Saint Joseph Catholic Church

In 2024, Archbishop Mpundu incurred an automatic excommunication when he ordained a bishop without papal approval.

Archbishop Mpundu “was widely respected for his strong advocacy on governance, social justice, and national affairs, courageously speaking out on matters of truth and justice while shepherding the faithful with compassion and wisdom,” said Archbishop Alick Banda, his successor as archbishop of Lusaka.

The day’s theme was “Hope for Redemption of Groaning Creation Amidst Bondage to Decay,” a reference to Romans 8:22.

“As political and economic instability, ongoing conflicts and violence, militarization, environmental degradation, rising unemployment, cultural fragmentation, weak healthcare systems, and the widespread effects of rapid technological change continue to shape the realities of the region, CCA member churches are urged to reflect on the anguish and suffering caused by decay and bondage, while holding on to the hope of renewal and new life,” said Mathews George Chunakara, the body’s general secretary.

Intensifying a trend begun last year, a North Carolina bishop appointed parochial administrators rather than pastors to lead eight of his diocese’s parishes.

Speaking with journalists on World Communications Day, Archbishop Martins said that “whereas it is true that anybody can repent and change, it is also important to recognize the fact that these persons are coming into a society that has been hurt very badly by their actions.”

“To just simply say that they have repented and can go back into society can be a dangerous thing because the intent of the human heart is hidden and we can only see their faces,” he added. “Perhaps when all the violence is gone and all the terrorism is gone, they can be reintegrated in a way that will create confidence in the people.”

Without mentioning President Donald Trump by name, Cardinal Michael Czerny, S.J., criticized the president’s policies toward Cuba, which have included a fuel blockade and discussion of a takeover of the nation.

Bishop Martin Hayes of Kilmore, the episcopal coordinator of Laudato Si’ for the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference, issued a statement yesterday for Laudato Si’ Week, named after Pope Francis’s 2015 encyclical letter on care for our common home.

Archbishop Gian Carlo Perego of Ferrara-Comacchio, Italy, celebrated a Mass on May 9 marking the thousandth anniversary of Pomposa Abbey (video).

In a prominent front-page article in its May 16 edition, L’Osservatore Romano drew attention to signs of hope for the Church in Myanmar, where a military coup in 2021 precipitated a civil war.