World

US cardinal urges Catholics to avoid single-issue voting

Monday, October 21st, 2024

As the US presidential election approaches, Cardinal Wilton Gregory, Archbishop of Washington DC, has warned Catholics against single-issue voting, urging them to take a broader approach that considers a wide range of issues. Speaking to Crux during the Synod of Bishops on Synodality in Rome, Cardinal Gregory stressed the need for Catholics to have a Read more

UK Bishop vows action as abuse impacts Mass attendance

Monday, October 21st, 2024
Mass attendance

A third of Catholics in England and Wales have reduced their Mass attendance due to concerns over the child sexual abuse crisis within the Church, according to a new report. In response, Bishop Paul Mason, lead bishop for safeguarding in the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, has vowed to ensure the Church is Read more

Catholic principal’s firing sparks state and church tension

Monday, October 21st, 2024

State and church tension has been reignited in France over the dismissal of a high-profile principal. This has aggravated the debate over religious expression in French schools. Following weeks of protests, Archbishop Laurent Ulrich of Paris has spoken out in defence of this freedom of expression. Principal dismissal sparks tensions The dismissal of Christian Espeso, Read more

Synod setback – Cardinal Fernandez skips women’s role meeting

Monday, October 21st, 2024

Cardinal Victor Fernandez, head of the Vatican’s doctrinal office, issued an apology on Friday after missing a critical meeting of a synod group focused on women’s roles in the Church. The absence, confirmed to the National Catholic Reporter by multiple sources, triggered frustration among some delegates. Fernandez absence sparks discontent Fernandez was notably absent on Read more

University will not revoke Greta Thunberg’s honorary doctorate

Monday, October 21st, 2024

Despite recent statements by Swedish activist Greta Thunberg that have been widely criticised as anti-Israel and anti-Semitic, the Faculty of Theology at the University of Helsinki has no plans to revoke the honorary doctorate awarded to the 21-year-old last year. The awarding of honorary doctorates falls within the autonomy of the faculties and is carried Read more

Pope Francis to release ‘first memoir published by a sitting pontiff’

Monday, October 21st, 2024

In January 2025, Pope Francis will become the first sitting pontiff to publish an autobiographical memoir titled “Hope.” Random House Publishing announced the memoir’s unprecedented global release on Wednesday. According to the publisher, the original plan was to release it after his death. However, the pope decided to publish it in light of the upcoming Read more

Former archbishop of Canterbury urges bishops to back assisted dying bill

Monday, October 21st, 2024

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

Rohingya refugees suffocate to death in Thailand

Monday, October 21st, 2024

Three 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
unity among Christians

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