Bishop Georg Batzing
(CNS photo/Harald Oppitz, KNA) Germany and Spain have both elected new chairmen to head their respective bishops’ conference in the past week.
Bishop Georg Batzing of Limburg succeeds Cardinal Reinhard Marx in Germany as conference chairman, while Spanish bishops have put their trust in Cardinal Juan José Omella of Barcelona to lead them.
Baetzing, 58, is an advocate of reforms in the Church and will represent bishops from Germany’s 27 Catholic dioceses for the next six years.
Omella, 74, is considered to be one of Pope Francis’ closest allies and a preferred candidate of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.
Protesters disrupt funeral Mass of Nicaragua priest
A Mass in honour of a late Nicaragua poet and priest last week was disrupted by followers of the country’s ruling Sandinista Front.
More than a hundred people gathered in Managua Cathedral and began shouting “traitor” at those gathered in memory of Fr Ernesto Cardenal, who died on March 1 aged 95.
Archbishop Waldemar Stanislaw Sommertag tried to calm the screaming groups in order to conduct the Mass, which went ahead despite the intrusion.
Msgr José Silvio Baez, auxiliary bishop of Managua, said: “What happened in Managua Cathedral was very sad and a sign of disrespect for Fr Ernesto Cardenal.”
Indian Christians to sue officials for removing church structures
Church leaders in Bangalore are seeking legal action against those who forcefully removed a statue of Jesus Christ and 14 crosses from a Christian burial ground.
Catholics in Karnataka state said police and revenue officials, who cited encroachment on government land, came without notice to take away the religious pieces from Mahima Betta hillock in Doddasagarahalli village last week.
Archbishop Peter Machado of Bangalore called the removal of the statue “unacceptable” and said it left Christians in the area “greatly shocked”.
The 4.5 acres of land was officially bought from the government by St Joseph’s Church in September 2019.
First coronavirus case confirmed in the Vatican
The Vatican has reported its first coronavirus case on March 6 and suspended outpatient services at its’ health clinic after a patient tested positive last week.
Spokesman Matteo Bruni confirmed the clinic inside the city state, which has around 1,000 residents, will be deep-cleaned.
No details have been provided on whether the person who tested positive was a Vatican employee or among the clergy or guards who live inside its’ walls.
Globally, there are more than 100,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, mostly in mainland China, with South Korea, Italy and Iran the worst-affected countries elsewhere.
Bishops in Nigeria and Togo rally to protest against corruption
Bishops in Nigeria and Togo have been protesting against government inaction and corruption in their respective countries over the last week.
The Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria wore black and joined hundreds in a protest march in Abuja against crimes by terrorist group Boko Haram to draw government attention to the plight of Christians in the country.
The Episcopal Conference of Togo has protested the outcome of the country’s presidential elections claiming they were not transparent.
The group also expressed solidarity with Archbishop Philippe Fanoko Kpodzo who has been under house arrest for publicly condemning the election result where President Faure Gnassinghe won with over 70% of the votes.