Italy’s constitutional court on February 15 blocked a referendum to decriminalise physician-assisted suicide in the country, citing inadequate legal protections for the weak and vulnerable. The leadership of the Italian bishops’ conference welcomed the court’s decision in a statement. The court’s pronouncement “is a very specific invitation… to offer the support necessary to overcome or…

Pope reflects on what ails the priesthood Opening an international conference on priesthood, Pope Francis insisted that those who are not close to God in prayer, close to their bishop and other priests and immersed in the lives of their people are simply “‘clerical functionaries’ or ‘professionals of the sacred’”. “A priest needs to have…

More than 800 anti-Christian incidents were reported in France in 2021. The provisional figures were announced on February 10 as part of an ongoing study of anti-religious acts in the Western European country, which has a population of 67 million people. Investigators have so far identified a total of 1,659 anti-religious acts last year, with…

The Holy Year 2025 should focus on “restoring a climate of hope and trust” after the coronavirus pandemic and helping people repair their relationships with God, with each other and with the Earth, Pope Francis said. “We must fan the flame of hope that has been given us and help everyone to gain new strength…

French Catholic nun turns 118 Sister Andre Randon, a French nun, celebrated her 118th birthday on February 11. This milestone makes her the second-oldest living person in the world and the oldest living person in Europe, according to the Gerontology Research Group, which validates details of people believed to be 110 or older. In anticipation…

The Catholic bishops of Quebec, while registering their opposition to the province’s imposition of Covid-19 vaccine passports as a requirement to attend religious services, said this week that they accept the requirement for now, and continue to petition the government to end it. “[I]t seems reasonable to us in the present circumstances to accept certain…

Speaking anonymously during an online discussion, a Christian cleric in Hong Kong said he thinks it is likely that greater repression by the Chinese government of religious freedom in Hong Kong, particularly the freedom of religious schools, is about to occur. The cleric, identified only as Reverend L, told the Hudson Institute’s Nina Shea February 10 that…

The authors of a landmark abuse report responded this week to critics who argued that they overestimated the number of victims in the French Catholic Church. The Independent Commission on Sexual Abuse in the Church (CIASE) issued a 53-page response on February 7 to a 15-page critique signed by eight members of the prestigious Académie catholique de France that was reportedly…

Pope Francis to visit Malta for apostolic visit in April Pope Francis will travel to the Mediterranean island nation of Malta for an apostolic visit in April. A Holy See Press Office communiqué said that “Accepting the invitation of the President of the Republic of Malta, the civil authorities and the Catholic Church of the…