A married couple from Australia have set out points of concern about the liturgies in their respective Catholic and Greek Orthodox traditions. Writing in Italy’s L’Espresso, Aniello Iannuzzi (Catholic) and Paraskevi Tsironis (Orthodox) say it is impossible for them to receive communion together. “With many families like our own, we cannot wait for unification,” the Read more
Victorian police have referred the alleged leaks of an investigation into Cardinal George Pell to the state’s anti-corruption commission. The investigation concerned allegations of child sexual abuse made against Cardinal Pell, which the cardinal has strongly denied. Cardinal Pell called for an inquiry into the leaks and wrote to Victoria’s police minister requesting this. Victoria Read more
Australia’s Catholic bishops have strongly objected to any suggestion of a commercial surrogacy industry. In a submission to an Australian parliamentary sub-committee’s inquiry, the bishops said it would be “intolerable” to argue “harm minimisation” as justification for commercial surrogacy. “Children are not commodities and should not be bought,” said Bishop Peter Comensoli, the bishops’ delegate Read more
Singapore’s Catholic archbishop has expressed the local Church’s “grave concerns” at an upcoming concert by Madonna. In a statement released on February 20, Archbishop William Goh reminded Catholics of their “moral obligation not to support those who denigrate and insult religions . . .”. Archbishop Goh added that “‘pseudo arts that promote sensuality, rebellion, disrespect, Read more
Traditionalist Bishop Richard Williamson plans to ordain another bishop without permission from Rome. Bishop Williamson, who was dismissed from the Society of St Pius X in 2012, told followers the ordination will happen in Brazil on March 19. Last year, he presided at the ordination of a bishop, also in Brazil. Bishop Williamson said the Read more
Catholic bishops from part of Africa have sent a strong signal that the continent will not accept Western dictatorship on homosexuality. The president of West Africa’s regional bishops conference, Cardinal Theodore-Adrien Sarr, said Africans must be alert to any indoctrination from the West to accept same-sex marriage. Cardinal Sarr said some Americans behave “like people who Read more
The Vatican has dampened claims Pope Francis has signalled a significant relaxation of the Church’s ban on contraception as a response to the Zika virus outbreak. In a press conference aboard the papal flight to Rome from Mexico, Francis was asked if the grave nature of the virus – which is linked to serious birth Read more
US presidential hopeful Donald Trump has labelled Pope Francis’s questioning of his Christianity as “disgraceful”. Francis was asked in a press conference on a papal flight from Mexico for his reaction to Mr Trump’s proposal of a US-Mexico border wall, and what he might say to US Catholics supporting Mr Trump. Francis said that he Read more
Cardinal George Pell has strongly denied allegations he sexually abused between five and ten minors between 1978 and 2001. News Corp Australia claimed detectives from Victoria’s taskforce Sano have compiled a dossier containing allegations that Cardinal Pell committed “multiple offences” when he was a priest in Ballarat, and also when he was Archbishop of Melbourne. It Read more
Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was sometimes rendered speechless by the clergy sexual abuse cases that came across his desk. Cardinal Ratzinger, later Pope Benedict XVI, headed the Vatican’s doctrinal congregation, which St John Paul II put in charge of overseeing cases of clerical sex abuse against minors in 2001. Speaking to Italy’s La Repubblica newspaper, Archbishop Read more