Catholic News
- New Zealand bishops: Everyone has a moral responsibility to receive Covid vaccine (NZ Catholic Bishops Conference)
“We reject the false information circulating on the Internet and elsewhere that claims vaccines should not be used,” said Cardinal John Dew of Wellington, president of the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference. “Everyone, including Catholics, has a moral responsibility to protect themselves and others by getting a Covid-19 vaccine as soon as they become eligible for it under the Government’s planned vaccine program.” - Pope Francis, Pope Emeritus receive 1st dose of Covid vaccine (Vatican News)
“I can confirm that as part of the vaccination program of the Vatican City State, as of today, the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine has been administered to Pope Francis and to the Pope Emeritus,” said Matteo Bruni, director of the Holy See Press Office. - Worshippers, protesters fined $1,800 in British Columbia (B.C. Catholic)
“Participating in a worship service in B.C. has been contrary to public health orders since Nov. 19 and can lead to a $2,300 [$1,811 USD] fine,” according to the report. “A number of British Columbian worshippers have been on the receiving end of those tickets, some for holding religious services, others for protesting the orders without collecting names and numbers of all fellow protesters.” - Archbishop Gänswein: Pope Emeritus Benedict is 'very frail' (Vatican News)
The 93-year-old Pope Emeritus remains completely lucid, according to his personal secretary. “We continue to go out every afternoon, despite the cold, to the Vatican Gardens. Every day I celebrate Mass, and he concelebrates seated.” - Catholic advocates welcome treaty banning nuclear weapons coming into force (CNS)
86 states have signed, and 51 have ratified, the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. “We are very much trying to encourage people to have . . . a more holistic approach to justice and development and care for creation, developing trust among people, education and health care and dialogue,” said Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Vatican’s Secretary for Relations with States. “These are factors in humanity’s security at this time.” - Papal trip to Argentina, Uruguay still on the table, Pope tells ambassador (CNS)
“I have the desire and the intention to travel to Rio de la Plata — to Uruguay and to my country,” Pope Francis told Uruguay’s new ambassador to the Holy See. - Attacks on Christians continue in Niger (Fides)
The West African nation of 22.8 million (map) is over 96% Muslim, with 3% adhering to ethnic religions. - February 1 reopening planned for Vatican Museums (Vatican News)
In recent months, “we have had a huge increase of visitors, not only through our website but also through our social media channels such as YouTube and Instagram,” said Barbara Jatta, director of the Vatican Museums. - More worshippers allowed at Oregon Masses (Catholic Sentinel)
After Gov. Kate Brown downgraded the state’s rules (limit of 25% capacity or 100 people) to guidelines, Archbishop Alexander Sample of Portland announced a 50% capacity limit in parishes (so as to maintain social distancing). Masks are still required, while signing up for Mass is no longer required. - Federal court rules lesbian employee may not sue Catholic college for 'hostile work environment' (Religion Clause)
The former director of music at St. Joseph’s University said she was told by her supervisor to “exercise discretion” about her same-sex marriage, creating an “immense psychological toll,” according to a report on her lawsuit. - Canadian Supreme Court: Archdiocese liable for abuse payments following order's bankruptcy (Canadian Catholic News)
The Supreme Court of Canada announced on January 14 that it would not hear an appeal by the Archdiocese of St. John’s in Newfoundland, to a lower court ruling. Mount Cashel Orphanage opened in 1898 and closed in 1990; it was operated by the Irish Christian Brothers. - Blocking undocumented workers from Covid vaccines will be a disaster, say officials of USCCB, Catholic organizations (America)
The officials responded to comments from Gov. Pete Ricketts of Nebraska. - 2 Pakistani Christians murdered after refusing to renounce faith (Fides)
Two sisters who worked in a medicine factory were “often sexually harassed and had received from two work colleagues . . . the request, always rejected, to convert to Islam,” according to the report. They were then kidnapped and murdered. - El Paso bishop decries America's 'hardening of the heart' (Give Us This Day)
“Standing here at the US-Mexico border, how do we begin to diagnose the soul of our country?” asked Bishop Mark Seitz. “A government and society which view fleeing children and families as threats; a government which treats children in US custody worse than animals; a government and society who turn their backs on pregnant mothers, babies, and families and make them wait in Ciudad Juarez without a thought to the crushing consequences on this challenged city . . .” - Zambian bishop, once Vatican Radio director, dies of Covid (Vatican News)
Bishop Moses Hamungole, who died at the age of 53, was once director of Vatican Radio’s English Africa Service. - Cardinal Gregory: 'We need the Lord to cast out demon of division in our nation' (Catholic Standard)
“The Lord casts out evil spirits, and we often, as we look at the world around us, in particular during these past several days here in our nation, we need the Lord to cast out the spirit of evil, hatred, division, bigotry, racism, inequity,” the Archbishop of Washington preached on January 13. “We have lots of evil spirits that somehow are destroying the harmony of the nation, making people of different races and cultures and languages and religions afraid of one another.” - Online initiatives to mark Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity)
The Week of Prayer for Christian University (January 18-25) typically culminates with Vespers at the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls. Even amid the pandemic, Pope Francis is scheduled to preside at Vespers there, with reduced attendance. - Women religious superiors welcome Pope's decision to open ministries of lector, acolyte to women (UISG)
“We express our thanks to Pope Francis for the Motu Proprio Spiritus Domini, and to all those who have contributed to the study and research for this new step that sees the ministerial participation of women in the Church,” the International Union of Superiors General said following the Pope’s recent decision. - North Korea ranked most dangerous place to be a Christian (Open Doors USA)
The annual Open Doors World Watch List, which monitors the persecution of Christians, ranks North Korea, Afghanistan, Somalia, Libya, Pakistan, Eritrea, Yemen, Iran, Nigeria, and India as the places where Christians face the most persecution. The report also highlighted the impact of Covid on religious persecution. - Cardinal Müller: False narrative of division between Pope Francis, Pope Emeritus Benedict is 'harmful' (CNS)
Born in 1947, Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller served as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith from 2012 to 2017. - More...