A leading German bishop has labelled new church statistics as alarming. Bishop Georg Bätzing of Limburg, chair of the German Bishops’ Conference, stated “The figures show that the church is in a comprehensive crisis”. The statistics revealed a significant drop in Catholic Church membership. Approximately 403,000 Catholics left the church last year, reducing the total Read more
A Catholic woman has won a court case against the Archdiocese of Mechelen-Brussels, Belgium, after being twice denied access to deacon training. Veer Dusauchoit (pictured), 62, argued the refusal violated the Belgian Constitution. The court agreed, fining Archbishop Luc Terlinden and his predecessor Cardinal Jozef De Kesel €1,500 each. The court however made the point Read more
Pope Francis’ recent interview that seemed to close the door to women deacons isn’t the final word on the topic says Sr Laura Vicuña Pereira Manso. She refers to the pope’s interview for a CBS “60 Minutes” show in May. In it Francis said he was opposed to women deacons if it involves the sacrament Read more
Several former Missionaries of Charity sisters say abuse, neglect, bullying and exploitation are common within the Order. Most say they are not trying to damage the Order St Teresa of Kolkata (Mother Teresa) founded. Rather, they want to help it become the best version of itself. Allegations Power and authority are abused in the Order, Read more
Investigators combed the charred wreckage of a South Korean lithium factory on June 25 to find the cause of a massive blaze that killed 23 in one of the country’s worst factory disasters in years. The fire department said 23 people are now confirmed dead, including 17 Chinese nationals, with identification work ongoing. “We plan Read more
The rumour has been spreading for several days: the Vatican is reportedly about to completely prohibit the possibility of celebrating Mass in the old form of the rite. Originating on June 17 from the well-informed traditionalist blog Rorate Caeli, this rumour has since spread rapidly. Some are even suggesting the date of July 16, the Read more
In 2023, the income of the Peter’s Pence Fund, intended to meet the needs of the universal Church and to support numerous initiatives in favour of those most in need, amounted to 52 million euros (48.4 million from offerings received and 3.6 million from financial income realised from the remuneration of assets), while the expenditures Read more
The Vatican is reportedly preventing the ordination of seminarians due to uncertainties about their ability to celebrate the pre-conciliar old Latin Rite liturgy after ordination. Five seminarians from the Missionaries of Divine Charity have been awaiting ordination as deacons for over a year. One seminarian is reported to have been waiting for more than two Read more
Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston has called for the removal from Vatican offices of artwork by Fr Marko Rupnik, a priest accused of sexually abusing dozens of adult women. O’Malley, president of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors (PCPM), urged Vatican offices to exercise pastoral prudence and avoid displaying Rupnik’s art, which could Read more