Europe

French MPs drop bid to breach seal of confession

A clause that would have compelled priests to report information received in confession was withdrawn from a bill on school violence and child protection

Former Jesuit superior calls for more women in church leadership roles

The former German Jesuit provincial argues that women remain too restricted in Church leadership

Cardinal warns Church is in a ‘deep crisis’

Cardinal Kasper’s intervention comes as the German Church continues to face falling Mass attendance, vocations and membership

Monastery of Saint-Benoît call for prayer and fasting over SSPX consecrations

The monks will offer votive Masses and Holy Hours for the unity of the Church in the weeks before the Écône consecrations

New law would require priests to break seal of Confession

The French Bishops’ Conference has urged parliamentarians to reject a proposed law that would require clergy to report information heard in Confession

One in four Gen Z women may never have children, Irish study warns

A new Iona Institute paper forecasts that almost one in four Irish Gen Z women could reach 45 without having children if current trends continue

The Catholic Herald

Neocatechumenal Way marks 60 years with Mass in Madrid

The Pope said evangelisation is a fundamental task of the whole Church and urged renewed missionary commitment

The Catholic Herald

European court rules Turkey discriminated against Orthodox priests

The case concerned priests prevented from helping to administer foundations belonging to Istanbul’s Greek Orthodox minority

French churches suffer fresh attacks

A church in Lot-et-Garonne was damaged over Pentecost weekend as Catholics warn of a continuing pattern of vandalism against places of worship

Portsmouth diocese confirms dissolution of Marian Franciscans

The Marian Franciscans combined Franciscan spirituality with Marian devotion and developed apostolates in media, publishing, youth work and pro-life ministry