A new miracle at Lourdes was confirmed on Sunday by a French bishop. Bishop Jacques Benoit-Gonin declared the cure of a Catholic nun who was an invalid for nearly four decades and recovered after making a pilgrimage to Lourdes a miracle. It was the 70th miraculous recovery attributed to divine intervention in Lourdes. Benoit-Gonin of Read more
World
Ireland’s Catholics collection for papal visit
Monday, February 12th, 2018Ireland’s Catholics are being asked to dig into their pockets to help pay for this year’s papal visit. The Church is trying to persuade wealthy followers to donate millions of euro to cover the costs of the visit. The World Meeting of Families, which will take place from August 21 to 26, is estimated to Read more
Vatican-China Bishop-appointment deal concerns
Thursday, February 8th, 2018
Chinese Catholics who belong to the country’s underground churches are worried. They think the Vatican and Chinese government’s plan to sign an agreement about appointing bishops will mean legitimate bishops will have to step down in favour of state-appointed ones. The agreement, which is only “a few months” away, would allow the Vatican to help Read more
Vatican delegation official observers at Winter Olympics
Thursday, February 8th, 2018
The Vatican has been invited by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to send a delegation as an official observer to the Winter Olympics. The Games are being held in South Korea. The IOC annual meetings the Vatican delegation will observe are scheduled for 5-7 February. At the meetings, voting members will discuss policy issues relating to Read more
Pope meets Turkish President amidst protest
Thursday, February 8th, 2018
Pope Francis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met privately on Monday at the Vatican. This is the first visit by a Turkish head of state to the Vatican in 59 years. Erdoğan was returning a visit Francis made to Turkey in 2014. Vatican sources say that at the meeting Francis and Erdoğan discussed “bilateral Read more
German cardinal says blessing gay couples ok
Thursday, February 8th, 2018
Cardinal Reinhard Marx says Catholic priests can conduct blessing ceremonies for same-sex couples. Marx is the president of the German Catholic Bishops’ Conference. Marx says church leaders in the field of pastoral care work and pastoral care should consider the situation of the individual. This means they must “try harder to accompany them in their Read more
Vatican bans Mary McAleese from women’s day conference
Thursday, February 8th, 2018
The Vatican has banned former President of Ireland, Mary McAleese, from speaking at a “Voices of Faith” conference. The conference has been held at the Vatican on International Women’s Day – celebrated on 8 March, since 2014. The list of potential speakers at the conference required approval from a cardinal. Mrs McAleese and two other Read more
Court rules former Vatican bank managers liable
Thursday, February 8th, 2018A Vatican court found two former top managers of the Vatican bank liable for mismanagement and ordered an injunction for them to pay damages. Read more
Benedict, pope emeritus, “going home”
Thursday, February 8th, 2018Benedict, pope emeritus, has sent a short letter to the editor of the Italian news daily Il Corriere della Sera. The Pope emeritus was responding to the many inquiries from readers as to how he is spending “this last period of his life.” He says he is on a pilgrimage towards Home. Read more
Pope appeals for action against human trafficking
Thursday, February 8th, 2018Pope Francis has appealed for concerted action against human trafficking as we prepare to mark the Day of Prayer and Awareness against this terrible scourge. Read more