The Ultra-Conservative Auxiliary Bishop Athanasius Schneider of Astana, Kazakhstan, (right) has urged the Vatican to reconsider excommunicating Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò despite his outspoken criticism of Pope Francis. While acknowledging Viganò’s public opposition as “irreverent and disrespectful”, Schneider cautioned that the act of excommunication could potentially deepen the existing divisions within the Church. “I think Read more
Oceania’s Pacific Islands are especially vulnerable to climate change, a climate conference in Rome heard this week. Registrations for the “Oceania Speaks” conference included representatives from the Holy See diplomatic corps, religious communities and charitable organisations. The June 23 event aimed to raise awareness of the impact of climate change in the Asia Pacific region. Read more
Ireland’s first “Intentional Young Adult Ministry” event was a great success if participant numbers and enthusiasm are measures. Over 160 young adults from all over Ireland gathered for the get-together. The brainchild of the Irish Catholic bishops, the Intentional Young Adult Ministry event comprised participant-led activities, reflection and a Mass. Energy and enthusiasm Keynote speaker Read more
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore has reminded those keen on attending Pope Francis’ mass in Singapore that WhatsApp or other instant messaging apps will not be used in general ticketing or balloting processes. A statement on its website on June 23 said it had received reports of Catholics having their WhatsApp accounts taken over Read more
A widespread and bizarre controversy in Italy has finally come to an end after the Vatican announced that a notorious Marian statue that allegedly shed tears of blood was deemed to be false. The story is a fantastical tale that has captivated the Italian imagination for over a year. It involves fraud charges, an apparent Read more
Pope Francis decreed Wednesday that an area of northern Rome, long the source of controversy because of electromagnetic waves emitted by Vatican Radio towers, will now house a field of solar panels to fuel Vatican City. Citing the Vatican’s pledge in UN climate treaties to curb carbon emissions, Francis tasked a commission of Vatican officials Read more
Two disappeared Ukrainian Greek Catholic priests seized by Russian forces from their church in Berdyansk in November 2022 have been released after months of captivity, according to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Redemptorist Fathers Ivan Levitsky and Bohdan Geleta, who served at the Church of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos in Berdyansk, were among Read more
The Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith has formally charged Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganó with schism. This could lead to his excommunication and removal from the clerical state. On 20th May, senior officers of the Vatican’s Dicastery opened an extrajudicial penal trial against Viganó. The decree states that this process was deemed appropriate Read more
According to a pastoral theologian, women’s ordination will be a significant topic at the upcoming Synod on Synodality and there will be “no turning back” on the issue. Klara-Antonia Csiszar, Professor of Pastoral Theology at the Catholic Private University of Linz, shared with Catholic media that while there will be no vote on ordaining female Read more
The Pope and his LGBTQ language were raised – and not in a good way – during an online student forum last Thursday. The forum provided an opportunity for 12 students from across the Asia-Pacific region to speak directly to Francis about their ideas and reflections about their shared social concerns. The Loyola University Chicago-organised Read more