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February 11, 2019

Cardinal Müller is following the path of Martin Luther with new manifesto, Cardinal Kasper says

Cardinal Gerhard Muller, then-prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, attends a Vatican news conference in this Oct. 25, 2016, file photo. Cardinal Muller released a "Manifesto of Faith" Feb. 8 in which he affirms basic teachings of the church "in the face of growing confusion about the doctrine of the faith." While the document has been viewed as a correction of Pope Francis' teachings, it does not specifically cite the Pope.
MUNICH, Germany – Cardinal Walter Kasper has released a criticism of Cardinal Gerhard Müller’s “Manifesto of Faith,” accusing it of containing half-truths and blanket statements that could lead to division and confusion in the Church.
Published in International
January 29, 2019

Vatican doctrinal official steps down over sexual advances to nun

Theologian Fr. Herman Geissler, 53, member of a community called The Spiritual Family The Work, submitted his resignation Jan. 28 to the prefect, Cardinal Luis Ladaria Ferrer, who then granted his request.
VATICAN – An Austrian priest under canonical investigation stepped down as an official at the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in an effort "to limit the damage already done to the congregation and to his community," the doctrinal office said.
Published in International
January 21, 2019

Pope closes Ecclesia Dei, transfers pastoral care of traditionalist Catholics to CDF

Mass in the Extraordinary Form being celebrated at Holy Family Catholic Church in Archdiocese of Toronto.
VATICAN – Pope Francis has closed the pontifical commission that had been responsible for the pastoral care of Catholics attached to the pre-Vatican II Mass, transferring the commission's tasks to a special section of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
Published in Faith
January 8, 2019

Vatican sources say McCarrick case not handled by full judicial process

Boston Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley processes out as clergymen assist then-retired Washington Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick following the 2017 installation Mass for Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark, N.J. In back is Cardinal Roger M. Mahony, retired archbishop of Los Angeles.
VATICAN – While recent media reports suggest that a trial of Archbishop Theodore McCarrick is underway, Vatican sources have told CNA that his case is not being handled by a full judicial process.
Published in International
January 4, 2019

Hysterectomy can be morally acceptable in limited situations, Vatican says

In this 2016 file photo, a woman in San Francisco de Yare, Venezuela, rests on a couch in her home while she recovers from a sterilization surgery. The Catholic Church teaches that sterilization is morally unacceptable, but a hysterectomy could be morally acceptable if the uterus could not sustain a pregnancy, said the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
VATICAN – The Catholic Church teaches that sterilization is morally unacceptable, but a hysterectomy could be morally acceptable if the uterus could not sustain a pregnancy, said the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
Published in Faith
June 4, 2018

Pope Francis rejects German proposal for inter-communion

Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki of Cologne, Germany, and Cardinal Reinhard Marx of Munich and Freising distribute Communion during Cardinal Woelki's installation Mass at the cathedral in Cologne Sept. 20, 2014.
VATICAN – One month after Vatican and German delegates met in Rome to discuss a proposal put forward by German bishops to allow Protestant spouses in inter-denominational marriages to receive the Eucharist in certain circumstances, Pope Francis has rejected it.
Published in International
May 17, 2018

New feast day to encourage maternal sense of the Church, Marian piety for the people

New feast day to encourage maternal sense of the Church, Marian piety for the people

WASHINGTON – The Catholic Church doesn’t often add new celebrations to its pretty full liturgical calendar, but this year’s new feast day, Mary, Mother of the Church on May 21, has Catholics gearing up to mark the day or at least think a little more about Mary.

Published in International
May 7, 2018

Theologians call for regular consultation of laity in church decisions

Archbishop Luis Ladaria, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, approved the publication of "Synodality in the Life and Mission of the Church", a document calling on the church to be more 'synodal'.
VATICAN – The Catholic Church needs to seek the input, commitment and talents of all of its members if it is to be truly catholic and to evangelize effectively, said a new document from the International Theological Commission.
Published in Canada
March 13, 2018

Salvation of souls the primary purpose of pastoral care, Doctrine of Faith prefect says

Archbishop Luis Ladaria, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, arrives for a news conference to present the document "Placuit Deo" at the Vatican March 1. The document, approved by Pope Francis, focuses on two errors the pope sees in a growing number of Christians.
VATICAN – Promoting and defending Catholic teaching is itself a pastoral practice, said Archbishop Luis Ladaria Ferrer, S.J., the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
Published in Faith