Catholics and Buddhists should work together to promote peace and non-violence, says the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. Both Jesus and Buddha promoted non-violence and were peacemakers, says Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, who is the Council president. In a letter marking the Buddhist religious festival of Vesakh addressed to “Buddhist friends”, the Council urged a unified Read more
Pope Francis surprised people at the Vancouver-based annual TED Conference this week, posting his first TED Talk in front of them. Affirming that the world’s future is not in the hands of politicians or big companies but mostly “in the hands of those people who recognize the other as a ‘you’ and themselves as part Read more
A visit to Ireland next year for the World Meeting of Families may see Pope Francis arriving in Dublin at about the same time as abortion is legalised. Read more
The 19th meeting of the Council of Cardinal Advisers has been held this week. Often called the C9, the Cardinals and Pope Francis have examined several dicasteries of the curia; the protection of minors; the economy, a range of texts Francis has put forward for consideration, and Holy See lay staff and clergy selection and Read more
Pope Francis is flying to Egypt today. During his two-day visit he will celebrate Mass, participate in a peace conference, meet with the Orthodox Coptic Patriarch, Tawadros II and promote and deepen interreligious dialogue. Egypt is a predominantly Muslim nation. Read more
Philippine bishops’ conference head, Archbishop Socrates Villegas, said he is appalled at the way Catholics in the Philippines are behaving. They are making their clergy “martyrs” to harassment on social media and an easy target of trolls who make up lies for the media about them. This is because of the clergy’s continued criticisms to Read more
A lost tomb containing the graves of five Archbishops of Canterbury has been uncovered under the floor in St Mary-at-Lambeth Church, London. These days the church is used as the “Garden Museum”. It is located next door to Lambeth Palace, the home of the current Archbishop of Canterbury. After cutting a hole in the medieval Read more
Women deacons could be permitted says top theologian Cardinal Christoph Schonborn. Although Shonborn says there is a chance for this to happen, he cautions waiting until the group Pope Francis commissioned last year to study the mater of female deacons. Shonborn says there is a precedent for women undertaking deacons’ roles in the Church. He Read more
Disgraced “O’Reilly Factor” Fox News host, Bill O’Reilly, met Pope Francis during his weekly audience in St. Peter’s Square this week. O’Reilly, whose long-running show draws audiences of around four million, has been asked to leave the Fox network following numerous claims of sexual harassment. He is presently holidaying in Italy. Although he lined up Read more
Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI celebrated his 90th birthday this week giving thanks to God for his blessings. The former pontiff, who lives in retirement, gave his blessing during his quiet celebrations. “My heart is full of gratitude for the 90 years that the good God has gifted me,” he said. “There were trials and difficult Read more