Brisbane’s Anglican diocese is to investigate a parish which allowed two convicted paedophile former priests to be lectors. Barry John Greaves and Robert Francis Sharwood were both given recurring roles doing readings at services at the Holy Trinity Church, Fortitude Valley, after serving time in jail for sexually abusing children. Brisbane Anglican diocese regulations introduced Read more
World
Police size huge haul of illicit Vatican souvenirs
Friday, May 6th, 2016After a raid on a storeroom near St Peter’s Square, police have seized a cache of 340,000 illicit Vatican souvenirs worth some US$2million. The souvenirs carried the Pope’s photo without permission, as well as illegally carrying the Vatican coat of arms and the emblem of the papal tiara. The merchants selling the trinkets wanted to Read more
Pope wants global peace as next synod topic: Report
Tuesday, May 3rd, 2016
An Italian news agency is reporting that Pope Francis wants to dedicate the next synod of bishops to the issue of global peace. ANSA stated the Pope mentioned this at a recent meeting of the organising council of the synod of bishops. “But how to develop a strong initiative in favour of global peace is Read more
Vatican silence on call for theology investigation reform
Tuesday, May 3rd, 2016
An appeal for reform of the process for theological investigations by the Church has met with a stony silence from the Vatican. In March, an international group of 15 bishops, nuns, priests and lay people wrote to Pope Francis and the prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith calling for reform. Many Read more
Bishop kidnapped and assaulted
Tuesday, May 3rd, 2016
A Catholic bishop in southern India was kidnapped and assaulted by attackers who demanded money. Bishop Prasad Gallela of Cuddapah in Andhra Pradesh state was blindfolded, handcuffed and abducted while he was travelling home after celebrating Mass at Karunagiri Shrine on April 25. The bishop said that unidentified kidnappers came in two vehicles and took Read more
Image of St John the Baptist seeping mysterious oil
Tuesday, May 3rd, 2016
A painting of St John the Baptist in a Greek Orthodox Church in Chicago has been seeping oil, which parishioners say has produced healings. The image in Assumption Greek Orthodox Church in Homer Glen, Illinois, has been “sweating” oil since July. Parishioners believe the oil is myrrh, one of the gifts the Magi gave to Read more
Arrests in suspected ISIS plot to attack Vatican
Tuesday, May 3rd, 2016
A suspect who allegedly received orders from ISIS to attack the Vatican and Israel’s embassy in Rome is among several extremists arrested in Italy. The arrests were made in Lombardy and Piedmont late last month. They came as the result of a joint operation co-ordinated by Milan’s district attorney and the Italian anti-terror agency. Authorities Read more
Peace activist Daniel Berrigan dies aged 94
Tuesday, May 3rd, 2016Jesuit peace activist Daniel Berrigan, who was imprisoned after burning draft files in an anti-war protest in the 1960s, has died aged 94. Fr Berrigan died peacefully on April 30 at Murray-Weigel Hall in New York City, after a long illness. Fr Berrigan and his younger brother, Fr Philip Berrigan, emerged as leaders of the Read more
Aust church leaders avoid jail for refugee protest sit-in
Tuesday, May 3rd, 2016A group of Perth church leaders who staged a sit-in in a cabinet minister’s office to protest treatment of refugee children have avoided jail. The group refused to leave Australian justice minister Michael Keenan’s office on February 20. At the Perth Magistrates Court last week, the protestors were given “spent” convictions for trespassing and were Read more
Nuns say mistranslated Vatican paper helped pop star bid
Tuesday, May 3rd, 2016An order of nuns says a court ruling allowing singer Katy Perry to buy a Los Angeles convent was based on a mistranslated Vatican decree. The nuns, from the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary order, argued that Perry’s lawyers misled a judge using the document, which had been incorrectly translated from Latin. The Read more