Malta, one of the most Catholic countries in the world has approved the introduction of divorce. In the referendum the people voted by a majority of 54%, to allow couples to divorce after at least four years of separation; when ‘there is no reasonable hope’ of reconciliation. Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi, who campaigned for a ‘No’ vote, said: “The Read more
Italian prosecutors have ordered the release of €23 million (NZ$41 million) seized from a Vatican Bank account in a money-laundering probe. The Vatican welcomed the move and said the funds were ordered returned after the Holy See issued new anti-money laundering and anti-terror financing laws to conform with EU and international norms, the Washington Post Read more
Burglars dressed in boilers broke in to CathCom, Essex, but left empty handed after they saw an image of the Pope. Security cameras showed them opening the front door of the building, getting into the offices and disconnecting computers ready to take away – when a man spied a large image of Pope Benedict. The Read more
A new book has revealed how the Red Cross and the Vatican helped thousands of Nazis including men like Adolf Eichmann and Josef Mengele to escape justice after the war. In “Nazis On The Run: How Hitler’s Henchmen Fled Europe” Gerald Steinacher, a research fellow from Harvard University, sheds light on just how thousands of Read more
Michel Roy is the new general secretary of Caritas. The 56-year-old Frenchman was voted in by a majority of delegates at the organisation’s general assembly in Rome. Roy’s election followed the Vatican withholding the nomination for a second term of the then current general secretary, Lesley-Anne Knight. Immediately following his election, Roy addressed the assembly. “I’m Read more
A Canadian couple are defending their decision to keep the sex of their child secret and in time let the child choose its gender. “If you really want to get to know someone, you don’t ask what’s between their legs,” Storm’s father, David Stocker said. The couple, Kathy Witterick and David Stocker, have decided to raise Read more
Internet evangelisation in China has not developed much and even appears to be at a standstill. Not surprising, perhaps, in a country where internet access is severely curtailed thanks to its infamous Great Firewall. Most netizens know there is a way to “scale the wall” but even so, if you are a webmaster of any Read more
Sydney, Christians will have their core beliefs challenged by provocative advertisements which will appear on billboards and busses in June. The ads, paid for by an Islamic group called MyPeace, will carry slogans such as ”Jesus: a prophet of Islam”, ”Holy Quran: the final testament” and ”Muhammad: mercy to mankind”. The organiser of MyPeace, Diaa Read more
Nearly one in five young adults suffer from high blood pressure according to a new study from scientists at the University of North Carolina. The Carolina study’s findings differ are in sharp contrast to a federal government study by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey that suggested only 4 percent of young adults might Read more
AIDS experts from around the world gathered in Rome to attend a Vatican conference on AIDS HIV. The a two-day conference, organized by the Pontifical Council for Health Care Workers, looked at the role the Church plays in treating the disease and discussed ways of preventing the spread of HIV and caring for people with AIDS. Read more