Australian prelate’s appeal begins This week sees Australian Cardinal George Pell making a case for a last chance of freedom, with his case being heard by the Appeals Division of the Supreme Court of Victoria. Three judges will preside over the June 5-6 hearing, with a decision expected within several months. The cardinal was convicted…

Pope’s
 teachings
 on
 devil
 focus
 of
 new 
book A new book of Pope Francis’ teachings on the history of the devil, “his empty promises and works” and “how we can actively combat him” has been published by the US hierarchy. Titled Rebuking the Devil, the book is meant for a wide audience and “shows us…

The Pope’s trip to Romania showed how Christians must persist in the faith no matter what their challenges, writes Greg Daly The witness of Romania’s martyred bishops are a constant reminder that Christians must resist ideologies that seek to stifle and suppress their cultural and religious traditions, Pope Francis said on the last day of…

The brothers of the ecumenical Taizé community said they have received five reports of sexual assaults on minors committed by three of their members in a period from the 1950s to the 1980s. All of the cases have been reported to French police, said a statement from the community superior, Brother Alois, posted on June…

The bishops’ conference of Argentina has said it is examining and will respond to a new report of more than 60 allegations of sexual abuse by priests and religious in the country. Officials with the conference said they are working on new protocols and actions to protect minors, following the Vatican summit on the topic…

Pope Francis today reflected upon his recent apostolic visit to Romania, where he beatified seven Greek-Catholic bishops martyred under Soviet occupation. The Pope said on June 5 that the beatified bishops were “witnesses to the freedom and mercy that comes from the Gospel”. “One of these new blesseds, Msgr. Iuliu Hossu, during his imprisonment wrote:…

Bishop Shawn McKnight of Jefferson City has expressed gratitude that lives were spared and that all residents of the Missouri capital are accounted for following a devastating tornado. He said in a May 23 statement that the staff of Catholic Charities of Central and Northern Missouri were assessing the needs of residents. Some people were…

The Polish bishops’ administrative council met in emergency session on May 22 and later admitted the Church failed to act against clerical sexual abuse. The meeting came amid outrage over a two-hour documentary, ‘Just Don’t Tell Anyone’, that included drastic accounts of cover-up of clerical sex abuse in Poland. The film had more than 19…

Nations
 obliged
 to
 ‘care
 for 
poor’,
 Pope
 says
 Nations, like individuals, have a “solemn duty” to care for the poor and to work together to promote development, Pope Francis told a group of ambassadors beginning their service at the Vatican. International cooperation for development and for peace-making tap into a common, universal desire to experience…

A pro-life group at the University of Aberdeen has been granted affiliation by the school’s student association, a month after filing a lawsuit charging unlawful discrimination. “This week, the Aberdeen University Students’ Association (AUSA) informed us that our society application has been approved, which means we have officially received affiliation,” the Aberdeen Life Ethics Society…