Mission
Hot Topics
Nicaraguan dictatorship bans priestly and diaconal ordinations in four dioceses across the country
Pew Research Center: Why Buddhism is in decline in East Asia
The (unusual) reshuffling of bishops in Pakistan: a (strange) episcopal exchange orchestrated by Leo XIV
The Global Alliance is launched: an international platform for research and action on integral ecology, spearheaded by the Catholic Church
China: Xi Jinping Walks Into Your Home—and Tells You to Have Babies
Pornography: one of the causes of the decline in vocations, according to expert
A Final Theological Testament: Unpublished Benedict XVI Letter Reflects on Prayer, the Eucharist, and the Uncertain Future of Faith
Pope Leo XIV assumes his role as Bishop of Rome for the second time and will ordain new priests for his diocese
Another (important) change by Leo XIV in the Roman Curia: this is the Pope’s new almoner (and prefect of the Dicastery for Charity)
This was the funeral of the Lebanese Catholic priest who died in Israeli army bombings
Categoría

Archive for the ‘Church and World’ Category

Stewart had entered the Capitol under the condition that no demonstrations would take place inside the building. Photo: Grace Hills/Kansas Reflector

Local Church

Result of the German Synodal Way? Half a million Catholics leave the Church, official figures show

Additionally, while the number of people formally leaving the Church remains high, there is a clear downward trend. In 2024, 321,611 individuals officially left Catholicism, compared to 402,694 the year before and an all-time high of 500,000 in 2022. The latter figure was strongly influenced by a high-profile report on clergy abuse in the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising, which triggered widespread disillusionment.

Cardinals and Bishops•Holy Land

Cardinal of Jerusalem: “I don’t know how we are still standing; the situation is against us”

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, described the worsening reality on the ground. «When the ceasefire in Gaza began, operations in the West Bank intensified,» he told a delegation from Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) in Jerusalem. «Hundreds of new checkpoints were set up, particularly in places like Jenin, making life even more difficult for residents.»

Justice and Peace

Japanese Court dissolves Unification Church: the Moon sect

The Tokyo District Court revoked the religious movement’s status. Founded by Sun Myung Moon, the Church was involved in financial scandals over the years, which emerged following the murder of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2022. The Church, which will still be able to operate in Japan, plans to appeal, but it loses its tax benefits in the meantime.