The Bishops of England and Wales said in a statement this morning: "We stand in solidarity with our sisters and brothers in the USA as they challenge the evil of racism and the brutal killing of George Floyd. As the US Bishops made clear: "we cannot turn a blind eye to these atrocities and yet still try to profess to respect every human life. We serve a God of love, mercy, and justice....
At the General Audience today, held in the library of the Apostolic Palace, Pope Francis expressed his concern about the protests in the United States following the killing of George Floyd by a police officer.
During his catechesis on prayer reflected on Abraham, whose trust in God makes him an important example to all three Abrahamic faiths. The Pope called the faithful to build a famili...
Campaigners have called on the UK government to end the sale of repressive equipment to police forces across the US and investigate if any of it has been used against protesters. Over recent days there have been appalling scenes of police violence and repression following protests against the killing of George Floyd.
The US is one of the world's largest buyers of UK arms, with almost £6 ...
The Trussell Trust this week reports a soaring 89% increase in need for emergency food parcels during April 2020 compared to the same month last year, including a 107% rise in parcels given to children. The number of families with children receiving parcels has almost doubled compared to the same period last year. Food banks in the Independent Food Aid Network (IFAN) report a 175% increase in n...
Lord Alton wrote last night: This evening the Northern Ireland Assembly have voted 46:40 to oppose the UK Government's abortion regulations which have been imposed on Northern Ireland by Westminster.
The motion which passed tonight was tabled in response to Heidi Crowter, the 24-year-old disability campaigner, who has spoken out against the proposal of the UK Government to impos...
Gospel of 3rd June 2020 - Mark 12:18-27 Some Sadducees - who deny that there is a resurrection - came to him and they put this question to him, 'Master, we have it from Moses in writing, if a man's brother dies leaving a wife but no child, the man must marry the widow to raise up children for his brother. Now there were seven brothers. The first married a wife and th...
Pope Francis released an Apostolic Letter yesterday, with new legislation to govern the awarding of public contracts of the Holy See and Vatican City State, following the principles of 'transparency, centralized control, and competition to reduce the risk of corruption.'
The Motu Proprio, entitled: 'On transparency, control and competition in the procedures for awarding public contracts o...
Washington Archbishop Wilton D Gregory issued the following statement regarding the planned visit today from the president at the Saint John Paul II National Shrine:
I find it baffling and reprehensible that any Catholic facility would allow itself to be so egregiously misused and manipulated in a fashion that violates our religious principles, which call us to defend the rights ...
A day after drawing criticism from national religious leaders for posing in front of St. John's Episcopal Church, President Trump is due to visit the Saint John Paul II National Shrine in Washington, DC today at 11.15am local time. The focus of the visit will be international religious freedom.
John Gehring, Catholic program director at Faith in Public Life and author of The Francis Effec...
A new art installation reveals the sounds of colour in paintings as the National Gallery X commissions virtual responses to coronavirus. Viewers will feel, hear and sense paintings online through an immersive multi-sensory video artwork inspired by masterpieces in the National Gallery by Van Gogh, Monet and van Eyck.
Commissioned by its new digital studio National Gallery X (NGX), which...
Last week, national security legislation was introduced in Hong Kong, approved by the Chinese Communist Party.
More than 800 parliamentarians and faith leaders from 36 countries, including 165 British have joined a cross-party international coalition protesting against this 'flagrant breach of the Sino-British Joint Declaration'.
Today Bishop Declan Lang has called on the UK governm...
Rev Gini Gerbasi, Rector of St John's Episcopal Church in Washington DC wrote on Facebook today: 'Friends, I am ok, but I am, frankly shaken. I was at St John's, Lafayette Square most of the afternoon, with fellow clergy and laypeople - and clergy from some other denominations too. We were passing out water and snacks, and helping the patio area at St John's, Lafayette Squar...
In order to pose for photographs, President Trump yesterday used federal troops, teargas and rubber bullets to clear a large crowd of peaceful demonstrators outside the Church of St John, across the road from the White House, where presidents have worshipped for more than 200 years.
Speaking quietly to interviewers, the Episcopal Bishop of Washington, Rt Rev Mariann Edgar Budde said: "The...
On May 25, 2020, George Floyd, a 46-year-old African American father of two daughters was stopped by white police officers in Minneapolis and cruelly pinned to the ground, a police officer's knee on his neck. For a period of eight minutes, caught on video, he cried out: "I can't breathe!" He died shortly after.
Only a few weeks before, another video was released that showed Ahmaud Arbery,...
