The bishops of Latin America and the Caribbean have reiterated their solidarity with Haiti as the quake-stricken nation continues to recover from a massive earthquake that hit last January.

The presidents of the episcopal conferences of Latin America and the Caribbean, along with the Latin American Episcopal Council (CELAM), said this after meeting last week in Bogota with the president of the Episcopal Conference of Haiti, Archbishop Louis Kébreau of Cap-Haitien, to discuss the needs of the country six months after the natural disaster… Read more »

L-Arċisqof Pawlu Cremona O.P. ħatar lil Dun Mario Mangion bħala kappillan tal-Parroċċa Madonna ta’ Pompei, f’Marsaxlokk.

Dun Mario twieled is-Siġġiewi fit-18 ta’ Mejju, 1981. Huwa rċieva l-edukazzjoni tiegħu fil-kulleġġ ta’ Santu Wistin u wara fil-fakulta ta’ Teoloġija, fl-Universita’ ta’ Malta. Ġie ordnat saċerdot fl-1 ta’ Lulju 2007. L-ewwel esperjenza pastorali tiegħu kienet fil-parroċċa taż-Żejtun, fejn ilu viċi-arċipriet għal dawn l-aħħar sentejn… Read more »

Benedict XVI established a new diocese for the southeastern African nation of Malawi, bringing the total number of dioceses in the country to eight.

The new Diocese of Karonga takes territory from the Diocese of Mzuzu and is suffragan to the metropolitan see of Blantyre.

Its first bishop is Martin Anwel Mtumbuka of the Mzuzu clergy. Bishop Mtumbuka, 52, was working as vice chancellor of the Catholic University of Malawi… Read more »

Earlier this month, members of the European Forum of National Laity Committees gathered to reflect on human dignity and to discuss ways of increasing collaboration with the Vatican.

Delegates from 12 countries met July 6-11 in Birmingham at the study assembly of the forum, which draws together the national committees and councils of the Catholic laity in European countries for collaboration purposes… Read more »

Recently, Catholics in England and Wales celebrated the annual Day for Life. Through collections taken up this day, the Church has given substantial donations to local pro-life initiatives.

Over the last two years, an amount of £500,000 ($764,000) has been distributed by the Day for Life archbishops, Archbishop Bernard Longley and Archbishop Peter Smith.

These donations, collected in the parishes on the last Sunday in July each year, go toward grants that are awarded to life initiatives supported by the Church… Read more »

The U.S. bishops have approved funding for 10 more projects in quake-stricken Haiti, bringing the total amount of aid sent by the conference to over $1 million.

After the 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit the island in January, a special collection in U.S. dioceses raised more than $80 million for Haiti. The Subcommittee on the Church in Latin American of the U.S… Read more »

Il-Caritas Malta qed torganizza kompetizzjoni tal-fotografija taħt il-patroċinju tal-
Malta Photographic Society għall-okkażjoni tas-Sena Ewropea għall-Ġlieda kontra l-Faqar u l-Esklużjoni Soċjali.

Il-Kompetizzjoni, bit-tema: Ilqa’ l-isfida: Ġib il-Faqar fix-Xejn, hija miftuħa għar-risidenti kollha ta’ Malta u Għawdex u tagħlaq fit-23 ta’ Settembru, 2010.  Formoli tal-parteċipazzjoni u l-kundizzjonijiet tad-dħul jistgħu jinkisbu mill-ħwienet ewlenin tal-fotografija, il-Caritas Malta u l- Malta Photographic Society.  Din il-kompetizzjoni hija sponsorjata mill-Actavis… Read more »

Benedict XVI named three new members to the Congregation for Saints’ Causes.

A Vatican communiqué announced Saturday’s appointment of the three prelates.

Archbishop Fortunato Baldelli, 74, who has been serving for the past year as major penitentiary of the Apostolic Penitentiary, was named to the congregation.

Archbishop Raymond Leo Burke, 62, prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signature, was also appointed to the dicastery… Read more »

In the first six months of 2010, some 1.6 million tourists have visited the Holy Land, a marked increase compared to 2009, and one that Franciscan Father Pierbattista Pizzaballa attributes to a variety of factors.

The number of tourists is up some 39% from last year, and the Custos of the Holy Land told Vatican Radio that this can be attributed first to “a great activity on the part of episcopal conferences, dioceses and parish priests.”

The pilgrims come primarily from the United States, Russia, France, Great Britain, Germany and Italy… Read more »