Joe Biden put clear water between himself and other Democrat presidential candidates on the issue of abortion as he pulled into a surprise poll lead over Donald Trump in the traditionally conservative state of Texas. He enraged pro-choice activists, and many senior Democrat colleagues, by confirming he was against the idea of the US government Read more
World
Cardinal Pell appeals against sex abuse conviction
Thursday, June 6th, 2019
Former Vatican treasurer Cardinal George Pell is appealing to have his conviction for child sexual abuse overturned. The 77 year-old was sentenced last year to six years jail after a jury found him guilty of abusing two boys in 1996 while he was Archbishop of Melbourne. He must serve at least three years and eight Read more
Catholic schools teach God is gender neutral
Thursday, June 6th, 2019
Catholic schoolgirls in Brisbane are being taught that God is gender neutral. Aiming to teach the girls at the region’s exclusive Catholic schools to use inclusive language, the girls are not allowed to use male-centric terms or the words ‘Lord’, ‘Father’ and ‘Son’. The girls at AU$40,000 a year Stuartholme School in Brisbane, are taught Read more
Steve Bannon’s right-wing Catholic DHI institute in breach of contract
Thursday, June 6th, 2019
Dignitatis Humanae Institute (DHI), a right-wing Catholic institute affiliated with Steve Bannon, is out of favour with Italy’s Culture Ministry. The DHI is considered the “cultural arm” of Bannon’s populist push in Italy and in Europe. The Ministry says it will revoke the lease on the 800 year-old state-owned Trisulti monastery it leased to the Read more
Bishop’s anti-LGBTQ tweet draws hundreds to protest
Thursday, June 6th, 2019
A bishop’s anti-LGBTQ tweet decrying Pride Month has drawn a large amount of negative backlash. On Saturday, Rhode Island Bishop Thomas J. Tobin’s tweet urged Catholics not to support or attend LGBTQ events planned for this month. “A reminder that Catholics should not support or attend LGBTQ ‘Pride Month’ events held in June,” he tweeted. Read more
Pope approves changes to missal translation
Thursday, June 6th, 2019
The Italian bishops’ conference says a revised translation of the missal for Italy has been approved. Conference president Cardinal Gualtiero Bassetti says Pope Francis authorised the publication of the revised translation of the third edition of the Messale Romano, which the bishops had approved last November. It will be some months before the books are Read more
Planned Lebanon demolitions put 15,000 Syrian children at risk of homelessness
Thursday, June 6th, 2019At least 15,000 Syrian children will be at risk of homelessness if the Lebanese government goes ahead with the planned demolition of “semi-permanent structures” built by refugees in eastern Lebanon, aid agencies warned on Tuesday. Save the Children, World Vision and Terre des Hommes Foundation said in a joint statement the government made a decision Read more
Australian bishops adopt new Safeguarding Standards
Thursday, June 6th, 2019Last week the Australian bishop’ conference and Catholic Religious Australia adopted new Catholic safeguarding standards to combat the sexual abuse of children and vulnerable adults in the wake of a 2017 report on such abuse in the country’s institutions. The National Catholic Safeguarding Standards were adopted on May 30. “These National Catholic Safeguarding Standards draw Read more
Samoa church to continue defying govt tax law
Thursday, June 6th, 2019Ministers from the Congregational Christian Church of Samoa will continue to refuse to pay taxes despite recently enacted laws compelling them to do so. The matter was not on the agenda for this year’s national conference which ended last week and the church says policy dictates that any resolution can only be revisited after three Read more
Pope victim of half-reported answers about McCarrick abuse
Thursday, May 30th, 2019
A transcript of Pope Francis’ comments about disgraced ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick only half-reported what he said, the Vatican Communications office says. The truncated transcript of Francis’s lengthy interview with Mexico’s Televisa reporter, Valentina Alazaraki, claimed Francis said he didn’t know anything about accusations of McCarrick’s sexual abuse before the accusations became public last year. What Read more