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After Israel, Will Morocco Normalize with Christians?

President Donald Trump’s Abraham Accords have been singular in focus—build Middle East peace upon Arab states establishing full relations with Israel. And although not officially linked, three of the four nations to normalize with the Jewish state this year received something from the United States in return. The first, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), was cleared […]

Newly-professed US religious ‘young and highly-educated’

Most religious men and women who professed their perpetual vows in 2020 are highly educated, come from a Catholic family background, and have first considered vocation at a relatively young age. This is according to new research conducted by the Centre for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA). The research was commissioned by the U.S. […]

For Ash Wednesday, Vatican asks priests to ‘sprinkle’ ashes on heads

The Vatican Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacra-ments asked priests to take special anti-COVID-19 precautions this year when distributing ashes on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 17, inclu-ding sprinkling ashes on the top of people’s heads rather than using them to make a cross on people’s foreheads. The congregation’s note on the “distribution of ashes in time […]

What has changed in canon law for women?

Most Catholics, who grew up seeing women at the altar reading from the Bible and serving at Mass, wondered what was improved when Pope Francis changed canon law this month, purportedly to allow women to participate in such services. Although women have been taking care of these ministries at local bishops’ discretion, they were barred […]

Pope Won’t Lift Luther’s Excommunication

Pope Francis has rejected an appeal to reinstate expelled Augustinian monk Martin Luther on the 500th anniversary of his excommunication, which falls on Jan. 3, 2021. The pontiff’s highly significant overtures towards Lutherans over the last five years had raised hopes in ecumenical circles for the withdrawal of the bull of excommunication, Decet Romanum Pontificem, […]

Pakistani Christian charged with blasphemy over Facebook post

A 25-year-old Pakistani Christian was arrested and charged with violating the country’s blasphemy laws after sharing a social media post critical of Islam in December. Pastor Raja Warris, a Christian pastor, was charged for posting on Facebook on Dec. 22 a message that reportedly hurt the religious sentiments of his Muslim neighbours. On Dec. 26, […]

Advocate for India’s domestic workers

Sister Christin Mary is a member of the Missionary Sisters of the Im-maculate Heart of Mary, also known as ICM Sisters. Based in the western Indian city of Mumbai, Mary coordinates the National Domestic Workers’ Movement, which has been championing the rights of domestic workers, children in domestic work, and migrant domestic workers since 1985. […]

56 new Carmelite priests celebrate Mass at founder’s tomb

As many as 56 newly ordained priests of the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate Congregation (CMI) on January 4 celebrated thanksgiving Mass at St Joseph’s Monastery Church in Mannanam in Kerala’s Kottayam district where their founder’s remains are kept. Father Mathew Chandrankunnel, a member of the congregation and a professor of theology, said the young men […]