As Poland’s Church embraces politics, Catholics depart (Reuters) Young adults in many countries are becoming less religious, according to research by the Pew Center. In Poland, a growing number of its 32 million Catholics are turning away. In 1989 when Communist rule ended, nearly 90% of Poles approved of the Church, according to the state-affiliated CBOS opinion poll. That figure is now 41% – the lowest since 1993. The relationship between Church and state in Poland is governed by an agreement signed by Warsaw and the Holy See from 1993 that says they are independent and autonomous. In reality, Poles see an increasingly explicit connection…
Hawaii’s oldest Catholic school closing (Hawaii Catholic Herald) The pastor and principal said the decision to close “was not made lightly but only after much discussion and consideration,” in letters sent out to the parish and school community on Jan. 22. The official closure date will be June 4, at the end of this academic year’s calendar. The reason? Declining enrollment and financial issues worsened by COVID-19, factors that also closed St. John the Baptist School in Kalihi and Our Lady of Perpetual Help School in Ewa Beach in 2020…
Pope: liturgy and prayer unite us in Christ (Vatican News) In his continuing catechesis on Christian prayer, the Pope spoke about how the Church’s liturgical celebrations make Christ present in our lives. He began by noting that Christian history is rife with movements which pushed liturgical rites aside. “Often,” he said, “this tendency claimed the supposed greater purity of a religiousness that did not depend on external ceremonies, which were considered a useless or harmful burden…”
African prelate speaks out on kidnappings, COVID, and Biden (Crux) One of Nigeria’s most powerful prelates has opened up about the spate of clergy kidnappings and murders plaguing the country, the coronavirus, and new US President Joe Biden’s move to increase funding for international abortions. In an interview with Crux, Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama of Abuja said, “It is intriguing that one of Biden’s first official acts is to promote the destruction of human lives domestically and in developing nations…”
