Hannah Brockhaus Today the Vatican changed the Catechism’s teaching on the permissibility of the death penalty, which the Church has taught is legitimate in extreme cases, stating it is ‘inadmissible,’ and its elimination will be sought. A new draft of paragraph 2267 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church was issued by the Congregation…
Pope Francis has accepted the resignation from the College of Cardinals of Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick, retired archbishop of Washington, and has ordered him to maintain “a life of prayer and penance” until a canonical trial examines accusations that he sexually abused minors. The announcement came first from the US Conference of Catholic Bishops and…
Public anger is mounting in China after revelations that major vaccine makers violated safety standards. Thousands of faulty vaccines have been administered to children, eroding public trust in essential services and damaging China’s standing overseas as it tries to become a major player in the pharmaceutical industry. A Catholic doctor told a Catholic news provider the case…
Syriac Catholic bishops from around the world, meeting in Lebanon for their annual synod, lamented the plight of their “tormented and persecuted” faithful. In their final statement from the July 23-27 gathering, with Syriac Catholic Patriarch Ignace Joseph III Younan presiding, the bishops noted that they have “raised their voices high in front of the…
An Indian federal agency has proposed abolishing the Sacrament of Confession on grounds that Christian priests misuse it to blackmail and target women, but Church officials believe the plan is an unnecessary interference in religious affairs. The National Commission for Women, a body that protects women’s interests, also proposed a federal inquiry into two cases…
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled it will allow the release of a redacted version of a grand jury report on a months-long investigation into sexual abuse claims in six Pennsylvania dioceses, some of which go back decades. In June the court had put a hold on the full report being released because it said it…
Chilean prelate to testify over alleged abuse cover-ups The Chilean prosecutor’s office has issued a subpoena to Cardinal Riccardo Ezzati of Santiago regarding his role in the alleged cover-up of sexual abuse by members of the clergy. In a statement released by the Archdiocese of Santiago, Cardinal Ezzati said he was committed to helping victims “search for the truth” and denied any…
Hannah Brockhaus When a person puts an object or a philosophy above God, it not only destroys happiness, it hinders the ability to experience real love, Pope Francis said today. “Attachment to an object or an idea makes us blind to love. Carry this in your heart: idols rob us of love, idols make…
After numerous accusations of sexual abuse of minors and adults have arisen against a former Archbishop of Washington, Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston called Tuesday for bishops to be held accountable for sex abuse. “These cases and others require more than apologies. They raise up the fact that when charges are brought regarding a bishop…
Editorials in national Catholic publications have taken the US Catholic Church to task for its failure to root out all forms of clergy sexual abuse in the light of allegations made by former seminarians against Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick, retired archbishop of Washington. “The Catholic Church cannot pretend to be shocked about the pattern of…