A new papal diplomat department inside the Vatican’s Secretariat of State has been established. The department will oversee papal diplomats’ selection and work, career advancement and working conditions. Named the “Section for the Diplomatic Staff of the Holy See”, the new department will be led by Archbishop Jan Romeo Pawlowski. About 300 priest diplomats will Read more
Child sex abuse is a national tragedy, says Justice Peter McClellan. McClellan is the Chair of Australia’s Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. The Commission learned that child sex abuse has occurred in almost every type of institution where children lived or attended. Furthermore, “it is not a case of a few Read more
Creating Christ’s tomb virtual exhibition was “one of the most profound assignments you could ask for,” says J.J. Kelley, senior producer at National Geographic Explorer. The National Geographic team set up cameras inside the shrine to capture the moment when the slabs were lifted for renovation work last year. They will screen a documentary on Read more
Vatican-China relations will take a new direction using art as a bridge between the two cultures. The Vatican Museums have partnered with a Chinese cultural institute in hopes of building stronger ties with the country through art. Read more
An English judge has freed a chemist charged with murdering his 85-year-old father who wished to die. The judge said, “Your acts of assistance were acts of pure compassion and mercy.” Read more
Tomorrow is #RedWednesday: the day the UK Houses of Parliament and other public buildings will be lit up in red. The display will honour Christians and others persecuted for their peacefully-held beliefs. The UK “All-Party Parliamentary Group for International Freedom or Belief” supports #RedWednesday. The Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need is organising Read more
Chinese President Xi Jinping’s portrait is replacing crucifixes and other religious images in parts of China. A priest says removing the Christian images involved officials giving money to poor households in return for hanging Xi’s portrait. Officials from China’s Yugan County in eastern Jiangxi province say Christians have “recognised their mistakes and decided not to Read more
A non-sectarian Museum of the Bible opened in Washington on Saturday. The US$500 million museum’s aim is to entertain and educate visitors about the Bible’s history and significance. Cardinal Donald Wuerl, the Israeli Ambassador to the United States and the museum’s co-founder, evangelical businessman Steve Green, were at the opening. Wuerl spoke on behalf of Read more
Father Solanus Casey, known as a miracle worker to “legions” of Deroit locals, was beatified on Saturday. The Capuchin friar, who died in 1957, co-founded the Capuchin Soup Kitchen. Although he was a priest who wasn’t allowed to preach, he listened “with his ears and his heart” to the needy. His prayers and presence comforted Read more
The intersection between medical advances and human mortality mean we now need “greater wisdom” in evaluating the good of the patient, Pope Francis says. He was speaking to the president of the Pontifical Academy for Life and European World Medical Association representatives who met last week to discuss “end of life” issues. “Greater wisdom is Read more