News from the Universal Church
The link between Holy Orders and Church governance is increasingly unclear... By ITV staff Italian Consolata Missionary Sister Simona Brambilla was secretary of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life until being named its Prefect in January Pope Francis promulgated Praedicate Evangelium, his new constitution on the structures and [...]
Archbishop of Homs, Syria: Rising persecution taking its toll on patience of Christians By Gianni Valente (Agenzia Fides) Syrian Catholic Archbishop Jacques Mourad of Homs, Syria (Photo: RVA) “A new era has begun for Syria. And it is a difficult time again,” said Archbishop Jacques Mourad. The monk of the Deir Mar Musa community, [...]
AI is not "an artificial form of human intelligence, but a product of it" By Salvatore Cernuzio (Vatican News)/ITV staff The Pope’s warnings about Artificial Intelligence in re cent years provide the outline for Antiqua et Nova, the “Note on the relationship between artificial intelligence and human intelligence,” released on January 28, that offers the results [...]
By Christina Deardurff Cardinal Robert W. McElroy, newly appointed bishop of Washington, DC (photo: Diocese of San Diego) Pope Francis announced January 6 that Cardinal Robert McElroy, 70, the former ordinary of San Diego, California, and a vocal critic of Trumpian policy regarding the U.S. borders, would be the new bishop of Washington, [...]
México - Vatican Approves “Mayan Mass” The Vatican has approved the Mayan rite of the Mass which will involve ritual dancing, women taking the place of the priest in incensing the altar, and lay leadership of certain prayers in the liturgy. The announcement came via Cardinal Felipe Arizmendi Esquivel, who is bishop emeritus of the San [...]
By Matthew Trojacek Moscow Patriarchate seeks to “open more parishes” across Africa Amid songs and dances, a diplomatic-plated car pulled up in front of a church in Akpakpa, a suburb of Cotonou, the largest city in Benin. Exiting with a smile, Constantin of Zaraïsk, Metropolitan of the Russian Patriarchal Exarchate of Africa and representative of the [...]
Francis called government contraception programs a "law of death," and says all religions are "a path to God" By ITV staff Grand Imam Nasaruddin Umar kisses Pope Francis on the top of his head after a group photo at the Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta, Sept. 5, 2024 (Eko Siswono Toyudho/BenarNews) Pope Francis returned September [...]
By Alessandro Di Bussolo (Vatican News) Dilexit nos, Pope Francis’ fourth Encyclical, published October 24, retraces the tradition and relevance of thought on “the human and divine love of the heart of Jesus Christ,” calling for a renewal of authentic devotion to avoid forgetting the tenderness of faith, the joy of serving, and the fervor of [...]
Maronite Christians in Lebanon are caught in the crossfire between Israel and Muslim Hezbollah forces By Christopher Hart-Moynihan Here below, the August 4, 2020 Beirut port explosion, a tragedy from which Lebanon still has not recovered. “There is a big danger all around, and we never know when will be the next strike.” That [...]
By Matthew Trojacek Pope Francis meets Middle East Catholic bishops amid fears of all-out war in region August 28, 2024. Vatican. Led by Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa (above left), Pope Francis met with the Latin rite Catholic leaders of several Middle Eastern and Arabic-speaking countries Pope Francis met August 28 with the Latin-rite Catholic leaders [...]
