Pope Francis has dismissed the accusations of a former Vatican ambassador that he covered up for ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick. Francis says an 11-page document of claims released by Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò “speaks for itself”. Asked about the letter from in a press conference aboard the Aug. 26 flight back to Rome after his visit to Ireland, Francis Read more
Plans to launch a beatification process for Emilia and Karol Wojtyla, the parents of Pope St John Paul II, are underway because of their contribution to his spiritual growth. Read more
A Buddhist woman in Sumatra has been jailed after she complained the adzan, or call to prayer, from her local mosque is too loud. Indonesia’s largest Islamic bodies have denounced the jailing, with senior figures from Indonesia’s two largest Islamic bodies backing them. “I do not see how saying ‘adzan is too loud’ is an Read more
Irish victims of clergy abuse met with Pope Francis over the weekend during his visit to Ireland for the World Meeting of Families. His meetings met with a mixed response, with disappointment expressed by some of victims while others left heartened that he would respond to their plight. Read more
History will judge whether Pope Francis’s response to clerical abuse was appropriate, says Marie Collins. Collins, who is a clerical abuse survivor and former member of Francis’ papal commission on clergy sexual abuse, says while she believes Francis has good intentions in fighting abuse she is looking for actions as well. Rather than telling us Read more
A fertility app that tracks a woman’s fertility and replaces birth control medication has been approved by both the FDA and the German inspection and certification agency Tüv Süd. Users of the app have a lower unintended pregnancy rate than the pill (6.5 percent as against 9 percent), without the side effects of hormonal contraception. Read more
The UK government’s pledge to end homelessness by 2027 has been welcomed by English bishops. They hope the £100 million plan to help end rough sleeping on England’s streets will be put into place urgently. Around 4,750 people are estimated to sleep rough on any given night in England. The scheme, which was launched on Read more
It’s family time for the Bergoglios this week, with Pope Francis visiting Dublin for the World Meeting of Families and his niece Cristina exhibiting artwork at a Dublin gallery. Artist, author and architect Cristina Bergoglio is exhibiting her paintings, many of which were inspired by one of Francis’s favorite themes: bridges. Much of Francis’s pontificate Read more
Cardinal Sean O’Malley, Archbishop of Boston and head of the Vatican Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, says the Church and sexual abuse perpetrators need to be held accountable. In a video message posted on the Archdiocese of Boston website after the Pennsylvania Grand Jury report was released, O’Malley expressed his concern about the Read more
Venezuelans are arriving in Colombia as refugees with a few suitcases, malnourished children and reports of bare shelves in shops, supermarkets and pharmacies. The International Monetary Fund is predicting the inflation rate in Venezuela will top one million percent this year. If that happens, the monthly minimum wage will not buy enough flour for a Read more