Pope Francis issued an apostolic letter on Tuesday bringing Church law up to date on the rules for dismissal from religious institutes, in light of the updated penal law on sanctions related to clerical sexual abuse and other crimes. The letter, known as Recognitum Librum VI and issued motu proprio (on the pope’s “own impulse”) Read more
World
Bronx rapper becomes US youngest bishop
Thursday, April 21st, 2022
The United States’ youngest bishop, Bronx priest Joseph Espaillat, doesn’t always answer his phone. His tendency to let it ring unanswered is rather well known these days. Sometimes – perhaps inevitably – he misses important calls. “Four times, this call from Washington, D.C. And I was just like, ‘I’m not picking this up. I don’t Read more
Pope encourages young people to seize life
Thursday, April 21st, 2022
Speaking to thousands of young Italians at St Peter’s Square last week, Pope Francis urged them to seize life. Have the courage to follow Jesus despite the fears and insecurities you might have, Francis said. He began his speech after riding around in his popemobile greeting youth before the event started, listening to testimonies from Read more
1.6 million more Filipino Catholics
Thursday, April 21st, 2022
The Catholic Church in the Philippines registered more than 1.6 million baptisms in 2020, the highest number in the world. The figures come from the 2022 edition of the Annuario Pontificio (Pontifical Yearbook) and the 2020 Annuarium Statisticum Ecclesiae (Statistical Yearbook of the Church), compiled by the Vatican’s Central Office of Church Statistics. The yearbook Read more
Thousands attend pope’s first St Peter’s Square papal audience in two years
Thursday, April 21st, 2022
Thousands of pilgrims from around the world gathered at the Vatican on Wednesday as Pope Francis held his first weekly papal audience in St Peter’s Square since coronavirus hit in early 2020. The 85-year-old was met with cries of ‘Long live the pope’ as he entered the square still decorated with 40,000 flowers laid out Read more
Rise up with new evangelical vigour
Thursday, April 21st, 2022
An Australian archbishop is calling on catholics “to rise up with new evangelical vigour”. He made the call in a commentary on a plenary council preparatory document. Archbishop Julian Porteous of Hobart (pictured) said Catholicism in Australia faces crises such as a loss of faith and declining religious practice. The plenary council working document shows Read more
Benedict XVI’s secretary tests positive for COVID-19
Thursday, April 21st, 2022Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s personal secretary, Archbishop Georg Gänswein, has been in isolation for the past ten days after testing positive for COVID-19, according to German media. The German news agency, Katholisch.de, reported April 20 that Gänswein has been in isolation since April 11, a time period that included all of the Easter Triduum and Read more
Burger King in Spain apologises, pulls offensive Holy Week ads
Thursday, April 21st, 2022The fast-food chain Burger King in Spain has withdrawn and apologised for an offensive ad campaign that sparked outrage among Catholics during Holy Week. “We apologise to all those who have felt offended by our campaign aimed at promoting our vegetable products during Holy Week. Our intention has never been to offend anyone and the Read more
Hong Kong bishop ‘hopes’ for women’s ordination ‘one day’
Thursday, April 21st, 2022Hong Kong’s Bishop Stephen Chow expressed hope on April 13 for the Catholic ordination of women, joining several European bishops who have expressed similar sentiments in recent years. During his homily at the Hong Kong diocesan Chrism Mass, Bishop Chow said he had “turned to English, just to address our ordained brothers, and I hope Read more
Irish churchgoers raise 3.25 million euro for Ukraine
Thursday, April 21st, 2022Catholic churchgoers in Ireland have raised 3.25 million euro for the people of Ukraine since the war began. Archbishop Eamon Martin of Armagh and Archbishop Dermot Farrell of Dublin paid tribute to the generosity of parishioners. Irish bishops had asked for a special collection in parishes across Ireland in the wake of the Russian invasion. Read more