Nonagenerian priest hears confession during penitential walk
2016-03-04
Some 30,000 people participated in the Feb. 28 walk in northeast BrazilContinue Reading
Vatican newspaper essays say women should preach at Mass
2016-03-03
A series of essays in the semiofficial Vatican newspaper is urging the Catholic Church to allow women to preach from the pulpit at Mass, a role that has been reserved almost exclusively to the all-male priesthood for nearly 800 years. “This topic is a delicate one, but I believe itContinue Reading
Pakistani diocese opens martyr cause for Bhatti
2016-03-03
Rawalpindi — Marking the fifth anniversary of the assassination of Shahbaz Bhatti on Wednesday, a Pakistani diocese has opened a process of enquiry towards declaring the late politician a martyr. Bhatti, a Catholic and the only Christian in the Pakistani cabinet, worked as the federal minister for minorities and spokeContinue Reading
Pope Francis accepts invitation to visit Pakistan
2016-03-03
The invitation was given through a high level Pakistan delegation to RomeContinue Reading
Church made ‘enormous mistakes’, Cardinal Pell tells abuse inquiry
2016-03-02
The Australian Church made “enormous mistakes” in its handling of paedophilia, Cardinal George Pell has told the royal commission into child abuse. Speaking via video link from Rome, the cardinal said the Church had previously had a “predisposition not to believe” reports of abuse by priests. “The instinct was moreContinue Reading
Vatican paper lauds ‘Spotlight’ for giving voice to abuse victims
2016-03-01
Vatican City: The Vatican newspaper on Monday lauded the film Spotlight, which took home this year’s Oscar for best picture, for giving voice to the pain of the victims of sexual abuse by the clergy. The film tells the story of how the Boston Globe uncovered a massive scandal ofContinue Reading
Yazidi women, girls seek healing in Germany after ISIS ‘Hell’
2016-02-28
Geneva: One eight-year-old was repeatedly sold and raped, while another girl set herself on fire to make herself less attractive to her terrorist captors. These are only two of the more than 1,400 horror stories German doctor Jan Ilhan Kizilhan has heard first-hand from Yazidi women and girls once enslavedContinue Reading
British Muslim girls being forced into marriage via internet
2016-02-28
London: Minor Muslim girls in the UK as young as 11 are being forced to marry men living abroad via the internet notwithstanding a ban on forced marriage in the country. Imams in the UK and abroad have been conducting ceremonies using Skype — so girls can be married remotelyContinue Reading
U.S. lawmakers urge Modi to take action on religious violence
2016-02-27
Eight U.S. Senators and 26 members of the U.S. House of Representatives have raised “grave concerns about the increasing intolerance and violence experienced by members of…religious minority communities,” in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, citing threats to Christians in Chhattisgarh and vigilantism over beef that has led toContinue Reading
Pope makes surprise visit to drug, alcohol recovery center
2016-02-27
Vatican City: Continuing his knack for surprises, Pope Francis made an unscheduled stop at a rehabilitation center for those addicted to drugs and alcohol as part of monthly works of mercy, which he carries out on Fridays during the Jubilee Year of Mercy. He traveled to the Fr. Mario PicchiContinue Reading