“Too many people confuse a rightly-formed conscience with personal preferences dominated by selfishness” Pope Francis said in a video message to an Italian meeting on ‘Amoris Laetitia,’ his exhortation on the family. “Conscience,” he said, “always has God’s desire for the human person as its ultimate reference point. “The contemporary world risks confusing the primacy Read more
Developing and using your conscience is of prime importance when working your way around moral questions, Pope Francis told the Italian Bishops Conference on Saturday. His comments aimed to help the bishops explore their conference theme: “The Gospel of Love between Conscience”. Drawing on Amoris Laetitia (AL), his 2015 post-synodial document, Francis defended AL’s stance Read more
St. Thomas More and Blessed John Henry Newman may not on first glance seem to be a good pairing: the twice-happily married lawyer and public servant and the celibate Oxford Fellow and Oratorian priest. The sixteenth century Catholic martyr and the nineteenth century convert and confessor; the witty teller of merry tales and the seemingly Read more
Throw your political affiliation out the window! But you’re a loyal Democrat. Or perhaps instead, you’re a loyal Republican. Never mind that. Your political affiliation is not that important. What’s crucially important is your affiliation with Jesus, and your commitment to his campaign – to his divine plan. Are you voting for Jesus Christ? Oh, Read more
A Wairoa pharmacist refuses to sell the emergency contraceptive pill over her counter because of personal beliefs. To be eligible to sell the emergency contraceptive pill, commonly referred to as the morning-after pill, pharmacists have to complete a course. Owner Elsa Norvil says she will not do this, for personal reasons. “I am not prepared Read more
A US woman has reacted with hurt and shock after her Catholic physician abruptly stopped prescribing contraception for her, citing religion. Leslie Gauthier posted the letter she received from her “ob-gyn” from Jackson, Mississippi, on Facebook. The Catholic doctor stated:” I am sending you this letter to notify you that as a Catholic physician, I Read more
The final document of the synod of bishops on the family has stressed that the Church must involve the divorced and civilly remarried in all ways possible. While the document does not mention Communion for such people who are baptised, it calls for their integration into the Church community, while “avoiding every occasion of scandal”. Read more
A US archbishop has said the Church must respect the decisions divorced and remarried people make in good conscience about their spiritual lives. Speaking to media at the synod on the family in Rome, Chicago Archbishop Blase Cupich said he had always respected the inviolability of people’s consciences. “I try to help people along the Read more
Bishops at the synod on the family have been asked to reject a paragraph in the synod’s working document dealing with contraception. Theologians, philosophers and scholars issued the appeal in the American journal “First Things”. Among the signatories are academics from the Pontificial John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family, as well Read more
For as long as anyone can remember, the Vatican has had a special genius for snatching public relations defeat from the jaws of victory. Even by that standard, the fracas surrounding Pope Francis’ meeting with Kim Davis last week, which broke out immediately after his massively successful US trip, sets a new standard. Without necessarily Read more