Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin has decried critics who have charged that the recent synod on the family caused confusion for Catholics. Archbishop Martin said he was “quite surprised at the remarks of some commentators within church circles about the recent synod of bishops, often making accusations of confusion where such confusion did not exist Read more
Pope Francis has criticised bishops who strut around “like a peacock” and live only for their “vanity”. In a general audience on Wednesday, the Pope spoke about the role of bishops and collegiality. He departed from his script to say: “The bishop is not an honorary role, it is a service.” “A worldly mentality speaks Read more
A Vatican ethicist has condemned young American Brittany Maynard’s decision to end her life. Msgr Ignacio Carrasco de Paula, who is head of the Pontifical Academy for Life, said there was no dignity in her physician assisted death. Ms Maynard, 29, took a lethal prescription provided by a doctor under Oregon state’s death-with-dignity law. Earlier Read more
The Prince of Wales says Muslim leaders must warn their followers about the tragedy of the persecution of Christians in the Middle East and elsewhere. Prince Charles recorded a video message for the launch of a report by the Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need. He said that faith leaders must ensure their Read more
The Archbishop of Paris has urged parishes in his diocese to form “synodal teams” to continue discussions launched by Pope Francis at the family synod. Cardinal André Vingt-Trois wants these groups to report back to him by Pentecost. He explained that the teams should have six to 12 members, chosen by priests with their parish Read more
Pope Francis has said that caring about the world’s poor does not make him a communist. The Pope called on participants at the World Meeting of Popular Movements last week in Rome to attack the structural causes of poverty and to defend workers’ rights. In a six-page speech, Pope Francis lamented that “land, housing and Read more
The US cardinal dubbed the face of opposition to the Pope’s reformist agenda has likened the Church to “a ship without a rudder”. In an interview with Spanish Catholic weekly Vida Nueva, Cardinal Raymond Burke said he was not speaking against Pope Francis personally. Rather, he said he was raising concerns about the Pope’s leadership. Read more
A Catholic priest has been allowed to minister in a Melbourne church despite being convicted of killing a man in a drink driving incident in Croatia. Fr Josip Vranjies, 55, is believed to have used a network of powerful figures within the Croatian Catholic Church and Croatian government to help in his case. The priest Read more
A Filipino cardinal says media coverage of last month’s synod on the family was dominated by the concerns of the West. Speaking to Filipino media, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle said synod media coverage was correct, but focussed on same-sex unions and divorced people. Yet the synod fathers also discussed families separated by economic migration, the Read more
A Catholic academic in England says Catholic priests should refuse absolution to people who confess to abusing children. Cambridge academic John Cornwell made this call after the Church of England announced it would look at whether abuse admitted in the confessional should stay confidential. Dr Cornwell, who has written a book on Confession and is Read more