Author: Jemma

WelCom April 2022 Pope Francis has denounced the ‘perverse abuse of power’ on display in Russia’s war in Ukraine and called for aid to Ukrainians. He said Ukrainians had been attacked in their ‘identity, history and tradition’ and were ‘defending their land’. Francis’ comments to a gathering of European Catholic representatives were some of his […]

WelCom April 2022 Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has ‘earned the hatred of the whole world,’ according to the leader of Orthodox Christianity. ‘We are entering a new era of cold war,’ Patriarch Bartholomew of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople said in a Turkish-language broadcast interview. ‘We do not know what will happen […]

WelCom April 2022 The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines has denied accusations it is meddling in politics, saying that bishops only seek to speak the truth. The denial followed a charge that the bishops are interfering in the presidential campaign by frontrunner Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr, who was angered by a recent pastoral letter […]

WelCom April 2022 On March 12, the Society of Jesus celebrated the 400th anniversary of the canonisation of St Ignatius of Loyola and St Francis Xavier. These extraordinary men, two of the founders of the Society of Jesus and close friends, were declared saints together. Both Ignatius and Xavier were prolific writers, offering direction and […]

WelCom April 2022 Eight Catholic churches have been hit by artillery shelling and airstrikes by Myanmar’s military in Loikaw Diocese since the conflict between military and rebel forces erupted in May 2021. Some 16 parishes out of 38 in Loikaw Diocese have been abandoned by priests, nuns and parishioners who have fled to safe areas […]

WelCom April 2022 Two cardinals arrived at separate destinations on one mission entrusted to them by Pope Francis: to bring relief, hope and encouragement to suffering Ukrainians. Polish Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, papal almoner, arrived in the city of Lviv March 8 and met with Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk of Kyiv-Halych, head of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, […]

WelCom April 2022 Catholic charities have issued a special call for donations for the people of Ukraine and received an overwhelming response. A DePaul Group response manager in Slovakia, said the response from ordinary people had so far been extraordinary: ‘everyone is trying to do something to help’. The Depaul Group, inspired by the example […]

WelCom April 2022 Dramatic shifts brought on by Covid-19 restrictions are forcing churches to rethink the nature of worship and the purpose of their communities. For some, shrinking congregations and dwindling donations have forced closures. More than 4,000 churches shut their doors in the United States in 2020, according to research from Barna Group, an […]

WelCom April 2022 A cathedral in Geneva, Switzerland, has celebrated its first Catholic Mass in nearly 500 years. The last Mass celebrated at St Pierre Cathedral took place in 1535. After the Reformation, the building was taken over by John Calvin’s Reformed Protestant Church. All the cathedral’s statues, paintings and stained-glass windows were destroyed and […]