Pope: Seminaries don’t form ‘supermen’, but humble servants The mission of a seminary “is not to form ‘supermen’ who pretend to know and control everything”, but to help seminarians become priests who are humble servants of the communities they continue to belong to, Pope Francis said. “The Lord calls some of his disciples to be…
French Cardinal Jean-Pierre Ricard, former head of the French bishops’ conference, admitted to abusing a 14-year-old girl 35 years ago. The revelation came in a letter from Cardinal Ricard read by Archbishop Eric de Moulins-Beaufort of Reims, president of the bishops’ conference, during a news conference on abuse November 7, during the French bishops’ general assembly. The…
The economic crisis in Cuba continues to impact the population, this time affecting Catholics specifically because the lack of wheat flour has meant that no more Communion hosts can be made. The St. Teresa Discalced Carmelite Monastery in Havana announced the news Wednesday. “We inform all the dioceses that there are no longer hosts for…
One of the church’s leading experts on safeguarding and clerical sexual abuse has said the exclusion of women from seminary formation needs to change. Jesuit Fr Hans Zollner spoke to more than 200 people at a ‘Stolen Lives’ webinar organised by the Root and Branch lay reform movement in Britain in conjunction with Survivor Voices…
Bishop Barron outraged by cemetery desecration Bishop Robert Barron of Winona-Rochester expressed outrage November 2 over the desecration of several graves and the columbarium at the diocese’s Calvary Cemetery in Rochester “with hateful and obscene graffiti” on Halloween night. He assured his prayers for families “of those whose final resting places were so dishonoured”. The…
A Catholic bishop in Congo warned of a loss of government control over parts of the country, three months ahead of a projected visit by Pope Francis. “Our people are languishing in misery, while those managing the republic swim in abundance, showing indifference toward the martyred population,” said Bishop Placide Lubamba Ndjibu of Kasongo. “We…
The Catholic Church is working to promote healing and rebuild trust with Native American communities in response to revelations about mistreatment of students in church-run boarding schools, a priest working on Native American issues for the US bishops told an Archdiocese of Seattle gathering. “This is heart stuff, not head stuff,” Fr Michael Carson, assistant…
Saints were revolutionaries living the beatitudes, says Pope The saints were not “starched”, picture-perfect conformists, Pope Francis said; they were “countercultural and revolutionary”. The multitude of men and women honoured on the feast of All Saints lived according to the Eight Beatitudes, which made them decidedly out of place in the world, Pope Francis said…
Details are still emerging after a violent raid by Fulani herdsmen October 19 in Benue State, Central Nigeria, reportedly left dozens of Catholic villagers killed. Police and clergy agree that the raid was in reprisal for the killing of four Fulani herdsmen earlier in the week in a clash between herdsmen and farmers defending their…
As Maryamu Joseph, a 16-year-old victim of Boko Haram violence, recovers from trauma after years of captivity, she finds it hard to forgive the men who abducted her. Maryamu recalls that one day when she was 7, armed men raided her community and went on a killing spree before she was abducted with 21 others.…