Login      Register  
Subscription

No nationwide anti-conversion law planned: Government

A nationwide law to ban religious con-versions or interfaith marriages is not being planned since it falls under the dominion of states, the central government said in parliament on February 2. The assurance came amid a renewed drive for such legislation in several states ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), that heads the federal […]

Pope names first woman under-secretary with rights to vote

Pope Francis February 6 appointed a Spanish priest and a French religious sister as under-secretaries of the Synod of Bishops. It is the first time a woman has held a position of this level within the general secretariat of the Synod of Bishops. Father Luis Marín de San Martín and Sister Nathalie Becquart will replace […]

Pope announces ‘world day of grandparents’

Pope Francis has announced a new “world day of grandparents and the elderly” to recognised often-forgotten older generations. Speaking after the Angelus yesterday, he praised the “precious voice” and “wisdom” of the elderly, and said it was important that children are allowed to meet and learn from their grandparents. He timed his announcement two days […]

Pope attends funeral of his personal physician

Seated before a casket covered with flowers, Pope Francis attended the funeral of his personal physician, Dr Fabrizi Soccorsi, on Jan. 26. The funeral Mass was celebrated by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, at the Church of Santa Maria Regina della Famiglia, which is in the Governor’s Palace inside Vatican City. Soccorsi, 78, […]

Nun says her Vatican appointment means ‘clericalist mindset is changing’

A French nun who could potentially be the first woman to cast a vote in the Synod of Bishops said that her appointment is evidence the “clericalist mindset is changing” as more and more women assume high-level decision-making responsibilities in the Catholic hierarchy. Sister Nathalie Becquart told journalists that Pope Francis has been underlining the importance […]

Romania: Church under fire after child dies during baptism

Authorities in Romania are probing a Christian priest in connection with the death of a baby during the baptism ceremony of the child. The baby had died of a heart attack after the bishop had plunged the child’s head underwater three times during a baptism. According to reports, the six-week-old child’s lungs were filled up […]