The gay priest ban will continue. The Vatican has updated and reaffirmed its 2005 policy that “persons with homosexual tendencies” cannot be admitted to Catholic seminaries. Spiritual directors “must ‘dissuade’ gay candidates from pursuing ordination”. Pope Francis approved the current policy. It is included in a newly updated document The Gift of the Priestly Vocation Read more
Assisted dying is not legal in South Africa. The Supreme Court of Appeals has overturned a 2015 ruling that allowed Robin Stransham-Ford to “die with dignity” by way of euthanasia. The 2015 rule was granted by the South African High Court. Stransham-Ford died a few hours before the High Court ruling was delivered. The Supreme Read more
Global warming and the Catholic church do not seem to have any connection, on the face of it. However, priests are going to be learning about environmental concerns during their formation period at seminaries. Later, they’ll be expected to preach about the environment at Mass. How did this topic come to be included in the Read more
Mentally ill people are being executed in the US. Many have severe schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. This is despite the fact that 10 years ago the US Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional to apply the death penalty to juveniles or intellectually disabled people. The Catholic Mobilizing Network is advocating for an end Read more
A rigidity has been re- established in some seminaries which is “not related to situational discernment” according to Cardinal Beniamino Stella, prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy. He made the comment in an interview in L’Osservatore Romano about a new version of the Vatican’s document on priestly formation, “The Gift of Priestly Vocation / Read more
The BBC has apologised for saying the Catholic Church was silent about Hitler and the Nazi Party’s activities during the Holocaust. It admitted a BBC One news item when Pope Francis visited Auschwitz in July “did not give due weight to public statements by successive popes or the efforts made on the instructions of Pius Read more
A quake-damaged church spire is part of this year’s Christmas Crib at the Vatican. The spire comes from one of the many churches damaged in this year’s earthquakes. Its presence reminds us that the Holy Family were refugees at this time of the year, Pope Francis says. Read more
Film director Martin Scorsese says his latest film, Silence, was a “pilgrimage of faith”. The movie, set in the 1600’s, focuses on Jesuit priests in Japan. Silence has been called a “Masterwork movie about faith and ideas that rocks everything we’ve been dealing with.” Read more
A Vatican website showing the efforts being made to protect people from clerical sexual abuse was launched this week. Children, teens and vulnerable adults are those the Vatican particularly aims to protect. Set up following recommendations from the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, the website offers a suite of resources. Among these are Read more
Rembrandt at the Vatican: Images from Heaven and Earth. This is the title of the first Vatican exhibition of works by 17th century Dutch artist Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijne. Fifty-three of Rembrandt’s etchings from the Zorn Museum in Sweden are on show. The display represents a desire for Christian unity, Arnold Nesselrath, who is the Read more