Pope Francis' Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors met in Rome to listen to survivors of clerical sexual abuse and to discuss abuse prevention education and ways the Church might work more closely with abuse survivors. Catholic News Agency's Elis... More »
On Saturday, 21 April 2018, Pope Francis announced the historic senior appointment of three laywomen as consultors to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF). Catholic News Agency's Hannah Brockhaus reports. On Saturday Pope Francis named five new... More »
On Saturday 21 April 2018 the Archdiocese of Johannesburg celebrated a mass of thanksgiving to mark the Catholic Church's 200-year presence in South Africa. The spotlight.africa team was there to report on this important occasion. The Catholic Archdiocese of J... More »
Cardinal Raymond Burke’s remarks at a recent conference in Rome, Anthony Egan says, open up the ongoing tensions in the Church over teaching authority, the primacy of the papacy and ultimately our understanding of truth. Burke made headlines when he claimed th... More »
In a letter addressed to Chile's bishops, Pope Francis admitted to making “serious mistakes” in handling the nation's massive sex abuse crisis and asked for forgiveness. The pope summoned Chile’s bishops to Rome to address the issue, and invited victims to mee... More »
Mr Paddy Kearney was awarded a special medal by Pope Francis, recognising his service to the Catholic Church over several decades. He wrote the first comprehensive biography of the great South African Archbishop, Denis Hurley, entitled "Guardian of the Light".... More »
Jesuit Regional Superior in South Africa, Father David Rowan, has been elected as the new president of the Leadership of Consecrated Life (LCCL) in Southern Africa. In an interview with Russell Pollitt, he speaks about the role of LCCL and its current prioriti... More »
On Monday, 9 April, the Solemnity of the Annunciation, Pope Francis released the third apostolic exhortation of his pontificate entitled "Gaudete et Exsultate" (Rejoice and be glad!). The exhortation focuses on holiness in everyday life. Pope Francis says: "Ev... More »
Cardinal Leo Burke told delegates at a conference in Rome on Saturday that the faithful are obligated to reject the teaching of the pope if it falls outside divine law. Catholic News Agency’s Rome correspondent Hannah Brockhaus reports. Speaking Saturday in Ro... More »
Archbishop William Slattery, spokesperson for the Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference (SACBC) has released the following statement extending the condolences of the Church to the family of Madikizela Mandela. The Roman Catholic Church extends sincere ... More »
Ghanaian Cardinal Peter Turkson, prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, has urged faith communities to have meaningful encounters with those who have autism and with their families, in opposition to a culture of exclusion. Hannah Br... More »
At 12:00 noon, from the central loggia of the Vatican Basilica, the Holy Father Francis addressed this message to the large crowd present in St Peter's Square and to those who listened to him through the radio, the television and the Internet: Dear brothers an... More »