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Nicaraguan gov. shutters Catholic universities, aid agency

The Nicaraguan government announced on March 2  that it has seized the assets of two Catholic universities and of Caritas Nicaragua, and effectively shuttered their operations by rescinding their legal status in the country. The announcement comes amid an ongoing push against the Church by Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, which has included the expulsion of religious […]

Call to ‘abolish the clergy’ ignites controversy in Belgium

A booklet arguing that “to abolish clericalism, we must abolish the clergy” has ignited controversy among Belgium’s Catholics. Following the document’s publication, a petition opposing its thesis gathered more than 600 signatures in 48 hours, according to local media. The almost 60-page text, entitled “Restore the Church to the People of God: To put an end to clericalism,” was […]

German Synodal Assembly allows women to preach at Mass

The final assembly of the German Synodal Way took place in Frankfurt March 9-11, where 230 bishops and lay representatives discussed issues such as blessings for homosexual couples, the ordination of women, a relaxation of mandatory celibacy and greater church involvement for lay people. The agenda, with 10 resolution texts, reflected the will of the […]

Dutch cardinal defends plan to end Sunday celebrations without priests

A Dutch cardinal has said that he is pressing ahead with a plan to phase out Sunday Word and Communion services in the absence of a priest within his territory. Cardinal Willem Eijk, the Archbishop of Utrecht, said in a Feb. 14 letter that he was committed to eliminating the priestless Sunday celebrations over the […]

Magdalene and the Tibetan church, an “oasis of coexistence” even for the Chinese state media

The China News Service (CNS) (chinanews.com.cn) describes the Catholic community of Yanjing as an “oasis of coexistence” between religions and a “place of encounter” between cultures Catholic community in the Tibet Autonomous Region. The second largest news agency of the People’s Republic of China, which disseminates news in Chinese and English, recently posted a detailed […]

Nigerian Christians brace for election as Islamic clerics call all-Muslim ticket ‘a jihad’

Islamic religious leaders have backed an all-Muslim presidential ticket as a political “jihad” ahead of the Feb. 25 elections. Nigeria’s Christian leaders are calling for both full engage-ment in the country’s democratic process, and faith in the viability of the country’s future, ahead of elections scheduled for Feb. 25, after Islamic religious leaders ha-ve backed […]

Francis Refused Twice To Become Bishop in the Peripheries

During a February 2 meeting with Congolese Jesuits (LaCivilta Cattolica.com, February 16), Francis said that “when they proposed me to be auxiliary bishop of San Miguel, I did not accept.” He was also asked to become bishop of an area in Corrientes, northern Argentina. The nuncio encouraged him to accept saying that there were the […]

Müller and the Ancient Mass: the Pope Belittles the Bishops and Damages Pastoral Care

The recent rescript approved by Francis and the Prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, Cardinal Roche, continues to arouse reactions. The new document, which reinforces the motu proprio Traditinis custodes, establishes that the use of a parish church or the erection of a personal parish for the celebration […]