International

Vatican calls for ‘ethics of risk against COVID-19

The Pontifical Academy for Life released a paper on the eff-ects of the pandemic. Titled Hu-mana Communitas in the age of pandemic: untimely meditations on life’s rebirth, it starts from the realisation that human “fragility” has been made worse by the pandemic. The document notes that “all of us may succumb to the wounds of […]

Vatican: In rare cases, lay faithful can lead marriage rite

The Vatican said on July 20 that in very exceptional circum-stances and with special permission, lay Catholics can be allowed to perform marriage rites. In a document issued by the Holy See office for clergy, the Vatican said that could only happen if there are no priests or deacons available, the nation’s bishops sign off […]

Russian Orthodox Synod: ‘Pain and sorrow for Saint Sophia’

The Holy Synod of the Ru-ssian Orthodox Church “expre-sses its profound regret over the decision of the state leader-ship of Turkey to revoke the museum status of Hagia Sophia and to give it to the Muslim community for public worship.” The Orthodox clergy of Mos-cow wrote in a statement approved after a session of the […]

Churches burned, people beheaded in Mozambique’s escalating extremist violence

A Catholic bishop has deplored the world’s indifference to escalating extremist violence in northern Mozambique, where multiple churches have been burnt, people beheaded, young girls kidnapped, and hundreds of thousands of people displaced by the violence. Bishop Luiz Fernando Lisboa of Mozam-bique’s Pemba diocese has been an outspoken advocate for the needs of the more […]

Grand Mufti Shawki Allam: “There is no objection to building churches with Muslim money”

Islamic law does not contain any legal objection to the possi-bility of building churches using money belonging to Muslims. This relevant observation, full of possible applications with respect to situations of potential sectarian conflict in many coun-tries with a Muslim majority, also deserves attention for the authoritativeness of the source: this is what Sheikh Shawki […]

German abbess faces possible landmark trial on church asylum

A Benedictine abbess who granted refuge to female asylum-seekers faces trial for refusing to pay a fine, reported the German Catholic news agency KNA. It could become a land-mark case by determining whe-ther granting church asylum amounts to the punishable offen-se of “aiding and abetting illegal residents,” as state prosecutors often interpret it. There is […]

Vatican publishes instructions on parish reform and diocesan restructuring

The Vatican’s Congregation for Clergy has published instructions on reforming parishes and restructuring dioceses to better serve their “singular mission of evangeli-zation.” The 24-page document is called “The pastoral conversion of the parish community in the service of the evangelizing mission of the Church” and seeks to “foster a greater co-responsibility and collaboration among all the baptised,” […]

Pell says jail offers lessons for how the Church should manage money

To hear Catholicism’s most famous former inmate tell the story, the experience of being in jail actually offers improbable insights for Church management, perhaps especially managing money. In a new video released on July 14, Australian Cardinal George Pell, who spent more than 400 days in jail after a conviction for a sexual abuse charge […]

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Youth taught to use social media to become Good Samaritans

Pakistan’s oldest priest passes away at 97