A Christian watchdog in Iraq has warned that troops advancing on the so-called Islamic State (ISIS) frontline in Mosul may be about to uncover the site of a mass grave for Christians slaughtered by the terror group during its time in control of the city. The grim prospect has been offered by the Shlomo Organisation,…

A government official in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has announced that the much-anticipated presidential election may not go ahead after all this year due to the cost of staging such a poll. The announcement is a bitter blow to the nation’s Catholic bishops who had worked with opposing sides since late in 2016…

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has insisted that a conscience protection Bill currently before Congress is vital in protecting medical professionals from being compelled to carry out abortions. In a letter to lawmakers, Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York, chair of the bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, and Archbishop William Lori, chair of…

Vatican and Russian Orthodox Church strengthen links The Russian Orthodox Church has announced plans to strengthen cooperation with the Vatican in the area of monitoring Christian persecution in the Middle East and other areas. The announcement came ahead of a meeting in Havana, Cuba, on February 12 between Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical Council…

Religious tolerance is steadily deteriorating in India and violations of freedom of religion are rising, a new report has found. Sponsored by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), ‘Constitutional and Legal Challenges Faced by Religious Minorities in India’ examined state laws across the nation and found that, while India’s constitution guarantees equal rights…

Catholic bishops in the Philippines are to undertake a ‘walk for life’ this February 18 to demonstrate their opposition to the multitude of deaths resulting from President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs over recent months. At least 7,000 people have died in shootings linked to the police or vigilant gangs since Mr Duterte called for…

Pakistani legislators have moved to curb lynchings and mob violence against minority communities via a bill amending a number of criminal laws. Under the reforms passed by the National Assembly, sectarian violence and forced conversions are outlawed while the deliberate use of words to hurt religious feelings, already an offence punishable by a year in…

The president of the Conference of German Bishops has said the Pope’s Amoris Laetitia exhortation is “very clear” and new guidelines adopted by the conference on Communion for divorced-and-remarried Catholics are in line with that. Speaking in Rome, Cardinal Reinhard Marx dismissed the ongoing row among priests and prelates on Amoris Laetitia and said he…

Pope writes preface to abuse survivor’s story Pope Francis has written the preface to a new book penned by a victim of clerical sexual abuse. The book, I Forgive you, Father, was written by Daniel Pittet, a devout Catholic who met Pope Francis in 2015, and so moved him with his childhood story that the…

On February 10 the Kenyan government at last responded to the imploring of the nation’s Catholic bishops and declared the ongoing drought in the country a national disaster. Following a morning briefing that day from officials on the now dire situation in 23 of Kenya’s 47 counties President Uhuru Kenyatta issued the declaration and called…