Global Church News

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  News in Brief : Sri Lankan Catholics mark 1,000 days since bombings

  Jan 14, 2022

  The Sri Lankan Catholic Church held a 1,000th-day commemoration of the Easter Sunday attack by demanding truth and justice for the victims.

  
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  News in Brief : Beijing imprisons Christian faithful. Taipei opens religious centres

  Jan 14, 2022

  The Fenyang (Shanxi) People’s Procuratorate has formalised the arrest of An Yankui, minister of the Reformed Church of Zion. The accusation is that he “illegally crossed” the border.

  
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  World powers pledge to avoid nuclear war

  Jan 14, 2022

  US bishops have commended the recent commitment by five of the world’s nuclear powers to prevent nuclear conflict.

  
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  Pastoral letter invites dialogue towards nuclear disarmament

  Jan 14, 2022

  In a new pastoral letter, Archbishop John C. Wester of Santa Fe, New Mexico, urges the local community and the world to join “a renewed commitment to the cause of peace” with the goal of eliminating all global nuclear weapons arsenals.

  
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  Portuguese prelates urge citizens to vote in upcoming elections

  Jan 14, 2022

  The people of Portugal go to the polls on January 30 to elect a new parliament, and the nation’s Catholic Bishops are reminding citizens of their duty to vote and calling on politicians to address key economic and health issues.

  
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  Italian bishop forbids unvaccinated priests from distributing Communion

  Jan 14, 2022

  An Italian bishop has prohibited unvaccinated priests and lay people from distributing Communion as Italy tightens its COVID-19 restrictions.

  
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  Top official leaves Vatican doctrine office

  Jan 14, 2022

  In yet another shakeup of a department in the Roman Curia, the Vatican announced on January 10 that a high-ranking official in the Holy See’s doctrinal congregation is on his way out and will now lead an Italian diocese.

  
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  Emergency response and resiliency framework

  Jan 14, 2022

  One of the undeniable impacts of climate change is the recurring extreme events, like the super typhoons. Recently, Typhoon Odette (Rai) wrought havoc in many provinces and dioceses in the Philippines. In this article, Fr Edwin Gariguez (pic) shares how the Church, through its National Secretariat for Social Action (NASSA) or Caritas Philippines, and the diocesan social action centres, have successfully implemented the emergency response in typhoon-ravaged provinces in the country.

  
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  ‘Polite persecution’ of Christians gathers pace in Europe

  Jan 14, 2022

  European communities, with their sprawling churches, ancient cities, culinary skills, dance, music, et al, were once proud of their Christian roots. They slowly became secular in the 20th century, and the evolution continues to move in a trajectory of despising the Christian faith and its followers.

  
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  Humility and trust: Finding the keys to the synodal journey

  Jan 14, 2022

  As many Catholics try to understand what Pope Francis might mean by a “synodal church,” he highlighted some of the essential characteristics — especially humility and trust — in homilies and speeches over Christmas and early in the new year.