A Colombian priest who dedicated years of his life to reducing violence at soccer stadiums died in Bogotá, where he was mourned at a church by hundreds of parishioners, including some wearing jerseys of the city’s two biggest soccer clubs. Msgr Alirio López, 66, was one of the first public personalities in Colombia to address…
Category: World Report
Vatican Roundup
Pope: Don’t forget workers left on to the margins by pandemic Pope Francis addressed an International Labour Organisation (ILO) summit last Thursday, calling for dignified working conditions and support for workers on the margins of the labour market still affected by pandemic losses. “In 2020, we saw an unprecedented loss of employment all over the…
In brief
Bishop urges Nigerian government to unban Twitter Bishop Lucius Ugorji of Umuahia has joined other Nigerians asking the federal government to unban Twitter. In a homily June 13 at Mater Dei Cathedral in Umuahia, Bishop Ugorji said the nation’s economy would suffer a further slide as a result of the ban. He also said the…
Self-righteous continue to disturb Christian community, Pope says
Those who proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ are humble and trust in God, they do not heap conditions upon others or promote themselves as the only “keepers of the truth”, Pope Francis said
European Union bishops express caution about hate crimes legislation
The Brussels-based commission representing the Catholic bishops of the European Union is backing tougher steps to combat hate crimes, but warned that current EU proposals could violate religious freedom and have a “chilling and self-censoring effect”. “Hate crimes are more and more common and are cause for increasing concern – a grave phenomenon to be…
Collaborative effort to end human trafficking takes shape in West Africa
Clergy, women religious and laypeople pledged to strengthen existing networks and build new partnerships to fight human trafficking in West Africa during a five-day conference. Recognising that the coronavirus pandemic has not slowed the work of traffickers who force young people into prostitution, pornography, erotic entertainment and forced labour, more than two dozen participants agreed…
Theology can help guide speculation about aliens, professor says
Fundamental theological principles provide the framework for any doctrinal questions over the discovery of extra-terrestrial beings, a theologian claimed in a lecture on June 5. While the Church does not have any specific teachings on extra-terrestrial life, theologians can speculate on the existence of these beings and their nature due to the “underlying principles” which…
Third Catholic church in eastern Myanmar hit by military strikes
Another church in Kayah state, a Catholic stronghold in eastern Myanmar, was damaged by indiscriminate shelling by the military. Military fire hit Our Lady, Queen of Peace Church in the village of Doungankha the morning of June 6. Church leaders said there were no casualties as people had fled to relatives’ homes and into the…
US court decision deals blow to some immigrants with temporary status
A June 7 US Supreme Court decision ruled that hundreds of thousands of immigrants with a temporary immigration status cannot apply for a more permanent way to remain in the country if they first entered without authority to do so. The unanimous ruling applies to those with Temporary Permanent Status, popularly known as TPS –…
Vatican Roundup
Room to improve for Vatican handling of financial crime Moneyval, the European financial watchdog committee, said that while the Vatican has made progress in combatting financial crimes, its investigations into potential crimes committed by senior officials needs more fine-tuning. The group, also known as the Council of Europe’s Committee of Experts on the Evaluation of…