Mercy and prayers for Cardinal Keith O’Brien and for those he offended were asked for at O’Brien’s funeral last week. His failings were made public in 2013 when a British weekly newspaper revealed he had made sexual advances to seminarians more than 20 years earlier. O’Brien admitted and apologised for his actions. In 2015 he Read more
Cardinal Vincent Nichols of Westminster has warned Catholic teachers not to let gender ideology confuse their students. Nichols says children will find their “greatest joy” by accepting their biological sex rather than selecting a gender of their choice. They are not “single, self-determining individuals,” Nichols told the teachers. “At a time of great confusion about Read more
Human trafficking is a scourge that we all must help combat, Pope Francis says. He is appealing to everyone, including citizens and institutions, to join forces against human trafficking and to help the victims. His plea is echoed by English Cardinal Vincent Nichols of Westminster, who says churches, governments, police and business leaders must do Read more
An English Cardinal and four Muslim leaders from the UK met with Pope Francis this week. They discussed interfaith relations between the religious communities in Britain. Cardinal Vincent Nichols and other Catholic leaders have been working for the past 30 years to develop strong ties with the UK’s local Muslim communities. Francis greeted the group Read more
The meetings and the work of the Synod of Bishops have slowly contributed to the dissolving of “our Euro-centric vision not only of the world but also of the Church”, said Cardinal Vincent Nichols. He used his address at the commemoration of the 50 anniversary of the Synod of Bishops last month to praise the Read more
The bishops’ conference of England and Wales plans to launch a wide-ranging consultation of parishes and clergy ahead of next year’s synod on the family. The bishops would like a period of spiritual reflection in each parish. They would also like to hear the experiences of clergy on the main “pastoral challenges” they encounter with Read more
An English cardinal says that during the synod on the family, he developed his thinking on ways towards Communion for the divorced and civilly remarried. Cardinal Vincent Nichols said he had developed his understanding of how the divorced and remarried could undergo a penitential path. This in turn could lead them being re-admitted to the Read more
Pope Francis has stated that the Church “must not withdraw into dogma” and should recognise that “the world has changed”. In an interview with Argentine newspaper La Nacion, Francis indicated that he wanted clergy to be less judgmental and more understanding of those living outside Catholic norms. He told the newspaper: “The world has changed Read more
The bishop in charge of evangelisation in England and Wales has resigned after revealing he had been “unfaithful” to his “promises as a Catholic priest”. Bishop Kieran Conry of Arundel and Brighton diocese said in a statement read in churches that his unfaithfulness had gone back several years. He apologised for the damage and hurt Read more
Britain’s most senior Catholic has said that the Church has forgotten the importance of mercy during the past few decades. Ahead of next month’s synod on the family, Cardinal Vincent Nichols told a press conference that he grew up in a “Church that understood itself as a Church of sinners”. “[But] I don’t think it’s Read more