Pope interrupted during audience; he responds with prayer (NCR) Pope Francis’ weekly general audience was interrupted on Feb. 2 by a maskless protester shouting “This is not the Church of God!” The man, who was not immediately identified but spoke in English, was soon escorted out of the Vatican’s Pope Paul VI audience hall. While the exact nature of his protest was unclear, Pope Francis responded by offering his prayers for the individual. “A few minutes ago we heard a man who was screaming, shouting, who had some kind of problem,” Francis said at the conclusion of his hour-long greeting to pilgrims from around the globe. “I don’t know if it is physical, psychological or spiritual, but he is a brother of ours who has a problem…”
Pope tells religious sisters to fight back against unfair treatment by men of the Church (CNA) Pope Francis told religious sisters’ to fight back when they are treated unfairly or “reduced to servitude” by men of the Church. “I encourage all consecrated women to discern and choose what is best for their mission in the face of the world’s challenges that we’re experiencing,” Pope Francis said in a video message on Feb. 1. “I invite them to fight when, in some cases, they are treated unfairly, even within the Church; when they serve so much that they are reduced to servitude —at times, by men of the Church,” the pope said…
Spain’s government to launch abuse investigation (Crux) After the bishops’ conference of Spain (CEE) refused to launch an independent commission to look into historic clerical abuse cases, the government gave a green light for Congress to launch its own commission. The left-wing Spanish government, led by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, has decided to play an active role in the investigation of abuse cases against minors within the Catholic Church. The decision comes days after a request made by the allies of this coalition government, including Unidas Podemos, for Congress to create the body…
Pakistan has first ‘Servant of God’ (Vatican News) The Catholic Church of Pakistan now has its first official candidate to sainthood and martyrdom, a young victim of a suicide bombing who prevented an even larger massacre. Celebrating the feast of St. John Bosco on Monday, Archbishop Sebastian Shaw of Lahore announced that the Vatican has accepted the cause of Akash Bashir’s martyrdom, UCA News reported. The title ‘Servant of God’ is given to a candidate at the beginning of the sainthood process at the diocesan level…
