A former Irish foreign minister says a Vatican representative asked him for help to protect the Vatican from possible claims that might be made against the Church in the future. Dermot Ahern says a senior Vatican official sought him out to make an agreement in 2004. In the agreement, Ireland would indemnify the Catholic Church Read more
The Argentine Senate has voted against a bill to decriminalise abortion during the first 14 weeks of pregnancy. Senators voted 38-31 against the bill. In Argentina, abortion is allowed only in cases of rape and in risks to a woman’s health. Thousands of women, most of them poor, are hospitalised each year for complications linked Read more
The Church should act against slavery wherever it can and not just speak against it, says Sydney’s archbishop Anthony Fisher. Making good his statement, Fisher has publicly committed the Archdiocese of Sydney to a pilot programme aimed at ridding the archdiocese’s services, schools and parishes of slavery-tainted goods and services. The pilot program Fisher is Read more
Why do some people go to church and others stay away? A new Pew Research Center study offers a survey of 4,729 Americans telling us precisely why they do (or don’t) attend religious services. Read more
The Irish Bishops’ marriage counselling agency, will offer its services to same-sex couples in compliance with the law. Bishop Denis Nulty said the agency, Accord, has been supporting sacramental marriage for more than 50 years. He says “our counsellors accompany anyone who comes, with respect, compassion and sensitivity”. Read more
One year after the Charlottesville protests, the Catholic Church in the United States appears to be still struggling to reckon with America’s “original sin.” Read more
Pope Francis has changed the catechism to ensure the church’s opposition to the death penalty is clear. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) is of universal importance to Catholics, the change will spread the church teaching about capital punishment throughout the world. It will also require Catholics to work towards abolishing the death Read more
Some Australian trade unions want to restrict the right of religious organisations to decide who to employ according to candidates’ responses to Church teaching on sexuality. Under Australian federal and state laws, some religious organisations are exempt from laws that protect workers from losing their jobs as a result of their gender identity or sexuality. Read more
A commission of lay Catholics to investigate his “brother bishops” has been called for by US Bishop Edward Scharfenberger. He wants a national, independent panel of expert lay faithful — completely separated from any source of power in the Church that could exert influence on them — to investigate the bishops. The panel should be Read more
Sierra Leone’s new president Julius Maada Bio is getting the big tick from the country’s bishops. He took office in April this year. The President of the Catholic Bishops’ Council, Charles Campbell, says the government’s plan to provide free and quality education is “a laudable venture” and praised the measures Bio is taking to transform Read more