As the Rugby World Cup prepares to kick off in Japan on Friday September 20 - the same day a global strike for the climate takes place - a new report has highlighted how three of the smallest countries taking part, Fiji, Tonga and Samoa, are under threat because of the aggressive fossil fuel burning of some of the richest countries, including Australia, the USA, hosts Japan and European nations...
Gospel of 20th September 2019 - Luke 8: 1-3 Jesus made his way through towns and villages preaching, and proclaiming the Good News of the kingdom of God. With him went the Twelve, as well as certain women who had been cured of evil spirits and ailments: Mary surnamed the Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, Joanna the wife of Herod's steward Chuza, Susanna, and several oth...
Signs of Life (SOL) held their fifth networking lunch on Monday at the Cardinal View in the St Vincent's Centre, Victoria, with an exclusive screening of the HBO documentary Top Ten Monks, introduced by Fr Karl Wallner OCist.
Few monasteries these days have more than a hundred monks, with vocations booming. Fewer still ordain more priests than most dioceses. And hardly any can boast of ha...
One year after the abduction of Italian priest Father Pierluigi Macalli in Niger, his brother Father Walter Macalli - also a missionary priest - expressed hopes that he will be set free.
Speaking on the first anniversary of his brother's abduction, Father Walter Macalli of the Society of Africa Missions in Foya, Liberia, West Africa, told Aid to the Church in Need that despite no word fro...
I am an ordinary man, with a wife and teenage children, a practicing Roman Catholic, who for the last ten years has worked in academia as a researcher and lecturer. I am (I hope) well-respected in my field of research, my church and my community. In May of this year I joined Extinction Rebellion. In fact I then went on to found a new local group (which is growing in numbers every week), I have...
The world is afire again, the flames heartbreakingly consume shrubs, trees and forests in Australia, Portugal, Brazil, and recently in California and Siberia and elsewhere too, Fr Shay Cullen writes. The world community has reacted in protest to the hundreds of fires burning the Amazon rainforest. These are destroying the habitat of thousands of endangered species and the communities o...
Cardinal Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster and president of the Bishops' Conference of England & Wales today welcomed the annual report of the work of safeguarding in the Catholic Church in England & Wales. This report has been published every year since 2002.
He also thanked all those who work in safeguarding across the church, both professionals and volunteers. "The challenge of our re...
To celebrate the imminent canonisation of their patron (and change of name!), the parish of Blessed John Henry Newman in East Leeds is holding a series of events which are open to all. The parish is one of just three parishes in the UK (the other two being in Warrington and High Wycombe) to be named after Cardinal Newman who will be declared a saint in Rome on 13th October. According to Festi...
Gospel of 19th September 2019 - Luke 7: 36-50 One of the Pharisees invited Jesus to a meal. When he arrived at the Pharisee's house and took his place at table, a woman came in, who had a bad name in the town. She had heard he was dining with the Pharisee and had brought with her an alabaster jar of ointment. She waited behind him at his feet, weeping, and her tears fell on his feet,...
During the General Audience on Wednesday, Pope Francis reflected on the courage shown by the Apostles when they were dragged before the Sanhedrin to stand trial for preaching the Good News of Jesus Christ, in the day's reading (Acts 5:34-35,38,39). He said they spoke with conviction and with one voice in the face of their accusers, who wanted to imprison them and halt the spread of the Gospel.<...
Christians in northern Burkina Faso have been given violent ultimatums by Islamist extremists to flee their villages or convert to Islam.
The source, who asked not to be named for security reasons, told Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need that up to 2,000 people fled from the villages of Hitté and Rounga, following attacks in early September.
Speaking about the attack on Hit...
The Catholic Bishops pf Zimbabwe have expressed their concern about the increase of violence in the country. In a Pastoral Letter in which they take stock of the political and social heritage of former President Robert Mugabe, who died in Singapore on September 6 at 95 years of age they say: "We are deeply concerned about the reported nocturnal visits by unknown masked men, beatings, torture, ...
Two vigil Masses have been organised in Britain on the eve of the Amazonian Synod in Rome to pray for its success. The organisers are CAFOD, Jesuits in Britain and the Columban Missionaries. All are welcome.
7pm Saturday 5 October
St Ignatius, Stamford Hill, 27 High Road, London N15 6ND.
7pm Sunday 6 October
Holy Name, 339 Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PG.
Co...
The Promoter of Justice of the Vatican State Tribunal, have requested the indictment of former seminarian Don Gabriele Martinelli, on charges of sexual abuse that would have taken place in the Pre Seminary San Pio X in years before 2012 , and of Don Enrico Radice, rector of the Pre Seminary on charges of aiding and abetting.
In a statement issued last night, the Vatican press office said...
