The martyrdom of a French priest who was killed by Islamist extremists has brought the Muslim and Christian communities closer together, according to Archbishop Dominique Lebrun of Rouen. On the anniversary of the terror attack last week the archbishop said the event “transformed” him. Fr Jacques Hamel was killed at the age of 85 when…
Chinese authorities have ordered journalists not to describe an outspoken retired cardinal as the ‘emeritus’ bishop of Hong Kong, but to use ‘former’ instead. Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun was outspoken in his disdain for the ruling Communist Party, and raised issues regarding political freedom, human rights and religious persecution. He expressed a willingness to get…
Human trafficking is “brutal, savage and criminal,” Pope Francis said, but often it seems like people see it as a sad, but normal fact of life. “I want to call everyone to make a commitment to seeing that this perverse plague, a modern form of slavery, is effectively countered,” the Pope said on July 30,…
Meeting migrants makes you realise they are human beings, and they “have suffered much” according to the Director of Caritas Internationalis. Michael Roy says that listening to the stories of migrants and refugees should help people transcend prejudice. “You may be afraid of migrants as a large group of people coming in, but when you…
New US ambassador to the Holy See US President Donald Trump has nominated Callista Gingrich to be his ambassador to the Holy See. She will face several challenges representing the US in the Vatican, particularly following Trump’s decision to abandon the Paris climate agreement, while Pope Francis has made clear that care for the environment…
Pope Francis and the Vatican have “tried very hard” to find a solution that’s “peaceful and democratic” in Venezuela. Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State, told Italian media the Vatican wanted to “help all without destruction”. On Sunday a referendum was held to elect a body to re-write Venezuela’s constitution, a matter which has…
Prolonged drought in the city of Rome has caused Vatican officials to begin turning off 100 fountains as a heatwave hits Italy – this includes two baroque fountains in St Peter’s Square. Vatican spokesperson Greg Burke said that turning off the fountains was, “the Vatican’s way of living in solidarity with Rome, trying to help…
Following the decision of Charlie Gard’s parents to end the legal battle for their critically-ill child to be flown to the US, Catholic Bishops in the UK expressed their sympathy. For almost half a year the baby’s parents fought to have him transferred to the US to undergo specialist treatment. They decided not to continue,…
The US Conference of Catholic Bishops urged the Trump administration to “ensure permanent protection” for young people brought to the US as minors without legal documentation. Chair of the Migration Committee, Bishop Joe Vasquez of Texas, reiterated the bishops’ support for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), a 2012 policy which gives recipients a…
US pro-life organisations have filed a federal lawsuit to halt the enforcement of a new law in Hawaii that requires pregnancy centres to “advertise” contraception and abortion services. Attorneys for Alliance Defending Freedom, a non-profit and pro-life legal group that supports religious freedom filed the suit. They acted on behalf of a centre called A…