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German Dioceses Push for Major Changes During Upcoming ‘Synodal Path’

According to a joint open letter released in Germany, vicars general say ‘fundamental reform’ is ‘essential’ and ask that accusations that participants are ‘lacking orthodoxy’ be avoided during the two-year synodal process. Now that the Pan-Amazonian Synod is over, attention is turning to the German bishops’ “synodal path” whose latest development is the publication of […]

In new interview, Cardinal Marx speaks on same-sex blessings

Cardinal Reinhard Marx has expressed the view that homosexual couples can receive a Church blessing “in the sense of a pastoral accompaniment” in the Catholic Church, but not in a manner that resembles marriage. In an interview with the German magazine Stern, the Archbishop of Munich and Freising was asked, “What do you do when a […]

Pope lifts ‘pontifical secret’ rule in sex abuse cases

The Pope has declared that the rule of “pontifical secrecy” no longer applies to the sexual abuse of minors, in a bid to improve transparency in such cases. The Church previously shrouded sexual abuse cases in secrecy, in what it said was an effort to protect the privacy of victims and reputations of the accused. […]

Thai police round up dozens of Christian Pakistani refugees

A group of Pakistani Christian asylum seekers were arrested Dec. 19 by Thai immigration authorities in an early morning raid on a low-rise condominium in eastern Bangkok. An estimated 36 people, including around 12 women and an equal number of children, were detained after immigration officials showed up at the doors of several low-rent units […]

Dayal, Cedric among Hundreds detained for protesting CAA

John Dayal and Jesuit Father Cedric Prakash were among hundreds of human rights activists on December 19 detained in various parts of India for protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which they say is divisive. The Delhi Police detained Dayal, a senior journalist and human rights activist, along with others for protesting in front […]

Pope Francis, does the appointment of Tagle at Propaganda Fide begin the race for the next conclave?

Pope Francis on December 8 appointed the 62-year-old Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle as Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples. The move is more than a major curial appointment: it seems to  open the way toward preparations for the papal succession.  Not by chance, the veteran Vatican watcher Sandro Magister immediately made […]

Women African judges meet at Vatican to tackle ‘plague’ of human trafficking

A group of around 50 women judges and prosecutors engaged in the fight against human trafficking and organized crime in Africa is meeting at the Vatican. Hosted by the Pontifical Academy for Sciences, the Dec. 12-13 meeting reprises a similar summit held in December 2018. Pope Francis addressed the summit privately for around 10-15 minutes […]

Greta Thunberg named Time magazine’s person of the year

Greta Thunberg, the teen activist from Sweden who has urged immediate action to address a global climate crisis, was named Time magazine’s person of the year for 2019. She is the youngest person to have ever received the accolade. Thunberg, 16, was lauded by Time for starting an environmental campaign in August 2018 which became […]