International

Pope Francis: ‘It’s Not Possible to Worship God While Making the Liturgy a Battleground’

‘I emphasize again that the liturgical life, and the study of it, should lead to greater Church unity, not division. When the liturgical life is a bit like a banner of division, there is the stench of the devil in there, the deceiver,’ the Holy Father said April 7. Pope Francis said Saturday that the liturgy should […]

Pope Francis permitted spending $1m to free nun kidnapped in Mali, cardinal says

At the Vatican’s finance trial on May 5, Cardinal Angelo Becciu said that Pope Francis had allowed spending up to 1 million euros ($1.05 million) toward the liberation of a missionary abducted in Mali. Sister Gloria Cecilia Narváez Argoti was kidnapped in Feb. 2017 and held until her Oct. 9, 2021 release. Cardinal Becciu, who […]

Report: EU commission proposes sanctions against Patriarch Kirill

The European Commission has reportedly proposed sanctions against the head of the Russian Orthodox Church. Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia is among 58 figures earmarked for sanctions related to the Russia-Ukraine war, Agence France-Presse reported on May 4. The news agency said it had seen a document describing the patriarch as “a long-time […]

Are diocesan mergers on the way?

The Holy See announced on April 27 that Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Archbishop George Stack of Cardiff, Wales, appointing Bishop Mark O’Toole of the Diocese of Plymouth, England, to succeed him. At the same time, O’Toole has also been named the Bp of Menevia, the neighbouring Welsh diocese, which has had no bishop […]

Being in Oberammergau Passion Play is stressful, but pulls people together

Next time, Jesus would like to be a villain. That is a role one of the two actors portraying Christ in the Oberammergau Passion Play in Germany would be interested in playing. Frederik Mayet will play Jesus for a second time when the world-famous Passion Play begins its 2022 season May 14. The play will […]

Francis has opened the Vatican’s top leadership to women. Are lay cardinals next?

Pope Francis is reorganizing the Vatican Curia — the church’s administrators and his senior staff — and may name new cardinals in June. Francis’ new apostolic constitution, “Praedicate Evangelium” (“Preach the Gospel”), issued last month, noted that the heads of dicasteries and other offices that manage the church need not be ordained. This highlighted Francis’ stated […]

Cologne Catholics who answer survey demand curbs on leaders’ power

Archdiocesan Catholics who responded to a survey preparing for the 2023 worldwide Synod of Bishops on synodality called for some big changes in the church. The German Catholic news agency KNA reported that a statement on the archdiocese’s website noted a majority of respondents called for the faithful to be given greater self-determination and demanded […]

Priest’s unexplained expulsion from Russia fuels fears for foreign clergy

A Catholic priest was expelled from Russia without explanation, amid fears for the well-being of other clergy ministering in the country. Father Fernando Vera, a Mexican member of Opus Dei, left Russia in mid-April after being told his residence permit was revoked. Father Kirill Gorbunov, spokesman for the Russian bishops’ conference, told Catholic News Service […]

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Pope: Red Cross’ humanitarian work shows that fraternity is possible

New Vatican document lists ‘grave violations’ of human dignity