United Nations secretary general Ban Ki-moon has acknowledged the contribution of faiths to last weekend’s accord between 195 countries to stem carbon emissions and set the world on a more sustainable environmental path. He included “faith leaders” in his list of civil society climate campaigners who have “come together under one banner and brought forth this moment of hope”.
Corporation is preparing significant cuts to its religion and ethics budget despite accusations that it has already sidelined faith issues. Rt Rev Rachel Treweek remarked that the decision to cut religious programming had presumably been taken 'to reduce the possibility of offending people with too much God stuff over the holiday'
Pope Francis this Christmas day delivered his Urbi et Orbi message, (to the city and the world) from the central loggia of St Peter's Basilica. In it he prayed that recent U.N.-backed peace agreements for Syria and Libya would quickly end the suffering of their people.
China's ruling Communist Party has officially signaled that it will hold its long-awaited first summit on religion for 10 years in coming weeks, as it prepares to make sweeping changes to its regulations on religious affairs.
Many Catholics are becoming interested in including the O antiphons as part of their Advent preparations, by singing or reciting or listening to recordings (or doing all of these things) between Dec. 17 and 23. Everyone can find renewed inspiration at the end of Advent by praying the O antiphons as a countdown to the great feast that is to come. Names of a Scriptural type of the Messiah. He is the Wisdom of God, the Ruler of the House of Israel, the Root of Jesse, the Key of David, the Dawn, the King of the Nations, and God with us.
(Vatican Radio) Before the recitation of the Marian Prayer on the second Sunday of Advent, Pope Francis referred to Sunday’s liturgy in which John the Baptist, preaches "a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins". The Holy Father pointed out that conversion is not just for atheists but also for those who already consider themselves Christians.
What does a merciful Church look like, not just from the papal balcony overlooking the Piazza San Pietro but at the grass roots? Some answers to this question were beginning to emerge at a three-day conference at Durham University few week ago, held as the high point of this year’s celebrations of The Tablet’s 175th anniversary.
The Church of England has said it is "disappointed and bewildered" by the refusal of leading UK cinemas to show an advert featuring the Lord's Prayer. The Church called the decision "plain silly" and warned it could have a "chilling" effect on free speech. It had hoped the 60-second film would be screened UK-wide before Christmas.
We've heard very little from Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI since his retirement, but he's made a surprise return to public life. Benedict has written a letter to the atheist mathematician Piergiorgio Odifreddi, covering subjects from the sex abuse scandal to evolution – and extracts have been released by Italy's La Repubblica newspaper.
His Eminence Cardinal Vincent Nichols addressed the Inter-faith Consultation Conference on mobilising faith communities in ending sexual violence in conflicts on 9 February 2015 at Lancaster House. Echoing the words of Pope Francis, the Cardinal said that "sexual violence as an instrument of warfare and conflict is a deep wound in the body of humanity", and "that it is as old as humanity is a cause for our lasting shame."
Father Joseph Zhang Yinlin, 44, was ordained as coadjutor bishop of Anyang diocese in Henan province Aug. 4. The ceremony at the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Anyang city was presided over by 90-year-old Bishop Thomas Zhang Huaixin of Anyang.
Authorities have stepped up persecution of underground Catholics in Hebei province with the detention of a bishop and a priest as well as the demolition of an altar that left two laywomen injured, all in separate incidents this month.
Romero, the late Archbishop of San Salvador, was a fearless defender of the poor. He was assassinated by a right-wing death squad while celebrating Mass in 1980 as his country began to descend into civil war. At a press conference in San Salvador on Monday, church spokesman Mgr Rafael Urrutia said that among the 300,000 people expected to attend.
In an international forum on economic growth and environmental sustainability, Catholic leaders and experts in the field argued that rather than being opposed, the two go hand-in-hand, and can lead to greater prosperity all-around. “Protecting the environment need not compromise legitimate economic progress,” Cardinal Donald Wuerl of Washington said May 20.
Philippines Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle has been elected president of Caritas, the international confederation of more than 150 Catholic development agencies. The cardinal-archbishop of Manila, dubbed “the Asian Pope Francis”, succeeds Honduran Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga, who has served two four-year terms as president.
Church agencies have warned that the 7.3 magnitude earthquake that hit Nepal on Tuesday could have a devastating impact on the crippled country. Catherine Cowley, Protection Coordinator for the Catholic aid agency Cafod, said that the second disaster could have immense impact. To donate to Cafod click here http://www.cafod.org.uk/
Bishops and archbishops claiming to represent 40 million Anglicans around the world have publicly endorsed a new breakaway network of churches set up outside the Church of England amid disputes over issues such as homosexuality.
Clegg welcomes Churches' election guidance and admits faith 'hasn't happened to me - yet'. The Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, has welcomed the Churches’ recent guidance for voters ahead of May's General Election, despite their criticisms of Government policies.
