16 November - According to the
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, nearly 1,000 hate crimes against Europe’s Christians were recorded in 2020. The organization documented 980 incidents against Christians, including arson attacks on Catholic churches, desecration and robbery of Eucharistic hosts, assaults on priests, and anti-Catholic graffiti on Church property by abortion activists.
(Catholic News Agency)
The Catholic cathedral Sacred Heart at
Pekon in the
Diocese of Pekhon in Burma’s
Shan state was among several structures that were reportedly hit by military artillery fire on Nov. 9 amid continuing armed clashes between government and rebel forces.
(Catholic News Agency),
(Fides)
Swiss Foreign Minister
Ignazio Cassis meets with the State Secretary of the
Vatican, Cardinal
Pietro Parolin, to mark 100 years of the restoration of diplomatic relations between
Switzerland and the
Holy See. The joint declaration, according to the
Swiss Broadcasting Corporation, called for the promotion of “peace and human rights, the worldwide abolition of the death penalty, the protection of minorities, and interreligious dialogue.”
(Swissinfo),
(Catholic World News)
27 October -
Pope Francis blesses two large bells headed to
Ukraine and
Ecuador. The bells are part of an initiative by the
Polish Yes to Life foundation. They each weigh more than 2,000 pounds, are nearly four feet in diameter, and were cast by the Felczyński bell foundry in
Przemyśl, Poland.
(Catholic News Agency)
14 October -
Chinese Catholic Bishop
Stephen Yang Xiangtai, the retired leader of the
Handan diocese, died at the age of 99 after a long illness. Bishop Yang was arrested in 1954 and again in 1966, and served more than a decade in labor camps before being released in 1980. He became Bishop of Handan in 1999.
(Catholic World News),
(Asia News)
5 October - A court in the
Holy See agrees to return to the investigative phase of an ongoing trial against Cardinal
Giovanni Angelo Becciu for alleged embezzlement, abuse of power and fraud, and other charges. Becciu was fired from his position in the
Vatican City by
Pope Francis in 2020 for alleged
nepotism, which Becciu also denies.
(Reuters)
A commission to investigate
sexual abuse by clergy in
France reveals that since the 1950s, there have been about 3,000
pedophiles who have committed sex crimes.
(France 24)
Three regions in
Poland repeal their status as an "
LGBT-free zone" after pressure from the
European Commission and activists. The declaration of "free of
LGBT ideology" had been imposed in 2019 under heavy pressure from
Catholic conservatives in the regions.
(Reuters)
The
Vatican City issues a decree that would require visitors who enter the
city state to show an
Italian Green Pass or its international
immunity passport equivalent, providing proof that they have been vaccinated, tested negative in the previous 72 hours, or have recovered from COVID-19, beginning on October 1.
(The Washington Post),
(Catholic News Agency)
14 September - Continuing his apostolic journey,
Pope Francis arrives in
Slovakia, meeting with President
Zuzana Čaputová who were joined by civil leaders, members of the diplomatic corps and religious leaders. After a meeting with the Jewish community, the Pope went to the apostolic nunciature, where he met with the Speaker of the National Council (parliament),
Boris Kollár, and with Prime Minister
Eduard Heger.
(Catholic World News)
Slovakia reverses its ban on unvaccinated people attending public events and will instead allow a
negative test or proof of recovery from COVID-19 during a visit by
Pope Francis on September 12 to 15 due to low vaccination numbers.
(Barron's)
Defrocked Catholic Cardinal
Theodore McCarrick pleads not guilty to three counts of indecent assault and battery on a 16-year-old boy at a wedding reception in
Massachusetts in 1974. The
statute of limitations paused when he left the state shortly after the alleged incident. McCarrick is the first American cardinal to be charged with a sex crime.
(DW)
Pope Francis defends the dialogue with
China via the appointment of new
Catholic bishops. Francis says that uneasy dialogue is better than no dialogue at all and compared the talks with China to those with Eastern European countries during the
Cold War. The Vatican and China have had strained relations since the
communist party took power in 1949.
(Reuters)
9 August 2021 - A barely legible letter to
Pope Francis regarding the Vatican's financial scandals, which contained three bullets and is believed to have originated from France, is intercepted by postal workers in
Peschiera Borromeo, near
Milan. The letter is being treated by authorities as a possible death threat against Francis.
(Newsweek via MSN)(Euronews)
27 July 2021 – The trial against Cardinal
Giovanni Angelo Becciu and ten others for financial crimes opens in the
Holy See. Becciu and a monsignor are the only two to appear in court in person. Becciu denied any wrongdoing and the trial was adjourned.
Pope Francis had previously stripped Becciu of his immunity and approved his indictment. Becciu's lawyers asked the court not to order the Cardinal's arrest.
(Reuters)
PresidentSalva Kiir Mayardit promises peace on Independence Day and also offers peace to opponent
Riek Machar. This offer of peace comes after
Pope Francis said that he would visit the Christian-majority country if some kind of peace is achieved.
(Reuters)
10 June 2021 –
Pope Francis rejects the offer of
resignation by
Archbishop of MunichReinhard Marx over what Marx described as mishandling of the "catastrophe" of
sexual abuse in the Church. Francis addresses a letter to Marx where he agrees that it is a worldwide "catastrophe" but that Marx should stay on as
Archbishop. Francis further stated that they cannot remain "indifferent in the face of the crime". Marx is seen as a progressive ally of Francis within the Church.
(Reuters)
3 June 2021 –
Pope Francis appoints Archbishop
Tito Yllana as the new
Apostolic Nuncio in Israel and Cyprus, and Apostolic Delegate in Jerusalem and Palestine. The 73-year-old Archbishop Yllana has represented the
Holy See on four continents: Africa, Asia, Europe and Oceania.
(Vatican News)
A mass grave containing the remains of 215 indigenous children is discovered on the site of the former residential school in
British Columbia,
Canada.
(The Globe and Mail)
Archbishop
J. Michael Miller of
Vancouver said he was “filled with deep sadness” after learning of the discovery of the children's remains that were found buried on the
site.
(CRUX)
21 May 2021 – One Catholic priest is killed and another kidnapped in an armed attack on the parish in Malunfashi,
Sokoto State, in northern
Nigeria. Several other people were wounded in the assault.
(Fides)
Pope Francis condemns the violence and repression in
Myanmar and again condemns the
coup that ousted
Aung San Suu Kyi on February 1. He tells protesters to not despair "in the face of evil or allow themselves to be divided".
(Reuters)
11 May 2021 –
Pope Francis formally institutes the office of
catechist as a ministry within the Church. With an apostolic letter entitled Antiquum Ministerium, released on May 11, the Pope establishes the
lay ministry, and announces that the Vatican would soon publish a ritual for the commissioning of catechists.
(Catholic World News),
(Holy See Press Office)
28 April 2021 –
Pope Francis accepts the resignations of
Ecuadorian Bishop Julio Parrilla Díaz and Monsignor Gerardo Miguel Nieves Loja of the
Diocese of Riobamba after reports of poor governance, financial mismanagement and moral failings.
(AP)
The
government bans eleven
Islamic organizations, including
ISIL and
al-Qaeda, a week before the second anniversary of the bombings after
the country's Roman Catholics threatened massive protests over the government's perceived failure to act against the perpetrators.
(Al Jazeera)
Pope Francis issues a decree that cuts the 10% of the cardinals' and other officials' salaries in view of the fact that the
Vatican foresees a financial deficit of 50 million euros this year.
(BBC)
17 March 2021 –
Pope Francis expresses his concerns over the tense situation in
Paraguay due to a deepening health and political crisis in the South American nation which have led to instances of violence in recent days. In his message, the Pope appeals for dialogue to prevail over violence.
(Vatican News)
15 February 2021 – Bishop
David Zubik of the
Pittsburgh Diocese announces that four Catholic elementary schools are merging to form two schools for the school year beginning in fall 2021. The decision comes after more than a year’s deliberation and hours of study.
(Catholic News Agency)
6 February 2021 – French religious sister
Nathalie Becquart is named by
Pope Francis one of the Undersecretaries of the
Synod of Bishops, becoming the first woman to reach that office and having a right to vote in the Synod.
(CNN)
1 February 2021 – Cardinal
Pietro Parolin, the
Vatican Secretary of State, visits
Cameroon this week. He hopes peace and reconciliation can be found in the country, which is struggling amid an armed separatist movement in the Southwest and Northwest regions.
(Catholic News Agency)
27 January 2021 – In the central Indian state of
Madhya Pradesh, 100
Hindu activists attack a prayer gathering in the
Catholic media center.
(UCA News)
21 January 2021 – A
Vatican tribunal convicts two former executives of the
Institute for Religious Works (the IOR, commonly known as the Vatican bank) on embezzlement and money-laundering charges.
Angelo Caloia, who was president of the IOR from 1999 to 2009; and two lawyers who had acted as IOR consultants, were found guilty of arranging to profit from the sale of Vatican properties.
(AP)
21 January 2021 – The Catholic
Congregation for the Causes of Saints affirms the “heroic virtue” of
Jérôme Lejeune, the French geneticist who found the cause of
Down syndrome and became an advocate for the right to life of Down-syndrome babies. He is now eligible for beatification if a miracle is attributed to his intercession. The Congregation recognizes the martyrdom of
Giovanni Fornasini, an Italian priest killed in 1944, and the heroic virtue of six additional candidates.
(Vatican Press Office)
14 January 2021 –
Vatican Museums Director
Barbara Jatta, tells
Vatican Radio it is necessary to extend the current closure of the Museums after having previously set 16 January as a possible date for re-opening. The current
Covid-19 situation in Italy does not allow for certainties. Currently there is a seven-kilometre itinerary mapped out through the Vatican Museums for small numbers of visitors, in compliance with anti-Covid precautions.
(Vatican News)
Pope Francis confirms in an interview with Italian broadcaster
Canale 5 that the vaccination campaign in
Vatican City will begin next week and that he will receive the vaccine.
(CNN)(Euronews)
7 January 2021 – Australia's financial watchdog is reviewing calculations for transfers worth US$1.8 billion sent to the country from the Vatican since 2014, after the
Vatican and the
Australian Church call for clarification. The transfers ranged from yearly totals of A$71.6 million (US$55.2 million) in 2014 to A$581.3 million in 2017, with about 47,000 separate transfers. "That amount of money and that number of transfers did not leave the Vatican City", a senior Vatican official with knowledge of the city-state's finances told Reuters last week.
(Reuters)
4 January 2021 – Kidnapped Auxiliary Bishop Moses Chikwe, of the
Owerri Archdiocese in Nigeria, is freed by his captors. Kidnapped last Sunday, police allege that no ransom is paid. International condemnation includes
Pope Francis, during his new year message calling for Bishop Chikwe’s release. While in
Imo state, a Catholic women's organization, stage a peaceful protest at the Imo state government house, calling on governor
Hope Uzodinma, to quicken action for the release of the auxiliary bishop.
(Vanguard, Lagos)
2 January 2021 –
Pope Francis accepts the resignation of Auxiliary Bishop
Richard B. Higgins, the episcopal vicar for veterans affairs of the
Archdiocese for the Military Services. During his career, Bishop Higgins’ is vicar for veterans affairs and responsible for more than 200 chaplains serving at over 150 VA hospitals in the United States, Puerto Rico and Guam. His retirement at age 75 is announced in Washington by Archbishop
Christophe Pierre, the apostolic nuncio to the United States.
(Catholic News Service)
1 January 2021 – On New Years Day
Pope Francis livestreams his message from the library of the Apostolic Palace. He states "the Virgin Mary’s motherly care encourages us to use our God-given time for building up the world and peace, not destroying it." In the Catholic Church, January 1 is the
Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God.
(Catholic News Agency)
The
Senate begins to debate the legalization of
abortion up until the 14th week of pregnancy. If passed, Argentina will become the third
Latin American country to allow abortion to be performed on demand, after
Cuba and
Uruguay. The
Catholic Church opposes the move. The bill has already been approved by the
lower house.
(Reuters)
8 December 2020 –
Pope Francis issues the apostolic letter Patris Corde (“With a Father’s Heart”) for the 150th anniversary of the declaration of
Saint Joseph as patron of the universal Church. The Pope declares a special Year of St. Joseph (December 8, 2020 — December 8, 2021).
(Vatican News)
7 December 2020 –
Holy See Press DirectorMatteo Bruni announces that
Pope Francis will make his first international apostolic visit in 15 months after accepting the invitation of the
Republic of Iraq and the local Catholic Church to visit the Middle Eastern country of Iraq from 5–8 March 2021.
(Vatican News)
15 November 2020 –
Pope Francis issues an appeal to authorities in
Ivory Coast to establish a climate of mutual trust and dialogue in the West African nation, where controversial elections have led to violence and a mass exodus from the country.
(Vatican News)
Allied Democratic Forces militants kills 21 civilians in an attack on a village in the village of Lisasa,
Democratic Republic of the Congo. More people were kidnapped, a health centre was ransacked, while homes were set on fire and a Catholic church desecrated.
(Al Jazeera)
The Secretary General of the Governorate of Vatican City State announces that as of 7 October it will also be mandatory to wear masks outdoors when it is not possible to maintain a safety distance. This rule will also apply in the extraterritorial properties of the Vatican in the city of
Rome.
(Catholic News Agency)
3 August 2020 –
Pope Benedict's official biographer, Peter Seewald, reports former pope is "very frail" since his return from visiting his older brother, Msgr.
Georg Ratzinger, in Bavaria. His personal secretary, Archbishop
George Ganswein, states "the health conditions are not of particular concern, except for those of a 93 year old who is going through a painful, but not serious, disease."
(CNA/EWTN News)
21 July 2020 – Heads of Christian Denominations (
ZHOCD) churches meet with
Zimbabwe's political leaders to discuss pressing issues affecting the country. The southern African nation of 14.3 million is 72% Protestant and 11% Catholic, with 15% adhering to ethnic religions.
(Vatican News)
12 July 2020 – Police in Boston and in New York are investigating attacks on statues of the Virgin Mary at local Catholic churches. In
Boston, a statue outside St. Peter’s Church in
Dorchester neighborhood was set on fire, causing serious damage. In
New York, an unidentified man was shown on security videotape painting the word “idol” on a statue outside
Cathedral Prep School in
Queens.
(Catholic News Agency)
30 June 2020 – Police in
Vatican City raid the department in charge of the maintenance and restoration of
St. Peter's Basilica. The raid came due to suspicion of corruption in the awarding of building
contracts.
(Al Jazeera)
Vatican Press Secretary announces that the last remaining patient has recovered and that there are zero active cases in the state.
(Vatican News)
Painting by Herman Richir
14 May 2020 –
The Vatican announces that
Pope Francis is sending a donation to
Lebanon for 400 scholarships in an expression of his concern for the country’s young people. Lebanon is experiencing a “severe crisis” that is robbing younger generations of hope.
(Catholic News Agency)
12 April 2020 –
Pope Francis livestreames the
Urbi et Orbi blessing for the second time in just a month. Usually given on Christmas and Easter, this year the pope also gave the blessing on March 27, during a special prayer service for the end of the
coronavirus.
(Crux)
Severe drought conditions continue in
Zimbabwe where close to 7 million people are facing food shortages, according to a Catholic aid agency. Because of repeated droughts over the past five years, many of Zimbabwe's small farmers are unable to feed their families.
Catholic Relief Services is working with farmers teaching
soil and
water conservation methods. The agency offers
drought-resistant crops to farmers and is cooperating on a notification system warning farmers about threats to their harvest.
(Catholic News Agency)(Bloomberg News)
Pope Francis prays for victims of deadly earthquake in
Albania. The pope sends "heartfelt condolences" to Albanian President
Ilir Meta. The quake's epicenter is less than 20 miles from
Tirana, country's capital city, which has a population of 900,000. Additional earthquakes occurred in southern
Bosnia and the island of
Crete.
(Catholic News Agency)
27 October 2019 – Catholic Synod of Bishops for the
Amazon issues a final document.
Since convening on 6 October, the synod of bishops from Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Venezuela, and Suriname gather with
Pope Francis in Rome. According to the bishops, "a deep personal, social and structural conversion" is needed in response to the "unprecedented" environmental and social crisis in the Amazon.
(Catholic News Service)
30 August 2019 –
Pope Francis sends a video message to the people of
Mozambique, before his visit to the African country next week. He stresses reconciliation after years of conflict. The Pontiff says that “although I will be unable to travel beyond the capital, my heart reaches out and embraces you all, with a special place for those who live in difficulty.”
(Holy See Press Office)
11 August, 2019 -
Pope Francis recalls the 70th anniversary of the
Geneva Conventions after his Sunday afternoon
Angelus address. The 1949 conventions concern the treatment of the sick, the wounded, prisoners, and civilians in war.
(Vatican News)
30 July, 2019 - Federal agents have joined the investigation of a fire that destroys a 125 year-old landmark
Catholic Church of the Visitation in
Westphalia, Texas. After storms destroyed two earlier church structures in the 1880s, the Church of Visitation was completed in February of 1895 and dedicated on May 23, 1895.
(Catholic News Agency)
The Vatican asks China's communist government to stop intimidating
Catholic clergy who want to remain unequivocally loyal to the pope and refuse to sign ambiguous official registration forms.
(Reuters)
The Peruvian Catholic Church urges the government of that country to continue receiving Venezuelan immigrants. He also expressed concern about the "increase in the negative perception of migrants". This, after the president
Martín Vizcarra decided to demand visa and passport for Venezuelan citizens who wish to enter Peru.
(Gestión)
2 June 2019 – During his visit to Romania,
Pope Francis apologizes to the
Roma people on behalf of the Catholic Church and asks forgiveness for "all those times in history when we have discriminated, mistreated or looked askance at you." He also
beatifies seven
Eastern Catholic church bishops who were jailed for treason and tortured
under Communist rule. All died in confinement and were buried in secret.
(Reuters)(BBC)
26 May, 2019 - Four people are killed in an attack on a
Catholic church in northern
Burkina Faso, the latest in a string of assaults on Christian places of worship in the region.
(Al Jazeera)
Easter Sunday attacks on several churches and hotels in
Sri Lanka, kill at least 359 people and wound more than 500 others.
Pope Francis speaks words of solidarity to the Christian community of Sri Lanka, lamenting that the attacks have wrought grief and sorrow.
(Vatican News)
20 April, 2019 -
Bangladesh celebrates
Easter as national holiday for first time in 30 years. The South Asian nation of 159 million is 89%
Muslim and 10%
Hindu.
Pope Francis made an apostolic journey to
Myanmar and Bangladesh in 2017.
(Vatican News)
A fire breaks out at the
Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral in
Paris, resulting in the collapse of its roof and
spire and considerable damage to the building's interior.
(AJC)(BBC)
2 April, 2019 -
Peruvian authorities investigate the death of British
De La Salle Brother Paul McAuley, age 71. According to the report he is burned to death in a home he founded for indigenous students in
Iquitos, in the northeastern Amazonian region.
(AP)
Pope Francis says the plight of
migrants was "a wound that cries out to heaven". He added, "The issue of migration will never be resolved by raising barriers, fomenting fear of others or denying assistance to those who legitimately aspire to a better life for themselves and their families".
(Reuters)
26 March, 2019 - The all-female board of Women Church World, a monthly supplement in the L'Osservatore Romano (the
Vatican City daily newspaper), resign citing a campaign to discredit them and put them "under the direct control of men".
(BBC)
CardinalGeorge Pell, the most senior official of the
Catholic Church to be convicted of sexual abuse to date, is sentenced to six years in prison for the sexual assault of two children in the late 1990s.
(CNN)
5 February, 2019 -
Pope Francis makes a public statement acknowledging that some priests and bishops in the Catholic Church have been sexually abusing nuns.
(CBS-6)
The
Vatican signs a provisional agreement with
China on the process used to appoint bishops, a breakthrough after years of contentious negotiations on the management of Catholic leadership in the
communist country.
(The Washington Post)
August 28, 2018 - A Catholic priest held hostage for almost four months by Muslim militants in Marawi city in the southern Philippines says he still believes in inter-religious dialogue despite experiencing horrors that included seeing a fellow captive gunned down in crossfire and another one killed during an airstrike.
(BenarNews)
Archbishop
Carlo Maria Viganò accuses Pope Francis of covering up sexual abuse allegations against
Theodore McCarrick. Pope Francis declines to comment on Viganò's accusations.
(ABC News)
July 30, 2018 -
AustralianArchbishopPhilip Wilson announces his resignation after being convicted for his role in covering up sexual abuse. He is the most senior
Roman Catholic official convicted to date.
(BBC)
June 14, 2018 - Cardinal
Pietro Parolin addresses participants in the Second
Holy See – Mexico Conference on International Migration. The Vatican
Secretary of State assesses the current political climate, calls for the humane treatment of migrants and discusses the “primary right” to live with dignity in one’s home country.
(Holy See Press Office)
A court in
Radom,
Poland, hands a six-month suspended prison term and a 10,000
zloty fine to a
Russian pilot who caused a security scare during
Pope Francis's 2016 visit for
World Youth Day. The Russian had flown from the
Czech Republic to compete in an international aerobatics competition and unknowingly violated a no-fly zone imposed for the papal visit. After failing to contact the aircraft, local authorities scrambled two
F-16 fighter jets to intercept it.
(Radio Poland)
In a new
apostolic exhortation, Gaudete et Exsultate,
Pope Francis mentions
Satan or the
Devil twelve times. Warning against
Catholic media transgressing the eighth commandment, he calls to "see how the unguarded tongue, set on fire by
hell, sets all things ablaze."
(Reuters)
March 30, 2018 - The
Lansing, Michigan,
Catholic Diocese's insurance company files a civil suit against Rev. Jonathan Wehrle, former pastor of St. Martha's Catholic Church in
Okemos, a Lansing suburb, for the embezzlement of more than $5 million from his parish. Wehrle already faces six criminal counts for using embezzled funds to pay for home construction (appraised for much more than a $1 million), maintenance, and purchases.
(Lansing State Journal),
(AP via ABC News),
(Lansing State Journal²)
Another lawsuit is filed against the
Catholic Church in Guam, bringing the total lawsuits alleging historical sexual abuse to 157.
Louis Brouillard, who is now 96, was on Guam from 1948 to 1981, and is accused of abusing boys in 100 of the lawsuits the church is facing.
(Radio New Zealand)
A framework accord between
the Vatican and
China on the
appointment of bishops is ready and could be signed in a few months in what would be an historic breakthrough in relations, according to a senior Vatican source.
(Reuters)
Pope Francis visits
Peru and meets 4,000 members of the
indigenous communities from the
Amazon rainforest. He states that the people of the Amazon are threatened now more than ever, and questions the conservationist policies that affect the Peruvian rainforest. In
Puerto Maldonado, he asks for the indigenous communities to be recognized as partners instead of as minorities. He calls on the Peruvian people to put an end to practices that degrade women, and criticizes the
sterilization of indigenous women.
(Anadolu Agency)(America Magazine)
June 3, 2017 -
Pope Francis meets with 400 children from towns hit by earthquakes in central Italy on
August 24, 2016. A few children offer brief testimony about their experiences during the earthquake, which hit parts of central Italy and resulted in nearly 300 deaths.
(Catholic News Agency)
February 15, 2017 - At the Indigenous Peoples Forum in
Rome,
Italy,
Pope Francis says that developmental needs have to be reconciled with the protection of the particular characteristics of indigenous peoples and their territories. This is taken by some as a reference to the
Standing Rock Sioux and other groups opposing the
Dakota Access Pipeline.
(Reuters)
November 6, 2016 - In an apparent rebuke against United States Republican Party presidential candidate
Donald Trump,
Pope Francis speaks a sermon in
Spanish warning against "
fear" and the "walls" that divide.
(The Washington Post)
October 25, 2016 - The
Catholic Church announces that
cremated remains must be kept in
consecrated land, rather than scattered about or kept at home. The Church first permitted cremation in 1963, but still strongly favours burial.
(BBC News)
September 15, 2016 - 106 of the 108
papal nuncios and other papal diplomatic representatives meet in
Rome for three days of meetings. On the final day,
Pope Francis presides at a Mass with the nuncios.
(Holy See Press Office)
In a so-called VatiLeaks case, a
Vatican City Court dismisses charges of publishing confidential information against two Italian journalists stating it lacked
jurisdiction in this case. Emiliano Fittipaldi and Gianluigi Nuzzi wrote books on the inner workings of the Vatican. The court did convict a Vatican priest to 18 months, and assessed a 10-month suspended sentence on an Italian communications expert, for conspiring to pass documents to the journalists; a fifth defendant was cleared of all charges.
(AP)(The Guardian)(Catholic News)(Vatican Radio)
Pope Francis's visit to
Armenia this weekend may stress relations with
Turkey. The Pope is seeking to avoid reigniting the diplomatic dispute that arose last year when he described the 1915 mass killings of Armenians as a
genocide. The
Vatican prefers the Armenian phrase "Medz Yeghern", which roughly translates as "the great evil or calamity".
(Reuters),
(PanARMENIAN.Net)(NBC News)
June 2, 2016 –
Catholics in
France and
Belgium are recovering from
ISIS attacks including numerous acts of violence and aggression, fires set in churches, an assault on a priest, the desecration of a tabernacle and the hacking of more than 100 Catholic websites.
(Catholic News Agency)
Pope Francis offers refuge to a dozen
SyrianMuslims, three families with six children, who faced deportation from Lesbos. The refugees accompanied the Pope on his return trip to
Rome.
(The Guardian)
Gunmen storm a retirement home in
Yemen, run by a charity established by
Mother Teresa, killing 16 people, including four Catholic nuns.
(The New York Times)
January 1, 2016 - A new 28-foot tall statue of
Jesus, dubbed "Jesus de Greatest", is unveiled on New Year's Day outside
St. Aloysius Catholic Church in Abajah village, Nigeria's
Imo state, which is described as the tallest Jesus statue in Africa.
(USA Today)
December 2, 2015 - Authorities arrest four
Kosovo jihadists men, three in
Italy and one in Kosovo, for making nonspecific threats against
Pope Francis and the former U.S. Ambassador to Kosovo. The men are described by police as highly dangerous and as having celebrated the
November 2015 Paris attacks.
(The Independent, MSN)
November 30, 2015 – Pope Francis' 2015 visit to Africa
Pope Francis condemns the way young people have been "radicalized in the name of
religion to sow discord and fear," during a talk in
Nairobi,
Kenya.
(Washington Post)
Pope Francis celebrates a historic
Mass in Kenya before delivering a stern
environmental warning to the world. "It would be sad, and I dare say even
catastrophic, were particular interests to prevail over the
common good and lead to manipulating information in order to protect their own plans and projects," the Pope said, urging nations to reach agreement over curbing
fossil fuelemissions.
(CNN)
At least 22 people are killed this week in a string of raids on villages in the
Central African Republic. The escalation of violence threatens to derail a visit by
Pope Francis and crucial elections scheduled for December 27, 2015.
(Reuters)
October 21, 2015 - The
Vatican denies an
Italian newspaper report that
Pope Francis has a
benign brain tumour, saying the 78-year-old pontiff is in good health, and denounces the article as utterly reprehensible.
(Reuters)
July 14, 2015 - The
Catholic Church in
Taherpur,
India is vandalized, and the caretaker is arrested. The church was desecrated on the night of July 9, according to Indian media reports.
(India Express)
The Vatican announces that the first hearing in the trial of
Józef Wesołowski, a former papal ambassador to the Dominican Republic and a Polish former prelate of the Roman Catholic Church, is scheduled for July 11.
(ABC News),
(NPR)
Pope Francis approves the outline of a new system giving power to the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to judge bishops "with regard to crimes of the abuse of office when connected to the abuse of minors."
(National Catholic Reporter)
February 26, 2015 -
Norwegian police raid the offices of the
Catholic Church's diocese in Oslo, charging the church administration with serious fraud under the suspicion of wrongfully claiming as much as
NOK 50 million in state support by presenting fraudulent membership statistics.
(NewsInEnglish.no)
November 3, 2014 - Cardinal
Timothy Dolan announces plans to merge 112 parishes: nearly one-third of the parishes in the
New York archdiocese. Under the plan the 112 parishes will be merged into 55 consolidated parishes.
(New York Times),
(The Dialog)
September 5, 2014 - Israeli President
Shimon Peres meets with
Pope Francis at a time of mounting tension in the Middle East. The last meeting between the Pontiff and the Israeli leader came in June, when the Pope invited Peres, along with Palestinian President
Mahmoud Abbas, to join in a prayer service for peace.
(Reuters)
July 13, 2014 -
Pope Francis appeals for peace in the
Holy Land following his
Angelus address at
St. Peter’s Square. He exhorts all interested parties and all those with political responsibility not to spare efforts to achieve the cessation of all hostilities and the desired peace for the good of all.
(Vatican Radio)
July 4, 2014 - On the final day of meetings of the Catholic
Council of Cardinals, the group sets sights on the
Pontifical Councils for the laity and the family, mentioning the potential inclusion of laity in those councils' tasks. This round of meetings, held July 1-4, was the fifth meeting of the council of cardinals. The next three sessions will take place Sep. 15-17, Dec. 9-11, and Feb. 9-11.
(Catholic News Agency)
May 6, 2014 - Thirty young men join the ranks of the
Swiss Guards today, taking an oath of allegiance to
Pope Francis and promising to serve the
Church by protecting him and his successors. Present at the guards' swearing-in are a number of Vatican dignitaries, the new
Swiss ambassador to the Holy See, Pierre-Yves Fux, and Archbishop
Giovanni Angelo Becciu, who is the Substitute for General Affairs of the Secretariat of State.
(Catholic News Agency)
March 22, 2014 - The "Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors" is instituted by
Pope Francis. The commission is an institution within the
Roman Curia of the
Catholic Church established to propose initiatives to protect children from pedophiles in the church.
(Holy See Press Office)
February 24, 2014 -
Pope Francis, in the most significant reform of the Roman Curia in 25 years, creates a second Secretariat, for Economic Affairs, headed by a Cardinal (which will work with the Vatican Secretariat of State, the reformed Vatican bank, or IOR, and the other economic departments of the
Roman Curia), which will have an office with the power to audit any Vatican agency at any time.
(AP, MSN News)
February 17, 2014 - The Vatican head of state,
Pope Francis, renews his
Argentine passport, reportedly asking not to enjoy any privilege.
(La Nación)
January 12, 2014 -
Pope Francis publicly releases the names of the 19 new Cardinals from 12 countries he will create in his first Consistory. This will occur during a meeting of the Cardinals on February 22.
(News.VA Official Vatican Network)
January 3, 2014 - The people of
Humboldt County, California, located on
California's North Coast, are grieving the loss of Father Eric Freed. He was pastor of St. Bernard's Catholic Parish in
Eureka who was murdered early on New Years’ Day.
(Catholic News Agency)
November 24, 2013 -
Pope Francis venerates the purported remains of his first ever predecessor, as the
Vatican gives a public display for what some claim are
St Peter's remains.
(Guardian)
November 3, 2013 - The
Apostolic Vicariate of Brunei is one of the youngest and smallest Catholic
ecclesiastical jurisdictions in southeast Asia. About 10 percent of the population is atheist, 13 percent Buddhist, and a small number have indigenous beliefs. Christians, half of whom are Catholic, constitute 10 percent of
Brunei's population.
(Catholic News Agency)
September 23, 2013 - In his first public statement since his
resignation, former
PopeBenedict XVI denies that he covered up child sexual abuse cases involving priests during his tenure.
(Reuters)
September 16, 2013 - Cardinal
Donald Wuerl joins "people of all faiths across our community in praying for the people killed and wounded in the attack at the
Navy Yard in Washington, D.C." A shooting at the Navy Yard in southeast Washington left 13 dead and about a dozen more injured.
(Catholic News Agency)
August 2, 2013 - In his Ramadan message to
Muslims,
Pope Francis calls for mutual respect. The message is timed for the Muslim feast of
Eid al-Fitr, Since 1967, the
Vatican has issued an annual greeting to the world’s Muslims on that date.
(CNN)
July 8, 2013 -
Pope Francis visits the tiny
Italian island of
Lampedusa, holds a mass to pay tribute to the many immigrants who have drowned trying to reach Europe and condemns the "global indifference" to their plight.
(BBC),
(The Guardian)
May 16, 2013 -
Pope Francis calls for worldwide "financial reform along ethical lines" to fight the "tyranny [of] financial speculation".
(Irish Times)
January 7, 2013 -
Pope Benedict XVI addresses ambassadors and diplomats from nearly 180 countries gathered in the
Apostolic Palace’s Sala Regia. They are present for the Pope’s traditional address to members of the diplomatic corps who are accredited to the
Holy See. Pope Benedict urges an end to the “slaughter” in
Syria and stresses the “grave responsibility” to work for peace around the world.
(Catholic News Agency)
2012
2012 News archive
December 27, 2012 -
Catholic figurehead
Seán Brady's intervention in
Ireland's
abortiondebate draws harsh criticism from legislators and more calls for the
Church to transfer the rest of the compensation it promised for those abused by priests, but has not yet paid.
(Irish Independent)
October 28, 2012 - Ten people are killed and over 100 injured after a suicide bombing and reprisal attacks close to a Catholic church in
Kaduna,
Northern Nigeria.
(BBC)
September 1, 2012 - Former progressive Cardinal
Carlo Maria Martini describes the
Catholic Church as "200 years behind the times" in an interview published the day after his death.
(CNN)
August 21, 2012 - Archbishop
Charles J. Chaput of
Philadelphia unveiles a new school system to be run by an independent Catholic foundation. The Faith in the Future Foundation will serve the archdiocese's high schools and special education programs.
(Catholic News Agency)
August 13, 2012 -
The Vatican orders
Pope Benedict XVI's former butler to stand trial for his alleged involvement in leaking allegations of corruption in the Holy See.
(Reuters)
June 25, 2012 - The
United States Supreme Court rules that the sentence of life imprisonment without parole cannot be automatically given to a minor at all, extending its earlier restrictions on its automatic use in cases involving minors.
(Catholic News)
May 28, 2012 - Following the
UN Committee Against Torture's condemnation of the Irish government's failure to acknowledge and assist former detainees of the country's Catholic-run
Magdalene asylums, the Justice for Magdalenes campaign group announces its discovery that women were transferred from State-funded mother and baby homes to Magdalene laundries, where they were held against their will and without their children.
(RTÉ)
May 3, 2012 - A 70-year-old widow, who is a mother of three and grandmother of five, makes her solemn vows as a
Poor Clare contemplative nun in the town of
Canals in
Spain.
(Catholic News Agency)
At least 40 people are reported killed across
Syria ahead of the Tuesday deadline for
Syrian armed forces to withdraw from cities, as part of a peace plan brokered by U.N.-Arab League special envoy
Kofi Annan.
(Catholic News Network)
In a pastoral visit
Pope Benedict XVI travels to Mexico (March 23-26) and Cuba (March 26-29). The Pope arrived in
Mexico in the city of
León,
Guanajuato and is greeted by a crowd of about 4,000 people and is officially welcomed by
President Calderón and first lady
Margarita Zavala.
(OEM) In Cuba, he secures the observance of
Good Friday as a holiday in the country during 2012, for the first time since the Revolution, a favor he personally requests of President
Raúl Castro.
(VOA)
March 12, 2012 - The loose-knit group of hackers known as
Anonymous launch a second attack on the
Vatican website. The vice director of the
Holy See's Press Office, Father Ciro Benedettini, says the initial March 7 attack was not successful, failing in its attempt to bring the site down.
(Catholic News Agency)
February 21, 2012 -
Christian Life Movement spokesman Regis Iglesias Ramirez in
Cuba announces the launch of a new Facebook page called “Waiting for
Benedict XVI” to promote the pontiff's upcoming visit and defend the right of all Cubans to welcome him.
(Catholic News Agency)
April 29, 2011: The formal beatification ceremony for
Pope John Paul II is taking place on May 1, 2011, on the Central Loggia of
St. Peter's Basilica after his death on April 2, 2005.
(BBC News)
April 24, 2011: At least 4 people are wounded at the entrance of a Catholic church after
EasterMass in
Baghdad.
(BBC News)
April 22, 2011:
Pope Benedict XVI becomes the first pontiff to take part in a televised question-and-answer session, a pre-recorded programme for Italian television.
(BBC)(The Guardian)
February 5, 2011:
Pope Benedict XVI ordains five new bishops, including a
Chinese prelate from
Hong Kong despite attempts by China's official church to ordain bishops without his approval.
(AP, Google News)
September 10, 2009: Hundreds of Catholic protesters blocked a highway in
Bangalore following an early-morning vandalism and arson attack on St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church in the city.
(Times of India)
September 9, 2009: A relic of Blessed
Damien of Molokai(pictured) will be returned to the
Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace, where Father Damien was ordained to the priesthood, following his
canonization on October 11. The relic, which is currently in Belgium, will visit a number of cities in the mainland United States before touring the
Hawaiian Islands and being reinterred in the Cathedral in
Honolulu.
(ZENIT)
June 1, 2009: American bishop
William E. Lori of the
Diocese of Bridgeport has filed suit in Federal court against the
State of Connecticut, seeking that the classification of the diocese as a "lobbying organization", following a protest organized by the diocese at the state capital, be overturned as a violation of the diocese's
First Amendment rights.
(Catholic News Service)
May 5, 2008: The Church recognized a lengthy series of Marian apparitions which are said to have occurred
Saint-Étienne-le-Laus between 1664 and 1718.
(Catholic World News)
December 23: With 862,000 worshippers, who attended Catholic mass each week compared to 852,000 who went to Church of England services, Roman Catholics have overtaken Anglicans in church attendance in Britain.
(Financial Times)
December 23: United States Republican presidential candidate
Mike Huckabee angered Catholic voters by courting a controversial preacher accused of disparaging Catholics.
(Reuters)
16 November - According to the
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, nearly 1,000 hate crimes against Europe’s Christians were recorded in 2020. The organization documented 980 incidents against Christians, including arson attacks on Catholic churches, desecration and robbery of Eucharistic hosts, assaults on priests, and anti-Catholic graffiti on Church property by abortion activists.
(Catholic News Agency)
The Catholic cathedral Sacred Heart at
Pekon in the
Diocese of Pekhon in Burma’s
Shan state was among several structures that were reportedly hit by military artillery fire on Nov. 9 amid continuing armed clashes between government and rebel forces.
(Catholic News Agency),
(Fides)
Swiss Foreign Minister
Ignazio Cassis meets with the State Secretary of the
Vatican, Cardinal
Pietro Parolin, to mark 100 years of the restoration of diplomatic relations between
Switzerland and the
Holy See. The joint declaration, according to the
Swiss Broadcasting Corporation, called for the promotion of “peace and human rights, the worldwide abolition of the death penalty, the protection of minorities, and interreligious dialogue.”
(Swissinfo),
(Catholic World News)
27 October -
Pope Francis blesses two large bells headed to
Ukraine and
Ecuador. The bells are part of an initiative by the
Polish Yes to Life foundation. They each weigh more than 2,000 pounds, are nearly four feet in diameter, and were cast by the Felczyński bell foundry in
Przemyśl, Poland.
(Catholic News Agency)
14 October -
Chinese Catholic Bishop
Stephen Yang Xiangtai, the retired leader of the
Handan diocese, died at the age of 99 after a long illness. Bishop Yang was arrested in 1954 and again in 1966, and served more than a decade in labor camps before being released in 1980. He became Bishop of Handan in 1999.
(Catholic World News),
(Asia News)
5 October - A court in the
Holy See agrees to return to the investigative phase of an ongoing trial against Cardinal
Giovanni Angelo Becciu for alleged embezzlement, abuse of power and fraud, and other charges. Becciu was fired from his position in the
Vatican City by
Pope Francis in 2020 for alleged
nepotism, which Becciu also denies.
(Reuters)
A commission to investigate
sexual abuse by clergy in
France reveals that since the 1950s, there have been about 3,000
pedophiles who have committed sex crimes.
(France 24)
Three regions in
Poland repeal their status as an "
LGBT-free zone" after pressure from the
European Commission and activists. The declaration of "free of
LGBT ideology" had been imposed in 2019 under heavy pressure from
Catholic conservatives in the regions.
(Reuters)
The
Vatican City issues a decree that would require visitors who enter the
city state to show an
Italian Green Pass or its international
immunity passport equivalent, providing proof that they have been vaccinated, tested negative in the previous 72 hours, or have recovered from COVID-19, beginning on October 1.
(The Washington Post),
(Catholic News Agency)
14 September - Continuing his apostolic journey,
Pope Francis arrives in
Slovakia, meeting with President
Zuzana Čaputová who were joined by civil leaders, members of the diplomatic corps and religious leaders. After a meeting with the Jewish community, the Pope went to the apostolic nunciature, where he met with the Speaker of the National Council (parliament),
Boris Kollár, and with Prime Minister
Eduard Heger.
(Catholic World News)
Slovakia reverses its ban on unvaccinated people attending public events and will instead allow a
negative test or proof of recovery from COVID-19 during a visit by
Pope Francis on September 12 to 15 due to low vaccination numbers.
(Barron's)
Defrocked Catholic Cardinal
Theodore McCarrick pleads not guilty to three counts of indecent assault and battery on a 16-year-old boy at a wedding reception in
Massachusetts in 1974. The
statute of limitations paused when he left the state shortly after the alleged incident. McCarrick is the first American cardinal to be charged with a sex crime.
(DW)
Pope Francis defends the dialogue with
China via the appointment of new
Catholic bishops. Francis says that uneasy dialogue is better than no dialogue at all and compared the talks with China to those with Eastern European countries during the
Cold War. The Vatican and China have had strained relations since the
communist party took power in 1949.
(Reuters)
9 August 2021 - A barely legible letter to
Pope Francis regarding the Vatican's financial scandals, which contained three bullets and is believed to have originated from France, is intercepted by postal workers in
Peschiera Borromeo, near
Milan. The letter is being treated by authorities as a possible death threat against Francis.
(Newsweek via MSN)(Euronews)
27 July 2021 – The trial against Cardinal
Giovanni Angelo Becciu and ten others for financial crimes opens in the
Holy See. Becciu and a monsignor are the only two to appear in court in person. Becciu denied any wrongdoing and the trial was adjourned.
Pope Francis had previously stripped Becciu of his immunity and approved his indictment. Becciu's lawyers asked the court not to order the Cardinal's arrest.
(Reuters)
PresidentSalva Kiir Mayardit promises peace on Independence Day and also offers peace to opponent
Riek Machar. This offer of peace comes after
Pope Francis said that he would visit the Christian-majority country if some kind of peace is achieved.
(Reuters)
10 June 2021 –
Pope Francis rejects the offer of
resignation by
Archbishop of MunichReinhard Marx over what Marx described as mishandling of the "catastrophe" of
sexual abuse in the Church. Francis addresses a letter to Marx where he agrees that it is a worldwide "catastrophe" but that Marx should stay on as
Archbishop. Francis further stated that they cannot remain "indifferent in the face of the crime". Marx is seen as a progressive ally of Francis within the Church.
(Reuters)
3 June 2021 –
Pope Francis appoints Archbishop
Tito Yllana as the new
Apostolic Nuncio in Israel and Cyprus, and Apostolic Delegate in Jerusalem and Palestine. The 73-year-old Archbishop Yllana has represented the
Holy See on four continents: Africa, Asia, Europe and Oceania.
(Vatican News)
A mass grave containing the remains of 215 indigenous children is discovered on the site of the former residential school in
British Columbia,
Canada.
(The Globe and Mail)
Archbishop
J. Michael Miller of
Vancouver said he was “filled with deep sadness” after learning of the discovery of the children's remains that were found buried on the
site.
(CRUX)
21 May 2021 – One Catholic priest is killed and another kidnapped in an armed attack on the parish in Malunfashi,
Sokoto State, in northern
Nigeria. Several other people were wounded in the assault.
(Fides)
Pope Francis condemns the violence and repression in
Myanmar and again condemns the
coup that ousted
Aung San Suu Kyi on February 1. He tells protesters to not despair "in the face of evil or allow themselves to be divided".
(Reuters)
11 May 2021 –
Pope Francis formally institutes the office of
catechist as a ministry within the Church. With an apostolic letter entitled Antiquum Ministerium, released on May 11, the Pope establishes the
lay ministry, and announces that the Vatican would soon publish a ritual for the commissioning of catechists.
(Catholic World News),
(Holy See Press Office)
28 April 2021 –
Pope Francis accepts the resignations of
Ecuadorian Bishop Julio Parrilla Díaz and Monsignor Gerardo Miguel Nieves Loja of the
Diocese of Riobamba after reports of poor governance, financial mismanagement and moral failings.
(AP)
The
government bans eleven
Islamic organizations, including
ISIL and
al-Qaeda, a week before the second anniversary of the bombings after
the country's Roman Catholics threatened massive protests over the government's perceived failure to act against the perpetrators.
(Al Jazeera)
Pope Francis issues a decree that cuts the 10% of the cardinals' and other officials' salaries in view of the fact that the
Vatican foresees a financial deficit of 50 million euros this year.
(BBC)
17 March 2021 –
Pope Francis expresses his concerns over the tense situation in
Paraguay due to a deepening health and political crisis in the South American nation which have led to instances of violence in recent days. In his message, the Pope appeals for dialogue to prevail over violence.
(Vatican News)
15 February 2021 – Bishop
David Zubik of the
Pittsburgh Diocese announces that four Catholic elementary schools are merging to form two schools for the school year beginning in fall 2021. The decision comes after more than a year’s deliberation and hours of study.
(Catholic News Agency)
6 February 2021 – French religious sister
Nathalie Becquart is named by
Pope Francis one of the Undersecretaries of the
Synod of Bishops, becoming the first woman to reach that office and having a right to vote in the Synod.
(CNN)
1 February 2021 – Cardinal
Pietro Parolin, the
Vatican Secretary of State, visits
Cameroon this week. He hopes peace and reconciliation can be found in the country, which is struggling amid an armed separatist movement in the Southwest and Northwest regions.
(Catholic News Agency)
27 January 2021 – In the central Indian state of
Madhya Pradesh, 100
Hindu activists attack a prayer gathering in the
Catholic media center.
(UCA News)
21 January 2021 – A
Vatican tribunal convicts two former executives of the
Institute for Religious Works (the IOR, commonly known as the Vatican bank) on embezzlement and money-laundering charges.
Angelo Caloia, who was president of the IOR from 1999 to 2009; and two lawyers who had acted as IOR consultants, were found guilty of arranging to profit from the sale of Vatican properties.
(AP)
21 January 2021 – The Catholic
Congregation for the Causes of Saints affirms the “heroic virtue” of
Jérôme Lejeune, the French geneticist who found the cause of
Down syndrome and became an advocate for the right to life of Down-syndrome babies. He is now eligible for beatification if a miracle is attributed to his intercession. The Congregation recognizes the martyrdom of
Giovanni Fornasini, an Italian priest killed in 1944, and the heroic virtue of six additional candidates.
(Vatican Press Office)
14 January 2021 –
Vatican Museums Director
Barbara Jatta, tells
Vatican Radio it is necessary to extend the current closure of the Museums after having previously set 16 January as a possible date for re-opening. The current
Covid-19 situation in Italy does not allow for certainties. Currently there is a seven-kilometre itinerary mapped out through the Vatican Museums for small numbers of visitors, in compliance with anti-Covid precautions.
(Vatican News)
Pope Francis confirms in an interview with Italian broadcaster
Canale 5 that the vaccination campaign in
Vatican City will begin next week and that he will receive the vaccine.
(CNN)(Euronews)
7 January 2021 – Australia's financial watchdog is reviewing calculations for transfers worth US$1.8 billion sent to the country from the Vatican since 2014, after the
Vatican and the
Australian Church call for clarification. The transfers ranged from yearly totals of A$71.6 million (US$55.2 million) in 2014 to A$581.3 million in 2017, with about 47,000 separate transfers. "That amount of money and that number of transfers did not leave the Vatican City", a senior Vatican official with knowledge of the city-state's finances told Reuters last week.
(Reuters)
4 January 2021 – Kidnapped Auxiliary Bishop Moses Chikwe, of the
Owerri Archdiocese in Nigeria, is freed by his captors. Kidnapped last Sunday, police allege that no ransom is paid. International condemnation includes
Pope Francis, during his new year message calling for Bishop Chikwe’s release. While in
Imo state, a Catholic women's organization, stage a peaceful protest at the Imo state government house, calling on governor
Hope Uzodinma, to quicken action for the release of the auxiliary bishop.
(Vanguard, Lagos)
2 January 2021 –
Pope Francis accepts the resignation of Auxiliary Bishop
Richard B. Higgins, the episcopal vicar for veterans affairs of the
Archdiocese for the Military Services. During his career, Bishop Higgins’ is vicar for veterans affairs and responsible for more than 200 chaplains serving at over 150 VA hospitals in the United States, Puerto Rico and Guam. His retirement at age 75 is announced in Washington by Archbishop
Christophe Pierre, the apostolic nuncio to the United States.
(Catholic News Service)
1 January 2021 – On New Years Day
Pope Francis livestreams his message from the library of the Apostolic Palace. He states "the Virgin Mary’s motherly care encourages us to use our God-given time for building up the world and peace, not destroying it." In the Catholic Church, January 1 is the
Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God.
(Catholic News Agency)
The
Senate begins to debate the legalization of
abortion up until the 14th week of pregnancy. If passed, Argentina will become the third
Latin American country to allow abortion to be performed on demand, after
Cuba and
Uruguay. The
Catholic Church opposes the move. The bill has already been approved by the
lower house.
(Reuters)
8 December 2020 –
Pope Francis issues the apostolic letter Patris Corde (“With a Father’s Heart”) for the 150th anniversary of the declaration of
Saint Joseph as patron of the universal Church. The Pope declares a special Year of St. Joseph (December 8, 2020 — December 8, 2021).
(Vatican News)
7 December 2020 –
Holy See Press DirectorMatteo Bruni announces that
Pope Francis will make his first international apostolic visit in 15 months after accepting the invitation of the
Republic of Iraq and the local Catholic Church to visit the Middle Eastern country of Iraq from 5–8 March 2021.
(Vatican News)
15 November 2020 –
Pope Francis issues an appeal to authorities in
Ivory Coast to establish a climate of mutual trust and dialogue in the West African nation, where controversial elections have led to violence and a mass exodus from the country.
(Vatican News)
Allied Democratic Forces militants kills 21 civilians in an attack on a village in the village of Lisasa,
Democratic Republic of the Congo. More people were kidnapped, a health centre was ransacked, while homes were set on fire and a Catholic church desecrated.
(Al Jazeera)
The Secretary General of the Governorate of Vatican City State announces that as of 7 October it will also be mandatory to wear masks outdoors when it is not possible to maintain a safety distance. This rule will also apply in the extraterritorial properties of the Vatican in the city of
Rome.
(Catholic News Agency)
3 August 2020 –
Pope Benedict's official biographer, Peter Seewald, reports former pope is "very frail" since his return from visiting his older brother, Msgr.
Georg Ratzinger, in Bavaria. His personal secretary, Archbishop
George Ganswein, states "the health conditions are not of particular concern, except for those of a 93 year old who is going through a painful, but not serious, disease."
(CNA/EWTN News)
21 July 2020 – Heads of Christian Denominations (
ZHOCD) churches meet with
Zimbabwe's political leaders to discuss pressing issues affecting the country. The southern African nation of 14.3 million is 72% Protestant and 11% Catholic, with 15% adhering to ethnic religions.
(Vatican News)
12 July 2020 – Police in Boston and in New York are investigating attacks on statues of the Virgin Mary at local Catholic churches. In
Boston, a statue outside St. Peter’s Church in
Dorchester neighborhood was set on fire, causing serious damage. In
New York, an unidentified man was shown on security videotape painting the word “idol” on a statue outside
Cathedral Prep School in
Queens.
(Catholic News Agency)
30 June 2020 – Police in
Vatican City raid the department in charge of the maintenance and restoration of
St. Peter's Basilica. The raid came due to suspicion of corruption in the awarding of building
contracts.
(Al Jazeera)
Vatican Press Secretary announces that the last remaining patient has recovered and that there are zero active cases in the state.
(Vatican News)
Painting by Herman Richir
14 May 2020 –
The Vatican announces that
Pope Francis is sending a donation to
Lebanon for 400 scholarships in an expression of his concern for the country’s young people. Lebanon is experiencing a “severe crisis” that is robbing younger generations of hope.
(Catholic News Agency)
12 April 2020 –
Pope Francis livestreames the
Urbi et Orbi blessing for the second time in just a month. Usually given on Christmas and Easter, this year the pope also gave the blessing on March 27, during a special prayer service for the end of the
coronavirus.
(Crux)
Severe drought conditions continue in
Zimbabwe where close to 7 million people are facing food shortages, according to a Catholic aid agency. Because of repeated droughts over the past five years, many of Zimbabwe's small farmers are unable to feed their families.
Catholic Relief Services is working with farmers teaching
soil and
water conservation methods. The agency offers
drought-resistant crops to farmers and is cooperating on a notification system warning farmers about threats to their harvest.
(Catholic News Agency)(Bloomberg News)
Pope Francis prays for victims of deadly earthquake in
Albania. The pope sends "heartfelt condolences" to Albanian President
Ilir Meta. The quake's epicenter is less than 20 miles from
Tirana, country's capital city, which has a population of 900,000. Additional earthquakes occurred in southern
Bosnia and the island of
Crete.
(Catholic News Agency)
27 October 2019 – Catholic Synod of Bishops for the
Amazon issues a final document.
Since convening on 6 October, the synod of bishops from Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Venezuela, and Suriname gather with
Pope Francis in Rome. According to the bishops, "a deep personal, social and structural conversion" is needed in response to the "unprecedented" environmental and social crisis in the Amazon.
(Catholic News Service)
30 August 2019 –
Pope Francis sends a video message to the people of
Mozambique, before his visit to the African country next week. He stresses reconciliation after years of conflict. The Pontiff says that “although I will be unable to travel beyond the capital, my heart reaches out and embraces you all, with a special place for those who live in difficulty.”
(Holy See Press Office)
11 August, 2019 -
Pope Francis recalls the 70th anniversary of the
Geneva Conventions after his Sunday afternoon
Angelus address. The 1949 conventions concern the treatment of the sick, the wounded, prisoners, and civilians in war.
(Vatican News)
30 July, 2019 - Federal agents have joined the investigation of a fire that destroys a 125 year-old landmark
Catholic Church of the Visitation in
Westphalia, Texas. After storms destroyed two earlier church structures in the 1880s, the Church of Visitation was completed in February of 1895 and dedicated on May 23, 1895.
(Catholic News Agency)
The Vatican asks China's communist government to stop intimidating
Catholic clergy who want to remain unequivocally loyal to the pope and refuse to sign ambiguous official registration forms.
(Reuters)
The Peruvian Catholic Church urges the government of that country to continue receiving Venezuelan immigrants. He also expressed concern about the "increase in the negative perception of migrants". This, after the president
Martín Vizcarra decided to demand visa and passport for Venezuelan citizens who wish to enter Peru.
(Gestión)
2 June 2019 – During his visit to Romania,
Pope Francis apologizes to the
Roma people on behalf of the Catholic Church and asks forgiveness for "all those times in history when we have discriminated, mistreated or looked askance at you." He also
beatifies seven
Eastern Catholic church bishops who were jailed for treason and tortured
under Communist rule. All died in confinement and were buried in secret.
(Reuters)(BBC)
26 May, 2019 - Four people are killed in an attack on a
Catholic church in northern
Burkina Faso, the latest in a string of assaults on Christian places of worship in the region.
(Al Jazeera)
Easter Sunday attacks on several churches and hotels in
Sri Lanka, kill at least 359 people and wound more than 500 others.
Pope Francis speaks words of solidarity to the Christian community of Sri Lanka, lamenting that the attacks have wrought grief and sorrow.
(Vatican News)
20 April, 2019 -
Bangladesh celebrates
Easter as national holiday for first time in 30 years. The South Asian nation of 159 million is 89%
Muslim and 10%
Hindu.
Pope Francis made an apostolic journey to
Myanmar and Bangladesh in 2017.
(Vatican News)
A fire breaks out at the
Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral in
Paris, resulting in the collapse of its roof and
spire and considerable damage to the building's interior.
(AJC)(BBC)
2 April, 2019 -
Peruvian authorities investigate the death of British
De La Salle Brother Paul McAuley, age 71. According to the report he is burned to death in a home he founded for indigenous students in
Iquitos, in the northeastern Amazonian region.
(AP)
Pope Francis says the plight of
migrants was "a wound that cries out to heaven". He added, "The issue of migration will never be resolved by raising barriers, fomenting fear of others or denying assistance to those who legitimately aspire to a better life for themselves and their families".
(Reuters)
26 March, 2019 - The all-female board of Women Church World, a monthly supplement in the L'Osservatore Romano (the
Vatican City daily newspaper), resign citing a campaign to discredit them and put them "under the direct control of men".
(BBC)
CardinalGeorge Pell, the most senior official of the
Catholic Church to be convicted of sexual abuse to date, is sentenced to six years in prison for the sexual assault of two children in the late 1990s.
(CNN)
5 February, 2019 -
Pope Francis makes a public statement acknowledging that some priests and bishops in the Catholic Church have been sexually abusing nuns.
(CBS-6)
The
Vatican signs a provisional agreement with
China on the process used to appoint bishops, a breakthrough after years of contentious negotiations on the management of Catholic leadership in the
communist country.
(The Washington Post)
August 28, 2018 - A Catholic priest held hostage for almost four months by Muslim militants in Marawi city in the southern Philippines says he still believes in inter-religious dialogue despite experiencing horrors that included seeing a fellow captive gunned down in crossfire and another one killed during an airstrike.
(BenarNews)
Archbishop
Carlo Maria Viganò accuses Pope Francis of covering up sexual abuse allegations against
Theodore McCarrick. Pope Francis declines to comment on Viganò's accusations.
(ABC News)
July 30, 2018 -
AustralianArchbishopPhilip Wilson announces his resignation after being convicted for his role in covering up sexual abuse. He is the most senior
Roman Catholic official convicted to date.
(BBC)
June 14, 2018 - Cardinal
Pietro Parolin addresses participants in the Second
Holy See – Mexico Conference on International Migration. The Vatican
Secretary of State assesses the current political climate, calls for the humane treatment of migrants and discusses the “primary right” to live with dignity in one’s home country.
(Holy See Press Office)
A court in
Radom,
Poland, hands a six-month suspended prison term and a 10,000
zloty fine to a
Russian pilot who caused a security scare during
Pope Francis's 2016 visit for
World Youth Day. The Russian had flown from the
Czech Republic to compete in an international aerobatics competition and unknowingly violated a no-fly zone imposed for the papal visit. After failing to contact the aircraft, local authorities scrambled two
F-16 fighter jets to intercept it.
(Radio Poland)
In a new
apostolic exhortation, Gaudete et Exsultate,
Pope Francis mentions
Satan or the
Devil twelve times. Warning against
Catholic media transgressing the eighth commandment, he calls to "see how the unguarded tongue, set on fire by
hell, sets all things ablaze."
(Reuters)
March 30, 2018 - The
Lansing, Michigan,
Catholic Diocese's insurance company files a civil suit against Rev. Jonathan Wehrle, former pastor of St. Martha's Catholic Church in
Okemos, a Lansing suburb, for the embezzlement of more than $5 million from his parish. Wehrle already faces six criminal counts for using embezzled funds to pay for home construction (appraised for much more than a $1 million), maintenance, and purchases.
(Lansing State Journal),
(AP via ABC News),
(Lansing State Journal²)
Another lawsuit is filed against the
Catholic Church in Guam, bringing the total lawsuits alleging historical sexual abuse to 157.
Louis Brouillard, who is now 96, was on Guam from 1948 to 1981, and is accused of abusing boys in 100 of the lawsuits the church is facing.
(Radio New Zealand)
A framework accord between
the Vatican and
China on the
appointment of bishops is ready and could be signed in a few months in what would be an historic breakthrough in relations, according to a senior Vatican source.
(Reuters)
Pope Francis visits
Peru and meets 4,000 members of the
indigenous communities from the
Amazon rainforest. He states that the people of the Amazon are threatened now more than ever, and questions the conservationist policies that affect the Peruvian rainforest. In
Puerto Maldonado, he asks for the indigenous communities to be recognized as partners instead of as minorities. He calls on the Peruvian people to put an end to practices that degrade women, and criticizes the
sterilization of indigenous women.
(Anadolu Agency)(America Magazine)
June 3, 2017 -
Pope Francis meets with 400 children from towns hit by earthquakes in central Italy on
August 24, 2016. A few children offer brief testimony about their experiences during the earthquake, which hit parts of central Italy and resulted in nearly 300 deaths.
(Catholic News Agency)
February 15, 2017 - At the Indigenous Peoples Forum in
Rome,
Italy,
Pope Francis says that developmental needs have to be reconciled with the protection of the particular characteristics of indigenous peoples and their territories. This is taken by some as a reference to the
Standing Rock Sioux and other groups opposing the
Dakota Access Pipeline.
(Reuters)
November 6, 2016 - In an apparent rebuke against United States Republican Party presidential candidate
Donald Trump,
Pope Francis speaks a sermon in
Spanish warning against "
fear" and the "walls" that divide.
(The Washington Post)
October 25, 2016 - The
Catholic Church announces that
cremated remains must be kept in
consecrated land, rather than scattered about or kept at home. The Church first permitted cremation in 1963, but still strongly favours burial.
(BBC News)
September 15, 2016 - 106 of the 108
papal nuncios and other papal diplomatic representatives meet in
Rome for three days of meetings. On the final day,
Pope Francis presides at a Mass with the nuncios.
(Holy See Press Office)
In a so-called VatiLeaks case, a
Vatican City Court dismisses charges of publishing confidential information against two Italian journalists stating it lacked
jurisdiction in this case. Emiliano Fittipaldi and Gianluigi Nuzzi wrote books on the inner workings of the Vatican. The court did convict a Vatican priest to 18 months, and assessed a 10-month suspended sentence on an Italian communications expert, for conspiring to pass documents to the journalists; a fifth defendant was cleared of all charges.
(AP)(The Guardian)(Catholic News)(Vatican Radio)
Pope Francis's visit to
Armenia this weekend may stress relations with
Turkey. The Pope is seeking to avoid reigniting the diplomatic dispute that arose last year when he described the 1915 mass killings of Armenians as a
genocide. The
Vatican prefers the Armenian phrase "Medz Yeghern", which roughly translates as "the great evil or calamity".
(Reuters),
(PanARMENIAN.Net)(NBC News)
June 2, 2016 –
Catholics in
France and
Belgium are recovering from
ISIS attacks including numerous acts of violence and aggression, fires set in churches, an assault on a priest, the desecration of a tabernacle and the hacking of more than 100 Catholic websites.
(Catholic News Agency)
Pope Francis offers refuge to a dozen
SyrianMuslims, three families with six children, who faced deportation from Lesbos. The refugees accompanied the Pope on his return trip to
Rome.
(The Guardian)
Gunmen storm a retirement home in
Yemen, run by a charity established by
Mother Teresa, killing 16 people, including four Catholic nuns.
(The New York Times)
January 1, 2016 - A new 28-foot tall statue of
Jesus, dubbed "Jesus de Greatest", is unveiled on New Year's Day outside
St. Aloysius Catholic Church in Abajah village, Nigeria's
Imo state, which is described as the tallest Jesus statue in Africa.
(USA Today)
December 2, 2015 - Authorities arrest four
Kosovo jihadists men, three in
Italy and one in Kosovo, for making nonspecific threats against
Pope Francis and the former U.S. Ambassador to Kosovo. The men are described by police as highly dangerous and as having celebrated the
November 2015 Paris attacks.
(The Independent, MSN)
November 30, 2015 – Pope Francis' 2015 visit to Africa
Pope Francis condemns the way young people have been "radicalized in the name of
religion to sow discord and fear," during a talk in
Nairobi,
Kenya.
(Washington Post)
Pope Francis celebrates a historic
Mass in Kenya before delivering a stern
environmental warning to the world. "It would be sad, and I dare say even
catastrophic, were particular interests to prevail over the
common good and lead to manipulating information in order to protect their own plans and projects," the Pope said, urging nations to reach agreement over curbing
fossil fuelemissions.
(CNN)
At least 22 people are killed this week in a string of raids on villages in the
Central African Republic. The escalation of violence threatens to derail a visit by
Pope Francis and crucial elections scheduled for December 27, 2015.
(Reuters)
October 21, 2015 - The
Vatican denies an
Italian newspaper report that
Pope Francis has a
benign brain tumour, saying the 78-year-old pontiff is in good health, and denounces the article as utterly reprehensible.
(Reuters)
July 14, 2015 - The
Catholic Church in
Taherpur,
India is vandalized, and the caretaker is arrested. The church was desecrated on the night of July 9, according to Indian media reports.
(India Express)
The Vatican announces that the first hearing in the trial of
Józef Wesołowski, a former papal ambassador to the Dominican Republic and a Polish former prelate of the Roman Catholic Church, is scheduled for July 11.
(ABC News),
(NPR)
Pope Francis approves the outline of a new system giving power to the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to judge bishops "with regard to crimes of the abuse of office when connected to the abuse of minors."
(National Catholic Reporter)
February 26, 2015 -
Norwegian police raid the offices of the
Catholic Church's diocese in Oslo, charging the church administration with serious fraud under the suspicion of wrongfully claiming as much as
NOK 50 million in state support by presenting fraudulent membership statistics.
(NewsInEnglish.no)
November 3, 2014 - Cardinal
Timothy Dolan announces plans to merge 112 parishes: nearly one-third of the parishes in the
New York archdiocese. Under the plan the 112 parishes will be merged into 55 consolidated parishes.
(New York Times),
(The Dialog)
September 5, 2014 - Israeli President
Shimon Peres meets with
Pope Francis at a time of mounting tension in the Middle East. The last meeting between the Pontiff and the Israeli leader came in June, when the Pope invited Peres, along with Palestinian President
Mahmoud Abbas, to join in a prayer service for peace.
(Reuters)
July 13, 2014 -
Pope Francis appeals for peace in the
Holy Land following his
Angelus address at
St. Peter’s Square. He exhorts all interested parties and all those with political responsibility not to spare efforts to achieve the cessation of all hostilities and the desired peace for the good of all.
(Vatican Radio)
July 4, 2014 - On the final day of meetings of the Catholic
Council of Cardinals, the group sets sights on the
Pontifical Councils for the laity and the family, mentioning the potential inclusion of laity in those councils' tasks. This round of meetings, held July 1-4, was the fifth meeting of the council of cardinals. The next three sessions will take place Sep. 15-17, Dec. 9-11, and Feb. 9-11.
(Catholic News Agency)
May 6, 2014 - Thirty young men join the ranks of the
Swiss Guards today, taking an oath of allegiance to
Pope Francis and promising to serve the
Church by protecting him and his successors. Present at the guards' swearing-in are a number of Vatican dignitaries, the new
Swiss ambassador to the Holy See, Pierre-Yves Fux, and Archbishop
Giovanni Angelo Becciu, who is the Substitute for General Affairs of the Secretariat of State.
(Catholic News Agency)
March 22, 2014 - The "Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors" is instituted by
Pope Francis. The commission is an institution within the
Roman Curia of the
Catholic Church established to propose initiatives to protect children from pedophiles in the church.
(Holy See Press Office)
February 24, 2014 -
Pope Francis, in the most significant reform of the Roman Curia in 25 years, creates a second Secretariat, for Economic Affairs, headed by a Cardinal (which will work with the Vatican Secretariat of State, the reformed Vatican bank, or IOR, and the other economic departments of the
Roman Curia), which will have an office with the power to audit any Vatican agency at any time.
(AP, MSN News)
February 17, 2014 - The Vatican head of state,
Pope Francis, renews his
Argentine passport, reportedly asking not to enjoy any privilege.
(La Nación)
January 12, 2014 -
Pope Francis publicly releases the names of the 19 new Cardinals from 12 countries he will create in his first Consistory. This will occur during a meeting of the Cardinals on February 22.
(News.VA Official Vatican Network)
January 3, 2014 - The people of
Humboldt County, California, located on
California's North Coast, are grieving the loss of Father Eric Freed. He was pastor of St. Bernard's Catholic Parish in
Eureka who was murdered early on New Years’ Day.
(Catholic News Agency)
November 24, 2013 -
Pope Francis venerates the purported remains of his first ever predecessor, as the
Vatican gives a public display for what some claim are
St Peter's remains.
(Guardian)
November 3, 2013 - The
Apostolic Vicariate of Brunei is one of the youngest and smallest Catholic
ecclesiastical jurisdictions in southeast Asia. About 10 percent of the population is atheist, 13 percent Buddhist, and a small number have indigenous beliefs. Christians, half of whom are Catholic, constitute 10 percent of
Brunei's population.
(Catholic News Agency)
September 23, 2013 - In his first public statement since his
resignation, former
PopeBenedict XVI denies that he covered up child sexual abuse cases involving priests during his tenure.
(Reuters)
September 16, 2013 - Cardinal
Donald Wuerl joins "people of all faiths across our community in praying for the people killed and wounded in the attack at the
Navy Yard in Washington, D.C." A shooting at the Navy Yard in southeast Washington left 13 dead and about a dozen more injured.
(Catholic News Agency)
August 2, 2013 - In his Ramadan message to
Muslims,
Pope Francis calls for mutual respect. The message is timed for the Muslim feast of
Eid al-Fitr, Since 1967, the
Vatican has issued an annual greeting to the world’s Muslims on that date.
(CNN)
July 8, 2013 -
Pope Francis visits the tiny
Italian island of
Lampedusa, holds a mass to pay tribute to the many immigrants who have drowned trying to reach Europe and condemns the "global indifference" to their plight.
(BBC),
(The Guardian)
May 16, 2013 -
Pope Francis calls for worldwide "financial reform along ethical lines" to fight the "tyranny [of] financial speculation".
(Irish Times)
January 7, 2013 -
Pope Benedict XVI addresses ambassadors and diplomats from nearly 180 countries gathered in the
Apostolic Palace’s Sala Regia. They are present for the Pope’s traditional address to members of the diplomatic corps who are accredited to the
Holy See. Pope Benedict urges an end to the “slaughter” in
Syria and stresses the “grave responsibility” to work for peace around the world.
(Catholic News Agency)
2012
2012 News archive
December 27, 2012 -
Catholic figurehead
Seán Brady's intervention in
Ireland's
abortiondebate draws harsh criticism from legislators and more calls for the
Church to transfer the rest of the compensation it promised for those abused by priests, but has not yet paid.
(Irish Independent)
October 28, 2012 - Ten people are killed and over 100 injured after a suicide bombing and reprisal attacks close to a Catholic church in
Kaduna,
Northern Nigeria.
(BBC)
September 1, 2012 - Former progressive Cardinal
Carlo Maria Martini describes the
Catholic Church as "200 years behind the times" in an interview published the day after his death.
(CNN)
August 21, 2012 - Archbishop
Charles J. Chaput of
Philadelphia unveiles a new school system to be run by an independent Catholic foundation. The Faith in the Future Foundation will serve the archdiocese's high schools and special education programs.
(Catholic News Agency)
August 13, 2012 -
The Vatican orders
Pope Benedict XVI's former butler to stand trial for his alleged involvement in leaking allegations of corruption in the Holy See.
(Reuters)
June 25, 2012 - The
United States Supreme Court rules that the sentence of life imprisonment without parole cannot be automatically given to a minor at all, extending its earlier restrictions on its automatic use in cases involving minors.
(Catholic News)
May 28, 2012 - Following the
UN Committee Against Torture's condemnation of the Irish government's failure to acknowledge and assist former detainees of the country's Catholic-run
Magdalene asylums, the Justice for Magdalenes campaign group announces its discovery that women were transferred from State-funded mother and baby homes to Magdalene laundries, where they were held against their will and without their children.
(RTÉ)
May 3, 2012 - A 70-year-old widow, who is a mother of three and grandmother of five, makes her solemn vows as a
Poor Clare contemplative nun in the town of
Canals in
Spain.
(Catholic News Agency)
At least 40 people are reported killed across
Syria ahead of the Tuesday deadline for
Syrian armed forces to withdraw from cities, as part of a peace plan brokered by U.N.-Arab League special envoy
Kofi Annan.
(Catholic News Network)
In a pastoral visit
Pope Benedict XVI travels to Mexico (March 23-26) and Cuba (March 26-29). The Pope arrived in
Mexico in the city of
León,
Guanajuato and is greeted by a crowd of about 4,000 people and is officially welcomed by
President Calderón and first lady
Margarita Zavala.
(OEM) In Cuba, he secures the observance of
Good Friday as a holiday in the country during 2012, for the first time since the Revolution, a favor he personally requests of President
Raúl Castro.
(VOA)
March 12, 2012 - The loose-knit group of hackers known as
Anonymous launch a second attack on the
Vatican website. The vice director of the
Holy See's Press Office, Father Ciro Benedettini, says the initial March 7 attack was not successful, failing in its attempt to bring the site down.
(Catholic News Agency)
February 21, 2012 -
Christian Life Movement spokesman Regis Iglesias Ramirez in
Cuba announces the launch of a new Facebook page called “Waiting for
Benedict XVI” to promote the pontiff's upcoming visit and defend the right of all Cubans to welcome him.
(Catholic News Agency)
April 29, 2011: The formal beatification ceremony for
Pope John Paul II is taking place on May 1, 2011, on the Central Loggia of
St. Peter's Basilica after his death on April 2, 2005.
(BBC News)
April 24, 2011: At least 4 people are wounded at the entrance of a Catholic church after
EasterMass in
Baghdad.
(BBC News)
April 22, 2011:
Pope Benedict XVI becomes the first pontiff to take part in a televised question-and-answer session, a pre-recorded programme for Italian television.
(BBC)(The Guardian)
February 5, 2011:
Pope Benedict XVI ordains five new bishops, including a
Chinese prelate from
Hong Kong despite attempts by China's official church to ordain bishops without his approval.
(AP, Google News)
September 10, 2009: Hundreds of Catholic protesters blocked a highway in
Bangalore following an early-morning vandalism and arson attack on St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church in the city.
(Times of India)
September 9, 2009: A relic of Blessed
Damien of Molokai(pictured) will be returned to the
Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace, where Father Damien was ordained to the priesthood, following his
canonization on October 11. The relic, which is currently in Belgium, will visit a number of cities in the mainland United States before touring the
Hawaiian Islands and being reinterred in the Cathedral in
Honolulu.
(ZENIT)
June 1, 2009: American bishop
William E. Lori of the
Diocese of Bridgeport has filed suit in Federal court against the
State of Connecticut, seeking that the classification of the diocese as a "lobbying organization", following a protest organized by the diocese at the state capital, be overturned as a violation of the diocese's
First Amendment rights.
(Catholic News Service)
May 5, 2008: The Church recognized a lengthy series of Marian apparitions which are said to have occurred
Saint-Étienne-le-Laus between 1664 and 1718.
(Catholic World News)
December 23: With 862,000 worshippers, who attended Catholic mass each week compared to 852,000 who went to Church of England services, Roman Catholics have overtaken Anglicans in church attendance in Britain.
(Financial Times)
December 23: United States Republican presidential candidate
Mike Huckabee angered Catholic voters by courting a controversial preacher accused of disparaging Catholics.
(Reuters)