Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, archbishop emeritus of Washington, has resigned from the College of Cardinals after revelations that he sexually harassed or abused several young men. Until his resignation, McCarrick was one of the US church’s most senior prelates. Pope Francis has accepted his resignation. Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, announced that “at the Read more
Antisemitism has changed in a profound way, says Harley Lippman. It has moved “from being a right-wing phenomenon to a left-wing phenomenon, from being a Christian phenomenon to a radical Islamic phenomenon, and from being a religiously based phenomenon to an anti-Zionist phenomenon,” he says. Lippman is the President of the Institute for Study of Read more
Australia’s prime minister Malcolm Turnbull wants Pope Francis to sack Archbishop Philip Wilson. Wilson should not be allowed to remain an archbishop while he appeals against his conviction, says Turnbull, who is a Catholic. The National Council of Priests (NCP) in Australia agrees with Turnbull. “While the Archbishop is exercising his constitutional right to appeal Read more
Violence in Nicaragua must end, say Catholic church leaders including bishops and the Apostolic Nuncio to Nicaragua. The Nuncio, Archbishop Waldemar Stanisław Sommertag, has appealed for peace in the Pope’s name. Violence has beset the country since April this year. “With all my human and spiritual strength, I appeal to the consciences of all to Read more
The Dublin archdiocese is seeking 4,000 Eucharistic ministers to serve at the papal Mass. According to the archdiocese around 500,000 people are expected for the closing Mass which will be celebrated by Pope Francis on 26 August. Read more
Challenging world oil executives to recognise the urgent environmental need to quickly transition from fossil fuel extraction and burning, to clean energy production, Pope Francis called them to take to heart that “Civilization requires energy, but energy must not destroy civilization.” Gathering the heads of some of the world’s largest oil and gas corporations – Read more
A layperson has been appointed for the first time as the Vatican’s prefect for the Dicastery of Communication. Doctor Paolo Ruffini, the Director of the Catholic television station TV2000, was named by Pope Francis to lead the dicastery. Ruffini, who has been a professional journalist since 1979, has received numerous awards for journalism. He has Read more
Governments should honour the commitments they made at the 2015 Paris climate conference to curb climate change, Pope Francis said last week. Francis was speaking at an International Conference “Saving our Common Home and the Future of Life on Earth” on the third anniversary of his encyclical on the environment, Laudato Si’ (Praise Be). Delegates included Read more
New Zealanders and people from Pacific Island nations were among representatives from all over the world attending the International Conference “Saving our Common Home and the Future of Life on Earth” at the Vatican July 5-6 to commemorate Pope Francis’s encyclical on the Care of Creation. The conference was attended by faith leaders, youth activists, Read more
Pope Francis will join other Christian church leaders tomorrow in Bari, southern Italy. They are gathering for ecumenical reflection and to offer prayers for Christians suffering in the Middle East. Read more