The Vatican has deemed incompetent Br René Stockman, (68), the Superior General of the Brothers of Charity in Rome and has removed him from all his administrative functions. Stockman is accused of not managing the Religious Congregation properly, of a lack of financial transparency and long-term vision. While Stockman remains Superior General of the Brothers Read more
Nicaragua’s President Daniel Ortega has banned traditional public processions of the Way of the Cross during the Lenten season. The move escalates his crackdown on the country’s Catholic Church and political opponents. The Nicaraguan government has prohibited the processions from being held in public venues, with the ritual to be conducted only inside churches on Read more
Upset, disappointment and, for some, ‘resigned understanding’ has greeted the announcement that the March edition of the Marist Messenger is the final edition. “What a shock and great disappointment! I appreciate commercial realities to which we are all subject, but it does not dull the pain,” one reader wrote. “The Marist Messenger has been an Read more
To understand the Eucharist, we must remember that Jesus and his first disciples were all Jews. We might even say the first Christians were Jewish heretics because, unlike their fellow Jews, they believed Jesus was the Christ, the Messiah. After Pentecost, the Jewish Christians continued to go to the temple to pray. If they were Read more
During a recent event Pope Francis stressed the importance of prioritising the care of people and evangelisation in the application of the Catholic Church’s canon law. Francis spoke at a February 14-18 course sponsored by the Roman Rota, a Vatican tribunal that deals primarily with marriage cases. The pope challenged the idea that canon law Read more
A Catholic bishop in the Phillippines has ordered a probe into a suspected ‘fake’ ordination. Philippine Bishop Precioso Cantillas of Maasin, who ordained John Baptist Ho Huu Hoa a priest last December, admitted that the controversy over the ordination “is truly unfortunate and upsetting.” “We are now taking the necessary steps and procedures which will Read more
Significant concerns about housing have emerged again. Cyclone Gabrielle’s brutal aftermath has left thousands of people homeless. New Zealand already had a housing shortage – so where to accommodate the newly displaced is a huge question. Housing’s short. Demand exceeds supply. Rents are brutal. How will they – can they – pay the price? The Read more
Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand has confirmed it is not leading the post-cyclone Catholic relief effort for the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference (NZCBC). It told CathNews that Caritas’ focus was not New Zealand, but on helping fund development and emergency relief work worldwide. However, Caritas’ comments seems to run counter to the information the charity Read more
Because evangelising is not saying, ‘Look, blah, blah, blah’ and nothing more. There is a passion that involves everything: the mind, the heart, the hands, going out… everything, the whole person is involved with this proclamation of the Gospel, and for this reason we talk about the passion for evangelising. After having seen in Jesus Read more
Pope Francis revealed to Jesuits working in Congo that he twice refused to become a bishop. He said he took seriously the promise he made with all Jesuits to not seek offices of authority and power in the church. Francis met with Jesuits in Congo and in South Sudan during his visit to the two Read more