Simon Caldwell, Author at Catholic Herald

Simon Caldwell

Time to ‘seriously discuss’ ending priestly celibacy in Catholic Church, declares Maltese archbishop

January 09, 2024

An archbishop viewed as a major ally of Pope Francis has called for the end to the discipline of priestly celibacy in the Catholic Church. Maltese Archbishop Charles Scicluna said the time was ripe “to discuss the issue seriously” – and to give priests the choice to marry. “This is probably the first time I’m

Hollywood star Shia LaBeouf contemplates diaconate after conversion to Catholic faith

January 05, 2024

Hollywood movie star Shia LaBeouf is contemplating whether to become a deacon after his recent reception into the Catholic Church. The Transformers and Fury actor underwent a religious awakening when he played the lead role of St Pio of Pietrelcina – the 20th century Italian mystic and stigmatist – for the 2022 biopic Padre Pio.

Irish-born Los Angeles bishop among 20 ‘missionaries’ who died violently in 2023

December 31, 2023

A total of 20 missionaries – including an Irish-born American bishop – died violently in the service of the faith during 2023, according to new figures released from the Vatican. Eight of the dead were priests, one was a seminarian, one a Benedictine novice, seven laypeople, including women, and two described as “non-religious men”. The

Ortega arrests two senior priests in continued crackdown on Nicaraguan clergy

December 29, 2023

Police in Nicaragua have arrested two more Catholic priests after they prayed in public for a bishop jailed for life when he refused to go into exile. The arrests of Fr Carlos Aviles and Fr Hector Treminio raise the numbers of priests arrested by the regime of President Daniel Ortega to six in the past

Rift widens over gay blessings as Hungarian bishops reject them but Indian cardinal says yes

December 29, 2023

India’s most senior cardinal has defended Fiducia Supplicans – the controversial new Vatican text approving non-liturgical blessings for same-sex unions – as a rebellion by bishops against the document spreads into Europe. Cardinal Oswald Gracias of Mumbai (pictured with Pope Francis) said that in Indian culture, asking for and giving blessings is a widely accepted

Euthanasia and assisted suicide contradict Christmas, Bishop Davies warns faithful

December 23, 2023

The Bishop of Shrewsbury in his Christmas homily is to warn against renewed attempts to change the law to allow doctors to help their patients to commit suicide. The Rt Rev. Mark Davies will address at Midnight Mass how the Christian values of mercy and compassion should not be distorted to drive forward a “deadly agenda” that is at odds with the Christian moral inheritance. Bishop Davies will

Bishop arrested in Nicaragua after praying in public for imprisoned prelate

December 22, 2023

Police in Nicaragua have arrested and allegedly beaten a Catholic bishop after he prayed in public for a brother bishop sentenced to life in jail earlier this year. Bishop Isidoro del Carmen Mora Ortega of Siuna was snatched this week by police after he celebrated a Mass in Matagalpa and requested prayers for Bishop Rolando

Catholic teacher guilty of professional misconduct after refusing to indoctrinate children in extremist ideology

December 21, 2023

A Catholic teacher was guilty of “unacceptable professional conduct”, a regulator has ruled, after she refused to teach extreme gender ideology to pupils. Glawdys Leger, 43, was dismissed from Bishop Justus Church of England School in Bromley, Kent, when she refused to teach “extreme and politically partisan LGBTQI lessons” to Year 7 and 8 pupils.

‘Urgent pleas’ from Catholic leaders for UK government to lift faith-based admissions cap

December 19, 2023

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan has met Catholic leaders amid urgent pleas from the Church to lift a highly contentious faith-based admissions cap on new free schools. Keegan, who was educated at Catholic schools, received a Church delegation to hear the case for scrapping the ban brought in under the coalition Government of former Tory Prime

Pope appoints Clifton priest as next Bishop of Plymouth

December 15, 2023

Pope Francis has appointed a Clifton priest as the next Bishop of Plymouth. Canon Christopher Whitehead will be consecrated as the 10th bishop of the diocese in succession to Archbishop Mark O’Toole who 18 months ago was transferred to Cardiff and Menevia. The bishop-elect previously served as a parish priest in Bath in the neighbouring

Church lockdown closures caused widespread mental and physical harm, says survey

December 06, 2023

The closure of Catholic churches during the 2020 lockdown contributed to widespread mental and physical suffering, according to the results of a new study. The survey carried out by the Catholic Union found 62 per cent of people reporting that their mental and physical wellbeing were adversely effected directly as a result of not being

Christian families could be forced from foster care system in US

December 04, 2023

Christians could be forced from the foster care system in the United States if President Joe Biden presses ahead with a new rule to override their consciences, a group of Republican attorneys general has said. The Democrat President is threatening to remove any faith-based provider of foster care unless they accept government instructions on accommodating

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