European Politics

Banned by the Quebec government, churches and faith communities who sponsor refugees want to face their accusers and get some sort of explanation for Quebec’s sudden one-year suspension of refugee sponsorship.

Science, medicine and economics are going to all play important roles in the global post-pandemic recovery, but from the Church’s point of view there needs to be a moral recovery first, Cardinal Michael Czerny explained in a Nov. 27 address at Tokyo’s Sophia University.

The Boucher Report, released on Nov. 25 by the Archdiocese of Montreal, makes for distressing reading. The tale told therein also illustrates how failures in Canada may have contributed to the significant reforms made by Pope Francis last year aimed at changing the culture of episcopal governance.

Clothed in traditional blue and white garments, radiating a great light and youthfulness, the Mother of God appeared to Cosmo Femia in a dream, beseeching in imploring words: “You have a big responsibility, all those souls in your hands; will you bring them to my Son?”

As many Canadian provinces experience some version of a second lockdown, “normal Christmas is, quite frankly, out of the question,” as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told us during a Nov. 20 press conference.

ROME -- As rumblings and grumblings grew in the press and on social media, the permanent council of the Italian bishops' conference met to discuss the problem of Christmas "midnight Mass" when the government has imposed a 10 p.m. curfew as part of its measures to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

The stock market is up, real estate is soaring and yet food bank use is through the roof.

AMMAN, Jordan -- The worsening coronavirus pandemic and economic conditions in Syria are further deepening poverty and hardship for Christians, who find themselves trapped in a political stalemate, religious freedom advocates say.

VATICAN CITY -- One by one 11 senior churchmen, including two U.S. citizens -- Cardinals Wilton D. Gregory of Washington and Silvano M. Tomasi, a former Vatican diplomat -- knelt before Pope Francis to receive their red hats, a cardinal's ring and a scroll formally declaring their new status and assigning them a "titular" church in Rome.

As Toronto and Peel Region officially went into lockdown on Nov. 23, they joined Good Shepherd volunteers who have already been in lockdown for 10 months.