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Cardinal Grech urges Asian bishops to be ‘good listeners’

Asian Bishops and diocesan delegates gathered in Thailand have been urged to be “more attentive to the voices within the Church” as they begin discernment and discussions in the third phase of the synodal process for Asia. “Be more attentive to the voices within the Church, especially to those voices which agitate and also to […]

Continent by continent, Pope’s Synod on Synodality gathers steam

Around the world, Pope Francis’s Synod on Synodality is moving full steam ahead as bishops gather at the continental level to discuss the concerns and priorities of their local churches, ahead of a major gathering in Rome later this year. Formally opened by Pope Francis in October 2021, the Synod of Bishops on Synodality is […]

Egyptian Christians in Libya face ‘toxic mix of racism and religious hostility’

After the release of a group of Egyptian Christians abducted in Libya, a leading human rights organization said that “Christians from sub-Saharan Africa face a toxic mix of racism and religious hostility” in the North African country. The six men, all from the village of Alharja South in the southern Egyptian region of Suhag, had […]

Pope Francis reaffirms bishops must get Vatican approval to allow Latin Mass

Pope Francis has unequivocally confirmed that bishops must obtain authorization from the Holy See before granting permission to celebrate the pre-Vatican II Mass in parish churches and before allowing priests ordained after July 16, 2021, to use the 1962 Roman Missal. The latest instruction also makes clear that bishops cannot take the law into their […]

Ukraine’s Catholic leader says Biden visit generated new hope

Ukraine’s top Catholic prelate says the surprise visit of US President Joe Biden on Monday has given the country’s people new hope on the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion. Speaking via Zoom with a handful of Italian journalists, Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, said “the Russian army has literally […]

Francis says Popes, Jesuit generals normally should reign ‘for life’

Pope Francis revealed a slightly wary take on papal resignations in a candid conversation with his fellow Jesuits during a recent trip to Africa, saying he believes the papacy is for life and that stepping down should not become a habit in Catholicism. The pope was in Africa Jan. 31-Feb. 5, visiting both the Democratic […]

Indonesian minister against closing church under harsh fiat

Indonesia’s minister of religious affairs has joined Church groups in condemning the disruption of Christian worship in Lampung province on Sumatra Island by citing a controversial government decree. A local mob on Feb. 19 forcibly stopped congregational worship at the David Tabernacle Christian Church in Rajabasa saying the place of worship did not meet the criteria prescribed under […]

Muslim, Catholic pilgrimages share commonalities in Java

Indonesian Jesuit Father Bagus Laksana teaches theology and cultural studies at Sanata Dharma University in Yogyaka-rta. His research revolves around Christian-Muslim relations in the context of Javanese culture. In 2004 he published a book titled, Muslim and Catholic Pilgrimage Practices: Explorations through Java. It presents Muslim and Catholic pilgrimages around Java island and shows an […]