Christians celebrated Easter at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre this year after the storied church remained closed last Easter due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, presided over Palm Sunday Mass on March 28 at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre with a small group in the church and…
Pope signals further reforms to tackle financial crime Signalling further reforms of the Vatican City State penal code, particularly when it comes to financial crimes, Pope Francis said the laws must reflect “the equality of all members of the church” by doing away with “privileges that go back in time and are no longer in…
Iraqi cardinal: Pope Francis gave $350,000 for poor during Iraq trip During his recent visit to Iraq, Pope Francis gave a donation of $350,000 to the Chaldean Catholic Church to support local families affected by conflict and the pandemic. Cardinal Louis Raphaël Sako told Agenzia Fides that the Pope’s gift was “intended to be a sign of…
Christians are never alone in prayer but instead are accompanied by myriad saints who protect them and seek God’s intercession, Pope Francis said. Whenever men or women open their hearts to God, they will always be in the “company of anonymous and recognised saints who pray with us and who intercede for us as older…
One month after Pope Francis’ visit to Iraq, Cardinal Louis Sako, the Baghdad-based Chaldean Catholic patriarch, called for the development of school programmes to educate Iraqis about the value of diversity in their country, but he also asked for enforcement of laws protecting the religious sites of all faiths. In a message posted on the…
Fr Hans Küng, the prominent and sometimes controversial Swiss Catholic theologian, died peacefully in his sleep in the university town of Tübingen, Germany, where he had lived and lectured since 1960, said a spokesman for his Global Ethic Foundation. He was 93. Fr Küng was one of the most outspoken Catholic theologians and one of…
Pope Francis has used his traditional Easter message to pray for an end to restrictions in some parts of the world that have banned Catholics from worshipping together at the most important feast in the Christian calendar. The Pope’s prayer – delivered in his urbi et orbi address from St Peter’s Basilica – comes as…
The Government in the south is neglecting the spiritual wellbeing of the Faithful, according to the Primate of All-Ireland and Archbishop of Armagh. Archbishop Eamon Martin said authorities in the North, where the Faithful have returned to public worship, “recognise that people’s spiritual, mental and emotional health helps them with their physical health as well”.…
A task force composed of clergy, religious and laypeople has been established by Archbishop Dermot Farrell to prepare an assessment of the needs of the people of the Archdiocese of Dublin as they emerge from the Covid crisis. He has done this in recognition of the fact that the Church in Dublin “faces challenges” which…
The Archbishop of Dublin and Bishop of Waterford and Lismore have called for the easing of restrictions on public worship in messages released last night. Archbishop Dermot Farrell of Dublin used his homily for the Chrism Mass to “emphasise to Government the importance of the earliest possible return to the public worship”. He also warned…
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Chai Brady