A Polish bishop went on trial on February 18, accused of not informing authorities immediately about alleged sexual abuse of children by two priests in his diocese. It is the first time a Polish bishop is on trial over sexual abuse allegedly committed by priests under his authority. According to the Polish Press Agency, prosecutors…
After the Spanish parliament debated on February 17 a controversial bill proposed by far-right party Vox to ban the burqa and niqab in public spaces, a leading Spanish archbishop has said the burqa discriminates against women while he also called for mutual respect among religious groups. Speaking to Crux, Archbishop Joan Planellas of Tarragona said…
“Above all, I urge you never to close yourselves off: Don’t be afraid to talk to others, even about your fatigue and your crises,” Pope Leo said to Rome’s priests in a February 19 meeting with clergy of the Roman diocese. During the meeting in the Paul VI Hall at the Vatican, the Holy Father…
A breakaway Catholic traditionalist group rejected the Vatican’s offer of talks, suggesting a collision course with Pope Leo XIV over its planned consecrations of new bishops without his consent. In a letter to the Vatican’s doctrine chief, the Society of St Pius X said the Holy See’s threat of sanctions and schism if it goes…
In a bid to stop members of a breakaway traditionalist society from incurring excommunications through the illicit ordination of new bishops, the Vatican has offered a path forward based on theological dialogue. A February 12 communique published by the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and signed by its prefect, Argentine Cardinal Victor…
The Catholic Bishops of Cuba announced on February 12 that they have asked Pope Leo XIV to postpone their upcoming visit to Rome due to the country’s grave situation, which is generating “so much instability and uncertainty.” The bishops had been scheduled to meet Pope Leo XIV on February 20 as part of their periodic…
A member of the federal Religious Liberty Commission has been ousted after a hearing this week that featured tense exchanges on the definition of antisemitism. The ousted member, Carrie Prejean Boller, had defended prominent commentator Candace Owens, who routinely shares antisemitic conspiracy theories. Prejean Boller, a model turned conservative activist who converted to Catholicism last…
At least 69,000 families have been affected and 22 people have died in flooding triggered by extraordinarily heavy rains in northern Colombia. The Church has been working since the beginning of the crisis to deliver food and clothing to people who have lost everything, as well as to provide spiritual and emotional support. About 9,000…
At the planned synod conference in Germany, Bishop Peter Kohlgraf of Mainz would like to broaden the thematic horizon. It will be about “addressing questions of passing on the faith and evangelisation,” said the bishop at the Mainz event ‘One Church, Many Paths,’ over the weekend. He hopes that ideas will be formed “that are…
The incoming archbishop of New York said on February 5 that he plans to emphasise the importance of evangelising as he takes charge of one of the biggest US archdioceses. “How do we actually be disciples, who do we make disciples?” Archbishop Ronald Hicks said during a news conference at St Patrick’s Cathedral, where his…