A new survey of Catholics in the United States and across six Latin American countries found that majorities want the church to allow for the use of birth control and letting women become priests. The Pew Research Center study also found that public opinion was more divided on whether the church should allow priests to marry and the recognition of same-sex marriages.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Preaching to teenagers has always been a challenge. In the smartphone age, clergy need to realize that the odds of making a spiritual connection have changed — radically. Young people who spend as many as 10 or more hours a day focusing on digital screens will find it all but impossible to listen to an adult talk about anything, especially in a religious sanctuary.
Read More(ANALYSIS) “Father Justin,” a 3D AI character created by the San Diego-based Catholic Answers network, offered biblical advice for wrestling with anger. That’s when legions of cyberspace believers pounced.
Read More(ANALYSIS) The Vatican’s decision to allow priests to bless couples in what they called “irregular relationships” continues to get lots of media attention, especially since it involves same-sex couples. Here’s how some Catholic priests who are active on social media and YouTube are explaining what it all means.
Read MoreIn a move that would signal a seismic shift for the Catholic Church, Pope Francis said he’s open to blessing same-sex unions and to studying the possibility of ordaining women to the priesthood. The comments came in a letter the pope penned in response to five cardinals who had written to him expressing concern about a number of issues that are expected to be discussed at a meeting of bishops starting Wednesday at the Vatican.
Read More(ANALYSIS) In a troubled country where violence and rigging win elections and the resultant political leadership promotes lawlessness, corruption and general misrule, a compromised church leadership stands accused of siding with the oppressors, a charge that these “men of God” deny.
Read MoreThe recent murder of a Ugandan woman highlights the threat DNA test results are posing on families as more men who seek paternity tests continue discover that they are not the presumed biological fathers of their children.
Read More(OPINION) The pandemic has left us with questions about the relationship between churches and Big Tech: Could traditional faiths hold rites in virtual reality spaces, along with augmented reality Sunday school classes? Could ancient Jewish prayers chanted by mourners be replaced with waves of comments and clicks?
Read More(ANALYSIS) It’s been a busy July on the Catholic news beat. There’s rarely a dull moment, especially in the Pope Francis era, as debate over the past few weeks focused on the Latin Mass and alleged Grindr-clicking gay clergy in high places.
Read MoreNearly a dozen pastors and church workers in Florida and elsewhere have been charged with possessing child pornography and/or other sex crimes against children in recent months.
Read More(ANALYSIS) The move — in the wake of a decades-old priest shortage — will grant women the chance to serve as lectors, read Scripture and serve as eucharistic ministers. The changes, however, will continue to forbid women from being made deacons or priests.
Read MoreThe main duties of a priest are to administer the church’s sacraments — which include baptism, confession and holy communion — while also visiting the sick and providing pastoral care to parishioners. How does all that work during the COVID-19 pandemic when most priests are in the high-risk age category for contracting the deadly virus?
Read More(OPINION) Pope Francis — a week after the dust settled from his decision not to create an Amazonian rite that would have allowed married men to serve as priests and women as deacons — continues to garner news coverage as Catholic progressives and traditionalists debate what it all means.
Read More(OPINION) In a surprise move, Francis rejected a proposal on Wednesday that had called for married men in remote areas of the Amazon to serve as priests, a decision widely seen as a victory for conservative Catholics who feared such an exception would eventually lift the celibacy requirement of clergy around the world.
Read MoreRetired Pope Benedict XVI issued a strongly-worded defense for priestly celibacy — countering his successor Pope Francis who’s been considering allowing married men to be ordained in the Amazon to deal with a shortage in that part of the world.
Read More(OPINION) The battle for the future direction of the church was played out among the bishops who participated in the synod aimed at addressing issues affecting Catholicism in the region of the Amazon that encompasses a great swath of South America. It’s ramifications, however, could very well impact the global church.
Read More(COMMENTARY) At a time when humor is struggling with political correctness and fallout from the #MeToo movement, there’s little material for late-night hosts and stand-up comedians to work with. However, the people you’re allowed to pick on (at least from the material you see on TV) are Christians across all denominations.
Read MoreCameroon has been hit by a spate of suspicious deaths among clergy going back decades. The most recent high-profile passing is that of Jean Marie Benoit Balla, Bishop of Bafia in the Central Region whose body was found in a river 48 hours after disappearing.
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