An Auckland woman has spoken out about her belief that her late father was a Catholic priest. Using the pseudonym ‘Kathleen’, the woman says her father had a high profile in the Auckland diocese. “He was a very good priest, a wonderful person, much loved, respected,” she says. ‘Kathleen’ says the journey of his priestly Read more
The head of an Irish support group for the children of Catholic priests says there are several in New Zealand – and the church has acknowledged it. Continue reading
In India Christian priests and nuns working in legal the profession have created a forum to help them bring justice to the poor and downtrodden. Read more
In film history, the priest has been among the most common and enduring characters, and to a large extent has been played by actors of Catholic background. From the 1930s, Catholics were prominent in Hollywood, whether actors such as Spencer Tracy and James Cagney or directors like John Ford and Leo McCarey. Producers turned to Read more
Monsignor Charles Pope (sic) explains why some of the younger generation of priests are rescuing the cassock from the back of the wardrobe. “I love the cassock. It is practical, comfortable, defining, and a good memorare for both priest and layman,” he says. Continue reading
In 1970, there was one priest for every 800 Catholics in the United States. Today, that number has more than doubled, with one priest for every 1,800 Catholics. Globally, the situation is worse. The number of Catholics per priest increased from 1,895 in 1980 to 3,126 in 2012, according to a report from CARA at Read more
Myanmar’s Catholic leaders are planning to rebuild their country, which has been devastated by decades of military rule. Last week 72 bishops, priests, nuns and laypeople attended a “Mission planning for nation building” workshop to find a common platform so they could “effectively contribute to the building of the nation”. Read more
While Pope Francis’ recent comments on the subject of married priests made headlines around the world, his response falls clearly in line with the thinking of his predecessors. In an interview with German newspaper Die Zeit, published in early March, Pope Francis was asked if allowing candidates for the priesthood to fall in love and Read more
Suicide and depression and being turned into “sacrament dispensing machines” are part of an ongoing struggle for many Irish priests. Diocesan priests in Ireland are ““often pitied, patronised, reviled, insulted, disrespected, ignored and resented.” These words came from Fr Brendan Hoban at last week’s annual meeting of the Association of Catholic Priests (ACP). Abuse scandals Read more
Fr Gregorio López Gorostieta thought he had done enough to stay safe on the night of December 21, 2014. He had spent a long day celebrating Masses and overseeing a religious festival at the cathedral of Ciudad Altamirano, in southwestern Mexico’s troubled Guerrero state. The end-of-year collection – to fund Asunción seminary, where he taught Read more