AC Wimmer

AC Wimmer

AC Wimmer (刘威猛) is the News Editor for Europe and Asia at EWTN News. The multilingual Australian, raised in Bavaria and South Africa, served as editor-in-chief of several news media outlets. A graduate in Philosophy and Chinese Studies from the University of Melbourne, the veteran journalist is a former Honorary Research Fellow in Communications at his alma mater and served on the Board of Caritas in Munich.

Articles by AC Wimmer

View of the Greek island of Syros. Credit: Hans Peter Schaefer/Wikimedia (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Greek prosecutors charge Catholic clerics, civilians in 3 million euro embezzlement case

Aug 21, 2025 / 10:51 am

Priests in the Catholic Diocese of Syros in Greece face charges in nightclub money laundering scandal.

The Kiruna Church on the move in northern Sweden, Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025. Credit: TorbjørnS/Wikimeda (CC BY 4.0)

Sweden saves historic Arctic church with massive move away from mine

Aug 20, 2025 / 09:00 am

The mammoth move has seen the wooden structure, weighing over 600 tons, transported on specialized trailers traveling at about 1,600 feet per hour.

Pope Leo XIV in his Sunday Angelus on Aug. 10, 2025, urged the faithful to reflect on how they invest the “treasure” that is their life. Credit: Vatican Media

Pope Leo XIV urges mercy and vigilance in Angelus at St. Peter’s

Aug 10, 2025 / 08:20 am

Pope Leo XIV calls Catholics worldwide to invest their lives in compassion and mercy, urging vigilance and generosity in daily actions.

A view of the ruined Urukami Cathedral after the Aug. 9, 1945, atomic bombing of Nagasaki. Credit: Yamahata Yōsuke, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Nagasaki cathedral bells toll as bishops gather for 80th atomic bomb anniversary

Aug 8, 2025 / 16:53 pm

Four American archbishops are in Japan for a “Pilgrimage of Peace” Aug. 5–10 aligned with the Catholic Church’s Jubilee of Hope.

null Credit: H4stings, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

French scout leader steps down amid backlash over abortion support, same-sex relationship

Aug 7, 2025 / 09:53 am

Marine Rosset, the briefly-tenured chief of France’s Scouts et Guides de France, bowed out following a fierce backlash.

St. Hedwig Cathedral in Berlin, Germany. Credit: Cedric BLN via Wikimedia (Public domain)

German bishops divided sharply over same-sex blessing guidelines

Aug 7, 2025 / 09:23 am

Five German dioceses have explicitly refused to implement a pastoral handout, all referencing the Vatican’s Fiducia Supplicans as their standard.

For decades, Father Chris Riley transformed thousands of lives through his Youth Off The Streets project in Australia. He died Aug. 1, 2025, at age 70 after a prolonged illness. Credit: El Pics/ Getty Images

Father Chris Riley dies at 70: Australian priest founded youth homeless ministry

Aug 5, 2025 / 10:50 am

For decades, Father Chris Riley transformed thousands of lives through his Youth Off The Streets project.

Bishop Robert Barron of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, speaks with “EWTN News Nightly” on March 4, 2025. Credit: “EWTN News Nightly”/Screenshot

Bavarian bishop blasts ‘beige’ Catholicism in Germany, defends Barron prize amid protest

Jul 30, 2025 / 09:45 am

The defense came as Barron received the Josef Pieper Prize in Münster on July 27 amid fierce protests from Catholic groups and political organizations.

Royal Thai Army soldiers are pictured on armored vehicles on a road in Chachoengsao province on July 24, 2025. Credit: LILLIAN SUWANRUMPHA/AFP via Getty Images

Thailand-Cambodia ceasefire holds amid Catholic bishops’ peace appeals

Jul 29, 2025 / 09:00 am

The “immediate and unconditional” ceasefire took effect at midnight Tuesday following five days of deadly border clashes.

Zurich, Switzerland. Credit: Gianfranco Vivi/Shutterstock

Swiss politician faces court after firing 20 shots at image of Mary and Jesus

Jul 22, 2025 / 08:42 am

The Zurich public prosecutor’s office accuses Sanija Ameti of publicly disparaging religious beliefs and disturbing religious peace.

Bishops Rudolf Voderholzer and Stefan Oster. Credit: Diocese of Regensburg; Diocese of Passau

‘Never again second-class people:’ German bishops defend life amid high court controversy

Jul 10, 2025 / 09:30 am

Amid a heated debate over appointments to Germany’s constitutional court, two Bavarian bishops have issued an urgent call to uphold human life and dignity.

The Catholic Cathedral of Limburg in Hesse, Germany. Credit: Mylius via Wikimedia (GFDL 1.2)

German bishops brace for budgetary blow amid financial crisis

Jul 9, 2025 / 09:50 am

The Diocese of Limburg — led by the chairman of the German Bishops’ Conference, Bishop Georg Bätzing — recorded its first annual deficit of 810,000 euros in 2024.

Archbishop Guy de Kerimel of Toulouse, France. Credit: Paralacre, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Toulouse, France, archbishop names rape-convicted priest as chancellor

Jul 9, 2025 / 09:20 am

Archbishop Guy de Kerimel named Father Dominique Spina as chancellor and episcopal delegate for marriages.

Faithful pray before a statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus during Croatia’s consecration ceremony on June 27, 2025, as the nation dedicated itself anew to Christ’s divine love following the tradition established by their ancestors at the Church of Our Miraculous Lady of Sinj. Credit: Petar Malbaša/Laudato TV

Croatian bishops lead historic Sacred Heart consecration, marking 125th anniversary

Jun 30, 2025 / 10:46 am

The consecration began at churches and chapels throughout Croatia, initiated by church bells ringing for five minutes before solemn Eucharistic celebrations commenced.

The British Parliament building in London. Credit: Marinesea/Shutterstock

British politician criticizes priest for refusing Communion over assisted dying vote

Jun 29, 2025 / 19:05 pm

The politician posted on social media that the incident raised “grave public interest” about pressure religious MPs faced.

Bishop Anthony Ireland was appointed the new archbishop of Hobart in Tasmania, Australia, on June 20, 2025. Credit: Australian Catholic Bishops’ Conference

Pope Leo XIV names Bishop Anthony Ireland as new archbishop of Hobart in Australia

Jun 20, 2025 / 09:29 am

Pope Leo XIV has appointed Bishop Anthony Ireland, auxiliary bishop of Melbourne, Australia, as the new archbishop of Hobart in Tasmania.

St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Brisbane, Australia. Credit: TK Kurikawa/Shutterstock

Pope Leo XIV appoints Bishop Shane Mackinlay as new archbishop of Brisbane in Australia

Jun 19, 2025 / 10:06 am

Sixty-year-old Bishop Shane Mackinlay succeeds Archbishop Mark Coleridge, who is retiring after 13 years of episcopal leadership. 

Young people hold crosses as they arrive for Mass during the traditional Pentecostal pilgrimage from Paris to Chartres, in Sonchamp, near Paris, on June 8, 2025. Credit: STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN/AFP via Getty Images

Chartres pilgrimage draws 19,000 in show of faith and tradition

Jun 10, 2025 / 13:33 pm

The three-day trek from Paris to Chartres represents a demanding challenge — both physical and spiritual — that continues to attract growing numbers of young Catholics.

Pope Leo XIV speaks in front of the famous icon at the Shrine of the Mother of Good Counsel in Genazzano, Italy, on Saturday, May 10, 2025. Credit: Vatican Media

How can 3 French saints spark missionary momentum? Leo’s call for spiritual renewal

Jun 1, 2025 / 19:56 pm

The pope emphasized their shared spiritual trait: “They loved Jesus unreservedly in a simple, strong, and authentic way.”

Pope Leo XIV smiles at the crowds at St. Peter’s Square on Sunday, June 1, 2025, gathered for the Jubilee of Families, Children, Grandparents, and the Elderly. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA

Pope Leo XIV: Marriage ‘not an ideal but the measure of true love between a man and a woman’

Jun 1, 2025 / 07:31 am

Marriage is “not an ideal but the measure of true love between a man and a woman: a love that is total, faithful, and fruitful,” Pope Leo XIV said Sunday.