Pope Francis has selected a French Jesuit theologian and a Jewish law professor as winners of the Ratzinger Prize. The winners for 2022, announced by the Vatican October 7, are: Jesuit Fr Michel Fédou, professor of dogmatic theology and patristics at the Centre Sèvres of Paris and dean of the faculty of theology. He is…
On the date marking 700 days of war in Ethiopia’s region of Tigray, Bishop Tesfasellassie Medhin of Adigrat restated his call to the local and international community to act to save millions of people. People must “exercise their moral duty (to) be a voice of the voiceless and enforce international treaties to save more than…
Pope Francis said he was “deeply saddened” after hearing the news of one of the world’s worst mass shootings at a day care centre in northeast Thailand. In a message sent October 7 by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, the Pope offered prayers for the victims “of the horrific attack” that claimed the lives of…
New cardinals appointed as members of dicasteries Pope Francis appointed several recently created cardinals to be members of the dicasteries of the Roman Curia, the Vatican announced. Among the new appointments announced by the Vatican October 7 was Cardinal Robert McElroy of San Diego, who will serve as a member of the Dicastery for Laity,…
Following demands for an apology and a threat he might “file an official complaint with the Holy Father,” the German Bishops’ Conference president met with a Vatican cardinal in Rome this week. Bishop Georg Bätzing sat down with Cardinal Kurt Koch October 4 to apparently clear the air over what the German Bishop Bätzing had…
Catholic leaders in Africa have called for the removal of the unpayable debts, saying that the burdens were sinking their countries further into poverty. They said the continent was struggling with an unprecedented confluence of crises and urged international leaders to prioritise actions that enable Africa’s recovery. The faith leaders wrote an open letter to…
Tourist detained after toppling busts at Vatican Museums tourist who toppled two ancient Roman busts in the Vatican Museums has been handed over to Italian police, the Vatican said. The vandalism occurred October 5 when the tourist, identified by several Italian media outlets as an American man, threw down two marble busts from their pedestals…
Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega blasted Catholic leaders as a “gang of murderers,” in comments amping up persecution of the Church and scorning Pope Francis’ call for dialogue in the Central American country. In a fiery address, Ortega took aim at Nicaragua’s Catholic bishops for promoting democracy as an exit from the country’s political crisis, alleging…
Russia’s bishops said Catholics face dilemmas responding to a mass call-up for the war in Ukraine, and they urged President Vladimir Putin’s government to recognise conscientious objection. “The confrontation in Ukraine has grown into a full-scale military conflict and already claimed thousands of lives, undermining trust and unity between countries and peoples, and threatening the…
The patriarchs and leaders of Christian Churches in Jerusalem praised Jordan’s King Abdullah II for turning a spotlight on what they say is “the deteriorating situation of Christian basic human rights” in the city and throughout the Holy Land. The king, in his speech to the UN General Assembly September 20, said, “Today, Christianity in…