Church News
Ex-Pope Benedict returns to Vatican
Former Pope Benedict has returned to the Vatican, two months after becoming the first pontiff to resign in 600 years. He was flown by helicopter from the Castel Gandolfo papal summer residence to live permanently in Vatican City.
Bishop Aloysius Jin Luxian: Priest who spent 20 years in jail under Mao
Bishop Aloysius Jin Luxian, who died on 27 April aged 96, revived the Catholic church in Shanghai after years of Maoist persecution. His death leaves one of China's largest and wealthiest dioceses deeply unsettled, riven by tensions generated by the Communist Party's insistence on tightly controlling all organised religions.
Sudan expels secretary-general of Catholic bishops' conference
Tuesday, April 23, 2013 Sudan expels secretary-general of Catholic bishops' conference Sudan's security force expelled the secretary-general of the Sudan Catholic Bishops' Conference and two other religious brothers.
Benedict XVI marks 86th birthday in Castel Gandolfo
Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI on Tuesday celebrates his 86th birthday as the first former pope in over 700 years at his temporary home of Castel Gandolfo, the papal summer residence near Rome. His successor Pope Francis called to wish him a happy birthday and celebrated Mass in his honor.
Five thoughts on the pope's new 'G8'
A Vatican announcement yesterday that Francis has named eight cardinals to advise him on governance represents the first concrete step towards the reform that was so much in the air during the run-up to the conclave that propelled a Latin American outsider to the papacy.
Pope appoints top Franciscan to Vatican's religious life department
Pope Francis made his first appointment within the Roman Curia this morning, choosing his friend, Franciscan Father José Rodríguez Carballo, to help run the Vatican’s congregation for consecrated religious.
Pope meets Pope: Francis tells Benedict 'we're brothers'
Pope Francis has flown in for lunch with his predecessor, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, in a cliff-top castle outside Rome - the first such encounter for nearly 720 years. The Vatican spokesman promised a general comment about the meeting, but no detailed statement. There has been enormous speculation about what the two men in white might have to say to one another after making history together.
Justin Welby enthroned as 105th Archbishop of Canterbury
Justin Welby warned against “severing the roots” of more than 1,000 years of Christianity in Britain as he was enthroned as 105th Archbishop of Canterbury.
Vatican releases Pope Francis' coat of arms, motto and ring
The Latin motto beneath the crest is "miserando atque eligendo" - which refers to a Bible passage showing Jesus Christ's "mercy" in choosing Matthew, a tax collector, to be one of his disciples. "The motto recalls Pope Francis's personal vocation and he wanted to keep it," Fr Lombardi said.
UK welcomes election of new Pope Francis
Pope Francis I is the first to hail from Latin America. British politicians and religious leaders have welcomed the election of Jorge Bergoglio, the Archbishop of Buenos Aires, as the new Pope.
Jorge Mario Bergoglio is the new Pope of the Catholic Church: Francis I
The Conclave has elected the Argentinean cardinal as 266th successor of Peter. The new Pope, the 76-year old Argentinean Jesuit, In the pre-Conclave General Congregations, the new Pope spoke of Christianity as merciful and joyful. His favourite priests are those who work in the “villas miserias”, the slums of the Argentinean capital.
Hit By Scandal, A Cardinal Falls – And Bails On Conclave
Great Britain's lone cardinal-elector has resigned less than a month before reaching the retirement age of 75. At Roman Noon, Pope Benedict yanked Cardinal Keith O'Brien as archbishop of St Andrew's and Edinburgh three days before the pontiff's own departure from office is to take effect.
Pope B16 and the young pilgrims from UK
The truth is that Benedict XVI for those who remember the Papal visit to the UK in 2010, he will be no small or transitional Pope, on the contrary he will be more like THE ROCK. Pope Benedict's visit to the UK was a very important moment for Catholics in the UK especially for us, the young people of the church.
Tributes to 'courageous' Pope Benedict XVI
Religious leaders today paid tribute to Pope Benedict XVI, who announced this morning that he is to retire with effect from 28 February. "I ask people of faith to keep Pope Benedict in their prayers. We Catholics will do so, with great affection and the highest esteem for his ministry as our Holy Father remembering with joy his Visit to the United Kingdom in 2010" Archbishop Vincent Nichols says.
Pope Benedict XVI resigns: pontiff's statement in full
After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry.
Bishop Welby's farewell to Durham Cathedral pledges to champion North-East
Speaking ahead of a farewell service at Durham Cathedral on Monday evening, the Right Reverend Bishop Justin Welby said what he had most enjoyed about his 15 months in Durham had been the ‘‘amazing privilege’’ of meeting its people and said he would continue to fight for the North-East because it has ‘‘such potential’’.
Light from the north: Church growth in Nordic countries
When the Nordic Bishops’ Conference met in Iceland last September, it noted an exciting new trend. The Catholic Church is growing in Scandinavia and is showing signs of vitality in several ways, one of which is the growing number of vocations both to the secular priesthood and to religious orders.
Pope's new year address deplores rampant capitalism
Pope Benedict XVI has condemned "unregulated capitalism" for contributing to world tension, in a new year address to worshippers. The Pope also thanked the world's peacemakers and said humanity had "an innate vocation for peace".
Eleven Anglican Sisters to be received into the Catholic Church
Eleven Anglican Sisters will be received into the Catholic Church via the ordinariate, it emerged this week. The Sisters, from the Community of St Mary the Virgin in Wantage, Oxfordshire, will be received into the Church by Mgr Keith Newton, leader of the ordinariate in England and Wales, on New Year’s Day.
Pope: audience with Venerable English College
Pope Benedict XVI received the members of the community of the Venerable English College on Monday 3th of December. The meeting was the culmination of a year-long celebration marking the 650th anniversary of the of the founding of an English and Welsh Hospice on the site occupied by the College
Daily Word
Mark 9:38-40 "For whoever is not against us is for us."
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- Fatima, May 13th - all Catholic life is here!
- Educating women is the key to lowering maternal mortality
- Guidelines for the Long Haul - Revisited
- “Instead of us closing parishes and closing schools, we’re doing the opposite. We’re in total growth mode,”
- 2013 Pontifical Yearbook: Permanent diaconate booms in Europe, U.S.
- Same-sex marriages: what do the children think?
- Commentary to The Solemnity of Pentecost
- Final days of Jesus' life to be performed in St Neots
- Birds Upon the Shore
