Judge: Church Militant rally in Baltimore can go on (AP) Baltimore city officials can’t ban a conservative Roman Catholic media outlet from holding a prayer rally at a city-owned pavilion during a U.S. bishops’ meeting next month, a federal judge has ruled, saying the First Amendment right to free speech is “at the heart of this case.” U.S. District Judge Ellen Hollander ruled late Tuesday that St. Michael’s Media Inc., also known as Church Militant, is likely to succeed on its claims that the city discriminated against it on the basis of its political views and violated its free speech rights…
Pope: Church must respect other cultures, not impose itself (CNS) Christian freedom means respecting other cultures and traditions rather than finding ways to impose “one’s own model of life as though it were the most evolved and the most appealing,” Pope Francis said. “How many errors have been made in the history of evangelization by seeking to impose a single cultural model,” the pope said Oct. 13 during his weekly general audience in the Paul VI audience hall…
Another Anglican bishop becomes Catholic (The Spectator) Michael Nazir-Ali, the former Bishop of Rochester and one of the best-known Anglican clerics, could be ordained as a Catholic priest as early as next month…
Number of seminarians in Poland drops (CNA) Nearly 20% fewer candidates for the Catholic priesthood have enrolled in Poland’s seminaries this year, compared to 2020. Fr. Piotr Kot, chairman of the Conference of Rectors of Major Seminaries, told the Polish Catholic news agency KAI on Oct. 12 that 356 seminarians began their studies in 2021. Last year, he said, there were 441 candidates, meaning that “the number is lower by approximately 20%…”
Priest says pets provided emotional support during pandemic (Crux) India has suffered greatly during the pandemic, with over 34 million cases and 4.5 million deaths. Mumbai was locked down in March 2020 with the rest of India, but also experienced another lockdown earlier this year during the pandemic’s second wave. “Pets helped many people cope with the mental stress of being locked down during the coronavirus pandemic. During the lockdown, as people remained stuck at home, our loyal pets provided the companionship,” Father Joseph D’Souza said…
