Category: World Report

President open to talks after inciting bishops’ murder

A government spokesman said Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is open to dialogue with the country’s bishops, after the president recently suggested that citizens of the country kill the Church leaders. Tensions have increased between Duterte and the bishops as Church leaders have continued to condemn the president’s brutal war on drugs. Since Duterte’s rise to…

Restrain from violence and force, Church leader pleads

After reports of multiple deaths in violent protests over steep fuel price hikes in Zimbabwe, Archbishop Robert Ndlovu of Harare has called for restraint by the security forces and protesters. “Mature political leadership and a recognition of the need to work together for the common good” are essential, he said. Three people, including a police…

Vatican Roundup

February
 summit
 to
 help
 nations 
slow
 to 
move
 on
 abuse
 policies Only about half of the national bishops’ conferences in the world have adopted complete, Vatican-approved guidelines for handling accusations of clerical sexual abuse and promoting child protection, said the Jesuit named to moderate the Vatican’s February summit on abuse. Jesuit Fr Federico Lombardi said about one-quarter of the bishops’ conferences have received feedback on…

Cardinal Wuerl forwarded abuse claim against predecessor in 2004

Church officials have confirmed that Cardinal Donald Wuerl, retired archbishop of Washington, had forwarded an allegation of sexual misconduct against his predecessor, former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, to the papal nuncio in Washington in 2004. In a January 10 statement, the Archdiocese of Washington said Cardinal Wuerl, who at the time was bishop of Pittsburgh, “received…

Oxford supports academic accused of ‘transphobia’

Oxford University is standing by an emeritus law professor after more than 400 people have signed a petition last week calling for his removal from the university. Petition organisers say the professor holds discriminatory views about homosexuality and transgenderism. “John Finnis, Professor at Oxford’s Law Faculty, has a long record of extremely discriminatory views against…