The Church’s relevance in today’s society is diminishing, says Bishop Heiner Wilmer of Hildersheim, Germany. Last year, a record 272,771 Catholics in Germany formally left the Church. While Wilmer is concerned there could be a further drop in church attendance due to the coronavirus crisis, his main concern is the Church’s apparent irrelevance in today’s Read more
German bishops are looking for ways to halt the massive exodus from the Church in Germany caused by the clerical abuse crisis. The bishops’ conference launched a two-year “synodal procedure” for church reform last weekend, on the first Sunday of Advent. Working together with the lay Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK), special synodal candles Read more
Theologians in Germany were recently invited to speak to the nation’s Catholic hierarchy about the clergy abuse crisis and they used the rare opportunity to chastise the more than 60 bishops for being too slow in pushing for major Church reform. The theologians were given an entire “study day” to address the German Bishops’ Conference Read more
Bishop Charles Morerod, who is recognized as one the leading intellectuals among the Catholic hierarchy of Europe, recently told La Croix “the Church reforms itself under the influence of seemingly adverse forces.” The 57-year-old Swiss Dominican, head of the Diocese of Lausanne-Genève-Fribourg since 2011, was referring to the sexual abuse crisis and how it is Read more
Nathanaël Lamataki, a New Caledonia University student (4th-year Law) from Païta parish, is the official representative of the CEPAC Youth at the Bishops Synod. He is pictured above in St Peter’s Square, on the opening day, with a diocesan priest of New Caledonia, Fr Jean-Paul Pouillet, who is having a 3-week break in France. “A great honour Read more
A lay coalition in an American archdiocese has drawn up a list of potential successors to an embattled archbishop, who is being called upon to resign. The Catholic Coalition for Church Reform in St Paul-Minnesapolis has identified seven nominees to replace embattled Archbishop John Nienstedt. During the first half of November, an “election-like process” will Read more
Leaders of 52 groups seeking reform and renewal in the Catholic Church have written to Pope Francis asking for a meeting. They urge the Pope to take immediate action to appoint more women to Church leadership positions. The Pope’s frequent references to pastoral care for people and to the status of women are cited. But Read more
Cardinal Oscar Rodrigues Maradiaga, the archbishop of Tegucigalpa in Honduras, who is the Chair of the group of eight advisors, is to visit New Zealand next week shortly after their first landmark meeting concludes on Thursday, (Rome Time). The eight Cardinals, appointed by Pope Francis, who come from around the world will be looking to reshape the current Read more
As a Catholic TV station becomes increasingly popular around the world, church officials are trying to tell the public that the media outlet does not represent Catholicism.
In two public statements, the Archdiocese of Detroit has taken the unusual step of publicly criticizing Real Catholic TV, saying “that it does not have the authorization required under church law to identify or promote itself as Catholic.”
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The Methodist Church in Fiji needs some of its practices reformed to suit 21st Century believers, says Education Minister Filipe Bole. Mr Bole, who was chief guest at the Davuilevu Methodist Theological College graduation on Wednesday, told the gathering many Methodists were joining Pentecostal churches which, according to him, was an indication of “something missing”. Read more