As David Marr reminded us in his 2012 Quarterly Essay, Political Animal: the Making of Tony Abbott, Abbott’s Catholicism was groomed by the highly charismatic and worldly Emmet Costello, the priest he met as a 16-year-old. It went on to flourish under the tutelage of Bob Santamaria. Abbott was and is on a mission from Read more
China’s President Xi Jinping says he wants to make the country’s many religions more Chinese-oriented by instilling socialist core values. Speaking at the country’s five-yearly Communist Party conference, Xi said religion poses threats to national security. He told the conference that separatism promoted under the guise of religion would not be tolerated. Although China officially Read more
Pope Francis telephoned the International Space Station yesterday. The call, which was organised by the European Space Agency and NASA, aimed to connect Francis with the astronauts on board the space station – three Americans, two Russians and one Italian. The Vatican planned for the phone call to be transmitted live by its Television Center. Read more
A eugenic tendency to suppress the “unborn with some imperfection” is the product of a “narcissistic and utilitarian vision,” says Pope Francis. Speaking to an international conference entitled “Catechesis and Persons with Disabilities: A Necessary Engagement in the Daily Pastoral Life of the Church” last Saturday, Francis said he is concerned that a mentality of Read more
This coming Sunday parishioners at Catholic churches in New Zealand will notice the Liturgy of the Word is a little different: the Gospel will be prayed using an ancient process called Lectio Divina (Holy Reading). “This Lectio Divina initiative is a way the Archdiocese is responding to the plea of Pope Francis to make the Read more
A life-size cutout of Pope Francis that was stolen from a New Jersey church during a bingo fundraiser has been returned intact. It’s not clear who may have taken the cutout or what prompted the theft. One witness had reported seeing the cutout in a car occupied by three women, including an elderly person who Read more
ROME – Two stories about Pope Francis over the last few days have elicited either praise or criticism, depending on one’s point of view, but also pivoting on a perception that’s actually questionable: To wit, that once again, this maverick pontiff is breaking the mold. The first story came on Thursday, when Francis spoke at Read more
Callista Gingrich is the United States’ new ambassador-designate to Rome, according to a statement from the US Embassy to the Holy See. The Senate confirmed her election with a vote of 70-23. News sources say Gingrich is a practising Catholic. She is the third wife of former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich who is Read more
There are now 108 million people suffering from hunger and 800 million without basic food, says Archbishop Bernardito Auza, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations (UN). Auza was speaking during a UN Committee debate on “Agricultural Development, Food Security and Nutrition”. Quoting Pope Francis, he told the Committee the solution can Read more
Two of the 20 prisoners from a drug rehabilitation facility invited to lunch with Pope Francis took the opportunity to escape disappeared during the lunch break. Read more