The Vatican has agreed to investigate the disappearance of teenage girl Emanuela Orlandi who disappeared in 1983. The daughter of a Vatican police officer, Orlandi was 15 when she left a music class on 22 June 1983. She has not been seen since. “The time has finally come to reach the truth and give justice Read more
Although Guam’s former Archbishop Apuron has been found guilty of child sexual abuse, he is still celebrating Mass. While the Vatican’s ruling following its guilty verdict has banned Apuron from returning to Guam and has removed him permanently from his post, he is still a priest. His successor, Archbishop Michael Byrnes, has apologised and pledged Read more
A new documentary claims many Irish Catholics practised a mixture of Catholicism and pagan rituals before the Great Hunger (1845-1849) triggered a major turning point for the Church in Ireland. Released yesterday, Irish broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTE)’s documentary Rome V Republic examines the events that led up to and followed the Church’s hold over Read more
Support is growing for an Iranian human rights lawyer after she was sentenced to 38 years in prison for defending women who refused to wear headscarves. Nasrin Sotoudeh received the sentence — along with 148 lashes — last month on charges of encouraging prostitution and offering legal advice to women protesting the mandatory hijab. The Read more
During a visit to a parish in Rome, Pope Francis offered three signs a parish is doing well: prayer; the “charity of facts”, exemplified by their charitable works; and “passive charity”. “What is passive charity?” he asked rhetorically. “That you love one another and do not criticize one another”. During his pastoral visit Francis meets Read more
Police have charged an Indian bishop with repeatedly raping a nun at a rural convent in a case that has cast a new shadow on the Catholic church’s global sex abuse crisis. Franco Mulakkal was charged with raping the nun several times between 2014 and 2016, according to the police deputy superintendent in the district Read more
In his first public appearance as the Archbishop of Washington, 71-year old Wilton Gregory repeatedly promised always to tell the truth. “I believe that the only way I can serve the local archdiocese is by telling you the truth,” he said several times in a news conference. “This is obviously a moment fraught with challenges Read more
Drawing on the “Servant of Hope” theme of his recent trip to Morocco, Pope Francis told the faithful at his General Audience last week that “to serve hope in our day is to build bridges between cultures”. Thanking God for allowing him “to take another step along the road of dialogue and encounter with our Read more
Thousands of Iranians are converting to Christianity in Iran as Muslims are being criticised on social media for their religion’s oppressive rule. “There are signs that quite a few Iranians are now also disenchanted with Islam itself,” a recent opinion piece notes. “Often silently and covertly, they are abandoning their faith. Some opt for other Read more
France’s new bishops’ conference chair, Archbishop Eric de Moulins-Beaufort of Reims, is a well-recognised theologian who is highly appreciated for his analytical skills and is liked by lay people. His intellectual standing and realistic manner of tackling problems without excessive nostalgia for the past are said to have contributed to his election. Speaking after his Read more