Christian freedom means respecting other cultures and traditions rather than finding ways to impose “one’s own model of life as though it were the most evolved and the most appealing,” Francis said. “This is the meaning of calling ourselves Catholics, of speaking of the Catholic Church: it is not a sociological denomination to distinguish us Read more
According to a Polish church leader, in a meeting with Vatican officials, several Polish bishops criticised the Vatican for its handling of sex abuse cases. In particular, they highlighted the “disproportionate punishments” inflicted on bishops accused of cover-ups in comparison with convicted abusers. Archbishop Stanislaw Gadecki, president of the Polish bishops’ conference, told Poland’s Catholic Read more
The ex-bishop of Rochester today claimed ‘no church is perfect’ as he defended his decision to convert to Catholicism. Michael Nazir-Ali, who was the Bishop of Rochester from 1994 until 2009, could be ordained as a priest as early as next month after spending ‘some years’ considering the change. It comes as the Roman church Read more
Pope Francis said on Saturday he realises some people, including within the Church, consider him to be “a pest” for defending the poor and most vulnerable, but that it won’t stop him as it is part of Christianity. “Thinking about these situations (of exclusion and inequality), I make a pest of myself with my questions. Read more
The University of Oxford’s Catholic student society has invited Cardinal George Pell to give its prestigious annual lecture, attracting both praise and criticism from within Oxford’s Catholic community. The cardinal, who graduated with a DPhil from Oxford in 1971, has been a patron of the Newman Society since 2009, when he inaugurated the current iteration Read more
Religious leaders in Catania issued a three-year ban on naming godparents at baptisms this month. They claim many families enlist local power brokers to be their children’s compari because they are more interested in securing gold necklaces and networking opportunities for their family than spiritual leadership, according to the New York Times. Bishops and priests Read more
A Colombian nun who was kidnapped over four years ago by Islamic jihadists in Mali met Pope Francis just 24 hours after her release last Saturday. Francis greeted Sister Gloria Cecilia Narváez Argoti on Sunday before celebrating Mass at the Vatican and blessed her after it. The Mass was part of the formal opening process Read more
Pope Francis is questioning whether the Church is ready for the synodal process saying it needs to free itself from “inward-looking and outworn pastoral models”. He made the comments during his homily on Sunday, launching a two-year consultation of all the world’s Catholics. The synodal process begins on October 17 in local diocese around the Read more
In an abrupt volte-face, France’s top Catholic bishop says protecting children from sexual abuse overrules confessional secrecy, the RFIa French news and current affairs public radio station has reported. This remark made by Bishop Eric de Moulins-Beaufort (pictured) completely contradicts the comments he made last week when he suggested priests should not violate the confessional Read more
There have been calls for the mass resignation of all bishops in France over the sex abuse scandal rocking the Catholic Church throughout the country. The “Appeal for a Renewed and Trustworthy Church”, was posted on Monday. It is an online petition calling for the en masse resignation of the country’s bishops. “As a sign Read more