The Catholic Church’s marriage annulment process must be quicker, cheaper and much more of a pastoral ministry, Pope Francis says. On Tuesday Francis made it simpler and swifter for Catholics to secure a marriage annulment. This is the most radical such reform for 250 years. At the same time, Francis told bishops to be more Read more
A new oratorio is the latest honor commemorating 11 year-old Brigitte Irrgang, whom Saint Pope John Paul II named a martyr. “Brigitte. Musikalisches Leuchten” (Brigitte. Musical Beacon) premiered in Brigitte’s home town of Loitz in northeastern Germany last weekend. Since then, performances have been held in Greifswald and Berlin. Read more
Cardinal Vincent Nichols, who is the Archbishop of Westminster, has written to Queen Elizabeth II thanking her for her “steadfast insistence on the great importance of our Christian faith”. His letter was sent to celebrate the Queen becoming the longest reigning monarch in British history. Read more
Sister Mary Pellegrino, outgoing president of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, says rather than focusing on dwindling numbers, women religious should focus on the communion they have with each other. She says just concentrating on dwindling numbers diminishes every vocation, the church and even God. The smaller numbers also “reflects our fears and our Read more
Catholic YouTube users could help evangelise others, say those who took part in a recent Google Hangout. At its first Catholic YouTubers Hangout meeting last month, dozens of Catholics from about 50 channels met online to discuss ways of bringing the Gospel to their YouTube channels. Organiser Daniel Glaze said the idea for the Hangout Read more
An article published last Friday by Pope Francis’s English biographer saying many of Pope Francis’s critics are mentally ill is causing a furore. Its author, Austen Invereigh, has since apologised for his opinion piece which he says he intended as a lighthearted “silly season” filler. His article, which was published in Crux, names several prominent Read more
The government of Pakistan will hold a state funeral on 19 August for “Pakistan’s Mother Teresa” – a German nun who devoted her life to eradicating Hansen’s disease (leprosy). Sister Ruth Katharina Martha Pfau, who was a member of the Daughters of the Heart of Mary died last week at the age of 87. Pakistani Read more
A Brazilian bishop who said homosexuality is a “gift from God” in a homily has had to defend his point of view. Bishop Antônio Carlos Cruz Santos of Caicó says his intention was to “save lives” and help “overcome prejudices that kill.” “When you look at homosexuality, you cannot say it’s an option … It’s Read more
The Vatican’s former representative to the United Nations says Pope Francis is closely following the situation between the United States and North Korea. The two countries are trading insults, with North Korea threatening to send four missiles into the sea off Guam, as a response to President Donald Trump’s escalating rhetoric. “The only way forth Read more
Because people don’t carry cash much these days, 40 Anglican churches in the UK are offering an alternative to collection plates: passing a hand-held payment device around the pews. Read more