France returns marble angels stolen from Italy church in ’89
By Associated Press — October 19, 2021
Italy’s art police said Tuesday that the angels, decorated with strategically placed vine of leaves and fruit, had been stolen from the St. Sebastian church in Guardia Sanframondi, northeast of Naples, on Dec. 13, 1989.
Indian police detain hundreds amid violence in Kashmir
By Associated Press — October 11, 2021
SRINAGAR, India (AP) — Government forces have detained at least 500 people in a sweeping crackdown in Indian-controlled Kashmir, local officials said Sunday, following a string of suspected militant attacks and targeted killings in the disputed region. Assailants fatally shot three Hindus and a Sikh person in the region’s main city of Srinagar this week […]
Merkel meets pope and receives farewell tribute from Draghi
By Associated Press — October 7, 2021
Merkel herself has called this her farewell bilateral trip to Italy as chancellor, and her unusually long 45-minute papal audience and glowing tribute from Draghi indicated her Roman counterparts wanted to pay their respects, too.
EU unveils strategy to tackle rising antisemitism in Europe
By Associated Press — October 5, 2021
According to Europe’s Fundamental Rights Agency, nine out of 10 Jews consider that antisemitism has increased in their country and is a serious problem. More than one in three people have considered emigrating to escape the abuse.
Switzerland to set up a dedicated embassy to the Vatican
By Associated Press — October 1, 2021
GENEVA (AP) — The Swiss government decided Friday to set up a dedicated embassy to the Vatican, for which Switzerland’s ambassador to Slovenia is currently responsible. Switzerland’s governing Federal Council determined the current arrangement “no longer allows all the work entailed by Switzerland’s diplomatic relations with the Holy See to be accomplished efficiently,” a government […]
Brooklyn bishop retires after Vatican clears him of abuse
By Associated Press — September 29, 2021
ROME (AP) — Pope Francis on Wednesday accepted the resignation of the Catholic bishop of Brooklyn, Nicholas DiMarzio, weeks after a Vatican investigation cleared him of sexual abuse allegations, and appointed a native New Yorker to replace him. DiMarzio is 77, two years beyond the normal retirement age for bishops. Francis accepted his resignation and […]
Peru’s ‘Lord of Miracles’ procession canceled amid pandemic
By Associated Press — September 29, 2021
LIMA, Peru (AP) — Peru’s most popular Roman Catholic procession, the Lord of Miracles, has been canceled for the second straight year because of the coronavirus pandemic, the archbishopric of Lima announced Tuesday. The procession venerates a 17th century rendering of Jesus Christ and in the past has attracted more than 100,000 people. It culminates […]
Canadian Catholic bishops apologize for residential schools
By Associated Press — September 27, 2021
The Catholic bishops in Canada are promising to provide documents that may help “memorialize” students buried in unmarked graves, work on getting the Pope to visit Canada, and raise money to help fund initiatives recommended by local Indigenous partners.
Anthony Pilla, longtime Cleveland bishop, dies at 88
By Associated Press — September 21, 2021
CLEVELAND (AP) — A former bishop who led the Diocese of Cleveland for 25 years has died. Anthony Pilla, a Cleveland native, died Tuesday at his home, the diocese announced. A cause of death was not disclosed, and church officials said funeral plans would be announced at a later date. He was 88. Pilla was […]
