Details are still emerging after a violent raid by Fulani herdsmen October 19 in Benue State, Central Nigeria, reportedly left dozens of Catholic villagers killed. Police and clergy agree that the raid was in reprisal for the killing of four Fulani herdsmen earlier in the week in a clash between herdsmen and farmers defending their…
Nigerian teen struggles to forgive Boko Haram
As Maryamu Joseph, a 16-year-old victim of Boko Haram violence, recovers from trauma after years of captivity, she finds it hard to forgive the men who abducted her. Maryamu recalls that one day when she was 7, armed men raided her community and went on a killing spree before she was abducted with 21 others.…
Enlarge the tent: Synod document sees calls for greater inclusion
Staff Reporter Around the world, listening sessions for the Synod of Bishops gave many participants a sense of finally being listened to, but they also raised questions about how to promote greater inclusion in the Church while staying true to eternal Church teaching. Two of the issues raised most often in reports sent to the…
Hong Kong’s Cardinal Zen returns to court
Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun and five other activists returned to court October 26 to face charges of failing to register a legal fund meant to help those involved in anti-government protests. Prosecutors said the now-defunct 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund should have been registered with police due to its “massive” size and “systematic” mode of operation,…
Summit explores role of ethics in development of artificial intelligence
by Dennis Sadowski Universities around the world are taking steps alongside major technology companies to explore ways to bolster ethics education in the artificial intelligence field in line with an initiative supported by the Vatican. The effort seeks to help those already working or aspiring to work in the tech fields understand that the development…
In Brief
YouTube shuts down EWTN’s Polish channel For the second time in less than two years, EWTN’s affiliate in Poland has had its YouTube channel suspended, reported Fr Piotr Wiśniowski, general director of EWTN Poland. Without any warning or explanation, on October 22 YouTube shut down the Catholic programming channel, which features a live broadcast from the adoration…
Disaffiliation grows in Canada as census shows 2 million fewer Catholics
The Catholic population in Canada has declined by almost 2 million people in the last 10 years, the Canadian census has found in a report that indicates the religiously unaffiliated now outnumber Catholics. The latest census figures, compiled in 2021, show the Catholic Canadian population has declined to 10.9 million. Catholics now make up about…
Catholic leaders want ‘synodal’ Church in Latin America
by Barbara Fraser The Church in Latin America and the Caribbean is called to be a missionary Church that heeds the cry of the poor and excluded; a synodal Church where women, young people and laypeople have greater roles; and a Church that is evangelised even as it evangelises, according to the final document of…
New SPHE curriculum ‘ignores’ schools’ ethos
Staff Reporter The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment’s (NCCA) draft SPHE curriculum has been criticised by Catholic bodies for “ignoring” schools’ rights to govern their own ethos. The Association of Patrons and Trustees of Catholic Schools (APTCS) have warned that the rationale underpinning the proposed Junior Cycle curriculum “does not in any way recognise…
‘Citizens convention’ to decide whether France legalises assisted suicide
This month 150 randomly-chosen French citizens will debate whether or not to adopt legislation that will legalise “assisted dying” as part of President Emmanuel Macron’s plan to move forward on proposals to legalise assisted suicide. The citizens’ panel will take part in a six-month debate over whether to allow legal euthanasia and assisted suicide. Polling shows that 93% of…











