News

The seven in heaven: Meet the new saints canonised today

14/10/2018

  • In the midst of the Synod on Youth, today, Sunday 14th October 2018, Pope Francis canonised seven new saints of the Catholic Church. This include Pope Paul VI and Oscar Romero, two well-known figures in the Catholic Church who made significant contributions in the past century. Yet, there are others, including a teenager, a parish priest and a few religious sisters.

    Below are brief biographies on each of their lives, as well as photos of each saint’s banner currently on display at St Peter’s Square. 

     

  • Saint Pope Paul VI

     

  • Born Giovanni Battista Montini in 1897 and ordained a priest in 1920, he did graduate studies in literature, philosophy, and canon law in Rome before beginning to work for the Vatican Secretariat of State…

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Renewing the way we look at progress

The proposals by the Church's Justice and Peace Commission for the 2019 Budget

13/10/2018

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  • The Justice and Peace Commission believes that the financial prosperity currently experienced should translate into a better quality of life for all. In its document with proposals prior to the upcoming 2019 Budget, the Commission presented recommendations in relation to five major focus areas: transport, environment, health, affordable housing and migration.

    Transport:  More long-term solutions rather than quick fixes are needed…

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Synod Day 8: the digital world, fear, loneliness and Korea

12/10/2018
  • Dr Paolo Ruffini, the Prefect of the Vatican Dicastery for Communications, said that discussions in the Synod assembly continued in a serene and cheerful manner with lots of joyful interactions between the bishops and young people. He said that there was an emphasis on the fact that charity mustn’t just be preached but also seen in action. He told journalists that one young person told the Synod Fathers that thousands of young people looked towards them for something concrete from the Synod, they trusted the Fathers would meet their hopes…

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Court upholds prohibitory injunction against UPE directives

11/10/2018

  • Is‑Segretarjat għall‑Edukazzjoni Nisranija llum għamel mandat ta’ inibizzjoni fil‑Qorti kontra d‑direttivi tal‑UPE (Union of Professional Educators) fl‑iskejjel tal‑Knisja.

    Is‑Segretarjat ħa din l‑azzjoni għaliex il‑UPE ma mxietx mal‑proċeduri li għandhom jiġu segwiti f’każ ta’ nuqqas ta’ qbil kif stabbilit fil‑Ftehim Kollettiv. Dawn il‑proċeduri jistabilixxu li union l‑ewwel tiddiskuti ma’ kap ta’ skola, u jekk il‑każ ma jissolvix tiddiskuti mas‑Segretarjat…

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Synod Day 7: We don’t believe in a “google” God

11/10/2018

  • The Prefect of the Vatican Dicastery for Communications, Mr Paolo Ruffini, began today’s Synod press briefing with a report outlining numerous interventions made in the Synod’s general assembly hall. The bishops have begun working on the second part of the Instrumentum Laboris, analysing the context in which young people find themselves today.

    Mr Ruffini also clarified the fact that the Chinese bishops would not be staying for the entire Synod…

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Prevention, timely action and Police referrals

The annual report of the Safeguarding Commission for 2017

10/10/2018

  • The decision by the Maltese Bishops to prohibit a priest from exercising his priestly ministry, despite the decision by the Court of Appeal, shows that the Church abides by specific and more stringent criteria resulting from the responsibilities laid down on priests by canon law. The Head of the Safeguarding Commission, Andrew Azzopardi, said this during the presentation of the annual report of the Church’s Commission which is responsible for the protection of minors and vulnerable adults…

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Synod Day 6: Listening, conversion, and the role of women

10/10/2018

  • Despite the varying situations and contexts of young people across the world their basic aspirations are the same. They want to be taken seriously, listened to, allowed to contribute and they want us to trust them, Cardinal Oswald Gracias from India said.

    Listening

    “Listening is key in the Synod process,” said French Sister Nathalie Becquart…

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Synod Day 5: Sexual abuse and role of women discussed during the Synod

Holy See Press Office briefing addressed by Archbishop Charles J. Scicluna

09/10/2018

  • Three participants at the Synod of Bishops on Youth attended the daily press briefing. These included Maltese Archbishop Charles Scicluna, auxiliary bishop of Lyon, France, Emmanuel Gobilliard and Italian author Mr Thomas Leoncini. After offering their impressions of the Synod, two issues were addressed: the sexual abuse of minors and the role of women in the Church.

    Participants impressions of the Synod

    Archbishop Scicluna opened the briefing by saying that he was touched by the very vocal presence of 30 young people at the Synod who, at times, reacted vociferously to what they heard…

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Bishop Charles Gauci arrives in Malta

08/10/2018

  • Wasla illum, 8 ta’ Ottubru 2018, tal-Isqof Malti Charles Gauci, Isqof tad-djoċesi ta’ Darwin, l-Awstralja. L-Isqof Gauci gie milqugħ fl-Ajruport Internazzjonali ta’ Malta mill-Isqof Awżiljarju Joseph Galea-Curmi, minn Mons. Philip Calleja u Mons. Alfred Vella mill-Kummissjoni Emigranti, u mill-qraba tiegħu. Mons. Gauci, li twieled fl-1952, ġie ordnat saċerdot fl-1977 u kkonsagrat isqof fis-26 ta’ Settembru li għadda. Hu kien emigra lejn l-Awstralja mal-ġenituri tiegħu fl-1965 fl-età ta’ 13-il sena…

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