by Cindy Wooden Amid the rubble and bombed out remains of four churches destroyed by Islamic State militants, Pope Francis paid tribute to Iraqi Christians who endured persecution and even death. But visiting Mosul and Qaraqosh in northern Iraq on Sunday, he also urged the Christians to live up to their faith and honour the…
by Cindy Wooden Travelling to the birthplace of Abraham, Pope Francis urged believers to prove their faith in the one God and father of all by accepting one another as brothers and sisters. From a stage set on a dusty hill overlooking the archaeological dig at Ur, Abraham’s birthplace about ten miles from modern-day Nasiriyah,…
For the second time, the Shroud of Turin will be exposed for veneration on social media and websites on Holy Saturday, the archbishop of Turin has announced. The Shroud, which bears the image of a crucified man and has been venerated for centuries as Christ’s burial cloth, will be displayed via live stream on April…
In a letter released on February 25, the EU bishops said that the resolution, passed on November 26, 2020, would have “a very negative impact” on the way that the European Union (EU) is seen by member states. The European Parliament, the EU’s law-making body, passed the resolution by 455 votes to 145 after Poland’s…
As the House of Representatives passes the Equality Act, US bishops warn the mandates will “discriminate against people of faith” by adversely affecting charities and their beneficiaries, conscience rights, women’s sports, “and sex-specific facilities”. The bill, known as HR 5 and recently reintroduced in the House, also provides for taxpayer funding of abortion and limits…
A priest related to Princes William and Harry took a major step closer to sainthood when Pope Francis declared him venerable. Like St John Henry Newman, Passionist Fr Ignatius Spencer is considered one of the towering figures of the 19th-century revival of English Catholicism, often referred to by church historians as the “Second Spring”. The…
The Malaysian Catholic Bishops have decried the deportation of nearly 1,100 Myanmar nationals back to their home country despite a court order banning the move. The country’s High Court on February 23 granted a temporary stay on the planned deportation of 1,200 Myanmar nationals who have been held in immigration detention centres while a proper…
A law to curb religious conversions done by force and fraudulent means was passed amid protests on February 24 in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Bill, 2020, will replace an ordinance passed last November. The bill has a provision of imprisonment for up to…
Vatican official insists religious services are ‘essential’ For believers, the ability to practice their faith and receive spiritual guidance are “the highest of essential services”, and pandemic practices over the past year have shown they are not automatically super-spreader events, the Vatican foreign minister said. Speaking February 23 during the high-level segment of the UN…
Catholic agencies welcome access to Ethiopia’s Tigray region Catholic relief agencies in Ethiopia welcomed a move by the government to allow more access in Tigray where a military operation displaced millions and left an unspecified number of people dead. Amid increased international calls for unrestricted access, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali announced February 24 that…
Michael Kelly