A small but vocal group gathered on the steps of St. Rose of Lima Church, Parkville, July 16, to protest the latest wave of religious persecution in Pakistan.
International News
Syrian Cathedral That Survived Multiple Bomb Blasts Reopens After Restoration
A badly damaged Catholic Cathedral has resurrected after at least three missile attacks amid the Syrian civil war. The Maronite Cathedral of St. Elijah in Aleppo reopened July 20 following years of restoration when the church was bombed by jihadists in 2013.
Hagia Sophia: An Example Of Deteriorating Freedoms Under Turkish President
For more than eight decades, the Hagia Sophia museum was a center for Christian-Islam heritage that attracted millions of tourists every year.
Times of Trauma: Old Testament Is a Go-to Guide for Coping
When the difficulties and uncertainties of the coronavirus pandemic were at their height in Italy this past spring, one Vatican cardinal defined the snowballing crisis as a form of “trauma.”
Update: Altar Server Charged With Arson For Nantes Cathedral Fire
French police have opened an arson investigation into a fire at a Gothic cathedral in Nantes.
Vatican Releases Guide on How Leaders Must Handle Abuse Allegations
The Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith released a 17-page document offering a step-by-step guide for how bishops, religious superiors and canon lawyers are supposed to handle accusations of alleged abuse by clerics against minors.
Refugees Face New Disaster as COVID-19 Threatens Camps
Millions of refugees fleeing conflict are facing the prospect of another disaster: The spread of COVID-19.
Pope Benedict Watches Brother’s Funeral Mass Service via Livestream
During the service, a portrait of Msgr. Ratzinger was placed by the altar and his coffin. On top of his coffin was a Bible and a black biretta, traditionally worn by priests. While incense burned, Bishop Rudolf Voderholzer led participants in prayer and a choir of men sang in German and Latin.
Cardinal Dolan Blesses Ashes of Mexican Nationals Who Died of COVID-19
Inside New York’s iconic St. Patrick’s Cathedral, some 250 Mexican nationals were hailed as anonymous heroes July 11, after dying of COVID-19, which they likely contracted as they kept the city moving when it was experiencing the peak of the pandemic earlier this year.
Pope Francis ‘Pained’ By Decision to Turn Hagia Sophia Into Mosque
After receiving sharp criticism in recent days for not speaking out about protests in Hong Kong and the recent decision to revert Turkey’s famed Hagia Sophia from a museum into a mosque, Pope Francis broke his silence on the latter July 12, calling himself “pained” by the decision.