US vice president Mike Pence has responded to public mockery of his faith in Christ as a “mental illness”. His sanity as a believer was initially called into question by Omarosa Manigault-Newman, a disgruntled ex-staffer of President Trump. She used her status as a “Celebrity Big Brother” contestant to insinuate Pence suffers from mental illness. Read more
Pope Francis has renewed the mandate of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors two months after the Commission became inactive. During his recent trip to South America, Pope Francis addressed concerns about the expiry of the Commission’s mandate, saying the time taken to nominate members to the body was normal. He has reappointed Read more
The head of the World Federation of Catholic Medical Associations says physicians should never be forced to choose between violating their conscience and facing professional sanctions when defending human life. Dr John Lee wrote to the World Medical Association (WMA) protesting proposed changes in i ethicalts policy statements on abortion and on euthanasia. The proposed Read more
France has returned three 16th-century oil paintings to the descendants of a German-Jewish couple. The couple sold the artwork to flee the Nazis. On Monday, France’s culture minister, Francoise Nyssen, handed the paintings over to Henrietta Schubert and Chris Bromberg, who are descendants of Herta and Henry Bromberg. The handover was made during an official Read more
A humanist campaign group in the United Kingdom wants four-year-olds to be taught about LGBT (lesbian, gay, bi and trans-gender) issues. It has branded religious views on sexuality “discriminatory.” Humanists UK, formerly known as the British Humanist Association, issued a statement backing government plans on new primary school relationships education. Read more
An Australian Anglican priest has reacted publicly to the most recent mass-shooting in the United States. Following last week’s slaughter of 17 pupils at a Florida school, he adjusted his church’s billboard to read: “WHEN WILL THEY LOVE THEIR KIDS MORE THAN THEIR GUNS”. Read more
Three young Lebanese Muslims tried in a Tripoli court on contempt of religion charges for insulting a statue of Our Lady have been found guilty. Judge Jocelyn Matta ordered them to memorise verses from the holy Qur’an’s Surat Al-Omran. This chapter glorifies Our Lady and Jesus. One of the verses featured hails the Virgin Mary Read more
The Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina has been welcomed at the Vatican. She and Pope Francis discussed the need to find a lasting solution to the Rohingya refugee crisis. They also discussed positive inter-faith relations in Bangladesh, which is 90% Muslim. Christians make up only 0.2% of the population. A Holy See Press Office Read more
Hong Kong Catholics held an all-night prayer vigil to protest a proposed deal between the Vatican and Beijing. More than 200 people gathered to voice their concerns over a deal they say will “sell out” faithful Chinese Catholics. “It’s a precarious situation. There’s a real danger of division,” a priest said. Those attending the vigil Read more
The French nun whose recovery from decades of debilitating back pain has been declared a “miracle” has spoken of the day she stood up, removed a brace from her foot and walked normally. For half her 68 years, Sister Bernadette Moriau had suffered from acute sciatic nerve trouble, making it hard for her to walk. Read more