Category: Church News

ROME — A political science professor from the U.S. has used data analysis to show how Pope Francis differed from predecessors regarding policy, appointments, and papal trips, while notably omitting discussion of the deceased pontiff’s doctrinal differences. The University of Notre Dame in Rome hosted the lecture “Francis and His Predecessors: Quantifying Continuity and Change…

DENVER — Over the past 14 years, Archbishop Samuel Aquila has led the Archdiocese of Denver. Appointed to lead the archdiocese in 2012 by Pope Benedict XVI, Aquila — who at 75 has reached the customary retirement age for prelates — now prepares to hand the role over to Bishop James Golka, who will be…

VATICAN CITY — King Felipe VI of Spain on Friday was installed as protocanon of the Basilica of St. Mary Major in a solemn ceremony that underscores the historic link of the Spanish monarchy with the oldest Marian church in the West. “Protocanon” is an honorary title reserved exclusively for the Spanish head of state,…

Archbishop Ignatius Ayau Kaigama of Abuja, Nigeria, has requested intelligence assets and weaponry from U.S. President Donald Trump to combat violence in the country. The Nigerian prelate made his remarks during an informational briefing in Madrid, where the pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) presented the campaign “May Persecution Not Have the…

The Vatican on Friday helped launch a campaign encouraging Catholic organizations, bishops’ conferences, and religious communities to divest from the mining sector for the sake of human ecology — one of several initiatives marking last year’s 10th anniversary of Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’, which called for greater care toward environmental issues. Sister Nina Krapić,…

The provincial government of Alberta, Canada, is considering new safeguards for its assisted dying program (known as medical assistance in dying — MAID) that would offer protections to underage citizens and those suffering from mental illnesses. The measure, Bill 18, titled “Protecting Vulnerable Albertans Seeking MAID,” would “increase oversight, introduce necessary safeguards, and provide greater…

As pressure grows on the Christian presence in Jerusalem, George Akroush, director of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem’s Development Office and head of the Church’s social and educational projects in the Holy Land, is warning that a series of Israeli measures affecting both land and education could reshape the city’s Christian community and threaten its…

The Supreme Court will consider whether the federal government must inspect and process asylum seekers rather than turn them away to wait in Mexico. The court is set to hear arguments March 24 on whether migrants who present themselves at a U.S. port of entry but are stopped on the Mexican side of the border…

Father Jakob Rolland could face imprisonment in Iceland for defending Catholic doctrine regarding homosexuality and for providing support to individuals with the inclination who seek spiritual guidance within the Church. The French-born priest, chancellor of the Diocese of Reykjavík, strongly maintained that his duty is to defend the truth and “fight for the Lord.” In…

Pope Leo XIV on March 12 appointed Spanish Augustinian Bishop Luis Marín de San Martín as papal almoner and prefect of the Dicastery for the Service of Charity, elevating him to the rank of archbishop at the same time. Marín de San Martín replaces Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, who will return to his native Poland as…