China has signed off on revised religious regulations which will lead to greater government control of religions in the communist-run country. The State Administration for Religious Affairs announced that the leading Chinese Communist Party (CCP) signed the State Council order for the newly revised Regulations for Religious Affairs (RRA) which will be implemented on February…

US Catholics have  condemned comments made by Donald’s Trump’s ex-Chief Strategist Steve Bannon who said the Church only supports migrants to fill churches, with a New York cardinal dubbing them “preposterous”. Mr Bannon criticised the Church’s decision to oppose ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (Daca) programme, saying they are “unable to come to…

Pope increases liturgical translation powers of bishops In changes to the Code of Canon Law regarding translations of the Mass and other liturgical texts, Pope Francis has shifted more responsibility to local bishops’ conferences. The document released by the Vatican, Magnum Principium, noted the sometimes tense relationship between bishops’ conferences and the Congregation for Divine Worship…

India’s Catholic bishops have rejected a bill they believe is designed to retain a Hindu-only state. India now has seven states with a law against religious conversions, after the governor of Jharkhand signed into effect the controversial bill. Governor Draudpadi Murmu signed her approval despite protests from Christian groups and opposition parties, who said that…

A cardinal has ordered church bells to be rung in one of the Philippines’ dioceses every evening to remember the thousands of people killed in the government’s campaign against drug dealers and addicts. The Manila archdiocese joined a long list of dioceses across the country that started commemorating the deaths by tolling church bells nightly.…

Reports of apparitions of the Virgin Mary in Medjugorje could be recognised by the Vatican as early as this year according to an archbishop appointed by the Pope. Archbishop Henryk Hoser was given the task to study the pastoral care given to the town’s residents and pilgrims who arrive in their millions each year to…

The Vatican has confirmed a decision made by bishops in England and Wales to celebrate the Epiphany and the Ascension on their traditional days next year, a move that has “delighted” bishops. From the First Sunday of Advent 2017, the days reinstated are the Epiphany of the Lord on January 6 (which was transferred to…

The Catholic Church in Indonesia has joined a government sponsored awareness campaign to combat human trafficking as well as violence against women and children. A third central aim is to promote economic justice throughout the sprawling archipelago. The campaign, entitled the ‘3 Ends’, commenced in March 2016 in provincial capitals. Yohana Yembise, Minister of Female…

“Excessive inequality” threatens cooperation among all people in society, said Bishop Frank Dewane of Venice, Florida, in the US bishops’ annual Labour Day statement. Bishop Dewane cited Pope Francis, who told factory workers in Genoa, Italy: “The entire social pact is built around work. This is the core of the problem. Because when you do…

The Pope stressed the need for interreligious dialogue and peace in a meeting with the Korean Council of Religious Leaders on Saturday. This comes as North Korea continues to develop and test nuclear weapons, which has created serious tension among world leaders. The US, Russia, and North Korea’s closest neighbours Japan, South Korea and China…