The Holocaust museum in Jerusalem has revised the controversial text of a plaque in which Pope Pius XII was portrayed as silent in the face of Nazi persecution of Jews. Officials at the Yad Vashem museum said the change was made on the recommendation of its International Institute for Holocaust Research, not as a result Read more
The new head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Bishop Gerhard Mueller, mixes a reputation as a scholarly defender of orthodoxy with close ties to liberation theology and experience in ecumenism. Pope Benedict chose the fellow German and personal friend to succeed American Cardinal William Levada as prefect of the powerful congregation. Read more
Attacks by masked gunmen on church congregations in Kenya have prompted the country’s Catholic bishops to urge the government to improve security measures. The July 1 violence at Our Lady of Consolation Catholic Cathedral and the Protestant Africa Inland Church left at least 17 people dead and more than 50 injured. Witnesses said up to Read more
The ancient basilica on the site of Jesus’ birth has been given world heritage status by Unesco, the educational, scientific and cultural agency of the United Nations. The Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, built over the cave venerated as Christ’s birthplace, is the oldest complete church in the Christian world. It was dedicated in Read more
A decision by the United States Supreme Court to uphold the core of President Obama’s health care law has given new impetus to legal challenges by church groups. The court did not address the religious liberty issue regarding a Health and Human Services mandate that requires religious employers to pay for contraception, abortifacients and sterilisation Read more
The congregation of the famed Crystal Cathedral in Orange County, California, has moved out and the new owner, the Catholic diocese of Orange, is preparing to move in. The fast-growing Catholic diocese bought the huge reflective-glass building for around $NZ72 million last year after Crystal Cathedral Ministries filed for bankruptcy. Catholic Bishop Tod D. Brown Read more
Cardinal Christoph Schonborn of Vienna has challenged a group of dissident priests to renounce their “Call to Disobedience” manifesto or give up administrative posts in his archdiocese. The cardinal and the Priests’ Initiative group, formed by Father Helmut Schueller, have engaged in an intensifying war of words for several months. The priests’ group has pledged Read more
In an effort to lift the veil from decades of secrecy and suspicion, the Vatican Bank has been opening its alarm-triggered doors to give bishops, ambassadors and journalists a rundown on how it operates. This rare show of public relations savvy follows recent scandals such as the ousting of the bank’s president, Ettore Gotti Tedeschi, Read more
The congregation of the famed Crystal Cathedral in Orange County, California, has moved out and the new owner, the Catholic Diocese of Orange, is preparing to move in. The fast-growing Catholic diocese bought the huge reflective-glass building for around $NZ72 million last year after Crystal Cathedral Ministries filed for bankruptcy. Catholic Bishop Tod D. Brown Read more
Greg Burke, the newly-appointed Vatican media advisor, says he has no illusions about “going in and changing everything”. “My hope is to try and help the Holy See take the necessary steps to go in the right direction,” he said after accepting what he describes as a “high risk” appointment. Burke took on the job Read more