A leading expert in the field of child protection, Jesuit Father Hans Zollner, says while one goal of the Vatican’s upcoming anti-abuse summit aims to get the world’s bishops on the same page about abuse prevention, a uniform solution to the clerical abuse issue doesn’t exist. Zollner says he believes the reason for calling the Read more
Hungary’s prime minister, Viktor Orban, says immigration threatens Christianity. At the start of his European Parliamentary elections campaign, Orban has made it clear he thinks an influx of foreigners has put national traditions including religion in jeopardy. He says allowing more immigrants into the country has led to the “virus of (Islamic) terrorism”. Those who Read more
A Brazilian archbishop has banned all priests in his archdiocese from being alone with children. Archbishop Manoel Delson signed the ban after the court ordered the archdiocese to pay almost £2.5 million in compensation over the sexual exploitation of minors. Read more
Turkey is urging China to close mass detention camps estimated to hold 1 million people. Turkey, which is a majority-Muslim country, says China’s mass repression of its Uighur Muslim ethnic minority is a “great shame for humanity”. Read more
Microsoft’s President Brad Smith met Pope Francis on Wednesday to discuss the ethical use of artificial intelligence (AI). He also discussed ways to bridge the digital divide between rich and poor nations. Read more
A former cardinal sacked from a senior Vatican post by Pope Francis has written his own Manifesto of Faith. The Manifesto is the work of 71-year old German Gerhard Mueller who is a leading member of the Church’s conservative wing. It repeats basic Catholic teaching that Catholics must be free from sin before receiving Communion. Read more
A #Nunstoo movement has gained momentum since Pope Francis last week admitted Catholic clergy’s sexual abuse of nuns. “There are some priests and also bishops who have done it,” the pontiff said last week in response to a journalist’s question during his return flight from the United Arab Emirates. Francis’s admission followed an outcry last Read more
Pope Francis and the Grand Imam al-Azhar signed a declaration on human fraternity during the first-ever papal visit to the Arabian peninsula last week. They signed the declaration in front of a global audience of religious leaders from Christianity, Islam, Judaism and other faiths. The declaration covers the need to work for peace, protect religious freedom, permit Read more
Manus Island detainees must be released. Mental illness among those incarcerated on the island are rife, says the bishops conference of Papua New Guinea (PNG). The general secretary of the Catholic Bishops Conference of PNG, Giorgio Licini, has written to Prime Minister Peter O’Neill saying PNG leaders should negotiate a deadline with Australia to release Read more
Catholics should lead catholic schools, the head of the Catholic Church in Fiji says. Archbishop Peter Loy Chong of Suva wrote to the education minister about consulting Catholic schools management regarding the appointment of principals to Catholic schools after the principals of two Catholic high schools were replaced by non-Catholics. Schools are run by various religions Read more