Pope Francis was hailed around the world as a “messenger of hope” during his historic visit to Kenya, Uganda and Central African Republic. The visit to the three African countries was replete with gestures of reconciliation and peace. He pushed all the right buttons on religious liberty, climate change and reforms to the annulment process Read more
Pope Francis has told a journalist asking about condom use to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS in Africa that the question posed is too small. The Pope answered the question during a session with reporters on his plane flying back from the Central African Republic on November 30. The journalist asked if the Church should Read more
The editor of the German bishops’ website has said the Church is growing in Africa because of a lack of education and because Africans have little else. Björn Odendahl said this on Katholisch.de in an article entitled “The Romantic, Poor Church”. “Of course the Church is growing there. It grows because the people are socially dependent Read more
Starting his three-nation African visit on Wednesday, Pope Francis said violence and terrorism feed on “despair” which comes from poverty and frustration. Speaking in Nairobi, Kenya, the Pope said fear and mistrust spring from the same source. He also re-iterated his view that the protection of the environment needs to take place alongside building a Read more
UK broadcaster Sir David Attenborough has given qualified support to assisted dying and has criticised the Catholic Church’s stance on contraception. Speaking on the BBC’s Costing the Earth programme, Sir David was asked if he supported the right to die. “I suppose I do really, but [only] if you could solve all the problems of Read more
Ahead of the synod on the family, Archbishop Anthony Fisher of Sydney has pointed to African bishops as a sign of hope in confused times. Archbishop Fisher’s comments came after an address by Guinean Cardinal Robert Sarah at the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia on September 24. Archbishop Fisher, who attended the address said: Read more
A cardinal touted as the next pope has said that while some Christians are being martyred for their faith, some in the West are trying to water down the Gospel. Guinean Cardinal Robert Sarah said this in a book length interview “Dieu ou Rien” (God or Nothing) published in France last month. Italian Vatican commentator Read more
The Pope on his return flight from the Philippines to Italy suggested that when western help to third world countries is only available if they accept western ideas into a culture as “ideological colonization”. Gender ideologies from the wealthy Western world are being imposed on developing nations by tying them to foreign aid and education, Read more
German Cardinal Walter Kasper has said that African prelates should not tell the rest of the Church what to do about homosexual people. In an interview with Zenit on October 15, after the evening working groups’ discussions at the synod on the family, Cardinal Kasper said homosexuality is a taboo subject in Africa. “Africa is Read more
A Nigerian archbishop has told the synod on the family that no-one should try to impose foreign cultures and ways on African peoples. Africans “have come of age”, said Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama, who is president of the Nigerian bishops’ conference. “We should be allowed to think for ourselves,” he said, noting that many African countries Read more