The US Supreme Court stepped into some contentious waters March 2 when it heard oral arguments on abortion for the first time in nearly a decade and almost 25 years since it issued a major ruling on abortion. But even though some time has gone by, the court’s 1992 ruling in Planned Parenthood vs. Casey Read more
World
Pa. bishop defends his handling of clergy sex abuse allegations in grand jury report
Tuesday, March 8th, 2016One of the Altoona-Johnstown, Pa., bishops singled out by a grand jury report for his “abysmal” record on sexually abusive priests responded in turn hours after its release, defending his handling of allegations as adhering to a strict review process and following advice of psychiatric experts. In a 10-page statement filed with the Allegheny County Read more
Pell admits not acting on sex abuse claim in 1974
Friday, March 4th, 2016
Cardinal George Pell admitted that he did not act on a complain made by a boy in 1974 that Brother Edward Dowlan was “misbehaving” with students at St Patrick’s College in Ballarat. Dowlan, who has since changed his name to Ted Bales, was jailed last year for abusing boys in the 1970s and ’80s. “With Read more
Pope tells benefactors Church doesn’t need ‘dirty money’
Friday, March 4th, 2016
Pope Francis told Church benefactors who profit from exploitation of workers to take back their donations and “burn it.” “I think of some benefactors of the Church that say ‘take this offer for the Church,’ and it is profit from the blood of those abused, treated as slaves, workers with poorly paid jobs,” the pope Read more
Pope Francis to visit Pakistan later this year
Friday, March 4th, 2016
Pope Francis has accepted an invitation to visit Pakistan this year, said a Pakistan media report. The state-run Associated Press of Pakistan reported that the pontiff has accepted the invitation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. The invitation was extended by Pakistan’s Ports and Shipping Minister Kamran Michael, a Catholic, and Religious Affairs Minister Sardar Yusuf Read more
US bishops covered up ‘hundreds’ of sexual abuses
Friday, March 4th, 2016
An investigation into alleged sex abuses by priests in the Diocese of Pennsylvania in the United States found that two bishops protected over 50 priests who sexually abused hundreds of children. The 147-page grand jury report came uncovered a “secret archive” of evidence stuffed into boxes and filing cabinets in a church office in the Read more
Catholics to hold worldwide ‘Confession drive’
Friday, March 4th, 2016
Catholic churches around the world will be participating in a worldwide “confession drive” on Friday as part of the Jubilee Year of Mercy celebrations. In the Vatican, Pope Francis will hear confessions from the faithful at St. Peter’s Basilica as part of a “24 Hours of Reconciliation” initiative in Italy. In England and Wales, teams Read more
Vatican releases pope’s Lenten schedule
Friday, March 4th, 2016The Vatican released Pope Francis’ liturgical schedule for March and April, including Holy Week and Easter. The pope’s schedule includes a penitential celebration and a consistory for several causes of canonization. However, the schedule does not say where he will celebrate the Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper. Greg Burke, vice director of the Read more
Philippine Catholic shrine to go 100 percent green
Friday, March 4th, 2016Tapping into greener power, a popular Catholic shrine in Manila is taking steps toward becoming the first church in the Philippine capital to be completely solar-powered. The National Shrine of Our Mother of Perpetual Help, a shrine operated by the Redemptorists, will be installing solar panels in the coming months. Brother Ciriaco Santiago, head of Read more
Catholic ‘seal of the confessional’ upheld as religious liberty issue
Friday, March 4th, 2016A Louisiana judge has ruled that a state law requiring clergy to report child abuse or other crimes learned in the confessional is unconstitutional because it infringes on religious liberty. At issue is a long-running case involving Rebecca Mayeaux, a 22-year-old who claims that when she was 14 she told Fr. Jeff Bayhi, a Catholic Read more