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 »

One of Hong Kong’s four new permanent deacons says his vocation is linked to Pope John Paul II, and particularly to the Pontiff’s death.

Deacon Stephen Kwok Ping-fai was one of four to be ordained July 24 at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Hong Kong.

Decon Kwok, 45, recounted to the Catholic Weekly that the news coverage of the Pope’s death in 2005 led him to reflect on his baptismal vocation… Read more »

On Friday, 6th August, 2010, Archbishop Paul Cremona O.P. visited the Summer Camp organized by the Sisters of Mother Theresa, at the Maria Assunta School, Hamrun. This summer school, held annually, welcomes children from Valletta, Bormla Birgu and Senglea. During the five weeks of summer camp these children, some of them coming from broken families, are thought various crafts including singing, in order to show them that despite everything else God is always with them… Read more »