The Archdiocese of Sao Paulo has offered their House of Prayer as a community centre for the city to lodge homeless persons who get the coronavirus (Covid-19). Homeless communities throughout the country are among the most vulnerable to the virus, Church officials in Brazil said. “The House of Prayer is already used for activities with…
Public Masses across England, Wales and Scotland have been suspended indefinitely amid the coronavirus outbreak. The bishops’ conference of England and Wales announced last week that, as of March 20, there will be no public acts of worship. However, they said that churches would remain open for private prayer. “During these disturbing and threatening times,…
A Catholic from Indonesia has launched a crowdfunding portal to support the construction of churches and chapels in remote areas of the country. The portal, Jalakasih.com, was launched last week at Our Lady of Carmel Church in Jakarta by the Vinea Dei Foundation, a non-profit organisation founded by Albertus Tan in 2017. Tan is assisted…
Indian parish sews and distributes free face masks A Catholic parish in India has stepped in to distribute free face masks in response to a huge shortage and surge in prices due to the panic caused by the coronavirus. Little Flower Latin Church is on a mission to provide materials free of charge to other…
Pope establishes a new law for the Vatican Pope Francis has created a new law that will regulate the judicial system of the Vatican City State. The new law, announced last week, will provide greater independence for the judiciary and simplify judicial processes. According to a statement from the Holy See Press Office, the new…
Letter from America Christopher White One of the more intriguing events that takes place during the US presidential election cycle every four years is the annual Al Smith Memorial Foundation dinner, which has traditionally brought together the leading two contenders with the Archbishop of New York sandwiched in between them, responsible for keeping the…
Peruvian Cardinal Pedro Barreto believes the Soldalitium Christianae Vitae (SCV), a scandal-ridden religious lay group in the country, ought to be dissolved and says the Vatican feels the same way. In a recent interview, Barreto said: “My personal opinion, which I believe is shared by some, is that I insist that this religious organisation should…
A Christian group has hailed the significance of the findings of a United Nations’ special rapporteur’s report on violations of freedom of religion in Sri Lanka. The report, which was recently presented to the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), details how Christians and other religious minorities have suffered from extreme violations of freedom of religion…
Two Christian groups in California have been ordered to shut down their cost-sharing health plans and cease conducting business by the State’s Department of Insurance. The State issued the Cease and Desist order against Aliera Healthcare, Inc. and Trinity Healthshares, Inc., on the grounds that the two faith-based cost-sharing health ministries are misleading consumers by…
Thousands of Venezuelans including clergy took to the streets in Caracas and other cities to demand democratic change last week, amid on-going economic, political and social crises in the country. “Today [March 10] the Venezuelan people have returned to the streets demanding their rights and manifesting their desire for a change of direction in the…