International

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 […]

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 […]

Pope Francis planning India, Mongolia trips after Lisbon, Marseille

Pope Francis said on February 5 he is planning to visit India next year and is studying a possible trip to Mongolia later in 2023 in what would be a first for a Pope. The Pope outlined his upcoming travel schedule during his flight back to Rome from South Sudan, wire agency AP reported. He confirmed that he […]

Irish bishops reject assisted suicide

Pope warns Vatican pension fund needs urgent reform as employees demand transparency