According to recent Vatican data released by Agenzia Fides, the global Catholic population grew by more than 13.7 million in 2022, reaching nearly 1.39 billion. This growth highlights the continued expansion of the Church in most parts of the world despite a notable decline in Europe. Africa led the global increase, with its Catholic population Read more
Twenty-one new seminarians have begun their 2024-2025 academic programme and priestly formation for Irish dioceses. Welcoming the new student intake, Bishop Alphonsus Cullinan, chair of the Bishops’ Council for Vocations, said, “It is really heartening that twenty-one men have started as seminarians in various locations to study on propaedeutic courses. This brings the number of Read more
Seminarians in Africa are not allowed “to be themselves”. They must find ways “to get by” Father Augustine Anwuchie from Nigeria said on July 19. He was speaking during the latest of a series of digital meetings with theologians and other experts in Africa. The meetings aim to deepen understanding of the Synod on Synodality Read more
Sudan has no seminarians, the Catholic Church has all but disappeared and there’s a huge humanitarian crisis. That’s the sum of the situation in Northern African nation right now. The third Sudanese civil war – which began exactly a year ago – can be held accountable for that. And more. Fleeing Church The Catholic Church Read more
The archdiocese of Vienna has reported a rise in the number of men training for the priesthood. Fourteen new candidates entered the archdiocese’s three seminaries this autumn. Eleven of them are from Vienna archdiocese and the remaining three are from the dioceses of Eisenstadt and St. Pölten. The archdiocese brought its three seminaries together under Read more
A consultant who once helped the Vatican craft guidelines to keep gay men from being ordained as priests has been accused of sexually abusing young men. European media have relayed accusations from four different men against Msgr Tony Anatrella, the Religion News Service reported. Only one of the men agreed to be identified by his Read more
Several Irish bishops have reportedly intervened after seminarians were allegedly asked to leave their studies because they were too conservative. The Irish Catholic understands that out of 10 diocesan seminarians from Maynooth due to return at the end of their pastoral year, six were recommended to take “time out”. But the newspaper pointed to claims Read more
The number of men studying for the priesthood at Corpus Christi College in Melbourne has more than doubled since 1999. There are now 59 men in training at Corpus Christi, the highest number since the 1970s. They come from at least nine Australian archdioceses and dioceses. In 1999, the number at Corpus Christi was 28. Read more
The seminary librarians at the Pacific Regional Seminary in Suva have catalogued 19,000 records and put the catalogue online. They have been assisted by Hans Arns who is the project coordinator of Sharing the Word an initiative linking up Catholic seminary libraries and librarians throughout the world. This is being done to provide all seminarians Read more
Seminarians from three US states are receiving specialist business, law and administration training to help prepare them for running parishes. The first Seminarian Leadership Institute is being run at Villanova University in Philadelphia. By the end of the course in mid-July, the 11 students will have heard talks on finances, human resources, facilities maintenance and Read more