The Tablet has suspended its Rome correspondent Robert Mickens after he publicly referred to Benedict XVI as “the Rat” and anticipated his death. The comment came under a March 2 Facebook post about Cardinal Loris Francesco Capovilla, who was Pope John XXIII’s secretary and was recently made a cardinal. Mr Mickens wrote: “This should have Read more
United States President Barack Obama and Pope Francis met for 52 minutes at the Vatican on March 27, in the first meeting between the two leaders. They discussed international conflicts and the importance of humanitarian and international law, as well as issues of poverty and injustice. According to the Vatican, “the parties discussed questions of Read more
The bodies of thousands of aborted and miscarried babies were incinerated as clinical waste in the United Kingdom, with some even used to heat hospitals, an investigation has found. Ten NHS trusts have admitted burning foetal remains alongside other rubbish while two others used the bodies in “waste-to-energy” plants which generate power for heat. The Read more
Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of the bishop dubbed the “bishop of bling”, who had been suspended over alleged lavish spending. Bishop of Limburg Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst has been accused of spending more than 31 million euros ($NZ49 million) on renovating his official residence in Limburg diocese in Germany. The cleric, dubbed the “bishop Read more
Former United States president Jimmy Carter has said the Catholic Church’s practice of not ordaining women gives tacit permission for discrimination and abuse. Mr Carter said this during an interview with National Public Radio in the United States ahead of publication of his latest book. “ . . . [T]he fact that the Catholic Church, Read more
Cardinal George Pell has admitted that he wanted to avoid big damages verdicts when he set up a response to deal with child sex abuse complaints in the Church. Cardinal Pell said this in giving evidence before the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sex Abuse in Sydney. The Melbourne Response, which Cardinal Pell Read more
The Chief Rabbinate in Israel is refusing to allow a TV celebrity to convert to Judaism unless she gives up her acting career. The rabbinate has sole authority to determine who is and who isn’t Jewish in Israel. Celebrity and aspiring actress Alin Levy, 24, has halted the learning process leading up to her Orthodox Read more
A victim of clergy sex abuse, Marie Collins from Ireland, is one of eight appointments by Pope Francis to a new Vatican commission to safeguard children. Among the members are Boston Cardinal Sean O’Malley, four laywomen, one Italian professor, and two priests. The Vatican said the eight would be responsible for determining the commission’s structure, Read more
Pope Francis has warned the Italian Mafia that they will end up in hell if they do not change their lives and stop doing evil. He made these remarks during a prayer vigil in Rome for victims of the Mafia. “Men and women of the Mafia, please change your lives, convert, stop doing evil,” the Read more
Several Catholic MPs in England have disagreed with a bishop who said politicians who voted for same-sex marriage should be denied Communion. The Bishop of Portsmouth, Bishop Philip Egan, said denial of Communion is an act of mercy. This is with the hope that individuals can be brought back into full communion with the Church. Read more