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In new directive, Church ignores plight of coeliacs. Except it doesn’t.
In a letter released yesterday by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, the Church once again emphasises what can and cannot be consecrated during Mass. In essence,...
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Bishop Voderholzer’s remedy to dropping numbers
In a homily at the pilgrimage site of St. Anna Schäffer in Mindelstetten, Bishop Rudolf Voderholzer of Regensburg addressed the recently released statistics regarding church attendance and such in the...
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The middle ground between the cardinal and the Jesuit – the pastoral duty of...
Cardinal Robert Sarah’s opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal, published on Friday, is a clear-headed and factual explanation of how and why the Catholic Church relates to people with same-sex...
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25 years in, Bishop Hofmann leaves the seat of Würzburg
As announced by the Nuncio yesterday, the retirement of Bishop Friedhelm Hofmann will begin today. The bishop of Würzburg, who celebrated his 75th birthday in May, has been at the helm of the diocese...
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A rapid retirement for Bishop Wiertz
In a circular letter to be read out in the parishes of his diocese next Sunday, Bishop Frans Wiertz of Roermond informs the faithful that he has asked Pope Francis to be allowed to retire on his 75th...
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Flowers for the Vatican
Like every year, the flowers that will decorate St. Peter’s Square in Rome for Easter left the Netherlands. In the public flower garden Keukenhof Bishop Hans van den Hende sent them off with a...
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Christ has died, Christ has risen, Christ will come again – Blessed Easter!
“When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary, the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go and anoint him. Very early when the sun had risen, on the first day of the week,...
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The thin line of hope – After Syria, Bishop Bonny reflects on Easter
In February, Bishop Johan Bonny of Antwerp visited Syria. Visiting Damascus, Homs and Aleppo, he saw firsthand the destruction wrougth by years of war and also the incessant work of the churches to...
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For Hildesheim, the new bishop comes from Rome
What’s it like for a priest to be told that the Pope wants him to be a bishop? The newly-appointed bishop of Hildesheim, Fr. Heiner Wilmer SCJ tells his story: “On Monday afternoon, 5 March, I was in...
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“Gaudete et exsultate”– A summary and some reflections on Chapter 1
As is characteristic of Pope Francis, his latest document, the Apostolic Exhortation Gaudete et exsultate, is not “a treatise on holiness, containing definitions and distinctions helpful for...
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Heading for a Roman answer, German bishops prepare
In two days’ time, on Thursday 3 May, the much anticipated meeting between representatives of the German episcopate and the heads of several Holy See dicasteries will take place, to discuss the...
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Careful criticism – Bishop de Korte’s thoughts after the cardinal’s comments
While there has been much said and written about Cardinal Willem Eijk’s criticism on how the Pope handled the German plans to allow non-Catholics to receive Communion under certain circumstances, and...
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From Bruges, new auxiliary bishop for Mechelen-Brussels
One year after the death of Bishop Léon Lemmens, the Archdiocese of Mechelen-Brussels receives a new auxilary bishop, the first such appointment under Cardinal Jozef De Kesel. The new bishop, appointed...
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With a new voice, CDF revisits old teachings – Cardinal-designate Ladaria on...
After several years in which the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith was conspicuously silent, perhaps kept silent as Pope Francis tried to decrease its importance among the curial dicasteries,...
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On Corpus Christi, Cardinal Woelki returns to the debate
The Church celebrated the feast of the Eucharist, Corpus Christi, today. She reflects on and celebrates the wondrous presence of Christ among us in the Blessed Sacrament He has given to the Church. In...
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In deep shame, remembering what is good – Bishop de Korte urges “joyful...
Following his earlier comments on the latest revelations about past abuse in the Catholic Church, and in light of the impact this has had on Catholics, also in the Netherlands, Bishop Gerard de Korte...
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Married priests? What Bishop Kockerols really said
Bishop Jean Kockerols’ Synod intervention (as the four-minute speech allowed to each delegate is called), which he gave yesterday, has been making some headlines for what he says in his text’s final...
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Cardinal Müller in the Netherlands – On forced retirement (of sorts), the...
“I am now simply a cardinal without a specific assignment. That is somewhat unusual. Bishops normally remain active until they are 75. The Pope apparently has better advisors than me at his disposal....
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For Saint Paul VI, a date and texts
Although he was canonised last October, the liturgical texts for the memorial of Pope Saint Paul VI were published only today. The official decree clarifies a few things related to the annual feast...
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Cardinal Müller’s Manifesto of Faith – refutation of its critics
I really shouldn’t be surprised anymore, but I was nonetheless yesterday. On Friday, Cardinal Gerhard Müller, former prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and now a sort of...
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