The Church’s ban on contraception should be relaxed, UK cabinet minister Penny Mordaunt says. Mordaunt, who is the International Development secretary, made her views known in a meeting with senior aides to Pope Francis last week. Young girls should have access to contraception, she told the aides. Read more
World
Former liturgy director launches independent Catholic church
Thursday, July 12th, 2018
A former full-time liturgy director for the Catholic church has launched an independent church of his own. Founder, Bill Mentz, who has just left his liturgy director’s position, says SS Francis and Clare Independent Roman Catholic Community will include gay people, women and divorcees. The church, which observes apostolic succession, will hold its first service Read more
Marists of Aleppo say situation improving
Thursday, July 12th, 2018
Marists of Aleppo say the situation in the Syrian city is improving. However unemployment and isolated attacks are still problems. The Marists are committed to helping the poor and needy. Nabil Antaki, who is a doctor and lay member of the Order of the Blue Marist friars, says living in Aleppo is “very expensive.” Salaries Read more
Psychiatrists refusing euthanasia derided as inhumane
Thursday, July 12th, 2018
Psychiatrists who go against the liberal interpretation of Belgium’s euthanasia laws are being derided as inhumane and lacking empathy for those facing unbearable suffering. Dr Willem Lemmens, who is a bioethicist, spoke out last weekend after a symposium which looked at the ethics surrounding suicide and euthanasia, psychiatry and mental health care. “In just a few Read more
Vatican guidelines coming for decommissioned churches
Thursday, July 12th, 2018
Vatican guidelines are being drafted to help dioceses find appropriate ways to decommission unneeded churches. The Vatican is keen to ensure the churches don’t end up as “discos, gymnasiums or gelato shops”. The Vatican’s culture ministry, Rome’s Jesuit-run Pontifical Gregorian University and the Italian bishops’ conference, will host an international conference on managing the sale Read more
Priests in Henan, China, fear data on faithful may be misused
Thursday, July 12th, 2018
Catholics in China’s Henan province are the subject of new government-issued rules. Some see these as tightening restrictions against Catholics in the province. Henan is thought to have one of the most significant proportions of Christians of any Chinese province. According to Pew Institute figures, 10 percent of China’s ten million Catholics are concentrated there. Read more
Vatican drops criminal charges against former auditor general
Thursday, July 12th, 2018Criminal charges against former Vatican Auditor General Libero Milone have been dropped. The Vatican has told him he won’t be “subject to any criminal proceedings or convictions,”. Milone says he was the victim of falsified evidence because he was investigating financial misconduct in the Vatican hierarchy. Read more
British doctor sacked because he says gender’s determined at birth
Thursday, July 12th, 2018A British doctor lost his National Health Service job because he refused to renounce his belief that gender is determined at birth. When his instructor said reports must only refer to the patient – or “client” – by the sex that person identified themselves as, the doctor says a discussion took place among the medics Read more
Buddhist meditation kept the Thai boys calm in cave
Thursday, July 12th, 2018Buddhist meditation helped the 12 twelve members of a junior football team keep calm and survive their ordeal. Their 25-year old coach, Ekapol Chanthawong, who led them on a hike into the cave when it flooded on 23 June, trained in meditation as a Buddhist monk for a ten years. He taught the boy to Read more
First layperson appointed prefect for Dicastery for Communication
Monday, July 9th, 2018
A layperson has been appointed for the first time as the Vatican’s prefect for the Dicastery of Communication. Doctor Paolo Ruffini, the Director of the Catholic television station TV2000, was named by Pope Francis to lead the dicastery. Ruffini, who has been a professional journalist since 1979, has received numerous awards for journalism. He has Read more