Tag Archives: Catholic Church

NBC News reports: For 21 months of war, the only Catholic church in Gaza has served as a fragile refuge in the besieged enclave, where hundreds of Christian and Muslim families took shelter from the Israeli assault outside its stone walls. The Israeli shelling that blasted through that sanctuary on Thursday — killing three, including the church’s janitor, and wounding …

From the Diocese Of Nashville: Juan Carlos Garcia, a former associate pastor at St. Philip Catholic Church in Franklin, pleaded guilty Monday in Williamson County Court to charges stemming from a 2024 indictment on multiple counts of sexual misconduct involving both minors and adults. Garcia entered a plea to all the original charges. In making the plea, Garcia admitted his …

Fresno’s ABC affiliate reports: Amid claims of sexual abuse, the Diocese of Fresno is officially filing for bankruptcy. Bishop Joseph Brennan signed a form claiming the diocese needs to restructure, as it fends off more than 100 claims of wrongdoing, some represented by Rick Simons. “They’re not in poor financial health,” said Simons. Court documents reveal the diocese’s assets are …

Politico Europe reports: The new American pope is looking to his MAGA compatriots to shore up the Vatican’s finances after decades of scandal and mismanagement. Despite the Vatican’s vaults of priceless masterpieces, Leo has ascended to the papal throne amid a steepening liquidity crisis aggravated by a major downturn in donations from the U.S., making it increasingly difficult for the …

The Associated Press reports: The Archdiocese of New Orleans agreed to pay nearly $180 million to victims of clergy sexual abuse under a settlement announced Wednesday, the latest in a string of settlements by the Catholic Church. The archdiocese, its parishes and several insurers will pay $179.2 million into a trust to benefit survivors, according to a statement by the …

NPR reports: Pope Leo XIV called for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine and an immediate ceasefire in Gaza with the release of hostages and delivery of humanitarian aid in his first Sunday noon blessing as pontiff. “I carry in my heart the sufferings of the beloved Ukrainian people,” he said. “Let everything possible be done to achieve genuine, …

The Telegraph reports: Cardinal Robert Prevost has been elected as the first American pope. He is expected to appear on the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica after being elected as the new Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church. The new pontiff will take immediate charge of the Vatican, leading the Catholic Church and holding authority over its 1.4 billion followers. …

NPR reports: White smoke streamed from a chimney atop the Sistine Chapel, signaling to the world that the 133 Roman Catholic cardinals inside have elected a new pope. The identity of the new pontiff is not yet known. Vatican officials are expected to announce his name in Latin from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica shortly. Cardinal Dominique Mamberti, a …

The Associated Press reports: Black smoke billowed from the Vatican’s chimney on Wednesday around 3:02 p.m. ET after the 133 cardinals tasked with electing the next leader of the Catholic Church made their first vote inside the Sistine Chapel. The black smoke indicates that no papal candidate secured the required two-thirds majority on the conclave’s first ballot. Voting will resume …

NBC News reports: Of all the many sights and sounds etched onto the memory of anyone who’s been alive long enough to witness a conclave, the white smoke billowing from the Sistine Chapel chimney and the ringing of the church’s bells signifying the appointment of a new pope are perhaps the most famous. With the second result of each pair …

CNN reports: All mobile phone signals will be deactivated in the Vatican on Wednesday ahead of the highly secretive conclave to elect the next pope, Italian state media reported. The Vatican also plans to use signal jammers around the Sistine Chapel to prevent electronic surveillance or communication outside the conclave that will see 133 cardinals vote on who will succeed …

Vatican News reports: Pope Francis’ legacy of peace continues to shine in our conflict-ridden world. The closeness he showed to the most vulnerable during his earthly mission is radiating even after his death, and this most recent surprise is no exception: His popemobile, the very vehicle from which he waved and was close to millions of faithful all around the …

The National Catholic Reporter reports: President Donald Trump is facing a firestorm of criticism from leaders of the Roman Catholic Church after posting on social media a computer-generated image of himself as pope in full papal regalia as the Catholics worldwide continue to mourn Pope Francis. At least one U.S. bishop said President Donald Trump needs to apologize and even …

The Daily Beast reports: New York’s Catholic bishops—led by Trump‘s favorite cardinal—sharply rebuked the president over an AI-generated photo he posted of himself as pope. “There is nothing clever or funny about this image, Mr. President,” the New York Catholic Conference of Bishops said in a post on X Saturday. “We just buried our beloved Pope Francis and the cardinals …

The Independent reports: President Donald Trump has posted an AI-generated image of himself in papal regalia – just 11 days after Pope Francis’ death. The image, posted on Truth Social, shows President Trump dressed in white wearing a papal hat, known as a mitre, with a large crucifix hanging around his neck. It comes after the president joked that he’d …

“Doctrine is not the property of the pope, the bishops or the faithful. It must conform to the word of Jesus, no one can modify it. If Jesus says that marriage is between a man and a woman, no one can change this doctrine. The homosexual lobby wants to equate marriage with unions between people of the same sex, but …

The Associated Press reports: The Italian cardinal at the heart of the Vatican’s “trial of the century” announced Tuesday he was withdrawing from participating in the upcoming conclave to elect a new pope for “the good of the church,” ending days of drama that had overshadowed the proceedings. Cardinal Angelo Becciu’s status has dominated discussions in the days after Pope …

Green Bay’s ABC affiliate reports: The Catholic school teacher Appleton Police arrested Wednesday has now been formally charged with 14 counts of various child sex crimes. Collin Killoren was charged Friday with 7 counts of Child Sexual Exploitation and 7 counts of Possession of Child Pornography. The court set his cash bond at $15,000 and he was ordered to surrender …

Reuters reports: Roman Catholic cardinals will meet in a secret conclave to elect the new leader of the global Church starting from May 7, a senior Vatican source said on Monday. The date was decided during a closed-door meeting of cardinals at the Vatican, the first since the funeral of Pope Francis on Saturday, the source said. The official announcement …

USA Today reports: With the passing of Pope Francis, who presided over the Roman Catholic Church and its estimated 1.4 billion followers for 12 years, attention now turns to the selection of his successor. The decision is made through a time-honored process known as the conclave, an election conducted in secrecy behind the locked doors of the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel. …