Pope Francis has apologised for the complicity of some Catholics in the fascist-era persecution of Italy’s pentecostal and evangelical Christians. While in southern Italy, in Caserta on July 27, Pope Francis made what the Vatican called a “strictly private” visit with 200 pentecostal and evangelical Christians. Francis apologised for the persecution in the 1920s and 1930s, Read more
Pope Francis has reportedly told a Protestant leader that he is not interested in converting evangelical Christians to Catholicism. Writing of his recent visit to Pope Francis with other leaders, World Evangelical Alliance global ambassador Brian Stiller said he asked the Pontiff what he felt about evangelism. Stiller said the Pope’s comment was: “I’m not Read more
The Church of England’s decision to ordain women bishops has harmed relations with the Catholic Church, an archbishop says. Speaking on behalf of the England and Wales bishops’ conference, Archbishop Bernard Longley said the commitment to further dialogue between the two churches remains. “The decision of the Church of England to admit women to the Read more
Pope Francis has said divisions between Christian churches are a scandal caused by disagreement and human ambition. In an audience with the Church of England’s Archbishop Justin Welby in Rome on June 16, the Pope said: “The goal of full unity may seem distant indeed, yet it remains the aim which should direct our every Read more
As Brazil counts down to the opening of the World Cup on June 12, churches in cities hosting the international soccer tournament are not content to sit on the sidelines and cheer. They’ve launched a nationwide campaign to raise awareness of the hundreds of vulnerable children at risk of sexual exploitation during the monthlong competition. Read more
Around forty young adult Catholics and Mormons (the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) from around the country will visit some of New Zealand’s political leaders at Parliament later this month. They will meet with Prime Minister John Key and a number of Members of Parliament on 25 June. The visit is being jointly Read more
Pope Francis and the Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I, have reportedly agreed to an ecumenical gathering in Nicaea in 2025. This will mark 1700 years since the First Council of Nicaea in 325 AD, which is recognised by both east and west. After meeting Pope Francis in Jerusalem last month, Patriarch Bartholomew told Asia News Read more
A New Zealander, Archbishop Sir David Moxon, has played a key role in bringing about an historic interfaith accord against human trafficking. Eradicating modern slavery and human trafficking worldwide by 2020 is the goal of the newly-formed Global Freedom Network. An accord was signed at the Vatican on March 17 by representatives of Pope Francis, Read more
The way Vatican II looked at ecumenism shows a possible path forward for interpreting doctrines about marriage, Cardinal Walter Kasper says. Speaking to Vatican Radio, Cardinal Kasper said the responses to recent Vatican questions about the family show there is an “abyss” between Church teaching and people’s situations. “The Church has to bridge this abyss,” Read more
Mormons, Catholics, Baptists, Lutherans and Evangelicals joined together, February 10, in a ‘coalition of faith’ to defend traditional marriage, reports the Salt Lake Tribune. The coalition is calling on the US 10th Circuit Court of Appeals to uphold bans on same-sex marriage in Utah and Oklahoma, saying marriage is “indispensable to social welfare and our Read more