Asia Bibi judge resigns from the bench The Pakistani judge whose absence from court on October 13 caused yet another postponement of Asia Bibi’s appeal against her blasphemy death sentence has resigned from the bench. Justice Iqbal Hameedur Rehman is understood to have submitted his letter of resignation on the basis that he is also a judge in the case of…

A Vatican-appointed bishop in China will be elevated to his new bishopric on November 10 after two years waiting for approval from Beijing. Bishop Peter Ding Lingbin will be ordained for the Diocese of Changzhi, home to at least 50,000 Catholics, at a ceremony to be held at the Cathedral of Ss Peter and Paul.…

The Catholic Bishops of South Africa have urged the government to reconsider its decision to pull away from the International Criminal Court, as the country’s move leads to more African nations quitting the international justice body, all amid claims that it disproportionately targets Africans. As The Irish Catholic went to press this week, the South…

A leading Catholic aid agency has rejected an accusation that it has been involved with distributing contraceptives in Africa. Following claims by a body named the Lepanto Institute that the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) had made contraceptives available during its field work in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) between 2006 and 2010, the CRS…

A legal advisor to France’s top administrative court has said that public buildings in the strongly secularist country could be allowed to house nativity scenes. According to French media, magistrate Aurélie Bretonneau said the tradition of nativity scenes – known as crèches in French – do not necessarily breach the nation’s 1905 law on church/state…

Pope alters membership of Liturgical body Pope Francis has replaced in one move all of the members of the Congregation for Divine Worship. While membership of the body in charge of liturgical questions – like all others – is subject to change at the behest of the Pontiff, this is normally done on an individual or small group basis, making…

A statue of Mary is seen in a collapsed church after an earthquake in Borgo Sant’Antonio near Visso, Italy on October 27. People have prayed for relief after this, the third quake in just two months. Photo: CNS

The initiative launched by the son of Munster legend Anthony ‘Axel’ Foley to get people going back to Mass has been met with huge support across Ireland and beyond. Eleven-year-old Tony set up a Facebook page in honour of his father to appeal to people to attend Mass for eight Sundays to Christmas to remember…