Absolution is not an absolute right
The recent words of Pope Francis in an impromptu speech, in which he calls priests who do not always give absolution "delinquents", deny what the Church has always prescribed: there are cases in which the priest has the duty to deny or defer absolution: it is denied when there is no real repentance, it is deferred when there are well-founded doubts about it.
Contraception: Paglia reopens the front: “Change is possible”
Could the doctrine on contraception be subject to change? For Monsignor Paglia, it needs to be considered,"the day will come when the Pope will do it". The PAV president's disconcerting interview with The Tablet refers to Civiltà Cattolica's hopes for an encyclical that would definitively surpass Humanae Vitae. It’s a concentration of pathetic responses, polls and dissent confusedly piled up and passed off as doctrine. And even the non-ideological pro-life neologism is invented.
Without Africans, no "plan" for Africa will work
The Pope and Giorgia Meloni, Italy’s new elected Prime Minister, relaunch cooperation with Europe and Italy to solve the problems of the black continent. This proposal is not new but inadequate as long as we forget that terrorism and migrants also come from Asia and we take for granted Africans are incapable, in the face of a Europe that struggles to help itself.
Show me your lectern and I’ll predict how you will govern
From Tony Blair's wheeled shelf to Boris Johnson's chunky podium until Rishi Sunak's recycled wood: a curious British tradition grants every prime minister a personalised lectern for their first speech in front of 10 Downing Street. It’s also a way to read their style of government. But the most famous debut, without a lectern, was Margaret Thatcher ...
The “Mazzucato case”: Vatican no longer considers faith a virtue
On his return from Bahrain Pope Francis justifies the appointment of Mariana Mazzucato to the Pontifical Academy for Life. The appointment is paradoxical because of the professor's pro-abortion statements and atheism, but for the Pope it is "a fresh breath of humanity". Yet, up to Benedict XVI, atheism was deemed detrimental to mankind and society.
“And the Word became ideology”. At the Synod a falsified Church
The Working Document for the Synod on Synodality, presented on October 27, is a reiteration of the typical phrasing of the pseudo-Christian ideology with which the Church hierarchies continually hammer the faithful: inclusiveness, Church without doors, rejection of the division between believers and non-believers.
What we value most is Christ Himself
Today, Jesus' invitation stimulates us first of all to renew our union with Him, a truly living and truly beloved person, and not to confuse Him with any ideological project or Christian society (…..) Only by contemplating the Father's love for His Son do we, too, learn to love Jesus Christ. The Daily Compass publishes the complete text of Cardinal Robert Sarah's meditation for the Giornata della Bussola 2022, on October 29 in Palazzolo sull’Oglio before 1000 people.
Now also L’Osservatore Romano embraces the gay and secularised Church
In a lengthy interview with the Vatican newspaper, Cardinal Hollerich, president of the European bishops, theorises a “Church-that-does-not-discriminate”, in which there is no longer even any need to convert: having erased sin, original and present, everything that exists is good. And of course it is good to bless homosexual unions. Just to be clear: the interview with Hollerich, as well as that previous with Zuppi, is not a personal opinion, but is intended to indicate the path established at the top.
A collapse in vocations, Ireland discovers it’s post-Christian
The Irish Church was once a forge for missionaries; today it’s experiencing a serious shortage of priests and vocations. Several dioceses (including Dublin) have responded by developing plans with lay-led liturgies, fewer Masses and unified parishes. Yet, even in the midst of the crisis, there are still some institutes where hope flickers.
Absolute power to Xi Jinping, only the Vatican does not notice
The conclusion of the XX Congress of the Chinese Communist Party, marking the total centralisation of power in the hands of Xi Jinping, goes well beyond expectations. Xi prepares for conflict, targets Taiwan and only appoints his loyalists: the priority is no longer the economy but his power and the modernisation of the army. It’s a clear message for the Holy See, which has just announced the renewal of the Agreement for the appointment of bishops, interference will not be tolerated.
"For Iran compulsory hijab is like the Berlin Wall"
Masih Alinejad, journalist and blogger, is one of the most representative figures of the Iranian women’s revolt against the Ayatollahs’ Islamic regime, exploiting social media, from her exile in America, to fuel the protests. But she also has a warning for the free world: "Either democratic countries unite to end Islamic terror, or Islamic terrorists will end democracy."
Defenders of life and abortionists: confusion in the Vatican
The new appointments to the Pontifical Academy for Life – which includes economist Marianna Mazzucato – confirm the 'Paglia line' open to experts in important fields that are in principle pro-abortion, while purging those who are most faithful to the Academy's original identity, and therefore critical of its current direction.
