Lithuania’s first Soviet-era martyr, Blessed Archbishop Teofilius Matulioni, was beatified yesterday. Thirty-thousand people gathered in Vilnius, Lithuania’s capital, to attend the official beautification ceremony, which was broadcast live on Facebook. Pope Francis recognised Blessed Teofilius as a martyr in December last year. At the beatification Mass, Vatican Representative Cardinal Angelo Amato spoke of Blessed Teofilius’s “heroism” under Read more
The Swedish Prime Minister says he and his party think all Swedish Church priests should celebrate same-sex marriages. They should have to celebrate these marriages regardless of their personal views, he says. Stefan Lofven says as they are members of Sweden’s State church which agreed in a recent Synod that it would support same sex Read more
South Sudan may have a love-hate relationship with the media, banning it one minute, calling it back the next – but it is desperate for help and needs media attention right now. Sister Yudith Pereira-Rico, associate executive director of Solidarity with South Sudan says her organization is promoting the hashtag #SouthSudanWeCare on social media. Their Read more
Pope Francis won’t be convening the traditional pre-consistory meeting before creating five new cardinals tomorrow. The Vatican says the consistory will have a courtesy meeting today and Mass will be celebrated tomorrow, which is the Solemnity of the Saints Apostles Peter and Paul. At this time Francis will impose the Pallia on the new cardinals. Read more
A priest’s creative way of reaching youth “went viral” at a music festival over the weekend. Wanting to attract young people, US priest Fr. David Jenuwine went to a three-day music festival with roughly 30,000 people at it. He set up a sign saying: Catholic priest. Blessings, Prayers, Confessions, Answers. He also offered rosaries, prayer cards Read more
Many of us are underfed or overfed. A study on chronic undernourishment and obesity shows we live in a world of extremes. Of a world population of 7.5 billion, the proportions of those suffering from chronic undernourishment or afflicted by obesity are similar. They account for about 11 percent of all people. New Zealand’s up Read more
A federal judge in the US has given 114 Chaldeans and other Iraqis facing deportation a stay of at least two more weeks. During that time he will find out whether his court has the jurisdiction to rule on such matters. The US Department of Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested those waiting deportation on 11 Read more
The four so-called dubia cardinals, who have been asking Pope Francis to clarify the doctrinal consequences of Amoris Laetitia, asked him for an audience in May. Francis has not answered their request or replied to the letter. They released a copy of their letter to the press. The letter was written by Cardinal Carlo Caffarra Read more
Accessing social housing takes Catholics in Northern Ireland six months longer than Protestants, a newly released study says. Where Protestants wait about nine months to be placed in social housing, Catholics wait 15 months on average, the report from the Equality Commission says. The report – ‘Statement on Key Inequalities in Housing and Communities in Read more
Gangs of youths are terrorising Catholics in north-east Vietnam and the police are turning a blind eye. Wearing red T-shirts with yellow stars and waving national flags, the gangs have been attacking Catholics and their property since the beginning of June. “The primary motivation behind the incidents is to pressurise local Catholics and the deanery Read more