Vatican backs battle to beat Ebola with €3m fund Rome is committing €3m to the fight against Ebola in Africa, and has encouraged other donors to supplement these funds.  Expanding the Catholic Church’s Commitment to the Ebola Emergency Response details the Church’s work in battling Ebola in such countries as Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia.  Acknowledging how African healthcare institutions are “severely challenged…

“We should be prepared to discuss questions that arise openly” – theologian

Catholic leaders in the Central African Republic said their help for Muslim rebels is part of an effort to promote interreligious reconciliation in the war-torn country. "We're ready to assist everyone in difficulty, whatever their faith or affiliation," said Msgr Elysee Guedjande, national director of the church's Caritas aid organisation. "The two main fronts aren't…

Irish missionaries based in the Philippines are hopeful that Pope Francis will put a spotlight on widespread poverty in the country during his official visit next week. Irish Columban missionary Fr Shay Cullen, who has lived in the Philippines for over 40 years, said it was expected that Pope Francis would address the “great disparity…

Men dressed as the Three Kings ride on horses leading a procession of Catholics of Polish decent, from St Ferdinand Parish to St Ladislaus Parish in Chicago in celebration of the feast of the Epiphany (January 6). Photo: CNS 

Minister proposing to change law to permit abortion in cases where unborn child will only live for a short time after birth

The shift reflects the Pope’s emphasis on Africa and Asia, where the Church is growing fastest, writes Francis Rocca

Rev. Hyun Jun Lee SJ, Rev. Jae Wook Lee SJ and Rev. Shane Daly SJ of the Irish and Korean Jesuit Provinces pictured with Archbishop Diarmuid Martin after their ordination to the diaconate at Milltown Park at the weekend.

The new year finds Mexico still seeking a new reality, writes Paul Keenan

The numbers of Catholics worldwide – lay, clerical and religious – has increased by 15 million, according to the latest figures made available by the Vatican. This week the Annuarium Statisticum Ecclesiae, updated to December 31, 2012, was presented to Pope Francis, along with the Pontifical Yearbook 2014. It showed that the Americas and Africa…