The tables have turned under Pope Francis. And a new type of Catholic has formed: the conservative dissenter. In the past, conservatives prided themselves on loyalty to the pope and being in lockstep with all papal teachings, while progressives called for limits to papal power. The devotees of tradition used to argue that liberals who Read more
The Vatican has asked the superiors of 15 US orders of Catholic sisters to come to Rome to discuss concerns and provide clarifications. This comes after the 2014 final report on a Vatican apostolic visitation of US orders of religious women. Last week, it was reported that the superior of the Sisters of Loretto had Read more
A US archbishop has given priests in his diocese strict guidelines on which people should not receive Communion. Newark Archbishop John Myers also ordered parishes and Catholic institutions in his diocese not to host people or organisations that disagree with Church teachings. Catholics who publicly reject Church teaching or discipline and those whose marriages are Read more
When Church teaching is rejected by large numbers of the faithful, action is called for, the International Theological Commission has written. The commission has published a document called “’Sensus Fidei’ in the life of the Church”. It has been approved by the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Gerhard Muller, Read more
More than 3000 men and women religious leave the consecrated life each year, according to the secretary of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. Archbishop José Rodríguez Carballo said that the majority of cases occur at a “relatively young age”. The causes, he said, include “absence of spiritual life”, Read more
While the Catholic Church teaches that “the whole body of the faithful . . . cannot error in matters of belief”, this does not mean Catholic beliefs are open to popular vote, Pope Benedict XVI has told a group of theologians. The Pope said an authentic “sensus fidei” (“sense of faith”) can come only when Read more
A leading Cuban dissident has identified the mystery man who yelled anti-government slogans just before a Mass celebrated by Pope Benedict XVI this week before being hustled away by security agents.
Jose Daniel Ferrer told The Associated Press that the protester’s name is Andres Carrion Alvarez, and identified him as a 38-year-old resident of the eastern city of Santiago de Cuba. Ferrer said the man was still in custody Friday.
The protester shouted “Down with the Revolution! Down with the dictatorship!” near journalists at the Mass at Santiago’s crowded Revolution Plaza on Monday. Video of the incident showed him being hit by an apparent first-aid worker wearing a white T-shirt with a large red cross, before they were separated. Security agents quickly took him away.
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Dissent is a confusing and at times emotively negative word. This is especially so for people who are irrevocably wedded to the status quo or who fear any form of change whatsoever. They call someone a dissenter and marginalize them, refusing to hear any defence. They call them at best ‘grumpy’, ‘divisive’, and ‘bitter’. This Read more