An influential advocate for the rights of persecuted minorities in China has gone on hunger strike today, Christmas Eve.

The total humanitarian blockade of Tigray is threatening the lives of millions of desperate people.

The Synod’s decision to drop the acronym LGBT from its final document represents a missed opportunity for the Church; a chance to build bridges with young gay people, to demonstrate a keenness to...

On the eve of a conference on the Uyghurs, Benedict Rogers says now is the time to act, such as by moving the Winter Olympic Games from Beijing.

The cardinals of Myanmar and Indonesia are among 76 signatories to a statement today calling for action to stop 'the potential genocide of the Uyghurs and other Muslims in China'.

Human remains have been found at the Vatican's embassy to Italy in Rome and police are investigating the matter, the Holy See has said in a statement.  

Christopher Lamb on why the Pope's most explicit support to date on same-sex civil unions could be a landmark moment in the Church’s ministry to gay Catholics. 

Under Pope Francis, the Church is revealing itself as willing to listen and learn from marginalised voices. 

Few emerge from the Holy See’s long-awaited report into ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick with their reputations enhanced, reports Christopher Lamb. 

The Liberal Democrats have deselected a practising Catholic as an election candidate after concluding that “his values diverge from ours”.

The Catholic Bishop for Migrants has called on Catholics to show solidarity with the refugees and migrants who attempt to cross the English Channel.

Jean Vanier was a spiritual giant. Those who lived and worked with him spoke of his almost palpable holiness; many considered him a living saint. He was unmoved by such accolades. Profoundly humble,...

Daniel Lewis Lee became the first prisoner to be executed by the federal government in 17 years this morning.

There has been dramatic backlash against the Church among mainly straight people who regard the CDF document as 'a step too far'.

The commission on the female diaconate is due to hold its first meeting in Rome in the middle of next month. 

What happened when a six-year-old autistic boy, Wenzel, interrupted the Papal audience.

His books are bestsellers and lectures by the celebrated Jesuit writer and media commentator James Martin are guaranteed to fill a cathedral. But, as his biographer discovered, his public appearances...

Every week through Lent, a writer will reflect on how a time of challenge brought unexpected grace. Here, James Martin SJ describes how he found freedom from his need to be approved of

Pope Francis has named a 68-year-old professor of theology to succeed Cardinal Juan Cipriani Thorne of Lima 

Just 28 books are known to survive from this great Yorkshire Cistercian monastery. Until recently, it was thought to be 27. Michael Carter on the latest discovery.

Fr Zollner said the exclusion of women from seminary formation had “extremely harmful consequences”.

James Martin SJ inspires packed lecture halls, tears of healing and enraged online mobs

Catholics bishops have demanded the Government produce the evidence that justifies closing churches yet again in the latest lockdown.

Clerical abuse is a massive reality in the Catholic Church caused by closed systems, clericalism says Schönborn. By Christa Pongratz-Lippitt.

Cardinal Robert Sarah has written to the presidents of all the bishops’ conferences describing the conditions under which celebration of the Eucharist should be restored.

The writer and human rights activist Benedict Rogers talks about the persecution of the Uyghurs in China after the announcement that Sir Geoffrey Nice QC is to lead an independent people’s tribunal...

The leader of the Irish political party Aontú has called for a ban on late term abortion in Ireland following the publication of a new study.

Fr James Martin has revealed how prayer has helped him find “peace” over his work with gay Catholics in spite of attacks from conservatives in the Church.

Pope Francis has asked Fr Timothy Radcliffe to lead a retreat for bishops and participants at the Synod on Synodality.

Pope Francis has insisted that treating and saving people is 'more important' than saving the economy.

There is a fundamental flaw in our law which means it is legal for a church leader to know that a child has been abused but to sit on this knowledge.

Pope Francis talks about the Covid-19 pandemic in his first ever interview with a British journalist, Austen Ivereigh. 

People leaving Church in 'droves' warns McAleese

The ban on Catholics debating the ordination of women is unsustainable and wrong, says The Tablet in an editorial this week.

Catholics want the role of women to be tackled urgently, according to a report that has come out of the synodal listening process.

More than 340 million Christians suffer high levels of persecution and discrimination for their faith, according to World Watch List.

Pope Francis has given a powerful endorsement of Fr James Martin’s ministry to gay Catholics in a letter to the Jesuit priest. 

There are as many reasons to pray as there are people. But as one of the world’s best-loved Christian writers explains, all are different ways of responding to an invitation from God

Wikileaks files show Cardinal Burke told the Knights of Malta to tackle issue of condom distribution or face Vatican investigation

Austen Ivereigh finds that while the world was waiting for a decision on married priests, Pope Francis was going in a different direction.

Sebastian Milbank refutes the myth that Christmas is a deception, a feast stolen from some supposedly more enjoyable pagan winter rite by cunning Christians.

Asia Bibi, the  Catholic woman condemned to death under Pakistan’s blasphemy laws, has had her conviction overturned by the Supreme Court in Pakistan.

Pope Francis is to take part in his first ever online service with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby.

There are significant communication gaps and numerous unanswered questions, such as how vetting and safeguarding checks will be conducted.

Our food system is broken. It poisons and destroys soils. It concentrates production and the means of that production in too few and too powerful hands.

Pope Francis has told a group of faith and civic leaders from Manchester that the environmental crisis must be tackled by ending a “throwaway culture of waste”. 

John Henry Newman should be considered a Doctor of the Church who ranks alongside early Christianity’s great thinkers, says senior cardinal.

Christopher Lamb explains why this week's controversial CDF ruling against same-sex blessings prompts more questions than answers.

Nazir Afzal: 'I wouldn't have taken on this role if I didn't think this was a key change in the way things were going to be done.'

The Archbishop of Westminster is to broadcast a Catholic service live across the UK on Easter Day.

What role should the Catholic Church play in meeting three major challenges the world is facing: the abuse of human rights, not least in an increasingly dangerous China, the threat to democratic...

A profound and practical guide to listening out for God

Cardinal says crowd who stormed the Capitol had been 'pummelled' by lies the election was stolen.

Pope Francis has changed Church law officially to recognise female ministry and allow women to be instituted into roles previously reserved to men.