Several new bishops will be appointed in France over the next year and a half as by the end of next year, 15 bishops will have already reached retirement age of 75. Others may ask to be relieved of their duties for health reasons. There are currently four dioceses in France that are without a Read more
A newly-released book, The Next Pope: The Office of Peter and a Church in Mission, is about desirable qualities in a future pope. Copies of George Weigel’s book have been sent to all 222 cardinals across the globe, courtesy of New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan. In doing so, he broke with a longstanding practice that Read more
The world-wide restrictions on public events to deal with the coronavirus pandemic are the latest blow to Pope Francis, whose pontificate has been struggling in recent years to sustain the progressive hopes that the Argentine raised early in his reign. The pandemic has hindered Pope Francis’ ability to communicate his teachings and promote his causes, Read more
Pope Francis expressed his sadness Sunday after Turkey’s decision to convert the former Byzantine cathedral of Hagia Sophia back into a mosque. In improvised remarks after reciting the Angelus, the pope recalled that July 12 is Sea Sunday, when the worldwide Church prays for seafarers. “And the sea carries me a little farther away in Read more
Several prominent lay Catholics in France have issued a new manifesto for change in the Church. Called “Transformer l’Église catholique” (“Changing the Catholic Church”) the 11-member group’s 56-page e-book seeks to answer the question: “What kind of Church would we like to see emerge from the ‘great trial’ we are going through?” The book’s subtitle Read more
Pope Francis has set up a COVID-19 commission to identify what needs to be changed in the wake of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. In his view, the human person is always impacted by crises. Being better or worse after each one, he’s often said, is “up to us.” “The COVID-19 commission is trying to answer Read more
The Catholic Church needs to empower victims of clerical abuse to disclose their predicament, says Archbishop Charles J. Scicluna. It’s been more than a year since Pope Francis published “Vos Est Lux Mundi (You are the light of the world)” – a document that ushered in a new wave of transparency and accountability for abuse Read more
Pope Francis has ordered a Polish bishop to leave his diocese and let someone else run it. Bishop of Kalisz, Edward Janiak must stay away while he is being investigated for covering up sexual abuse cases. He will retain the title of bishop for the meantime, however. The cases Janiak allegedly covered up featured in Read more
The German Catholic Church’s synodal way has been approved by Pope Francis, says German bishops’ conference president Bishop Georg Bätzing . After meeting with Francis on Saturday, Bätzing said he felt “strengthened by the intensive exchange with the Holy Father to continue on the path we have taken. “The pope appreciates this project, which he Read more
Pope Francis is praising heroic medical staff and priests who contributed so greatly, often under difficult circumstances, during the coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdown. Last Saturday he welcomed Italy’s front-line medical and civil protection personnel from the coronavirus-ravaged region of Lombardy to the Vatican to thank them for their selfless work and “heroic” sacrifice. Their example of Read more