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.
Dispatches
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.
Posted inDispatches, Faith
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.
Posted inDispatches, Politics & Society
Catholic leaders denounce latest Texas immigration laws as ‘inhumane’ and ‘immoral’
This week, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed three bills into law aimed at cracking down on illegal immigration in the state, funding more border security initiatives and making illegal border crossings a state crime.
Posted inDispatches, Faith
US bishops, LGBT Catholics react to Vatican approval of blessings for same-sex couples
Some Catholics see the Vatican declaration as a step forward for L.G.B.T. people in the church. Others are worried about the possibility of schism.
Posted inDispatches, Politics & Society
This Palestinian bishop is worried Christians will disappear from Gaza
“After this war, I fear there will be no more Christians in Gaza after a continuous presence of more than 18 centuries,” Bishop William Shomali said in an exclusive interview.