A growing chorus within Catholic media is pressing Pope Francis not to shut down the Synod on Synodality under the veil of the Pontifical Secret. Rather, they are urging him to open up the much-anticipated Synod on Synodality deliberations to the media. The Catholic media professionals argue that given the global involvement in preparation for Read more
The recent Women’s Football World Cup, with its acting-out of the Enlightenment values of liberty, equality and fraternity, was a delightful patch of blue sky among more ominous dark clouds. The fires and floods in the Northern Hemisphere have emphasised the threat of climate change to people’s lives throughout the world. They foreshadow the future. Read more
The Pope’s historic four-day visit to Mongolia ended on Monday amidst discussions about charity. Pope Francis’ main purpose in visiting Mongolia was to visit its tiny Catholic community. He completed his trip with a stop to tour and inaugurate the House of Mercy. The House of Mercy provides health care to the most needy in Read more
Pope Francis is defending his decision to keep the October Synod discussions on the future of the Catholic Church behind closed doors, saying it is a “religious moment” and not a TV talk show. He envisages the upcoming synodal assembly as a prayerful dialogue exercise. He says that dialogue would be free from ideology, not Read more
Recently, I criticised comments made by Bishop Robert Barron, known for his “Word on Fire” ministry and the bishop of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, in which he complained about the Catholic faith being “dumbed down. I found his comments a-historical and thought they suggested that only very smart, well-informed and well-read Catholics could qualify as good Catholics. Read more
Pope Francis assured one of the world’s smallest Catholic communities, Mongolia, that size does not matter to God. “God loves littleness, and through it, he loves to accomplish great things,” Pope Francis said during an address in Mongolia at Ulaanbaatar’s Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul on September 2. Doubling down, he urged the Church Read more
A group of homeless men joined “the pope’s team,” on 30 August and helped to unload a truck full of humanitarian supplies for Ukraine. The following day they received a personal thanks from Pope Francis. Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, the papal almoner confirmed that the Pope was aware of the men’s hard work. “I asked them Read more
Pope Francis on Sunday told Mongolian Catholics that only love can truly satisfy our hearts’ thirst. In his historic first visit to Mongolia, the pope spoke to about 2,000 people at Ulaanbaatar’s Steppe Arena and emphasised God’s presence in difficult times. Francis drew parallels with life in Mongolia, where about 30% of the land is Read more
The Catholic Church in New Zealand is setting its sights on introducing an inclusive lectionary for Mass. Improved translations for the opening and post-Communion prayers are also under consideration. The initiative was confirmed by Bishop Stephen Lowe, president of the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference and the bishops’ representative on the International Commission on English Read more
Messages saying Pope Francis is the anti-pope have appeared in the sky above Italy’s most populated beaches this summer. Small planes are being used to deliver them. “Benedict is in sedes impedita” another message said. That was delivered over 350 kilometres of the Adriatic coast on Sunday. It referred to a term known within the Read more