To combat abuse and protect vulnerable people, France’s Catholic bishops adopted new guidelines last week for priests hearing confessions and giving spiritual counselling. The new measures follow recommendations from the Independent Commission on Sexual Abuse in the Church (CIASE) which three years ago urged the Church to implement strict directives for confessors. The guidelines specify Read more
When he pulls back from the table, it is wet from his tears. It isn’t like he is sobbing. The tears just fall silently. Salvo, the name of this 30-something man who signed up for confession at the prison where I serve as a chaplain, kept on speaking. I wasn’t sure whether he was talking Read more
The Vatican has been informed of a French bishop’s alleged spiritual abuse for sexual purposes. Bishop Michel Santier (pictured), was quietly disciplined by the Vatican and, in 2021, he reported to his diocese he resigned for “health reasons”. However, the weekly Famille Chrétienne revealed Santier was also removed for “using his influence over two young Read more
In every family, in every community, there are unresolved conflicts; there is sin. In Matthew 18:15-20, he sets out the steps for reconciliation. First, “if your brother does something wrong, go and have it out with him alone”. If that works, well and good. If it doesn’t, then call him to the table with a Read more
A Virginia priest ordered Chinese food on Uber Eats, but when the driver arrived, the priest got a second knock on the door. “Are you a priest? A Catholic priest?” the man asked Father Dan Beeman of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in the Virginia city of Newport News. Read more
A parish in the Philippines has canceled an ‘online general absolution’. Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal Parish in Quezon City, Philippines had advertised the event would be available by livestream, and was set to take place on April 3. On Thursday, the parish issued a retraction and an apology. “Fr. Nelson wants to correct Read more
If a priest is wearing a mask and standing three or six feet away from a penitent requesting the sacrament of reconciliation, is he really more present to a penitent he knows than he would be by telephone? Maybe, but maybe not, said Father Giorgio Giovanelli, a professor of canon law at Rome’s Pontifical Lateran Read more
Confession cannot be heard by telephone says a Peruvian bishop. His decision comes just five days after authorising priests in his diocese to do so. Last week, Bishop Reinhold Nann told priests of his diocese that while they could not hold public Masses or religious services, they could hear sacramental confessions by telephone. He felt Read more
Demand for confessions at St. Mary’s in downtown Lincoln, Nebraska, has always been high: it’s a centrally-located church with convenient, daily confession times and often multiple confessors. During the parish’s normal 11:30-noon weekday confession times, penitents on their lunch breaks line up, often 20 people or more deep, for absolution and sacramental grace, before returning Read more
Once more, I take my good friend Jesus to the Theatre of my Life. We are going to see a rerun of the show” The Seven Deadly Sins.” “Not again!” Jesus sighs We sit in comfortable seats near the back of the theatre but even from a distance, the players look tired, more dead than Read more