News

Pope makes surprise visits to Rome hospital and hospice

19/09/2016

Pope Francis has made two more of his impromptu visits to hospitals and social service centres as part of his regular Friday initiatives during this Year of Mercy. The Pope began by making a surprise visit to the Accident and Emergency department and to the Neonatal unit of Rome’s San Giovanni hospital. After putting on a mask and completing the other health and safety procedures, the Pope stopped beside the incubators of twelve new born babies, five of whom are suffering from severe complications, including one set of twins…

16/09/2016

A new collective agreement has been signed between ‘Dar Saura’, a Church residence for the elderly, and the General Workers’ Union (GWU). The agreement, covering the period 2015-2019, was signed by Mr Michael Pace Ross, Administrative Secretary of the Archdiocese of Malta, and by Ms Rita Dimech, Union Secretary of the Chemicals and Energy section.

The agreement provides for better work conditions for all grades, especially lower grades, including higher salaries backdated to January, shift allowances and service awards in recognition for long service…

16/09/2016

Pope Francis issued an Apostolic Letter motu proprio on Thursday, in which he brings the basic legal instruments that govern the Latin Church and the Eastern Churches in communion with Rome more closely into accord with one another in several different specific areas regarding the discipline of the sacraments, and ecclesial identity of the faithful.

The Holy Father has introduced material changes only to the Code of Canon Law that governs the Latin Church, in order to bring the Latin code into harmony with the Eastern code, especially as regards the valid celebration of marriages with spouses of mixed Rite, the circumstances under which a spouse may change Rite, how to determine the Rite to which a child belongs properly, and other questions in a similar vein…

15/09/2016

On Wednesday 14th September 2016, Archbishop Charles J. Scicluna delivered a talk on abuse by the clergy and the importance of protecting minors and vulnerable adults, during an early September seminar held in Rome, for bishops newly elected to dioceses in mission lands.

Members of the Pope’s Commission for Child Protection, including an abuse survivor, have been speaking with new bishops and major Vatican offices as part of a mandate to develop and educate the church about best practices…

15/09/2016

During the General Audience, Pope Francis greeted the Bishop of Rouen, Dominique Lebrun, and family members of Fr. Jacques Hamel, the French priest who was murdered by Islamists in July. Earlier on Wednesday morning, Pope Francis celebrated Mass for the slain priest.
Pope Francis remembered the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on Wednesday, at the end of his weekly General Audience…

14/09/2016

Pope Francis on Wednesday morning celebrated Mass for the French priest of Rouen, Fr. Jacques Hamel, whom he described, is part of the chain of Christian martyrs that runs throughout the history of the Church.

Father Hamel was murdered while celebrating Mass in his Parish Church by two men swearing allegiance to the so-called Islamic State in July.

To the congregation gathered at Santa Marta and which included Archbishop Dominque Lebrun of Rouen, along with 80 other pilgrims from the diocese, Pope Francis said that “to kill in the name of God is satanic”…

13/09/2016

Għada, l‑Erbgħa, 14 ta’ Settembru 2016, ser issir ċelebrazzjoni għall‑anzjani fl‑okkażjoni tal‑Ġublew tal‑Ħniena. It-tema ta’ din iċ-ċelebrazzjoni hi ‘Il-ferħ tal-Ħniena t’Alla’. L‑attività ser issir fil‑Katidral ta’ San Pawl, l‑Imdina. Fid‑9:00 a.m. l-anzjani ser jinġabru fi Pjazza San Pawl (quddiem il-Katidral tal-Imdina) biex jgħaddu mill-Bieb tal-Ħniena tal-Katidral. Fl‑10:00 tibda Quddiesa ċċelebrata mill-Arċisqof Emeritu Mons. Pawlu Cremona. L‑attività qed tiġi organizzata mill‑Arċidjoċesi ta’ Malta bis‑sehem tal‑Kapitlu Metropolitan, il‑Caritas, id‑Direttur Djar tal‑Anzjani, is‑Segretarjat Assistenza Soċjali tal‑Azzjoni Kattolika, u l‑Għaqda Maltija Trasport tal‑Morda f’Lourdes…

13/09/2016

L‑Arċisqof Charles J. Scicluna ħatar lil Mons. Lino Grech bħala Vigarju Ġudizzjali Aġġunt tat‑Tribunal Reġjonali tat‑Tieni Istanza, u lil Dun Brendan Gatt bħala Vigarju Ġudizzjali Aġġunt tat‑Tribunal Ekkleżjastiku tal‑Arċidjoċesi ta’ Malta (l‑Ewwel Istanza).
Mons. Lino Grech twieled fid‑9 ta’ Lulju 1945. Huwa rċieva l‑edukazzjoni primarja għand is‑sorijiet Agostinjani u l‑Iskola tal‑Gvern fil‑Mosta, u l‑edukazzjoni sekondarja fis‑Seminarju tal‑Arċisqof, il‑Furjana. Fl‑1961 daħal is‑Seminarju Maġġuri fejn studja l‑letteratura, il‑filosofija u t‑teoloġija…

13/09/2016

On Wednesday 7th of September 2016, Archbishop Charles J. Scicluna inaugurated and blessed a new beer packaging facility, at Farsons beer factory, in Imrieħel.
Photos: Antoinette Caruana

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13/09/2016

Divisions destroy the Church, and the devil seeks to attack the root of unity: the celebration of the Eucharist. That was the message of Pope Francis on Monday morning at the daily Mass at the Casa Santa Marta, on the feast of the Most Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Commenting on the reading from the First Letter to the Corinthians — where St Paul rebuked the Corinthians for their contentiousness, Pope Francis said, “The devil has two very powerful weapons to destroy the Church: divisions and money.” And this has happened from the beginning: “ideological, theological divisions that lacerate the Church…