A British bishop has criticised a decision by his confreres not to publish the findings of a Vatican survey about the family. Bishop Tom Burns of Menevia said the UK bishops should publish the findings of the survey. It asked questions on cohabitation, contraception and same-sex marriage. This is in the interests of transparency, he Read more
A senior German cardinal believes there is a “practicable” way for divorced and remarried Catholics to receive Communion. Cardinal Reinhard Marx told a newspaper that such people “who acknowledge their failure should be able to apply for a readmission to the sacraments after a period of penitence”. A similar proposal was made by Cardinal Walter Read more
Nearly one million Catholic religious priests, brothers and sisters have been challenged to issue critiques of the global market economy based on capitalism. At a recent conference in Rome for treasurers for religious orders, a constant theme was criticism of capitalism. Several speakers denounced it as a “structure of sin” that purposefully does not attend Read more
In a first for a Roman Pontiff, Pope Francis is to have an exclusive audience with people who are blind and deaf. The audience is scheduled for March 29 in the Vatican’s Paul VI hall. Participants can hardly wait for the encounter. “I am pleased that the Pope is making the whole world aware of Read more
The way Vatican II looked at ecumenism shows a possible path forward for interpreting doctrines about marriage, Cardinal Walter Kasper says. Speaking to Vatican Radio, Cardinal Kasper said the responses to recent Vatican questions about the family show there is an “abyss” between Church teaching and people’s situations. “The Church has to bridge this abyss,” Read more
Cardinal George Pell has said he believes victims of clergy sex abuse should be able to sue the Catholic Church in Australia. Cardinal Pell made this statement at the opening of another public hearing in Sydney by the Royal Commission on Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. The commission is examining the case of abuse Read more
Communists in a south Indian state have declared support for five Christian candidates in national elections. The Left Democratic Front, an alliance of communist parties in Kerala, has come out for the candidates because of a common position on a land issue. Christian groups, led by a number of Catholic bishops, have been campaigning against Read more
Remarks by Pope Francis defending the Church’s response to clergy sex abuse have prompted a torrent of criticism from victims’ groups. Critics charge that, in a recent interview in an Italian newspaper, Pope Francis did not apologise for the abuse. The Pope did acknowledge that “the cases of abuse are terrible because they leave very profound wounds”. Read more
A leading figure in Catholic education in the United Kingdom has admitted downloading more than 5000 child pornography images. Fr Tim Gardner, a former religious education adviser to the Catholic Education Service (CES), admitted possession of the images when he appeared at Southwark Crown Court. Of the 5005 images cited, many were graded at level Read more
Cardinal George Pell will give evidence at Royal Commission hearings dealing with child sex abuse before he leaves for Rome. A hearing in Sydney of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse will examine the experience of abuse victim John Ellis. Mr Ellis’s claim of abuse by a priest in the 1970s Read more