Cardinal Willem Jacobus Eijk of the Netherlands has written to Pope Francis criticising him for ‘creating confusion’ among the faithful and ‘endangering the unity of the church.’ Eijk was responding to Francis’s response this week to a delegation of German bishops about allowing the non-Catholic partners of Catholics to receive Communion in certain circumstances. Rather Read more
The laity is an “indispensable” part of Church governance, says the International Theological Commission. The Commission, which helps establish official Catholic teaching, says canon law should be updated to make it compulsory for parishes to have councils that consult the laity. An article called “Synodality in the Life of the Church” published on the Commission’s Read more
Women’s role in church life will be given greater focus thanks to an amendment Pope Francis has made to the statutes of the Dicastery for Laity, the Family and Life. He has added a reference to the dicastery’s responsibility for promoting deeper reflection on the role of women in the church and society. “The dicastery Read more
Canon law changes mean the way church law is taught will also need to change, the Congregation for Catholic Education says. Pope Francis has amended canon law so marriage annulment cases are handled more quickly, more pastorally and with less expense. Catholic universities should therefore strengthen their canon law programmes, the Congregation says. At the Read more
Pope Francis has written the preface for Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s second volume of collected writings. The volume is on the theme “faith and politics”. Francis says “Liberating freedom. Faith and politics in the third millennium”, acts as a compass to “understand our present and find a solid orientation for the future.” Read more
The Catholic Church in Sudan has given hope to its people says the chair of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army-North. Abdelaziz Adam al-Hilu says the the Church has encouraged the people of the Nuba Mountains during decades of war with the government in Khartoum. “Bishop Macram gave hope to the people. He gave them courage Read more
The embezzlement trial for the former president of the Vatican bank began on Wednesday. Angelo Caloia and his former lawyer Gabriele Liuzzo (95) have been charged with embezzling 57 million euros ($68 million) in Vatican real estate sales. The case shows the Holy See’s willingness to prosecute shady financial deals that may have involved top Read more
The Communion policy dividing the German bishops conference will not be resolved by the Vatican, Pope Francis says. Instead, the bishops must resolve the problem among themselves. The policy agreed to by over three quarters of the bishops will allow the non-Catholic spouses of Catholics to receive Communion in certain circumstances. The policy says one of Read more
A new group will monitor the Church’s response to child sexual abuse in Australia. The Australian Catholic bishops and religious congregations established the new advisory group. Archbishop Denis Hart of Melbourne says the new Implementation Advisory Group will monitor and progress the response to the findings of the Royal Commission on Child Sex Abuse. It Read more
The Speaker of the United States House of Representatives has given Fr Patrick Conroy SJ his job back as chaplain to the House. Conroy has served as chaplain to the House since 2011. Chaplains are elected as individuals and not as representatives of any religious community, body or organisation. Conroy resigned from the post on Read more