A sexist sermon has prompted Rwanda Media Commission to order an American Christian radio station to close for three months. The closure of Amazing Grace FM is a penalty for broadcasting “disgraceful” comments denigrating women. The media watchdog says on 29 January Amazing Grace broadcast a sermon by Nicolas Niyibikora. In his sermon, Niyibikora said Read more
This year, Jews and Muslims have been invited to join in the German Karneval celebrations in Germany. Traditionally, in the days leading up to Ash Wednesday, Catholic cities in Germany hold huge street celebrations. Parades and parties provide revellers with a last binge of drinking, dancing and singing before the 40 days of fasting in Read more
Slavery is alive and well not just in the global economy, but also in Australia. “Most people think human trafficking and slavery a thing of the past that need not concern them. But as we speak, there are 4,300 slaves in Australia and 40.3 million slaves worldwide,” Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP says.
The Church of England is facing two years of revelations about sexual abuse and attempts to cover it up, the Anglican Church ruling general synod has been told. Read more
The Australian Catholic Church wealth has been investigated by media. The amount the investigation turned up is significantly greater than the Church admits. The Age – a daily newspaper that has been published in Melbourne since 1854 – undertook the six-month investigation. It found the Church is far wealthier than it asserted to the Royal Commission Read more
A Chinese Catholic bishop, Guo Xijin, says he will step down in favour of Communist-approved bishops. Guo is one of the “underground” bishops — recognized by the Church but not by Chinese authorities — who have been asked by the Vatican to step down. He will be replaced by a Communist-approved bishop. Guo currently lives Read more
A Chilean sex-abuse victim will be interviewed personally by the Vatican’s sex-crimes expert, Archbishop Charles Scicluna. Scicluna will travel to New York next week to interview the victim, Juan Carlos Cruz. The victim is at the centre of a scandal involving Pope Francis. Cruz says a letter he wrote in 2015 asking Pope Francis to Read more
Human trafficking is a scourge that we all must help combat, Pope Francis says. He is appealing to everyone, including citizens and institutions, to join forces against human trafficking and to help the victims. His plea is echoed by English Cardinal Vincent Nichols of Westminster, who says churches, governments, police and business leaders must do Read more
An Anglican-Methodist reunion is on the cards after a Church of England general synod overwhelmingly backed plans to reunite the two churches. Although some synod members consider the moves as being controversial and threatening to the fundamentals of the Church of England, the Archbishops of Canterbury and York both backed the proposals for an Anglican-Methodist Read more
The Tanzanian Catholic Church has denounced the violations of democratic principles and freedom of expression by President John Magufuli’s government. The Church accused him of endangering “national unity” in a pastoral letter published on Sunday. Read more