The rate of convictions of Catholic Church personnel for sex abuse in Australia seems “strikingly out of proportion” with the size of the Church compared with other faith communities, according to research by a law professor at the University of Sydney. “While there are some similar patterns in terms of victims’ age and gender, the Read more
The archbishop, vicar general and archdiocesan spokesman in the Indian archdiocese of Bhopal face charges of trying to poison a priest in order to question his mental state. The case is against Archbishop Leo Cornelio, vicar general Father V. C. Mathew and archdiocese spokesman Father P. J. Johny. The prosecution alleges that Father Anand Muttungal, Read more
Dr Lyn Billings, who with her husband John brought the method of natural fertility regulation that bears their name to millions of couples in more than 100 countries, has died in Melbourne. She was 95. Her best-selling book The Billings Method, first published in 1980, was translated into 22 languages and reprinted 16 times with Read more
New evidence that Venerable Pius XII saved Jews from the Holocaust has been unearthed by a British author who was given access to previously unpublished Vatican documents and tracked down victims, priests and others who had not told their stories before. A report in The Guardian newspaper says Vatican insiders believe this new evidence will Read more
In a pastoral letter strongly denouncing the “cancer” of corruption and the “plunder” of natural resources, the Catholic bishops of Africa have urged national leaders to promote good governance and democratic transitions. The letter was issued by the Symposium of Catholic Bishops’ Conferences in Africa and Madagascar (SECAM). It was signed by SECAM’S president Cardinal Read more
After a long recruitment search, a German lawyer has been headhunted to become president of the Vatican Bank, an institution troubled in the past by scandal and more recently by complaints about inadequate safeguards against money-laundering. Ernst von Freyberg is currently chairman of the Blohm+Voss Group, a Hamburg-based company that builds and repairs yachts and Read more
A senior Australian parish priest has told the Victoria inquiry into clergy sex abuse that the Catholic Church’s procedures for dealing with abuse have failed and should be closed down. “Time is up, the Church has had more than a fair chance. The Melbourne Response and Towards Healing have lost all credibility and are beyond Read more
Questionable fundraising tactics by the Legion of Christ have been revealed in court documents released in the United States. The documents surfaced in a probate case in Rhode Island, in which Legion officials were accused of defrauding a wealthy widow, Gabrielle Mee, of tens of millions of dollars. They remained sealed when the suit brought Read more
Because of declining church attendances and financial difficulties, hundreds of Catholic and Protestant churches in Germany are closing. One estimate is that 15,000 of the 45,000 churches in the country will soon be no longer needed. “These buildings are simply too opulent, too empty and too expensive to maintain, something akin to an aging grandmother Read more
The Vatican and the Italian government have concluded an agreement over the escape route used by popes to flee the Vatican when Rome was invaded. The 800-metre Passetto di Borgo is a covered corridor running on top of the walls joining the Vatican to Castel Sant’Angelo, the towering cylindrical fortress on the edge of the Read more