If the vast Catholic community in Africa is to truly become an “adult Church,” then “we must reimagine the participation of the laity”. That’s the belief of Alain Clément Amiézi, a theologian who was appointed by Pope Francis last June to lead the Diocese of Odienné in northern Côte d’Ivoire. Bishop-elect Amiézi, who has been Read more
Meet any group of Catholics today and within minutes someone will mention that their diocese or local area is undergoing a “re-organization”. Parishes are being combined, the ordained ministers being spread more thinly around communities, and the access to gathering for Eucharistic activity is being curtailed. The process is sometimes given an elegant name derived Read more
Like most of his fellow Italians, Mattia Nanetti, 25, from the northern city of Bologna, grew up with the teachings and sacraments of the Catholic Church in parochial school. Even his scouting group was Catholic. But in September 2019 he decided the time had come to leave the church behind. He filled out a form Read more
The Lutheran and Catholic churches in New Zealand have approved a statement recognising the unity of each other’s baptisms. The baptism agreement is the first major work of New Zealand’s Roman Catholic-Lutheran Dialogue Commission. The Commission has held regular meetings since being created by Lutheran Bishop Mark Whitfield and Cardinal John Dew in 2017 during Read more
Several Irish Catholic dioceses are defying a government ban on celebrating sacraments of initiation. They are planning to hold the ceremonies from mid-August. Bishop Kevin Doran of Elphin says after consulting with clergy, baptisms, First Holy Communions and confirmation ceremonies will be held. The regulations for general religious services will be followed. “The mission of Read more
Baptising babies into the Catholic Church suppresses people’s freedoms for life, the former Irish president says. Mary McAleese thinks the Church needs to overhaul the practice of baptising babies. She says it violates 21st-century human rights. In an address to Oxford University, McAleese said canon law claims the Church is entitled to limit, compromise and Read more
Fr Matthew Hood of the Archdiocese of Detroit recently discovered that his baptism as an infant had been invalid when he watched a family video that showed Deacon Mark Springer saying, “We baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” The Congregation for the Doctrine of Read more
There has been a significant rise in adult baptisms in Belgium. This year 305 adults will be baptized – 61 more than in 2019. The number of adult baptisms in Belgium has been growing for several years. There were 143 in 2010, 180 in 2015, 244 last year and over 300 this year. Although the Read more
The validity of some Dearborn, Michigan, parishoners’ sacraments has been called into question after one of its own priests invalid baptism! Father Matthew Hood learned that he was not a baptised Catholic earlier this month after watching a family video of his baptism and where some words were changed. The words used at his baptism Read more
Pope Francis on Thursday baptized conjoined twins who had been separated at a Vatican-owned hospital in June. The announcement of the baptism came not from the Vatican but from Antoinette Montaigne, a politician from Central African Republic, where the girls were born with fused skulls on June 29, 2018, in the town of Mbaiki. When Read more