Pope Francis supports the steps taken by California to halt the use of the death penalty, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said. Newsom told Catholic News Service that the pope “immediately brought up the issue of the death penalty” during their meeting on May 16. The governor said that during their exchange, the pope expressed “how Read more
World
Microsoft’s AI obsession is jeopardising its climate ambitions
Monday, May 20th, 2024Microsoft is producing a lot more planet-heating pollution now than when it made a bold climate pledge in 2020. Its greenhouse gas emissions were actually around 30 per cent higher in the fiscal year 2023, showing how hard it could be for the company to meet climate goals as it simultaneously races to be a Read more
Vatican Museums’ staff file legal complaint for better terms
Thursday, May 16th, 2024
In a highly unusual move, forty-nine employees of the Vatican Museums have launched a legal challenge against the Vatican administration. The move poses a direct challenge to Pope Francis’ governance. The employees are demanding improved seniority, leave and overtime benefits. The class-action complaint also highlights health and security concerns due to cost-cutting measures at the Read more
Chicago Catholic priest says sorry for same-sex blessing
Thursday, May 16th, 2024
A same-sex blessing has resulted in a Chicago Catholic priest apologising for violating Church guidelines. Filmed and then posted on social media, the way he carried out the same-sex blessing was a “very poor decision” Father Joseph Williams says. In the apology – issued by the Vincentians’ Western Province – Williams says he is “deeply Read more
Archbishop’s ‘Salt to the Earth’ letter criticised for anti-LGBT stance
Thursday, May 16th, 2024
A letter from Hobart’s Archbishop Julian Porteous criticises various social issues including transgender rights, legal abortion and same-sex marriage – and has him in trouble. Titled “We are salt to the earth”, the letter has faced backlash from politicians and LGBTIQA+ advocates. The May 2 letter was sent initially to Guilford Young College students and Read more
Pope demonstrates synodality in meetings with priests
Thursday, May 16th, 2024
Grassroots synodality needs priests to inform it. Pope Francis knows this. He wants more synodality in the universal church. He wants clericalism replaced with pastoral care and equality, a katholisch.de article says. That has led the Pope to rethink his ways too. Francis has decided not to admonish or exhort priests any more. Those aren’t Read more
Pope Francis urges unity in Syro-Malabar liturgy dispute
Thursday, May 16th, 2024
Pope Francis has called on opponents of the Syro-Malabar Church’s liturgical reform to abandon their resistance and avoid causing a schism. In his address to a delegation from the Eastern Catholic Church, including Major Archbishop Raphael Thattil, the Pope emphasised the importance of unity over liturgical differences and historical grievances. The Pope described the dispute Read more
Germany now a ‘mission country’
Thursday, May 16th, 2024
Germany — a nation whose history is entangled with the Catholic Church — has become a “mission country” its Bishops’ Conference says. Conference president Bishop Georg Bätzing says under half of Germany’s citizens still belong to Christian denominations. Evangelisation in Germany has been a central theme since the time of Pope St John Paul II Read more
82-year-old completes wing walk for Catholic youth
Thursday, May 16th, 2024An 82-year-old daredevil has completed her second wing walk in seven years to raise money for a local youth organisation of St Francis de Sales Catholic Church. As part of her charitable challenge, she even completed a loop-the-loop. Teresa Dykes, of Rupert Road in Newbury, completed the thrilling wing walk on a biplane at the Read more
Blocked last year for his views on sexuality, theologian gets green light to head academy
Thursday, May 16th, 2024Nearly a year after the Vatican blocked an Italian theologian’s candidacy to become the dean of an influential German and Italian academy due to his progressive writings on sexuality and gender, the Vatican finally approved of his appointment without comment, according to the theologian. “The reasons why the decision was revised were not communicated,” said Read more