The leader of the Church in Malta has encouraged a priest to continue his pastoral outreach to gay people, and been assured that the priest would follow Church practice and discipline in his ministry. Fr Mark Montebello OP was summoned to meet with Archbishop Charles Scicluna, a member of the Congregation for the Doctrine of…

Mourne Abbey ‘won’t be found wanting’ – parish priest

Canadian cities must end their tradition of saying prayers during council meetings, according to Canada’s supreme court. The ruling ends an eight-year legal battle that began when atheist Alain Simoneau and the Quebec Lay Movement lodged a complaint against Jean Tremblay, mayor of the Quebec city of Saguenay, claiming that the tradition of praying at…

Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow, the founder and CEO of the global child hunger charity Mary’s Meals, has been named as one of TIME Magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world for 2015, in recognition of his charity’s work in setting up school feeding projects in some of the world’s poorest communities.

Pope Francis prays in front of the coffin of Cardinal Roberto Tucci during his funeral Mass in St. Peter's Basilica on April 17. Cardinal Tucci, best known for having managed the travel logistics of Pope St. John Paul II, died April 14 in Rome at the age of 93. (CNS photo/Tony Gentile, Reuters)

The North’s Justice Minister has been accused of “the worst form of discrimination” against unborn children with disabilities, following his recommendation for abortion in cases of life-limiting conditions. Following a public consultation process, Minister David Ford has proposed legislating for abortion in cases of fatal foetal abnormality, but not in cases of rape or incest.…

The last the people of Kenya will do in the face of terrorist threats “would be to give up, to give up on ourselves, on anything” according to Nakuru’s Bishop Maurice Muhatia Makumba. Speaking in the aftermath of the massacre of 148 Christians at Garissa university, Dr Makumba said that while the atrocity was “very,…

Everyone walks away from the confrontation unscathed writes John L. Allen

Accountability on the agenda as Boston bishop opens dialogue with C9 Boston’s Cardinal Sean O’Malley has spoken to Pope Francis’ Council of Cardinal Advisers about accountability for bishops who mishandle cases of clerical abuse, according to Vatican spokesman Fr Federico Lombardi. Explaining that there had not been a formal presentation on the issue, Fr Lombardi…

The father-of-two, dubbed the ‘special one’ by adoring fans, said he “totally” believes in God.