Kottayam, India, Oct 24, 2019 / 12:01 pm (CNA).- The trial of Bishop Franco Mulakkal of Jullundur, who was charged with rape in April, will begin Nov. 11 in Kottayam. He has been accused of raping a nun repeatedly over the course of two years, and he denies the allegations. The summons was issued Oct.

Washington D.C., Oct 24, 2019 / 11:02 am (CNA).- The protection of holy sites and houses of worship was the subject of a recent hearing held by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF). “Houses of worship and other religious sites should be sanctuaries where worshippers feel safe to practice their faith,” said Tony

Rome, Italy, Oct 24, 2019 / 11:00 am (CNA).- As the pastor of a parish in which many families lost a mother, father, or child in a bombing on Easter Sunday, Fr. Jude Raj Fernando has seen how healing from loss can be a long, difficult journey of faith. Fr. Fernando is the rector of

Vatican City, Oct 24, 2019 / 10:18 am (CNA).- An indigenous Peruvian who is participating in the Amazon synod said Thursday that if Catholics in the region are to have their own rite, then without question Christ must be at its center. "The center that unites us now in this synod is Jesus Christ, defending

Vatican City, Oct 24, 2019 / 05:10 am (CNA).- The head of the Vatican’s Christian unity office says inculturation of the Gospel is a necessary part of evangelization, but also requires discernment of what in that culture may need “purification.” “Evangelization always needs inculturation, so that the Gospel will be understood in different cultures,” Cardinal

San Francisco, Calif., Oct 23, 2019 / 01:26 pm (CNA).- Attorneys for the Little Sisters of the Poor reiterated their call for the U.S. Supreme Court to step in after a second appeals court ruled against the sisters’ exemption from the federal contraception mandate. “The Little Sisters never wanted this fight and have spent 8

Vatican City, Oct 23, 2019 / 11:24 am (CNA).- As the Amazon synod nears a close, a communications official downplayed Wednesday the importance of the assembly’s final report, saying it is not an official Church document, but merely an “instrument” in the synodal journey. Fr. Giacomo Costa, S.J., communications secretary for the Amazon synod, told

Vatican City, Oct 23, 2019 / 04:30 am (CNA).- Pope Francis said Wednesday that the first Christian evangelization of the pagans opened up “a very lively controversy” as the early Church discerned how to absorb new members from outside the people of Israel. In the Acts of the Apostles, “a very delicate theological, spiritual and

Tallahassee, Fla., Oct 23, 2019 / 12:26 am (CNA).- The Catholic bishops of Florida have called on Governor Ron DeSantis to halt the scheduled execution of James Dailey, who is on death row for murder in a controversial case from nearly 35 years ago. The bishops leading the seven dioceses of Florida signed a joint letter

Mosul, Iraq, Oct 22, 2019 / 07:01 pm (CNA).- The United Arab Emirates is partnering with UNESCO to rebuild two Catholic churches in Mosul that were destroyed in 2014 by the Islamic State. The initiative will help rebuild Al-Tahera Church and Al-Saa'a Church. “Today’s signing is a pioneering partnership that sends a message of light,