Posts By Date - Catholic Herald

March 22, 2019

Bishop criticises ‘faith-filled’ Catholics who spread fear of Muslims

March 22, 2019

An Irish bishop has criticized Catholics who identify as “faith-filled” while spreading fear and mistrust of immigrants, particularly those who are Muslims. Bishop Kevin Doran of Elphin, chairman of the Council for Life of the Irish bishops’ conference, told The Irish Catholic newspaper: “I’ve found that people who would classify themselves in some cases as

Priest stabbed during Mass in Canada

March 22, 2019

A priest was stabbed during Mass at St Joseph’s Oratory in Montreal on Friday morning. Fr Claude Grou, rector at the oratory, was attacked by a man with a large knife while he was celebrating the morning Mass. The Mass was being live-streamed by Sel+Lumiere TV, but the video has been removed from the website.

Catholic journalist questioned by police after transgender activist complains

March 22, 2019

A Catholic journalist has been questioned by police after a dispute with the head of a transgender charity. Caroline Farrow, a columnist for the Catholic Universe and a frequent contributor to TV and radio, was called in by Surrey Police after a complaint from the transgender rights activist Susie Green. Green has since withdrawn her

Civil disobedience is a fundamental right, says Venezuelan cardinal

March 22, 2019

A Venezuelan cardinal has called on state security forces to exercise civil disobedience when given orders to use lethal force against citizens. “State security agencies exist not to take care of the government but to take care of the citizens,” said Cardinal Baltazar Porras, at a press conference this week. “Therefore every order that is

Increasing number of US Catholics concerned about Christian persecution

March 22, 2019

Nearly half of American Catholics say global persecution of Christians is “very severe,” a 16 percent increase from a year ago, according to a new survey commissioned by the papal charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN). Despite this increase in awareness, the American Catholics surveyed ranked human trafficking, poverty and the refugee crisis

St John Paul II’s long-time secretary defends former pope’s handling of abuse cases

March 22, 2019

Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, a personal friend and close collaborator of St. John Paul II, this week defended the Polish pope’s record on the abuse crisis, which has lately come under criticism from some areas. “The emerging opinions that John Paul II was sluggish in guiding the Church’s response to the sexual abuse of minors by

Royal College of Physicians adopts neutral policy on assisted suicide

March 22, 2019

The professional body for doctors in the UK has dropped its traditional opposition to assisted suicide, despite a poll that found a majority of its members remain opposed to the practice. The Royal College of Physicians declared it has adopted a policy of neutrality, although a majority of doctors said they were against assisted suicide.

Morning Catholic must-reads: 22/03/19

March 22, 2019

Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz has defended St John Paul II’s handling of abuse cases (full statement). A Capuchin superior has been killed in Cameroon. The oldest living US Catholic bishop has died aged 97. A crucifix that has hung in Montreal’s City Hall since 1937 is reportedly being removed. Rocco Palmo considers the next Archbishop of

As belief in the Devil declines, evidence of his influence increases

March 22, 2019

There is an interesting passage in Freedom from Evil Spirits: Released from Fear, Addiction and the Devil by Fr Pat Collins CM, a Dublin priest, retreat leader and exorcist. Born in 1945 and ordained in 1971, he writes: “At that time I suspected that references to the Devil were a metaphorical way of speaking about