German Chancellor Angela Merkel has urged Protestants and Catholics to emphasise what they have in common as Germany prepares to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation in 2017. “Especially in a very secular world, we should always stress what is common in the Christian religion,” said Merkel, who is the daughter of a Read more
There are more Catholics in Ireland than ever before, but the church is losing market share due to a surge in other religions and non-believers, the Independent news site reported. The report, quoting a new census on religion, said the Catholic Church now has 3.86 million members in Ireland, but a growing population – including Read more
Vandals defaced the walls of one of Jerusalem’s best-known Catholic churches on Tuesday. Police said the perpetrators, who are believed to be Jewish extremists, defaced a wall leading to the Church of the Dormition, a century-old structure built on the site where tradition says the Virgin Mary died. The graffiti read “Jesus, son of a Read more
Pope Benedict XVI on Sunday told Catholics to rejoice, and not be jealous, when non-Catholics or other Christians do good. “God can do good and even amazing things outside the circle” of the Catholic Church, the pope said during his midday Angelus address. The pope quoted St. Augustine who said that just as there could Read more
Dear Fathers, We are writing this letter to you today because we have some things we want to say to you. Some things are easier to say than others, but here you go. Before that, though, a HUGE thank you. Thank you for having the courage to say yes to your counter-cultural vocation. We are forever grateful Read more
Discussion of the environment can be a turn off. The topic is vast and complicated, and it raises high passions. When we imagine the environment, we may imagine walking in remote bush country now threatened by logging. We may imagine Tasmanian tigers that have become extinct, or the inhabitants of Tuvalu whose island is gradually Read more
Forget the Mormon moment. The religious group that seems to be figuring most prominently in the presidential election right now is the Roman Catholic Church. With Mitt Romney’s recent choice of Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan as running mate, this campaign is the first in which Catholics are on both major party tickets. Vice President Joe Read more
Pope Benedict received the Annuario Pontificio, the Catholic annual year book, on Saturday. The presentation was made by Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone. Key in the findings is that the number of Catholics has increased, especially in Asia and Africa, and globally Catholics now make up 17.5% of the world’s population. As well as Read more
Catholics are more likely to support government intervention in the economy than Protestants and also have a stronger preference for sharing wealth equally, a European Central Bank study said.
The research paper also said Max Weber’s theories about the Protestant work ethic were supported by the results of the study and that they apply more widely than thought, including in the choice of political institutions and in explaining income inequality.
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