Argentina’s Catholic bishops have spoken out about violence that is besetting their nation. In a statement released at their recent annual conference, the bishops said “We notice with pain and concern that Argentina is sick with violence. Some symptoms are clear, others more subtle”. “Criminal acts have not only risen in number, but in aggressiveness; a Read more
World
Vietnam priest acknowledged for courageous journalism
Tuesday, May 13th, 2014Anton Ngoc Thanh, a Vietnamese Redemptorist priest, has been listed in as one of 100 information heroes by Reporters Without Borders. Fr Thanh has worked for Vietnam Redemptorist News since the 1990s and has often had problems with authorities in the communist-run nation. Last year, he was arrested during a demonstration in support of an Read more
Growing atheist assembly holds General Synod-like meeting
Tuesday, May 13th, 2014The growing atheist Sunday Assembly movement has held its first general meeting to try to set up a system of church-like management. Organisers say the process is comparable to the Church of England’s General Synod. After only 16 months, the UK-based Sunday Assembly predicts it will have 100 congregations in five continents by the end Read more
Vatican’s doctrine chief slams US religious women’s leadership
Friday, May 9th, 2014
The Vatican’s doctrine chief has told the leaders of 40,000 United States women religious that they are in danger of moving away from the Christian faith and the Church. In Rome on April 30, Cardinal Gerhard Müller objected to a growing “focus of attention” within the Leadership Conference of Women Religious on a concept called Read more
Vatican reportedly approves Pope Paul VI miracle
Friday, May 9th, 2014
The Vatican’s Congregation for the Causes of Saints has reportedly approved a miracle attributed to the intercession of Pope Paul VI. The miracle was the healing in the United States of an unborn baby from an otherwise incurable illness. Doctors forecast the baby would die in the womb, or be born with severely damaged kidneys. Read more
Vatican grilled by UN anti-torture panel over abuse
Friday, May 9th, 2014
The Vatican has faced intense questioning about child sexual abuse before a United Nations committee that oversees a convention against torture. On May 5 in Geneva, the Vatican’s handling of the global clerical sex abuse scandal was compared with torture. If it does fit the definition of torture, any failure to investigate clergy and their superiors Read more
Fresh evidence casts doubt on Jesus’ wife papyrus validity
Friday, May 9th, 2014
Fresh evidence has raised new doubts about the authenticity of the so-called “Gospel of Jesus’ Wife” papyrus. The tiny papyrus, no bigger than a business card, has sparked controversy among scholars since it was unveiled by Harvard historian Dr Karen King in 2012. Dr King then called it a valuable clue that some early Christians Read more
Atheist TV channel to start broadcasting in US
Friday, May 9th, 2014
The first US television station dedicated solely to atheist content is set to be launched in July. This was announced by American Atheists president David at Stanford University in California on May 6. He said the channel will run atheist content 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The Religion News Service reported that Read more
Latest estimated world Catholic population is 1.228 billion
Friday, May 9th, 2014At the end of 2012, there were 1.228 billion Catholics in the world, according to the newly-published Statistical Yearbook of the Church. This was an increase of 14 million (1.14 per cent) on the previous year. Catholics as a percentage of the global population remained essentially unchanged from the previous year at around 17.5 per Read more
US Supreme Court says city council meetings can start with prayer
Friday, May 9th, 2014The United States Supreme Court has ruled that legislative bodies like city councils can begin their meetings with prayer, even if it favours a given religion. On May 5, the court ruled 5-4 that Christian prayers before town council meetings in Greece, New York, did not violate the US constitution. The constitution prohibits the government Read more