The number of legal abortions taking place in Poland decreased by 90% in 2021, following a court ruling that banned abortion in the case of a foetal medical diagnosis such as Down syndrome. According to a report by the Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita, data from the Ministry of Health shows that the number of legal abortions…
Opus Dei in Argentina has responded to a BBC news story about a complaint made to the Vatican by 43 women who claim to have been exploited by the Catholic apostolate. In a communiqué, Opus Dei told ACI Prensa that it considers it necessary “to set up a listening and study commission that will allow…
Pope Francis appoints personal health assistant The Vatican announced August 4 that Pope Francis has appointed a “personal health care assistant”. Pope Francis has selected Massimiliano Strappetti, a Vatican nurse whom the Pope has credited with saving his life, to provide additional assistance as the 85-year-old Pope faces mobility problems. “A nurse, a man with a…
The US Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit in Chicago said July 28 that a Catholic high school in Indianapolis and the Archdiocese of Indianapolis have a constitutional right to hire staff who will uphold their core religious teachings. The case, Starkey v Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Indianapolis, involves Lynn Starkey, a former guidance…
To improve the lives of Pakistanis, many of whom are desperately poor, the Archdiocese of Lahore has ramped up its educational and vocational training efforts. “We evaluated and studied that – through education and then skill training and some other professional training – that is the only way out of misery,” said Archbishop Sebastian Shaw…
Ukrainians will fight for their statehood to the last and will not stop until they liberate the last metre of Ukrainian land, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a video address for Ukrainian Statehood Day July 28. The day marks the 988 Baptism of “Kyivan Rus,” the origin of Christianity in the region, but this is…
St James honoured with procession in Cuban city A large number of Catholics from the Archdiocese of Santiago de Cuba participated in a procession July 25 to celebrate the feast of their patron, St James the Apostle. The special event also commemorated the 507th anniversary of the founding of Santiago (St James) de Cuba. Archbishop…
The bishop of Córdoba, Spain, Demetrio Fernández, warned about the challenges facing the Synod on Synodality, an initiative that he acknowledges “has stirred up the waters of the Church” but that cannot “invent” the mission of the Catholic Church. In his weekly pastoral letter, which concludes by quoting the Letter to the Hebrews — ”Jesus…
A diocese in the northern Philippines appealed for aid July 27 after a magnitude 7 earthquake that killed at least four and injured dozens. The Archdiocese of Tuguegarao in northeastern Luzon said churches and historical sites sustained cracks and were damaged, but it also needed help to repair hospital infrastructure and equipment. Patients were evacuated…
Vatican asks Catholics to share experiences helping migrants and refugees As the Church prepares to commemorate the World Day of Migrants and Refugees in September, Pope Francis launched a video campaign meant to highlight the spiritual and cultural contributions that migrants bring to people’s lives. “Migrants and refugees offer us a great opportunity for the…