The French appeals court has acquitted Cardinal Philippe Barbarin of charges that he failed to report sexual abuse crimes committed by notorious pedophile” and defrocked priest, Bernard Preynat. Barbarin’s troubles began in 2017 when he was charged and later convicted for not reporting the abuse of a minor. He received a six-month prison sentence for Read more
A relic of bone thought to belong to St John Henry Newman has been stolen. The Birmingham Oratory publicised the theft on Sunday, saying the bone fragment had been taken from its casket in the Newman Shrine. The fragment, some brass coffin handles and an inscription plate were the only remains found in Newman’s grave Read more
The Vatican is saying little about a change in duties for Archbishop Gänswein. The Holy See Press Office says the long-time secretary of emeritus Pope Benedict XVI has had his duties as prefect of the papal household “reallocated to others”. It is downplaying 63-year-old Georg Gänswein’s absence from several papal audiences over the past few Read more
Christian funerals are banned in some areas of China as the government begins to enforce new regulations on religious practices. In the eastern province of Zhejiang, a set of Regulations on Centralized Funeral Arrangement are being enforced. These regulations ban priests from attending funeral prayers outside a religious place. The new rules – enacted in Read more
Pope Francis is asking for a radical change, “a new ethic,” in the way the world’s economy and finances are organised and managed. He addressed his concerns to those attending a high-level conference in the Vatican. Those at the conference included the managing director of the International Monetary Fund, the president of the World Bank, Read more
Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation on the Amazon region will be published on 12 February, the Vatican has announced. The document, which follows October’s Synod of Bishops on the Amazon, is highly anticipated for how the pope will respond to the recommendation to allow the ordination of married men to the priesthood for ministry in the Read more
Perhaps the last thing one would expect booming from the speakers of a Vatican-sponsored event is “Scream & Shout” by Will.i.am and Britney Spears. But the Catholic Church teamed up with sports celebrity Tim Tebow on Tuesday night (Feb. 4) and set formalities aside to give people with special needs a night to remember. “I Read more
Pope Francis in January met and shook hands with the woman at whom he lost his patience after being grabbed in St. Peter’s Square Dec. 31. After his general audience Jan. 8, Pope Francis spoke briefly with the woman. In photos the two can be seen smiling at each other as they shake hands. A Read more
People and how they are shaped in faith and not buildings make up the strength of the Catholic Church says Cardinal Luis Tagle. Those with the gift of listening are the biggest gift of all, he said. Tagle, the newly appointed congregation head for the Evangelisation of Peoples was speaking with clergy and laity at Read more
A Southern California church’s nativity scene this year presents Jesus, Mary and Joseph as refugees detained and separated at the border. Each figure is isolated in its own chain-link cage with a barbed-wire top. The nativity scene is drawing mixed reactions for the way it presents the Holy Family’s flight into Egypt in the context Read more