Topic
The Catholic Church is the oldest institution in the western world, and with more than one billion members worldwide, it is the largest Christian church. Its history spans almost 2,000 years and is rooted in the Church's Canon of Scripture and Tradition. At the head of the church is the Pope, who Catholics believe is the successor to Saint Peter whom Christ appointed as the first head of His church. The Pope, according to the religion's doctrine, can speak infallibly on matters of faith and morals. The Catholic Church practises closed communion and only baptised members of the church are permitted to receive the Eucharist, or Holy Communion.
Both Rome and Beijing have bigger things to worry about than a deal on mutually acceptable bishops especially as Hong Kong’s top Catholic cleric travels to meet mainland counterpart.
Newly appointed Bishop Stephen Chow Sau-yan, a Jesuit, has avoided political controversies and is exactly what the Vatican needs in Hong Kong.
Stephen Chow must balance his religious beliefs with the realities of today’s politics.
Pope Francis has made his clearest remarks yet on gay relationships, saying they should be legally protected in the form of a civil union. While this should not be confused with recognising same-sex marriages, critics cannot deny that progress has been made.
Despite pressure from the US and criticism that the agreement has so far achieved little, any move towards what supporters hope will be an eventual reconciliation is good for both sides.
Rapprochement with the Holy See will prove that the communist central government can be a trustworthy partner with major religious authorities around the world.
It may have taken the Pope nearly a year to confirm a bishop under an agreement with Beijing, but it is still cause for celebration.
- Islamist bombers hit three churches and three hotels, killing more than 279 people – including 45 foreigners – during the Easter carnage of 2019
- Grieving families say they are still waiting for justice, with the UN’s top envoy to the country on Sunday highlighting its ‘accountability deficit’
The 30,000km (18,600 miles) trip from September 2 to 13 is the longest for the Pope since he became head of the worldwide Catholic Church in 2013.
The Vatican reaffirmed its opposition to sex changes, gender theory and surrogate parenthood, as well as abortion and euthanasia, just four months after supporting blessings for same-sex couples.
‘With their eyes children ask us, why all this death and destruction?’ said the 87-year-old, who also condemned ‘walls of selfishness and indifference’.
The 87-year-old pontiff’s sudden no show is likely to renew concerns about his declining strength.
Cardinal Stephen Chow pledges not to give up on confessions, after new law requires public to report treasonous acts ‘as soon as reasonably practicable’.
In a country with the third-largest Catholic population in the world, the seven days from March 24 holds special significance till Easter Sunday.
‘Plenty of people would think it’s unusual, because they’ve never seen it. But you know, it’s not a sin to drink a beer,’ said Miami-born Sister Guadalupe at the bar outside the Basque city of Vitoria.
Ukraine’s president and top diplomat pushed back on Pope Francis’ call for Kyiv to show ‘the courage of the white flag’ and enter negotiations with Russia.
The move could make France the next European country to legalise euthanasia for the terminally ill.
O’Connor joins a growing list of artists who have objected to Trump using their songs, including Rihanna, Neil Young, Linkin Park, the late Tom Petty and Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler.
The mosaic artist is accused of sexually and psychologically abusing at least 20 women for nearly 30 years at a religious community in Slovenia.
While the Catholic leaders stood with the Philippines’ fishing folk, they stressed that armed conflict over the hotly-contested sea was not a “moral option”.
Mexico’s muxe are Zapotec people who identify as male at birth and embody female characteristics, viewing themselves as a ‘third gender’.
Alvarez, the bishop of Matagalpa, criticised the government’s deadly response to mass protests in 2018. He was convicted of treason and sentenced to a 26-year prison term earlier this year.
The death of the Irish musician, best known for her cover of ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’, prompted an outpouring of sympathy from fans and celebrities worldwide.
The Mystical Passion, published in 1998, has graphic descriptions of male and female sexual anatomy and desire, pornography, and the role of pleasure in God’s mystical plan.
Many Filipinos believe the icon, which draws hundreds of thousands of Catholic faithful, has miraculous powers and that touching it can heal previously incurable ailments and bring good fortune.
Francis said the life of the unborn child must be protected and not “suppressed or turned into an object of trafficking.”
Archbishop Charles Scicluna, who leads Malta’s Catholic Church, said the church was losing people because of its strict celibacy rules.
Catholic Cardinal Stephen Chow says the rising numbers of young people engaging in self-destructive behaviour is the ‘most heartbreaking’ issue.
Francis celebrated his birthday with cake during a festive audience with children on Sunday morning and there were “Happy Birthday” banners in St Peter’s Square during his weekly noon blessing.
Seven more people were wounded by gunfire as they tried to protect others, according to a statement from the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.
Angelo Becciu is the most senior Catholic Church official ever to stand trial before a Vatican criminal court, in a case that exposed intrigue in the highest echelons.
For activists from Mexico’s Catholics for the Right to Decide, prayer does not conflict with their fight for abortion access or support for LGBTQ rights.
Poland’s parliament backed Donald Tusk to become prime minister, ending eight years of nationalist rule and putting the country on track for a thawing of relations with the European Union.
‘The soldiers of the caliphate detonated an explosive device on a large gathering of Christians ... in the city of Marawi,’ Islamic State said in a statement on its Telegram channels.
Bishop Joseph Li is on ‘reciprocal visit’, the first by Beijing’s top Catholic cleric since Hong Kong’s return to Chinese rule, following counterpart’s trip to capital.
Strickland, a fierce critic of the pontiff, had rejected the pope’s ‘programme undermining the Deposit of Faith’.
