A group of 200 refugees and immigrants attended a special Vatican screening of the documentary film ‘Francesco’ on Monday night and later met with Pope Francis himself. The screening was organized by the Laudato Si’ Foundation and the director of the film, Evgeny Afineevsky. Mr Afineevsky personally addressed the audience, recalling his own family’s migration Read more
The Vatican has issued the world’s Catholic dioceses with synodal path guidelines as they prepare for the 2023 Synod of Bishops. The preparatory document and a “handbook” for dioceses focuses on the theme, ‘For a synodal church: communion, participation and mission’. “Pope Francis invites the entire Church to reflect on a theme that is decisive Read more
Pastor Rafaqat Yaqoob watched helplessly as laborers removed the cross from the Church of the Nazarene after an angry mob of more than 200 local Muslims surrounded it. “Demolish it. Make them [Christians] flee,” shouted the mob led by a cleric from the local madrasa (Islamic religious school). Pastor Yaqoob called the police. “We used Read more
It was after reading Pope Francis’s encyclical, “Laudato Si’, on Care for Our Common Home,” that Emily Burke began wondering what she, as a student at Jesuit-run Creighton University, could do to help protect the environment. “I was really energized,” Burke recalled after reading the teaching document. “That message informed my time at Creighton.” She Read more
Ride-hailing companies Uber and Lyft said Friday they will cover the legal fees of any driver who is sued under the new law prohibiting most abortions in Texas. The Texas law bans abortions once medical professionals can detect cardiac activity, usually around six weeks and often before women know they’re pregnant. Rather than be enforced Read more
The Anglican church in Wales will offer special blessings to same-sex married couples after a historic vote welcomed by campaigners for equality. The move puts the Welsh church at odds with the Church of England, which forbids clergy to bless same-sex marriages. It falls short of allowing same-sex marriages in church, and includes a “conscience Read more
In a 64-page letter, Dublin’s Catholic archbishop urges Catholics to tackle the planet’s unfolding climate catastrophe. This will require ecological conversion, he says. The pastoral letter is the first one Archbishop Dermot Farrell (pictured) has released since he was installed in February. Pope Francis had announced his appointment last December. “The purpose of this pastoral Read more
The former chief executive of the UK’s largest private abortion provider is defending Nottinhgham University’s Catholic chaplain whose pro-life opinions resulted in his appointment being cancelled. Ann Furedi (pictured), who formerly led the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, said the university was “stupid” for refusing to recognise Fr David Palmer as chaplain. Palmer had published a Read more
Theodore McCarrick has pleaded not guilty to sexually assaulting a 16-year-old boy nearly 50 years ago. The once-powerful American Cardinal was expelled from the priesthood for the assault, which allegedly occurred at a wedding reception in Massachusetts. Pope Francis laicised (defrocked) McCarrick in 2019 after a Vatican investigation determined he sexually abused minors, as well Read more
President Joe Biden has announced a “whole-of-government” response to “ensure” abortion access in Texas, after the state’s pro-life law went into effect on Wednesday. As a result of this move, Biden’s stance on the beginning of life is being questioned. Recently President Biden is reported to have said that he does not believe life begins Read more