Pope Francis has said the answer to division and scandal should be silence and prayer, and asked the Lord for the grace to discern when it is better to speak or to remain quiet. “With people who do not have good will, with people who seek only scandal, who seek only division, who seek only…
A new crisis pregnancy centre in Buenos Aires will welcome women facing difficult pregnancies, offering resources, counselling, and medical support. The ‘Home of the Motherly Embrace’ is being opened in response to a July proposal by a group of priests who work in the poorest areas of the cities. The goal is to meet the…
A top Chilean cardinal who has been summoned by civil prosecutors to testify over allegations that he covered up clerical sexual abuse has told the priests of his archdiocese that the “crimes” of the Church have contributed to a “climate of tension” being lived in the country. According to local media, Cardinal Ricardo Ezzati of…
Australia’s Catholic bishops and religious orders, responding to recommendations from the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, accepted 98% of its suggestions, but said they could not accept recommendations that would violate the Seal of Confession. “We are committed to the safeguarding of children and vulnerable people while maintaining the seal. We…
What do you do during a desert time, when confidence in leadership has disappeared, trust in an institution of established record has collapsed, anger is on the ascendant, recriminations are flying about unmoored, chaos is a partner of the times? One might think I am talking about the ever-roiling political reality in the United States,…
More than 6,700 Catholic women religious are among those helping more than 1 million people taking shelter in relief camps after unprecedented floods ravaged Kerala state in southwest India. “This is the biggest rescue and relief operation the Catholic Church in Kerala has undertaken in its history,” said Fr George Vettikattil, who heads the Church’s…
Reproduce St Joseph’s ‘ideal of service’ Pope tells Oblates Pope Francis told the Oblates of St Joseph that for decades he has relied on the intercession of St Joseph, and “never, ever has he told me ‘no’”. “We should draw courage from this,” the Pope said on August 31 as he met with members of the order’s general chapter. “For more than 40…
Former Archbishop Philip Wilson will serve a maximum 12-month sentence in home detention for concealing child sexual abuse, an Australian court has ruled. This decision means Wilson (67) will avoid jail. He resigned as archbishop of Adelaide after his conviction and has become the world’s most senior cleric to be convicted of the crime. His…
The Argentine senate has voted against a bill that would have decriminalised abortion during the first 14 weeks of pregnancy. Senators voted 38-31 against the measure last week following a 15-hour debate. The measure had been approved in June by the lower house of Congress. The Argentine bishops’ conference hailed the vote, saying the debate…
Church agency Caritas has launched a project that aims to end hunger across South Asia by 2030. Caritas India introduced the programme in collaboration with its international partners to help farmers adapt methods to cope with erratic climate conditions. “Climate change is a global challenge and affects agricultural production and human well-being. It hits hardest…