News

The Iona Institute has warned that incoming legislation on assisted human reproduction is likely to allow the words “mother” and “father” to be replaced on birth certificates by “parent one” and “parent two”.

Former Australian Governor-General and Labor Party leader Bill Hayden has been baptised and received into the Catholic Church.

On his recent visit to Ireland, Pope Francis gave a “clear signal” to priests that the Church needs a different format for Confession, according to Fr Brendan Hoban of the Association of Catholics.

Nigeria's bishops advised citizens not to sell their permanent voter cards or their votes for the February general elections.

When unjustly insulted and accused, Jesus showed his power and authority not by admonishing others but by being humble and meek, Pope Francis said.

Cardinal Reinhard Marx, head of the German bishops' conference, admitted that mistakes were made in the German church's handling of sex abuse of minors and said he anticipates change in the church.

Pope Francis has announced new rules to bolster the contribution of lay people in the synod of bishops process so it can become a “privileged instrument of listening to the People of God.”

Jalandhar Bishop Franco Mulakkal, accused of raping a Kerala nun, has written to Pope Francis offering to “step aside temporarily” as the Bishop of Jalandhar diocese. 

A senior editor of Catholic magazine Commonweal has criticised the tendency of the Church to make saints out of rape victims.

Russian Orthodox leaders have reacted furiously to moves by the Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch, Bartholomew I, to recognise an independent Ukrainian Church, a fortnight after attempts to patch up an accord at an inter-Orthodox summit in Istanbul.