Synod officials caution bishops to put Catholics’ needs over their own agendas
Rome, ItalyRNS The Vatican officials heading up the Synod on Synodality issued a stern reminder to the world’s bishops that they are called to listen to their flock, rather than jump to conclusions or impose their own agendas. “There are in fact some who presume to already know what the conclusions of the Synodal Assembly […]
Catholic Church in Germany: Crisis of confidence over cardinal shakes Cologne Archdiocese
KIRSTEN GRIESHABER, of Associated Press, reports from the historic centre of Catholocism in Europe – the Archdiocese of Cologne…
US Catholic bishops worry about abortion views in the pews
Baltimore, US AP Even as they signalled a continued hardline stance on opposing abortion and same-sex marriage, the nation’s Catholic bishops acknowledged on Wednesday that they’re struggling to reach a key audience: their own flock. The members of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops rounded out their leadership bench during the last day of public sessions of their fall annual […]
US Catholic bishops elect Timothy Broglio as new president
Updated: 12:20pm (AEST)Baltimore, US AP Archbishop Timothy Broglio of the Military Services, who oversees Catholic ministries to the US armed forces, was elected Tuesday as the new president of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops. Broglio, 70, was elected from a field of 10 candidates. He will succeed Archbishop José H Gomez of Los Angeles, who […]
Pope extends reform process for year amid apathy, criticism
Rome, ItalyAP Pope Francis has decided to extend by a year a lengthy global consultation of ordinary Catholics about the future of the Catholic Church, amid limited participation by the laity and seeming resistance to his reforms from the hierarchy. Francis announced Sunday that the planned 2023 gathering of bishops would now take place in […]
Lithuanian Catholic bishops call for scrapping of same-sex partnership bill
Vilnius, LithuaniaReuters Lithuanian Catholic bishops have called on politicians to vote down proposed same-sex partnership legislation, quoting words used by Pope Francis to argue that civil unions distort the concept of marriage and family. Lithuania’s parliament last month voted to accept for further debate a draft bill legalising same-sex civil partnerships, after voting down a […]
In the US, California again seeks to pass human composting bill as Catholic bishops oppose it
United StatesRNS Seeking to legalise the process of converting bodies into soil, a California legislator is attempting, once again, to pass a bill that would allow human composting in the Golden State. Burial, cremation and alkaline hydrolysis are the only death care choices available in California, and proponents say the new bill, AB 351, “offers […]
California bishops ask US Supreme Court to review case challenging statute of limitations
United StatesRNS Catholic bishops in California have asked the US Supreme Court to review a case challenging a state law that expands the time survivors of childhood sexual assault have to file their claims. The petition, first reported this week by the Catholic News Agency, was filed on 15th April by nine California Catholic dioceses […]
Clergy abuse victims in Spain hopeful at signs to end impunity
Madrid, SpainAP After decades of neglect, victims of sexual abuse by the Spanish clergy say that they are finally seeing momentum building in their quest for real accountability and reparations. On Tuesday, Spanish lawmakers took the first step toward opening a parliamentary inquiry on the issue, a move that victims hail as a potential game-changer. […]
Spain: Catholic Church agrees to return usurped real estate
Madrid, SpainAP The body representing Catholic bishops in Spain has acknowledged that nearly 1,000 real estate properties across the country were registered as possessions of the Church despite having no proof of ownership or clearly belonging to others. The Catholic Church will now begin a process to “regularize” those properties, according to a joint statement […]