Spirituality

550 MUSLIMS DIE AT HAJJ AS TEMPERATURES AT MECCA HIT 51.8C At least 550 people have died during the Hajj pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca in the scorching heat, it has been reported. Temperatures reached at least 51.8C (125F) in the shade in the Saudi Arabian city, as huge crowds of Muslims undertook the annual religious journey – …

CHURCH OF SCOTLAND SELLING 100 CHURCHES AS MOST PEOPLE SAY THEY HAVE NO RELIGION The Church of Scotland is selling 100 historic buildings to free up funds after a drastic decline in the number of worshippers and ministers. Churches, plots of land and former council houses, some dating back to the 1700s, have been listed for sale at prices ranging …

CATHOLIC BISHOP TAKES SWIPE AT MUSHROOM CHURCHES, SAYS THEY SPRING UP FOR MONEY The Catholic Bishop of Yola, Stephen Mamza, has taken a swipe at mushroom churches springing up with no apparent spiritual intent but for commercial quest. The Bishop who is the immediate Adamawa State Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, said during a special Mass in …

ARMED PRIEST ARRESTED AS HE TRIED TO ENTER VATICAN TO PRAY WITH POPE FRANCIS A priest armed with several weapons and dressed in a cassock tried to enter St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican to participate in the Regina Caeli prayer with Pope Francis on Sunday, May 5. According to the Italian news agency ANSA, the priest, who is from …

AT LAST, AHIARA CATHOLIC DIOCESE GETS SUBSTANTIVE BISHOP The Holy Father, Pope Francis, has appointed Bishop Simeon Okezuo Nwobi, as the substantive Bishop for the Catholic Diocese of Ahiara, Imo State. This was contained in a statement from the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN) released in Abuja, on Friday. Ahiara Diocese was created in 1987, with Monsignor Victor Adibe Chikwe …

POPE FRANCIS: CARDINALS MEET TO DISCUSS SUCCESSOR The cardinals are now meeting to discuss who should be the next pope. Some of the liberal ones, who feel safe because they’re in favour with the ailing Pope Francis, can be seen comparing notes in a bar near the gates of the Vatican. The conservative cardinals are more nervous: they gather at …

PREACH LOVE, STOP RECKLESS ATTACKS OF CATHOLIC CHURCH – ARCHBISHOP KAIGAMA The Catholic Archbishop of Abuja Diocese, Most Rev Ignatius Kaigama, on Sunday raised concern over the recklessness displayed by preachers in condemning Catholics aggressively. According to him, one would think their lives or salvation depend on how viciously they condemn the Catholic Church and its doctrine, traditions and worship. …

ROBOT PRIEST, ‘FATHER JUSTIN”, EXCOMMUNICATED BY CATHOLIC CHURCH A robot priest created by artificial intelligence was defrocked after just one day when parishioners kicked against it. The virtual priest named “Father Justin” was set up by a US religious network Catholic Answers to tend to the needs of Catholics online. But within 24 hours the computerised clergyman was excommunicated as …

WHY I DON’T WATCH TELEVISION – POPE FRANCIS Catholic pontiff, Pope Francis has revealed why he does not watch television. According to him, he made a vow 34 years ago to stop watching television. The Supreme Pontiff said he placed himself on the self-imposed ban after stumbling across a smutty show. He explained that the vulgar viewing was so bad …

POPE FRANCIS ANNOUNCES DRAMATIC RESTRUCTURING OF CATHOLIC CHURCH IN IRELAND The Apostolic Nunciature in Ireland has announced the restructuring of the Catholic Church in Ireland, which will require reducing and consolidating diocesan territories. According to The Independent–a newspaper frequently critical of Ireland’s Catholic Church–the episcopal changes amount to “the most extensive restructuring of the Catholic church here in roughly 900 …