News Around Christendom

“8th RECOWA CERAO meeting of West Africa By Paul Samasumo The standing committee of RECOWA-CERAO -the regional collegial body of Bishops of West Arica, has concluded with a call to African governments to put the good of citizens at the heart of their governance structures. The Bishop-Presidents of national and inter-territorial Episcopal Conferences of West Africa, under the auspices of ...

By Habtamu Abrdew Beture Ethiopia’s Archbishop of Addis Ababa, Cardinal Berhaneyesus Souraphiel C.M., is marking the start of Lent by calling on Ethiopians to pray for conversion of heart. In his Lenten message, Cardinal Berhaneyesus emphasised that conversion of heart is the invitation of God our Father. “We are all sinners in need of God’s mercy and forgiveness,” the Cardinal ...

By Joachim Teigen Two bills aimed at protecting unborn children from late-term abortions and those surviving a failed abortion attempt were both rejected by the US Senate. The US Bishops reply by saying that “our nation is better than this”. Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann, chairman of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, released a statement after ...

“Inauguration of CCBI Plenary Assembly on February 16, 20120. By Robin Gomes The Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI), which brings together the bishops of the country’s Latin-rite dioceses, held its annual plenary assembly, in Bangalore, on February 16. “The followers of Christ have the responsibility to promote the Gospel values of mercy and compassion. The Bishops in our ...

“Catechists in Angola (file picture courtesy: Missionários de Nossa Senhora de La Salette – Angola) Anastácio Sasembele – Luanda, Angola & Paul Samasumo, Vatican City Catechists in Angola have this week reiterated and renewed commitment to their unique vocation of evangelisation. “The vocation of a Catechist, his existence in the Church, is a gift for which we must give thanks ...

“Caritas Zimbabwe in a meeting with Country Representatives of CRS, C0RDAID, CAFOD and Trocaire.” Vimbai Masoso – Harare, Zimbabwe Caritas Zimbabwe working in collaboration with Caritas Internationalis and the World Food Programme (WFP) have distributed food to 300 000 drought-affected persons. Caritas Zimbabwe has pledged to continue fulfilling its pastoral mandate of accompanying vulnerable communities in the country. This time ...

By Benedict Mayaki The World Council of Churches condemns recent violent attacks in Burkina Faso and Cameroon, which have left 24 people dead in Burkina Faso and 5 others in Cameroon. In the wake of the violent attacks in Cameroon and Burkina Faso on February 14 and 16 respectively, the Secretary-General of the World Council of Churches (WCC), Rev. Dr. ...

An internally displaced woman poses at a window in Cameroon” By Fr. John Waters Catholic Bishops from around the world sign an open letter to the President of Cameroon, Paul Biya, asking him to begin peace negotiations with the separatist movement in that country. In response to an attack on the village of Ntumbo, in the north-east of the country, ...

Michael Nnadi, 18 tragically killed by his captors“ By Fortunate Nyambo Seminarians of Rome’s Pontifical Urban College have voiced solidarity with fellow seminarians of Kaduna’s Good Shepherd Seminary in Nigeria. Pius Kanwai, 19; Peter Umenukor, 23; Stephen Amos, 23; and Michael Nnadi, 18, were taken from Good Shepherd Seminary in Kaduna, Nigeria around 10:30 pm on 8 January by gunmen. ...

In San Francisco, everywhere there is a stark contrast between the wealthy and the poor. . . . San Francisco has turned into a strikingly polarized city Saint Francis lived during the height of feudalism in Europe. He would have seen both lavish wealth and shocking poverty. In fact, he experienced both in his life. But such conditions were normal ...

Mass at the Catholic Shrine of the Martyrs of Namugongo, Uganda, Nov. 28, 2015. Credit: Martha Calderon/CNA. The Archbishop of Kampala issued a decree Saturday on the proper celebration of the Eucharist, which forbade the reception of Holy Communion in the hand and reaffirmed that those “living in illicit marital co-habitation” cannot be admitted to Holy Communion. The Feb. 1 ...

By Paul Samasumo Zambia’s Bishop of Mansa Diocese, Patrick Chisanga, OFM Conv., who is also Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB) Director for Consecrated Life has commended consecrated persons in Zambia for their pastoral presence in the various dioceses. In a message on behalf of other Zambian Bishops, Bishop Chisanga said the annual celebration of the World Day for Consecrated ...

Zambian President, Edgar Lungu, greets Bishops of Zambia, Malawi and Zimbabwe” =”/content/dam/vaticannews/multimedia/2020/02/05/ By Paul Samasumo Zambia’s President, Edgar Lungu, has addressed Bishops of Zambia, Malawi and Zimbabwe who are meeting in Lusaka for their first-ever ‘Sub-Regional Consultative Meeting of Catholic Bishops.’ President Lungu expressed his appreciation for the work of the Catholic Church when he addressed the Bishops in Lusaka. ...

< Crowds in Conakry demonstrate (with national flag) against Presidential third term bid (file photo). Republic of Guinea’s Catholic Clergy Union assembly held this week, in N’zérékoré, southeast Guinea, has spoken out about the political climate in the country. According to RECOWA-CERAO News – the West African Catholic Bishops’ regional office, the Guinean priests have spoken out about the country’s ...

Seventy-five years after the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp, the Catholic bishops of Europe condemned racism, xenophobia, and anti-Semitism, calling for a renewed human commitment to peace, and forgiveness. “75 years have already passed since the liberation of the German concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau (27/01/1945), and this place still inspires terror,” the leaders of the Council of European Bishops’ Conferences ...

According to a local rights group in Sudan, three churches in a town were burnt down in December 2019 and quickly rebuilt, only to be burnt down again earlier this month. Human Rights and Development Organization said that a Catholic church, an Orthodox church, and a Sudan Internal Church in Bout were burnt down on both Dec. 28 and Jan. ...

Kobe Bryant. Credit: Keith Allison/wikimedia cc by sa 2.0 Basketball superstar Kobe Bryant died Sunday in a helicopter crash in Southern California, along with his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna. Bryant, the father of four, was Catholic. In all, nine people were killed in the Jan. 26 crash. Bryant, 41, is widely considered one of the greatest basketball players of all time. ...

Hours before he died Sunday, basketball superstar Kobe Bryant knelt in prayer at Our Lady Queen of Angels Catholic Church in Newport Beach, California. His parish is now praying for his soul. Holy Mass was offered Monday at the parish for the souls of Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven other victims of the Jan. 26 helicopter crash that ...

Stock image. Credit: Mortortion Films/Shutterstock By Christine Rousselle Canadian hospice is at risk of losing its government funding over its refusal to euthanize patients who request an “assisted death.” Fraser Health Authority, a publicly-funded organization responsible for administering healthcare for 1.6 million people in the western Canadian province of British Columbia, is ordering the Irene Thomas Hospice, a 10-bed hospice ...

US President Donald Trump speaks to March for Life participants and pro-life leaders in the Rose Garden at the White House, Jan. 19, 2018 in Washington, DC. Credit: Mark Wilson/Getty Images. President Donald Trump declared Jan. 22 to be National Sanctity of Human Life Day, in a proclamation signed Monday. “On National Sanctity of Human Life Day, our Nation proudly ...