Catholic officials on edge after reports of priests using Grindr (The New York Times) The reports by the blog, The Pillar, have unnerved the leadership of the American Catholic Church and have introduced a potentially powerful new weapon into the culture war between supporters of Pope Francis and his conservative critics: cellphone data, which many users assume to be unavailable to the general public…
Terrified Christians in Afghanistan brace for attacks (CNA) Afghanistan’s terrified Christians are bracing for a new round of persecution in the wake of the Taliban’s takeover of the country, Christian leaders and aid organizations warn. “We are telling people to stay in their houses because going out now is too dangerous,” one Afghani Christian leader told the aid organization International Christian Concern (ICC)…
Priests navigate fears, consciences in vaccine exemption pleas (RNS) The Colorado Catholic Conference’s declaration has been held up as evidence of a rift among U.S. Catholic bishops over whether Catholic teaching supports declining the COVID-19 vaccine as employers and schools across the country begin to require it…
Reaching out to Catholics with autism (Catholic Herald) For Chan, and for many others with autism, worshipping at a typical Mass results in extremely distressing sensory overload. Partaking of the Sacraments — something most Catholics take for granted — can be an emotionally and physically painful ordeal. And, when Chan looked around to find support for Catholics with autism, he was discouraged to find data indicating that many had ended up leaving the faith. All of this led to Chan’s current project: creating a resource network by which Catholics — adults as well as children and families — with autism in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee can share experiences, resources, support and encouragement…
