A parish priest in France was able to rescue the Blessed Sacrament and some 20 other religious artefacts — including the reliquary bust of St Corneille — after his church was set ablaze by an arsonist on Sept 2. The historic Church of the Immaculate Conception in Saint-Omer, in the Pas-de-Calais department of northern France, Read more
World
Pope’s visit to Indonesia: Francis holds an almost ‘zero-waste’ Mass
Monday, September 9th, 2024Minutes before the start of the Mass that concluded Pope Francis’ stay in Indonesia, a small army of volunteers wearing black and green T-shirts with the slogan “Your waste, your responsibility” guided the 60,000 pilgrims filling the stands of the vast Gelora Bung Karno (GBK) Stadium in Jakarta. An additional 25,000 people followed the Mass Read more
Vatican and ZdK hold first talks since ‘synodal way’
Monday, September 9th, 2024ZdK (Central Committee of German Catholics) president Irme Stetter-Karp described the Sept 2-4 discussions with members of the Roman Curia as “fruitful.” “There was a remarkable willingness to listen and also question our own view of our counterpart,” she told the German Catholic news agency KNA Sept 5. “I found it fruitful, even where it Read more
Pope urges Indonesia to promote tolerance and combat extremism
Thursday, September 5th, 2024
Pope Francis has called on Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation, to combat extremism and strengthen interreligious tolerance. The pontiff made the appeal during a speech to national leaders in Jakarta on 4 September at the start of his three-day visit to the country. Speaking with Indonesian President Joko Widodo and other officials, Pope Francis Read more
Pope Francis’ Indonesia visit strengthens interfaith ties
Thursday, September 5th, 2024
Pope Francis’s visit to Indonesia is being hailed as a key moment for interfaith relations. He will engage with leaders from different religious communities in the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation. The pontiff arrived in Jakarta on 3 September, marking the start of his 12-day trip across Asia and Oceania. On 5 September, Pope Francis is Read more
African communities challenge Church over inculturation
Thursday, September 5th, 2024
Tensions are escalating between the Catholic Church and traditional African communities over the integration of local customs into religious practices. Some African communities, particularly in Cameroon, have accused the Church of disrespecting their cultures under the guise of inculturation (adapting Christianity to local customs). This has sparked a debate on balancing cultural respect with the Read more
Celibacy debate heightens as popular priest resigns for love
Thursday, September 5th, 2024
The celibacy debate continues after a popular priest in Italy has announced he is leaving the priesthood to marry the woman he loves. The child they are expecting has been diagnosed with a serious heart condition. Father Tomas Hlavaty (pictured) will now be formally removed from the priesthood and returned to the lay state, says Read more
Prolife politician puts down Pope’s migrant comments
Thursday, September 5th, 2024
In a sharp rebuke to Pope Francis, former UK Conservative politician Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg has suggested that the Vatican should accommodate migrants if the pontiff is so concerned about their plight. Speaking on GB News on August 28, Rees-Mogg delivered what has been described as a “withering put down” of the Pope’s recent comments on Read more
A Catholic university teaching mission theology is essential – Pope
Thursday, September 5th, 2024
Teaching Catholic missionaries at a Catholic university where they can be educated in mission theology and pastoral outreach is important, says Pope Francis. Francis says it is essential that the Pontifical Urban University keeps its centuries-old focus on preparing missionaries who come from and go out to the world and its varied cultures. The university’s Read more
Foreign-born priests might be forced to leave US
Thursday, September 5th, 2024For more than a year, religious organisations have lobbied Congress and the Biden administration to fix a sudden procedural change in how the government processes green cards for religious workers, which threatens the ability of thousands of them to continue to minister in the United States. The Catholic Diocese of Paterson, New Jersey, and five Read more