At mass on Sunday the Archbishop of Lima, Carlos Castillo, looked out over a cathedral full of faces — none of them alive. The cleric had his church filled with more than 5,000 portraits of those who have died in the pandemic that is spreading across Peru, using his broadcast homily to criticise a health Read more
Posts Tagged ‘Coronavirus’
Argentinian pastor reopens church as a bar in lockdown protest
Monday, June 15th, 2020
An evangelical Argentinian pastor has reopened his church as “the worship bar” with bar tables and pastors dressed as waiters with Bibles on their trays. His reason for the mock service? The government is allowing bars and restaurants to reopen after being closed for several weeks due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic but a ban Read more
Trump praises former papal nuncio who writes of conspiracies, plots
Monday, June 15th, 2020
President Trump praised former papal nuncio Archbishop Carlo Viganò in a tweet last week. “So honored by Archbishop Viganò’s incredible letter to me. I hope everyone, religious or not, reads it!” Trump tweeted, linking to a letter which the controversial former papal nuncio addressed to him on Sunday. With that tweet, Trump introduced Viganò to Read more
Health, wealth both integral to society’s managing of pandemic
Thursday, June 11th, 2020
Americans must move past the health-wealth dichotomy that dominates public debate about how to manage the current pandemic to find a way forward, said a panel of Catholic scholars during a webinar June 2. “Either you want to kill Grandma or you want to destroy the economy and leave millions of people unemployed, and people Read more
Anger as priest pressured to celebrate lock-down wedding
Thursday, June 11th, 2020
A priest felt pressured into holding a wedding at his Welsh Catholic church during the coronavirus lockdown. Father Sebastian Jones performed the ceremony on May 12, after the parents ‘insisted that it take place immediately’. Wedding ceremonies and christenings were banned in Wales when lockdown began on March 23. The Archbishop of Cardiff George Stack Read more
Pope Francis sets up new fund for workers left out of coronavirus support
Thursday, June 11th, 2020Pope Francis has set up a new fund – the “Jesus the Divine Worker Fund” – to help families and individuals in the Rome diocese who have lost their livelihood because of the economic crisis created by the coronavirus pandemic. Many here are struggling to survive, especially workers in the gig economy and the families Read more
Catholic Church receives $1.3 million donation to fight poverty amid pandemic
Thursday, June 11th, 2020The Catholic Church in England and Wales has received a 1 million pound ($1.3 million) donation to fight poverty caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The money was donated by the Albert Gubay Charitable Foundation, founded by the late billionaire businessman Albert Gubay, who made a pact with God in his youth that if he became Read more
What getting married in a pandemic taught these newlyweds
Monday, June 8th, 2020
Michael and Kelsey Petrany can hardly believe that two months ago they were worried about centrepieces. The restrictions of the pandemic made so many of their initial wedding plans impossible, including the presence of their parents, guests, and a reception. The couple decided they wanted to go through with it anyways. And they are glad Read more
Lock-down leaves priests feeling non-essential, losing identity
Monday, June 8th, 2020
Priests may be feeling non-essential as quarantine restrictions meant to slow the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) have distanced them from their parish communities. Many churches have had to close or limit their activity in recent months and priests are struggling to support or even engage with their community, a psychologist says. Dr. Christina Lynch Read more
Vatican: No active coronavirus cases among employees
Monday, June 8th, 2020The Vatican said Saturday the city state no longer has any active positive cases among employees, after a 12th person had tested positive in early May. According to the director of the Holy See press office, Matteo Bruni, as of June 6 there are no longer any coronavirus cases among Vatican and Holy See employees. Read more