The German Catholic Church in Freefall
In 2014, the Catholic Church in Germany lost a greater number of faithful than in any previous year in its history for which there are records: 218,000 people– 39,000 more than the previous year.
Tag: Catholic Church
Chinese Gov’t Strips Christian Council of Official Authority
Provincial authorities in Zhejiang have confiscated the official seal of the local Christian Council, which is necessary to issue valid official documents, after the council released a statement earlier this month criticizing the government campaign to remove church crosses.
Top Cardinal: Church Has ‘No Mandate’ to Pronounce on Global Warming
The Vatican’s financial chief appeared to criticise Pope Francis’s eco-encyclical Laudato Si after saying the Church has no God-given mandate to pronounce of scientific matters . In an interview with the Financial Times, Cardinal George Pell, who has been leading
Archbishop: Don’t Bully People into Accepting Gay Marriage
The Archbishop of Sydney has criticised attempts to “bully” people into accepting the “deconstruction and redefinition” of marriage, accusing supporters of gay marriage of promoting a “homogenizing ‘equality’”. Addressing the congregation at his diocese’s annual Marriage Mass, Archbishop Anthony Fisher
Philly Archbishop Defends School Decision to Fire Married Lesbian Teacher
In a statement Monday, the archbishop likened the decision to the principle of “truth in advertising,” saying that schools describing themselves as Catholic “take on the responsibility of teaching and witnessing the Catholic faith in a manner true to Catholic belief. There’s nothing complicated or controversial in this. It’s a simple matter of honesty.”
Pope Francis Confesses He Knows Little about the Economy
In a striking series of admissions, Pope Francis told journalists on the flight back to Rome from Paraguay that he has an aversion to the economy, which he does not understand very well, and that he has neglected the middle class.
Pope Francis Tells Youth: ‘The Devil Is a Con Artist’
In the final major address of his Latin American tour, Pope Francis met with a throng of young people Sunday, urging them to “shake things up.” He left aside his prepared speech to speak off the cuff, but he decided to leave them the text he had written for them, and published it, as well. Comparing life to a soccer match, Francis wrote that there are two opposing teams, one coached by Jesus and the other by the devil; each person must decide which team to play for.
Pope Francis Tells Youth to ‘Shake Things Up!’
In the final major address of his three-country trip in Latin America, Pope Francis met with hundreds of thousands of young people Sunday evening, tossing aside his prepared remarks and urging his audience to make a difference in life, even if it means making a mess.
Pope to Hospitalized Children ‘We Need to Learn from You’
In his visit to a children’s hospital in Paraguay Saturday, Pope Francis told the young patients that Jesus loved children, enjoyed spending time with them, and wanted to be their friends. He also said Jesus put them forward as a model for adults.
Not Satisfied with Pope’s Economic Critique, the Left Invents More
The Huffington Post breathily exclaimed Sunday that Pope Francis had condemned “unbridled capitalism” while the New York Times similarly announced that the Pope had excoriated “global capitalism” in recent speeches in Latin America. None of this would be particularly remarkable,
Pope Urges Paraguayan Gov’t to ‘Strengthen Democratic Structures’
“I encourage you to continue working to strengthen democratic structures and institutions, so that they can respond to the legitimate aspirations of the nation’s people,” Pope Francis said. Like other Latin American countries, Paraguay suffers from extensive political corruption as well as an underdeveloped rule of law and civil society.
Two Texas Border Churches Set on Fire, Authorities Suspect Arson
Two churches in a rural community near the Texas border were intentionally set on fire almost simultaneously. Investigators of the crime are puzzled about the motive for the fires.
Pope Francis Calls for ‘Change of Structures’ in Latin America
In one of his more powerful and impassioned addresses of his week-long Latin American visit, Pope Francis rallied thousands of members of popular movements Thursday, urging them to take stock of the grim situation of the world but not to succumb to pessimism or wait around for politicians to solve their problems.
Crucified on the Hammer and Sickle – The Perfect Symbol for How the Likes of Morales Treat Christians
Only God Himself knows what was going through the head of Bolivian president Evo Morales when he thought it would be a good idea to give Pope Francis a “Hammer and Sickle Crucifix“. Although, according to reports, the Pope diplomatically
China Orders ‘Reeducation’ for Catholic Priests and Nuns
The Communist government of Shanghai has mandated that Catholic priests and nuns of the diocese undergo “reeducation” classes on the central theme of the National Congress of the Communist Party.
England’s Most Senior Catholic: ‘We Weary Westerners Need Migrants to Bring us New Hope’
The head of the Roman Catholic Church in Britain has praised immigration, saying that a Britain without it is a fantasy and that the mass movement of people involved has brought enrichment. He berated the west’s “weary”, and “secularised society”, praising immigrants
Pope Francis Focuses on Family Life on Trip to Latin America
Eschewing for the moment other topics such as poverty, the environment, and social justice, Pope Francis kicked off his pilgrimage through Central and South America with a series of reflections on the family and its importance for society.
‘Gay’ Tour Views Vatican Art Through a Warped Lens
For the LGBT tour company appropriately called “Quiiky,” beauty isn’t the only thing in the eye of the beholder. Their homoerotic look at the Vatican Museums purports to discover gay art behind every fig leaf, which seems to reveal more
Theology Chairman at Jesuit University Marries another Man
One wonders how Fordham expects its Catholic theology to be “taught in a manner faithful to Scripture, Tradition, and the Church’s Magisterium,” as required by Catholic discipline, when the head of the department stands in open opposition to the Church’s teaching on marriage.
Gay Teacher Files Federal Discrimination Lawsuit Against Catholic School
Flint Dollar, who is represented by attorney Charles E. Cox, Jr., says he signed a contract with the school on May 1, 2014 and announced to school officials he would be marrying his gay partner the following October without any objection from them, reports The Telegraph. He was fired three weeks later.
Pope Francis Grateful Jews and Christians Are ‘Strangers No More’
In a meeting of the International Council of Christians and Jews Tuesday, Pope Francis expressed gratitude for the “friendship and mutual understanding” that characterize relations between Christians and Jews throughout the world.
Pope Francis, Russian Orthodox Patriarch Plan Meeting
An historic meeting between Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church is “getting closer every day,” a senior Orthodox prelate said in an interview published on Sunday.
Nuns Fight to Block Katy Perry from Buying Former Convent
Forget her feud with Taylor Swift; pop singer Katy Perry is now set for a legal battle with a group of nuns.
Pope Francis Decries ‘Atrocious, Inhuman and Incomprehensible’ Christian Persecution
Celebrating the feast of the apostles Peter and Paul on Monday, Pope Francis drew a parallel between the intense Christian persecution of the early centuries and the persecution faced by Christians throughout the world today.
Cuba: Catholic Church Bans Relatives of Political Prisoners from Mass
A Catholic church in the central Cuban city of Cienfuegos has banned female relatives of political prisoners from attending mass unless they no longer wear white, a color associated with political imprisonment in the nation. The slight to families of the abused follows the bewildering remark from Archbishop of Havana Jaime Ortega that Cuba no longer has prisoners of conscience.
