Violence among top concerns of Congolese bishops
Persistent violence in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the emergence of new groups of militia are key concerns of the Catholic bishops in the Central African nation. In a statement issued at the end of their June 19–22 plenary assembly, members of the National Episcopal Conference of Congo (CENCO)… […]
Irish community in Paris joins in prayers for peace
The Irish community in Paris has joined in prayers for peace following days of protest across France after the shooting dead of a 17-year-old by a police officer. Nahel M., who is Algerian and of Moroccan descent, was shot during a traffic stop in Nanterre, a Paris suburb on June 27. Violent protests broke out… […]
Why the rosary, why now?
Gretchen Crowe It’s easy for Catholics to take the rosary for granted. We tend to purchase them as souvenirs, or carry them around with us, or even wear them – but we forget the immense power that they have when we actually pray them. And that’s really too bad, because a devotion to the rosary… […]
In search of times past?
Some people enter a theatre of war and never see battle. I was in Paris last week, at the height of the reported violence, and witnessed nothing amiss. Wherever I went in central Paris, it was untroubled: the Etoile area, the Louvre, the Comedie-Française (playing to full houses), Montparnasse, the Bibliothèque Nationale, the Latin Quarter,… […]
Jim Caviezel describes new movie as ‘weapon of mass instruction’ to end child trafficking
Known best for his iconic portrayal of Jesus in Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ, Catholic actor Jim Caviezel has said that a new movie he’s starring in aims to motivate millions to end child trafficking. Directed by Alejandro Monteverde, Sound of Freedom is based on true events and stars Jim Caviezel as former… […]
US Supreme Court sides with web designer opposed to same-sex marriage
The US Supreme Court has ruled that the First Amendment’s free speech clause protects a Colorado web designer who feared she would be prosecuted under state anti-discrimination law for her faith-based objections to designing websites that promote same-sex marriage or same-sex weddings. Lorie Smith, owner of the graphic and web design studio 303 Creative LLC,… […]
Protecting against predators study ‘no surprise’ as Ireland struggles against child trafficking
The revelation that children in State care are being targeted by sexual predators due to a lack of national policy and training on exploitation “wasn’t a surprise,” according to an organisation tackling child trafficking in Ireland. The Protecting Against Predators study interviewed 21 staff from 14 agencies working with vulnerable children and found that trafficking… […]
Any loss of Vatican focus on abuse dubbed ‘very concerning’
The Pope’s direction to the newly-appointed head of the Vatican department which deals with discipline and defending the Faith to commit “more directly” to areas other than dealing with child abuse has been described as “very concerning”. Pope Francis appointed Archbishop Víctor Manuel Fernández of La Plata, Argentina, head of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of… […]