New Catholic church in United Arab Emirates Vatican representative Cardinal Fernando Filoni will open a new Catholic church in Ras Al Khaimah, in the United Arab Emirates on Friday. The Vatican’s Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples, will consecrate the 5,000 square metre St Anthony of Padua Church in the Al Jazira Al Hamra district, about 25 km from the city. Other officials who will attend the event include Archbishop Petar Rajic, Apostolic Nuncio to the Arabian Peninsula and Bishop Paul Hinder, Vicar Apostolic of Southern Arabia. Read More ... Posted: Wednesday, June 19, 2013 1:29 am
Catholic agencies call for greater online protection for children The Catholic Education Service and CSAN (Caritas Social Action Network) have welcomed the UK government's focus on protecting children from harmful and explicit online content. They said in a statement on Tuesday: "Today's meeting at Downing Street chaired by Culture Secretary, Maria Miller provides an opportunity for the government to consider the impact that pornographic, violent or other harmful online content has on children's' development, mental health, relationships and self-esteem. Read More ... Posted: Wednesday, June 19, 2013 1:15 am
Italy: The Children's Train About 450 children of different nationalities, with their teachers, family members and volunteers, are preparing to set off on a special journey through Italy, organised by the Italian Railway System and the Vatican. Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, president of the Pontifical Council for Culture, and Mr Mauro Moretti, delegate administrator of the Italian Railway System explained that their 'Journey Through Beauty' will start from Milan on 23 June and make two stops, in Bologna and Florence, before Read More ... Posted: Wednesday, June 19, 2013 1:00 am
Holy Land: Soldiers detain eight year-old boy The soldiers then sat the boy on the pavement behind the gate as they continued to question him. More than an hour after they had detained him, the soldiers released him into the custody of the Palestinian Authority (PA) through Checkpoint 56. During the whole time that they held the boy, he did not have a parent, guardian, lawyer, or any sympathetic adult with him.
CPTers asked the soldiers why the boy had been taken and if he was going to be released. The soldiers said that they had taken the boy, because he had thrown stones at the soldiers Read More ... Posted: Wednesday, June 19, 2013 12:40 am
Cardinal Sandri appeals against 'vortex of violence' in land of Christ's birth ..."When one thinks of the vortex of violence - as unceasing as it is irrational - which has struck our brothers and sisters in Syria and Iraq, as well as of the tension threatening in the Holy Land, in Egypt, and in other places in the Middle East, one cannot avoid the fully paradoxical nature, from a human point of view, of the Gospel’s command. It is so demanding: “If you love those who love you, what merit do you have?” I think of the understandable temptation for Christians to combat adversity with methods other than those of humble trust in Divine Providence, Read More ... Posted: Wednesday, June 19, 2013 12:21 am
Exchange of honours between Constantinian Order and Colombia A special investiture ceremony took place in London on 7 June to mark the formal exchange of honours between the Constantinian Order and Colombia. The current Grand Master of the Constantinian Order, HRH The Duke of Castro, presented the Grand Cross with Gold Star to the Colombian Head of State, HE Mr Juan Manuel Santos Calderón. This award was granted to President Santos for his ‘significant and longstanding contribution to peace and reconciliation in Colombia Read More ... Posted: Wednesday, June 19, 2013 12:10 am
Pope Francis receives Archbishop of Canterbury in Rome On Friday morning in the Vatican, Pope Francis received the Primate of all England and head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, Archbishop Justin Welby of Canterbury, England, with the same words that Paul VI greeted his predecessor, Michael Ramsey, during his historic visit to the Vatican in 1966: “Your steps have not brought you to a foreign dwelling ... we are pleased to open the doors to you, and with the doors, our heart, pleased and honoured as we are ... to welcome you ‘not as a guest or a stranger, but as a fellow citizen of the Saints and the Family of God’.” Read More ... Posted: Tuesday, June 18, 2013 9:37 pm
Football brings faith communities together at Wembley This Wednesday, 19 June, 60 pupils from Muslim, Christian and Jewish schools will come together for a Faith and Football event at Wembley Stadium. The event, organised by 3FF in partnership with the Football Association and Wembley Stadium’s Learning Zone, uses football to build positive relations between people from different backgrounds. On the day, pupils will play a mini-football tournament in mixed-school teams, and learn about sportsmanship. The activities allow pupils from different backgrounds to explore Read More ... Posted: Tuesday, June 18, 2013 9:25 pm
Vatican Archbishop brings message of support to Scottish Catholics In three extensive addresses, the Prefect of the CDF, Archbishop Gerhard Muller, has offered words of great encouragement to Scotland's Catholics. In an address to priests at Motherwell Cathedral, the Prefect encouraged them to continue to work quietly and effectively in parishes. He said: "The Church is, sad to say, represented on occasion by those of its members who are seen to fall dramatically, and whose misdeeds, as a result, receive enormous attention. But the Church is also that ‘entire forest’ of good men and women, Read More ... Posted: Monday, June 17, 2013 11:14 pm
Clamp down on UK-linked tax havens key to success of G8 UK-linked tax havens are at the centre of a global financial system that encourages crime, corruption and aggressive tax avoidance in developing countries, reveals a new report by Christian Aid as part of the Enough Food For Everyone IF campaign.
The report highlights for the first time the huge scale of foreign investment routed through the UK’s tax havens to poor countries – and the potential for abuse this causes. The findings in Invested Interests: The UK’s Overseas Territories’ Hidden Role in Developing Countries underline the urgent need Read More ... Posted: Monday, June 17, 2013 11:04 pm
Nigeria: Four churches burned by Boko Haram Four churches were burned in an attack probably committed by members of the jihadist group Boko Haram in Borno State, one of the three northern states of Nigeria where a state of emergency has been imposed . A group of armed men with improvised explosive devices and petrol bombs attacked the Hwa'a, Kunde, Gathahure and Gjigga communities on Gwoza Hills, burning the four churches, raiding and looting cattle and grain reserves belonging to the population. "Unfortunately I do not have precise information Read More ... Posted: Monday, June 17, 2013 10:52 pm
Pope's letter to David Cameron published on eve of G8 Yesterday a letter from the Holy Father to Prime Minister David Cameron was made public concerning the British presidency of the G8 and the upcoming meeting of the G8 scheduled to take place in Northern Ireland on 17 and 18 June, with the theme of 'A G8 Meeting that Goes Back to First Principles'. In the letter, the Holy Father emphasized that, for the theme “to attain its broadest and deepest resonance, it is necessary to ensure that all political and economic activity, whether national or international,” makes reference to humanity. Read More ... Posted: Monday, June 17, 2013 10:34 pm
Syria: Christians living in siege conditions A graphic account of the deepening human suffering and violence in Syria has come from a priest ministering to people in one of the areas worst affected by the conflict. In a report describing the devastated city of Homs and the surrounding area, the priest details his desperate struggle to provide basic food, shelter and medicine to more than 30,000 people fleeing violence amid ongoing bomb blasts and other violence. The priest, who cannot be named for security reasons, explains how the people are being helped at a centre funded by Aid to the Church in Need, Read More ... John Pontifex - Posted: Monday, June 17, 2013 2:09 pm
Rome: Ordination of Rev Patrick Daly for Brentwood Diocese On Friday, 14 June, Rev Patrick Daly, from Our Lady Immaculate Parish, Chelmsford, was Ordained Deacon at St Paul outside the Walls, Rome. Patrick was ordained as one of twelve, including students from Malta, Ireland and Australia, as well as several Dioceses from England and Wales. Cardinal Cormac Murphy O’Connor, Emeritus Archbishop of Westminster, Presided at the Ordinations, (pictured right) and preached about the need for the Deacons to be men of acceptance, forgiveness, and love, modelled on the service and example of Jesus Christ. Read More ... Mary Huntington - Posted: Monday, June 17, 2013 1:49 pm
Rome: Pope Francis blesses thousands of Harley-Davidson bikers Thousands of leather-clad bikers from around the world, some sporting 'Papa Francesco' flags, paraded through Rome on Sunday to receive a special blessing from Pope Francis, marking the 110th anniversary of the manufacturer Harley-Davidson. Earlier they had driven around the countryside, circling Lake Albano before arriving in Rome and parading past the Colosseum and other historic landmarks. Their roaring engines nearly drowned out the Our Father that accompanied the Pope as he came through the crowds Read More ... Jo Siedlecka - Posted: Sunday, June 16, 2013 10:49 pm
Text: Pope Francis at Mass for Evangelium Vitae Day Today, many thousands of representatives of pro-life groups gathered in Rome for the celebration of Evangelium Vitae. The text of Pope Francis' homily follows below: This celebration has a very beautiful name: 'Evangelium Vitae', the Gospel of Life. In this Eucharist, in the Year of Faith, let us thank the Lord for the gift of life in all its forms, and at the same time let us proclaim the Gospel of Life. On the basis of the word of God which we have heard, I would like to offer you three simple points of meditation for our faith Read More ... Posted: Sunday, June 16, 2013 2:09 pm
Birmingham: Archbishop welcomes Papal Commemorative Coins from Seychelles A special Pope Francis legal tender Commemorative Coin series, released by the Central Bank of Seychelles has been welcomed by the Archbishop of Birmingham, Most Rev Bernard Longley. He said: “This beautiful coin from Pobjoy Mint is a sign of the joy so many people have felt at the election of Pope Francis. For the people of the Seychelles it will evoke memories of Blessed John Paul II.” “The ingenious inclusion of the ‘Stations of the Cross’ around Pope Francis’s image remind us that Christ is the Suffering Servant Read More ... Peter Jennings - Posted: Sunday, June 16, 2013 1:55 pm
Solemn Consecration of Lebanon & Middle East to Blessed Virgin Mary On Sunday, 16 June in Lebanon the entire Episcopate of Lebanon, along with their Papal Nuncio and all the Catholic Patriarchs of the Middle East will gather in Harissa, the National Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon to solemnly Consecrate Lebanon and the Middle East to the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Text of the Act of Consecration which will be prayed by all present led by all the Catholic Episcopate of Lebanon and all the Catholic Patriarchs of the Middle East following solemn Holy Mass follows below: Read More ... Posted: Saturday, June 15, 2013 10:17 pm
Green Christians tackle Canadian prime minister over tar sands Christian Ecology Link (CEL) members attended the No-tar-sands demonstration at Westminster on 13 June. Canada’s Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, addressed Parliament that day, ahead of the G8 meeting in Northern Ireland. This is an honour usually reserved for the most highly-respected foreign dignitaries such as Aung San Suu Kyi and Nelson Mandela. Harper was promoting the tar sands industry which, if allowed to keep expanding, according to its critics, is predicted to tip the planet into runaway climate change. Read More ... Ellen Teague - Posted: Saturday, June 15, 2013 9:52 pm
Sunday Reflection with Fr Robin Gibbons - 16 June 2013 The Gospel never makes for easy reading or listening and it can be downright uncomfortable at times. It challenges us at every level to start living out the truth of the Kingdom and to make our own the great commandment to love in all its aspects, especially the Beatitudes. That means that each one of us, if we decide to take that step of actively following Jesus, will meet in our lives the challenges that come from this radical discipleship where we will be at odds with much of prevailing culture, yes even culture that has been accepted in the Church. Read More ... Posted: Saturday, June 15, 2013 1:44 pm
Housing minister attends church conference on homelessness Housing Minister Mark Prisk joined representatives from churches and housing organisations from all over the country this week for the 'Mobilising the Church' conference in Bradford, organised by Housing Justice, the national voice of Christian action on housing and homelessness. Many churches are already responding to housing need in their communities. A growing number are opening night shelters and other much needed support for people in need. Read More ... Posted: Friday, June 14, 2013 9:50 pm
Westminster: Cardinal Tauran joins Interfaith prayers for peace The President of the Holy See's Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, and the Bishops' Conference Chair of the Office for Interreligious Relations, the Most Rev Kevin McDonald, joined representatives from many of the world's major religions in London on Thursday, to offer prayers for peace and to bear witness to their longing for a more just and peaceful world. The gathering, 'Together in Prayer for Peace', held in Westminster Cathedral Hall, took its inspiration from the 1986 Day of Prayer for Peace convened by Pope John Paul II in Assisi, Italy. Read More ... Posted: Friday, June 14, 2013 9:14 pm
UK: Campaign to urge churches to disinvest from fossil fuels Operation Noah, the church’s ecumenical climate change initiative is launching a new campaign to urge churches to disinvest from fossil fuels. It will be launched after a short AGM on Saturday, 13 July, 10.30am to 4.30pm, St Aloysius RC Church Hall, 20 Phoenix Rd, Euston, London NW1 1TA. Guest speaker, Ann Pettifor, will be speaking about ecological justice and the economic and financial context of climate change. Ann Pettifor is Director of Policy Research in Macroeconomics, a fellow of Read More ... Ellen Teague - Posted: Friday, June 14, 2013 8:54 pm
Archbishop of Canterbury calls for bankers to be 'good' Archbishop Justin called for the banking industry "to be good". Drawing on the story of the Good Samaritan, the Archbishop said that corporations, just as individuals, must ask "Who is my neighbour?" Speaking at St Paul's Cathedral on Wednesday evening, Archbishop Justin said there will never be "perfect" banks, because "in the end no human being is of themselves perfectly good." But the Archbishop said we can have "potentially good banks", which are motivated by virtue and not just financial bonuses and penalties. Read More ... Posted: Thursday, June 13, 2013 11:15 pm
Pope Francis: 'May the Lord grant us the grace to watch our tongues' In his Mass on Thursday morning, Pope Francis spoke of the need to watch our tongues - to be careful not speak badly of others. Among the congregation were diplomats and staff from the Argentinian Embassy and the UN Food and Agricultural Organization..... Pope Francis reflected on the Gospel of the day, especially the words of Jesus to his disciples: 'unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the Kingdom of heaven.' Anyone who enters Christian life will have “greater demands made Read More ... Posted: Thursday, June 13, 2013 9:04 pm
