A recent survey that reveals a mixed-bag of Catholic perceptions on immigration, including responses that don’t align with Church teaching, brings Bishop Mark Seitz back to the question that Church leaders often grapple with in this age of secularisation: How can they form the conscience of their members, and shape them according to Christ’s message?…
Catholic priests have spoken of being ‘devastated’ at Monday’s stabbings in Southport, which saw three children die, as well as five children and two adults remaining in critical condition. Liverpool priest Fr Chris Thomas, who was a parish priest in Southport in the 1990s, spoke of his shock at the ‘horrors unleashed’ in the stabbings.…
UK Christian groups are worried about escalating numbers of problem gamblers following the Euro 24 football tournament. GamCare, which runs the National Gambling Helpline, recorded a 10 per cent rise in calls after this year’s tournament compared to 2021. London Catholic priest and sports chaplain Fr Vlad Felzmann warned of the destructive power of gambling…
UK Catholic prison charity Pact has welcomed the new Labour Government’s commitment to supporting children with a parent in prison. Ministry of Justice data showed that the estimated number of children with a parent in prison in England and Wales is near to 193,000. New prisons minister James Timpson, who is chair of the Prison Reform Trust,…
A leading Catholic research institute has warned that legalising assisted suicide in England would put an “extra burden” on sick and disabled people. Lord Falconer has attempted to introduce legislation to change the law on assisted suicide for the seventh time through a new Bill, which has been introduced in the House of Lords. The…
English and Scottish bishops have joined the outrage against the Paris Olympics opening ceremony, in which a controversial parody of the Last Supper, featuring drag queens, took place. Bishop of Paisley John Keenan dismissed the event as embodying a “secular Europe” which is currently “disfiguring its Christian roots”. “I was shocked by footage from the…
Kate Quiñones A United Kingdom high court judge upheld the British government’s emergency ban on puberty blockers for minors on Monday, finding the blockers carry “very substantial risks and very narrow benefit”. Advocacy group TransActual challenged the UK’s ban along with a 15-year-old who remains unnamed due to a court order. Justice Beverly Lang cited…
The St Vincent de Paul Society (SVP) in England and Wales is calling on the new Labour Government to take urgent action to tackle poverty. The call comes as new statistics show that, at St Vincent’s centre in Newcastle, the need for their services has almost doubled, from supporting 4,968 people last year to a…
Bishops and prominent prelates from around the world have joined the French Bishops’ Conference and US bishops in criticising the Paris Olympics opening ceremony held on July 26 for its depiction of the Last Supper, calling it a deeply deplorable derision of Christianity. The controversial scene, part of the €1.5 billion spectacle to kick off the…
Bishop Johan Bonny confirmed on July 25 that he was withdrawing from the high-profile role of key man on abuse, citing an excessive workload that he said was taking a toll on his health. His departure leaves the Belgian Church scrambling to find a successor before Pope Francis’ September 26-29 visit, which is expected to include…