Expressing anguish and sorrow over the death of a pregnant woman in an Irish hospital, the country’s Catholic bishops said that pregnant women must receive all treatment to save their lives, even if it results in the unintended death of an unborn child. The statement on November 19 came three weeks after the deaths of Savita Halappanavar, 31, who died after a miscarriage, and her unborn ...

The Islamabad High Court ordered police to dismiss blasphemy charges against a Christian Pakistani girl whose arrest and detention drew international condemnation. The ruling from Chief Justice Iqbal Hammeed ur Rehman on November 19 said there was no evidence that Rimsha Masih burned papers from the Quran, reported Pakistan’s Dawn news agency. “The court has quashed the case, declarin...

Austria’s Vienna Archdiocese will press ahead with a major reorganisation that will including liquidating most of its parishes over 10 years, despite objections from some local Catholics. The archdiocese’s 660 parishes will be merged over the next decade into around 150 larger parishes, each served by three-five priests and offering regular Masses. “Our emphasis isn’t just on reorgani...

The universal, natural human reaction to the death of a loved one should show believers and non-believers alike that human life has value, Pope Benedict XVI said. “The awareness of the sacredness of the life entrusted to us – not as something we can dispose of freely, but as a gift to safeguard faithfully – belongs to the moral heredity of humanity,” the pope wrote in a message to a dial...

The November 21 publication of Jesus of Nazareth: The Infancy Narratives, which completes Pope Benedict XVI’s popular three-volume series on the life and teachings of Christ, is the latest reminder of the author’s prolific output, now amounting to more than 60 books. One of the most prominent theologians of his generation, Pope Benedict has produced studies in a wide range of specialised...

The Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments is establishing an office to promote the development and use of appropriate liturgical art, architecture and music. The new office was approved in early September by Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Vatican secretary of state; final arrangements and the designation of personnel are being made, said Marist Father Anthony Ward, undersecretar...

The Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has dismissed Roy Bourgeois from the priesthood because of his participation in the invalid ordination of a woman and “a simulated Mass,” the Maryknoll Order announced on November 19. The order said in a statement the canonical dismissal came on October 4. Citing Bourgeois’ participation in the invalid ordination in Kentucky in 20...

By Mark Pattison The US bishops, on a voice vote, endorsed the sainthood cause of Dorothy Day, the co-founder of the Catholic Worker movement, who was famously quoted as saying, “Don’t call me a saint. I don’t want to be dismissed so easily.” The endorsement came at the end of a canonically required consultation that took place on November 13, the second day of the bishops’ annual fal...

Catholics are called to serve the common good of society, including by protecting traditional marriage and defending human life, Pope Benedict XVI told bishops from France. Being Catholic means being faithful “to the moral teaching of the Church” and having “the courage to demonstrate their Christian convictions – without arrogance, but with respect – in the various spheres in which they...

Sacred music can bolster people’s faith and help lapsed Catholics rediscover the beauty of God, Pope Benedict XVI said. “Sacred music can, above all, promote the faith, and, what’s more, cooperate in the new evangelisation,” he told participants attending a conference and pilgrimage sponsored by the Italian St Cecilia Association. St Cecilia, whose feast day is November 22, is traditiona...