Posts By Date - Catholic Herald

January 29, 2019

Asia Bibi blasphemy acquittal upheld by Pakistan Supreme Court

January 29, 2019

Pakistan’s Supreme Court has rejected a challenge to the acquittal of Christian woman Asia Bibi on blasphemy charges. The country’s top court upheld its decision to overturn Bibi’s conviction and death sentence in October. She was originally convicted in 2010 for allegedly insulting the Islamic prophet Mohammed during an argument with her neighbours. Her acquittal

Cuba’s first new church inaugurated since revolution

January 29, 2019

The first new Catholic church in Cuba since the the country’s revolution 60 years ago was inaugurated on Saturday. Sacred Heart of Jesus parish in Sandino, 45 miles southwest of Pinar del Rio, was inaugurated on January 26. It is the first of three new parishes to be completed; the other two will be in

Traditional chant should enjoy ‘pride of place’ in the Mass, archbishop says

January 29, 2019

Sacred music has a special role in the Catholic liturgy, and Archbishop Alexander Sample of Portland in Oregon has written a pastoral letter reflecting on how Catholics can help provide the best music for Mass. “We should always aim high to offer God the best and the most beautiful music of which we are capable,”

Priest denies Communion to pro-abortion Irish politician

January 29, 2019

A pro-choice Irish legislator has been denied the reception of Holy Communion, after he announced that he had voted in favor of measures that allow for abortion in Ireland. Robert Troy, the member of parliament, or Teachta Dala, for the Irish constituency of Longford-Westmeath, revealed in a December interview that he voted to repeal the

Diminished crowds at World Youth Day

January 29, 2019

The 15th international World Youth Day ended on Sunday with a Mass celebrated by Pope Francis attended by hundreds of thousands of young people from around the world. At the end of the January 27 Mass, it was announced that the next World Youth Day will be held in Lisbon, Portugal in 2022. Portuguese president

Morning Catholic must-reads: 29/01/19

January 29, 2019

Pope Francis has said that he is “terrified of a bloodbath” in Venezuela (full text). Sunday’s church bombing must not derail the peace process in the southern Philippines, an archbishop has said. The Russian Orthodox Church has opened almost 1,000 new parishes a year since 2009. John Haught defends the reputation of Pierre Teilhard de

A book that shows how unique and irreplaceable mothers are

January 29, 2019

I ended a previous blog discussing The Cut Out Girl by Bart Van Es, by quoting a letter written in 1942 by the mother of the young Dutch Jewish girl, Lien de Jong, as she was forced to surrender her only child into the hands of strangers in order to save her life from the