One of the beneficiaries of the infamous Great Train Robbery in England probably left a small fortune to the Catholic Church when he died. A documentary due to be released in the United Kingdom in October will reveal the identity of the mysterious “Ulsterman”, who tipped off the robbers as to which train to target Read more
Some 500 Catholic leaders and their pastors from across the United States met recently at the first-ever Amazing Parish conference. Held in Denver late last month, the aim was to brainstorm and swap ideas about improving parish life, the Catholic News Agency reported. The newly-founded Amazing Parish movement seeks to provide a one-stop shop for Read more
The killer of Beatle John Lennon has found religion during his prison sentence, but that has not helped him get parole. Mark David Chapman, 59, told the New York State parole board last month about his faith journey behind bars, almost 35 years since he took Lennon’s life. Chapman told the board the reason he Read more
New York’s Cardinal Timothy Dolan has not objected to a gay group being allowed to march under its own banner in the city’s St Patrick’s Day parade next year. Cardinal Dolan, who is archbishop of New York, is also the grand marshal for the parade on March 17. The parade committee chose OUT@NBCUniversal -a lesbian, Read more
Sydney’s Catholic Weekly newspaper is refusing to run an advertisement for an event at which former Irish president Mary McAleese will speak. The reasons cited by Catholic Weekly editor Peter Rosengren are Ms McAleese’s views on homosexuality and the ordination of women. Ms McAleese is the guest of Catholic think-tank, Catalyst For Renewal, and will Read more
Pope Francis has reassigned one of his predecessor’s key appointments to a position out of Rome. After six years as prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments, Cardinal Antonio Canizares Llovera has been appointed Archbishop of Valencia in Spain. Cardinal Canizares told Vatican Insider that he had asked for a Read more
The Church should do more to welcome “unconventional couples”, instead of making them targets of “de facto discrimination”, a leading Italian bishop says. The secretary-general of the Italian bishops’ conference, Bishop Nunzio Galantino, said couples in “irregular matrimonial situations” are still Christians. Speaking at a national liturgical gathering in Italy on August 27, Bishop Galantino Read more
Catholic psychiatrist and theologian Dr Jack Dominian, who championed a rethink on Christian sexual ethics, has died in the United Kingdom, aged 84. As early as 1977, Dr Dominian warned against what he called the Catholic Church’s pre-occupation with marital chastity at the expense of other factors in a successful marriage. In his “Proposals for Read more
Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe says he greatly prefers Chinese aid over that from Western nations because the latter want him to accept homosexuality. Mr Mugabe, said to be a practising Catholic, told a Chinese television interviewer that he resents Western aid because it always depends on conditions like accepting homosexuality. He praised Beijing for being Read more
Mothers at a Melbourne primary school have been outraged at a school newsletter article that advised them to get rid of male friends to protect their marriages. St James Catholic Primary School in Brighton, east of Melbourne, included an article titled “15 Ways to Protect Your Marriage” in its August 7 school newsletter. The article, submitted by Read more