Speaking of genocide in the context of the Israeli army’s treatment of people living in the Gaza Strip is “disgraceful” says Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He slammed the Pope’s call last week for the global community to study whether Israel’s military campaign in Gaza constituted genocide of the Palestinian people. The G word The Read more
Australia’s High Court ruled last week that the Catholic Church is not vicariously liable for institutional child sex abuse. For the Church to bear vicarious liability, the priest would have to be an employee of the Church. Priests are not Church employees, the Court found. The ruling shocked many survivors and their supporters. They want Read more
Pope Francis said a Christian faith that does not disturb the powers that be and cannot generate a serious commitment to charity becomes an innocuous devotion. “Christian hope, fulfilled in Jesus and realised in his kingdom, needs us and our commitment, needs our faith expressed in works of charity, needs Christians who do not look Read more
Tim Welby, son of the recently resigned Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, has defended his father’s decision to step down amid mounting scrutiny over the Church of England’s handling of abuse cases. The resignation has intensified demands for Stephen Cottrell, the archbishop of York, to follow suit due to his alleged neglect of multiple safeguarding Read more
President-elect Donald Trump has chosen several Catholics to serve in his Cabinet and other parts of his administration, including environmental lawyer Robert F Kennedy Jr, three-term Sen Marco Rubio, Rep Elise Stefanik, and, in an announcement Monday evening, former Rep Sean Duffy. The 45th and soon-to-be 47th president made over a dozen announcements within 10 Read more
Myanmar’s military junta has come under fire from global rights group, Human Rights Watch (HRW) for a surge in use of banned antipersonnel landmines that indiscriminately kill and injure people across the country. Myanmar topped the global list of casualties from landmines last year, HRW said in a report released on Nov. 21. The country Read more
The Vatican has approved integrating Indigenous traditions into the Catholic Mass in Mexico’s Diocese of San Cristóbal de Las Casas. The adaptations include new roles for lay leaders and cultural expressions during worship, reflecting the traditions of local Indigenous communities. According to a decree issued by Cardinal Arthur Roche, the Dicastery for Divine Worship granted Read more
Brisbane Catholic Education (BCE) has unveiled a world-first Catholic-focused AI chatbot to support teachers and integrate religious values into education. The AI, known as the Catholic CoPilot, is already in use across 146 schools and saves teachers up to 10 hours a week by automating lesson planning, marking and administrative tasks. The chatbot was built Read more
Survivors of clergy abuse are calling on the Vatican to adopt a global zero-tolerance policy for predator priests, similar to the rules implemented in the US Catholic Church in 2002. The survivors argue that such measures are necessary to protect children worldwide. The US policy, often referred to as “one strike and you’re out”, requires Read more
Archdiocese staff have been laid off to help cover the costs of the Catholic Church sex-abuse scandal in New York. It is possible even more staff may have to leave, Cardinal Timothy Dolan warns. Before dismissing staff however, the Archdiocese sold its First Ave. Manhattan office headquarters building for US $100 million. It will be Read more