Switzerland will follow France, Belgium and Austria after narrowly voting in a referendum to ban women from wearing the burqa or niqab in public spaces. Just over 51% of Swiss voters cast their ballots in favour of the initiative to ban people from covering their face completely on the street, in shops and restaurants. Full Read more
World
Bishop appointed in South Sudan diocese after nearly 10 years vacancy
Thursday, March 11th, 2021Father Christian Carlassare was appointed Bishop of Rumbek, South Sudan, on Monday, nearly 10 years since the death of the diocese’s last bishop. He described his appointment as an illustration of “the God of surprises.” In a message to ACI Africa, Fr. Carlassare said he welcomed his episcopal appointment in a “spirit of faith” even Read more
Chicago parishioners appeal to Vatican over church downsizing plan
Thursday, March 11th, 2021Members of two dozen Roman Catholic churches closed or slated for closure by the Chicago Archdiocese are fighting to stay open. They’re appealing to the Vatican, claiming they are financially viable, despite the Archdiocese’s assessment to the contrary. Gerry Winters, president of Save St. Matthias Church, says the plan to merge his Lincoln Square parish Read more
Polish court acquits activists who put LGBT rainbow on an icon
Monday, March 8th, 2021
A Polish court has acquitted three activists who put an LGBT rainbow on an icon of the Madonna and Child, made it into a poster and distributed it. The court said it did not see evidence of a crime. The activists had been charged with producing and distributing posters of an altered icon of the Read more
Anti-Asian hate crimes up 150 percent in major US cities
Monday, March 8th, 2021
Anti-Asian hate crimes targeting Asian Americans rose 150 percent in America’s largest cities last year. At the same time, overall hate crimes decreased, according to new data from the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University. There were 122 hate crimes targeting Asian Americans in 16 of the country’s most Read more
Pope’s Iraq meetings potential super spreaders
Monday, March 8th, 2021
Health experts have raised concerns that Pope Francis’ Iraq meetings have the potential to create coronavirus ‘super spreader’ events. While the pope’s trip is intended to send a message of peace and resilience, the scenes along the way have all the hallmarks of super spreader events. Crowds have often been packed together with little social Read more
China to teach ‘masculinity’ education for boys
Monday, March 8th, 2021
The Education Ministry of China has published plans to ‘cultivate masculinity’ in schoolboys. The policy has inflamed debate across the country. The plan follows a warning from one of China’s top political advisers that the nation is experiencing a national “masculinity crisis.” “Chinese boys have been spoiled by housewives and female teachers,” the adviser, Si Read more
Catholic leaders say all vaccines morally acceptable
Monday, March 8th, 2021
Some Catholic leaders have argued that all three Covid-19 vaccines are morally acceptable, pushing back against U.S. Catholic bishops questioning the morality of taking coronavirus vaccines. They have said the shots are moral and are needed urgently to save lives. The barrage of differing philosophical opinions on the three approved vaccines were based on how Read more
Hostility, extremism and violence are betrayals of religion says Francis
Monday, March 8th, 2021
Pope Francis says his four-day visit to Iraq was a “pilgrimage of peace.” The first Catholic pope to visit Iraq, Francis’s history-making four-day trip began in Baghdad last Friday. His key message stressed peace in Iraq where wars, terrorism and sectarian conflicts have plagued it over several decades. “May there be an end to acts Read more
Catholic Church in Spain sees funds reach record highs
Monday, March 8th, 2021The Spanish Episcopal Conference (SEC) on March 2 announced that more Catholics donated part of their state taxes to their Church in 2020 than ever before. Spaniards have the option of allocating 0.7% of their taxes to certain causes, including the Church. And in 2020 some 8.5 million people — about a third of all Read more