The Catholic University of Peru has told university officials it has until Easter Sunday, April 8, to comply with Church standards. As reported in CathNews, following a visitation by Cardinal Peter Erdo of Budapest, President of the European Bishops, the rector of the Pontifical University of Peru was been summoned to meet Secretary of State, Cardinal Read more
As heads of several united Nations bodies labelled the current attempts to regulate trade in conventional weapons as “patchwork” and “simply not adequate,” Head of the Holy See’s delegation, Archbishop Francis Chullikatt, told the preparatory meeting of the UN Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty that arms are are not the same as other goods traded on the Read more
In his speech to newly created cardinals, Pope Benedict has indirectly denied recent speculation that he may resign, reports Vatican Insider. A number of people have been hinting at his resignation; however the soon-to-be 85 year old Pontiff concluded his speech with an indirect denial of his pending resignation. “Pray also for me, that I Read more
Cardinal designate Timothy Dolan told the pope and assembled cardinals the Catholic Church needed a “creative strategy” and can be made more exciting by using 140 characters (Twitter) and less. “We know that the Church has lost some of its pizzazz,” Dolan said. “We have to refresh and rekindle that faith.” Pope Benedict chose Dolan to Read more
The Italian government has told the European Commission it will change Italian law to ensure the Church pays property tax on parts of buildings used for commercial purposes. It will mean the likes of convents that offer bed and breakfast, or church buildings that rent space to shops, pay their full share of taxes. Prime Read more
Vatican spokesman Fr Federico Lombardi S.J. has called on Vatican officials to “remain calm” and “keep our neve” in the face of several recent embarrassing leaked documents. Despite the documents appearing to have different levels of importance, Lombardi described the situation as “very sad”. He called on the press to “make careful distinctions,” to not Read more
The rector of the Pontifical University of Peru has been summoned to meet Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone in Rome. The meeting follows a visitation by Cardinal Peter Erdo of Budapest, president of the Council of European Bishops, which reportedly concluded the Pontifical University was refusing to acknowledge the authority of the Holy See. University officials Read more
A high profile United States sex abuse lawyer, Jeffrey Anderson, has withdrawn a sex abuse case which held responsible Pope Benedict and senior church officials. The Vatican’s US attorney, Jeffrey S. Lena, welcomed the decision saying the case was “held together by no more than a mendacious web of allegations of internal conspiracy.” The case was filed at the Read more
In 2010, women priests outnumbered male priests for the first time in the Church of England, reports Vatican Insider. The latest available official figures for 2010 show that 290 women were ordained in 2010, compared with just 273 men. For one of the most hotly debated topics in Church circles, this marks a historical moment. Read more
A Muslim cabinet minister has defended the place of Christianity in Britain saying it is a vital part of British life and she warns of the dangers of eroding its importance. “You cannot extract Christian foundations from the evolution of our nations any more than you can erase the spires from our landscape,” she said. “I see Read more