Christians have a crucial part to play in revitalising Europe, Pope Francis said, warning against “particular and nationalist agendas”. The Pope pointed to the two World Wars that killed millions in Europe, describing peace as a “fragile good”, saying “particular and nationalist agendas risk thwarting the courageous dreams of the founders of Europe”. However, he…

In Brief A plan to lift a ban on open-pit mining in the Philippines has drawn strong opposition from environmental activists, including the country’s Catholic bishops. Father Edwin Gariguez, executive secretary of Caritas Philippines, said lifting the ban is a “backward step in government policy” to protect the environment. The government’s Mining Industry Coordinating Council announced…

In Brief A French priest was honoured for two decades of researching and telling the story of current and former genocides. Fr Patrick Desbois is the founder of Yahad-In Unum in Paris, which is dedicated identifying and commemorating the sites of mass executions in Eastern Europe during World War II. He was awarded the 2017…

In Brief A Catholic priest in Kenya is believed to have been tortured and killed for voicing opposition to government brutality. Father Evans Juma Odour spoke out against police killing opposition protestors. He served Nyabondo Parish in Kisumu county, and was found unconscious with severe wounds to his head, face and hands. Police took Fr…

In Brief God waits for everyone, even the worst sinner who repents only with his dying breath, Pope Francis said. “Before God, we present ourselves with empty hands,” he said, meaning that all the good works people have or haven’t done throughout their lives aren’t measured to determine entry into heaven. “A word of humble…

In Brief Nepal has enacted a law criminalising religious conversion, joining neighbours India and Pakistan in a regional bloc in which Christian minorities face increasing government threats to their Faith. The bill was signed into law last week by President Bidhya Devi Bhandari and enshrines additional constitutional protection for Hinduism, which 80 percent of the…

The number of Catholics in the world is continuing to rise, according to the latest set of annual statistics published by FIDES, the Church’s missionary news agency. In 2015 there were 1,284,810,000 Catholics worldwide, up by 12.5 million on the previous year. Baptised Catholics now make up 17.72% of the global population, with most Catholics…

The tallest statue of the Virgin Mary in the world is set to be built on an island in Central America. At 47 metres high the statue is expected to cost 80 million pesos, just over €3.57 million, and will be built on San Simón hill in a marginalised area of Guadalupe. The project began…

A Nigerian bishop in Liverpool has said the Catholic Church in his country is beginning to lose its public influence because of the decline of religious Faith in the West. Bishop Matthew Kukah of Sokoto accused European and American politicians and diplomats of publicly “pandering” to Islam at the expense of Christianity. The result, he…