The Catholic Church’s marriage annulment process must be quicker, cheaper and much more of a pastoral ministry, Pope Francis says. On Tuesday Francis made it simpler and swifter for Catholics to secure a marriage annulment. This is the most radical such reform for 250 years. At the same time, Francis told bishops to be more Read more
An article published last Friday by Pope Francis’s English biographer saying many of Pope Francis’s critics are mentally ill is causing a furore. Its author, Austen Invereigh, has since apologised for his opinion piece which he says he intended as a lighthearted “silly season” filler. His article, which was published in Crux, names several prominent Read more
The Vatican’s former representative to the United Nations says Pope Francis is closely following the situation between the United States and North Korea. The two countries are trading insults, with North Korea threatening to send four missiles into the sea off Guam, as a response to President Donald Trump’s escalating rhetoric. “The only way forth Read more
Treating every word Pope Francis says as if it were official Church teaching would be to fall into an “idolatry of the papacy,” says Cardinal Raymond Burke. Burke, who is one of the “dubia cardinals” says Catholics seeking to remain true to Christ and the Church he founded must learn to discern between the “words Read more
The superior general of the Brothers of Charity is welcoming an ultimatum from Pope Francis for his order’s psychiatric centres to stop offering euthanasia to patients. Brother Rene Stockman says Francis gave his personal approval to a Vatican demand that the Brothers of Charity reverse its policy by the end of August and reassert its Read more
Evangelical Christians who support President Donald Trump have written asking to meet Pope Francis about an article published in the Jesuit journal La Civiltà Cattolica last month. The journal, which is reviewed by the Vatican Secretariat of State, accused some American Catholics of building an alliance of “hate” with evangelicals who backed the president. Johnnie Read more
Stellar US television show host David Letterman says he wants to interview Pope Francis in his new late night show. He’d also like to interview Donald Trump. Read more
Pope Francis says he is saddened by people who consider themselves perfect Catholics and despise others who don’t reach their high standards. “How many people continue today in a wayward life because they find no one willing to look at them in a different way, with the eyes—or better yet—with the heart of God, meaning Read more
The Vatican has written to President Nicolas Maduro asking for Venezuela’s constitutional assembly to be suspended. The Vatican’s call came after a fraudulent election gave Maduro the votes he needed to establish the assembly. The assembly has the power to rewrite the country’s constitution and override all other government branches. This will enable Maduro to Read more
All Catholics should meet a migrant or refugee and listen to their story, Pope Francis says. To help everyone on their way with this, in late September he will be launching a “Share the Journey” campaign. Caritas Internationalis are leading this two year programme which promotes encounters between people on the move and people living Read more