Irish missionary in the Philippines and Nobel Peace Prize nominee Fr Shay Cullen SSC, is warning that children made orphans by Typhoon Haiyan are in danger of becoming victims of human trafficking. Wandering children become “the main victims of jackals who seize them for child abuse or human trafficking,” he told the Fides news agency. “It Read more
“Unimaginable,” is how the head of Caritas in the Philippines, is describing the devastation brought on by super typhoon Haiyan. Father Edwin Gariguez, S.J., told Catholic News Service by phone from Cebu that the destruction “is beyond our capacity”. He also expressed gratitude for the help of his international counterparts from the Netherlands and Germany, and Read more
Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand has launched an Appeal and will contribute at least NZ$100,000 to relief efforts in the Philippines following the deadly impact of super-Typhoon Haiyan on 8 November. Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand is working through NASSA (Caritas Philippines) along with other Caritas member agencies. Teams are assessing immediate needs for food, water, clothing Read more
Pope Francis sent a message of prayer and encouragement to those who were affected by the huge storm that swept across the Philippines on Friday. Vatican Secretary of State Archbishop Pietro Parolin sent a telegram on behalf of the Holy Father to the Philippine president, Benigno Aquino III, on Nov. 10, saying, “Deeply saddened by Read more
Rebel fighters released a captive Catholic priest in the southern Philippine city of Zamboanga as fighting between government troops and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) entered its fifth day on Friday. Father Michael Ufana was taken hostage when the rebels attacked five villages in the city on Monday. The MNLF still has more than Read more
A crisis of sorts is developing in the appointment of Catholic bishops worldwide as a backlog of 187 sees (excluding China) remain vacant, writes Edward Pentin in the National Catholic Register. Half of Scotland’s ordinaries — four out of eight — have yet to be appointed. The Philippines has nine sees without a bishop, and Read more
Catholic lay groups in the Philippines have pledged to campaign against politicians who supported controversial legislation that will promote artificial contraception as a family planning method. The House of Representatives voted 113-104 to pass the Reproductive Health Bill, which had languished in Congress for 14 years while Catholic groups opposed it. Continue reading
Family-oriented countries like Hungary, Poland and the Philippines are being targeted by population control groups because of their beliefs and pro-life culture, says Human Life International. HLI president Father Shenan Boquet said the groups that take issue with pro-family countries have a “perception that you must lessen the number of children and introduce contraception, sterilisation Read more
Pope Benedict XVI sent a clear signal about the universality of the Catholic Church when he created six new cardinals on November 24. For the first time in decades, all of the new cardinals came from countries outside Europe. “I want to highlight in particular the fact that the Church is the Church of all Read more
Catholics in the Philippines and the United States are preparing to celebrate the October 21 canonisation of Blessed Pedro Calungsod, a teenage catechist killed in the 17th century. Witness accounts in the records of Jesuit missionaries show the teenage catechist from Guam died trying to protect his mentor, Jesuit Father Diego Jose Luis San Vitores, Read more