The Australian Parliament is considering legislation that would allow the country’s two territories to pass their own laws, paving the way for legalising euthanasia. On August 2, the House of Representatives passed the Restoring Territory Rights Bill 2022, which removes the risk of the federal government overriding the territories’ laws. The bill must still be…
Knock novena returns to traditional format The annual Knock national novena returns to its original format next week for the first time since 2019. The theme for this year is ‘A Journey in Hope’, with the novena running from Sunday August 14 to Monday August 22. More than 8,000 pilgrims are expected to attend each…
A temptation to believe that we presume too much on God’s mercy dogs the spiritual progress of many Christians, writes Thomas Flowers SJ St Peter Faber (1506-1546) came to see his battle with scruples as an occasion for the mercy of God. As a young man, guilt overwhelmed him. He worried not only over every…
Catholic bishops in Ethiopia warned that insecurity is shutting down churches and forcing more priests and nuns to flee, as consequences of the war in the northern province of Tigray are felt across the entire country. The bishops reiterated that the insecurity also had made it difficult for the Church to effectively carry out its…
Staff reporter Fr Patrick Devine SMA hopes to tackle violence against women in Nairobi, Kenya, through a new Empowerment Centre. The centre will offer women and children the tools and supports to be “significant architects of their security”, according to a press release from the Shalom Centre. The new Empowerment Centre, part of the Shalom…
Ortega regime in Nicaragua shuts Catholic radio stations Nicaraguan police broke into Divine Mercy parish the night of August 1 in the town of Sébaco in the Diocese of Matagalpa to shut down one of the five Catholic radio stations closed that day by the Daniel Ortega regime. On Facebook, the parish broadcast live the…
The number of legal abortions taking place in Poland decreased by 90% in 2021, following a court ruling that banned abortion in the case of a foetal medical diagnosis such as Down syndrome. According to a report by the Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita, data from the Ministry of Health shows that the number of legal abortions…
Gorgosaurus skeleton sells for over $6 million at auction The first skeleton of a Gorgosaurus dinosaur to go under the hammer has sold for $6.1 million (€6m) at auction in New York. The specimen is 3 metres tall and 6.7m long, and had been expected to fetch between $5m and $8m. “The result places the…
Opus Dei in Argentina has responded to a BBC news story about a complaint made to the Vatican by 43 women who claim to have been exploited by the Catholic apostolate. In a communiqué, Opus Dei told ACI Prensa that it considers it necessary “to set up a listening and study commission that will allow…
Pope Francis appoints personal health assistant The Vatican announced August 4 that Pope Francis has appointed a “personal health care assistant”. Pope Francis has selected Massimiliano Strappetti, a Vatican nurse whom the Pope has credited with saving his life, to provide additional assistance as the 85-year-old Pope faces mobility problems. “A nurse, a man with a…