Gloria.TV News on the 25th of March 2015

Still Catholic: Nearly 500 priests in England and Wales have signed a “Support for Marriage Letter” in anticipation of the Synod on the Family. The letter reaffirms Catholic doctrine on Marriage and Holy Communion. One priest, who asked to remain anonymous, said that – quote - there “has been a certain amount of pressure not to sign the letter and indeed a degree of intimidation from some senior churchmen.”

Justice Now: Jewish born Jesuit Father David Neuhaus has commented on the victory of the right wing parties in the Israeli elections. Neuhaus believes that the international community may now be persuaded to step up pressure and support the Israeli opposition in its call for justice and peaceful transformation and speak out against – quote - “such a situation which is more and more blatantly unjust for a people that has been waiting for decades for recognition of its national rights.”

Crisis: On March 17 the archdiocese of Nagasaki, Japan, published the conclusion of the first archdiocesan synod. Quote: “The withering and enervation of the Church in Nagasaki is something that we recognize with grief, remorse, and a deep sense of crisis.” Nagasaki was known for the “hidden Catholics,” who secretly maintained their faith throughout centuries of persecution despite having no priests. But since the Council, the number of Catholics has dropped from 75,000 to 62,000. Of the 267 marriages performed in the archdiocese in 2013, only 44 were among Catholics. In most of the households, only one member is Catholic. Children attending a parent’s funeral often cannot join in the prayers and are not able to participate in Mass. They are bewildered and upset - says the document.

Fired: Cardinal Ezzati of Santiago de Chile has de facto fired ultraliberal Jesuit Father Jorge Costadoat Carrasco, a professor of theology at the Catholic University of Chile. The Cardinal stated that the step does not constitute any sanction. Costadoat is a supporter of the heretical thesis of Bishop Johan Bonny of Antwerpen, Belgium, who called for an ecclesiastical recognition of homosex relationships. In January Bonny was awarded by a Flemish homosex organization.