When the head of an international religious order visited Japan many years ago, I was asked to be his translator. One evening at a convent of the order, the superior greeted a large group of nuns, saying what a pleasure it was to be with them for the visitation (shisatsu). I thought I had turned Read more
A mysterious death threat turned Filipino priest Fr Elric Jorquia’s path towards New Zealand. A young priest from a sleepy town in Malaybalay, Southern Philippines, Fr Jorquia was surprised by a call from a journalist friend who informed him of the threat. In October 2012, the Malaybalay police conducted an operation where a killer for Read more
Pope Francis has said men studying for the Roman Catholic priesthood should be properly trained or the Church could risk “creating little monsters” more concerned with their careers than serving people. Describing the formation of future priests as a work of art, not a police action, the Holy Father urged the major superior of priests Read more
After decades of glum trends — fewer priests, fewer parishes — the Catholic Church in the United States has a new statistic to cheer: More men are now enrolled in graduate level seminaries, the main pipeline to the priesthood, than in nearly two decades. This year’s tally of 3,694 graduate theology students represents a 16 Read more
Catholic priests are not allowed to get involved in party politics, which means they cannot support a party, stand for a party or promote or tell the congregation about which particular party they should support. According to Archbishop Peter Chong, the head of the Catholic Church in Fiji, this is a non-negotiable principle and forms Read more
A lawyer in the United States this week released the names of five priests, a nun and a choir director linked to clergy sex abuse cases. Attorney Mitchell Garabedian released the names on Wednesday. The lawyer periodically releases new names publicly, and is highly critical of Catholic church officials for what he says is their Read more
Taking a leaf out of Pope Francis’s book, the new head of the Chaldean Catholic Church has rebuked priests who do not focus on the spiritual care of their people. In a pastoral letter from his patriarchal see in Baghdad, Patriarch Louis Raphael I Sako warned that some priests “have turned their parishes in little Read more
The American archdiocese of Milwaukee has released 6000 pages of documents relating to clergy sex abuse, including the personnel files of 42 priests and the depositions of Church leaders including New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan. Cardinal Dolan, now the president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, was formerly archbishop of Milwaukee. Cardinal Dolan’s Read more
Priests in Syria are choosing to stay with their people despite the death of a monk who was killed by Islamist rebels involved in the country’s civil war. Father Francois Mourad died at the Franciscan monastery of Saint Anthony of Padua, near the Turkish border, while trying to defend nuns and local Christians who had Read more
Phillip Egan, the Bishop of Portsmouth, told priests they must improve their people skills in order for the “new evangelisation” to flourish. “As priests our attitude towards people is critical. My Dad, an ordinary Catholic, loves Pope Francis: his big smile, his chatty humanity, his down-to-earth approach, his concern for those on the margins. He Read more