Pope Francis has put out a tweet against inequality which has conservative economic commentators fuming. On April 28, Pope Francis posted to his Twitter feed: “Iniquitas radix malorum.” In English this translates to “Inequality is the root of social evil”. The papal tweet came only days after French economist Thomas Picketty’s bestseller “Capital in the Read more
The Vatican has removed further sanctions it could have imposed on Irish Marist priest, Fr Sean Fagan, who was silenced in 2008. Society of Mary Superior General Fr John Hannan told CathNews that he is pleased the threat of further sanctions, stipulated in 2010, have been removed and the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Read more
A Catholic school community in Leeds in the United Kingdom is in mourning after a teacher was stabbed and killed in class. Ann Maguire, who taught Spanish and Religious Education at Corpus Christi College, was repeatedly stabbed in front of a class of 30 pupils. A 15-year-old male has been charged with murder after being Read more
Britain is now a post-Christian country, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Williams of Oystermouth, has declared. In an interview with The Telegraph, Lord Williams said Britain is no longer a nation of believers. While the country is not populated exclusively by atheists, the former archbishop warns that the era of regular and widespread worship Read more
Former Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone has defended himself against accusations he is living in a luxury apartment in the Vatican. On April 20, Italian daily La Repubblica reported that the cardinal was moving into a lavish 6500 square foot apartment in the Vatican’s San Carlo Palace. This was while Pope Francis was Read more
The Catholic Church has backed unionist politicians’ moves to block legalised same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland. A Sinn Fein motion to introduce same-sex marriage legislation is likely to be defeated in the Northern Ireland assembly next week. Unionist parties will introduce a “petition of concern” against the move. Under the rules of the Stormont assembly, Read more
British Catholic weekly The Tablet has announced it will no longer be using Robert Mickens as its Rome correspondent. The Tablet suspended Mickens in March after he called Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI “The Rat” and anticipated his death in a Facebook comment. The publication stated an inquiry would be carried out. About a month later, Read more
Pope Francis has praised Sts John XXIII and John Paul II as men who modernised the Catholic Church in fidelity to its ancient traditions. The Pope said this during his homily at a canonisation Mass at St Peter’s Square on April 27 before an estimated 500,000 people. A few minutes earlier, he had formally declared Read more
Supporters of St John Paul II have defended his track record on dealing with clerical sexual abuse in the hours leading up to his canonisation. At a briefing 48 hours before the ceremony, papal biographer George Weigel said there was an “information gap” between the United States and the Holy See up to 2002. “But Read more
Pope Francis has reportedly told an Argentine woman living in an irregular marriage situation that she can go to Communion. On Easter Monday, Pope Francis phoned the home of Jacqueline Sabetta Lisbona, who had written to him in September. She has been in a civil marriage with her husband for 19 years and they have Read more