The Australian government has decided to revisit its religious discrimination legislation after key religious groups – including the Archdiocese of Sydney – said they would withdraw their support. “We made a commitment to Australians to address this issue at the last election, and we are keeping faith with that commitment in a calm and considered…
Following the death of more than a dozen Christians in a church shooting, a Burkina Faso bishop said Western governments have a responsibility to stop the flow of weapons to militants in the region. “The Western powers should stop those who are committing these crimes, instead of selling them the weapons that they are using…
The superior general of the Jesuit order said that the devil is real, after making headlines in August by stating that Satan is a symbol, not a person. Satan “is the one who stands between God’s plan and his work of salvation accomplished in Christ, because he has made this irreversible and free decision, and…
The Diocese of Cuernavaca has suspended evening Masses due to insecurity in the city and surrounding state of Morelos, a reflection of the violence raging in parts of Mexico and its impact on the Catholic Church. Bishop Ramon Castro Castro of Cuernavaca said church services would not be celebrated after dark because people in the…
Remember the true meaning of Christmas – Pope Ahead of the Vatican Christmas tree lighting, Pope Francis expressed hope that the nativity scene in St Peter’s Square will serve as a reminder of what Christmas is truly about. A nativity scene “is a genuine way of communicating the Gospel, in a world that sometimes seems to be…
US priest faces charges of having images of child abuse A Catholic priest is facing charges of possessing images of child abuse following his arrest at a suburban Cleveland parish. Fr Robert McWilliams, 39, was being held on $100,000 bond in Cuyahoga County Jail, a day after he was taken into custody at St Joseph…
British bishops have made the right to life a priority for Catholics ahead of a general election in which two major political parties have promised to liberalise abortion laws. A statement from the bishops of England and Wales put the right to life at the top of a list of key issues they want Catholic…
The village of Dien Thinh bid farewell last week to two of its sons, victims of a human trafficking tragedy unveiled last month when the bodies of 39 Vietnamese were discovered in a truck in England. Coffins with the bodies of cousins Nguyen Van Hung and Hoang Van Tiep were carried to the village’s Trung…
Most Americans support life imprisonment over the death penalty, according to a Gallup poll, revealing a shift in the majority opinion on this issue for the first time in 34 years. The poll, based on results from telephone interviews conducted in October with a random sample of 1,526 adults in the US, showed 60% prefer…
Two Catholic priests have been convicted of sexually abusing students at an institute that cared for deaf children. The priests have been sentenced to more than 40 years in an Argentine prison. Their victims say one abuser should have been stopped seven years before his arrest, when he was accused of abusing children at a school…