Eucharist: Some say it is Wafer, Others believe it is Body of Jesus
Epigraph: He (Allah) is the First and the Last, and the Manifest and the Hidden, and He knows all things full well. (Al Quran 57:4) Eyes cannot reach Him (Allah) but […]
Pope Francis Not as Liberal as He Seems
Source: The Spiegel: Pope Francis has sparked enthusiasm with his call for greater tolerance toward gays. But it’s too soon to celebrate, says theologian David Berger. The pope’s warning not to engage in gay propaganda puts him on par with homophobes like Russian President Vladimir Putin, he contends. More:
Pope, in candid speech, speaks of ‘exodus’ from the Church
Epigraph: He (Allah) it is Who has sent His Messenger (Muhammad), with guidance and the Religion of truth, that He may make it prevail over all other religions. And sufficient […]
Fisher of Men: The New World of Pope Francis
Source: The Spiegel: The great awakening begins at 7 a.m. every morning in the Vatican, when Pope Francis stands before 80 or 90 employees in the austere, modern chapel of the Santa Maria guesthouse and reads the first mass of the day. He speaks Italian with a soft Spanish intonation, […]
Hundreds of thousands of Catholics swarm Rio beach
Source: TOI RIO DE JANEIRO: Hundreds of thousands of young Catholics packed the beach of Copacabana on Tuesday for the start of a weeklong religious event in Rio de Janeiro that includes gatherings with Pope Francis. Rain clouds cleared in time and pilgrims from around the world waved flags, sang […]
Pope gets rapturous welcome in Brazil
Source: TOI RIO DE JANEIRO: Pope Francis got a rapturous welcome from tens of thousands of pilgrims on Monday as he arrived in Brazil on his first foreign trip as pontiff, but violent protests later swept the streets. The 76-year-old Argentine rode in a open-top jeep through the center of […]
Church’s ‘No. 1 Enemy’
Source: Spiegel: He’s loved by his congregation but loathed by the archbishop. Rebellious priest Wojciech Lemanski is seen as the church’s No. 1 enemy in Poland. His dismissal highlights the deep divide between church authorities and the faithful in this staunchly Catholic nation. More:
Pope criminalizes leaks, sex abuse in first laws
Source: TOI VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis has overhauled the laws that govern the Vatican City State, criminalizing leaks of Vatican information and specifically listing sexual violence, prostitution and possession of child pornography as crimes against children. More:
Pope Propels John Paul II and John XXIII to Sainthood
Source: NY Times: By RACHEL DONADIO VATICAN CITY — Showing more of his sprightly personality and his priorities, Pope Francis sped two of his predecessors toward sainthood on Friday: John Paul II, who guided the Roman Catholic Church during the end of the cold war, and John XXIII, who assembled the […]
The service that wasn‘t – Catholic priests withdraw from joint mass
Two Roman Catholic priests withdrew at the last moment from taking part in a celebration of the Eucharist, which was supposed to have been conducted by clergy from a range […]
Who Wrote The Bible and Why It Matters
Source: The Huffington Post By Bart D. Ehrman: Author, ‘Forged: Writing in the Name of God—Why the Bible’s Authors Are Not Who We Think They Are’ Apart from the most […]
Mary: Mother of God or Jewish Mother of Seven?
Epigraph: And relate the story of Mary as mentioned in the Book. When she withdrew from her people to a place to the east, and screened herself off from them, […]
Vatican: Atheists Can’t Be Saved After All
Huff Post: Shortly after Pope Francis gave a groundbreaking homily in which he said even atheists who do good are redeemed, a statement from a Vatican spokesman seemed to walk back the pope’s […]
Cardinal George Pell Admits Abuse Cover-Up To Protect Australian Catholic Church
Source: The Huffington Post By Agence France Presse | Posted: 05/27/2013 7:44 am EDT | Updated: 05/27/2013 6:08 am EDT Fear of scandal prompted the cover-up of child sex abuse allegations within the […]
The Pope and the Devil
Source: ABC News via Wasim Sr Pope Francis’ fascination with the devil took on remarkable new twists Tuesday, with a well-known exorcist insisting Francis helped “liberate” a Mexican man possessed by four different demons despite the Vatican’s insistence that no such papal exorcism took place. The case concerns a 43-year-old […]
The ‘Myth’ Of Christian Persecution
Huff Post: by Lauren Markoe. (RNS) Growing up Catholic in England, Candida Moss felt secure in life, yet was told in church that Christians have been persecuted since the dawn of Christianity. Now, as an adult and a theologian, she wants to set the record straight. Too many modern Christians […]
Catholic ‘Sharia’ in Pittsburgh
Source: LATIMES. In the post-9/11 culture wars over Islamic fundamentalism, American conservatives — properly — have condemned attempts in Muslim countries to punish blasphemy or insults to the prophet Muhammad. It will be interesting to see if they are similarly outraged over what has happened to an art student at […]
Vatican declares Mexican Death Saint blasphemous
Source: BBC A senior Vatican official has condemned the cult of Santa Muerte, or Holy Death, in Mexico as “blasphemous”. The president of the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Culture, Cardinal […]
‘Women give the Catholic church a future’
Source: The Local. Catholic women are determined to achieve equality in the lay section of the church – and told The Local the move made by Germany’s top bishop this week when he said the idea of women deacons was no longer taboo, was not enough. Read More:
Was Mother Teresa a Masochist?
This article originally appeared on AlterNet. With a new Pope at the helm, the Catholic hierarchy has set about to polish its tarnished image. Can an increased focus on the poor make up for the Church’s opposition to contraception and marriage equality or its sordid financial and sexual affairs? The Bishops can only […]