Pope Francis has given his blessing for the feast day for St. Paul VI has been added to the universal calendar. His feast day will be on the anniversary of his ordination – 29 May. St. Paul VI was pope from 1963 to 1978. Read more
World
First Catholic church since Cuban revolution opens
Monday, February 11th, 2019The first Catholic church built since the 1959 Cuban revolution opened on Saturday. “To see this finished is like coming out of the night into the day,” Fr. Cirilo Castro, the Cuban priest who oversaw construction of the church says. “We knew it would happen one day.” Read more
Former police chief asks for forgiveness
Monday, February 11th, 2019The former national police chief who began the Philippine government’s war on drugs has asked a Catholic archbishop for forgiveness for the thousands of deaths that occurred during his watch. Human rights groups claim more than 20,000 suspected drug users and dealers have been killed in President Rodrigo Duterte’s two-and-a-half year drug war. Read more
Vatican says three cardinals leaving C9 won’t be replaced
Thursday, December 13th, 2018
Pope Francis has released three cardinals from the C9 – his Council of Cardinals. Members of the Council (known as the C9 because there are nine cardinals making up the papal advisory group) advise the pope on Church governance and reform. Its work places a special emphasis on the reform of Pastor Bonus, the apostolic Read more
Spanish Jews want synagogue stolen in inquisition returned
Thursday, December 13th, 2018
Spanish Jews want a synagogue stolen by the Catholic Church in the 14th century returned to them. The Ibn Shushan synagogue in Toledo was closed 700 years ago during the rise of the Inquisition in 1492 with its policy of religious repression. This week Spanish Jews organised a religious-cultural event in conjunction with the Bishop Read more
Trump signs new law to help religious minorities
Thursday, December 13th, 2018
US President Donald Trump has signed a new law to help ensure humanitarian relief reaches the members of religious and ethnic minorities in Iraq and Syria. The legislation aims particularly to help groups targeted for genocide by Islamic State militants. It enables financial and technical assistance for the humanitarian, stabilisation and recovery needs of former Read more
Gunman opened fire, killed people at Mass
Thursday, December 13th, 2018
A gunman opened fire killing at least four or five people people inside the Brazilian Cathedral of Our Lady of the Conception. The gunman then took his own life directly in front of the cathedral’s altar. The man entered the cathedral just as midday Mass was about to finish on Tuesday. According to the Military Read more
Retired sisters accused of embezzling funds
Thursday, December 13th, 2018
Two retired sisters have been accused of embezzling funds from the Catholic school where they’d been working for over ten years. The Sisters of St Joseph of Carondelet say the Archdiocese of Los Angeles has filed a criminal complaint against two sisters – Mary Margaret Kreuper and Lana Chang – for misappropriating funds from St Read more
Landmines cleared: site of Christ’s baptism reopening
Thursday, December 13th, 2018Thousands of landmines have been cleared from the banks of the river Jordan. Besides being the place of Christ’s baptism, the site is widely held to be the location where the Israelites crossed the river Jordan following the 40 years in the desert after the Exodus from Egypt. It is also believed to be the Read more
Catholic leading Germany’s largest political party
Thursday, December 13th, 2018Germany’s largest political party, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), has a new leader. Practicing Catholic, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer – known as AKK in the German press – was seen as chancellor and outgoing CDU leader Angela Merkel’s preferred choice. Read more