C.R.S. President Sean Callahan spent a dramatic day in Rafah, meeting with a few of the hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians who have escaped the fighting between Hamas and the Israel Defense Forces.
Dispatches
Posted inDispatches, Faith
Many African bishops have rejected same-sex blessings. South Africa is taking a different stand.
The spokesperson for the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference said that the conference “has taken a slightly different stand from the rest of Africa” on the Vatican declaration “Fiducia Supplicans.”
Posted inDispatches, Politics & Society
Illicit Latin Mass held in U.S. Capitol protesting FBI’s alleged ‘anti-Catholic’ bias
The Latin Mass organizers said they wanted to show that, rather than threats to national security, they are instead “liturgy nerds” who are often apolitical.
Posted inDispatches, Faith
The last priests and nuns in Ireland: Exploring the Irish Catholic Church’s steep decline
RTÉ aired two documentaries in January looking at the decline of the Catholic Church in Ireland: “The Last Priests in Ireland” and “The Last Nuns in Ireland.” But signs of hope can still be discerned amid the decline after years of church turbulence.
Posted inDispatches, Politics & Society
States keep voting to expand abortion access. Can Arizona’s pro-life Latinas change that?
In November voters in Arizona will vote on a ballot measure legalizing abortion in the state. If the state’s pro-life Latinas have anything to say about it, Arizona will reject expanding abortion.
Posted inDispatches, Politics & Society
South Africa has taken Israel to international court on genocide charges. What comes next?
For many in South Africa, there is a symbolic significance in the decision to pursue the genocide charge. In 2024, South Africa celebrates 30 years of democracy, yet vast injustices still permeate South African society because of its traumatic history.
Posted inDispatches, Faith
Climate justice, women’s ministries and spiritual conversations: Synod takeaways from Brazil
Among the main concerns they mentioned were the role of the laity, especially of women; the contribution of the church on ecology in light of the encyclical “Laudato Si’”; and “spiritual conversation,” a method of discernment that was adopted to structure discussions during the first assembly that could become a major legacy of the synod.
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A Monastic Christmas Fair: How laypeople in Spain are marketing monasteries to the modern world
The Christmas fair in Madrid was the work of Fundación Contemplare, a nonprofit set up to help Spain’s monasteries continue a legacy of gourmet baked goods and handmade candies but also, more importantly, to support contemplative life and reconnect monasteries with the world around them.
Posted inDispatches, Politics & Society
Mexico’s President López Obrador attacks Jesuit human rights advocates
The president devoted more than 20 minutes of his press conference to an attack on Centro Prodh and its activism for human rights in Mexico. He charged, without offering any evidence, that Centro Prodh’s work is influenced by political actors from opposition parties.
Posted inDispatches, Faith
Vatican decree on blessing same-sex couples gets mixed responses from bishops in Europe and Africa
Global reaction among bishops to the Vatican’s declaration that priests may now bless same-sex couples appears most divergent in some European and African nations.