Pope Francis has revived his sex abuse advisory commission but without a Kiwi member. – Originally reported 19 February 2018 The Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors sat for 3 years before its term expired two months ago. In freshening the commission Pope Francis added nine new people to its ranks, and re-appointed only Read more
Controversial Catholic sect Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer seems to be expanding rather than going away. Earlier this year following Vatican advice, Bishop Michael Gielen instructed the Sons (aka Transalpine Redemptorists) to leave the Christchurch Catholic diocese. That order was later rescinded but others were not. They may not, however, celebrate Mass or conduct Read more
New Zealand Catholics who communicated with CathNews are unsurprised but remain disappointed that the Vatican has ruled out women deacons. They see it as a wasted opportunity to address the gender divide in the Church, and ask if God did not create men and women in his own likeness. They feel confused by an outdated Read more
The Vatican offers practical environmental tips for everyday life. In the magazine “Dal cuore dello Stato”, the government of the smallest state in the world lists 29 pages of advice from its specialised departments on how to live sustainably and conserve resources. For example, we should not overload fridges and freezers in the home, use Read more
Pope Francis has urged the release of the ousted leader of Myanmar, Aung San Suu Kyi, and offered her refuge in the Vatican. The Pope’s plea was revealed in a conversation with Jesuits during his trip to Southeast Asia from September 2 to 13. The Italian daily Corriere della Sera published excerpts from these talks Read more
Peruvian Catholic group Sodalitium Christianae Vitae – SCV – is becoming ever more aggressive to its victims and their supporters since the Vatican began investigating the group’s alleged crimes. The Vatican is examining complaints against the SCV that include sexual and psychological abuse and financial malpractice. The SCV is using media to discredit critics. Some Read more
A UFO expert has levelled accusations at the Pope, alleging that he is concealing “extraordinary” alien secrets within the Vatican. Steve Bassett, a UFO lobbyist in Washington, insists that it’s evident the Catholic Church is aware of the existence of alien life and has concealed evidence in their archives. As the executive director of the Read more
Many Catholics were hasty to assume that the opening ceremony of the Olympics went out of its way to “mock” the Last Supper. The instant outrage the tableau aroused — right or wrong — tells a larger story about something that has happened in Catholic life across the last four decades. But it has not Read more
Hard cases, as the famous legal maxim holds, make bad law. The Vatican served up a reminder of the point this week with a new “little end-of-life lexicon,” which not-so-subtly amends an earlier Vatican ruling on the issue of withdrawing artificial nutrition and hydration from chronically ill patients 17 years ago. New end-of-life lexicon The Read more
The Vatican’s top diplomat cautioned against actions that would escalate conflict in the Middle East in a Monday morning phone call with Iran’s new president. Cardinal Pietro Parolin’s Aug. 12 conversation with President Masoud Pezeshkian was well-timed. Iran is widely believed to be preparing to attack Israel following the July 31 assassination of Hamas political Read more