News

VATICAN STREAMLINES PROCESS FOR HANDLING ABUSE

19/07/2010

With a 31-article document, the Vatican today streamlined the process for dealing with priests who sexually abuse minors, as well as clarifying and updating other procedures and crimes handled by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

Much of the content of the document, approved by Benedict XVI on May 21, was already in force.

The norms organize into one document faculties generally granted to the congregation over the years since the 2001 apostolic letter “Sacramentorum Sanctitatis Tutela,” which outlined the norms for addressing cases of “gravioribus delictis” (grave crimes)… Read more »

POPE TO NAME ENVOY TO VIETNAM AS STEP TOWARD FULL RELATIONS

19/07/2010

Pope Benedict XVI will appoint a representative to the government of Vietnam as a first step toward establishing full diplomatic relations with the communist country, the Vatican announced. After a meeting of Vatican and Vietnamese representatives June 23-24 at the Vatican, a statement said that unlike a nuncio, the Vatican’s representative would not be residing in Vietnam for the time being… Read more »

VATICAN SITE SEEKS TO BE ‘YELLOW PAGES OF CATHOLIC MEDIA’, SAYS PRIEST

18/07/2010

In numerous talks to Catholic communicators and leaders this year, Pope Benedict XVI urged that new technologies be put at the service of the church’s evangelization efforts. He also urged priests to find new ways to perform their pastoral ministries in a digital age as the theme of the 44th World Communications Day, celebrated in most dioceses May 16 this year. The Vatican has moved aggressively in applying new digital tools in its efforts to reach Catholics across the globe… Read more »

IN MAJOR APPOINTMENTS, CARDINAL OUELLET TO HEAD BISHOPS’ CONGREGATION

17/07/2010

Pope Benedict XVI has appointed new heads of several Vatican departments, naming Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet of Quebec as prefect of the Congregation for Bishops. Cardinal Ouellet, 66, will head the office that helps the pope choose bishops for Latin-rite dioceses around the world. It’s the first time a North American cardinal has been placed in charge of the powerful congregation… Read more »

THE ARCHBISHOP MEETS MALTESE MISSIONARIES

16/07/2010

On Thursday, 15th July, 2010, Archbishop Paul Cremona OP met Maltese missionaries who at present are in Malta, at Dar l-Emigrant, Valletta. The Secretariat for Maltese Priests Overseas, SMPO, organized this meeting for all the priests, religious and lay missionaries who at present are in Malta on holiday. During the meeting the missionaries had the opportunity to share their experiences about pastoral and missionary related work… Read more »

ITALY APPEALS EUROPEAN COURT BAN ON CRUCIFIXES IN CLASSROOMS

16/07/2010

Italy defended the display of the crucifix in public schools before Europe’s human rights court, arguing that it is a symbol of the country’s cultural heritage and not an imposition of religious belief on students. In a hearing June 30 before the appeals body of the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France, a representative for the Italian government urged the court to overturn a November 2009 ruling that banned the custom as a violation of religious freedom… Read more »

MAJOR APPOINTMENTS: CARDINAL OUELLET TO HEAD BISHOPS’ CONGREGATION

15/07/2010

Pope Benedict XVI has appointed new heads of several Vatican departments, naming Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet of Quebec as prefect of the Congregation for Bishops. Cardinal Ouellet, 66, will head the office that helps the pope choose bishops for Latin-rite dioceses around the world. It’s the first time a North American cardinal has been placed in charge of the powerful congregation. Cardinal Ouellet, who succeeds 76-year-old Italian Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, is not a stranger to Rome or to the Roman Curia… Read more »

SLOVENIA: CATHOLICS AND MUSLIMS, AGAINST THE RECOGNITION OF DE FACTO UNIONS

14/07/2010

“We believe it inappropriate to put same-sex marriages on the same footing as heterosexual marriages and give same-sex couples the right to adopt children, for this would undermine the fundamental and irreplaceable role of both mother and father in the life of the family”.

It was written by Mgr Anton Stres, president of the Slovenian Bishops’ Conference and archbishop of Ljubljana, and Nedzad Grabus, president of the Islamic Community in Slovenia, in a joint statement signed today in Ljubljana in which – as reported by the Slovenian Bishops’ Conference Press Office – the two religious leaders reaffirmed “the need for their respective communities of faithful to uphold the value of marriage between a man and a woman and of the family”… Read more »

ARCHBISHOP TO MEET MALTESE MISSIONARIES WHO ARE IN MALTA ON HOLIDAY

13/07/2010

Is-Segretarjat għas-Saċerdoti, Reliġjużi u Lajċi Maltin li qed jaħdmu għall-Knisja bogħod minn artna (Secretariat for Maltese Priests Overseas, SMPO) ser jorganizza laqgħa ma’ l-Arċisqof Pawlu Cremona O.P. għas-saċerdoti, reliġjużi u lajċi missjunarji li bħalissa jinsabu Malta għal btala. Din il-laqgħa se ssir nhar il-Ħamis, 15 ta’ Lulju, 2010, fl-4:30 p.m., f’Dar l-Emigrant, Valletta.

F’din il-laqgħa, il-missjunarji jkollhom l-opportunita’ jagħtu tagħrif dwar l-esperjenzi tagħhom fil-ħidma pastorali u missjunarja li qed iwettqu… Read more »

GERMANY: CHURCHES CONGRATULATE THE NEW FEDERAL PRESIDENT

13/07/2010

“German Churches congratulate Christian Wulff for being elected Federal President of Germany” on 30th June. Msgr. Robert Zollitsch, President of the Bishops’ Conference, and Nikolaus Schneider, President of the Council of the Evangelical Church gave the newly elected president their best wishes. The new president, said Msgr. Zollitsch, “accepts the task in a difficult situation”. As for Schneider, he points out “the great expectations and hopes linked to this election”… Read more »