by Carol Glatz The “zucchetto switcheroo” is a long-held tradition for popes and pilgrims. A guest presents the pope with a brand new white skullcap, and the pope is expected to take it and swap it with the one he’s wearing on his head. While many pilgrims are familiar with the practice, a newly elected […]
by Francis X. Rocca VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Amid rising expectations that the Catholic Church might make it easier for divorced and remarried members to receive Communion, the Vatican’s highest doctrinal official reaffirmed Church teaching barring such persons from the sacrament without an annulment of their first, sacramental marriage. But Archbishop Gerhard L. Muller, prefect […]
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (CNS) – A miscommunication between the Vatican and New Zealand church officials resulted in an adventurous arrival for the prelate who coordinates a key commission of cardinals that advises Pope Francis. Honduran Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga arrived in Wellington Oct. 9. But New Zealand Catholic Church officials were expecting him to arrive […]
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (CNS) – A Malaysian court said a Catholic newspaper may not use the word “Allah” to refer to God in its Malay-language edition. A judge in the three-member appeals court said use of “the word Allah is not an integral part of the faith in Christianity. … The usage of the word […]
An image of Mary and the Christ Child is projected on the facade of a hotel during the opening day of the Festival of Light in Berlin Oct. 9. Several landmarks and tourist spots in the German capital will be illuminated from Oct. 9 to Oct. 20.
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – As top-level Internet domain names are being rolled out and up for grabs, the Vatican has scored control of .catholic. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), which coordinates the assignment of Internet domain names and addresses around the world, has been allowing entities to apply for ownership of […]
BOHOL, Philippines (CNS) – Bishop Leonardo Medroso of Tagbilaran said the Church in central Philippines is assessing damage after a magnitude 7.1 earthquake left dozens dead. The bishop, who said the Oct. 15 quake “was so strong,” told the Asian church news portal ucanews.com that Spanish-era churches in the towns of Loon and Carmen collapsed. […]
by Francis X. Rocca VATICAN CITY (CNS) – When Pope Benedict XVI answered a journalist’s 2010 question about condom use by offering a nuanced reflection on the ethical complexities of a hypothetical case, his words led to a worldwide media sensation, a clarification by the Vatican spokesman and a statement from the Congregation for the […]
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, who as Vatican secretary of state drew rising criticism for failures of the Vatican bureaucracy he oversaw, stepped down Oct. 15 with a speech praising the pontificate of retired Pope Benedict XVI and stressing its continuity with that of Pope Francis. The cardinal made his remarks at a […]
by Francis X. Rocca VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Pope Francis said women’s “vocation and mission” today remain essentially connected to their capacity for motherhood but warned against unjustly restricting their participation in the Church or civil society on that basis. “Many things can change and have changed in our cultural and social evolution, but the […]
