Argentine prosecutors issued a request that a formal inquiry be opened into allegations of human trafficking and exploitation made against Opus Dei — accusations the organization has “categorically” denied.
‘Opus’: Prelature describes author’s depiction of events as ‘absolute nonsense’
A new book accusing Opus Dei of dealing in human trafficking, forced labor as well as financial malfeasance by members who held powerful positions in a prominent Spanish bank is “absolute nonsense,” according to the organization.
As church prepares for Jubilee, ‘Holy Land is bleeding,’ Palestine ambassador says
Without a ceasefire, the upcoming Jubilee year in Rome will be marred by the suffering and bloodshed in the Holy Land, Palestine’s ambassador to the Holy See said. In an interview with OSV News Sept. 27, Ambassador Issa Kassissieh said that he hopes that “the war will be behind us” by the time Pope Francis […]
Israeli ambassador says country ‘craves peace’ as tensions rise in the Middle East
On the first anniversary of the attack that sparked an escalating conflict in the Holy Land, Israel’s ambassador to the Holy See said his country still hopes for peace.
Iraqi archbishop says rift with Chaldean patriarch is a ‘misunderstanding’
Iraqi Archbishop Bashar Warda of Erbil said tensions between himself and Cardinal Louis Sako, the Baghdad-based Chaldean Catholic patriarch, were the result of a misunderstanding and denied accusations he was working against the patriarch.
Churches shelter people escaping violence as death toll from Israeli attacks climbs in Lebanon
Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon meant to target Hezbollah militants have led to over 550 deaths, including 50 children and 94 women, the Lebanese Health Ministry said. Christian churches in the country are sheltering people escaping violence.
Caritas ‘shocked’ by murder of director in Democratic Republic of Congo
The director of Caritas in Congo was shot and killed by an armed militant group while approaching a roadblock, Caritas Internationalis announced.
Swedish cardinal ‘stupefied,’ annoyed by papabile speculation
Swedish Cardinal Anders Arborelius, a Carmelite, has often been lauded for his level-headedness and is liked by both conservatives and progressives in his country.
Stigmata: The miraculous gift St. Francis wanted to hide
Franciscans around the world commemorate the 800th anniversary of St. Francis of Assisi receiving the stigmata on Sept. 17, 1224, the appearance of the bodily wounds of Christ’s crucifixion.
As wildfires rage in Bolivia, bishops warn of lasting damage to ‘Mother Earth’
The bishops of Bolivia urged the country’s authorities to act quickly in staving off irreparable harm to people and the environment as raging wildfires continue to devastate millions of acres.
New Maori queen crowned in New Zealand — and she’s Catholic
Amid the grief following the death of their king, the Maori people rejoiced as the late monarch’s youngest daughter, Nga Wai hono i te po, was named as his successor.
New study says Shroud of Turin bloodstains are ‘consistent with Jesus Christ’s tortures’
A study published in July revealed that a new analysis of the Shroud of Turin, including the composition and a microscopic analysis of bloodstains, shows that the marks are consistent with the tortures endured by Christ as described in the Gospels.