The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF)has formally requested that well-known Irish Redemptorist Fr Tony Flannery, sign a statement affirming his acceptance of church teaching as formulated by the CDF. The focus of the CDF’s request focussed on homosexuality, civil unions between persons of the same sex, the admission of women to the 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
Cardinal Gerhard Müller’s criticism of Pope Francis’ termination of his tenure as prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) is simply astonishing. His complaint is that he had no warning and the termination was a summary dismissal. I don’t know where the cardinal has been in recent months. But it doesn’t Read more
German media source, Die Zeit, reports an unnamed Vatican diplomat saying Cardinal Gerhard Müller overstepped the mark on Amoris Laetitia. “His task should have been to explain the reforms and translate them for the world at large; not to break with tradition, but to write a new chapter of tradition. Instead he acted as the pope’s inquisitor”, Read more
An Irish priest has recounted how the Vatican once demanded he resign as the editor of a magazine. Redemptorist Fr Gerry Moloney was editor of Reality magazine in Ireland. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith’s displeasure with some of the liberal content of the magazine was broken to him in May, 2011. The Read more
Bishops must avoid juridical straitjackets that deaden the novelty of new movements in the Church, the Vatican’s doctrine congregation says. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith this week issued a new document, Iuvenescit Ecclesia (“The Church Rejuvenates”). This is the first document from the CDF in Pope Francis’s pontificate. The letter stated bishops and new movements should Read more
The Vatican’s doctrinal office is to issue a letter to bishops on the relation between hierarchical and charismatic gifts for the Church’s life and mission. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith is to release Iuvenescit Ecclesia (“the Church grows young”) on June 14. It will be the CDF’s first major document issued during the Read more
Pope Francis has said he will establish a Vatican commission to study the possibility of allowing women to serve as deacons in the Catholic Church. Francis was asked during a meeting with leaders of female religious congregations about women deacons and their role in the early church. The Pope responded that he had spoken about Read more
An appeal for reform of the process for theological investigations by the Church has met with a stony silence from the Vatican. In March, an international group of 15 bishops, nuns, priests and lay people wrote to Pope Francis and the prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith calling for reform. Many Read more