The Chaldean Patriarchate in Iraq has begun to distribute funds to dioceses and parishes to begin the rebuilding of communities in areas liberated from so-called Islamic State (ISIS). As Patriarch Raphael Louis Sako I led a delegation to the Nineveh Plain las week to view for himself the damage inflicted on homes and churches by…
Order of Malta Grand Master resigns The grand master of the Knights of Malta has resigned after Pope Francis declared all actions undertaken by him since the December dismissal of Grand Chancellor Albrecht Freiherr von Boeselager “null and void”. According to the National Catholic Register, Fra’ Matthew Festing was summoned to an audience with Pope…
Students from the Diocese of Lansing, Michigan hold signs during the annual March for Life in Washington DC on January 27. Photo: CNS
The Catholic bishops of Venezuela have called on the government of President Nicolas Maduro to set a date for elections as the nation continues to sink into economic disaster. Following a plenary meeting of the hierarchy, the bishops issued a pastoral exhortation, ‘Jesus Christ, the Light and the Way for Venezuela’, in which they state…
Archbishop Charles Scicluna of Malta has voiced his sadness at negative reaction to the Maltese bishops’ new guidelines on the implementation of Amoris Laetitia. Following the January 13 issuing of Criteria for the Application of Chapter VIII of Amoris Laetitia which advised priests that divorced-and-remarried Catholics who are “at peace with God…cannot be precluded from…
A team of archaeologists in the Holy Land has uncovered a large perimeter wall dating to the 10th Century BC, which some experts believe is linked to a biblical battle referred to the in the Second Book of Samuel. The team, working in Israel’s southern Arava desert – within the ancient borders of the Kingdom…
Vatican demands Order of Malta cooperate with commission The Vatican has demanded that a defiant Order of Malta cooperate with its inquiry which seeks to investigate the circumstances of the removal of one of the order’s most senior members. Following the sudden departure of Grand Chancellor Albrecht Freiherr von Boeselager on December 8 amid allegations…
A participant paints a crucifix as part of a drug addiction rehabilitation programme at a Catholic church in Manila, Philippines. The Archdiocese of Manila built the rehabilitation centre for drug dependents amid Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs, in which more than 6,000 people have been killed. Photo: CNS
“Confidence and hope” were the feelings reported last week among displaced Iraqi Christians as news emerged that forces combating so-called Islamic State (ISIS) in Mosul have driven the terror group from all parts of the east-side of the city and are set to launch a final push for the remainder. The reports of elation were…
Pope Francis has called for people to “wait and see” what newly-inaugurated US President Donald Trump does in his leadership role and not rush to judgement. Amid a weekend of protests worldwide and angry denunciations on both sides of the political divide in America, Pope Francis’ was a voice of calm as he warned against…