All posts tagged: Catholic

Cardinal Poola Anthony Becomes First Dalit To Lead India’s Catholic Church | India News

Cardinal Poola Anthony Becomes First Dalit To Lead India’s Catholic Church | India News

Published by Webster

Last Updated:February 08, 2026, 15:56 IST Cardinal Poola Anthony, Archbishop of Hyderabad, becomes the first Dalit president of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India. Cardinal Poola Anthony, Archbishop of Hyderabad, becomes the first Dalit president of CBCI. (Image: X @S_AsianXtians) Cardinal Poola Anthony, the Archbishop of Hyderabad, has been elected as the new president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) at its 37th general body meeting held on Saturday. At 64, Cardinal Anthony becomes the first Dalit prelate to head India’s nearly two crore Catholics. Announcing his election, the CBCI said he assumes leadership at a critical juncture for the Church in India, bringing decades of pastoral and administrative experience and a strong commitment to faith, justice and human dignity. Church sources said Cardinal Anthony will lead delegations engaging with authorities on minority rights, at a time when the Catholic community is facing what they described as increasing distress due to attacks and persecution by fringe elements. He succeeds Andrews Thazhathu, the Archbishop of Thrissur. Early life and priesthood Born on November 15, 1961, …

Pope indicates new governing style for Catholic Church with regular, annual cardinal meetings| India News

Pope indicates new governing style for Catholic Church with regular, annual cardinal meetings| India News

Published by Parlour News

VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV said Thursday he intended to bring the world’s Catholic cardinals together annually, indicating a new governing style for the church that involves consulting its top leaders regularly and as a group. Pope indicates new governing style for Catholic Church with regular, annual cardinal meetings At the end of his first consistory, as such meetings are called, Leo asked cardinals to return to Rome for a second session at the end of June and from then onward on an annual basis for three to four days each year, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said. Cardinals said the proposed date for the second session would be June 27-28, before a big June 29 feast day. Pope Francis had largely eschewed consistories and the College of Cardinals as a whole to help him govern. Instead, he had a hand-picked group of nine cardinals who met every few months at the Vatican to advise him. Before the May conclave that elected Leo, cardinals had complained about Francis’ go-it-alone governing style and called for the …

Arshad Warsi recalls catholic in-laws being worried about his and Maria Goretti’s marriage: ‘Muslim ladka aur jobless’

Arshad Warsi recalls catholic in-laws being worried about his and Maria Goretti’s marriage: ‘Muslim ladka aur jobless’

Published by Webster

Updated on: Dec 28, 2025 10:50 pm IST Arshad Warsi shared how initial concerns from his wife, Maria’s catholic parents, about their marriage transformed into acceptance. Real-life love stories of actors in Bollywood often make headlines, and some even resonate deeply. Arshad Warsi’s journey with wife Maria Goretti is one such tale. The actor recently opened up about how Maria’s Catholic parents initially reacted to their interfaith marriage, candidly admitting that the early days were filled with nervousness, but what followed was a slow transformation that turned hesitation into wholehearted acceptance. Arshad Warsi recalled his in-law’s reaction to their interfaith marriage. Arshad Warsi recalls his in-laws being nervous about his and Maria’s marriage During a conversation with Lallantop, Arshad Warsi talked about his catholic in-laws’ reaction when he decided to marry their daughter Maria. He said, “Voh thode ghabraiye hue the. Catholic girl and muslim guy. Woh dono bahut sharif hain. Unki zindagi main Jesus Christ ke alava aur kuch nahi hai. Voh thode se the ghabriye hue because they expected Maria to marry another …

50 kidnapped Catholic school students in Nigeria escape | World News

50 kidnapped Catholic school students in Nigeria escape | World News

Published by Parlour News

This photo released by the Christian Association of Nigeria shows the dormitories of St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary School after gunmen abducted children and staff in Papiri community in Nigeria, Friday, Nov. 21, 2025. (Christian Association of Nigeria via AP) Fifty of the more than 300 students kidnapped from a Nigerian Catholic school last week have escaped and have been reunited with their parents, the Catholic Church and Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) said on Sunday. However around 253 of those kidnapped, including 12 staff members and teachers, are still with the kidnappers, said CAN chairman Bulus Yohanna, a Catholic Bishop who is also the proprietor of the school.In a statement, Yohanna said the pupils escaped between Friday and Saturday. Parents rushed to the school in Niger state, to the west of the capital Abuja, after hearing that some children had escaped. Amose Ibrahim was one of the parents who went to St. Mary’s school to check if any of his three children had escaped. “Unfortunately, they were not among the escapees,” Ibrahim, whose …

As Pope Leo XIV faces scrutiny, victims of abusive Catholic group say he helped when others didn’t | News Today News

As Pope Leo XIV faces scrutiny, victims of abusive Catholic group say he helped when others didn’t | News Today News

Published by Parlour News

Pope Leo XIV made plenty of enemies helping dismantle a powerful Catholic movement whose leaders physically, sexually, spiritually and psychologically abused members. As Leo’s past record of handling clergy sexual abuse cases comes under scrutiny, victims of the now-disgraced group are stepping up to defend his record. These survivors say that starting in 2018, when Robert Prevost was a bishop in Peru, he met with them. He took their claims seriously when others did not. He got the Vatican involved and worked concretely to provide financial reparations for the harm they had endured. They credit him with helping arrange the key 2022 meeting with Pope Francis that triggered a Vatican investigation into the group, known as the Sodalitium Christiane Vitae, that resulted in its suppression earlier this year. “What can I say about him? That he listened to me,” said José Rey de Castro, a teacher who spent 18 years in the Sodalitium as the personal cook for its leader, Luis Fernando Figari. “It seems obvious for a priest. But that’s not the case, because …

Central Travancore sees another political push with an eye on Catholic, farmer votes

Central Travancore sees another political push with an eye on Catholic, farmer votes

Published by Parlour News

With an eye on the influential Catholic vote bank of Central Travancore, a region in the midst of significant political churn, yet another political initiative with apparent leanings towards the Bharatiya Janata Party appears to be taking shape in Kottayam. Two years after a failed attempt to launch a political party, a group of former Kerala Congress leaders have joined hands to revive their plans, ostensibly with the backing of the BJP. The new movement, which has also garnered the support of a section of Catholic bishops, aims at resonating with the farming community of Central Travancore, which constitutes the core support base of the two major Kerala Congress (KC) factions. As part of it, a farmers’ conference was held in Kottayam on Friday under the banner of the Kerala Farmers’ Federation. The federation is chaired by George J. Mathew, a former Kerala Congress chairman and former legislator from Kanjirappally. The event was organised with the support of P.M. Mathew, former legislator from Kaduthuruthy, and M.V. Mani. The trio is expected to address the media …

Pope Francis Death: Kamal Haasan offers condolences to Catholic community; calls late pontiff ‘moral compass in a fractured world…’

Pope Francis Death: Kamal Haasan offers condolences to Catholic community; calls late pontiff ‘moral compass in a fractured world…’

Published by Parlour News

Trigger Warning: This article contains mention of death. Pope Francis passed away on April 21, 2025, at the age of 88 at his residence, the Domus Sanctae Marthae, in Vatican City. As the world mourns the spiritual leader’s passing, legendary actor Kamal Haasan also expressed his condolences. In a post on social media, the actor-filmmaker said, “I offer my deepest condolences to the Catholic community around the world on the passing of Pope Francis. A champion of peace, a humble reformer, a voice for the poor, and a bridge between faiths — he was a moral compass in a fractured world. The world mourns a spiritual leader who placed humanity above all.” See the post here: Pope Francis had passed away after a five-week stay in the hospital a month earlier. The late pontiff and head of the Catholic church had suffered from a respiratory tract infection and double pneumonia. The Pope’s demise comes only a day after Easter Sunday, with the spiritual leader even having a meeting with United States Vice President JD Vance …

Pope Francis Death: Tributes Pour in for Head of the Catholic Church, Whoopi Goldberg Recalls Meeting

Pope Francis Death: Tributes Pour in for Head of the Catholic Church, Whoopi Goldberg Recalls Meeting

Published by Parlour News

Trigger Warning: This article contains references to an individual’s death. Tributes have poured in from around the world following the death of Pope Francis, the beloved leader of the Catholic Church, who passed away on Monday at the age of 88. Cardinal Kevin Farrell confirmed the Pope’s death in a statement shared on Monday. “Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow, I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis. At 7.35 am this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father,” adding that his entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and His Church. Farrell highlighted how the late Catholic Church leader taught people to live the values of the Gospel with faithfulness, courage, and universal love. Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires in 1936, was diagnosed with bilateral pneumonia in February. After spending over a month in the hospital, he returned to his residence in the Vatican for recovery. Despite his critical condition, he made a public appearance on Easter Sunday, …

Central Travancore sees another political push with an eye on Catholic, farmer votes

Association of Catholic bishops seeks unbiased, constructive approach to Waqf Amendment Bill

Published by Parlour News

With the Waqf Amendment Bill set to be introduced in Parliament, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI), which is the permanent association of Catholic bishops in India, has urged political parties and legislators to adopt an unbiased and constructive approach to this issue.  In a statement released on Monday (March 31, 2025), it said certain provisions in the existing Central Waqf Act were inconsistent with the Constitution and the secular democratic values of the country.  “In Kerala, the Waqf Board has invoked these provisions to declare the ancestral residential properties of more than 600 families in the Munambam region as Waqf land. Over the past three years, this issue has escalated into a complex legal dispute. The fact remains that only a legal amendment can provide a permanent solution, and this must be recognised by the people’s representatives,’’ noted the association. It added that the rightful ownership of land must be fully restored to the people of Munambam. “Any provisions or laws that contradict the principles of the Constitution must be amended. At the same time, …

Catholic bishops’ body backs Waqf Amendment Bill, asks MPs to support, Kiren Rijiju welcomes statement

Catholic bishops’ body backs Waqf Amendment Bill, asks MPs to support, Kiren Rijiju welcomes statement

Published by Webster

The remarks from the leading organisation of Christian clerics come at a time when the government is pushing to bring the Waqf (Amendment) Bill for consideration of Parliament in the ongoing Budget Session. As some groups protest over the proposed Waqf Amendment Bill, the Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) on Monday came out in support of the amendments to the Central Waqf Act, contending that some of its provisions were inconsistent with the Constitution and secular democratic values of the country. Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, highlighting the organisation’s appeal, said that it is the duty of those in politics to care for and address problems and challenges faced by the people.  The CBCI also urged political parties to adopt an unbiased and constructive approach to the issue. The remarks from the leading body of Christian clerics come at a time when the government is pushing to bring the Waqf (Amendment) Bill for consideration of Parliament in the ongoing Budget Session. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the government was ready to bring the Waqf …