Save Our Sisters (SOS), a social forum formed to support nuns, has expressed renewed hope after a top court in the southern Indian state of Kerala admitted appeals against the acquittal of Bishop Franco Mulakkal in a nun rape case. “We are glad that the high court has finally admitted the appeals,” Shaiju Antony, joint Read more
World
Francis gives Putin ‘a rocket’
Monday, April 4th, 2022
Pope Francis has given Russia’s President Vladimir Putin the edge of his tongue for launching a “savage” war. Rather than use the Russian president’s name, Francis instead referred to Putin as “some potentate” who had unleashed the threat of nuclear war on the world in an “infantile and destructive aggression” under the guise of “anachronist Read more
New programme to teach laypeople preaching skills
Monday, April 4th, 2022
An innovative programme that teaches preaching skills and educates laypeople how to better convey the Gospel in everyday life has been launched in Australia. The Xavier School of Preaching model is backed by the Australian Catholic University and has garnered significant interest from Catholic dioceses around Australia. The programme offers practical face-to-face and online training Read more
Pope speaks in Malta of migrants and of mercy
Monday, April 4th, 2022
On the second and final day of his visit to Malta, Pope Francis spoke of migrants and of mercy to others. Everyone is deserving of mercy, whether they’re foreigners or simply people in need of compassion, he said at the Grotto of St Paul in Rabat. He went on to speak of Malta’s tradition of Read more
Report reveals metaverse sexual content threat to children
Monday, April 4th, 2022
The dangers of the sex industry in the virtual reality metaverse have been outlined in a new report, with young children at risk of viewing sexual content online and accessing cyber brothels. The metaverse is a broad term generally referring to shared virtual world environments which people can access via the internet. The term can Read more
$100m media campaign to attract Christianity sceptics
Monday, April 4th, 2022
An organisation has launched a $100m media campaign designed to attract Christianity sceptics who may relate to Jesus’ upbringing as a homeless, bullied son of a teenage mother. The “He Gets Us” campaign was launched in mid-March by The Signatry, a Christian foundation based in Kansas. The group is channelling funding from “like-minded families who Read more
Papal apology: like seeing fresh moose tracks
Monday, April 4th, 2022
Like walking through the snow and seeing fresh moose tracks. This is National Chief, Gerald Antoine’s description of Pope Francis’ apology for the part the Catholic Church played in Canada’s residential school system. “That is the feeling that I have, because there is a possibility,” he said moments after the apology. “Today is a day Read more
Gender rights advocate is new French ambassador to the Vatican
Monday, April 4th, 2022Florence Mangin, a top gender rights advocate at France’s foreign ministry, has been named the country’s new ambassador to the Holy See. The 63-year-old career diplomat, who has been the French ambassador to Portugal for the past three years, succeeds Ambassador Élisabeth Beton-Delègue, who retired last January. Ambassador Mangin’s appointment was made official on Tuesday Read more
Oregon drops residency requirement for assisted suicide
Monday, April 4th, 2022Oregon has dropped its residency requirement for assisted suicide, meaning doctors will be allowed to prescribe lethal drugs to people who do not reside in the State. In response to a federal lawsuit, the State agreed to stop enforcing the residency requirement on March 28. In addition, the Oregon Health Authority agreed to write a Read more
Two more churches split from Hillsong in wake of scandals
Monday, April 4th, 2022Two more leaders of Hillsong Church US campuses have announced they are taking their campuses in a different direction. This is in the wake of founder Brian Houston being ousted by the church’s board for breaching its code of conduct. The New York Times reported that the Australian church has lost nine of its 16 Read more