Today the most common experience of church and Christian community is in a parish. In many dioceses and archdioceses, parishes are being clustered into pastoral areas,2 and often the number of Masses in these pastoral areas is being rationalised and timed so that it is easier for neighbouring priests to celebrate Masses in the other Read more
Even during a period when the bombs dropping on American Catholics fall with escalating and increasingly destructive frequency, the publication of an “investigation” of Monsignor Jeffrey Burrill, the now-former general secretary of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, blasts a crater worth crawling down into for a forensic examination. There are reasons to think Read more
The moon has its own Catholic bishop, who is currently John Noonan. The Catholic Church says the moon is a part of Florida — sort of. An obscure church law — the 1917 Code of Canon Law — says that when an expedition sets out to discover new territory, that new land becomes part of Read more
Now it is formally illegal to ordain a woman as a deacon. Or as a priest. Or as a bishop. On June 1, Pope Francis promulgated revisions to the Code of Canon Law detailing crimes and punishments. The new “Book VI: Penal Sanctions in the Church” takes effect on December 8. Most of the revisions Read more
New Zealand’s Catholic bishops have welcomed Pope Francis’ approval of changes to the Church’s Code of Canon Law which toughens and extends sanctions against sexual abuse. Bishop Stephen Lowe, secretary of the NZ Catholic Bishops Conference, says the new code makes it clear that bishops must take decisive action when abuse is reported to them. Read more
The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the way most Catholics around the world are used to worshiping, having led to measures ranging from outright bans on physical gatherings to limits on the size and behaviour of congregations. The various restrictions have raised numerous theological, liturgical and spiritual questions. And the Holy See and the local Churches 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
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
Former US vice president Joe Biden was refused holy communion at Mass last Sunday. Biden, who is a presidential candidate, is refusing to confirm the reports, saying the incident is part of his “personal life.” The priest who refused to give Biden the sacrament, says based his decision on Biden’s support for legal abortion. “Sadly, Read more
A change in canon law will make it easier for a religious order to dismiss a member who leaves the community without permission, stays away and does not communicate with his or her superior. Pope Francis amended the Code of Canon Law in a document entitled “Communis Vita” (Community Life). The amendment now includes an Read more