Catholic News

• Five new cardinals elevated at consistory
  Pope Francis elevated five prelates to the College of Cardinals at a consistory on Wednesday afternoon, June 28.
• Christians should always expect opposition, Pope tells audience
  Pope Francis told his public audience on June 28 that “the proclamation of the Kingdom of God always involves opposition,” and “the confession of faith always takes place in a climate of hostility.”
• Unions should be prophetic voice for a new social compact, Pope says
  Pope Francis said that trade unions should fulfill a prophetic role in society, in a June 28 meeting with members of the Confederation of Trade Unions in Italy.
• China rejects Vatican ‘interference’ on imprisoned bishop
  The Chinese government has brushed aside a Vatican expression of “grave concern” over the abduction of Bishop Peter Shao Zhumin of Wenzhou.
• Italian paper reveals US embassy assessments of Pope Francis
  The Italian daily La Stampa has published excerpts of memos from the US embassy at the Vatican to the Obama administration, offering insights on the policies and personality of Pope Francis.
• Aid to developing nations should support refugees, local poor, says Vatican envoy
  A Vatican representative has suggested that when impoverished nations host refugees, aid to those nations should support both the refugees and the local victims of poverty.
• 111 assisted suicides in California in first six months under new law
  During the first six months since assisted suicide became legal in the state of California, 111 people ended their own lives using drugs prescribed by their doctors.
• Mexican priest recovering after cathedral stabbing
  A Mexican priest who was stabbed by an assailant after celebrating Mass at the Mexico City cathedral on May 15 has been moved out of a hospital intensive-care unit.
• Turkish government seizes Syriac Orthodox properties
  The government of Turkey has seized more than 50 properties from the Syriac Orthodox Church in the country’s Mardin province.
• Pope celebrates 25th anniversary of episcopal ordination
  On June 27, Pope Francis marked the 25th anniversary of his ordination as a bishop, celebrating Mass with members of the College of Cardinals in the Pauline Chapel of the apostolic palace.
• Prelate: Supreme Court’s Trinity Lutheran decision is ‘landmark victory for religious freedom’
  Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore, chairman of the US bishops’ Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty, welcomed the Supreme Court’s 7-2 decision in Trinity Lutheran Church v. Comer as a “landmark victory for religious freedom.”
• Pope greets delegation from Ecumenical Patriarch
  Pope Francis received a delegation from the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople on June 27, as is customary in the days around the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul (June 29), patrons of Rome.
• Myanmar: Cardinal Bo challenges government to acknowledge Rohingya suffering
  Cardinal Charles Maung Bo of Yangon, Myanmar, has spoken out in support of the country’s Rohingya minority, which has been the object of severe repression.
• Nuncio encourages Christians to return to Iraq
  Archbishop Alberto Ortega Martín, the apostolic nuncio to Iraq, has encouraged Christians who have fled Iraq to return to their native land, in order to be “the presence of Christ” there.
• Congo’s bishops decry violence, call for elections
  The bishops of the Democratic Republic of the Congo called upon President Joseph Kabila to respect a December agreement with opposition leaders to hold elections in 2017.
• Australian census shows falling Catholic population
  Australia’s Catholic population is falling, and the number of those who claim “no religion” is now the country’s largest bloc, according to the latest census figures.
• British Medical Association endorses decriminalization of abortion
  Brushing aside a protest from pro-life members, the British Medical Association (BMA) has voted to approve a motion calling for the decriminalization of abortion.
• English cardinal addresses Lithuanian parliament
  Cardinal Vincent Nichols of Westminster addressed the Lithuanian parliament on June 26 in his capacity as president of the Santa Marta Group.
• Retired Archbishop of Canterbury resigns from Anglican post after abuse report
  Lord Carey, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, has resigned from his role as an Anglican prelate after a negative report on his handling of a sex-abuse claim against another Anglican prelate.
• European court rules out Spanish subsidies for Catholic institutions
  The European Court of Justice has ruled that a tax exemption granted to a Spanish Catholic school would be an illegal form of state support for religion, if the school could be classified as a business.
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