News

Statement by the Archdiocese of Malta regarding Fr Felix Cini

29/08/2018

  • The Communications Office refers to articles published in the media over the last 48 hours about Fr Felix Cini, a priest of Maltese nationality incardinated in the Diocese of Grosseto, Italy. In view of the concerns that have been raised, the following clarifications ought to be made in the best interest of the community.

    1. In 2008, Fr Cini went through a canonical process by the Holy See which determined that he is not under the penalty of dismissal (i.e…

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If one member suffers…

An article by the Head of the Church's Safeguarding Commission, Andrew Azzopardi, published on The Sunday Times of Malta

28/08/2018

  • There is no greater issue in the Catholic Church today than that of child abuse. The Church’s credibility and future depend on how this problem is handled and solved.

    The Pennsylvania Grand Jury report detailing claims of sexual abuse of over 1,000 children by 301 priests makes for very painful reading. The accounts are truly horrific and display the pain and suffering experienced by victims…

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Child euthanasia has claimed the lives of three in Belgium

28/08/2018

  • A recent report in Belgium noted that legal euthanasia there has claimed the lives of three children in the past two years. The response in Belgium? A big yawn.

    “The report of the control commision has provoked not one article in the press, and no comments at all,” said Willem Lemmens, Professor of Modern Philosophy and Ethics at the University of Antwerp…

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Pope Francis: I found so much faith in Ireland!

27/08/2018

  • “I have found so much faith in Ireland,” Pope Francis said at the end of his two-day visit to the land of Saints and Scholars. “The Irish have suffered so much from the scandals, but they know how to distinguish the truth from half-truths,” he said, reciting the words spoken to him by an unnamed Bishop a few hours earlier…

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Next World Meeting of Families to be held in Rome in 2021

27/08/2018

  • Respectful of tradition, the announcement came at the end of the closing Mass. The name of the venue for the next World Day of Families is a closely-guarded secret, known only by a handful of people, including the Pope, who has to approve the decision, and the Prefect of the Vatican Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life, which has the responsibility of organizing the event…

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Pope in Ireland: Families can help God’s dream come true

26/08/2018

  • Months of preparation went into creating the event considered one of the highlights of the World Meeting of Families 2018: the Festival of Families that was celebrated in Dublin’s Croke Park Stadium on Saturday evening together with some 70,000 people. Even the stage design reflected an ideal “circle of encounter” where families could sit close to Pope Francis while sharing their testimonies and enjoying the performances…

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Second day of WMOF in Dublin: The family has a future and is the salvation of humanity

25/08/2018

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  • The second day of the Pastoral Congress of the WMOF in Dublin, Ireland, included 28 keynote and breakout sessions, as well as a message of hope to the world: “The family has a future and is the salvation of humanity”.

    Some of the morning panels tackled broad topics such as human trafficking, the role of grandparents in the family and supporting newly married couples in the parish…

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First day of WMOF in Dublin: 26 keynote and breakout sessions

24/08/2018

  • The first day of the Pastoral Congress of The World Meeting of Families in Dublin, Ireland, saw 26 keynote and breakout sessions, as well as a message of hope to the world during Mass lead by the Archbishop of Bombay, Cardinal Oswald Gracias, in which he discussed the idea that the Church is the “family of families.”

    International speakers for international themes

    The panels included interactive workshops and round table discussions all regarding different aspects of family life…

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Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors ‘feel supported’ by Pope’s letter

22/08/2018

  • Members of the Vatican Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors (PCPM) issued a statement on Tuesday, just one day after Pope Francis’ letter to all the People of God.

    The Commission begins by saying it is encouraged by Pope Francis’ letter and thanked him for “his strong words recognizing the pain and suffering endured by people who have suffered sexual abuse, the abuse of power and the abuse of conscience perpetrated by some members of the church”…

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Full text: Letter by Pope Francis to the People of God

20/08/2018

  • “If one member suffers, all suffer together with it” (1 Cor 12:26).  These words of Saint Paul forcefully echo in my heart as I acknowledge once more the suffering endured by many minors due to sexual abuse, the abuse of power and the abuse of conscience perpetrated by a significant number of clerics and consecrated persons…

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