Police recover beloved saint's relic taken in brazen theft that shocked Czech Catholics

Police announced May 15 that the stolen skull of one of the Czech Republic's most beloved saints has been found.

It was taken by a thief who slipped into a Dominican basilica just before evening Mass on May 12, smashed a glass reliquary and escaped in a flash with the remains of St. Zdislava of Lemberk, a 13th-century Dominican laywoman whose relics have been venerated by pilgrims for centuries.

Police said they recovered the skull after finding it encased in concrete. Investigators said the 35-year-old suspect believed the saint's remains "would not find peace there" if they continued to be displayed in the basilica. According to police, he planned to throw the relic into a river and bury it privately.

"His motive was not to obtain money for it," police spokeswoman Ivana Baláková said. Experts are now working to remove the skull from the hardened concrete and assess its condition.

Events on May 12 unfolded like a scene from a movie: the silhouette of a figure dressed in black, two quick bangs, shattered glass, and, before anyone could react, one of the Czech Republic's most treasured Catholic relics had vanished.

The theft took place at the Basilica of St. Lawrence and St. Zdislava in Jablonné v Podještedí, a small Czech town 70 miles north of the country's capital, Prague, and home to one of the country's most important pilgrimage sites. A security camera captured the moment, but the footage is blurry.

It looked like a carefully planned burglary. Fr. Štepán Filip, a Dominican priest who serves at the basilica, told Czech media outlet Seznam Zprávy that the entire operation lasted "a few seconds."

He said he just saw someone run from the church with the relic in hand. The thief broke through two layers of protective glass, likely using a small emergency hammer, according to local reports. The alarm in that part of the church had been switched off because Mass was about to begin.

"We have to pray now that it gets back and that it's OK," Filip said in an interview before the relic was found. "It's an old skull" that is "fragile," he added.

Police released surveillance footage and appealed to the public for help identifying the perpetrator. On May 14, they announced that a 35-year-old man had been detained.

The news shocked Catholics throughout the Czech Republic. Now-Archbishop Stanislav Pribyl, who headed the Diocese of Litomerice, where the basilica is located, until he was installed as archbishop of Prague on April 25, told the Czech news agency CTK that the disappearance of the skull was "devastating news."

"The skull was revered by pilgrims. … I cannot believe that someone practically in broad daylight steals from church a relic whose value is above all historical and also spiritual for believers," he said.

Born around 1220 into a noble Bohemian family, St. Zdislava (also known as Zdislava Berka) married and raised four children. She became associated with the Dominican order as a lay member while devoting herself to the poor and the sick. She founded a hospital, supported the establishment of religious communities and was known for personally tending to those who were ill.

Her contemporaries called her the Mother of the Poor. After her death in 1252, devotion to St. Zdislava spread as believers attributed miraculous healings to her intercession.

St. John Paul II canonized her in Olomouc on May 21, 1995. In his homily, he pointed to her life as a model of holiness lived in marriage and family life.

"St. Zdislava, by intensely living the spirituality of a Dominican tertiary, was able to make a gift of herself, in the words of Jesus: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.' This is the secret of the great attraction which her figure always exercised during her life, as well as after her death and still today," St. John Paul said in his homily.

"Her example seems remarkably timely, particularly with regard to the value of the family, which — she teaches us — must be open to God, to the gift of life and to the needs of the poor," the pope said.

Her shrine in Jablonné draws pilgrims from across Central Europe, many of them praying for children, healing and strength in marriage. In a country often described as one of Europe's most secular nations, devotion to St. Zdislava continues. The timing of the theft was especially painful as Catholics were preparing for her feast day, which is May 30.

Becciu lawyers ask Vatican appeals court to halt new trial

Lawyers for Cardinal Angelo Becciu and two co-defendants asked the Vatican appeals court to halt a new trial because prosecutors failed to file complete investigative records.

On May 13, defense lawyers representing Cardinal Becciu and businessmen Enrico Crasso and Raffaele Mincione filed a memorandum before the Vatican Court of Appeal challenging the conduct of the Vatican promoter of justice in the ongoing case concerning the Secretariat of State’s financial management.

According to the file viewed by Italian journalist Nico Spuntoni, the defense requested that the court declare the indictment invalid and revoke the order granting time for the parties to prepare evidence for a retrial ordered earlier this year.

“The promoter of justice refused to comply with the order issued” by the court to deposit the complete investigative records, the defense lawyers wrote in the memorandum cited by the Italian newspaper Il Giornale.

According to the order previously issued by the Vatican appeals court, prosecutors were required to deposit all records connected to the first-instance convictions of Becciu and the other defendants by April 30. According to the defense filing, prosecutors submitted material that “still contained numerous redactions and omissions.”

The lawyers argued that this did not satisfy the court’s instruction to provide the full documentation in the court registry.

The Vatican prosecution office reportedly maintained that only investigative acts and documents considered “relevant” to the case should be deposited, excluding material linked to matters deemed “unrelated to the facts under examination.”

Prosecutors also referred to the existence of information which, if disclosed, could allegedly endanger “the good and interest of the State [of Vatican City].”

Defense lawyers rejected those arguments in their memorandum. According to the file, the prosecutors had “illegitimately” assumed the authority to decide independently what material was pertinent to the judges’ assessment.

 The memorandum also criticized a proposal by the Vatican prosecution office allowing the court to consult certain materials without including the defense teams in the process. The lawyers characterized the proposal as “a sort of reserved negotiation with the Court regarding what to deposit” and argued that such a procedure was unsupported by Vatican law and “contrary to legal norms.” The memorandum also speaks of “serious and unprecedented situation.”

Among the materials allegedly not deposited were files obtained from 31 electronic devices seized from Alberto Perlasca, a former Vatican official who became a key witness against Becciu during the original proceedings. The defense argued that the absence of those materials undermined the possibility of preparing adequately for a renewed trial.

For all these reasons, the defense maintained that the defects previously identified in the indictment had not been remedied, despite directions issued by Vatican judges in March 2026.

According to defense, the failure to file the complete acts prevents the reopening of the evidentiary phase ordered by the appellate judges under the presidency of Archbishop Alejandro Arellano Cedillo. If the court accepts that position, the new proceedings could potentially be suspended or even declared invalid.

The current dispute follows years of legal proceedings connected to the Vatican’s controversial London property investment in Sloane Avenue and broader allegations regarding the management of Secretariat of State funds.

In December 2023, the Vatican tribunal convicted Cardinal Becciu on financial charges and imposed a prison sentence, while also convicting several other defendants involved in the case. Becciu has consistently denied wrongdoing and appealed the judgment.

On March 17, 2026, the Vatican Court of Appeal, presided over by Arellano Cedillo, identified violations of procedural guarantees in the original trial against Becciu and eight other defendants, particularly concerning the effective exercise of the right to defense, and declared a “relative nullity” of proceedings.

"Alonso Cano: Like a Virgin": transvestites, lingerie and subsidized blasphemy in an exhibition about the Virgin in Guadalajara

The Museum of Guadalajara, under the Junta of Castilla-La Mancha, has hosted since May 7 the exhibition Alonso Cano. Like a Virgin, a show that uses the image of the Virgin Mary and the iconography of the Virgin of the Milk to develop a contemporary ideological discourse on sexuality, gender, and the “reappropriation” of the female body.

The exhibition, organized together with the Elena de la Cruz School of Art, will remain open until June 21. The «artistic» affront makes use of visual elements associated with cross-dressing, queer aesthetics, lingerie, and cultural provocation around one of the most sacred and venerated representations of Christianity.

Under the title Like a Virgin — an explicit reference to the song popularized by Madonna — the show presents reinterpretations of Alonso Cano’s Virgo Lactans through corsets, leather, contemporary styling, and photographic compositions created by students of photography, fashion, and design.

From Cultura Castilla-La Mancha, the initiative is presented as an «exercise of pedagogical innovation and cultural mediation» aimed at connecting historical heritage with the new generations of artists.

The Virgin Reinterpreted from Contemporary Ideology

According to the official description issued by Cultura Castilla-La Mancha, the project starts from the idea that the iconography of the Virgin breastfeeding the Child Jesus was the subject of “censorship and sexualization” during the Counter-Reformation.

The exhibition intends to explore “the historical tension between the sanctity of the female body and the patriarchal gaze”, reinterpreting a deeply theological image of divine motherhood from contemporary ideological categories linked to feminism, sexual identity, and gender theory.

Among the cultural references used are figures like Madonna, Alexander McQueen, or Jean Paul Gaultier, in an approach that mixes Baroque sacred art with visual codes typical of contemporary aesthetic provocation.

A Provocation That Would Hardly Be Made with Other Religions

The representation shows the treatment that certain cultural institutions give to Catholic religious heritage, frequently turned into an object of artistic provocation and ideological reinterpretation.

The divine motherhood of Mary is reduced in this exhibition to a mere pretext to introduce contemporary political and cultural discourses, deliberately emptying Alonso Cano’s work of its spiritual and devotional dimension.

It should be noted that this type of provocations is rarely carried out using sacred symbols of other religions, while Christianity continues to be a frequent target of cultural transgression subsidized with public funds.

Vatican corrects two Argentine bishops: the faithful can commune on their knees and in the mouth

The Vatican would have intervened to remind two Argentine bishops that the faithful retain the right to receive Holy Communion on their knees and on the tongue, after several controversies that emerged in Argentina by restrictions and public corrections to those who tried to do so.

Two Argentine bishops corrected

According to reports released by Argentine Catholic media, the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments held talks with the Archbishop of Mendoza and president of the Argentine Episcopal Conference, Marcelo Colombo, and with the Bishop of St. Louis, Gabriel Barba.

The Vatican would have reiterated that “the faithful have the freedom to commune according to the methods established by the Church, and this freedom cannot be restricted.”

The controversy began after Colombo publicly stated in 2025 that “in Argentina, communion is received standing,” appealing to the norms approved by the bishops’ conference.

In Mendoza there was also a particularly controversial episode in the Basilica of San Francisco, where a friar would have rebuked several faithful who were trying to kneel to commune. According to the information released, even a person would have been denied communion until he agreed to receive him standing and in the hand.

Favoring communion only in the hand

In the diocese of St. Louis, Bishop Barba also promoted guidelines to promote communion in hand, especially among the extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist.

The measure drew even more attention because that diocese had historically stood out for a strong traditional Eucharistic culture under the episcopate of Juan Rodolfo Laise, a well-known advocate of communion in the language.

Redemptionis Sacramentum made it clear

The Holy See had already made this question clear in the Redemptionis Sacramentum instruction, published in 2004 by the Congregation for Divine Worship.

The document expressly states that “every faithful always have the right to receive Holy Communion in the tongue” and adds that “it is not lawful to deny Holy Communion to any faithful solely because of the fact that they wish to receive the Eucharist on their knees or standing.”

For many Catholics, receiving the communion on their knees and mouths is a gesture of worship and reverence for the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist.

The Argentine case has thus reopened a debate that is still alive in the Church: how far Episcopal conferences and dioceses can go in the application of local norms when they conflict with liturgical rights universally recognized by Rome.

Nationwide billboard campaign in Ireland invites thousands to rosary rally

The All Ireland Rosary Rally scheduled for June 6 in Knock will be the largest Catholic event in Ireland this year, and organizers have adopted an uncommon promotional tactic to catch the attention of the faithful — a countrywide billboard campaign.

Building on last year’s turnout when more than 10,000 people gathered for the 40th Rosary Rally in Knock, famous for its shrine and as a pilgrimage destination, rally organizers hope the two-week campaign will attract an even bigger audience. It is the first time the event has been advertised using billboards. Fifty sites throughout Ireland were chosen, including a number in Northern Ireland.

“We chose billboards because Father Patrick Peyton was famous for his billboards in running his rosary rallies around the world, some of which attracted crowds of 2 million people,” Father Marius O’Reilly, one of the rally organizers, told EWTN News.

The billboards have attracted reaction and comments online and in the mainstream media. The Irish News, a daily newspaper published in Belfast, reported that Archbishop Eamon Martin and Bishop Donal McKeown plan to “reconsecrate Ireland to the Immaculate Heart of Mary at the event, which organizers describe as a national moment of prayer for peace.”

Parishes have been drawing people’s attention to the billboard campaign as well. Holy Family Parish in Drogheda spotted one of the billboards in the town and posted on its Facebook page: “A giant reminder on the Dublin Road in Drogheda from the All Ireland Rosary Rally. Book your spot on our bus to Knock.”

O’Reilly explained to EWTN News that the cost of the billboards has been borne by sponsors and voluntary donations. “Sponsors are paying for the posters and indeed, this huge event is possible because of the generosity of so many. People are not charged on the day; thereʼs no ticket price. So the event relies heavily on the generosity and support of many people across Ireland and beyond. People are responding very positively, and with great enthusiasm.”

The goal of the rally’s organizing committee was a billboard presence in as many counties and population centers as possible. “We tried to ensure that every county would be represented with the billboards, and more so in the cities,” O’Reilly said.

“I think it is encouraging people in their faith and itʼs just part of the renewal in Ireland thatʼs taking place. The Irish have a great love for Our Lady in the rosary.”

He continued: “The devotion to Our Lady is evident on the highways and byways of our country; we have huge grottos everywhere around Ireland, so Our Lady is very, very important to the Irish. Now for the duration of the campaign, people of all faiths and none can see Our Lady on a billboard, as well as the grottos, inviting them to come to Knock to pray for peace in our world and for the renewal of our faith in Ireland.”

Partners for this yearʼs rally include the Father Peyton Centre in Attymass, County Mayo, and Holy Cross Family Ministries, which both continue the work of Peyton. International speakers include Father Chris Alar, Nikki Kingsley, and Bishop Oliver Doeme.

Over 10,000 pilgrims are expected to attend this year, with 50 buses already booked to bring people to the Knock shrine.

Pope Leo XIV's encyclical on artificial intelligence is coming: Here's what he has said on AI so far

As the world awaits Pope Leo XIV's first encyclical on artificial intelligence, expected to be signed May 15 and released by the Vatican by the end of the month, here is a look at what the pope has said on AI since his election a year ago.

The first American pope and a former mathematics major, Pope Leo has returned to the subject of AI again and again in speeches, messages and interviews since his election in May 2025, leading Time magazine to include him on its 2025 list of the world's most influential people in artificial intelligence.

Pope Leo has already addressed AI in a wide range of contexts, telling teenagers gathered in a sports stadium to use AI "in such a way that if it disappeared tomorrow, you would still know how to think, warning priests not to use chatbots to write their homilies, calling on the media to preserve "human voices and faces," and telling legislators from 68 countries that AI is a tool meant to serve humans, not replace them.

From a speech in central Africa on AI's potential to change humanity's "relationship with truth" to a message to tech developers gathered in Rome, Pope Leo has emerged as one of the most prominent global voices on the ethical challenges posed by artificial intelligence even before the publication of his much-anticipated encyclical.

Words of wisdom to young people on the use of AI

One of the pope's most direct and memorable statements on AI came in response to a high school student from Honolulu, who asked Pope Leo about young people's use of ChatGPT and other AI tools for homework from writing an essay to solving a math problem.

"Use it in such a way that if it disappeared tomorrow, you would still know how to think," Pope Leo said.

He urged the student to "be careful that your use of AI does not limit your true human growth," underlining the importance of knowing "how to think, how to create, how to act on your own, how to form authentic friendships."

The pope spoke via video link to a crowd of 16,000 young people gathered in Indianapolis for the National Catholic Youth Conference in November.

"AI can process information quickly, but it cannot replace human intelligence," Pope Leo told the students. "And don't ask it to do your homework for you. It cannot offer real wisdom. It misses a very important human element: AI will not judge between what is truly right and wrong. And it won't stand in wonder, in authentic wonder before the beauty of God's creation."

Pope Leo has also expressed concern for AI's potential effect on children's "intellectual and neurological development," adding "we must pause and reflect with particular care upon the freedom and inner life of our children and young people."

"The ability to access vast amounts of data and information should not be confused with the ability to derive meaning and value from it. The latter requires a willingness to confront the mystery and core questions of our existence," he said.

"It will therefore be essential to teach young people to use these tools with their own intelligence, ensuring that they open themselves to the search for truth."

AI and the job market

Pope Leo expressed interest in the issue of artificial intelligence and the dignity of work since the first week of his pontificate, telling the College of Cardinals days after his election in May 2025 that he took his name partly in honor of Pope Leo XIII, who wrote the social encyclical "Rerum Novarum" in 1891 in the context of the first industrial revolution.

"In our own day, the Church offers to everyone the treasury of her social teaching in response to another industrial revolution and to developments in the field of artificial intelligence that pose new challenges for the defense of human dignity, justice and labor," Pope Leo XIV said, two days after his election.

In his first interview after his election, Pope Leo warned of "extremely rich people" who are investing in AI and totally ignoring "the value of human beings and humanity," adding, "I think the Church needs to speak up."

Speaking to legislators from 68 countries gathered at the Vatican for the Jubilee of Governments in June, the pope said, "it must not be forgotten that artificial intelligence functions as a tool for the good of human beings, not to diminish them, not to replace them," adding that AI can "be of great help to society, provided that its employment does not undermine the identity and dignity of the human person and his or her fundamental freedoms."

In a December 2025 speech to participants in an AI conference in Rome, the pope asked, "How can we ensure that the development of artificial intelligence truly serves the common good, and is not just used to accumulate wealth and power in the hands of a few?"

"This is an urgent question, because this technology is already having a real impact on the lives of millions of people, every day and in every part of the world," the pope added.

Co-workers in creation, not passive AI consumers

"Human beings are called to be co-workers in the work of creation, not merely passive consumers of content generated by artificial technology," Pope Leo said in the same December speech.

"Artificial intelligence has certainly opened up new horizons for creativity, but it also raises serious concerns about its possible repercussions on humanity's openness to truth and beauty, and capacity for wonder and contemplation," he added.

The pope expanded on his idea in his message for the 60th World Day of Social Communications, published in January, warning that AI systems "have increasingly taken control of the production of texts, music and videos," putting "much of the human creative industry at risk of being dismantled and replaced with the label 'Powered by AI,' turning people into passive consumers of unthought thoughts and anonymous products without ownership or love."

The masterpieces of human artistic genius, he added, are being reduced to "mere training grounds for machines."

"Renouncing creativity and surrendering our mental capacities and imagination to machines," Pope Leo wrote, "would mean burying the talents we have been given to grow as individuals in relation to God and others."

The pope has urged priests to resist "the temptation to prepare homilies with artificial intelligence."

"To give a true homily is to share faith," and artificial intelligence "will never be able to share faith," the pope told priests of the Diocese of Rome.

"People want to see your faith, your experience of having known and loved Jesus Christ," he added.

'Preserving human voices and faces'

Pope Leo titled his 2026 communications' day message focused on AI "Preserving Human Voices and Faces."

"Faces and voices are sacred," he said. "God, who created us in his image and likeness, gave them to us when he called us to life through the Word he addressed to us."

By simulating human voices, faces, emotions, and relationships, he added, "the systems known as artificial intelligence not only interfere with information ecosystems, but also encroach upon the deepest level of communication, that of human relationships. The challenge, therefore, is not technological, but anthropological. Safeguarding faces and voices ultimately means safeguarding ourselves."

The pope has also spoken about deepfakes -- AI-generated videos, images and audio -- and their capacity to deceive.

Pope Leo recalled how only a few days into his pontificate someone asked him if he was OK after falling down a flight of stairs. "I said: 'No, I didn't,'" he recalled, "but there was a video somewhere where they had created this artificial pope, me, falling down a flight of stairs as I was walking somewhere, and it apparently was so good that they thought it was me."

He also disclosed that someone had approached him with a proposal to create an AI version of the pope, so that visitors to a website could participate in virtual papal audiences. His response was unequivocal: "I said, 'I'm not going to authorize that.' If there's anyone who shouldn't be represented by an avatar, I would say the pope is high on the list."

Chatbots as an 'oracle of all advice'

Pope Leo, the first pope to be an active Twitter user before being elected as a successor of Peter, has observed that "as we scroll through our feeds, it becomes increasingly difficult to determine whether we are interacting with other human beings or with ‘bots' or ‘virtual influencers.'"

Chatbots based on large language models, he noted, "are proving to be surprisingly effective at covert persuasion through continuous optimization of personalized interaction." Because they are "excessively affectionate, as well as always present and accessible, they can become hidden architects of our emotional states and so invade and occupy our sphere of intimacy."

The danger, he wrote, is when people substitute AI systems for real human relationships, they create "a world of mirrors around us, where everything is made 'in our image and likeness,'" robbing themselves of the "opportunity to encounter others, who are always different from ourselves, and with whom we can and must learn to relate."

Pope Leo also questioned the "naive and unquestioning reliance on artificial intelligence as an omniscient ‘friend,' a source of all knowledge, an archive of every memory, an "oracle" of all advice," saying that this can "further erode our ability to think analytically and creatively, to understand meaning and distinguish between syntax and semantics."

Under a subheading of his communications message titled, "Do not renounce your ability to think," Pope Leo wrote, "Although AI can provide support and assistance in managing tasks related to communication, in the long run, choosing to evade the effort of thinking for ourselves and settling for artificial statistical compilations threatens to diminish our cognitive, emotional and communication skills."

Excommunicated Former Catholic Archbishop of Lusaka in Zambia, Telesphore Mpundu, Dies at 78

Archbishop Telesphore George Mpundu, the immediate former Local Ordinary of Zambia’s Lusaka Catholic Archdiocese, has died at the age of 78, with Church leaders in the Southern African nation remembering him for his advocacy on governance, social justice, and national affairs despite the canonical sanctions that marked the final period of his ministry.

Archbishop Mpundu died on Friday, May 15, while receiving treatment at Maina Soko Military Hospital in Lusaka.

In a statement issued the same day, Archbishop Alick Banda expresses “deep sorrow” at the passing on of his immediate predecessor and calls on the leadership of parishes and religious communities across the Zambian Archdiocese to facilitate the offering of Holy Mass for the repose of Archbishop Mpundu’s soul.

“Archbishop Mpundu served the Church with distinction,” Archbishop Banda says.

He adds that during his Episcopal Ministry, the late Archbishop Mpundu “also served multiple terms as President of the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB).”

Archbishop Banda describes his immediate predecessor as a Catholic Church leader who “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.”

In March 2024, Archbishop Mpundu incurred excommunication after performing an illicit episcopal consecration without papal approval.

In a 21 November 2025 report, The Catholic Herald stated, “The founder of the Servants of the Holy Family, Bishop Anthony Ward, has revealed that he was secretly consecrated in a ceremony, which while valid was illicit, in 2024 by Archbishop Telesphore George Mpundu, the retired Archbishop of Lusaka.”

The publication added that Bishop Anthony Ward disclosed on 16 November 2025 that both he and Archbishop Mpundu had “received notice” from Víctor Manuel Cardinal Fernández informing them that they had incurred “latae sententiae excommunication” because the Episcopal Consecration had been carried out without Papal approval.

Later, in a 3 December 2025 publication, Zenit reported that Father Anthony D. Ward had acknowledged “that he received episcopal orders without papal authorization in March 2024” and had “effectively acknowledged the automatic excommunication that canon law imposes on any bishop who ordains without Rome’s approval, as well as on the man ordained.”

Zenit further reported, “The prelate who performed the rite was Archbishop Telesphore G. Mpundu, the retired head of the Archdiocese of Lusaka.”

Born in May 1947 at Kapatu Mission, Archbishop Mpundu was ordained a Priest in December 1972.

In March 1987, he was appointed Bishop of Mbala, now the Catholic Diocese of Mpika, where he served for 19 years.

He was appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of Lusaka in 2004 and succeeded as Archbishop in 2006.

In January 2018, aged 70, Archbishop Mpundu resigned, reportedly for canonical reasons.

During his Episcopal Ministry, the late Archbishop Mpundu also served several terms as ZCCB President, playing a prominent role in the Church’s public engagement on national issues.

In their condolence message addressed to Archbishop Banda, ZCCB members have conveyed their “most sincere and heartfelt condolences to the Archdiocese of Lusaka, Priests, religious, laity and the bereaved family on the demise of the Archbishop Emeritus.”

“Archbishop Mpundu will be remembered not only for his dedicated spiritual leadership and pastoral care but also for his unwavering commitment to social justice, peace, and organizational integrity,” Zambia’s Catholic Bishops have said in the message signed by ZCCB President, Archbishop Ignatius Chama.

ZCCB members add that the late Archbishop Mpundu’s “profound legacy of service to the Church and the nation remains an enduring inspiration to us all.”

“Sincere condolences also go to his family and friends. Be assured that we are together in prayer during this time of mourning. May he be rewarded for his exemplary and generous service to the Church,” they say, adding, “We remain united in mourning the death of the late Most. Rev. Telesphore George Mpundu, with faith and hope in our risen Lord Jesus Christ. May his soul rest in eternal peace.”

Archbishop Banda has said funeral arrangements would be announced later.

School divestment process needs flexible approach (Opinion)

Once bishops could be seen but not heard, apart from the regular interventions of the famous bishop of Cork, Connie Lucey, an outspoken and combative character whose main platform was the Confirmation circuit. 

Among his favoured subjects were: moral decline in Irish society, the dangers of communism and atheism, threats to Christian society worldwide, trade union militancy and ‘immoral influences’ in the media – including The Late Late Show. 

More recently, Catholic bishops for good reason have tended to avoid the media. It’s even said that the compelling wisdom behind their apparent vow of silence is the belief (as one bishop conceded) that ‘we’re only annoying people’.

So the recent intervention of the Bishop of Meath Tom Deenihan at a function honouring the 50th anniversary of a Catholic primary school, St Oliver Plunkett’s in Navan, is unusual - particularly in its directness. Catholic schools, he said, are popular, well supported, serve their communities and are genuinely inclusive. 

But, he continued, the depiction of Catholic schools is generally ‘negative, ideologically driven and adversarial’. They are presented as ‘grim places of indoctrination that children are forced to attend by Church and State’. 

That discourse and narrative, he concluded, is ‘ill-informed and false’. Yet, he continued, ‘various groups, supported by funding from ideological, philanthropical entities, many from outside the State, continue to lobby politicians and media with a rather narrow, nuanced and distorted narrative.’ 

A few markers are needed to give context to what the bishop is saying. 

One, parents are the prime educators of their children. 

Two, the State has the responsibility to provide education. 

Three, what makes it difficult to introduce, say at primary level, a fair and equitable educational service for all Irish children is the huge, almost overwhelming number of Catholic children in comparison to those from other religious denominational schools and non-faith schools. 

 Four, the Department of Education for the last fifteen years – since the then Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn set up the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in 2011 and which has continued under seven Ministers for Education to the present time – has had a policy of securing a process of divestment of Catholic schools in order to secure a fair and equitable educational service for mainly non-faith schools. 

Five, the Catholic Church has accepted the need for divestment of schools, including the divestment of Catholic schools.

While in theory the divestment process was accepted as obvious, necessary and important, the gap between Ruairí Quinn’s hope to see 1,500 out of the then total of 3,000 primary schools divested varied substantially from the then prediction of a spokesman for the Catholic School Partnership (CSP) who suggested that a transfer figure of 10 per cent was more realistic. 

In a recent analysis in The Irish Times, Patsy McGarry commented that ‘as of 2017 just 10 schools in Ireland had completed the divestment process’ and concluded that the CSP figure was ‘nearer the mark’.

What has emerged is that while all are agreed that the divestment of Catholic schools is an essential prerequisite in securing a fairer system for all schools, the process is much more complicated and delicate than some of those involved are prepared to admit and this is apparent in reactions that extend from insensitivity to depicting Catholic education in Bishop Deenihan’s words, as ‘negative, ideologically driven and adversarial’.

Clearly the divestment process is patently ‘not working’. Inevitably, this is leading to huge frustration on the part of those responsible for moving the process forward. 

Recently Séamus Mulconry, the general secretary of the Catholic Primary Schools Management Association, suggested that ‘if some of those making the loudest noises... stopped treating it (divestment) as an ideological point-scoring exercise and looked at it as a shared challenge for both church and the State, I think the problem is solvable’.

Other difficulties encountered by the divestment process, especially in situations where community or school support has to be ‘encouraged over the line’ are misinformation, scaremongering, secretive clergy objections, community interference, as well as suggestions of enforcement, coercion, even bullying. In other words, across the full spectrum of standard local consultation.

At the same time it’s not rocket science, as we say, and shouldn’t be beyond the goodwill, respectful support and Christian patience of different religious traditions to gather support for a project that is doable, workable and necessary for the common good. That said I listened recently to someone who had direct experience of a situation that seemed ideal for the divestment model.

In a parish with four Catholic schools, each of which had around an estimated minority of 20% Church of Ireland pupils, it seemed ideal for the divestment of one Catholic school and the movement of the 20% of the other schools to the divested school building. 

But even what seems like a simple solution became unstuck. Respect and flexibility would seem to be important constituent factors in making real progress over the divestment of schools but sometimes one or both are absent from the process without leave.

In bringing clear accusations against those who are more interested in ideological grand-standing than in devising a middle way towards securing a fair and equitable educational service for all schools, Bishop Deenihan has brought a much-needed air of reality to a seemingly interminable debate that seeks to impose conditions on those who seem to expect even demand not just their right to the freedom and opportunity to be loyal to their own traditions but in the process to presume to adjudicate on the traditions of others.

Unless all sides are prepared to respect the rights of others and to adopt a flexible approach towards working to achieve what is possible to achieve, the effective stand-offs that demand that others capitulate in deference to the superiority of one agenda simply ensure that the whole process will eventually run into the sand. 

The policy of picking off low-lying fruit to impress those who agree with us may entertain the troops but its ultimately a counsel of despair.

Fernández admits concern over the global crisis in the transmission of the faith and prepares a document from the DDF

The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) is preparing an important document on the crisis in the transmission of the Catholic faith, a concern that is increasingly widespread among bishops around the world in light of the collapse of religious practice, the secularization of families, and the generational rupture of Christianity in large areas of the West.

The news was confirmed by the prefect of the dicastery, Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, in statements to the National Catholic Register. The Argentine prelate explained that the text is being prepared together with the Dicastery for Evangelization and that it follows an extensive consultation carried out with episcopal conferences from different continents.

Although Fernández did not offer a specific date for its publication, he made clear that it is currently the main doctrinal document in preparation within the Vatican body.

Rome acknowledges the seriousness of the crisis of faith

According to the prefect of the DDF, the origin of this initiative stems in part from Pope Francis’s apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, published in 2013.

Fernández recalled that the Argentine pontiff placed great importance on popular piety and the family as fundamental spheres for transmitting the faith. However, he acknowledged that this transmission has broken down in many places, especially in deeply secularized societies.

The concern has been repeatedly expressed by numerous bishops during their ad limina visits to the Vatican. Many prelates conveyed to Rome the growing problem of entire generations of baptized young people who no longer receive solid Christian formation or maintain any connection to sacramental life.

This issue particularly affects Europe and much of Latin America, where the weakening of religious practice and the loss of Catholic identity have been advancing for years.

A global consultation to understand the problem

The project began to take shape in various internal meetings of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, known as Feria IV, in which cardinals and bishops who are members of the body participated.

Subsequently, consultations with specialists were carried out and an initial draft was prepared. Later, the Vatican decided to significantly expand the process with a consultation directed at all episcopal conferences, as well as experts and research centers.

“The response has been enormous,” Fernández assured, acknowledging that the dicastery has been surprised by the quantity and extent of the responses received.

The prefect even admitted that considerable time will be needed to properly study all the material sent from different parts of the world.

The crisis is not experienced the same way in all countries

Fernández insisted that the future document cannot be prepared solely from a European or Italian perspective, since the crisis in the transmission of the faith presents very different characteristics according to each region.

“North Africa is not the same as Mali; Turkey is not the same as Pakistan,” the cardinal explained. He also pointed out that within Europe there are very different realities between countries such as Poland and Germany or between Italy and England.

In Latin America, he added, the ecclesial situation in Argentina cannot be compared with that of Colombia, Brazil, or Peru.

For this reason, the Vatican considers that the document will not offer “unique recipes” or universal solutions, but rather general pastoral guidelines that can serve as inspiration for local Churches.

The Vatican also looks at the challenge of artificial intelligence

The prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith also revealed that the body will soon have to focus on the reception of the future encyclical of Pope Leo XIV, which is expected to address the impact of artificial intelligence.

Fernández noted that the Vatican considers both the problem of the transmission of the faith and the cultural and anthropological challenges arising from contemporary technological development as priorities.

Since Pope Leo XIV’s arrival at the pontificate, the DDF has significantly reduced the pace of publication of major doctrinal texts compared to previous years.

“Every morning, mountains of correspondence arrive”

The Argentine cardinal also described the enormous workload that the doctrinal body of the Holy See faces daily.

“Every morning, mountains of correspondence arrive at my office,” he stated. “Just quickly reviewing all of that takes several hours.”

These statements reflect the accumulation of doctrinal, pastoral, and disciplinary problems that continually reach the Vatican in a context marked by the accelerated secularization of the West, catechetical confusion in numerous countries, and the growing difficulty in transmitting the Catholic faith to the new generations.

Leo XIV's first encyclical on artificial intelligence is delayed until the end of May

The first encyclical of Pope Leo XIV, which would be centered on artificial intelligence, international peace, and the crisis of international law, will not be published on May 15 as initially planned, but later this same month.

Various sources had pointed out that the document would be signed on May 15, coinciding with the anniversary of the publication of Rerum novarum, the great social encyclical of Leo XIII. 

However, the director of the Holy See’s Press Office, Matteo Bruni, told journalists that the announcement about the document will take place on May 22.

The text is circulating provisionally under the title Magnifica Humanitas, although neither the definitive date nor the title have been officially confirmed by the Holy See.

Artificial intelligence, peace, and international law

The encyclical would address some of the major issues of Leo XIV’s nascent pontificate: artificial intelligence, international peace, and the weakening of international legal structures.

The Pope has already warned on various occasions about the risks of an «uncontrolled» technology and the need to protect human dignity in the face of technical developments that can profoundly alter social, labor, and political life.

The choice of theme is not casual. The Holy See has been working for months on the ethical and anthropological implications of artificial intelligence, especially after the publication of Antiqua et Nova, the joint note from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and the Dicastery for Culture and Education on the relationship between artificial intelligence and human intelligence.

A possible nod to Rerum novarum

The initially pointed date, May 15, had a strong symbolic charge.

On that same day in 1891, Leo XIII published Rerum novarum, considered the foundational text of the Church’s modern social doctrine, centered on the labor issue and the social challenges of the industrial revolution.

Also on May 15, 1931, Pius XI published Quadragesimo anno, developing the Church’s social teaching and clearly formulating the principle of subsidiarity. Thirty years later, on May 15, 1961, John XXIII promulgated Mater et magistra, dedicated to economic justice and social development.

The fact that Leo XIV’s first encyclical has been linked to that date reinforces the reading of those who see in this document an attempt to position the Church before the great challenges of the new technological revolution.

The Church before the digital revolution

The possible encyclical on artificial intelligence would fit into a line of growing Vatican concern about the impact of new technologies on the person, work, war, and human freedom.

The note Antiqua et Nova, published in January 2025, warned that artificial intelligence can bring important innovations, but it can also increase inequality, manipulate public opinion, and expand instruments of war beyond human control.

The document also insisted that artificial intelligence should not be understood as an artificial form of human intelligence, but as a product of it, called to serve as a complementary tool and not as a substitute for the richness proper to human intelligence.

A text still pending official confirmation

For now, the Holy See has not confirmed the exact publication date or the definitive title of the encyclical.

The announcement scheduled for May 22 could clarify whether the text will be published at the end of the month and whether it will finally retain the provisional title of Magnifica Humanitas.

In any case, the expectation around the document shows that Leo XIV wants to place a central issue on the table from the beginning of his pontificate: how the Church should respond to a new technological era that threatens to redefine work, war, education, and even the understanding of the human being itself.

Pope will visit France in September

It will be the first visit of a Pontiff to France in eighteen years, since Benedict XVI’s trip to Paris and Lourdes in 2008. 

The program has not yet been made public, but the French bishops have already indicated that the two main stops will be the capital and the Marian shrine.

The Holy See confirmed this Saturday, through a statement by the Director of the Press Office, Matteo Bruni, that Pope Leo XIV will make an apostolic journey to France between 25 and 28 September 2026. It will be the fifth international trip of his pontificate, following visits to Turkey and Lebanon, the Principality of Monaco, Africa and Spain—the latter scheduled for 6–12 June.

“Accepting the invitation of the Head of State and the ecclesiastical authorities of the country, as well as that of the Director-General of UNESCO, the Holy Father Leo XIV will undertake an apostolic journey to France from 25 to 28 September 2026 and will visit the headquarters of that Organization,” Bruni stated in the official note.

An invitation extended by Aveline and backed by Macron

The Vatican announcement comes after several months of discreet work between the French Episcopal Conference and the Roman Curia. The formal invitation was extended by Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline, president of the French episcopate, in coordination with the Apostolic Nuncio. 

It was joined by the explicit support of the President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron, during the private audience he held with the Pope on 10 April at the Apostolic Palace.

Aveline had already announced at the beginning of May, in a statement from the Episcopal Conference itself, that a draft program already existed following several working meetings with the Pontiff himself.  

“Leo XIV has expressed, on various occasions, the great esteem he feels for our country and its spiritual history,” the cardinal then stressed, adding that the visit would be an opportunity “to share with the Pope what our Church in France is experiencing and to be encouraged by his word.”

Paris and Lourdes, the planned stops

Although the Holy See has not yet detailed the final agenda, the French bishops took for granted in their previous statements that the main stages of the trip will be Paris and the Marian shrine of Lourdes, one of the main pilgrimage centers of the universal Church. 

The presence of the rector of the Lourdes shrines, Father Michel Daubanes, in the delegation that accompanied Macron to the Vatican in April already reinforced this hypothesis.

The visit to the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, confirmed by the Holy See itself in Bruni’s statement, revives a papal tradition inaugurated by Saint John Paul II in 1980 and continued by Benedict XVI. 

It is, therefore, a gesture with a clear diplomatic dimension, which will place Leo XIV before an international forum to address, in all likelihood, issues of education, culture, religious freedom and dialogue among peoples.

The first state visit to France in almost two decades

Leo XIV’s trip acquires singular historical significance: it will be the first state visit of a Roman Pontiff to France since the one made by Benedict XVI in September 2008, precisely with stops in Paris and Lourdes - the latter on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the apparitions of the Virgin to Saint Bernadette. 

Pope Francis, during his twelve years of pontificate, traveled three times to French territory - Strasbourg, Marseille and Corsica - but always refused to make a state visit and even declined to attend the reopening of Notre-Dame de Paris in December 2024.

The “eldest daughter of the Church” will thus welcome a Pontiff who, according to the French bishops, has repeatedly expressed his affection for the country’s spiritual tradition. 

The visit, however, comes at a delicate moment in relations between Rome and Paris, marked by the processing of the law on the end of life - which the Holy See considers a “crime against human life” - recurrent tensions over secularism and the difficult situation of Christians in the Middle East, all issues addressed in the 10 April audience between the Pope and Macron.

The French bishops have asked the faithful to accompany the preparation of the trip with prayer, which comes a year and four months after the election of Robert Francis Prevost to the Chair of Peter.

Pope Leo XIV establishes a Vatican commission on artificial intelligence

The Vatican takes a further step in its strategy on artificial intelligence. Pope Leo XIV has approved the creation of an Interdicasterial Commission dedicated specifically to the study, coordination and oversight of issues related to AI within the Holy See.

A new body approved by the Pope

The decision has been formalized through a rescript signed by Cardinal Michael Czerny, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Service of Integral Human Development. The aim is to articulate a common response from the various Vatican bodies to a technology that the Pontiff himself considers decisive for the future of humanity.

The new commission is established under Article 28 of the apostolic constitution Praedicate Evangelium, which allows for the creation of interdicasterial bodies for matters that simultaneously affect several departments of the Curia. The Vatican considers artificial intelligence to be precisely one of those cross-cutting areas that require constant coordination.

AI, a priority of the new pontificate

Since the beginning of his pontificate, Leo XIV has placed artificial intelligence among the major issues on his agenda. In several public interventions he has compared the impact of this technological revolution to the Industrial Revolution, warning that AI not only changes economic and labor systems, but also the very understanding of the human person.

Underlying this concern is the defense of human dignity and the fear that certain technological applications may end up subordinating the person to the logic of efficiency, calculation or algorithmic control.

Dicasteries and pontifical academies involved

The commission will be made up of representatives from various Vatican dicasteries, including those for the Doctrine of the Faith, Culture and Education, Communication and Integral Human Development, as well as members of the Pontifical Academy for Life, the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences.

During the first year, with the possibility of renewal, coordination will remain in the hands of the dicastery led by Cardinal Czerny. Subsequently, the Pope may entrust that coordination to another of the participating institutions, always for annual periods.

Internal policies for the use of AI in the Holy See

The new body will have the function of facilitating the exchange of information and projects related to artificial intelligence, including internal policies for the use of these tools within the Holy See itself.

The Vatican thus makes it clear that it does not intend to limit itself to general theoretical or ethical reflections, but also to regulate and coordinate the concrete use of AI systems in its administrative, academic and communicative structures.

Continuity with Antiqua et Nova

The creation of this commission follows the publication of Antiqua et Nova, the document jointly prepared by the dicasteries for the Doctrine of the Faith and for Culture and Education on the relationship between human intelligence and artificial intelligence.

That text already warned of the risks of reducing intelligence to mere data processing and emphasized that no machine can fully replace human moral consciousness, freedom or spiritual capacity.

A new major issue for the Church

In some Vatican circles this initiative is compared to the Vatican Covid-19 Commission created by Pope Francis during the pandemic. At that time the Church sought to address a global health crisis in a coordinated manner; now the Holy See appears convinced that artificial intelligence constitutes another of the great structural challenges of the 21st century.

The issue is not solely economic or technical. For the Vatican, artificial intelligence raises fundamental questions about human dignity, freedom, education, work, communication and the very spiritual life of contemporary man.

Archbishop of San José, Costa Rica, prohibits the installation of kneelers for distributing communion

The Archbishop of San José, Costa Rica, Monsignor José Rafael Quirós Quirós, has ordered that no kneelers be placed in churches for the distribution of Holy Communion, in a decision that represents a new obstacle for the faithful who wish to receive the Eucharist kneeling.

The measure is included in a circular dated May 13 and signed by the Episcopal Delegate for Liturgy, Father Francisco Morales González, at the express instruction of the Archbishop himself.

The document responds to inquiries raised in recent weeks regarding the installation of kneelers for the faithful who wish to receive Communion kneeling.

“No kneelers shall be placed”

After recalling that the Church allows receiving Communion both standing and kneeling, as well as on the tongue or in the hand, the circular expressly states:

“Accordingly, the Archbishop orders that from now on, no kneelers shall be placed in churches for the distribution of Communion.”

The text maintains that the presence of kneelers could lead some faithful to think that receiving Communion kneeling is “the only form established by the Church.”

Additionally, it argues that these elements could hinder access for elderly people or those with mobility issues who are accustomed to receiving Communion standing.

The Archdiocese reminds that kneeling for Communion remains allowed

The circular also emphasizes that no minister can impose a single form of receiving Communion and recalls that the faithful retain the right to receive it both standing and kneeling.

The document cites expressly the instruction Redemptionis Sacramentum and the apostolic exhortation Sacramentum Caritatis of Benedict XVI, reminding that it is not licit to deny Communion to a faithful person for wishing to receive the Eucharist kneeling.

However, the decision to eliminate the kneelers has been interpreted by numerous faithful as a clearly discouraging measure toward this practice, which is increasingly widespread in circles linked to the recovery of liturgical reverence.

They recall a request from the nuncio in 2012

The decision of Monsignor Quirós has also revived the memory of a request made in 2012 by the then Apostolic Nuncio in Costa Rica, Monsignor Pierre Nguyen Van Tot.

At that time, the papal representative formally requested the Costa Rican Episcopal Conference to resume distributing Communion on the tongue and kneeling, following the universal norms of the Church.

The request, according to various ecclesiastical sources, did not come to be applied in a widespread manner.

A liturgical debate that is increasingly visible

The issue of kneeling and receiving Communion on the tongue has become one of the most visible liturgical debates of recent years within the Church.

While numerous priests and faithful have recovered this practice as an expression of adoration and eucharistic reverence, some ecclesiastical sectors continue to view it with suspicion or attempt to limit it through practical norms.

The decision adopted now by the Archbishop of San José, Costa Rica, has generated discomfort among the faithful who consider it contradictory to formally recognize the right to receive Communion kneeling while eliminating the means that facilitate that possibility in the parishes.

Jonathan Fletcher’s victims will not see justice thanks to CofE safeguarding failures

Jonathan Fletcher’s dementia means that although a jury has found he committed abuse, he will not be punished. But the Church’s inadequate safeguarding is also to blame for denying his victims proper justice, argues Gavin Drake 

A jury at Kingston Crown Court has concluded that the former Church of England minister Jonathan Fletcher, 83, indecently assaulted a man connected to his ministry on at least 16 occasions over more than two decades, marking a major milestone in one of the most serious safeguarding crises to affect modern British evangelicalism.

Because Fletcher had previously been ruled medically unfit to stand trial, the case was heard as an “examination of the facts” - a rare legal process in which a jury determines whether the alleged acts occurred, but does not return a criminal verdict.

Who is Jonathan Fletcher?

Jonathan Fletcher was one of the best-known conservative evangelical priests in the Church of England. Ordained in the 1970s, he became vicar of Emmanuel Church Wimbledon (ECW) in London in 1982 and remained there until his retirement in 2012. During those years, he built a formidable reputation as a Bible teacher, mentor and trainer.

Fletcher’s influence also extended far beyond his congregation. He was closely connected to networks linked to the controversial Iwerne camps - an influential evangelical ministry that shaped generations of clergy and church leaders. Many men who later moved into senior positions within conservative evangelical churches passed through his ministry or received personal mentoring from him.

The Iwerne camps have since come under intense examination following the abuse perpetrated by barrister John Smyth. The Smyth scandal, and the Church of England’s handling of it, was examined in the Makin Review - findings that ultimately contributed to the resignation of then-Archbishop of Canterbury, Most Rev Justin Welby.

Although the Fletcher and Smyth cases involve different allegations, they have prompted comparable concerns about leadership culture, accountability structures and the handling of safeguarding disclosures. Both cases have intensified scrutiny of how influential individuals within tightly connected evangelical networks were able to exercise authority with limited challenge.

Allegations

Concerns about Fletcher circulated privately for years before finally being made public in 2019 following an expose in The Telegraph. They centred on his ‘discipling’ relationships with younger men and dated back to the 1970s and 1980s. Complainants described coercive and abusive behaviour presented as spiritual formation. 

Following the allegations, ECW commissioned Christian safeguarding charity Thirtyone:eight to undertake a review, which was published in 2021. It became one of the most detailed studies yet undertaken into abuse within conservative evangelical Anglicanism.

Based on interviews with nearly 100 people, including more than two dozen individuals who reported harmful experiences, it described physical punishments presented as spiritual discipline, humiliation and controlling conduct, coercive “forfeits”, naked massages and other sexualised behaviour, together with intense mentoring relationships that blurred personal, physical and spiritual boundaries.

It concluded that Fletcher’s conduct amounted to an “abuse of spiritual authority and power”. The reviewers also questioned whether meaningful consent can exist in situations involving major imbalances of age, status or spiritual influence.

The review also concluded that the problems extended beyond one individual. It described an “unhealthy culture”, including concentration of authority in charismatic male leadership, loyalty, fear and an environment that discouraged challenge and suppressed disclosure and suspicion toward outside safeguarding scrutiny. The review made 66 recommendations aimed at reform.

The court case

In 2024, Fletcher pled not guilty to eight counts of indecent assault against one male victim during the period from 1973 to 1999. The proceedings did not continue to a full criminal trial due to Fletcher’s dementia. However, under English law, when a defendant cannot properly understand or participate in proceedings, the court may hold an “examination of the facts” — historically known as a “trial of the facts”. 

A jury hears evidence and determines whether the defendant “did the acts” alleged. They do not determine guilt or innocence in the conventional sense because questions about criminal intent - whether the accused possessed a “guilty mind” - cannot properly be assessed. However, such findings still carry considerable weight because they are reached using the criminal standard of proof.

After the verdict, the judge told the court that neither a hospital nor supervision order was appropriate because of Fletcher’s health. “The court’s hands are tied,” Judge Plaschkes said. “The only disposal that I can impose, and do impose on each of these counts, is an absolute discharge.”

What did the Church know?

One of the most contentious aspects of this case concerns prior knowledge. The 2021 independent review found that elements of Fletcher’s behaviour were not entirely hidden. Some aspects of his physical practices and leadership style were known within parts of the church and wider evangelical networks.

Part of what made the case unusually complicated was the structure of ECW itself. Although part of the Church of England, ECW operated as a proprietary chapel - an uncommon legal structure that historically allowed greater independence than a standard parish church.

Unlike most Anglican churches, ECW remains governed through trustees and patrons, appoints clergy through its own arrangements, is financially self-supporting and operates with less clearly defined diocesan oversight.

That independence became highly important once safeguarding concerns emerged. The review identified uncertainty over responsibility between the church, the Diocese of Southwark and national Church of England safeguarding bodies. It concluded that blurred accountability and ineffective communication weakened safeguarding responses.

In 2017, five years after Fletcher’s retirement from ECW, the Bishop of Southwark removed his Permission to Officiate (PTO) following allegations about his conduct that were not made public at the time. This meant he could no longer formally minister within the CofE. However, the review later identified widespread confusion about what this restriction meant in practice. Some organisations continued inviting Fletcher to events or permitting him to retain informal influence.

Senior church figures later acknowledged shortcomings in the way safeguarding information had been communicated. General Synod member and safeguarding campaigner Martin Sewell, a former child protection solicitor, asked what steps had been taken to notify churches historically associated with Fletcher’s ministry that his PTO had been withdrawn. Then lead bishop for safeguarding, Rt Rev Peter Hancock, admitted that he did not know when churches had been informed and said the question “exposes the weakness of what the Church can and cannot do”.

Why does this case matter?

The Fletcher case matters not simply because of the findings against one individual, but because of what it has exposed about culture and governance within sections of the Church of England. For many survivors and safeguarding campaigners, it has become symbolic of a wider institutional problem: a system in which warning signs were minimised or overlooked because the individual involved was regarded as effective, trusted or spiritually important.

The case has exposed structural weaknesses, including unclear lines of authority in non-standard church settings, inconsistent communication around safeguarding restrictions and over-reliance on informal relationships of trust rather than robust accountability mechanisms. More broadly, it raises uncomfortable questions for churches about power, leadership, vulnerability and the limits of pastoral relationships.

Many will feel that an absolute discharge with no criminal conviction is not justice for a man found to have committed abuse spanning several decades. The deeper issue is why it took so long for the allegations to reach court. Like John Smyth, who died before his victims could see him face justice, Jonathan Fletcher’s dementia means that, for those who were abused, there is little sense of closure.

Another troubling aspect is the Church of England’s use of “penalty by consent”. After a tribunal hearing, the Church publishes a narrative decision explaining its findings. Where a penalty by consent is agreed, no equivalent narrative is published. As a result, there may be little or no publicly available explanation setting out the factual basis for the sanction imposed.

In a safeguarding context, that matters greatly. When a high-profile minister’s influence extends far beyond a single congregation, clear public disclosure is essential so that churches, organisations and individuals can make informed safeguarding decisions.