A Portuguese priest has been honoured for his wartime actions in saving of dozens of Jews during the Nazi holocaust. Fr Joaquim Carreira risked his life to save others while at a Rome pontifical college during the Second World War. A nephew of Fr Carreria, also a priest, received a medal on his behalf from Read more
The number of women entering religious orders in England and Wales has reached a 25-year high. Forty-five women chose to pursue their vocations last year, the highest number since the 1980s. The number for 2014 was up from 30 the previous year. The figures, released by the National Office for Vocation in England and Wales, Read more
German Catholics have criticised Vatican questions ahead of the synod on the family as proceeding from an idealised image of the family. This was the main criticism in a summary of replies of German Catholics to the 46 questions of the second Vatican questionnaire on the family. Germany’s Catholic bishops released the summary of responses, Read more
A court has ordered Belgium’s most senior Catholic prelate to pay $US10,900 in damages for failing to act on allegations of abuse in the 1990s. An appeals court in Liege ruled that Archbishop Andre-Joseph Leonard had to pay following a civil case. The case was brought by Joel Devillet who was raped by a priest Read more
Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of the only American bishop to have been convicted of failing to report suspected child abuse. On Tuesday, the Vatican announced the resignation of Bishop Robert Finn of the diocese of St Joseph-Kansas City in Missouri. The announcement cited canon law that a bishop who “has become less able Read more
A priest who alleged a gay mafia was behind bullying in the Scottish church has been found guilty of defamation. A Church tribunal found that Fr Matthew Despard of St John Ogilvie in Lanarkshire had injured the reputation of the Church as well as clergy and lay people. Already under suspension, he will be removed Read more
Native Americans are voicing their opposition to the canonisation of Blessed Junipero Serra, which the Pope plans to do on September 23. A Spanish Franciscan, Blessed Serra introduced Christianity to much of California as he marched north with Spanish conquistadors in the 18th century. Many Native Americans, though, say Blessed Serra and other missionaries helped Read more
The rector and two deans at the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome have been replaced in a sudden move by the Society of Jesus. The heading for an article by Vatican commentator Sandro Magister described the move as an “earthquake”. As of April 14, rector Fr James McCann and the deans of the faculties of Read more
A Nigerian bishop has said that Jesus appeared to him in a vision and indicated that praying the Rosary would rid the nation of Boko Haram terrorists. Bishop Oliver Dashe Doeme of Maiduguri diocese, in Borno State, recounted the details of his vision to a conference in Spain this month. The Catholic News Agency reported Read more
Catholic reformists and Ireland’s Association of Catholic priests have called on bishops to be more pro-active in support of Pope Francis. In a statement issued after a meeting in Limerick in Ireland, bishops were called on to “courageously and publicly” support the vision and programme of Pope Francis. “A key issue will be to devolve Read more