A parliamentarian in Kabul has called for those who convert from Islam to Christianity to be killed. Nazir Ahmad Hanafi made his proposal, he stressed, to halt the growing number of Christians in the country, which is blamed on the presence of American troops. “The Afghan people continue to convert to Christianity. This is an…

United States – A perfume manufacturer in the state of California has released a fragrance named in honour of Pope Francis. Excelsis Fine Fragrances, which was originally founded in 2005 to recreate the cologne worn by Pope Pius IX and has since offered colognes such as Benedictus has now released Francis, billing it as fragrance…

Pope begins meetings with hand-picked cardinal advisers on reform of curia

Pakistan – A prayer service has been held at the Church of All Saints in Peshawar, the site of the September 22 suicide attack on the Christian community. As protests continue to demand greater security for the community, the church reopened to allow for prayers for the 83 lives lost when a suicide bomber struck…

Tanzania – Police have detained 15 people after the latest acid attack by Muslim extremists left a Catholic priest seriously injured. Fr Joseph Anselmo Mwagambwa was attacked on the island of Zanzibar on September 13, the third priest struck in recent weeks. Police, who have been hunting for acid attackers since the high profile attacks…

Report open to public scrutiny for the first time

It has been reported that during a forthcoming audience with Pope Francis, the president of the European Parliament will invite the Pontiff to address the political assembly. Martin Schulz will formally meet with Pope Francis this October 11 in Rome, and, according to an anonymous source who spoke to the Catholic News Agency, an invitation…

Turkey stands accused this week after it emerged that the state’s military may have had a hand in a notorious case of triple murder of Christians in 2007. The deaths of German missionary Tilmann Geske and converts to Christianity Necati Aydin and Ugur Yuksel are better known locally as the Zivre murders, the name garnered…

Killaloe pilgrims prayed as Clare hurlers played

Relative claims he was misrepresented in media reports