Back in the late 1960s and 1970s, detractors of St. Paul VI dubbed him the “Hamlet Pope” for his alleged waffling and the perceived fashion in which he would agonise over difficult decisions. Whether that image of the pontiff was fair or not, it stuck, so much so that it featured in the opening paragraphs Read more
Very charming, very stubborn. That’s Pope Francis in a nutshell, according to one of his doctors. Following a colon operation last year, Francis has repeatedly let it be known that he did not want more surgery, and since May, Francis, 85, has frequently been seen using a wheelchair or walking stick due to his knee Read more
A common Easter date between Christians of the East and West is one of the Pope’s particular desires. He explained his views during a meeting with the U.S.-born patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East last week. “Let us have the courage to put an end to this division that at times makes us Read more
Caritas leaders have been replaced with a temporary administrator after Pope Francis suspended the secretary-general, Aloysius John (pictured right). Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle (pictured left), whose second term as Caritas president was to end in May, has also lost his position. Francis appointed a temporary administrator to oversee improved management policies and to prepare for Read more
Pope Francis, on returning from Bahrain, shared his thoughts on many of the world’s current human-made tragedies – including today’s numerous armed conflicts. He said the conflicts reminded him of the World War II Allied military landings at Normandy, France. “It was the beginning of the fall of Nazism, it’s true. “But how many boys Read more
To mark World Day of the Poor on Sunday, Pope Francis challenged Christians to be lighted candles of hope in the midst of darkness. Walking the talk and supported by generous local businesses, Caritas and the Sant’Egidio community, Francis hosted a lunch for 1,300 poor and homeless. As well as lunch, other initiatives for the Read more
Decentralisation is likely to be the order of the day from now on, says Archbishop Mark Coleridge of Brisbane. “The days of Dioceses as independent fiefdoms and the bishops as a law unto themselves are gone.” Coleridge (pictured), who is the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference’s outgoing president, explains what he means by this in his Read more
Catholic teaching on sexuality needs a new perspective, says German Bishop Helmut Dieser. “Same-sex feelings and love are not an aberration, but a variant of human sexuality,” he says. Homosexuals have a right to church support and blessing. Dieser (pictured), who is the spokesman on abuse issues for the German bishops’ conference, says the current Read more
Two former Vatican financial auditors – Libero Milone and Ferruccio Panicco are suing the Vatican Secretariat of State. They are demanding the Catholic Church pay for damages to their reputations caused by their unceremonious sacking in 2017. Milone (pictured with the Pope) was the Vatican’s first auditor general. Panicco was his deputy. Pope Francis appointed Read more
The mission of a seminary “is not to form ‘supermen’ who pretend to know and control everything,” but to help seminarians become priests who are humble servants of the communities they continue to belong to, Pope Francis said. “The Lord calls some of his disciples to be priests, that is, he chooses some of the Read more