Religious leaders around the world have condemned terrorism and expressed solidarity with France after the attack in Nice in which scores of people died. The religious voices included Christian figures such as Pope Francis and prominent Muslims including the Grand Mufti of Egypt, Shawqi Allam. A truck drove through crowds celebrating Bastille Day (July 14) in Nice. Pope Francis Read more
World
Ice may be thawing between Vatican and China
Tuesday, July 19th, 2016An arrangement is reportedly looming between the Vatican and China that would fall short of full diplomatic ties, but would address key issues. Reuters reported sources as saying a working group was set up in April to resolve the issue of who has authority to select and ordain bishops in China. The group is also Read more
Swedish doctor tries to talk patients into being Catholic
Tuesday, July 19th, 2016A Swedish doctor has been accused of denying one of his patients antibiotics when he refused to join the Catholic Church. The doctor was forced to leave his job as a locum at a practice run by the local authority in southern Sweden, Region Skåne. Bosses at the GP surgery reported him after it emerged Read more
Pope tells liturgy chief what is and isn’t the norm at Mass
Friday, July 15th, 2016
Pope Francis has expressly told the Vatican’s liturgy chief that the extraordinary form of the Mass should not be the norm. Francis met with Cardinal Robert Sarah, the prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship, on July 10. This followed comments by the cardinal at a liturgy conference in London last week. Cardinal Sarah invited Read more
US seminarian drowns after saving woman
Friday, July 15th, 2016
A US seminarian is believed to have drowned after he saved the life of a woman who fell into a river. Brian Bergkamp, a seminarian from the diocese of Wichita, went to the aid of a woman who fell into the Arkansas River on July 9. Mr Bergkamp, 24, was among five people travelling in Read more
US Catholic voters split on racial lines over Trump, Clinton
Friday, July 15th, 2016
US Catholic voters appear to be split along racial lines in their support for either Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump as the next president. A national survey in June by the Pew Research Center showed white Catholics are almost evenly divided in their backing for the two candidates. White Catholics gave Trump a narrow edge Read more
Former Fox News journo to head Vatican press office
Friday, July 15th, 2016
Pope Francis has named a former Fox News correspondent as the head of the Vatican press office. Greg Burke, an American, succeeds Italian Fr Federico Lombardi, SJ, who is retiring after 10 years in the position. Mr Burke is a numerary member of Opus Dei. He served as special communications adviser in the Vatican’s Secretariat Read more
Nun who challenged Billy the Kid to be subject of TV series
Friday, July 15th, 2016
A nun who once challenged Billy the Kid and who opened hospitals and schools in America’s southwest is to be the subject of a TV series. Saint Hood Productions was scheduled to announce a series on Sr Blandina Segale. “At the End of the Santa Fe Trail” is a semi-fictional account based on Sr Blandina’s life Read more
Pope picks Protestant to edit Argentine Catholic paper
Friday, July 15th, 2016Pope Francis has chosen a Protestant theologian to edit an Argentine version of L’Osservatore Romano. Marcelo Figueroa is a personal friend of the Pope’s. Beginning in September, Mr Figueroa will edit an Argentine publication that combines material from the weekly Spanish-language edition of L’Osservatore Romano with local content. The publication is an attempt to ensure that the Pope’s Read more
Venezuala president slammed for blocking aid in food crisis
Friday, July 15th, 2016An archbishop has attacked Venezuela’s president for preventing the Church and other institutions from relieving the nation’s severe food crisis. Archbishop Diego Padrón of Cumaná slammed President Nicolás Maduro’s lack of “moral authority”. “The interests of the government are not the interests of the country,” said Archbishop Padrón. The archbishop is head of Venezuela’s bishops’ conference. Read more