Category Archives: Christianity

Italian ‘mystic’ may face trial after DNA match with blood on Virgin Mary statue

Posted on by

Allegations of fraud against Gisella Cardia, who drew pilgrims by claiming statue wept tears of blood

A self-styled mystic who drew hundreds of pilgrims to a town near Rome by claiming that a statue of the Virgin Mary wept tears of blood could face trial after a DNA test indicated the blood was hers.

Gisella Cardia, who also claimed that the statue was transmitting messages to her, was last year declared a fraud by the Roman Catholic church, which subsequently tightened its rules on supernatural phenomena.

Continue reading...

Pope Francis cancels events after being admitted to hospital

Posted on by

Pontiff to receive treatment for bronchitis after having difficulty breathing during meeting

Pope Francis has cancelled his scheduled events over the next few days after being hospitalised, the Vatican said.

The pontiff, who has been suffering from bronchitis, was admitted to Gemelli hospital in Rome on Friday after reportedly having breathing difficulties during one of his meetings.

Continue reading...

Church of England refuses call for gluten-free wafers and non-alcoholic wine

Posted on by

Synod was asked to bring in alternatives for Eucharist, but says believers can still take part without consuming both

It’s the ancient ritual that unites millions of Christians in faith – but the Church of England is facing accusations that holy communion excludes non-drinkers or worshippers with dietary intolerances.

C of E guidance determines the type of bread and wine that can be consecrated as part of the Eucharist ritual, which symbolises Jesus Christ’s sacrifice, death and resurrection and commemorates the Last Supper.

Continue reading...

Church of England scandals stoke fears of mutiny as synod talks loom

Posted on by

Demoralised clergy speak of church in freefall and crisis of trust in run-up to governing body meeting

Mutiny may be in the air when the Church of England’s normally staid ruling body, the General Synod, meets for a five-day session next week.

The gathering of the 500-member church parliament follows a series of tumultuous events that have resulted in the unprecedented resignation of the archbishop of Canterbury, repeated calls for the archbishop of York to stand down, and the sudden departure of the bishop of Liverpool. Behind all are cases of abuse, alleged abuse and the church’s failure to deal with abuse.

Continue reading...

York Minster congregation outraged over ‘deeply inappropriate’ concert

Posted on by

Gig at cathedral by metal band Plague of Angels would be ‘outright insult’ to their faith, say parishioners

First there was a silent disco at Canterbury Cathedral. Then there was the “rave in the nave” in Peterborough.

But York Minster is taking it one step further by hosting a controversial metal band in what parishioners have called an “outright insult” to their faith.

Continue reading...

New Orleans archbishop fires food bank leaders for refusing to fund abuse settlement

Posted on by

Bankrupt Roman Catholic archdiocese replaced members at church-affiliated non-profit over $16m dispute

The archbishop of New Orleans’ bankrupt Roman Catholic archdiocese on Thursday abruptly fired and replaced top leaders at a church-affiliated food bank, with those dismissed saying it was because the non-profit refused to contribute to paying survivors of child sexual abuse by clergymen.

The ousted members of Second Harvest’s board of directors say the changes “follow months of increasingly aggressive pressure placed on Second Harvest to contribute as much as $16m toward helping to resolve victims’ claims related to the church’s sexual abuse-related bankruptcy”, which has been pending since May 2020.

Continue reading...

Pope dissolves Peru-based Catholic movement after ‘sadistic abuses’

Posted on by

Sodalitium of Christian Life ended after investigation found sexual and spiritual abuses and financial mismanagement

Pope Francis has taken the remarkable step of dissolving a Peruvian-based Catholic movement, the Sodalitium of Christian Life (SCV), after years of attempts at reform and a Vatican investigation. The investigation uncovered sexual abuses by its founder, financial mismanagement by its leaders and spiritual abuses by its top members.

The Sodalitium on Monday confirmed the dissolution, which was conveyed to an assembly of its members in Aparecida, Brazil at the weekend by the pope’s top legal adviser, Cardinal Gianfranco Ghirlanda. In revealing the dissolution in a statement, the group lamented that news of Francis’s decision had been leaked by two members attending the assembly, who were “definitively expelled”.

Continue reading...

Pope’s pick for Washington archbishop sets stage for conflict with Trump, experts say

Posted on by

Appointment of progressive Robert McElroy comes as rightwing Catholics wield significant influence in US capital

When the Texas attorney general, Ken Paxton, sought to shut down a Catholic charity that was was providing shelter and aid to undocumented migrants at the border, the San Diego cardinal, Robert McElroy, took a robust public stand against the attempt.

“The state of Texas is using governmental pressure to curtail the work of the Church in one of its most fundamental obligations: to feed the hungry, to shelter the homeless, and to provide drink to the thirsty,” McElroy said in a statement at the time. “No government can morally tell us to abandon or limit this mission.”

Continue reading...

Northern Irish nun killed in Ecuador earthquake takes step towards sainthood

Posted on by

Beatification ceremony for Clare Crockett, former party girl from Derry, draws more than 100 people to Madrid

A nun from Northern Ireland who was killed in an earthquake while she was teaching music in Ecuador has taken a step closer to sainthood.

A ceremony on Sunday afternoon started the process of beatification for Clare Crockett, who died in Portoviejo, Ecuador during an earthquake in April 2016. The 33-year-old had been working in the country as part of her work as a nun, which had also taken in placements in Spain and the US.

Continue reading...

Gay men can train as priests but must be celibate, say Italian bishops

Posted on by

Move marks shift in views but sexually active gay men will not be admitted to Roman Catholic seminaries

Gay men will be allowed to train as priests in Roman Catholic seminaries, so long as they observe celibacy, according to new guidelines announced by the Italian Bishops Conference (CIE).

The decision marks a shift from the view previously held by Pope Francis that gay men should not be admitted to seminaries owing to the risk of them leading a double life.

Continue reading...

C of E must ‘kneel in penitence’ after difficult year, says archbishop of York

Posted on by

Stephen Cottrell delivers Christmas sermon in place of Justin Welby, who will step down as de facto head of church

The archbishop of York has highlighted the need for actions more than words in his Christmas sermon, as the Church of England faces criticism over failures in its handling of recent abuse scandals.

Stephen Cottrell, who will become the temporary leader of the Church in England in early January in place of the outgoing archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, said the church must “kneel in penitence and adoration” this Christmas and “be changed”.

Continue reading...

Catholic priest accused of sexual assault fathered children of victims, court hears

Posted on by

Revelation emerges at hearing for Anthony Odiong, 55, charged with several counts and held in Texas on $5.5m bail

A Roman Catholic priest with links to Texas and Louisiana who is facing criminal charges for allegedly abusing his position of authority within the church to pursue sex with vulnerable women fathered at least two children with victims of his behavior, authorities have alleged.

The stunning information about Anthony Odiong surfaced at a bail hearing on Tuesday in Waco, Texas, where prosecutors have charged him with several counts of sexually assaulting women to whom he ministered.

Continue reading...

Deus in machina: Swiss church installs AI-powered Jesus

Posted on by

Peter’s chapel in Lucerne swaps out its priest to set up a computer and cables in confessional booth

The small, unadorned church has long ranked as the oldest in the Swiss city of Lucerne. But Peter’s chapel has become synonymous with all that is new after it installed an artificial intelligence-powered Jesus capable of dialoguing in 100 different languages.

“It was really an experiment,” said Marco Schmid, a theologian with the church. “We wanted to see and understand how people react to an AI Jesus. What would they talk with him about? Would there be interest in talking to him? We’re probably pioneers in this.”

Continue reading...

C of E may need to rethink archbishop of Canterbury role, senior cleric says

Posted on by

Exclusive: Stephen Cottrell, archbishop of York, says church is in period of reflection after ‘unprecedented crisis’ over abuse cover-up

The Church of England may need to rethink the role of archbishop of Canterbury after its “unprecedented crisis” over an abuse cover-up, Justin Welby’s second-in-command has said.

In an interview with the Guardian, Stephen Cottrell, the archbishop of York, said he would welcome a woman taking over from Welby. But he warned that the responsibilities of the job may need to be shared more widely in future.

Continue reading...

Revealed: ‘Grassroots’ campaigns opposed to assisted dying financed by conservative Christian pressure groups

Posted on by

Religious lobbyists are secretly coordinating and funding bodies that claim to be led by disabled people and health workers

Campaigns against assisted dying that claim to be led by healthcare workers and disabled people are being secretly coordinated and paid for by conservative Christian pressure groups, an Observer investigation has found.

The “grassroots” campaigns have been central to the debate on legalising assisted dying in England and Wales before a landmark vote by MPs this month.

Continue reading...

Church of England ‘directly responsible’ for John Smyth abuse in Zimbabwe, victim says

Posted on by

Rocky Leanders, then 15, was beaten with wooden paddle by Smyth at camp where boys were made to swim naked

When John Smyth gave a presentation at their school about his Christian holiday camps in 1993, Rocky Leanders and his school friends were “blown away”.

“This is Zimbabwe in the early 90s; the technology wasn’t great. These guys set up a projector with colour videos of speed boats … abseiling, golf, tennis, paddle boarding, swimming pools, diving boards,” recalled Leanders, who was 15 at the time. “We insisted we needed to go.”

Continue reading...

Pete Hegseth, Trump’s Pentagon pick, sparks alarm over far-right extremism

Posted on by

Experts concerned over the Fox & Friends host, his Christian nationalist ideology and militant language

Extremism experts are sounding the alarm about Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump’s pick for secretary of defense, whose writings and online presence reveal someone immersed in a culture of rightwing Christianity, political extremism and violent ideation.

The Fox & Friends host, who has served in the US army but has no experience in government, drew shock from Pentagon officials when Trump nominated him. Hegseth’s books on American culture and the military, his commentary on Fox and his frequent posts on social media showcase his far-right ideology. On these platforms, Hegseth telegraphs paranoia and anger toward “leftists”, an ultra-masculine Maga persona and apparent revulsion toward service members who do not fit his vision – including women.

Continue reading...

Many NHS staff would use conscience clause if assisted dying is legalised, say doctors

Posted on by

Christian and Muslim groups say medics who refuse to help patients die not protected in England and Wales bill

A significant proportion of NHS medical staff are likely to exercise a conscience clause if assisted dying is legalised by parliament.

Labour MP Kim Leadbeater’s private member’s bill stipulates that no doctor would be under any obligation to participate in assisted dying.

Continue reading...

Candidate for C of E panel to choose Welby successor knew about John Smyth’s abuse

Posted on by

Report says General Synod member Rev Andrew Cornes was told of Smyth’s abuse in 1982 but failed to act

A retired clergyman who could be part of the selection process for the next archbishop of Canterbury knew about the sadistic abuse of boys and young men in the early 1980s but failed to take action, according to the report that triggered Justin Welby’s resignation.

One of John Smyth’s victims discussed his abuse with the Rev Andrew Cornes in September 1982, but “there is no evidence to suggest that [Cornes] took action to respond to this”, the report said.

Continue reading...

Mystery surrounds John Smyth after leaving UK and Zimbabwe for South Africa

Posted on by

Smyth enjoyed ‘opulent lifestyle’ in Cape Town after he was barred from Zimbabwe, where he abused boys at summer camps

The evangelical Christian barrister John Smyth abused as many as 130 boys and young men in the UK, Zimbabwe and possibly other African countries but an independent review has said there remains little concrete information on his time in South Africa.

The review into the Anglican church’s handling of Smyth’s abuses said he might have been brought to justice had Justin Welby, who on Tuesday announced he would step down as archbishop of Canterbury, formally reported him to the police when he found out in 2013.

Continue reading...