They say still more needs to be done for “creative learners” to be fully incorporated into their ecclesial communities, beginning with Read more
Highlighting the importance of forgiveness, Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, says Prince Andrew is trying to “make amends”. His comments refer to Andrew’s fall from grace following accusations of sexually abusing Virginia Giuffre two decades ago when she was 17. Although he did not admit wrongdoing, the Queen’s son paid an undisclosed sum earlier Read more
Catholic Church communications should be more proactive and help promote a culture of transparency, openness and co-responsibility. It can help with a greater commitment to communication that follows the Gospel way, marked by listening, dialogue, compassion, tenderness and accompaniment. All people yearn for truth and justice, speakers at a panel discussion in Rome said last Read more
Silence kills, and the Ukrainian Catholic Church is urging the world to continue to speak out about Ukraine’s struggle to survive. Major Archbishop Svietoslav Shevchuk’s appeal comes as Ukraine’s largest Orthodox church (UOC) reasserts its independence from the Moscow Patriarchate. “We are seeing today how silence can kill,” Shevchuk says. Everyone who chooses to stay Read more
Catholic missionaries in Mongolia have expressed their joy over the appointment of Italian Bishop Giorgio Marengo as a new cardinal. “I am surprised and amazed by an unexpected moment of grace, Cardinal-elect Marengo said. “I believe that the pope’s gesture was a missionary gesture, to express attention and care to a small community and to Read more
Church services in Hong Kong to commemorate the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown have been cancelled amid fears of breaching security laws. Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law in 2020 to snuff out pro-democracy demonstrations. The security law has effectively erased reminders of China’s bloody suppression of the protests in the Chinese capital 33 years Read more