Caritas is calling for international aid to abate a food crisis in the Sahel region of West Africa, where 10 million people are facing hunger. Niger is the worst hit with 8 million people at risk, Caritas reported today, although there are also food shortages in Chad, Mali and Burkina Faso.

Raymond Yoro, secretary general of Caritas Niger, called for immediate help, affirming, “It’s not too late to avert a tragedy… Read more »

Louisiana oil spill

The Catholic Campaign for Human Development, the anti-poverty program of the U.S. bishops, is giving $300,000 in grants to aid victims of the recent Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

The spill in the Gulf of Mexico resulted from an April 20 well blowout on the Deepwater Horizon offshore oil drilling platform that killed 11 and injured 17 others.

The oil company BP has been fingered as being primarily responsible for what has become the largest spill in U.S… Read more »

On Saturday, 12th June, 2010, the Secretariat for Catechesis along with the Youth Football Association organised a seminar with the theme: World Cup 2010 – Values in Sports for the coaches and all those involved in the running of nurseries. The seminar commenced at 9.00 a.m. at the Phoenicia hotel ballroom, Floriana. Maltese President, Dr. George Abela presided over the seminar with the main speakers being Fr… Read more »

On Saturday 12th June, 2010, Archbishop Paul Cremona O.P. celebrated Mass at the Collegiate Parish of St. Helen in Birkirkara, for the official opening of the Pastoral visit. The following day, Archbishop Cremona met members of Civil Society of this locality. CLICK HERE for the Archbishop’s Pastoral Visit programme in Birkirkara.

Click on the photo to enlarge… Read more »

intercultural dialogue

A symposium began today at the University of Zurich, gathering international scholars to build bridges between Europe and Asia, natural sciences and the humanities, and different ways of thinking. his was the objective laid out for the two-day symposium on the theme, “Europe in China — China in Europe: Science and Technology as a Vehicle to Intercultural Dialogue.”

The event is being held in honor of the 400th anniversary of the death of Matteo Ricci (1552-1610), a Jesuit missionary from Italy who worked in Asia and is called “the protagonist of interaction with China through science” by the conference organizers… Read more »

World-cup-2010-logo

A 65-year-old Jesuit soccer fan has warned people against getting caught up in betting on the World Cup, which began June 11 in South Africa.

“Gambling is no good in itself,” said Father Robert Ng Chi-fun, who teaches moral theology at Holy Spirit Seminary College. Gambling on soccer matches could also lead to cheating, he said. The Asian church news agency UCA News also reported staff at a Caritas counseling center is worried about betting during the tournament… Read more »

St Peter's

Pope Benedict XVI has strongly defended the Catholic Church’s rule of celibacy for priests, speaking to 10,000 priests in St Peter’s Square in Rome.  He called it a sign of faith in an increasingly secular world. But the Pope made no reference to the paedophile priests scandal that has rocked the Church in recent months.

The rally of priests from more than 90 nations was one of the largest gatherings of clergy ever seen at the Vatican… Read more »

Click on the links below to watch in five parts the programme ‘Qalb in-Nies’ broadcast on TVM on Sunday, 6th June, 2010.

L-Uffiċċju Komunikazzjoni fil-Kurja tal-Arċisqof qed joffri kopja tal-programm ‘Qalb in-Nies’ li xxandar  il-Ħadd 6 ta’ Ġunji, 2010, u li tratta s-Sagramenti taż-Żwieġ u l-Ewkaristija, biex jintuża għall-skopijiet pastorali, bħal laqgħat ta’ diskussjoni fi gruppi parrokkjali… Read more »

To mark the end of the Year for Priests, which will be celebrated on Friday 11th June, 2010, Archbishop Paul Cremona O.P. is presently in Rome to attend a Congress which is being organized by the Congregation for the Clergy.  He is accompanied by another twenty priests from Malta and Gozo. Around 11,000 priests from 110 other countries are attending this Congress.

The Congress, which started on the 9th June, aimed to offer a variety of meetings and liturgical celebrations… Read more »

Middle East – Special Synod October 2010

A translation of the unofficial synthesis of the “instrumentum laboris” (working document) of the Special Assembly for the Middle East of the Synod of Bishops, which will take place in October in Rome, is available on ZENIT’s Web page.

The unofficial summary was published Saturday by the Vatican press office.

Benedict XVI delivered the “instrumentum laboris” to the seven patriarchs and two archbishops of the Middle East on Sunday, the last day of his apostolic journey to Cyprus… Read more »