International News

News from outside of Canada.

Religious procession past Mafia boss’ home irks Italy’s Catholic clergy

July 7, 2014

ROME - Only two weeks after Pope Francis announced he was excommunicating the Mafia, a religious procession in southern Italy has provoked uproar after paying homage to a convicted mobster.

Irish abuse victim who met with pope calls it 'huge vindication'

July 7, 2014

DUBLIN - One of the Irish survivors of clerical sexual abuse who met Pope Francis July 7 described the encounter as a "huge vindication" for her.

Jerusalem patriarch denounces wave of retaliations after teen murders

July 7, 2014

JERUSALEM - Latin Patriarch Fouad Twal strongly denounced the increasing wave of violent retaliations following the murders of Israeli and Palestinian teens and called on political and religious leaders to act to calm the atmosphere.

Ukrainian Catholic Church welcomes plan to add military chaplaincy

July 6, 2014

OXFORD, England - The Ukrainian government plans to re-establish military chaplaincies in the country's embattled armed forces, nine months after they were abolished under Soviet rule.

Italian archbishop calls for 10-year ban on godparents to stop Mafia infiltration

July 3, 2014

ROME - After a pledge by Pope Francis to “excommunicate” mobsters from the Catholic Church, an archbishop in southern Italy has proposed a 10-year ban on naming godparents at baptisms and confirmations as a way to stop the Mafia from spreading its influence.

New nuncio to U.N. is Filipino prelate who helped quake-struck Haiti

July 2, 2014

VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis named a Filipino archbishop, who helped lead and rebuild the church in Haiti after its devastating earthquake, as the Vatican representative at the United Nations in New York.

Chaldean bishop says Iraqis returning home, despite tough conditions

July 1, 2014

AMMAN, Jordan - Thousands of Iraqi Christians who fled recent shelling by extremist militants and sought refuge in the neighboring autonomous Kurdistan region are now returning home, said a Catholic archbishop responsible for their care.

Egyptian bishops seek Western aid to launch a Catholic television channel

June 30, 2014

TORONTO - The Catholic Church in Egypt is trying to gets its voice out to the nation through a new broadcasting effort.

Could baptizing children of gay couples become a new battleground?

June 29, 2014

Despite numerous controversies over dismissing gay Catholics from Church posts and the U.S. hierarchy’s campaign against same-sex marriage, Catholic leaders have carefully, if quietly, avoided doing anything to block gay couples from having their children baptized.

Irish government finalizes terms of inquiry into mother-baby homes

June 28, 2014

DUBLIN - The Irish government is finalizing the parameters of a judicial inquiry into Church-run state-funded mother and baby homes.