The Australian Sex party has taken aim at the Catholic Church in an election ad it says may offend some viewers. The ad, released on Youtube on Friday, shows a flamboyant dancing priest leading a congregation in a sing along. The ad accuses the Catholic Church with its “sleazy priests” of “making the world less Read more
World
Victims panel mooted for Pope’s child protection group
Tuesday, June 28th, 2016An absent member of the Pope’s commission to protect minors hopes to eventually lead a victims and survivors panel on the commission. British campaigner Peter Saunders said the idea of the panel was suggested by commission head Cardinal Sean O’Malley. Mr Saunders was encouraged to resign from the commission after he questioned Pope Francis’ commitment Read more
Francis praises Benedict in new book
Friday, June 24th, 2016
Benedict XVI’s resignation and withdrawal into a life of prayer has taught the Church a lesson of doing “theology on its knees”, Pope Francis has said. Francis wrote this in the preface of a new book by the Pope Emeritus, titled “Teaching and Learning the Love of God”. It is the first volume of several Read more
Trump will let US churches make political endorsements
Friday, June 24th, 2016
Donald Trump says he will remove the decades-old ban on “politicking” by tax-exempt organisations like churches if he becomes US president. Speaking to a Christian audience in New York on Tuesday, Mr Trump also promised, if elected president, to appoint anti-abortion Supreme Court judges. In the 1960s, US President Lyndon Johnson established a ban on Read more
Outcry after priest denies autistic girl Communion
Friday, June 24th, 2016
An Italian priest’s alleged refusal to allow a 10-year-old autistic girl to receive her first Communion has been criticised by an Italian politician. The girl’s parents were furious after the priest told them twice that their daughter was “not ready” to receive the sacrament. The priest, from Sicily, told the girl’s mother that her daughter Read more
Call to stop couple separation in residential aged care
Friday, June 24th, 2016
A new study has highlighted concerns about the sexual and relationship rights of people living in Australian residential aged care. Research from the University of New England showed many couples in such facilities are unable to have normal sexual relationships. This is because of systematic and illegal breaches of their privacy, the study stated. The Read more
Vatican and archbishop at loggerheads over apparitions
Friday, June 24th, 2016
The Vatican and an archbishop in the Philippines are engaged in a tug-of-war over the validity of alleged Marian apparitions. A few months ago, Archbishop Ramon Arguelles of Lipa announced that alleged apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary to a local nun in 1948 were supernatural. But last month, Archbishop Arguelles stated the Holy See Read more
Rome’s first female mayor vows to get taxes from Vatican
Friday, June 24th, 2016Rome’s first ever female mayor has promised to pursue unpaid taxes worth hundreds of millions of euros from the Vatican. Virginia Raggi, 37, had said that if elected, she would pursue claims worth €250m and €400m. These are allegedly unpaid taxes on the Vatican’s real estate holdings and other assets. The taxes had never been Read more
Notre Dame Uni to help with faith-reason centre in Dublin
Friday, June 24th, 2016A new centre for dialogue between faith and reason, between Church and society is to be set up in Dublin, Ireland. The University of Notre Dame from the US will oversee the initiative at University Church, Dublin. Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin announced the establishment of the “Notre-Dame Newman Centre for Faith and Reason”. Earlier Read more
Melkite bishops want to oust Patriarch – Rome washes hands
Friday, June 24th, 2016A synod of the Melkite Church has been postponed as half the church’s bishops tried to force the resignation of their patriarch. Ten Melkite bishops boycotted the synod meeting, in trying to get Patriarch Gregory III Laham to go. “I shall not resign,” Patriarch Gregory declared, denouncing the boycott. Without the 10 bishops, the synod Read more