Category: World Report

Indonesian priests resign over bishop scandal

Dozens of priests from Indonesia have quit their posts after accusing a bishop of embezzling $100,000 (€89,000) of church funds for personal use. Almost 70 priests from the Catholic island Flores, in the Reuteng Diocese, submitted letters of resignation after demanding that Bishop Hubertus Leteng complies with a complete change of how the diocese is…

Child protection experts graduate from Rome university

Twenty-four students from 18 countries graduated from Rome’s Jesuit university last week, and will return to their dioceses to strengthen or kick-start child protection policies. The graduates studied in the Centre for Child Protection’s intensive programme at the Pontifical Gregorian University. The ceremony, at the Gregorian University, included a panel discussion with five post-doctoral students…

Pope 
discusses 
terrorism, 
poverty 
and 
climate 
with 
Angela 
Merkel

Pope Francis and German Chancellor Angela Merkel discussed the responsibility of the international community to address poverty and hunger worldwide. In the meeting on June 17 in the Vatican, they discussed the G20 meeting in Hamburg, climate change and the threats of global terrorism. A statement released by the Vatican said: “Special remembrance was reserved…

Church aids students affected by London fire

Church agencies are helping London Catholic school students cope with the trauma of the Grenfell Tower fire. With pupils confirmed missing and the death toll rising the tragedy devastated the local community. John Paul Morrison, the Director of Education for the Archdiocese of Westminster, said the archdiocese was offering counselling to students. “What they have…

Pope 
calls
 for
 moment 
of
 silence 
after
 devastating 
Portuguese 
infernos

Pope Francis expressed his “closeness” to the people of Portugal after deadly forest fires killed over 60 people. After reciting the Marian prayer last Sunday in St Peter’s Square, the Pope mentioned the disaster, which occurred in the south-east of Coimbra. Three days of national mourning were declared after a severe heatwave, with temperatures in…

Religious leader condemn attack at London mosque

Cardinal Vincent Nichols, along with several religious leaders, has condemned the attack on Muslims in London this week. A white van was driven into a group of people who had just left the Muslim Welfare House in Finsbury Park, killing one man and injuring up to 10. A 47-year-old man was detained by people at…

Catholic
 nun
 charged
 with
 abduction

A Catholic nun has been charged with abducting tribal girls for religious conversion in India. Sr Beena Joseph, a member of the Carmelite Sisters of St Teresa congregation, was on her way to the Madhya Pradesh state capital of Bhopal from the eastern state of Jharkhand along with four tribal girls. She was accused of taking…

Chinese officials force Muslims to eat during Ramadan

Weeks into Ramadan, authorities in the northwestern region of Xinjiang have punished at least 100 ethnic minority Muslims for breaking the Chinese Communist Party’s ruling. The party have put restrictions on observance of the religious fasting month, an exile group said. Since Muslims in China began observing dawn-to-dusk fasting and other restrictions last month the…