A group of US Catholic peace activists have failed to have charges dismissed for breaking into a nuclear submarine base in Georgia to protest nuclear weapons. The base houses six Trident submarines, each designed to carry nearly 200 nuclear warheads. The seven activists cited the Religion Freedom Restoration Act, a 1993 federal law that says Read more
Australia’s Catholic Church needs to completely overhaul itself following Cardinal George Pell’s sex abuse conviction. Hundreds of thousands of Catholics are pushing for the church to open itself to ordaining women, ending clericalism and enabling people who are LGBTI or divorced to be included more. Prominent Catholics are sounding alarm bells, warning the Church that Read more
Cardinal George Alencherry has been removed as the head of the Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly. Alencherry is facing criminal charges for controversial land deals, resulting in a loss of about NZ$20million to the archdiocese. “There are two complaints – writing the deed of the sale of property without even receiving any payment and selling the property Read more
A former papal nuncio to the United Kingdom says it is is “intolerable” that women can’t be ordained to the priesthood. Archbishop Don Pablo Puente, 88, announced during Mass he planned to write to Pope Francis about the matter the next day. The president of Cantabria, Miguel Ángel Revilla, released a report of Puente’s statement, Read more
Greta Thunberg’s high-profile “eco” crossing of the Atlantic hit choppy waters tonight when it was revealed a crew will have to fly to New York to bring her boat back. The Swedish climate activist, 16, is crossing the giant ocean in a racing yacht to join protests in the US and take part in a Read more
Pope Francis said Sunday he was late to his weekly Angelus prayer because he had been stuck in a Vatican elevator and had to be freed by firemen. “I have to apologise for being late,” the smiling 82-year old pontiff told crowds of faithful patiently waiting for him to appear at his study window overlooking Read more
In what appears to be a new position, Monsignor Dario Viganò, the former head of Vatican communications forced to resign amid scandal in 2018, on Saturday was named “vice chancellor” of the Pontifical Academies for Sciences and Social Sciences. The news was announced in an Aug. 31 communique from the Vatican, after rumors began to Read more
Parental objection has seen a Catholic secondary school cancel a pro-Israel Folau assignment. The assignment was signed off by “the Religious Education Year 9 Team” at St Patrick’s Marist College in New South Wales. “Your mission is to present to your Local Member of Federal Parliament a letter expressing deep concern for the future of Read more
Questions are being asked after a man received a formal Catholic blessing at Mass shortly before committing medically assisted suicide. Robert Fuller, an HIV and cancer patient committed suicide on 10 May, five days after he was blessed at St Therese Parish in the Seattle archdiocese, After the blessing, Fr Quentin Dupont led children who Read more
An Australian comedy group says it wants to weld ‘convicted paedophile’ to the description under a plaque of Cardinal George Pell. Shortly after Pell’s child sex abuse appeal was dismissed last Wednesday, Australian comedy group The Chaser visited St Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney, where a commemorative plaque dedicated to the imprisoned cleric is on display. Read more