In a gesture of solidarity with Palestinian civilians in Gaza, Jordan’s Council of Churches announced they will cancel Christmas celebrations and festivities. The Council’s leaders made the announcement on November 5 to express deepening concern over the escalating humanitarian crisis engulfing Palestinian civilians in Gaza. In lieu of the usual Christmas bazaars, gift distributions, decorations, and Read more
Four Vietnamese Christians arrested last week in Vietnam have been released. A Radio Free Asia (RFA) report says the four men, who belong to Protestant churches, were instructed to “stop practising their faith independently”. Three were arrested on 31 October and taken to the District Police headquarters. One was released two days later while a Read more
Pope Francis commended the deepening Catholic-Protestant friendship in Scotland during a recent meeting with leaders of the Church of Scotland. “We talked about how we both recognised ourselves in what is happening to the ordinary people there and how we need to recognise our common humanity more openly” said Rt Rev Sally Foster-Fulton, the Moderator Read more
Children are suffering! Wars in Gaza, Ukraine and other parts of the world are destroying their futures, Pope Francis says. Speaking about the conflict in Palestine and Israel after praying the Angelus in St Peter’s Square this week, Francis asked the world to “think of the children” who suffer as a result of war. For Read more
The Vatican has affirmed that transgender individuals are eligible to participate as godparents and witnesses in Roman Catholic sacraments of baptism and marriage, and they can be baptised. The Vatican’s document, signed by Pope Francis and Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, was published on the Holy See’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith website on Read more
Pope Francis opened two new laundromats for the homeless in the northern Italian city of Turin on Thursday, Nov 2. The new facilities are part of an initiative launched in collaboration with the international consumer goods giant Procter & Gamble and the consumer electronics company Haier Europe, with the assistance of the Community of Sant’Egidio Read more
The Passage, based in Westminster, is among the charities that have refuted Home Secretary Suella Braverman’s controversial claim that rough sleepers were making a “lifestyle choice”. The Passage, which has Archbishop of Westminster Cardinal Vincent Nichols as patron, said: “The people we work with have not chosen to be on the streets; circumstances have put Read more
A National Tribunal Service has been established to ensure that Canon or church law is applied consistently and impartially throughout the Church in England and Wales. It will be based in the Bishops’ Conference headquarters in London and have one of two penal tribunals in Liverpool. At a Mass on Saturday, November 4, Cardinal Vincent Read more
A Brooklyn pastor who was disciplined after he allowed a pop star to shoot a lewd music video in his church wrote a letter to his parish Nov 4, taking “full responsibility” for the matter while adding that he had “no knowledge” that “such a scene” would be filmed in the church. Monsignor Jamie Gigantiello, Read more
Pope Francis and Vatican diplomats are actively mobilising their efforts to address ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Holy Land. The Pope has made it clear that pursuing peace is a top priority. Meanwhile, Vatican officials are working tirelessly to promote peace through various channels. “I encourage faithful to take only one side in this Read more