Posts Tagged ‘Priests’

Layman wears a soutane to see what happens

Friday, February 19th, 2016

Esquire Magazine published an article titled “What Happened When I Dressed Like a Priest: An investigation into the power of the uniform.” The author decided to do an experiment to test the power of various uniforms. He bought four: the uniforms for looking like a Catholic priest, security guard, mechanic, and doctor. When he wore Read more

Some priests turn down chance to be bishop

Friday, February 5th, 2016

It is no longer “exceptional” that some priests turn down an appointment as bishop, says the Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops. Cardinal Marc Ouellet told the Catholic News Service that this does happen nowadays, but the number of priests who do so is not high. Priests decline an appointment as bishop, which is offered Read more

South Korea to send priests to North Korea

Friday, December 11th, 2015

South Korea’s Catholic Church has announced it has agreed with North Korea to send priests to the isolated communist state “on a regular basis”. This should see priests leading services in Pyongyang on major holy days from next year. The move followed a visit to the North Korean capital by South Korean bishops last week. Read more

Priests charged with murder of seminary rector

Tuesday, December 8th, 2015

Four more priests have been charged with the murder of a seminary rector in India in 2013. Ten people, including six priests, have now been accused of being involved in the death of Fr K.J. Thomas. His body was found inside St Peter’s Pontifical Seminary in Bangalore. Police have filed charges in a Bangalore court. Read more

Worship prefect slams priests on marriage teaching

Tuesday, December 1st, 2015

The Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship has said he feels wounded at incomprehension by some priests of the Church’s teaching on marriage. Cardinal Robert Sarah told French Catholic magazine “L’Homme Nouveau” he ascribed this to “the insufficiency of the formation of my confreres”. “And insofar as I am responsible for the discipline of Read more

Taking a leap of faith into religious life

Tuesday, September 22nd, 2015

Young men and women in New Zealand are devoting their lives to the Church. We hear from some of them about their path ahead. Jane Maisey spent her twenties exploring, both physically and spiritually, looking at different religions and ways of being. But it wasn’t until the Christchurch earthquakes that she came back to the Read more

All priests can absolve sin of abortion in Holy Year

Friday, September 4th, 2015

Pope Francis has announced that all priests will have the discretion to absolve the sin of abortion confessed by women during the upcoming Year of Mercy. This power is normally reserved to bishops, who frequently themselves grant priests permission to forgive the sin. Procurement of an abortion incurs an automatic excommunication under Church law. The Read more

Priesthood and Ordination

Friday, August 28th, 2015

Last weekend, the Archdiocese of Sydney was blessed with two new priests – Fathers Thomas Stevens and Lewi Barakat. Ordinations are always an emotional occasion, but this particular Ordination Mass had a significant impact on me. In the weeks leading up to the Ordination, (then) Deacon Lewi had told me that the Ordination was not Read more

Stories about Irish priests refusing invites to be bishops

Friday, August 28th, 2015

The papal nuncio to Ireland has said he is unable to confirm or deny stories about Irish priests refusing invitations to become bishops. In a lengthy interview in the Irish Times, Archbishop Charles Brown said this was because “when the Pope asks someone to be a bishop, it’s a very personal  invitation”. None of the Read more

Mexican priests get cards to distinguish from scammers

Tuesday, June 16th, 2015

Priests in two ecclesiastical provinces in Mexico are being issued with cards to help distinguish them from false priests trying to scam people. The cards will be issued in Tlalnepantla and Mexico ecclesiastical provinces. The phenomenon of “false priests” is on the rise across the nation. The scammers go to hospitals, cemeteries and churches outside Read more