A secret Catholic seminary in a group of historic buildings in the Cairngorms is to be restored. Catholic priests were secretly trained at the seminary in the 1700’s. Scalan was a small, clandestine community set up in the 18th century in the Braes of Glenlivet at a time when the religion was illegal. The planning Read more
World
Sexual freedom of 1960s to blame for abuse crisis says ex-pope
Monday, April 15th, 2019
The Pope emeritus, Benedict XVI, has published a 6,000-word essay blaming clerical sex abuse on the “all-out sexual freedom” of the 1960s. Cultural and historical change have led to a “dissolution” of morality in Catholicism, he claims. As an example, he says despite allegations of clerical sex abuse of children dating back to decades before Read more
Political far right campaigner says Pope Francis is the enemy
Monday, April 15th, 2019
Political far right campaigner Steve Bannon, who is Donald Trump’s former chief strategist, has attacked Pope Francis over his anti-populism stance. Ramping up his message ahead of the European elections, Bannon said Francis should stay out of politics. “He’s the administrator of the church, and he’s also a politician. This is the problem,” Bannon – Read more
Nuns too – sexually abusing minors could be next scandal
Monday, April 15th, 2019
Nuns are also guilty of sexually abusing minors, say survivors. Women who were sexually abused by nuns say while the abuse of boys by priests is being widely documented, their trauma is being overlooked. “It’s a spiritual rape, it really is,” one says. “It steals your faith. I envy people who have faith.” “Nuns kind Read more
Pope Francis kisses feet of South Sudan’s leaders in bid for peace
Monday, April 15th, 2019
Pope Francis knelt to kiss the feet of South Sudan’s previously warring leaders urging them to respect the armistice they signed and to commit to forming a unified government next month. “I am asking you as a brother to stay in peace. I am asking you with my heart, let us go forward. There will Read more
Surgeon’s view of Christ’s cause of death
Monday, April 15th, 2019
A Catholic surgeon’s view of Christ’s cause of death says he probably died from excessive blood loss. “Christ emptied himself,” Dr. Timothy Millea said in a talk at his Catholic parish . “As a surgeon, two words that make our hair stand on end are ‘bleeding out’,” he said. “If you can’t stop it, you Read more
Walking where Jesus walked: Holy Stairs reopen
Monday, April 15th, 2019For the first time in almost three centuries, the holy stairs Jesus is said to have climbed to receive his death sentence from Pontius Pilate are accessible to pilgrims in their original version. Since 1723, at the request of Pope Innocent XIII, the Scala Sancta (Holy Stairway) was covered by a wooden casing in order Read more
Visiting Canadian lay leader helping Catholics inject new life into parishes
Monday, April 15th, 2019Canadian lay leader Ron Huntley arrived in Brisbane last week to speak with priests and Church leaders about how to go beyond the crisis in the Catholic Church and inspire an authentic renewal of faith. “If the way we do Church doesn’t lead to an encounter and a relationship with the person of Jesus Christ Read more
Archbishop of Canterbury leads Vatican spiritual retreat with Pope
Thursday, April 11th, 2019
Pope Francis and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, led a spiritual retreat for South Sudan’s leaders at the Vatican this week. The “unprecedented” spiritual retreat, which finished yesterday, was described by Vatican spokesman Alessandro Gisotti as a “propitious occasion for reflection and prayer”. He says it offered “an occasion for encounter and reconciliation, in Read more
Help on hand for collapsing parishes
Thursday, April 11th, 2019
The parish system as we know it is going to collapse, Father James Mallon told a meeting in Paris. “The quicker we accept it, the sooner we will be able to develop something new.” Organized by Alpha, an initiative founded in London to evangelize through a series of talks and discussions in churches, homes, prisons Read more