Cardinal Walter Brandmüller says people who insist on ordaining female priests “fulfil the elements of heresy.” He says they will be excommunicated from the church. Brandmüller is one of the four “dubia” cardinals who has repeatedly asked Pope Francis to provide doctrinal clarity about some elements of Amoris Laetitia. He was responding to comments by Read more
Pope Francis is lamenting the haemorrhaging of nuns and priests in Europe. God only knows how many seminaries, monasteries, convents and churches will close because fewer people are being called to lives of religious service, he says. Read more
Pope Francis has confirmed the heroic virtues of 12 Servants of God. His decree has promulgated by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. Those whose heroic virtues the Pope recognized include American-born Servant of God Norbert McAuliffe (born: John). McAuliffe was a professed religious of the Institute of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart. Read more
Ireland’s Catholic bishops considered resigning en masse following the publication of the Ryan and Murphy reports into child abuse in 2009, former president Mary McAleese has said. Read more
The first Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner in Britain has resigned after four years in the job. Commissioner Kevin Hyland says government interference in his role in the Vatican-sponsored Santa Marta Group led to his resignation. “At times independence has felt somewhat discretionary from the Home Office, rather than legally bestowed,” his resignation letter says. “I hope Read more
Fourteen new cardinals have been named by Pope Francis. The new cardinals include prelates based in Madagascar, Peru, Mexico and Japan as well as Iraq and Pakistan, where Christians are a vulnerable minority. “The countries of provenance express the universality of the church, which continues to announce the merciful love of God to all men Read more
Black folks need to stay out of white churches, says a highway sign in Alabama. The pastor of the black church that put up the sign has defended the remarks. Rev. Michael R Jordan says he’s encouraging locals to fight gentrification. The reverse of the sign says: “White folks refused to be our neighbors.” Jordan Read more
All 34 of Chile’s bishops resigned on Friday after Pope Francis accused them of “grave negligence” and of destroying evidence of sex crimes. Their resignation followed four sessions with Francis in which they had to explain their actions. Francis then wrote to them. He asked them to make a “frank discernment in the face of Read more
Caritas Asia is trying to develop sustainable agriculture and reshape farming communities in Indonesia. It aims to develop organic farming to improve land fertility, build food sufficiency and improve people’s lives. At a conference earlier this month representatives highlighted the need to develop sustainable agricultural methods. The representatives came from from 13 countries and included Read more
Oscar Romero is to be recognised as saint of universal church. He was shot dead on March 24th 1980 as he was saying Mass in the cancer hospital in El Salvador. In his three years as archbishop, he had become an outspoken voice for the poorest people of his country. They were caught up in Read more