Some lay workers at the Vatican think Pope Francis should put his own house in order in terms of employment justice before slagging off other bosses. Last week, Francis condemned employers who exploit workers through temporary contracts or by not offering health insurance. He called such employers “blood suckers” who turn people into “slaves of Read more
A priest has presided over what has been described as the last Melbourne gangland funeral of its kind. Fr Joe Caddy presided at the funeral of George Williams, 69, the father of notorious gangland criminal, the late Carl Williams. “We all fall over,” said Fr Caddy. “But all people have goodness,” he added. Fr Caddy Read more
An Irish political candidate has been told he can’t do readings in his parish anymore because of his party’s stance over abortion law reform. Social Democrat candidate Ken Curtin was dropped as a reader at Mass in a County Cork parish at the order of the parish administrator Fr John McCarthy. The aspiring politician then Read more
Two Vatican bank board members have resigned amid what one source says is frustration at the slow pace of reform. Two experienced bankers, Italian Carlo Salvatori and German Clemens Boersig, resigned from the board of the Institute for the Works of Religion. Vatican spokesman Fr Federico Lombardi said this followed a “divergence of opinion over Read more
The director of “The Exorcist” movie has revealed that he was allowed to film a real exorcism at the Vatican. William Friedkin told a masterclass at the Cannes film festival about the episode and its impact on him. “I was invited by the Vatican exorcist this month to shoot and video an actual exorcism which Read more
A consultant who once helped the Vatican craft guidelines to keep gay men from being ordained as priests has been accused of sexually abusing young men. European media have relayed accusations from four different men against Msgr Tony Anatrella, the Religion News Service reported. Only one of the men agreed to be identified by his Read more
Archbishop Anthony Fisher of Sydney has returned to his residence following months in hospitals because he had been stricken with a rare syndrome. Just before Christmas, Archbishop Fisher was diagnosed with Guillan- Barré Syndrome which affects the immune system, resulting in paralysis. From intensive care at St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney, he went to Mt Read more
Pope Francis is set to visit Ireland in 2018, the Archbishop of Dublin has indicated. Archbishop Diarmuid Martin invited the Pope to preside at the World Meeting of Families scheduled for Dublin in 2018. The archbishop said in an interview with the Irish Independent last week that Francis had told him “I will come”. The Read more
Just before a visit from President Obama, Vietnam released a political dissident priest who had spent much of the last two decades in jail or house arrest. Catholic Church officials announced that Fr Thadeus Nguyen Van Ly was released from jail on Friday morning, AFP reported. President Obama started a three-day visit to Vietnam on Read more
The Vatican has rejected claims that Pope Benedict XVI said the Third Secret of Fatima was not released in its entirety in 2000. Such claims, expressed in recent articles, were described by the Vatican as “pure inventions” and “absolutely untrue”. The claims relate to when the Pope emeritus was prefect of the Congregation for the Read more