New website for Archbishop Oscar Romero As the 30th anniversary of his martyrdom approaches,  the Carmelites have alerted ICN to the re-designed website of the Archbishop Romero Trust where his homilies, pastoral letters and much other information is available for the first time in English. Archbishop Romero died wearing the brown scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Read More ...

Cardinal proposes shared ecumenical catechism Cardinal Walter Kasper has proposed a shared "ecumenical catechism" for Catholics, Anglicans, Lutherans, Methodists and members of Reformed churches, during opening remarks to participants at an international ecumenical symposium on Monday. Read More ...

World Churches welcome G7 relief of Haiti's debt The World Council of Churches (WCC) has welcomed the initiative by the seven most industrialized nations (G7), which  have pledged to write off Haiti's debts with them. In a letter from the WCC general secretary, the Rev Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, the WCC also asked for the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and other international financial institutions to follow the G7 example Read More ...

Candlelight images from Gaza Sometimes a picture is more powerful than  a thousand words.  Photographer Lawrence Cain has sent us the following beautiful  gallery of images of Palestinian children in Gaza.  In his caption, Lawrence says: " this 'video' should in no way be considered, or promote, an attack on a particular people or culture .." Read More ...

South Africa: Church issues Soccer World Cup prayer The South African Bishops have just issued a special prayer, ahead of the Soccer World Cup which takes place from 11 June - 11 July 2010. The SABC has already set up a special website for the World Cup. Read More ...

President Obama: "I'm praying a lot these days" US President Barack Obama called for civility in the public square, and encouraged people to pray, during his address at the National Prayer Breakfast attended by 3,000 in the ballroom of the Washington Hilton on Thursday. “For while prayer can buck us up when we are down, keep us calm in a storm; while prayer can stiffen our spines to surmount an obstacle – and I assure you I’m praying a lot these days -- prayer can also do something else,” Read More ... Dan Bergin

Salvation in Christ is the foundation of human justice Pope Benedict's Message for Lent 2010  was issued by the Vatican yesterday.  Hans-Gert Poettering, former president of the European Parliament and current president of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, introduced the Message at a press conference.  The theme this year  is: "The justice of God has been manifested through faith in Jesus Christ". Read More ...

India - navy blockades island church For the seventh year running, the Indian navy has denied pilgrims access to an historic church on the island of Anjediva near Goa. On Tuesday, more than 300 Catholics and Hindus from Goa and neighboring Karnataka state tried to visit the church to celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Springs. Read More ...

Rome: Bishops follow in steps of Cardinal John Henry Newman The Bishops of England and Wales, currently on their ad limina visit to Rome, visited two places connected ot the life of Cardinal Newman yesterday:  the Chapel of the Three Kings, where he was ordained, and the  chapel inside Missio headquarters, where he celebrated his first Mass. Read More ...

Patients in 'vegetative state' able to communicate Ethical questions have been raised by a groundbreaking new study which has discovered  that some patients who are completely paralysed,  are able to respond to communication and even answer questions. Over three years, scientists from Britain and Belgium studied 23 patients diagnosed as being in a vegetative state, using a called functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) which detects large flows of blood to different regions of the brain. Read More ... Claire Bergin

DR Congo: Church stands in solidarity with war victims The Catholic community in Isiro, in the Equator Province in north-eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, held a procession and a Mass to remember and pray for the victims of Ugandan rebels of the LRA (Lord's Resistance Army). The day was also an expression of solidarity with those who have been wounded, tortured, or kidnapped by rebels. Read More ...

France: Christian and Jewish leaders warn against burka ban The Catholic Church in France has advised the government not to ban full veils on Muslim women in the country, urging mutual respect between faiths. French Jewish leaders have also expressed concerns over the proposals. Read More ... Claire Bergin

China and Christianity: Oxford lectures for Matteo Ricci anniversary Campion Hall, the Jesuit house of studies at the University of Oxford, is staging four lectures on China, in this, the 400th anniversary of the death of the Jesuit missionary, Matteo Ricci SJ.  Originally from Italy, it was Father Ricci who introduced Christianity into China; and the lectures entitled The Dragon and the Cross will offer contemporary  perspectives Read More ...

Polish church introduces fingerprint scanner for children A Polish priest in southern Poland,  has found a high-tech solution to queues of schoolchildren who need to have their confirmation books  signed after each Mass.  Father Grzegorz Sowa has installed an electronic reader in his church for the children to leave their fingerprints, the Gazeta Wyborcza daily reports. Read More ... Krystina Kolczak

Haiti: report on religious communities after earthquake While the rescue and salvage work continues, the Haitian Conference of Religious has drafted a preliminary report on the situation of religious communities after the earthquake. Several communities have still not been contacted and staff are still missing. The list makes devastating reading.  Read More ...

Pope speaks on leprosy, Holy Land, unemployment A colourful tapestry of umbrellas, and banners carpeted St Peter’s Square as thousands of pilgrims gathered in the cold and rain to hear Pope Benedict’s Angelus reflections on Sunday. Speaking from the window of his apartments, Pope Benedict reflected particularly St Paul’s 'Hymn of Charity' in his first letter to the Corinthians. Read More ...

Appeal for prayers for Cause of Archbishop Romero The Catholic Church has urged Salvadorans to pray for the beatification of Archbishop Oscar Romero.  Archbishop José Luis Escobar Alas of San Salvador, told a press conference: "If someone is canonized, it is because God wills it." Read More ...

New York: Jewish and Catholic communities remember Holocaust Michael Preisler, a Polish Catholic who spent more than three years as a prisoner in Auschwitz, joined the congregation of the Jewish Center of Kew Gardens Hills in Queens, NY to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the Auschwitz death camp's liberation on 27 January, 1945. Read More ...

Distributing aid in Haiti We left Santo Domingo, in the Dominican Republic, for Haiti, and on the way we decided that the truckloads of donations, which were originally going to be deposited in an industrial warehouse in Barahona, should accompany us directly. When we reached Jimani, a town on the border with Haiti, Read More ... Mario Serrano SJ

Iraq: We must never lose hope, says new Iraqi archbishop The man who has become the world’s youngest Catholic archbishop has spoken of his “hopes and confidence” as he takes up his role as shepherd to some of Iraq’s most persecuted Christians. At just 42, Amil Shamaaoun Nona has been ordained Archbishop of Mosul in northern Iraq. Read More ... John Pontifex

Vatican issues postage stamps for Haiti The Vatican's Philatelic and Numismatic Office has issued a special stamp to raise funds for the victims of the recent earthquake in Haiti. The stamp is dedicated to the 1500th anniversary of the shrine of Our Lady of Grace (also known as Our Lady of Mentorello,  in Lazio, Italy. Read More ...

Philippines: priest returns to work in city where he was kidnapped Columban Father Michael Sinnott, 79, who was kidnapped and held captive for two months by Moro rebels last October, has returned to work this week. Fr Michael immediately went to visit children staying at the home he founded in Pagadian City, Read More ... Dan Bergin

Pope remembers victims of the Holocaust At the end of today's general audience, the Pope recalled how "sixty-five years ago, on 27 January 1945, the gates of the Nazi concentration camp near the Polish city of Oswiecim, better known by its German name of Auschwitz, were opened and the few survivors freed. Read More ...

Good news from Haiti Amidst the reports of sadness emerging from Haiti after the earthquake, there are also good news stories of people who survived the devastation. Across the world, there are ongoing attempts to communicate with friends, relatives and colleagues of those living in Port-au-Prince, often hoping for the best but fearing for the worst. Read More ... Sr Janet Fearns

Vietnam: monk beaten, parish under seige The Archdiocese of Hanoi has condemned local government attacks against parishioners  at Dong Chiem, including the “savage” and “brutal” beating of a Redemptorist brother by police. Thousands of Catholics have responded with ongoing prayer vigils in Hanoi and Ho Chi Min City Read More ... Fr JB An Dang

Pope: commitment to Christian unity is a task for all Pope Benedict has  called for " new and intense evangelising activity"  in "a world characterised by religious indifference and even by a growing aversion towards the Christian faith."  The remarks were made yesterday in the Roman basilica of St Paul's Outside-the-Walls, Read More ...

Progressio: Haitian communities must be 'at centre' of recovery plans Long-term reconstruction and development in Haiti must be locally-led if it is to have any chance of success, Progressio has said, two weeks after a devastating earthquake rocked the poorest nation in the Western hemisphere. As international agencies begin to move from 'search and rescue' to meeting essential needs such as food, water and shelter, Read More ...

Calls for Haiti's foreign debt to be cancelled + petition Churches,  aid agencies and poverty campaigners  are calling on the international community to cancel Haiti's foreign debt. The World Council of Churches  general secretary Rev Dr Olav Fykse Tveit  said: "an immediate and full cancellation" Read More ...

Bethlehem Peace Education pioneer in London Ibrahim Issa, co-director of the Hope Flowers School and Community Development Centre in Bethlehem, is guest speaker at the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London from 6.45pm this Saturday,  30 January.  Read More ...

God is present in Haiti A Camillian priest, said at the weekend that in spite of the appalling tragedy in Haiti, God is present through the love and compassion of the people towards each other and the tireless efforts of those who have come  to work with them. Read More ...

Pope asks priests to use new media in their ministry Pope Benedict has appealed for priests to discover ways of using digital technology to proclaim the Word of God in their ministry. In his Message for World Communications Day: 'The Priest and Pastoral Ministry in a Digital World: New Media at the Service of the Word, Read More ...

Vatican: first laywoman appointed to Pontifical Council The Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace has appointed a woman as the new under secretary.  An Italian laywoman,  Flaminia Giovanelli will be the first woman to hold the position of under secretary of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. Read More ...

Haiti: Catholic hospital re-opens "CAFOD partners in Haiti are delivering vital aid to many of those that need it most and have re-opened the Catholic hospital providing hundreds of people with medical care", a report from CAFOD reads. Read More ...

Holy Land: Palestinians 'sentenced to death' by travel restrictions Fidaa Talal Hijji was 18 years old when she was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s disease. She died waiting for the permit to travel abroad where she was supposed to receive a bone marrow transplant; Israel’s permission arrived a day after she died. Read More ...

Blessing of the Lambs for Feast of St Agnes This morning, in keeping with the tradition for today's feast of St. Agnes, the Pope blessed a number of lambs in the Urban VIII Chapel of the Vatican Apostolic Palace. The wool of the lambs is used to make the palliums bestowed on new metropolitan archbishops on June 29, Read More ...

Nigerian Archbishop warns against spread of false information As unrest in the region appears to be subsiding today, Archbishop Ignatius Ayau Kaigama of Jos, the capital of Plateau State in central Nigeria, appealed for media not to publish information until it is verified.  "The spread of false information incites the people and increases the violence," he said. Read More ...

Haiti: woman rescued from ruined cathedral Seven days after the earthquake, rescuers yesterday pulled a 69-year-old woman alive from under the ruins of Notre Dame Cathedral in Port-au-Prince. Ena Zizi was singing as she was lifted out by Mexican firefighters from under the rubble, Christian Aid reports. Read More ...

Nigeria: many die in Jos riots The Missionary News Service report that there have been many casualties in riots that have taken place in Jos, in the Plateau state of Nigeria.  “Gunfire appears to have stopped an hour ago and there are now military patrols on the streets after the violence and looting”, said MISNA sources this morning.  Read More ...

Happy Blessed Cyprian feast day! Today (20 January) is the feast day of Blessed Cyprian Tansi. Many thanks to Fr Donald from Nunraw Abbey for sending us this piece by Fr Laurence Walsh ocso. Cyprian Tansihad three names. Iwene was the name given by his father at his birth in 1903, Michael was his baptismal name, and Cyprian his monastic name. Read More ...

Haiti: medical volunteers urgently needed "We are asking for anyone with medical training – if you’re a nurse, doctor, paramedic or surgeon – to come to Haiti and help. If you're not a health professional do you know someone who is?  Even a period of just a few days would be a great blessing." Read More ...

Italy: man who shot Pope freed after 29 years in jail The man who tried to kill Pope John Paul II in 1981 has been released from prison. Turkish media say he will serve in a military facility and then be taken to a hospital to be assessed for compulsory military service. Mehmet Ali Agca, 52,  left prison after Read More ...

Haiti: homeless camp in missionary gardens About a thousand Port-au-Prince residents have set up a makeshift campsite in the garden of the missionaries of the congregation of the Chierici of Saint Viatore, ‘Villa Manrèse’, or also known as the 'House for Travelers',  located on the southern hills over the capital. Read More ...

'God, why Haiti?' Five hurricanes in ten years plus this latest earthquake is leading many people to ask: "God, why Haiti?"  Father Donald Chambers lived in Haiti for a year. He knows how poor the people are and has seen the Catholic Church active in the country amidst limited resources. Read More ... Father Donald Chambers

Nigeria: forty killed after attack on Catholic church More than 40 people have been killed in the Nigerian city of Jos, Plateau State, after around 200 Muslim youths attacked Christians near a Catholic church in Nasarawa Jos, yesterday, sparking retaliatory violence. Read More ...

Pope visits Synagogue of Rome Pope Benedict XVI visited the Synagogue of Rome  yesterday. On his arrival, he was welcomed by Riccardo Pacifici, president of the Jewish community of Rome; Renzo Gattegna, president of the Jewish communities of Italy, and Riccardo Di Segni, Chief Rabbi of Rome. Read More ...

Catholics urged to make plight of Holy Land Christians an election issue Catholics in England and Wales have been urged to make the plight of Christians in the Holy Land an issue at the forthcoming General Election. Bishop William Kenney, CP, a member and moderating bishop of the Holy Land Co-ordination 2010, said on Sunday:  Read More ... Peter Jennings

Pax Christi message to people of Haiti Pax Christi International has expressed deep condolences and solidarity with the people of Haiti following the recent earthquake and calls for prayers and prompt support in the relief efforts. Some Pax Christi members are safe. Others are known to have died,  while still more are missing. Read More ...

CAFOD pledges £300,000 to save survivors of Haiti's earthquake As a clearer picture emerges of the devastation from Haiti's earthquake on January 12, aid agency CAFOD  have increased their pledge to £300,000 to support the vital humanitarian relief efforts of its  Caritas partners. Read More ...

Prayer for Haiti For the people of Haiti Light shines in darkness, and darkness could not overpower it. (John 1:5) Read More ...

Latest from Haiti earthquake - 'all children are now street children' "We are in great distress. We have no water reserves and gas stations are closed. There is no electricity. Here in Port-au-Prince things are difficult. We are in need of everything and will continue like this for some considerable time," declared Archbishop Bernardito Auza, Apostolic Nuncio to Haiti.  Read More ...

Haiti: they are not alone The earthquake in Haiti, following five hurricanes in ten years, has turned the lives of Haitians upside down. Yet in the midst of their suffering people have held on to their faith. Father Donald Chambers lived in Haiti for a year. He knows how poor the people are and has seen the Catholic Church active in the country amidst limited resources.  Read More ...

First CAFOD aid reaches Haiti earthquake survivors Less then 24 hours after the 7.0 earthquake hit Haiti, CAFOD  has been able to quickly deliver aid to the survivors. In an email to CAFOD's Humanitarian team in London, CAFOD partner Caritas Haiti described their emergency response so far, but highlighted that people are still in urgent need of food, medical supplies and clean water. Read More ...

Archbishop Nichols statement on Haiti "The news from Haiti is so distressing.  I respond readily to the direct, unequivocal appeal for prayer for all whose lives have been lost or devastated in this earthquake.  I am sure all Catholics here will respond in the same way.  It is what we do." Read More ...

Conference to examine Catholic and Jewish teaching on creation Faith and the environment will be the theme of the ninth meeting of the Commission for Dialogue between Jews and Catholics due to be held in Rome from 17 - 20 January. Entitled: 'Catholic and Jewish teaching on creation and the environment', and  'The challenges of human intervention in natural order', Read More ...

Eyewitness: Haiti aftershock ‘I have just returned this morning. I found priests and nuns in the streets, without homes. The Rector of the seminary survived, as did the Dean of Studies, but the seminarians are under the rubble. Read More ... Archbishop Bernardito Auza, Papal Nuncio to Haiti

Catholic Bishops call for political courage to achieve peace in Holy Land Catholic Bishops of the 10th Holy Land Co-ordination today urged political leaders and people of goodwill to be courageous in seeking a just peace in the Holy Land. Read More ...

Holy Father meets woman who disrupted Christmas Eve procession Pope Benedict has met the woman who leapt  over a crowd  barrier and ran towards him, causing him to fall briefly, as he was processing into St Peter's Basilica to celebrate Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve. Cardinal Etchegaray suffered a broken hip as a result of a fall during the incident.  Read More ...

CAFOD pledges £100,000 to earthquake relief effort in Haiti International aid agency CAFOD, a member of the Caritas Federation, has immediately pledged £100,000 to Caritas partners to assist with the relief effort following Tuesday's earthquake on the Caribbean Island of Haiti. Read More ...

Message from Haiti: 'it is a disaster of the century' We are all accounted for except for two staff. They are probably fine, but out of phone reach close to Gonaives. We have a terrible problem with communications – only incoming calls. We tried to organize this morning and contact UN, OFDA and Caritas. We might be running out of supplies ourselves – water and food. Read More ...

Churches mobilise support for Haiti quake victims The World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev Dr Olav Fykse Tveit has expressed condolences and solidarity with the people of Haiti after the earthquake there and has called for prompt support in the relief efforts. The major earthquake that shook the island overnight Read More ...

Philippines: mining company quits project after CAFOD campaign Anglo-Australian mining giant BHP Billiton has pulled out of a nickel mining project in the Philippines following a campaign by CAFOD. BHP Billiton sold its 40 percent stake in the massive project to local joint-venture partner AMCOR (Asiaticus Management Corp). Read More ...

Rome: North American College celebrates 150 years On Saturday,  the Holy Father received the rector, students and former students of the Pontifical North American College in Rome, in a meeting marking the 150th anniversary of the foundation of that institution by Blessed Pius IX. Read More ...

Pope denounces failure of Copenhagen summit In his annual meeting with the diplomatic corps, Pope Benedict told nearly 100 ambassadors,  that the same "self-centered and materialistic" way of thinking that had sparked the worldwide financial meltdown was also endangering creation. To combat it will require a new way of thinking and a new lifestyle Read More ...

Tunisia: missionary killed in library fire Father Gian-Battista Maffi of the Missionaries of Africa, (also known as the White Fathers), died in a fire in the library of the Institut des Belles Lettres Arabes (Institute of Arabic Literature) in Tunis last Tuesday afternoon.  Fr Gerard Chabanon, Superior General of the White Fathers,  told MISNA Read More ...

Pope urges Italy to respect migrants Pope Benedict XVI yesterday denounced a wave of violence against African farm workers in southern Italy which left more than 70 people injured over the weekend. Many African migrant workers rampaged through the  town of Rosarno, in Calabria after two migrants were wounded in a shooting. Read More ... Dan Bergin

Holy Land: soldiers attack Palestinian shepherds, Christian Peacemakers On Thursday morning,  7 January,  Israeli soldiers attacked and injured Palestinian shepherds from the Musa Raba’i family, as they grazed their sheep in Humra valley, near the village of At-Tuwani in the South Hebron Hills. The soldiers also attacked members of the Christian Peacemaker Teams accompanying Read More ...

Malaysia: several churches attacked At least six churches in Malaysia have been targets of vandalism and firebombs since Friday, with attacks reported in Kuala Lumpur and other parts of the country. A Molotov cocktail was hurled at the Anglican All Saints Church in Taiping town in Perak state on Saturday. Broken bottles and paint thinners were found at the St Louis Catholic Church Read More ...

CSW urges China to resume human rights dialogue The dialogue, which provides an opportunity for frank discussion regarding human rights concerns between the UK Foreign Office and the Chinese Ministry for Foreign Affairs, was due to take place on 11 January. CSW has learned that it is being postponed by the Chinese. Read More ...

Pope: Turkey is a bridge between Islam and the West Turkey is well placed to make a significant contribution to peace in the Middle East, Pope Benedict said yesterday, in an address to Turkey’s new ambassador to the Holy See, Kenan Gursoy. The Holy Father said: “As a secular democratic state that straddles the boundary between Europe and Asia,  Read More ...

Kenya: 30,000 displaced by floods At least 30,000 Kenyans are in urgent need of shelter, water, food and healthcare after heavy rainfall caused massive flooding, forcing thousands to leave their homes. Roads and bridges have been either destroyed or severely damaged, cutting off villagers and leaving them without food or safe water, Read More ...

Egypt: seven killed outside church after Coptic Christmas service Severn people were shot dead early this morning in an incident outside a church in southern Egypt where parishioners were leaving a midnight Christmas Eve service. The Coptic Orthodox Church celebrates Christmas on 7th January. Two vehicles approached the Coptic church in the  Nile community of Naga Hammadi City, Read More ...

Orthodox Christmas in Moscow and Bethlehem Orthodox Christians around the world are celebrating Christmas today.  During the Christmas service at the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow last night, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, praised  the Russian people Read More ... Dan Bergin

US Bishops launch justice for immigrants campaign “It is our view, and that of others, that the American public, including the Catholic and other faith communities, want a humane and comprehensive solution to the problems which beset our immigration system, and they want Congress to address this issue,” said Bishop Wester. Read More ...

China: thousands brave snow, government ban to attend bishop's funeral Around 2,500 Catholics braved freezing conditions today, to pay their last respects to 'underground' Bishop Leo Yao Liang of Xiwanzi, who had spent almost 30 years of his life behind bars. The Vatican-approved Coadjutor Bishop Yao, who the government recognized only as a priest, died on  30 December at the age of 86. Read More ...

Christian Peacemaker reflects on Gaza Freedom March One year after Israel's three-week war on Gaza, around-the-world protests have been taking place to re-centre Israel's continuing siege on Gaza in the minds of the global public. Six members of CPT's Palestine team attended a rally at the Erez border crossing between Israel and the Gaza Strip Read More ... Drew Herbert

Catholic bishops meet in Jerusalem to support Christian community Bishops from Europe and North America are heading to Jerusalem this week to support the beleaguered Christian community in the Holy Land. The Most Rev Patrick Kelly, Archbishop of Liverpool, is leading the 2010 meeting of the Co-ordination of Episcopal Conferences in Support of the Church of the Holy Land Read More ...

Egypt: Marian apparitions reported over Cairo A bird flew over a church tower in Cairo. Then, a woman in white and blue robes appeared. For Christians and some Muslims, it was an apparition of Our Lady; for others, it was a hoax created with laser beams, Middle East online reports.  Read More ...

Campaigner warns of pollution disaster in China A green campaigner told a special New Year's Mass in Hong Kong  that  the disposal of computers, televisions and other electronics in neighbouring Guangdong province was putting lives at risk. Burning electronic waste was "the most primitive and hazardous way" Read More ...

Eyewitness: Advent in Cuba "How was it?" asks Jesus, our guide.  "Delicious, excellent, superb" are the various responses as we have just enjoyed the latest meal on our Cuban 'Meet the People'  tour, organised by Traidcraft. No problem with meeting the 'five fruit a day' target - the exotic and fresh are on our tables, breakfast, lunch and dinner Read More ... Judy Dixey

Malaysia: court overturns ban on non-Muslims using word ‘Allah’ The High Court in Kuala Lumpur,  has ruled that the national Catholic weekly, 'Herald,' can use the word 'Allah' to refer to God and that the Home Ministry’s order banning its use is illegal. The court on Thursday also declared that the word 'Allah' is not exclusive to Islam. Read More ...

Pope focuses on environment in New Year peace message Pope Benedict XVI championed the environment in his annual World Day of Peace message on Friday. In his address, entitled: "If You Want to Cultivate Peace, Protect Creation," the Holy Father said peace with the natural environment was the beginning of peace with all of God's creation. Read More ...

Record number of missionaries killed in 2009 At least 37 Catholic missionaries were killed around the world during 2009 – nearly double the number reported in 2008 - Fides reports. Thirty priests, two religious sisters, two seminarians, and two lay volunteers  are known to have lost their lives. Read More ...

Pope Benedict on Feast of Holy Family Pope Benedict lead the Angelus in St Peter's Square yesterday, the Feast of the Holy Family, and afterwards had lunch with guests at a homeless project in Rome,  run by the Sant'Egidio Community. Read More ...

Christmas Message of Pope Benedict XVI Dear Brothers and Sisters in Rome and throughout the world, and all men and women, whom the Lord loves!  Read More ...

Woman lunges at Pope before Midnight Mass A woman jumped the barriers in St Peter's Basilica and knocked down Pope Benedict XVI just before Christmas Eve Mass last night,  but the Holy Father got up unhurt and went on to celebrate the Mass. Read More ... Dan Bergin

Very best wishes for a happy and holy Christmas. CHRISTMAS MESSAGE FROM ICN Very best wishes for a happy and holy Christmas and a happy New Year.  There may be some brief news coverage over the holidays.  But the next full news updates on ICN will begin on 4 January 2010. Read More ...

Pope Benedict on the mystery of the Incarnation In his general audience, celebrated this morning in the Paul VI Hall, the Pope spoke about the mystery of the Incarnation.  At the beginning of his catechesis the Holy Father explained that "the Church's liturgical year did not initially develop on the basis of Christ's birth but on that of faith in His resurrection. Read More ...

Christmas in Gaza For one Christian family in Gaza, this Christmas will be full of sad memories. Around this time last year, their house was destroyed in the bombing and they lost friends, family and their livelihoods. “Last year passed over us like a ghost of death. But at the same time we were celebrating the birth of  Jesus Christ. Read More ...

Born in Bethlehem The  Christmas edition of Heart and Soul on the BBC World Service, which comes from Bethlehem, reports on La Creche, or 'the manger', a children's home in Bethlehem run by the Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul.  It's one of the very few places in the West Bank where unwanted Palestinian children find a loving home.  Read More ...

India: Christmas fair attacked An attack on a Christmas fair in Madhya Pradesh has spread panic among Christians in the state, says an organizer of the event. Men chanting Hindu slogans torched representations of biblical scenes at the fair in the town of Gwalior yesterday Read More ...

Twenty-one new saints in the making On Friday,  Pope Benedict met with  officials for the Congregation for the Causes of Saints for the fortieth anniversary of that dicastery. The decrees for 21 Causes for sainthood were put forward. These include Mary MacKillop, the foundress who will become Australia's first Saint; Mary Ward,  English foundress of the Congregation of Jesus; Read More ...

Reflection: Where was God at Copenhagen? Columbans who worked in Mindanao in the 1970s and 1980s will remember that, at many of our heated meetings on issues such as peace, social justice and concerns with the behaviour of the army or the police, one well-known Columban would ask: where is God in all of this? Read More ... Fr Seán McDonagh SSC

Catholic agencies express sadness and anger at Copenhagen outcome Catholic aid agencies around the world have expressed sadness and anger at the proposed 'Copenhagen Accord'  which they describe as a weak and morally reprehensible deal which will spell disaster for millions of the world's poorest people. Read More ...

Christmas tree arrives in St Peter's Square Pope Benedict XVI received a delegation from the Belgian region of Wallonia on Friday, who brought a large fir tree  to decorate St Peter's Square. The tree, which comes from the Ardennes, one of the most wooded areas of Europe, Read More ...

Pacific Churches prepare for millions of new 'environmental refugees' More than 200 million people will become refugees or internally displaced persons due to climate change by 2050 in Southeast Asia and the Pacific: this is the prediction made in Copenhagen by international experts, that has become a cause for concern among the Churches of Oceania. Read More ...

Drought and killing in Turkana Over the past few year a number of British people have generously supported the work of Fr Steven Ochieng, an African who works in Turkana – in a vast area which straddles the border between Kenya and Ethiopia. Earlier this year his bishop gave Fr Steven the formal role of Parish Priest of Our Lady Queen of Peace in Todonyang. Read More ... David Alton

Vatican defrocks maverick Archbishop Milingo Zambian Archbishop Emmanual Milingo has been officially defrocked by the Vatican. The 79-year-old cleric was ordained in 1958. A gifted priest, in 1969 Pope Paul VI consecrated him as Bishop of the archdiocese of Lusaka, as one of Africa's youngest bishops. Read More ...

Iraq: two churches attacked in Mosul Two Christian Churches in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul have been bombed. The Syrian Catholic Archbishop of Mosul, Monsignor Basile Georges Casmoussa, confirmed that the attacks had taken place. The Aswat al-Iraq news agency,  reported that at least four people have been  killed and 40 wounded Read More ...

Vatican announces changes to canon law on deacons, marriage Pope Benedict has made two changes in canon law, regarding marriage for those who have formally renounced the Church, and clarifying the ministry of deacons. The changes came in a 'motu proprio' entitled 'Omnium in mentem' Read More ...

Pope Benedict: 'if you want to cultivate peace, protect creation' Pope Benedict XVI has appealed for the protection of the environment in his Message for  the World Day of Peace, due to be celebrated on 1 January 2010. The message is entitled:  "If You Want To Cultivate Peace, Protect Creation". Read More ...

Washington DC: Cathedral to hold Joint prayer service with people of Bethlehem A joint simulcast service with the people of Bethlehem at the Bethlehem Chapel of the  Washington National Cathedral 3101 Wisconsin Ave., NW, Washington, DC takes place at 9.30am (Eastern Standard Time) this Saturday, 19 December. Read More ...

Congo: further attacks on monastery in Bukavu The Church in Bukavu, capital of South Kivu in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, is once more suffering violence. On Sunday night, the Monastery of Our Lady of Light in Muresa was again attacked by armed men. Read More ...

India leads world in women Religious India leads the world in the number of vocations to women’s Religious life in the Catholic Church, statistics show. Asia and Africa made considerable gains in the number of female Religious since 2000, while Europe, Americas and Oceania showed a downward trend, Read More ...

Holy Land: village flooded with sewage from new settlements Jalbun village, 13 km from Jenin,  is surrounded by three  new Israeli  hilltop settlements: Ma’ale Gilboa, 600 metres away;  Mirav Kibbutz, at a distance of 150 metres, Malkishua, one km away, and a dairy farm. It is also now surrounded by the Partition Wall on three sides. Read More ...

Latest from Copenhagen Summit The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has told an indigenous Ecuadorean farmer that her voice and the voices of the world’s poor are critical to achieving a strong climate deal for the most vulnerable communities. Fabiola Quishpe, 42, who spends much of her time farming the land in her rural village Read More ...

Pope receives Vietnamese president for first time Pope Benedict XVI received in audience Nguyen Minh Triet, president of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam on Friday. The president subsequently went on to meet with Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone SDB who was accompanied by Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, Read More ...

India: Mumbai clergy told to keep sermons short Bombay archdiocese has told its priests to keep their homilies short and to the point. "Some priests are still preaching for 20 minutes or more, which is strongly discouraged," said Auxiliary Bishop Bosco Penha, Read More ...

Kenya: Irish missionary killed Father Jeremiah Roche, 68, an Irish missionary of the Kiltegan Fathers (Society of St Patrick)  was killed in Kericho southern Kenya, 250 kilometres from Nariobi, on 10 or 11 December. Fr Roche's body was discovered by some parishioners who were concerned that he  had not come to celebrate the 6am Mass. Read More ...

Pope Benedict 'shares outrage of Irish people' over abuse report Pope Benedict has held a 90-minute meeting with Primate of All Ireland Cardinal Seán Brady and Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin at the Vatican this morning to discuss the Murphy Report. After the meeting,  the Vatican issued the following statement: Read More ...

Christians leaders issue Kairos Palestine Document A group of Palestinian Christians representing a variety of churches and church-related organizations are issuing an 'animated and prayerful' statement today,  calling for an end to occupation of Palestine by Israel. The call, being issued at a meeting in Bethlehem, Read More ...

Israeli Court stops Gaza student from completing studies in Bethlehem The Israeli High Court of Justice ruled on Wednesday to deny a Palestinian student from Gaza permission to complete her university degree in Bethlehem. Berlanty Azza, 22, has been in the West Bank since 2005 and had only two months of studies left in order to complete her Bachelor’s degree Read More ... Dan Bergin

Pakistan: Christians prepare for 'silent Christmas' Catholics in northern Pakistan are preparing for quiet, scaled-back Christmas celebrations  this year, as militant attacks continue to terrorize the country. "Most of the scheduled programs are canceled due to this situation," said Archbishop Lawrence Saldanha of Lahore. Read More ...

Congo: priest and nun killed News has just come through of the killing of a  priest and a nun, in the Archdiocese of Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo:  Fr Daniel Cizimya Nakamaga and Sister Denise Kahambo Murahirwa. Read More ...

The case for a grassroots review of New Roman Missal A 'Statement of Concern', and petition has been published,  appealing to  the Vatican to undertake a pilot program in selected parishes around the English-speaking world of the new translation of the Roman Missal before its introduction. Read More ... 1 opinion posted

Israeli jeep drives into Palestinian school killing pupil Fuad Atiya Turkman while lying in his brother’s arms uttered his last words: “Say goodbye to my mother and father,” then he was taken to Jenin Hospital were he died half an hour later. Fuad was 17 years old from the West Bank village of Yabad, Read More ...

South Africa: fourth missionary priest murdered Five teenagers have been arrested today in connection with the murder of a Catholic priest in Diepsloot, north of Johannesburg, police said. White Father, Fr Louis Blondel, 70, was shot in his presbytery on Sunday night.  In a statement, the Superior General of Missionaries of Africa, Read More ...

Hackney youth group wins Philip Lawrence Award A group of young people from Hackney have been recognised for their remarkable work to improve their local community. Fawcett Youth Group collected their award today from Home Secretary Alan Johnson at a glamorous awards ceremony at BAFTA in London's West End, hosted by television presenter, Sir Trevor McDonald. Read More ...

Sudan: police attack Catholic radio station The following message has just come in from Bakhita Radio, in Juba. At noon on Monday, a group of about 20 presumed Central Equatoria State South Sudan Police Service personnel stormed into the premises of Bakhita Radio and beat one of the staff. They came in full riot gear and handcuffs, entering without specified reason Read More ...

Congo: priest shot dead A Congolese priest, Father Daniel Cizimya, was killed on Saturday night by unidentified gunmen in the presbytery of his parish in Kabare, 15km from the city of Bukavu in the north-eastern province of South Kivu, Fr Justin Nkinzi of the diocesan Justice and Peace told the Missionary News Service.  Read More ...

Archbishop of Canterbury voices concern at election of gay bishop The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams has expressed his concern over the election of a second openly gay Episcopalian bishop in America. In a statement today, Dr Williams said: "The election of Mary Glasspool by the Diocese of Los Angeles as suffragan bishop elect raises very serious questions Read More ...

Pope calls for concrete action on climate Pope Benedict XVI has called on the UN Climate Change Conference to come up with concrete action to combat global warming. On the eve of the conference in Copenhagen, the Pope appealed to all people of goodwill to “respect the laws that God has placed in nature.” Read More ...

Kenya: Churches demands closure of toxic dumpsite Christian groups in Nairobi, Kenya,  are calling for the country's  biggest dumpsite,  Dandora  to be closed,  calling it a major health hazard to a million residents. The KUTOKA Network,  including four Catholic parishes, Read More ...

Holy See and Russia establish full diplomatic relations History was made yesterday evening when Pope Benedict met  Dimitri Medvedev, president of the Russian Federation and agreed to establish full diplomatic relations between the Vatican and the Russian Federation. Read More ...

Louvain: international conference on the Household of God A conference entitled: The Household of God and Local Households: Revisiting the Domestic Church takes place at: the Catholic University of Louvain (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven) Belgium,   from 10-13 March, 2010. Read More ...

Beatification date set for Venerable Angelo Paoli, O.Carm The Vicariate of the Diocese of Rome has confirmed that Ven  Angelo Paoli, O.Carm  will be beatified in the Basilica of St John Lateran on 18 April 2010. The official news release from the Carmelite General Council reads as follows: Read More ...

India: Christians remember Bhopal Christians in Bhopal have staged a prayer service and torchlight vigil to mark the 25th anniversary of the world's worst industrial tragedy. About 3,000 people died on 3 December, 1984,  when 40 tons of deadly methyl isocyanate gas escaped from a chemical plant owned by the Union Carbide Corporation Read More ...

India: magician priest hails a real miracle Father Ivan Madtha, a priest and magician from Mangalore, captivates his audience with the full range of familiar magic tricks. During his regular shows, he conjures light, water and flowers from an empty box in a representation of the Creation. He cuts people in three, floats in mid air Read More ...

Visitors from Turkana Desert Two workers from the St Paul's Missionary Community on the edge of the Turkana Desert northern Kenya, in equatorial Africa,  have been visiting a chilly UK this week. Nursing specialist Scholastica Wamalwa and agriculturist Lenny Jilo Read More ...

Operation Noah reports from Copenhagen Daily film videos from the UN climate summit starting on Copenhagen next week are part of a December plan of action to make sure that the voice of faith is heard at this “make or break” time in our history. These will be on the new ON website at: Read More ...

India: American priest's visit galvanizes opposition to nuclear plant Villagers in eastern India say a recent visit by an American priest has strengthened their fight against a proposed nuclear project. Fr Charles  Dougherty visited Haripur, a village in West Bengal state on 10 November, where local people are resisting a government proposal to set up a nuclear plant with Russian aid. Read More ...

New on-line fair trade shop supports trafficked children A new online fair trade shop has been launched to raise money for child  victims of trafficking and exploitation. The innovative idea is the result of a new partnership between Ethic Trade and the campaigning charity Jubilee Campaign Read More ...

Viewpoint: Humpty Dumpty in the Vatican In 'Through the Looking Glass,' Lewis Carroll's sequel to 'Alice in Wonderland,' Alice meets Humpty Dumpty. "When I use a word," Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, "it means just what I choose it to mean -- neither more nor less." Read More ... Maryknoll Father William Grimm

Pope Benedict prays for all persons affected by AIDS World AIDS Day is being marked around the world on 1 December. Addressing pilgrims in St Peter's Square before the Angelus on Sunday, Pope Benedict said: "My thought and my prayer go to all persons affected by this sickness, in particular children, to the poorest and to those who are rejected. Read More ...

Third phase of Catholic-Anglican dialogue to begin in 2010 The Holy See has announced plans to begin the third phase of the 'Anglican Roman Catholic International Commission' (ARCIC). In a statement, the Vatican said: "Following the 21 November meeting in the Vatican between Benedict XVI and Archbishop Rowan Williams of Canterbury, Read More ...

Cambodia: ending HIV stigma in hospitals “They turned my patient away because she was HIV positive.” Discrimination of people living with HIV is found in every layer of society. Dr Vuthy King, from CAFOD partner Maryknoll, explains how he is working to stamp out stigma in the medical profession “Some hospitals in Cambodia do not like to operate on people living with HIV. Read More ...

Holy Land: Israel approves new building in West Bank, bombs Gaza Israel has approved construction of 28 new public buildings in the occupied West Bank and carried out an air strike in the Gaza Strip.  The moves came two days after Tel Aviv’s decision to partially 'freeze' the construction of Israeli settlements Read More ...

Indonesia: Muslim leaders welcome Vatican cardinal to grand mosque Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue has paid a visit to the national Istiqlal mosque, the largest in Southeast Asia, during his first official trip to the country. Cardinal Tauran, walking barefoot, was accompanied by Jesuit Cardinal Julius Darmaatmadja of Jakarta Read More ...

Message for World AIDS Day - learning to face AIDS as a family Fratern Masawe SJ,  writes:  When AIDS began to afflict Africa about 25 years ago, few of us reacted well. People who were HIV-positive or suffered from AIDS could easily find themselves condemned, rejected, cast out and treated "as good as dead". Read More ...

International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People Sunday, 29th November marks the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. It is the anniversary of the adoption of the UN resolution for the partition of Palestine.  Lydia Khoury writes: Aida camp is home to nearly 5,000 refugees. Read More ... Caritas International

Aid agencies struggle to cope with refugees fleeing Burma Aid agencies are reporting a massive increase in refugees fleeing Burma. Andrew Scadding, director of the Thai Children's Trust said: "This human tragedy is on a scale greater than cyclone Nargis, and should command at least as generous a response from Read More ...

US Bishops disappointed at abortion funding provisions in healthcare bill The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has expressed concern over abortion funding provisions in the Senate health reform bill, which they say “does not live up to President Obama’s commitment of barring the use of federal dollars for abortion and maintaining current conscience laws.” Read More ...

Former Death Row prisoner to speak at Vatican conference The campaign to end the death penalty around the world, is the theme of a study conference in Rome, tomorrow, at the Pontifical Urban University. The initiative is being organized by the students of 'Omnes Gentes' of the Pontifical Urban University. 'The death penalty in the world today: the struggle for abolition, for a new culture of life' Read More ...

Researcher makes new claims for Turin Shroud A researcher in the Vatican archives claims to have discovered an inscription on the Turin Shroud that would date it to the time of the Crucifixion. Dr Barbara Frale, who is soon to publish her findings in a new book: La Sindone di Gesu Nazareno Read More ... Claire Bergin

Vietnam: thousands attend opening of Jubilee Year Many thousands attended the opening ceremony of Vietnam's Holy Jubilee Year on Monday evening, (23 November) at So Kien, 70 km South of Hanoi. Cardinal Roger Marie Élie Etchegaray, Vice-Dean of the College of Cardinals; Cardinal André Armand Vingt-Trois, Archbishop of Paris, Read More ... JB An Dang

World Council of Churches urges Israel to stop settlement expansion Churches and other ecumenical partners of the World Council of Churches (WCC) have received an appeal to "mobilize their members and the public" in resistance to Israel's approval for the construction of 900 new housing units in the Gilo settlement on traditionally Palestinian land in East Jerusalem. Read More ...

Congo: rebels free 22 kidnapped children A group of 22 children, aged about 10 and 11 were  freed by Lord’s Resistance Army  rebels last night. Father Romano Segalini, a Comboni missionary in Watsa, near the Ugandan border, said: “They are traumatized and some are in bad health. They went through a terrible ordeal but they are with us now and we will try to help them find hope again”. Read More ...

Pope Benedict and Archbishop of Canterbury in 'cordial' meeting Pope Benedict and the  Archbishop of Canterbury held a private meeting at the Vatican today.  The meeting, arranged some months ago,  was the first time they have met since the Pope released his Apostolic Constitution, inviting some Anglicans discontented with recent reforms in the Church of England,  to become Catholic.   Read More ...

Keeping the memory of the Jesuit Martyrs of El Salvador I have just returned from an emotion-filled week of events in San Salvador,  to mark the twentieth anniversary of the brutal killing of six great members of the Society of Jesus - all of whom I had known and worked with during the 1970s and 1980s.  Our British contingent included Edinburgh’s archbishop, Cardinal Keith O’Brien, SCIAF, CAFOD and Romero Trust Read More ... Julian Filochowski

Archbishop of Canterbury: 'the ecumenical glass is genuinely half-full' Dr Rowan Williams arrived in Rome today for the start of a three-day visit organised some time before Pope Benedict issued his Apostolic Constitution inviting Anglicans to join the Catholic Church. Dr Williams began his visit as the guest of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity Read More ...

Vietnam: jailed priest suffers second stroke Officials in Hue archdiocese have expressed concern about the condition of Father Thadeus Nguyen Van Ly, who  has been moved from prison to hospital after suffering a second stroke. The diocese has petitioned Thua Thien-Hue provincial security officials to allow them to  visit Father Ly. "We hope to meet him next week," said a priest from Hue Archbishop's House. Read More ...

World Churches call for investigation of Gaza war crimes The World Council of Churches (WCC) has asked the United Nations secretary-general to make sure that recommendations of a key report about war crimes committed during the conflict between Israeli and Palestinian armed forces in Gaza at the beginning of 2009 are properly followed up. Read More ...

Iran frees women Christian converts after nine months detention Two female Christians originally from Islamic families have been released from Tehran’s notorious Evin prison today without bail, after being detained for nearly nine months, refusing to recant their faith. Despite their release, Maryam Rostampour, 27, and Marzieh Amirizadeh, 30, may still have to attend a civil court hearing. The women are also reported to be in very poor health, Read More ...

Zimbabwe: soldiers attack Catholic priest SW Radio Africa reports today that a Catholic priest in Zimbabwe  has been badly beaten by soldiers. Father Wolfgang Thamm SJ, who is in his late 60s,  was on a mercy mission to Darwendale on Sunday afternoon, with a hospital nursing sister, fetching an asthmatic boy from a clinic there to take him to Banket hospital. Read More ...

Bishop Michael Smith visits first HIV hospice in north Burma Bishop Michael Smith, Bishop of Meath, continues his journey to Burma this week, seeing at first hand various projects supported by the Diocese of Meath.  His itinerary takes him from the capital city in the South to the recently-established Diocese of Banmaw, along the northern border with China. Read More ...

Israeli settlers harass Palestinian family, attack foreign escorts Today, (Tuesday)  in the South Hebron Hills of the West Bank, five Israeli settlers harassed a Palestinian family walking home, then beat and robbed two internationals who accompanied them. The two young parents and their three small children were returning from the nearby city of Yatta Read More ...

Rwandan priest cleared of genocide charges A UN court today acquitted a Catholic priest charged with genocide and crimes against humanity during the 1994 Rwandan genocide. The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda ordered the immediate release of Father Hormisdas Nsengimana,  Read More ... Dan Bergin

Cardinal tells Food Summit: 'Africa needs water, not GM crops' At the Rome Food Summit which opened yesterday,  Cardinal Napier, Archbishop of Durban, said: "I have the impression that this organization does not know what the real problems of nutrition in Africa are. Africans do not need GMOs (genetically modified organisms), but water. Read More ...

Philippines: Kidnapped priest 'wore his captors down with kindness' The kidnappers of Columban Father Michael Sinnott were quite glad to see the back of him after two weeks - according to a report in the Irish Daily Mail. For ten days, they tried to convince him of their cause.  In the end, they gave up their speeches threw their hands in the air and said: “If you go now we will be free too. We want you to go!”.. “They had enough." Read More ... Jo Siedlecka

Australia: church leaders welcome National Apology to former child migrants Australian  Catholic Church leaders issued a statement today welcoming Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's  National Apology to the 7,000 former child migrants taken from Britain and put into state-run homes in Australia,  where they suffered abuse and neglect. They also repeated an apology from the Church made in 2004, to those who suffered in Catholic institutions. Read More ...

Pope addresses world summit on food security At midday today Benedict XVI visited the Rome headquarters of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) for the occasion of the World Summit on Food Security, being held there from 16 to 18 November. Given below are some excerpts from the Holy Father's address to the gathering: Read More ...

Remembering the Jesuit martyrs of El Salvador The Society of Jesus throughout the world is remembering the six Jesuit priests who were killed 20 years ago today in El Salvador, along with their housekeeper and her daughter.  On 16 November 1989, a military death squad besieged the campus of the Jesuit-run University of Central America in San Salvador, and murdered Read More ...

US diocese threatens to end social services over same-sex marriage law The Catholic Archdiocese of Washington DC has threatened to pull out of social services programs, if a proposed same-sex marriage law is passed in its current form. The decision could affect tens of thousands of people the church helps with adoption, homelessness and health care. Read More ...

Bethlehem: support grows for deported student The case of a young Bethlehem University student deported by the Israelis just two months before she was due to receive her bachelor's degree, has drawn support from churches around the world, and  the US government. Gaza-born Berlanty Azzam, 21, was arrested at a West Bank checkpoint Read More ...

China: former underground bishop joins government-approved Church Coadjutor Bishop Francis An Shuxin, 60, who was imprisoned for ten years as a  bishop loyal to Rome, has moved to the state-approved Church.  He has now been made one of the five vice-chairpersons of the local CPA, a Church administration body, in  the diocese of  Baoding, in Hebei, the province that surrounds Beijing. Read More ...

Iraq: new Archbishop of Mosul appointed The Diocese of Mosul in northern Iraq is celebrating the long-awaited appointment of Rev Emil Shimoun Nona as its new archbishop. Pope Benedict XVI yesterday approved his canonical election by the Synod of Bishops of the Chaldean Church. Rev Nona succeeds Mgr Paul Faraj Rahho who was abducted and murdered in March 2008. Read More ... Dan Bergin

Fears for homeless Dalits as winter approaches Fr Maxim Rasquinha SJ, the Mission Superior in Manvi writes: It is a month since the floods devastated our villages and still our people are on the road for lack of housing and other amenities.  We have been distributing material by way of rice, dal, oil, nutritional food for our children, clothes and utensils and warm clothing as winter is setting in. Read More ...

Israeli settlers plough Palestinian fields, Israeli police fail to intervene On Sunday morning, four young Israeli settlers from Ma'on settlement ploughed privately-owned Palestinian fields in Umm Zeituna valley. The settlers arrived at approximately 8.50am and chased two Palestinian shepherds off the land throwing stones, before starting ploughing. Read More ...

Philippines: kidnapped priest freed after one month in captivity Columban missionary, Fr Michael Sinnott, 79, was freed at dawn local time after a month in captivity - declaring himself in good health and eager to continue his missionary work. Muslim rebels delivered the 79-year-old to Philippine authorities before dawn, ending a kidnap drama that began on October 11 when six gunmen abducted him Read More ...

US Bishops welcomes ban on federal funding for abortion Cardinal Francis George of Chicago, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, has praised the decision of the US House of Representatives to block federal health care reform money from paying for elective abortions. Read More ...

Guatemala: kidnapped Franciscan priest murdered Guatemalan Franciscan priest Fr Miguel Angel Hernandez, who had been assigned to a parish in Ocotepeque, Honduras) and who had disappeared last weekend, was found dead yesterday,  in a province of eastern Guatemala. Honduran police sources reported that Father Hernandez was in fact kidnapped last weekend  Read More ...

New York: Churches to lobby UN on climate change Church representatives from around the world will gather in New York City 15-20 November to press issues within the agenda of the United Nations: peoples being displaced by climate change, indigenous people's rights and Colombia's protracted internal conflict.  Read More ...

Since fall of Berlin Wall, Missio works to unite Western, Eastern Churches To mark the 20th anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall, the National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Austria, 'Missio Austria', Fr  Leo M Maasburg, reflected on the legacy of Communism. Read More ...

London: conference on Christian/Muslim relations in Africa CAFOD and Heythrop College hosted their first conference on Christian/Muslim relations in Africa last week. Coming immediately after the Second African Synod it followed the theme of ‘The Church in service to Reconciliation, Justice and Peace’. Archbishop Michael Fitzgerald M.Afr, Papal Nuncio to Egypt and the Arab League guided a reflection Read More ... Sister Maggi Kennedy MSOLA

Irish Bishop Michael Smith visits Burma Bishop Michael Smith, Bishop of Meath, Ireland, departed yesterday for a visit to Burma (Myanmar).  Bishop Smith's schedule involves visits to a number of projects supported by the Diocese of Meath.  Over recent years the Diocese of Meath has supported several projects in Burma. Read More ...

Forward in Faith first reaction to Apostolic Constitution Following the publication of the Apostolic Constitution Anglicanorum Coetibus, which will provide for Personal Ordinariates for Anglicans entering into full communion with the Catholic Church, the Chairman of Forward in Faith, Bishop John Broadhurst, has issued an interim statement today. Read More ...

Vatican issues Apostolic Constitution The Vatican  this morning has issued the Apostolic Constitution: Anglicanorum coetibus, Complementary Norms, with the following statement:  On October 20, 2009, Cardinal William Levada, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, announced a new provision responding to the many requests that have been submitted to the Holy See Read More ...

Vatican hosts seminar on sport A seminar on 'sport, education and faith is currently place in Rome. The event is the third study seminar organised by The 'Church and Sport' section, founded by Pope John Paul II in 2004 as part of the Pontifical Council for the Laity. The aim is to explore the relationship between sporting activity, the formation of the human person, and faith, Read More ...

Priest editor questions mandatory celibacy for priests “Is the man-made law of celibacy more important than people’s right to the Eucharist and to proper pastoral care?” asks the Editor of Reality magazine in the November editorial. In his article, entitled:  ‘Facing up to the priest shortage’, Fr Gerry Moloney, CSsR, writes that the Year for Priests comes at a challenging and difficult time  Read More ... 1 opinion posted

Eyewitness report from Zimbabwe: poverty forces mothers to abandon children It is a rarity for mothers to abandon their children. In Africa, where family can quite literally mean the difference between life and death, it is almost unheard of. But the economic crisis in Zimbabwe has forced parents to abandon their children,  leaving them either alone or in the care of grandparents.  Read More ... David Snyder

European Court bans crucifix from Italian classrooms The European Court of Human Rights  yesterday ruled that  crucifixes should be removed from Italian classrooms. The case was brought to the European Court  by Soile Lautsi, an Italian woman, after the courts in Italy had thrown out her case in a legal wrangle which  began in 2001. Read More ... ICN

El Salvador to honour murdered priests The president of El Salvador has announced that the country will award its highest honour to six Jesuit priests murdered by a government death squad in 1989. President Mauricio Funes says the National Order of Jose Matias Delgado awards are a 'public act of atonement' for mistakes by past governments. Read More ...

Vatican official highlights increase in priestly vocations There has been an increase in the number of seminarians in more than 20 countries around the world.  In a speech to the English and Welsh Vocations Directors' Conference held at the Palazzola near Rome, Mgr Francis Bonnici, Director of the Pontifical Pastoral Ministry for Priestly Vocations, Read More ...

SA Bishops fear rise in forced prostitution during 2010 World Cup The South African Bishops' Conference has warned that thousands of women will be trafficked to South Africa for prostitution during the 2010 World Cup. “We are expecting to see a sharp increase in trafficking of women forced to be prostituted for the Soccer World Championships, which will be held in South Africa in 2010,” said Fr Chris Townsend, from the SACBC Read More ...

Jesuit Superior: "Garden of Eden is being 'systematically destroyed" The Jesuit Superior responsible for the work of the Society of Jesus in the Amazon Region has criticised people and organisations motivated by 'the evil spirit of self interest' and have created 'a socio-ecological mess'.  Using the Amazon River Region as a prime example, he has called for a fundamental change in our approach to civilisation,  including a 'spiritual transformation'. Read More ...

India: Jesuit leaders pray at Hindu shrine Senior Jesuit leaders from South Asia who prayed inside a shrine dedicated to a Hindu ascetic say the visit and prayers have "enriched" them. About 20 provincials and regional superiors of the Jesuit Conference of South Asia spent 15 minutes at the shrine in Belur Read More ...

Vatican clarifies celibacy issue for Anglican clergy who convert Seminarians from Anglican communities who join the Catholic Church under new papal provisions would be required to be celibate as a rule, said the head of the Vatican's doctrinal office. However, Cardinal William Levada, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, left open the possibility that there could be exceptions to this requirement Read More ...

US Bishops plan document: 'Life-Giving Love in an Age of Technology' A proposed document from the US bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities looks at the relationship between sex and procreation and the moral issues surrounding various technologies for treating infertility, including in vitro fertilization, embryo adoption and surrogacy. Read More ...

Miami: archbishop bans Legionaries of Christ The Archbishop  of Miami, Most Rev John Favalora, has announced an immediate official ban on members of the Legionaries of Christ from exercising any ministry in the archdiocese. A letter to all priests, on 29 November from Msgr Michael Souckar,  the archdiocesan chancellor states:  Read More ...

Philippines: priest's kidnappers release video, ransom demand rejected A video of kidnapped missionary Father Michael Sinnott was televised in the Philippines on Saturday. It showed the priest holding an 22 October issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer newspaper. The film is the first public proof that Fr Sinnott, who is 79 and needs medication for a heart condition, is alive. Read More ...

Vietnam: bishop condemns demolition of Catholic monastery Vietnamese authorities have begun demolishing a Congregation of St Paul of Chartres  monastery in Vinh Long, and  announced plans to turn the land into a public square.  In a letter to priests, religious, and lay people in his diocese on 28 October,  Bishop Thomas Nguyen Van Tan of Vinh Long,  has strongly condemned the project. Read More ... Sr Emily Nguyen

Urgent appeal from Bethlehem University Brother Jack Curran, FSC, at Bethlehem University has asked us to post this news release about the detention of a Bethlehem University student. Earlier today,  we learned that Ms Berlanty Azzam, a 4th year student enrolled at Bethlehem University, majoring in Business Administration with a minor in Translation, is now being held in detention by the Israeli military authorities. Read More ...

Zimbabwe: churches warn of violence if government fails Churches in Zimbabwe have warned that there could be bloodshed in the country following a rupture in relations between Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and President Robert Mugabe and his party, the ZANU-PF.  A statement issued  today by the Christian Alliance of Zimbabwe, an organization formed by Catholics, Anglicans, Evangelicals, and Pentecostals, Read More ...

Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor's new appointments in Rome Today the Vatican announced that the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, has appointed Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, Emeritus Archbishop of Westminster, as a member of the Congregation for Bishops and the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples. Read More ... Gerard O'Connell in Rome

Pope hopes for greater collaboration between Iran and West Pope Benedict expressed his hopes for greater collaboration between Iran and the West, during his  meeting with the new ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ali Akbar Naseri this morning. The Pope said that Iran "is a great nation that possesses eminent spiritual traditions Read More ...

India: tribal Christians fear land seizure Thousands of tribal people in Chhattisgarh state say they fear losing their homes and lands as the central Indian state pushes ahead with industrialization plans. Potentially the worst affected are tribal Catholics in Jashpur and Raigarh dioceses. Jashpur's 190,000 Oraon tribal people form 23.5 percent of the state's Catholic population. Read More ...

Zimbabwe blog: resilience after decade of devastating decline There is a lot to say about Zimbabwe. After many years of decline – the collapse, really, of both the economy and the health care sector – I’ve been happy to see some level or normality return to the country. When I was last here in 2007, the shelves of the stores were literally empty,  Read More ... David Snyder

Archbishop Nichols says: 'the elderly are not a burden but a gift' A major new report outlining services to older people provided by the Catholic community was released on Wednesday night at Archbishops House, Westminster,  by Caritas Social Action Network. The study explores the level and quality of care provision offered by the Catholic community to older people in England and Wales. Read More ...

Columbans hold worldwide day of prayer for kidnapped missionary The Columbans are holding a worldwide day of prayer for the release of Fr Michael Sinnott  who was kidnapped on 11 October.“Wherever they are in the world, all the missionaries of our congregation are praying today for the liberation of our confrere Father Michael Sinnott; they are joined by all friends and people of good will, Read More ...

Court fines SSPX bishop for Holocaust denial A German court  yesterday fined Society of Saint Pius X Bishop Richard Williamson €12,000 (more than £10,800)  for incitement, because he has publicly denied the Holocaust. The court in Regensburg sent  Williamson a letter informing him that he was being fined because of a claim he made on Swedish television that fewer than 300,000 Jews died in Nazi death camps. Read More ... Dan Bergin

Thailand: seminarians asked to show greater respect for nuns Final-year seminarians  in Thailand have been told they must show greater respect for nuns and women co-workers after a report revealed simmering tensions between the two groups.  Priests are accused of being high-handed and disrespectful in some cases and of inappropriate behavior in others, according to Sister Kanlaya Trisopha, former chaplain of the Catholic Commission for Women. Read More ...

Vatican holds first meeting with Society of Pius X "On Monday 26 October in the Palazzo del Sant'Uffizio, headquarters of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and of the Pontifical Commission 'Ecclesia Dei', the study commission made up of experts from 'Ecclesia Dei' and from the Society of St. Pius X held its first meeting, Read More ...

Philippines: fears grow for health of kidnapped priest Fears are growing about the health of an elderly Columban missionary who was kidnapped more than two weeks ago in Mindanao. Fr Pat O’Donoghue, head of the Columban  Missionaries in the Philippines told  reporters yesterday that he was convinced Fr Michael was alive. But he said: “I just don’t know how well he is. Read More ... Claire Bergin

Conference urges media to stand up for children More than 600 Catholic media professionals pledged to make children's rights an ongoing priority, at the conclusion of the World Congress of SIGNIS (the World Catholic Association for Communication)  "Children are growing up in a digital world and we as Catholic media professionals Read More ...

Comment: Peter Stanford on the Apostolic Constitution A tremendous amount of discussion has been taking place since the Vatican announced the new Apostolic Constitution, which will provide for the establishment of Personal Ordinariates around the world, allowing Anglicans to enter into full communion with the Catholic Church while preserving elements of Anglican liturgy. Read More ...

Final message from African Synod The final message of the Second Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops was presented and voted upon this morning. The president delegate on duty was Cardinal Wilfrid Fox Napier OFM, archbishop of Durban, South Africa. A first version of the concluding Message of the Synod has been published, Read More ...

Campaign asks for all priests to be allowed to marry, not just Anglican converts The organisation FutureChurch has welcomed the decision of the Vatican to allow married Anglican clergy who become Catholic to continue to serve as priests, but they are calling for the option of a married priesthood in the Latin rite of the Catholic Church too.  Read More ...

Canada: Churches reaffirm Anglican-Catholic dialogue By coincidence, one day after the Holy See announced the upcoming publication of an Apostolic Constitution to assist Anglicans who are asking to enter into full visible communion with the Catholic Church,  the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) spent a major part of the third day of their Plenary Assembly Read More ...

US Bishops response to Apostolic Constitution on Anglican groups Cardinal Francis George, OMI, Archbishop of Chicago and President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB),  has issued the following statement, following  yesterday's Vatican announcement of a new provision concerning Anglican groups coming into the Catholic Church. Read More ...

Vietnam: Catholics face fresh attacks by government In late September, typhoon Ketsana, tore through Central Vietnam, swallowing homes and crops into its deadly path. Now  the surviving Catholics in the region are facing fresh attacks by local government.  On 19 September the local authorities seized the parish premises at Loan Ly, Read More ... Sr Emily Nguyen

Mother of missing activist highlights disappearances in the Philippines The mother of a missing activist in the Philippines visited London this week to raise awareness about the number of abductions in her country – more than 200 since the current president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo came to power. Edita Burgos said her son Jonas was abducted by gunmen in broad daylight in a Manila shopping mall Read More ... Ellen Teague

Pope Benedict establishes structure to enable Anglicans to enter Roman Catholic Church At joint press conferences held in Rome and London this morning, a canonical structure was announced that will provide for the establishment of Personal Ordinariates around the world, to allow former Anglicans to enter into full communion with the Catholic Church while preserving elements of Anglican liturgy. Read More ...

Pope Benedict: 'music can become prayer' The Holy Father attended a concert in the Pope Paul VI Hall, on Saturday evening,  by the International Piano Academy of Imola, Italy, marking twenty years since its foundation. The Chinese pianist Jin Ju, using seven pianofortes from different historical periods, played pieces by Bach, Scarlatti, Mozart, Czerny, Beethoven, Chopin, Tchaikovsky and Liszt. Read More ...

African Synod: bishop calls for abolition of death penalty Bishop George Biguzzi of Makeni, President of the Episcopal Conference in Sierra Leone has appealed  to the  African Synod meeting in Rome, to make an unequivocal call for the total, universal abolition of the death penalty. Read More ...

Philippines: Christians, Muslims rally for release of kidnapped priest More than 300 Muslims and Christians  took part in a march on Sunday,  calling  for the release of  Columban Father Michael Sinnott along the route the priest's armed kidnappers are believed to have taken. As they walked through Pagadian City, in the southern Philippine province of Zamboanga del Sur Christians prayed the rosary and Muslims carried candles. Read More ...

Church at Venerable English College re-opened A ceremony took place yesterday at the Venerable English College in Rome, to mark the re-opening of the newly-restored church. The English College trains students from England and Wales for the priesthood and is the oldest existing English institution in the world outside of the UK.  Read More ...

Spain: more than a million march against new abortion laws More than a million people demonstrated in Madrid on Saturday to show their  opposition to government plans to extend Spain's abortion law. Under the present law, dating from 1985, abortion is allowed in cases of rape and when there are Read More ... Claire Bergin

Fears of humanitarian disaster as Lake Chad shrinks by 90 per cent Lake Chad,   once one of the world's largest bodies of  fresh water, has shrunk by 90 per cent, from 25,000 square kilometres in 1963 to less than 1,500 square kilometres in 2001, the Missionary News Service reports. A conference held in Rome in Saturday for World Food Day, was told that if water continues to recede at the current rate, Read More ...

Vatican sends out greetings for Diwali As Hindus around the world this weekend  gather to celebrate Diwali, the annual Festival of Light,  the Vatican has issued greetings in a message entitled: 'Hindus and Christians: committed to integral human development'. The text follows: Read More ...

Voices from second week of African Synod Good governance, reconciliation, emigration, care for the mentally ill, ethnicity and youth were among  issues raised by participants at meetings of the Africa Synod that is completing its second week in the Vatican.  A selection of summaries follow: Read More ...

Vatican plans first meeting with Society of Pius X 'The first of the planned meetings with representatives of the Society of St  Pius X will take place on the morning of Monday 26 October. For the Pontifical Commission 'Ecclesia Dei' the meeting will be attended, apart from by its secretary Msgr Guido Pozzi, by Archbishop Luis F Ladaria Ferrer SJ,  Read More ...

Mgr John Armitage at young people's night vigil with St Therese Mgr John Armitage  from  Brentwood Diocese gave the following talk last night at the start of the young people's all-night vigil with the relics of St Therese at Westminster Cathedral. Read More ...

Pope Benedict to visit Synagogue of Rome Pope Benedict XVI will visit the Synagogue of Rome on 17 January the Vatican press office has announced... The Pope will "meet the local Jewish community for the occasion of the 21st Day for the Study and Development of Dialogue between Catholics and Jews, and of the feast of Mo'ed di Piombo, Read More ...

Irish bishop calls for release of kidnapped missionaries Bishop Colm O'Reilly, Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnois and Chair of the Bishops' Commission for the Missions has made an urgent appeal for the release of three kidnapped missionaries, ahead of Mission Sunday, on 18 October. Bishop O'Reilly said:  "During this month we remember all missionaries throughout the world but especially our 2,000 Irish born Read More ...

Philippines: kidnapped priest seen alive A Columban missionary  who was abducted in the Philippines on Sunday,  has been seen alive, according to local press reports.  Fr Michael Sinnott, 79,  was seen with his heavily armed captors on Monday on the southern island of Mindanao, in an area where Islamist militants are known to operate, Read More ...

African Synod calls for greater recognition of women in church The  African Synod meeting in Rome has been called to recommend to all dioceses the establishment or consolidation of family apostolate and women affairs offices and make them operational and fully effective. Archbishop Telesphore George Mpundu of Lusaka, said denial of equality to women is an affront to human dignity and denial of true development to humanity Read More ...

Five new Saints canonised On Sunday, Pope Benedict XVI celebrated a Mass in Saint Peter's Square, where he canonized five new saints. In the homily, making reference to Jesus' dialogue with the rich young man (cf. Mk 10:17-30), the Pope focused on Jesus' words: “Come and follow me!” Read More ...

Building Church, building faith this World Mission Sunday St Therese of Lisieux is a patron saint of the missions.  Just days after her relics leave London, parishes around the UK and Ireland will be celebrating World Mission Sunday.  Have you ever stopped for a moment to think of the difference that World Mission Sunday makes to the lives of people you might never have the chance to meet? Read More ...

Philippines: Irish missionary kidnapped Columban Father Michael Sinnott was kidnapped last night (11 October) at about 7.30 pm (local time) from outside his home in Pagadian City, Province of Zamboanga del Sur, Mindanao, as he was taking an evening stroll in the garden. Four or five armed men burst into the garden and bundled Fr Michael into a pickup truck and drove to a local beach Read More ...

Vietnam: Church plans Holy Year celebrations The Vietnamese Conference of Catholic Bishops has announced plans to celebrate a Jubilee Year in 2010. In a pastoral letter sent to Catholics in Vietnam, bishops explained that the year 2010 was chosen to commemorate with gratitude Vietnamese Martyrs. Read More ... JB An Dang

Crisis in East Congo forces Archbishop of Bukavu to leave Synod The serious situation in South Kivu, in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo, has led Archbishop Francois Xavier Maroy Rusengo of Bukavu to have to leave the Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops, to return to his Archdiocese. Read More ...

Book on a great Little Sister This Sunday, 11 October,  Jeanne Jugan, the foundress of the Little Sisters of the  Poor, will be canonised in Rome. To mark this event, DLT has published a  short introduction to her life, beautifully illustrated in full colour with icons by  George Pinecross. Read More ...

Mary Ward celebrations in Rome - calls for beatification This week,  Rome has been full of pilgrims from all over the world celebrating the life and achievements of Mary Ward.  The week-long celebration began in the Piazza  del Popolo where an international group in seventeenth-century costume re-enacted Mary Ward's entry into Rome after one of her heroic journeys on foot across the Alps. Read More ...

Rome: Bishops address African Synod on human rights issues Bishops  from  Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Libya, Nigeria, DR Congo, South Africa and Angola addressed the fourth meeting of the ongoing Africa Synod in Rome yesterday on issues of justice, human rights, migration and the environment. The texts of their addresses follow. Read More ...

Pope receives president of Palestinian Authority On Thursday morning,  in the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father Benedict XVI received in audience Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority. President Abbas subsequently went on to meet Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone SDB who was accompanied by Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, secretary for Relations with States. Read More ...

Archbishop Diarmuid Martin to open European conference on Catholic Social Teaching ‘Catholic Social Days for Europe’ - an international conference organized by the Commission of Bishops’ Conferences of the European Community (COMECE) - is taking place in Gdansk, Poland from 8-11 October.  The aim of this conference is to provide an opportunity for Catholic laity to  Read More ...

Zimbabwe: Pius Ncube urges Bulawayo Catholics to respect successor In a message to Jesuit Communications, retired Archbishop Pius Ncube, now resident in the Diocese of Hwange, recommended his successor, Archbishop Alex Thomas SVD, consecrated on 12 September, to the Catholics of Bulawayo.  Read More ...

Father Damien, Apostle of the Lepers to be canonized 11 October Missionary Father Damien de Veuster (1840-1889), of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts, proclaimed Blessed by John Paul II in Brussels (Belgium) on June 4, 1995, will be canonized by Benedict XVI on Sunday, October 11, in Saint Peter's Square. Read More ...

Holy Land: youth volunteers renovate homes in Jericho Most people picture young adults relaxing on  their summer vacations and days off.  But   the youth volunteers who are part of Caritas Jerusalem  - more than 80 of them from nine different cities and villages from the West Bank - spent their holidays doing practical work to bring hope to the  people of Jericho.  Read More ...

Ghana: Cardinal calls for cheap HIV drugs rather than condoms for Africa The money used on condoms in Africa would be better spent providing anti-retroviral drugs to those already infected, Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson of Ghana has said. Cardinal Turkson who is the relator-general of the Second African Synod said at a conference that the quality of condoms in Africa is poor and engenders false confidence.  Read More ...

Pope seeks deeper evangelization at launch of African Synod Pope Benedict XVI opened the second African Synod of bishops on Monday, describing the continent as a 'spiritual lung' for a humanity that appears to be in a crisis of faith and hope, but also warning that African Catholics were threatened by 'spiritual waste' pouring in especially from the West. Read More ...

Jesuits in Honduras receive death threats Following the coup is June, Honduras continues to experience deep political instability.  The statement below from Caritas Honduras addresses - among other issues - the threats to the director of the Jesuit-run Radio station. Read More ...

South East Asia appeal Thousands of lives have been devastated by the Indonesian earthquake and the typhoon in the Philippines and wider region. There is a desperate need for food and water - and many require immediate medical attention to survive. With more extreme weather expected, the need is likely to increase. Read More ...

Zimbabwe: Bishops call for national healing and reconciliation The Zimbabwean Bishops Conference issued a pastoral letter last Thursday,  in which they  call for national healing and reconciliation,  and offer to play a  larger part in the normalisation process. The full text of the letter follows: Read More ...

China: underground Bishop of Wenzhou dies Bishop James Lin Xili of Wenzhou died at the age of 91 on Sunday, 4 October, the 17th anniversary of his episcopal ordination, which the Chinese government did not recognize. The Vatican-approved bishop was transferred from a hospital in Wenzhou to Qiligan church in Yueqing, 45 kilometres away, shortly before he died Read More ...

EU Bishops welcome Irish referendum result Mgr Adrianus Van Luyn, President of  the European Bishops Conference (COMECE) has issued a statement welcoming the "clear and decisive outcome" of the Referendum in Ireland on the Lisbon Treaty.  He said: "The positive result raises the possibility of concluding the ratification process of the Lisbon Treaty by the end of this year. Read More ...

Eyewitness report from Indonesian earthquake zone Father Michele Galli, a Xaverian missionary  described  the first moments of the earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale that hit the city of Padang, capital of the West Sumatra province on Wednesday. He told the Missionary News Service: “It was 5.15pm and I was speaking to a confrere in our house in Padang, when suddenly we heard a loud rumbling Read More ...

Why dogs are becoming Catholic A little barking match has taken place apparently,  between two churches opposite each other on a busy road somewhere in Kentucky.  Our Lady of Martyrs Catholic Church put up the notice: 'ALL DOGS GO TO HEAVEN'. Read More ...

Vatican: African Synod opens The Second Special Assembly for Africa, due to be held in the Vatican from 4 to 25 October opens on Sunday. The theme of the Assembly is related to that of the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation "Ecclesia in Africa",  on the theme: "The Church in Africa and her evangelizing mission towards the Year 2000: 'You shall be my witnesses'". Read More ...

Vietnam: bishops issue urgent appeal for storm victims Bishops in Vietnam have issued an urgent appeal  today after a tropical storm killed at least 92 people  and injured many more. There are warnings that severe flooding caused by the storm may bring about serious hunger threat for hundreds of thousands victims, and that a new typhoon is gaining its strength to hit the eastern coast on this weekend. Read More ... An Dang

Mozambique: transforming guns into hoes Seventeen years after the war ended in Mozambique, churches are still collecting and destroying weapons and cleaning up areas of unexploded ordnance so the land can be farmed.  When armed conflicts end, the world's attention tends to fade away rather quickly. Reconstruction, however, may take a very long time. Read More ... Juan Michel

Brazil: Young priest killed by robbers A 33-year-old priest, Fr Evaldo Martiol from the Diocese of Cacador was killed in Santa Caterina on the evening of September 26. According to a statement from the Brazilian Bishops' Conference (CNBB),  Fr Evaldo was shot four times walking to his car after leaving the chapel. He was planning to visit another priest. Read More ...

Ethiopia: bishop says global warming is worsening poverty Global warming has led to a dramatic increase in poverty as food shortages worsen in Ethiopia, a Catholic bishop there said this week. Bishop Rodrigo Meija of the Vicariate of Soddo-Hosanna said food shortages in his diocese caused by lack of rain are leading to poverty, and added that people are attributing the weather changes to global warming. Read More ...

Philippines: CAFOD rushes aid to survivors of Typhoon Ketsana CAFOD's partners in the Philippines are rushing aid to people affected by Typhoon Ketsana which struck the country on September 26, killing more than 100 people and leaving at least half a million homeless. The agency has pledged an initial £20,000 to support the work of  Caritas Philippines Read More ...

Italy: Marist Brothers elect new Superior The Marist Brothers, meeting in Rome from September 8 to October 10, have elected as Superior General Brother Emili Turú, and as his Vicar, Brother Joseph McKee for a period of eight years. Brother Rofes was born on 24 January, 1955 in Barcelona (Catalonia, Spain). Read More ...

Holy Land: peace groups bring emergency water to thirsty villages In defiance of a  'closed zone' declaration,  a hundred peace activists entered the South Hebron Hills area at the weekend, transferring 25 tons of water to villagers denied their water supply by the State of Israel Read More ...

Vietnam: authorities step up attacks against Church A number of attacks against the Church have erupted in the archdiocese of Hue after the publication of a statement by Archbishop Stephen Nguyen Nhu The and his Auxiliary Bishop Francis Xavier Le Van Hong in which they condemned the confiscation of a Catholic school at Loan Ly parish Read More ... An Dang

Holy Father bids farewell to Czech Republic At 5 pm on Monday, the Pope travelled by car from the apostolic nunciature in Prague, Czech Republic, to the city's Stara Ruzyne airport. There he bid farewell to the president of the Republic, and to the civil, military and religious authorities, before boarding his return flight to Rome. Read More ...

Petition: speak out for displaced Christians in Orissa One year ago, 50,000 Christians were forced from their homes in Orissa state, India, because of their faith. Three hundred villages were destroyed. Over one hundred and twenty people died. Every few weeks there are further reports of attacks on Christians in the region. Read More ...

India: blast near Orissa relief camp kills one, injures four At least one person was killed and four injured on Sunday when a bomb exploded near a camp that houses Christian victims of last year's riots in Orissa state. Church people in the state capital, Bhubaneswar, said they suspected Hindu extremists Read More ...

Bishop Rawsthorne to attend special Assembly for Africa Bishop John Rawsthorne, Bishop of Hallam, has been invited by Pope Benedict XVI to participate in next month's Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops.  The theme is: 'The Church in Africa, at the Service of Reconciliation, Justice and Peace: 'You Are the Salt of the Earth Read More ...

Israeli army leaves Palestinian school children in danger This morning, the Israeli military failed to arrive at the appointed time to escort Palestinian  schoolchildren from Tuba and Maghayir al-Abeed to their primary school in At-Tuwani. This was despite several calls from Christian Peacemaker Team members (CPTers) informing them that the children were waiting for the military escort.  Read More ...

Vincentian Family begins 350th anniversary year Between 27 September 2009 and 27 September 2010 the Vincentian Family will be celebrating a special year of jubilee commemorating the deaths in 1660 of its patrons, St Vincent de Paul and St Louise de Marillac, with a series of events and activities throughout the year. Read More ...

Pope Benedict in the Czech Republic (ii) At 4.30pm on Saturday Vaclav Klaus, president of the Czech Republic, greeted the Holy Father at Prague Castle. The castle dates from the ninth century and has been the seat of Holy Roman emperors, kings and governors. Read More ...

Pope Benedict in the Czech Republic (i) At 9.40am on Saturday, Benedict XVI departed by plane from Rome's Ciampino airport. Following a two-hour flight his plane landed at Stara Ruzyne airport of Prague, thus beginning his first apostolic visit to the Czech Republic, the thirteenth foreign trip of his pontificate. Read More ...

Philippines: Caritas launches consumer brand to help poor Caritas Manila has launched a consumer goods brand and plans to use profits from the sales to support Church social-action programs to help poor Filipinos. The goods, which range from soap to rice, soy sauce and vinegar, carry the 'Caritas Manna' brand. Read More ...

Cyclist begins 200 mile sponsored ride for New Ways Stuart Garner, from Brixton in south London  is cycling from Dieppe through Brittany and Normandy to Cherbourg at the beginning of October, to raise funds for a mobile clinic in Turkana, northern Kenya. Read More ...

Zimbabwe: street project gets away from 'sacristy Christianity' Mbare: They are wearing lovely T-shirts: “CYIA  (Catholic Youth in Action) - community service, a priority”. They sweep the streets, fill potholes, clean the market place, the cemetery, help stop the sewage flowing across streets and yards … Read More ... K Landsberg SJ

Holy Father's video to climate change summit Made public today was a transcription of the Pope's video message to participants in the UN summit on climate change, which was held in New York on 22 September.  "I wish to reflect today upon the relationship between the Creator and ourselves as guardians of His creation", Read More ...

Canada: Bishops call for fight against euthanasia As the Canadian government begins to debate issues  surrounding the question of euthanasia and assisted suicide, the President of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB), Archbishop V James Weisgerber, has issued a letter asking Members of Parliament and all the people of Canada to reflect on the possible consequences of Read More ...

Sierre Leone: report shows childbirth kills one in eight women One out of every eight pregnant women in Sierra Leone risks death during the pregnancy or at childbirth, says a  new report from Amnesty International. In the Western World, this perecentage is reduced to one out of every 4,500 women. Read More ...

Holy Land: Israeli police stand by as Palestinian homes are damaged On Tuesday morning,  a Palestinian family from the village of At-Tuwani discovered that their recently constructed house had been virtually destroyed  overnight. The family believes Israel settlers from the Ma’on settlement and Havat Ma’on outpost are responsible for the damage. Read More ...

Tanzania: Last Burundian refugees set to return home The last Burundian refugees in Tanzania are preparing to return home – ending an humanitarian crisis that began more than 30 years ago. Bishop Protase Rugambwa of Kigoma Diocese spoke of his hopes for the future after UN reports stated that Burundian refugees – who numbered half a million just a decade ago – have fallen to 36,000. Read More ... John Newton and John Pontifex

Missionary killed in Brazil An Italian missionary, Fr Ruggero Ruvoletto, 52, was shot dead on Saturday in Manaus, capital of Brazil’s Amazonas State, in an apparent robbery.  Prayer vigils and testimonies have been taking place both in Brazil and Italy. The body of the 'Fidei Donum' priest  Read More ...

Pope prays for victims of world conflicts In remarks following Monday's Angelus, Benedict XVI noted how the "many situations of conflict in the world bring almost daily tragic news of victims, both military and civilian. These are events to which we can never accustom ourselves, events that provoke profound reproof and dismay Read More ...

Bishop Kenney calls for controlled immigration into Europe from Africa Bishop William Kenney, CP, Spokesman for European Questions of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales travelled to Ceuta, the Spanish coastal  enclave in Morocco, on Saturday,  for a short fact-finding mission to visit and see the plight of the migrants living there. Read More ... Peter Jennings

Uganda: record number of older men in training for priesthood A seminary for mature vocations in Kampala can hardly accommodate the many candidates who want to study for the priesthood this year,  the rector says....the situation has reached a point where even the offices within the seminary and rooms in a nearby monastery are being converted into dormitories. Read More ...

Pope to meet with Middle Eastern bishops Pope Benedict  announced  on Saturday that he is going to hold a special meeting next year of Roman Catholic bishops to discuss the concerns and challenges of the Church in the Middle East. Speaking with a visiting group of Middle Eastern bishops at Castelgandolfo,  Read More ...

US Church notes on working for Christian Unity Father Leo Walsh, Associate Director of the US bishops’ Secretariat for Ecumenical and interreligious Affairs, notes that all Christians are called to be one but it won’t happen tomorrow.  With that in mind, he offers: Ten Things to Know about Working for Christian Unity Read More ...

Kenya: death toll rises as drought worsens The drought and famine affecting millions of people in Kenya continues to worsen and is taking lives of people and livestock. The crisis has also led to inter-ethnic violence over scarce water and pasture among some pastoral communities. Read More ...

Letter from Zimbabwe "Who is my neighbour?" For us in St George’s there are 1,200 of them, just across Borrowdale Road behind bars in Harare Central Prison.  Times are bad for all of us – more so for those who have no contacts, no lobby, only guards. Read More ... Clemens Freyer SJ

Patriarch warns Christianity is dying in Holy Land The most senior Catholic leader in the Middle East has said  the future of the Church in the Holy Land is now in doubt unless fellow Christians around the world step up efforts to help them. Patriarch Fouad Twal said: "It seems that politicians are more afraid of peace than of war and they prefer to manage the conflict rather than solve it."  Read More ...

British trade unions vote for targetted boycott of goods from Israel In an historic decision yesterday,  Britain’s trade unions voted to begin a targetted boycott of goods from Israel's illegal settlements, to step up  the pressure "for an end to the occupation of Palestinian territories."  The move has been totally rebutted by the Israeli government  Read More ...

China: 'Underground' Bishop Yu of Hanzhong dies at 90 A low-key funeral has been held for Bishop Bartholomew Yu Chengti of Hanzhong, Shaanxi province, who died of cancer on 14 September. Only around 1,000 Catholics were allowed to attend the funeral on Thursday at the rural church in Yuwang village, the bishop's hometown. Read More ...

Pope Benedict: 'the role of priests is irreplaceable' It is important to avoid the secularisation of clergy and the 'clericalisation' of the laity",  Pope Benedict said this morning in his address at Castelgandolfo, to a group of Bishops from  Brazil, who had just completed their 'ad limina' visit. Read More ...

Pakistan: Church protests follow death of Catholic in custody Communal tension is rising yet again in the Punjab province of Pakistan, where crowds of Christians took to the streets following the death in custody of a Catholic man accused of blasphemy against Islam. Police say Fanish Masih, 24, who used the surname Robert, hanged himself, but rights activists and Christians  Read More ...

Indonesia: Church protests as law on stoning for adultery approved The Catholic Church in Indonesia is showing great concern after the approval of a new law in the Province of Aceh, in the northern part of the island of Sumatra, which calls for the authorization of stoning to death for women caught in adultery. The sharia law has been unanimously approved in the Regional Assembly and will take effect in one month. Read More ...

Holy Land: UN report finds evidence of war crimes in Gaza conflict A United Nations fact-finding mission into the Israeli ‘Cast Lead’ offensive in Gaza, which led to the death of 1400 Palestinians and 13 Israelis,  says it has found evidence that both Israel and Hamas committed war crimes and crimes against humanity. Read More ...

US Church leaders urge Catholics to engage in health care debate The US Bishops' Conference yesturday published the following article by  Maria del Mar Muñoz-Visoso, Assistant Director of the Office of Media Relations, entitled: 'Make your voice heard in the health care debate'. Read More ...

Vatican raises alert over fake drugs sold in Africa As many as 50 percent of medicines sold in Africa could be fake, according to the president of the Vatican's health care council.  Archbishop Zygmunt Zimowski, president of the Pontifical Council for Health Care Ministry, Read More ...

Sri Lanka: Bishops appeal for war survivors to be allowed home Two English Catholic bishops who recently returned from Sri Lanka are calling for the end of forced confinement of nearly 300,000 Tamil survivors of the country’s long and bloody conflict. Bishop John Rawsthorne of Sheffield and Bishop John Arnold of Westminster Read More ...

Pope: 'Jesus did not come to teach us a philosophy' "Jesus did not come to teach us a philosophy, but to show us a way, indeed, 'the' way that leads to life. This way is love, which is the expression of true faith," - so said Pope Benedict during his teaching on the Sunday readings, before the Angelus at Castelgandolfo  Read More ...

Christian Aid calls for safeguards to protect Ghana from tax dodgers A new tax haven created by the West African state of Ghana could attract tax dodgers and drug traders seeking to launder money unless safeguards are introduced, warns a report launched today. The report: Taxation and Development in Ghana, Read More ...

US Bishops welcome Obama's statements on abortion, care for poor The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops have welcomed President Obama's 9 September address on health care reform, particularly his statements regarding abortion and the uninsured, which they call: "an important contribution to a crucial national debate". Read More ...

Rwanda: priest honoured for saving 3,000 Tutsis A Catholic missionary is among 20 'Silent Heroes' honored for courageously rescuing Tutsis that were being hunted down by machete-wielding militiamen during the 1994 genocide. Father Mario Falconi, who was a parish priest in eastern Rwanda, saved more than 3,000 Tutsis by hiding them in his church Read More ...

Vatican message to Muslims for end of Ramadan The Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue today published its annual Message to Muslims for the end of the month of Ramadan. The Message has as its theme this year (1430 AH / 2009 AD): "Christians and Muslims: Together in overcoming poverty". Read More ...

Colombia: missing priest found dead in forest A Xaverian missionary  working in Colombia who went missing on Sunday, has been found dead. The body of Father Gustavo Vélez Vasquez, 79,  who was known as 'Father Calixto' was found on Wednesday afternoon in the St Sebastian nature reserve  by some farmers who were helping with the search. Read More ...

Pope speaks of urgent need to defend natural world Pope Benedict spoke  this morning of the "urgent need constantly to defend the environment and the natural world, but also to discover its more profound spiritual and religious dimension." Addressing a group of sponsors of the Holy See's Pavilion at 'Expo Zaragoza Read More ...

Holy Land: poverty in Gaza reaches record levels The Israeli ‘cast lead’ offensive against the Gaza Strip carried out between December and January last year, has left living conditions and access to sources of livelihood at their worst level since 1967, with poverty affecting 90% of the population and “extreme poverty” 65%. Read More ...

Colombia: missionary disappears in forest More than 500 people, including security forces, are searching for a 79 year-old  Xaverian missionary  who has been missing since Sunday. Gustavo Vélez Vasquez, also known as  ‘Padre Calixto’, from the Yarumal Institute  Read More ...

New Beatifications announced The Vatican today announced that the following rites of beatification, approved by the Holy Father, will take place over the coming months, in Germany, Spain, Italy, Hungary and Israel. Read More ...

Sudan: bishop disputes UN army chief claim war is over A Catholic bishop in the heart of Darfur, theatre of a bloody six-year conflict, has disputed a recent claim by a senior UN military official that the war has all but ended.  Bishop Antonio Menegazzo, Apostolic Administrator of El-Obeid, the Sudanese diocese that covers Darfur, expressed surprise at last month’s claim by General Martin Luther Agwai, Read More ...

China: pilgrims gather for feastday at Marian shrine More than 300 Catholics from the Diocese of Shang Hai gathered in the Shrine of Our Lady of She Shan on Saturday, September 5, to begin celebrating,  a few days ahead of time, the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Read More ...

Philippines: priest killed after receiving death threats A parish priest who worked for human rights in the Philippines was shot dead in his car yesterday, UCAN reports. A passenger was injured. Eastern Visayas police say that Father Cecilio 'Pete' Lucero,48, parish priest of St Joseph the Worker Church in Catubig town died after about 30 gunmen Read More ...

Pope Benedict recalls tragedy of Holocaust Pope Benedict recalled the deaths of "tens of millions of people" at an open air Mass held in Viterbo, Italy to mark the 70th anniversary of the start of the Second World War.  “We cannot forget the major events that took place during one of the most terrible conflicts in history, that left tens of millions dead and provoked so much suffering for our beloved Polish people,”  Read More ...

Holy Land: Israeli military destroys three water cisterns in Beqa'a Valley Last Thursday, three members of the Christian Peacemaker Team here received a call asking us to come immediately to the Beqa'a Valley. Bulldozers had arrived to carry out demolition orders on farmers' water cisterns (open, walled ponds for collecting water) which irrigate this fertile valley of grapes.  Read More ... Paulette Schroeder

Sudan: Christians pray and fast for end to violence by LRA rebels Christians in violence-hit Western Equatoria State conducted three days of fasting and prayer for peace in the region last week. Western Equatoria has been the scene of many barbaric atrocities by the Ugandan rebels of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). Read More ...

Ecological conversion: Vatican Radio interview with Seán McDonagh A leading Catholic campaigner on climate change and bio-diversity explains why the Church should be in the forefront of the struggle to protect our natural environment. Read More ...

Spirit of Assisi in Krakow Religious leaders, world politicians as well as men and women from the world of culture will meet in Krakow, Poland, this weekend,  September 6-8, upon the invitation of the Community of Sant'Egidio and the city's Archbishop Stanislaw Dziwisz, for an international gathering,  entitled: 'The Spirit of Assisi in Krakow'. Read More ...

US Bishops pray for workers and unemployed on Labour Day “This Labour Day, we should take a moment to pray for all workers and all those without work” said Bishop William F Murphy of Rockville Centre, NY,  in 'The Value of Work; the Dignity of the Human Person,'  the annual  Labour Day statement of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) issued for the first Monday of September. Read More ...

Taiwan: Cardinal in public dialogue with Dalai Lama Moral education, interreligious dialogue and global warming were some of the topics that the Dalai Lama and a Catholic cardinal discussed during their meeting on Wednesday in Kaohsiung in Taiwan. Read More ...