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New ‘Amazon’ rites intended to ‘enhance’ liturgy

Proposals at the Synod of Bishops for the Amazon for indigenous – or Amazonian-rite ceremonies are meant to enhance and enrich the liturgy with cultural signs and gestures, not change what is essential for Catholics, a bishop said. Spanish-born Bishop Rafael Escudero Lopez-Brea of Moyobamba, Peru, said Catholics are not asking for a new “liturgical […]

Women can be parish in-charge: Cardinal Gracias

Catholic bishops are not fully utilizing Church Law to maximize the role of women in decision making capacities, Cardinal Oswald Gracias said on October 23. While acknowledging that women are unable to hear confession, say Mass, or administer confirmation, “she can do practically everything else,” said Gracias. “Women can even be in charge of a […]

Ideological dogmatism posing “danger” to scientific temper: Christian philosophers

The current trends of ideo-logical dogmatism are posing “danger” to India’s scientific temper, said the Association of Christian Philosophers of India (ACPI). “India’s contribution to science has been immense. There has been a scientific temper down the ages, which is in danger of being diluted by current trends of ideological dogmatism, whereby the distinction between […]

Indian nuns call for women’s ‘due place’ in church leadership

About 100 Catholic women religious in India have called for a place at the table in church leadership and asked that canon law be amended to make it more relevant and inclusive. They stressed these and other points at a “Women in the Church” consultation held on October-4-6 at Ishvani Kendra Pune, the cultural capital […]

Problem not sexual abuse, but clericalism: Salesian chief

The Rector Major of the Salesians of Don Bosco addressing a group of Salesians gathered at Siliguri in North Bengal said, “the greatest problem the Church faces today is not the scandal of sexual abuse of minors by its clergy, but the scourge of clericalism and power seeking by clerics.” Rector Major, visitor from Rome, […]

Hindu reconversion drive troubles church leaders in southern India

Hindu groups have launched their reconversion move-ment targeting Christians in India’s Andhra Pradesh state, which church leaders say is a troubling move aimed at political gain. Hindu seers and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders conducted massive prayers and rituals on October 20 at the popular Hindu temple in Srisailam town of Kurnool district in the southern state. They later […]

100,000 attend Archbishop Jala’s state funeral

Nearly 100,000 people from across north-eastern India, particularly Meghalaya State, attended the state funeral of Archbishop Dominic Jala in Shillong. Archbishop John Moolachria of Guwahati, president of the North East India Bishops Council, led the Mass at the Cathedral of Mary Help of Christian, Laitumkhrah, down-town Shillong. He was assisted by 15 archbishops and bishops […]

Crusader nun rescues two teenage girls from traffickers

An anti-trafficking crusader nun in Chhattisgarh has done it again. She has rescued two more teenage girls from the central Indian state who were sold to brothels in Pune and Goa. The girls, aged 19 and 16, are siblings of a Bhil tribal family in the Kerasa village of Surguja district. Traffickers exploit the tribe’s […]