The card is designed to be a daily reminder of the carrier's religion. Catholics are being encouraged to carry a "faith card" to remind them of their faith responsibilities. One million credit card-sized cards are being printed to be handed out in dioceses across England and Wales.
96,000 postcards have been sent to Ireland’s prime minister protesting the closing of country’s Embassy to the Holy See. The Irish Government is coming under increased pressure to reverse a controversial decision to close the country’s Embassy to the Holy See.-
New Year Pastoral Letter from the Bishop of Lancaster. "At the beginning of this New Year I would ask you to join me in grappling with the two-fold task of planning how our diocese’s parishes and schools adapt to these new circumstances and secondly to make ourselves ready to launch into the challenge of the New Evangelisation."
The U.S. Roman Catholic Church will establish a body in January to house disaffected members of the Episcopal Church, beginning with a few dozen ministers and at least two congregations seeking communion, U.S. bishops were told Tuesday.
"Today, the celebration of the Synod concludes with the signing of the Exhortation 'Africae Munus'", he said. "The Synod gave an impetus to the Catholic Church in Africa, which prayed, reflected on and discussed the theme of reconciliation, justice and peace.
He prayed for Mary to "fulfill the noblest aspirations of African youths, fulfill the hearts that hunger for justice, peace and reconciliation, fulfill the hopes of child victims of hunger and war." His trip is likely to bring into focus the enormous potential of many nations on a continent with the world's fastest growing number of Catholics, but also its numerous struggles.
China has taken an aggressive stance against the Vatican over the key question of the nomination of bishops, in the run up to its leadership elections in 2012. Will the Holy See and Beijing manage to reach an agreement in time to prevent a meltdown in relations?
Promoting the New Evangelization is becoming a priority for the Catholic Church. The pope is calling on everyone to revitalize the message of the Gospel, and that of course, includes women. "We believe that in this case specifically, women can contribute so much in matters of listening, creativity and beauty,” says Marta Rodríguez, director of the Institute of Advanced Studies on Women in Rome.
Pope Benedict XVI has announced a “Year of Faith” to help Catholics appreciate the gift of faith, deepen their relationship with God and strengthen their commitment to sharing faith with others. Celebrating Mass on Sunday with participants in a Vatican conference on new evangelisation, the Pope said the Year of Faith would give “renewed energy to the mission of the whole Church to lead men and women out of the desert they often are in and toward the place of life: friendship with Christ who gives us fullness of life”.
Archbishop-elect Luis Antonio Tagle has revealed he was “overwhelmed” and “humbled” after being appointed to head the Manila archdiocese.I can’t understand what I’m feeling right now; it’s like I don’t have emotion. I feel dizzy, I have nothing in mind. I don’t know what is going on with me,” the prelate told Church-run Radio Veritas in an interview last weekend.
The Vatican has prepared a document on reform of the global financial system and the potential role of a public regulatory authority. The document, prepared by the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, was to be released Oct. 24 in four languages, and presented the same day at a Vatican news conference by Cardinal Peter Turkson, head of the council.
According to the latest census of Catholic schools published by the Catholic Education Service of England and Wales (CES) the overall percentage of Catholic pupils in Catholic state schools fell to little more than 70 per cent last year. In Catholic sixth-form colleges the figure was closer to half.
“The Catholicity of our schools is not defined by the religious backgrounds of the children they take in, but by what they have to offer children,” said Mr Mannix. “[Catholic schools] are one of our most important tools for evangelisation. They can show children the good things Catholicism has to offer.”
Catholics tend to prefer traditional print and television media for their religious news and commentary. They particularly favor their local diocese’s publication, according to a new survey from the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate. One in five respondents said they watched a religious or spiritual program on television in the last three months.
The visiting non-resident pontifical representative for Vietnam has received a rapturous welcome in the south as he continues his working tour of the country “Catholics should have a clear conscience and live a life of love as a way to sow the seeds of the Good News in this country,” Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli told some 20,000 people who attended a special Mass at the Pilgrimage Center of Our Lady at Tan Hiep in Kien Giang province on Monday.
Whether divorced and remarried Catholics can receive Communion is now firmly back in the spotlight after the 400 clerics backing the Austrian Priests’ Initiative said in their “Appeal to Disobedience” that they would not refuse Communion to remarried divorcees. Christian Wulff, a divorced and remarried Catholic, said he hoped the Church would soften its position on admitting people in his position to the sacraments.
Colleges that have deliberately watered down their Catholic identity, in part to help themselves compete for government aid, now face church pressure to strengthen their religious identity. The choice for Catholic educators is increasingly clear: defend religious liberty and stand up for a strong Catholic identity—or give up the pretense.
Does the proportion of Catholic children in Catholic schools actually matter? According to the latest census data from the Catholic Education Service of England and Wales (CES), Catholic schools in some dioceses, such as Plymouth, are more likely than not to have a majority of non-Catholic pupils.
Church people expect the first Vietnamese Catholic dictionary, launched with great fanfare yesterday, will make a major contribution in developing theology in Vietnam. “Today I would like to introduce you to the first Catholic Dictionary in Vietnamese,” Bishop Paul Bui Van Doc of My Tho, head of the bishops’ Episcopal Commission for the Doctrine of the Faith, told about 200 Catholics at the launch ceremony yesterday at the Archbishop’s Residence in Ho Chi Minh City.
Recognising the seriousness of the crimes detailed in the report, which should never have happened within the Church of Jesus Christ, and wishing to respond to the Irish Government's request, the Holy See, after carefully examining the Cloyne Report and considering the many issues raised, has sought to respond comprehensively.
