Sri Lanka – The bishops’ conference has condemned plans for a luxury casino resort in the country. Under plans backed by government and set to be funded by an Australian gambling magnate, an area centred on the western village of Katana has been earmarked for major multi-million euro development. Katana was reportedly chosen due to…

A leading prelate in Syria has called on “foreign forces” to end their support for Islamist fighters in Syria who have banded together with the aim of creating an Islamic state there. Gregorios III Laham, Patriarch of Antioch of the Greek Melkite Church issued his call last weekend following the announcement that seven Islamistrebel groups…

The Irish Columban missionary, Fr Shay Cullen has praised the resilience of Filipinos in the wake of super-typhoon Haiyan, but has stressed that much more need to be done to help people to recover from the disaster. Following a trip with other members of his Preda Foundation to bring relief supplies into the disaster area,…

Pope Francis has officially closed the Year of Faith. Before a packed St Peterís Square last Sunday, the Pontiff concluded the last celebration of the Year and reminded the faithful to keep Jesus ìcentralî to their lives.  ìJesus is the centre of creation; and so the attitude demanded of us as true believers is that…

Italy – An interview with Pope Francis which caused consternation when it appeared on the Vatican’s website has been withdrawn as it emerged that the interviewer involved made up some content attributed to the Pontiff. Eugenio Scalfari (89) penned his interview only after his meeting with the Pope, during which no notes or recordings were…

Italy – Internet giant Google has added two famed Roman catacombs to its Maps search facility, allowing viewers to see the sites in high definition for the first time. Following a major photographic project, the Catacombs of Priscilla and the Dino Companion can now be ‘visited virtually’, with users of Google Maps enabled to move…

Argentina – A book drawing on testimonies of Jesuits and Argentinian citizens who have encountered the man who is now Pope Francis has been released in his home country. Francis: Life and Revolution has been penned by journalist Elisabetta Piqué (pictured), who has personally known Pope Francis since 2001. Not only does the book offer…

Texas and New Mexico tackle abortion issue

Mexico – In the midst of a major outbreak of violence between drug cartels and vigilante groups in the southern region of Tierra Caliente, Archbishop Alberto Suárez Inda of Morelia has urged citizens to “take shelter” and called on the authorities to intervene urgently. “I believe that little by little the authorities will truly seek…

Campaigning priest Msgr Raymond Murray has welcomed as “another step towards truth and justice” the revelations made by the BBC’s Panorama programme around a secret British army unit in Northern Ireland responsible for the deaths of innocent civilians. Dealing with the activities of the Military Reaction Force (MRF), Panorama interviewed seven former members who revealed…