A German cardinal known internationally for his ecumenical work died on Sunday. Cardinal Karl Lehmann, Archbishop Emeritus of Mainz, was a world leader in building bridges of understanding, reconciliation and dialogue. He played a leading role in advancing the Catholic Church’s ecumenical dialogue, especially with Lutherans and Evangelicals. German Bishops’ Conference chair, Cardinal Reinhard Marx, Read more
A proposal to ban circumcision in Iceland for non-medical reasons has drawn protest from Iceland’s Catholic bishop, Davíð Tencer. In common with other religious leaders in Iceland, Tencer is concerned the bill before Iceland’s parliament compromised the Icelandic Jewish and Muslim communities’ right to observe their religious practices. “Jesus Himself was circumcised, as were His Read more
A bill that could open the way for an abortion law change is before the Republic of Ireland’s parliament. The public will be asked to vote on the bill at the end of May. Voters will be asked if they want to remove the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution, which provides for the equal right Read more
The new apostolic nuncio to South Korea, Monsignor Alfred Xuereb, will be working towards improving relations between North and South Korea. He will also actively encourage peace initiatives in the region. Monsignor Marco Sprizzi has been in charge of the Nunciature in Seoul since the retirement of Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Osvaldo Padilla last year. He Read more
The Pope’s popularity is dropping in the United States while conservative opposition to his papacy is rising, according to a Pew Research Centre survey. The January survey canvassed 1,503 Americans. Twenty percent of those surveyed are Catholic. The survey found a third of respondents think Pope Francis is “too liberal” while one-quarter considered him “too Read more
Young people are confused, anxious and unhappy as a result of negative cultural influences according to conferences at Indiana’s University of Notre Dame. The Church could help address these conditions if the young people weren’t disconnected from church institutions. This makes the upcoming Synod on Young People, Faith and Vocational Discernment all the more urgent, Read more
Ireland’s former president wants Pope Francis to develop a credible strategy to include women at every level in the Catholic Church’s global structure. Mary McAleese says women’s exclusion from decision-making roles “has left the church flapping about awkwardly on one wing.” Read more
Argentina’s Catholic bishops will hand over more than 100 baptism certificates of babies born to political prisoners in a torture centre during the country’s dictatorship. The bishops say their decision came in light of a “longing of Pope Francis”, who was the former bishop of Buenos Aires in Argentina. Francis has promised human rights groups Read more
The director of Oscar-nominated Lady Bird – an American comedy-drama – is being praised for the way the movie portrays nuns and priests. “It’s in many ways a love letter … to Catholic schools,” Monsignor James Murphy says. He says he is glad to see nuns and priests portrayed in a favourable light in the Read more
The German diocese of Trier has reorganised itself and reduced its parishes by 80 per cent. Rising costs and declining church membership have prompted the changes which will see the diocese reduce its 172 parishes to 35. Judith Rupp, spokeswoman for Germany’s western Trier Diocese, says the changes would save time and money on “administration Read more