A Catholic priest from a diocese in northern India has been suspended after allegedly physically assaulting the diocese’s bishop over a sexual abuse case. Bishop Pius Thomas D’Souza of Ajmer claims he was attacked last week by local priest Father Varghese Palappallil. Palappallil has denied the allegation. According to Matters India, the bishop said he Read more
A community of Benedictine nuns from France are using their God-given talents to spread their love of Gregorian chant. Since 2019, they have been recording every plainchant of the liturgical calendar and making them accessible on a brand new app, Neumz. More than just a music streaming service, Neumz offers invaluable educational elements to learn Read more
Sri Lanka will ban the wearing of the burqa and shut more than 1,000 Islamic schools in the latest actions affecting the country’s minority Muslim population. Minister for Public Security Sarath Weerasekera said he had signed a paper on Friday for cabinet approval to ban the full-face covering worn by some Muslim women on “national Read more
A Polish cardinal, former secretary to St. John Paul II, could face jail time after a Polish state commission accused him of ignoring sexual abuse by Catholic clergy. Poland’s State Commission on Pedophilia said it would initiate procedures against bishops “for not notifying law enforcement authorities, despite their knowledge that minors were being harmed by Read more
As of Monday, private Masses and Masses said in Latin won’t be as freely available at St Peter’s Basilica as they have been. The Vatican’s Secretariat of State – which deals with the general affairs of the church – has forbidden Masses to be said by a priest by himself at the basilica. It also Read more
Vatican Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle is worried about the way populist leaders are “hijacking” religion. They are doing this by sowing division and exploiting the anger of those who feel excluded, he says. The Filipino prelate (pictured), who is the prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples, aired his concerns – and some Read more
Ireland’s Catholic bishops plan to hold a synod to hear from people who were raised Catholic but have walked away from the church. The synod will take place “within the next five years”. The bishops said they are “acutely aware of the huge challenges to the Catholic faith” that have emerged during the past 50 Read more
According to a Vatican diplomat, a United Nations Human Rights Council report on Islamophobia risks “polarising the international community”. Archbishop Ivan Jurkovič said the report highlighting Islamophobia could prove to be “divisive” because it focused on one religious group to the exclusion of others. The report is entitled “Countering Islamophobia/Anti-Muslim Hatred to Eliminate Discrimination and Read more
With Ireland’s government maintaining the highest “Level 5” Covid-19 restriction, St Patrick’s Day celebrations have been cancelled throughout the country. There will be no parades in Ireland on Mar. 17 for the second year in a row. The government has warned that people who try to organise parties to celebrate the day will face fines Read more