Cardinal Chibly Langlois, Bishop of Les Cayes and president of Haiti’s Bishops’ Conference, has been injured, while a Catholic priest died early in the morning of August 14 after a 7.2 intensity earthquake shook Haiti. Speaking to ACI Prensa, Akim Kikonda, Director for Catholic Relief Services (CRS) in Haiti, said that Cardinal Langlois “is hurt,…
Inventors of CRISPR gene editing appointed to Pontifical Academy of Sciences Pope Francis has appointed the co-inventors of the CRISPR genome editing technology to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences. Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier, who discovered CRISPR fewer than ten years ago, were appointed to the Vatican’s scientific academy consecutively August 10-11. Their discovery sparked…
Lima archbishop proposes replacing priests with laity as pastors The Archbishop of Lima last month presented his proposal to replace priests with lay people in parishes in the Peruvian capital. Archbishop Carlos Gustavo Castillo Mattasoglio said during a July 21 conference that he is asking the Vatican for permission for lay persons to be given…
A Rwandan immigrant awaiting trial for the arson of the cathedral in Nantes turned himself in to police for killing the French provincial of the Montfort Missionaries. Emmanuel Abayisenga, 40, a Catholic, had been released on bail earlier this year for the 2020 arson at Ss Peter and Paul Cathedral in Nantes. Montfort Father Olivier…
With Covid-19 still taking a toll across Europe, Catholic bishops are backing vaccination campaigns, while also counselling against coercion. In Germany, where Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government has warned of tougher restrictions on those refusing jabs, the president of the bishops’ conference said in late July that vaccination should be a personal choice, but he urged…
Frozen in time, like a “musical Pompeii,” the 221 remaining original organ pipes from the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem may fill a gap of knowledge of more than three centuries in the history of the organ and its cultural context, medieval church culture, music and technology. “This organ dates from the 12th century…
Catholic Church leaders in the Philippines signed documents with the Iglesia Filipina Independiente (IFI), or Philippine Independent Church, “for more ecumenical cooperation amidst diversity.” In a joint statement signed on August 3, leaders of both churches said that together they “ask and pray for mutual forgiveness for any injuries inflicted in the past.” “We shall strive for…
The board of directors of the Cuban Conference of Men and Women Religious reported last Tuesday that following the July 11 protests of the island’s communist government “there are still detainees awaiting trial, under investigation and others punished with very severe penalties.” The conference has been offering legal advice to detainees and spiritual and psychological…
Vatican: ‘Killer robots’ pose threat to innocent civilians The use of “killer robots” and other lethal autonomous weapons systems violate international treaties because innocent civilians could be erroneously targeted, the Vatican said during a UN meeting in Geneva. The potential of having “swarms of ‘kamikaze’ mini drones” and other advanced weaponry using artificial intelligence raises…
New allegations against David Haas prompt publisher to cut ties with composer A top publisher of hymns will stop publishing works by David Haas after receiving additional allegations of sexual misconduct against the embattled Catholic composer. “We have suspended our publishing and sponsorship relationship with Mr Haas and have also removed his music, books, and…