Forget the Mormon moment. The religious group that seems to be figuring most prominently in the presidential election right now is the Roman Catholic Church. With Mitt Romney’s recent choice of Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan as running mate, this campaign is the first in which Catholics are on both major party tickets. Vice President Joe Read more
No fewer than three members of the Catholic hierarchy in the United States have spoken up for Catholic vice-presidential contender Paul Ryan, while refraining from endorsing his controversial candidacy. The first was Ryan’s own bishop, Bishop Robert Morlino of Madison, Wisconsin. Clearly concerned at attacks on Ryan since he was named Republican contender Mitt Romney’s Read more
So who is the funniest Catholic in the Western world: New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan or Comedy Central’s Stephen Colbert? asks Religion News Service. It’s a tough call for anyone who has followed either man’s impressive record of rim shots, but we may finally get an answer to that urgent question when cardinal and comedian Read more
A report on the Irish College in Rome by the Archbishop of New York, Cardinal Timothy Dolan has the four archbishops of Ireland unhappy, accusing Dolan of factual errors and basic errors such as getting peoples names wrong. Among Dolan’s main recommendations was that three of the priests on the staff be replaced and one Read more
The Association of Catholic Priests in Ireland issued a very strongly worded statement calling on Ireland’s archbishops and bishops of the priests concerned, “to publicly repudiate this report in the strongest possible terms and to support the priests involved in seeking to restore their reputations”. The Association says Dolan’s report had “effectively destroyed the reputations Read more
U.S. Catholic bishops announced plans on Thursday for an ambitious public relations drive to soften and shape their image and reach out to the younger generation using social media. In a lively session at their national conference in Atlanta, several bishops expressed dismay that they are slow to get their talking points across and are Read more
The Archdiocese of Milwaukee confirmed Wednesday that it had a policy to pay suspected pedophile priests to leave the ministry. The acknowledgement was prompted by a document made public by abuse victims’ advocates from the archdiocese’s bankruptcy that references a 2003 proposal to pay $20,000 to “unassignable priests” who accepted a return to the laity. Read more
This week 43 Catholic institutions, including the Archdioceses of New York and Washington DC as well as Notre Dame University, sued the Obama administration over its mandate requiring employers to provide contraception in their health insurance plans. The move not only escalated an unusual fight between church and state but also threatened to cause splits Read more
Catholic dioceses and schools are suing the Obama administration over its birth control requirement. The Catholic University of America says the rule violates their constitutional rights and turns their teachings into an act of hypocrisy. More than 40 Catholic organizations sued the Obama administration over a government requirement that most employers provide birth control coverage Read more
Time magazine has published the list of 100 people to be voted on for The Person of the Year in 2012, and after an Internet vote open to the public, the Archbishop of New York, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, received more than 42,000 votes and is well on the list. Dolan is placed ahead of others Read more