On the feast of St Francis de Sales, the patron saint of journalists, Bishop Francisco Javier Acero, an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Mexico, remembered and asked for prayers for the members of the media who have been murdered in Mexico and for their families. According to the National Human Rights Commission of Mexico,…
Cindy Wooden Public criticism by cardinals and bishops is annoying – “like a rash that bothers you a bit,” Pope Francis said – but differences need to be aired and criticism can be helpful, he told the Associated Press. “You prefer that they don’t criticise, for the sake of tranquility,” he said in the interview…
Ukraine’s religious leaders renew invitation to Pope to visit Kyiv Ukraine’s religious leaders asked Pope Francis to visit Kyiv, said Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk of Kyiv-Halych, the head of the Ukrainian Catholic Church. In a meeting with the Pope January 25, members of the Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religions once again extended the invitation to…
Dear Editor, I appreciated the article entitled ‘The positive side to fear of God’ by Maria C. Morrow [The Irish Catholic – January 19, 2023]. I felt it would have been better had she referred to Pope Francis who explained that the fear of the Lord is a gift bestowed by the Holy Spirit, which…
Christian baker loses appeal over transgender cake case A Colorado appellate court has ruled against a baker who appeared in court once again for declining to make a cake that contradicts his religious beliefs. While Jack Phillips’ successful US Supreme Court case concerned his refusal to make a same-sex wedding cake, he now faces a…
Archbishop Martin welcomes Pope’s Communication’s Day message Archbishop Eamon Martin has welcomed Pope Francis’ message for World Communications day, which takes place May 18. The Primate of All-Ireland welcomed the message, saying the Pope “invites all of us to optimise our emotional intelligence when we deal with others, and in particular when we are undertaking…
Anne Codd PBVM To the casual observer, it may appear that soon there will be no more religious sisters or brothers in the Church. It can easily enough be assumed that they have already lost their identity because many no longer wear distinctive dress or set up services under their own ‘banner’. The fact that…
Pilgrimage is an age-old Christian tradition for a reason, writes Zac Davis So many significant moments in my spiritual life are tied to sights, smells, sounds and emotions felt on a pilgrimage: The deep sigh after walking all the way up from the train stop to the Basilica of St Francis of Assisi. My jaw…
Amid continuing controversy over strict limits on behaviour outside abortion clinics in some English cities, a man faces a fine for praying silently outside one clinic in memory of his dead son. “I would never have imagined being in a position to risk a criminal record for praying silently,” Adam Smith-Connor said, according to the…
The persecution of Christians is at its highest point in three decades, according to the latest report from advocacy group Open Doors. The World Watch List, released by Open Doors on January 18, reported that, overall, the number of Christians facing persecution worldwide remained steady in 2022 at approximately 360 million. In a list of…