The Archbishop of San Francisco, Salvatore Cordileone, released on May 1, 2021 a pastoral letter in which he insisted that any Catholic cooperating with the evil of abortion should refrain from receiving the Eucharist. “It is fundamentally a question of integrity: to receive the Blessed Sacrament in the Catholic liturgy is to espouse publicly the…
Pope to institute formal ‘ministry of catechist’ While millions of laypeople around the world are recognised as catechists in their parish or diocese, Pope Francis is preparing to formally institute the “ministry of catechist”. The Vatican press office said May 5 that Pope Francis’ apostolic letter Antiquum Ministerium (“Ancient Ministry”), instituting the ministry, would be…
Saint Ignatius of Loyola: A Convert’s Story by Patrick Corkery (Messenger Booklets, €4.95/£4.50) From this month through July 2022 the Society of Jesus celebrates an Ignation year. This marks the 500th anniversary of St Ignatius’ ‘conversion’. He had been struck down on the field of battle and was confined to his bed, recovering from a cannonball…
Dear Editor, One wonders what is going to progress the synodal pathway from the hierarchy’s invitation to conversations about holding conversations to Breda O’Brien’s notion of “active connection?” [IC 06/05/2021] Do we have to reinvent wheels in a synodal pathway when strong examples of pockets of Catholic renewal already exist elsewhere in Europe? Can we…
Man charged in 2020 arson at Californian church Authorities announced charges against a suspected arsonist who investigators believe ignited an overnight fire that gutted much of Mission San Gabriel last July. Officials charged John David Corey Jr, 57, with a number of felony counts of arson, as well as possession of flammable material and first-degree…
The Sunday Gospel Fr Silvester O’Flynn OFM Cap. Some of the doors that have kept people locked in have been opened in recent days. But there is still a long wait until all doors will be opened. Religion has a huge role to play in sustaining hope by remembering the bigger picture of life. On…
Malian mother gives birth to nonuplets A Malian woman has given birth to nine babies, which is two more than the doctors had detected during scans. 25-year-old Halima Cisse gave birth to the nonuplets in Morocco. Mali’s government flew her there as she required specialist care. “I’m very happy,” her husband told the BBC. “My…
India is bearing the brunt of a new wave of the pandemic. A doctor in Mumbai has described a covid ward there as resembling a scene from Dante’s Inferno. Priests are among those dying from the illness, crematoria are overloaded, and at least one diocese has been offering its facilities to be used for treating…
Chai Brady, Ruadhán Jones and Jason Osborne Catholics across the Republic are breathing a sigh of relief this weekend with the controversial ban on attending Mass due to be lifted on Monday, senior bishops have told The Irish Catholic. The prelates also praised what they described as the “fantastic work” of the army of volunteers…
There is a real danger the Blessed Sacrament will be treated as if it were a magical instrument rather than the sacramental sign it is, writes Fr Fergus Ryan OP The Covid-19 pandemic has been a huge challenge for everyone. It has equally been an opportunity to develop new skills, especially in IT and online communications.…