Pope Francis and President Donald Trump will not be meeting when Trump is in Italy next month. Diplomatic sources say although there won’t be a Trump-Francis encounter next month, it ” is not a snub or a wish to avoid any possible awkwardness, but due to logistical and time constraints”. Read more
World
The ex-Franciscan and the Emeritus Pope
Thursday, April 20th, 2017Leonardo Boff, who is a “liberation theologian” from Brazil and former Franciscan priest, says he would like to “embrace” and effect a “kind of reconciliation” with the former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger – Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI. Read more
Duterte’s drug war plants drugs, pays killers
Thursday, April 20th, 2017Two senior police officers in the Philippines say some Philippine police have received cash payments for executing drug suspects, planted evidence at crime scenes and carried out most of the killings in President Duterte’s drug war. These same police blame “vigilantes” for the attacks which focus on killing the poor, the senior police officers say. Read more
Church condemns US Syria missile strike
Monday, April 10th, 2017
Church leaders have condemned Friday’s US missile strike in Syria. They say it will only extend the country’s civil war, with Christians being its primary victims. The Pentagon says the missile strike was a retaliatory move following what appeared to be a chemical attack that killed 80 civilians in Syria’s Idlib province. While many Catholic Read more
Catholic youth must help – Pope may die soon
Monday, April 10th, 2017
Catholic youth must be ready to lead the Church, Pope Francis said at a service on Saturday. The service aimed to rally enthusiasm for the Church’s World Youth Day. It will be held in Panama in 2019. “At my age, we (old people) are about to pass away,” he said. “The future is in your Read more
Jesuit’s pro-LGBT book published
Monday, April 10th, 2017
The Vatican and Catholic clergy have backed a gay-friendly publication that looks at what the Catholic Church’s relationship with the “LGBT community” should be like. “Building A Bridge: How the Catholic Church and the LGBT Community Can Enter into a Relationship of Respect, Compassion, and Sensitivity”, was written by James Martin. Martin is a Jesuit Read more
Latin Mass for Fatima centenary feast
Monday, April 10th, 2017
The traditional Latin Mass may be celebrated on Our Lady of Fatima’s feast day this year. The Mass will mark the 100 years since Our Lady is said to have appeared in a series of visions at Fatima, Portugal. The Vatican office which governs the use of the traditional Latin Mass gave permission for “a Read more
Vatican statistics say Catholics lead globe
Monday, April 10th, 2017
The world’s Catholic population is continuing to grow, particularly in Africa. It is the world’s largest religion, say the statistics in the 2017 Annuario Pontificio, or Vatican yearbook. The yearbook says most Catholics live in the same 10 countries. They make up almost 56 per cent of the world’s Catholic population. Altogether, there were about 1.285 Read more
Pope to wash mafias’ feet on Thursday
Monday, April 10th, 2017Pope Francis will wash the feet of inmates at a prison known for housing mafia turncoats on Holy Thursday. He has often denounced the mafia. He has declared them “excommunicated” and urged them to change their ways. Many mafia turncoats have done just that. Read more
Trump’s refusal to fund UNFPA a victory says cardinal
Monday, April 10th, 2017The United States government has refused to continue paying into the UN Population Fund (UNFPA). They say the money is used to fund forced abortions and sterilisations in China. “This is a victory for women and children across the globe, as well as for US taxpayers, ” says Cardinal Timothy Dolan. Dolan is the chairman Read more