The provenance of organs harvested for transplants is so concerning in Australia that a federal inquiry into illegal organ harvesting has been launched. The aim is to help to deter organ trafficking and transplant tourism crimes. The Catholic church in Australia supports voluntary, legal organ donation. In a position statement in which a number of Read more
The Vatican office for justice has set anti-corruption goals for 2018. The goals, which were released on Monday, emerged from an International Debate on Corruption. The debate was organised by the International Consultation Group for justice, corruption, organized crime and mafias, which is part of the Vatican dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. The Consultation Read more
Biologists in Oregon have edited the DNA of viable human embryos using the revolutionary genome-editing technique CRISPR-Cas9. Their work went beyond previous experiments using CRISPR to alter the DNA of human embryos, all of which were conducted in China,as it edited the genomes of many more embryos and targeted a gene associated with a significant Read more
A young woman’s startup to map the global Church has secured Vatican approval. Using geographic information system software Molly Burhans is aiming to make the first known map of the global Catholic Church. This will start with diocesan boundaries, followed by layer upon layer of data about the church and its social and environmental contexts Read more
Is it too much to ask the Church to pay its workers a living wage? According to Valerie Schultz, while the church relies on volunteers in many instances, certain jobs require steady commitment and extensive training, which must be compensated. Paying the people who provide these services is a matter of economic justice. Schultz says Read more
Pope Francis has asked Father Gabriele Faraghini, who is a confrere of the Little Brothers of Jesus, to be rector of the Diocese of Rome’s main seminary. The 51-year old Faraghini studied at the Rome diocesan seminary and was ordained for the Diocese of Rome in 1992. Many of the Little Brothers of Jesus are Read more
A nun has officiated at a Catholic marriage at a church at Lorrainville, 650 km west of Montreal in Canada. Sister Pierrette Thiffault’s authority to celebrate the marriage came from Rome after the Congregation of Divine Worship and for the Discipline of Sacraments agreed she would be suitable to carry out this ministry. In a Read more
Using an abandoned church in Northern Ireland as a film festival venue to show horror movies like The Exorcist and The Omen is a “cheap stunt” as well as “cynical and crass”, says Belfast-based priest Fr. Patrick McCafferty. The former Holy Rosary Church which will host the movies has been closed since 1980 and is Read more
Mystery surrounds a feminist anarchist group calling itself “Informal Feminist Commando of Anti-Authoritarian Action Coatlicue”. The group is being blamed for last week’s bombing of the Mexican bishops’ conference offices. No-one was injured in the early morning blast, which caused little damage to the building. So far nobody has been arrested. Although news reports say Read more
Governments and non-government groups should collaborate to educate people at risk of being tricked by human traffickers. So says a collective of Catholic humanitarian groups, religious orders and coalitions of women religious who have been working with trafficking victims. They say ideally, “safe, legal and responsible migration pathways” that make it easier for vulnerable migrants Read more