Stories from parishes, dioceses, religious orders and community groups all over the world. It also includes stories on specific topics such as the Vatican, the Pope, missionaries, aid projects, aid agencies, health & natural disasters.
Bishop Silvio José Báez, OCD, the Auxiliary Bishop of Managua, Nicaragua, has made himself one of the voices who have been most critical of President Daniel Ortega's Sandinista regime. During a recent stay in Mallorca, he issued a call to build a Church "at the service of human fulfillment", a Church that is more "prophetic and less diplomatic". We present a translation of his interview w...
The World Council of Churches invites all people of good will to observe a Sunday of Prayer for the Peaceful Reunification of the Korean Peninsula on 11 August.
Each year, Christians are invited to join in a prayer for peace and reunification of the Korean Peninsula. Prepared by the National Council of Churches in Korea and the Korean Christian Federation, the prayer is traditionally used...
Pope Francis sent a video message to participants in a course held in Mexico on the protection of minors, saying the Church must work tirelessly to prevent minors from being sexually abused.
In the middle of the third week of a month-long course held at the Pontifical University of Mexico on methods to prevent the sexual abuse of minors, Pope Francis sent a video message encouraging the...
There is renewed concern for the wellbeing of the legitimate leader the Eritrean Orthodox Church (EOC), Patriarch Antonios, following an attempt by pro-government bishops to excommunicate him.
A statement dated 17 July, ostensibly from six bishops but signed only by five, including the general secretary of the Holy Synod Bishop Lukas, accuses Abune Antonios of having committed "heresy," s...
A group of faithful in the Diocese of Matagalpa in Nicaragua came out to defend their bishop from a possible attack by a heavily armed group yesterday. Bishop Rolando José Alvarez Lagos described how a group of farmers came out and stopped him on the road leading to the village of Terrabona, where he was heading. They warned him that some armed people were lurking hiding trees on t...
Global seafarers' charity, Stella Maris (Apostleship of the Sea), says the impact of the reports of another tanker seizure will pile stress and anxiety on all seafarers navigating the region.
The Swedish company that own the vessel 'Stena Impero' confirmed that she is "no longer under the control of the crew and remains uncontactable." In a statement they said: "Soon after the ...
On 20 July 1969, millions of men, women and children around the world were glued to the television to watch Neil Armstrong as he became the first man ever to land, and then to walk, on the moon. Pope Paul VI was one of them. As Neil Armstrong stepped down on the powdery surface of the moon, Pope Paul VI clapped his hands and said: "We are close to you with our good wishes and with our prayers,...
Church representatives from across Europe have expressed their disappointment about the failure of EU Ministers of Interior to agree on any arrangement for search and rescue in the Mediterranean at their 18 July meeting in Helsinki. The proposals for a temporary arrangement, which had been tabled by the French and German governments had not found agreement and further discussions were postponed...
Millions of people have been displaced, as monsoon rains cause extreme flooding and devastation in India, Bangladesh and Nepal. The most vulnerable have been hit the hardest. Children are particularly affected, with widespread damage and closure to primary schools.
Janet Symes CAFOD's Head of Asia said: "Heavy monsoon rains across India, Nepal and Bangladesh have caused disastrous floods,...
A senior Nigerian prelate has warned that bias by security forces has heightened ethnic tensions and inflamed the Fulani crisis.
In a message sent to Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need, Co-adjutor Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama of Abuja said: "Biased and prejudiced official security reports heighten tension when they blame the victims instead of the aggressors because of the Nigerian...
Pope Francis on Thursday appointed British-born Matteo Bruni as the new Director of the Holy See Press Office.
Born on 23 November 1976 in Winchester, Bruni graduated in modern and contemporary foreign languages and literature from Rome's La Sapienza University. He has been working since July 2009 at the Holy See Press Office, where he has been overseeing the accreditation of journalists ...
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has now declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) an international emergency.
CAFOD is already working with its local aid experts in Beni-Butembo, the epicentre of the Ebola outbreak, distributing supplies to treatment centres in the area, as well as working with 28 community groups on raising public awareness.
CAFO...
The enemies of child rights defenders in the Philippines are active and aggressive. They are like a sex mafia. They are afraid that evidence of child abuse will emerge against them in the Philippines or in the United States. They fear that Preda Foundation headed by Father Shay Cullen, a child rights campaigner and defender, will succeed to bring charges against them in court.
Ever since ...
If we had to make a list of top athletes whose generosity is beyond question, then Novak Djokovic's name would certainly be on it - Louis du Bosnet writes on Aleteia.
At 33 years of age, Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic has won his fifth Wimbledon title, and 16th Grand Slam win, beating Roger Federer in a grueling match, just three minutes shy of five hours long. It's a safe be...
