So much of Pope Francis' pastoral teaching is summed up in the very first sentence of the recent Declaration on Human Dignity issued by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith:

Every human person possesses an infinite dignity, inalienably grounded in his or her being, and this dignity prevails in and beyond every circumstance, state or situation the person may ever encounter.

This is called our "ontological dignity" because it is grounded in a person's very existence.

It is a way of saying that the dignity which derives from being called into existence by God is not diminished by anything that can ever happen to us, or by anything we ourselves might do. God loves us "beyond every circumstance."

Unsurprisingly, at the end of the Declaration, the Church calls for this fundamental principle to be "placed at the very centre of our commitment to the common good and the centre of every legal system." (n 64)

There are, of course, other aspects of human dignity that can be lost or diminished.

The Declaration speaks of the dignity that is comes with the gift of free will (moral dignity); the dignity that comes from having the necessities of life (social dignity); and the dignity that we experience as a sense of wholeness and well-being (existential dignity).

Corresponding to each of these, we speak of loss of dignity resulting from, for example, the misuse of our freedom, the deprivation of proper living conditions, or lack of deep life-satisfaction.

(The Declaration explains: "some people may appear to lack nothing essential for life, but for various reasons still struggle to live with peace, joy and hope [or are affected by] serious illnesses, violent family environments, pathological additions…n. 7)

Concerning all these ways of experiencing deprivation, loss or disability, the document is saying two things:

1) none of these deprivations/diminishments deprives us of the underlying dignity that belongs to us as persons called into existence by God; and

2) our lives as individuals, and as beings who live in a network of relationships with others, require us to work towards overcoming every form of indignity, deprivation and injustice.

This is what the second half of the Declaration deals with. It is what we need to reflect on as part of our commitment to the common good, and to see where human dignity needs to be better supported in our legal system.

Instead of attempting to summarise what the Declaration says about the many violations of human dignity it discusses, I shall share a few reflections and pose some of the questions that we all might need to ask ourselves.

Foundations

We will not understand what makes human dignity great if we underestimate the meaning of marriage.

Often it is through the struggles, sorrows and sacrifices that are part of life that we discover our own humanity, our dignity, and mission in life.

In marriage, these experiences are part of a shared journey. Yet marriage is not defined by the merits of sharing the journey. We also need to look at what marriage is specifically designed for and intended to be.

We discover its purpose by reference to God in whose image we are made - and in whom life and love are one and the same.

Marriage is designed to reflect this unity of love and life.

Sexuality's meaning is based on two purposes that come together uniquely in marriage: they are sexuality's potential for deeply nurturing the love of two people, and the way their love is designed to generate new life.

The joy and sense of wonder which this can bring to husband and wife is heightened by their discovery that love and life are both gifts. Their love is experienced as something not owed but freely given, and the more wonderful for that.

Similarly, when new life is the fruit of their love, it is experienced as not owed, and the more wonderful for that.

These are the realms of human experience that are jeopardised when human intentions depart from nature's intentions.

Separated from what nature intends marriage to be, sexuality is separated from its meaning.

Likewise, separated from the loving union of husband and wife, procreation is separated from the source of its meaning and its dignity.

Whatever the sense of loss from not being able to conceive, ultimately a child is never "owed" to anyone.

I am aware of the struggles of those whose sexual or gender orientations are different, and I reaffirm their right to the same respect that belongs to every person.

That right does not depend on their beliefs or actions or sexual orientation. It is securely based on the fact that they have been called into existence by God and are loved by God, whatever their circumstances.

It does not follow that others have to agree with their beliefs.

This can be difficult for some to understand: "how can you accept me as the person I am if you do not accept what I do'?

It's because the respect we owe people is not limited to those we agree with. It is "beyond every circumstance" - unconditional - based on their dignity as persons.

Freedom

Becoming authentically human is a work in progress. Ensuring that our moral dignity, our social dignity, and our existential dignity are intact involves making choices. It also involves how we understand freedom.

A virus within western culture today is the idea that a person is some ‘inner self' that is ultimately independent of others, and even independent of one's own body.

It is claimed that there are no boundaries to how a supposed ‘inner self' can choose to be.

This kind of thinking is meant to support the view that the act of choosing is self-validating, whatever might be the consequences of one's choice. Choosing is supposedly more important than what is chosen.

Familiarity with technology and its benefits can lead us to assume that what we can do, we may do?

Are we ourselves among those who have lost a sense of the purposes built into nature, and how they circumscribe what we may do - whether to ourselves or to others or to the environment?

Need for critical thinking, and empathy:

Are we at risk of unnoticeably buying into deceitful catch phrases and euphemisms that are used to make the violation of human rights acceptable and ‘normal'?

Abortion is described as "interruption of pregnancy," and the meaning of "person" is arbitrarily defined to exclude the child in the womb - regardless of what the sciences tell us.

The idea of "dignity" is used to justify the direct killing of another person, and the lethal injection has been called "medical aid."

Restrictions on the marketing of addictive substances is described as infringing the "right to choose" - by vested interests who know very well that by causing addiction, cigarettes and vapes deprive people of their freedom to opt out of their habit.

When marketeers believe that we can be easily deceived by slogans and euphemisms, what does that imply about ourselves?

Are they right?

Under the pressures of modern living, do we just drift along with general impressions - easy prey for influencers? Are we doing enough to promote our own, and other people's ability to think critically, which is necessary for the defence of human dignity?

Are we at risk of getting so used to the evils we condemn that we start taking them for granted? Do we need to take our condemnations of mistreatment of others to a deeper level?

Do we need to rediscover the meaning of repugnance? And can we find human indignities repugnant without first having a deep appreciation of persons, for whom Jesus was willing to give his life?

What is happening to our own dignity if we fail to promote the fundamental human dignity of others and work to counter de-humanising situations?

War and other atrocities:

Our anger at the barbarities of war is justified. But we cannot just stop there.

Do we too easily succumb to the idea that there is nothing we can do about it?

As citizens, it is for all of us to insist that our government supports those international institutions that are intended to protect peace and justice - and condemn ways in which their effectiveness is being blocked by countries for their own political ends.

If the taking of human lives becomes acceptable, it will be even easier to ‘normalise' other violations of human dignity.

Does our ‘throwaway culture' spill over to an idea, even at the back of our minds, that those who experience physical or mental limitations do not matter quite as much as others, and can be given lower priority?

In our own country migrants seeking livelihoods and opportunity to raise their own families have sometimes been defrauded, trafficked, enslaved… Are we satisfied that their fundamental dignity is sufficiently safeguarded in New Zealand law?

Are there not practices, and even policies, that are "far from reflecting clearly that women possess the same dignity and identical rights as men"… "equal pay for equal work, protection for working mothers, fairness in career advancements…"? (44,45)

Not to mention our country's ranking among the worst for domestic violence; do we even ask what's missing in young men's formation?

Do our business practices and political choices help to promote the situation in which "the ones who possess much more are relatively few, and those who possess almost nothing are many"? (n.36)

Do we share the "obsession with reducing labour costs with no concern for its grave consequences," especially when it causes "the worst kind of poverty" - unemployment and loss of livelihoods? (37)

Existential dignity:

Digital media can help people to be in contact, and can inspire solidarity for good purposes.

But there is also a darker side, both through misuse - e.g. the distress that can be caused by the spread of false information, hate-speech and bullying; and through over-use.

It is commonly agreed that indulgent over-use results in "addiction, isolation, and gradual loss of contact with reality, blocking the development of authentic inter-personal relationships."

The Declaration points to a paradox: "the more that opportunities for making connections grow in this realm, the more people find themselves isolated and impoverished in interpersonal relationships" (61). That doesn't make for life-satisfaction.

Could the compulsive need to constantly look - often for trivia - be the symptom of something else? After all, there is an emptiness that comes with secularism that is not filled by consumerism or entertainment or mere distractions.

A recent survey (reported by CathNews, 15/4/24), interviewed 200,000 individuals in more than 20 countries, and found that the regular practice of religion positively affects life-satisfaction - our existential dignity.

Why wouldn't it? - honouring God includes honouring God's purposes built into all creation. Anything less makes us less.

• Peter Cullinane is bishop emeritus of Palmerston North.

The question is resounding more loudly as the summit of bishops and lay Catholics known as the Synod on Synodality, scheduled for October, draws near.

Participants and observers alike recognize that any conversation about reforming church hierarchy or promoting lay involvement, Francis' twin goals for the synod, has to include honest exchanges about the role of women.

"It's not just one issue among others that you can tease out," said Casey Stanton, co-director of Discerning Deacons, a group committed to promoting dialogue about the female diaconate in the Church.

"It's actually kind of at the heart of the synod and we need to take a step forward that is meaningful, and that people can see and feel in their communities."

Stanton believes that opening the door for women to become deacons — allowing them to oversee some aspects of the Mass but not consecrate the Eucharist or perform other duties reserved for priests such as anointing the sick — could send an important signal to Catholics that the Vatican is listening to their concerns.

The upcoming synod already gives a greater role to women, who will be allowed to vote for the first time in any such meeting.

Of the 364 voting participants, mostly bishops, more than 50 will be women.

But women were never the intended focus of the synod, a project Francis hoped would inspire discussion of a "new way of being church," which was interpreted to mean a focus on church power structures and rethinking the privilege enjoyed by clergy.

But by the end of the last phase of the synod, when gatherings of bishops divided by continents examined the topics brought up at the grassroots level, it was clear that the question of women had taken center stage.

The document that emerged from those discussions, with the telling title "Enlarge Your Tent," spoke to the "almost unanimous affirmation" to raise the role of women in the church.

The document described the peripheral role played by women in the church as a growing issue that impacted the function of the clergy and how power is exercised in the historically male-led institution.

While it made no mention of female ordination to the priesthood, it did suggest that the diaconate might answer a need to recognize the ministry already offered by women all over the world.

"It's remarkable the shared cry that came through in ‘Enlarge the Space of Your Tent' around the deep connection between creating a new synodal path in the church and a church that more fully receives the gifts that women bring," Stanton said.

When, in June, the Vatican issued its "instrumentum laboris," or working document that will guide the discussion at the synod, it explicitly asked:

"Most of the Continental Assemblies and the syntheses of several Episcopal Conferences call for the question of women's inclusion in the diaconate to be considered. Is it possible to envisage this, and in what way?"

Attributing the question to the continental assemblies and avoiding the words "ministry" and "ordination" in asking it, said Miriam Duignan, co-director of Women's Ordination Worldwide, constituted a "preemptive strike" against open discussion of priestly ordination.

This avoids a direct challenge to the Vatican, which has shut down the possibility of women's ordination many times.

In 1976, the Pontifical Biblical Commission established that Scripture did not prevent the ordination of women and voted that female priests did not contradict Christ's vision for the church.

But soon after, the Vatican's doctrinal watchdog, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, intervened to state that the church was not authorized to ordain women.

Pope John Paul II had the final word on the issue when he definitively stated that "the Church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women," in his 1994 apostolic letter "Ordinatio Sacerdotalis" ("Priestly Ordination").

Francis and synod organizers have emphasized that the synod has no intention of opening that door.

"For the Catholic Church at this moment, from an official point of view, it's not an open question," said Nathalie Becquart, undersecretary at the Vatican's synod office, in an interview.

The question of the female diaconate, however, remained open.

Pope Benedict XVI changed canon law in 2009 to clarify the distinction between priests and bishops, who act as representatives of Christ, and deacons, who "serve the People of God in the diaconates of the liturgy, of the Word and of charity."

"Benedict predicted that the call for women priests and ministry was going to get stronger and stronger," Duignan told Religion News Service on Tuesday (July 25) in a phone interview.

The demand for women deacons was an underlying topic during Francis' previous synods on young people, the family and the Amazonian region. Francis created a commission to study the possibility of women deacons in 2016, and when no clear results emerged, he instituted another in April 2020.

According to Duignan, the commissions were "set up to fail," since a decision on the matter required a unanimous vote.

While it's undeniable that women deacons existed in the early and pre-medieval Church, theologians and historians remain divided on whether women were ordained deacons or if they occupied the role in a more informal way.

"There were women deacons in the past. We could do it again," Stanton said. "Let's just settle that."

The division on the question means that Francis will likely have to decide.

"Our prediction is that there is going to be a bit of a stalemate between those bishops who fear a diaconate role for women, and those who say now it's the time, let's give them the diaconate," Duignan said.

Advocates for female deacons hope the pope will finally welcome the demand felt by many Catholic women. "For many young people it has become untenable," Stanton said, "an obstacle to feeling the gospel."

The pope could leave the decision to individual bishops, which would create a patchwork of policies.

Stanton, who has witnessed many experiments for new ministries for women, said that while one bishop may open new opportunities for women, the issue will "wither on the vine" if another bishop doesn't see it as a priority.

In the end, she added, "it's one cleric getting to determine the scope of a woman's vocation and ministries."

Historically, the path to priestly ordination follows the steps of lector, acolyte and deacon. In January 2021, Francis allowed women to become lectors and acolytes; a decision in favor of female deacons could signal a cautious opening for the cause of women priests.

"The glacial pace for change in the modern Catholic Church means we have to accept any steps forward as progress," Duignan said.

The female diaconate would in her opinion offer some recognition for the women who catechize, evangelize and assist faithful all over the world.

"Once they start seeing women at the altar in an official role and seems to be leading the Mass there will be more calls for women priests," she added.

Advocacy groups such as Women's Ordination Worldwide will be in Rome in October to make their demands known through vigils, marches and conferences.

The Synod on Synodality will draw the attention not just of Catholics but women everywhere, putting the question of female leadership in the church and beyond in the spotlight.

"The women are coming," Duignan said. What remains unknown is whether the Vatican is prepared.

• Claire Giangravé is an author at Religion News Service.
• First published by Religion News Service. Republished with permission.

The bishops of Flanders also published a liturgy for the celebration of homosexual unions.

"In doing so, they are going directly against the Vatican," reported the Dutch newspaper Nederlands Dagblad.

The Vatican clarified in March 2021 that the Catholic Church does not have the power to give liturgical blessings of homosexual unions.

The Flemish bishops say they created the liturgy to make the church more inclusive and welcoming.

The document, titled "Being Pastorally Close to Homosexual Persons: For a welcoming church that excludes no one," was published on 20 September on the website of the bishops' conference of Belgium.

It states that same-sex relationships, which are not considered sacramental marriages by the Catholic Church, can nonetheless be a source of joy and happiness for the couple.

The publication cites "The Joy of Love," the 2016 apostolic exhortation in which Pope Francis wrote that the church needs to accompany families with LGBT members better, so that "those who manifest a homosexual orientation can receive the assistance they need to understand and fully carry out God's will in their lives".

The bishops of the Flemish-speaking part of Belgium also announced that each diocese will appoint a person as "concrete response and fulfilment to the desire to give explicit attention to the situation of homosexual persons, their parents and families in the conduct of policy.

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) issued its latest declaration on same-sex blessings on March 15, 2021, in a document known as a Responsum ad dubium ("Response to a question").

In reply to the query, "Does the Church have the power to give the blessing to unions of persons of the same sex?" the CDF answered, "Negative."

The congregation outlined its reasoning in an explanatory note and accompanying commentary.

The Vatican statement, issued with the approval of Pope Francis, sparked protests and open defiance in the German-speaking Catholic world.

German priests and pastoral workers also openly defied the Vatican and conducted blessing ceremonies for same-sex couples.

The Belgian prayers were published as Catholic dioceses around the world are finalising reports about listening sessions with lay Catholics, which are part of the pope's synodal process. Bishops in many countries said that the treatment of LGBT Catholics and their families arose in many listening sessions, including some in the United States.

"The hope for a welcoming church expressed itself clearly with the desire to accompany with authenticity LGBTQ+ persons and their families," reads a report published yesterday by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops summarising the listening sessions held throughout the United States.

"In order to become a more welcoming Church, there is a deep need for ongoing discernment of the whole Church on how best to accompany our LGBTQ+ brothers and sisters."

Sources

Catholic News Agency

America Magazine

The pope made the move on Monday by issuing a new "motu proprio" called Fidem servare - "keep the faith".

The "doctrinal section" will be in charge of defending Church teaching. In contrast, the "disciplinary section" will deal with cases of sexual abuse committed against minors and other grave delicts.

According to the new motu proprio, each section will now have its own secretary, considered the No 2 official in rank. That role will be "to assist the prefect in the specific area of his competence".

Read More

On Tuesday, Pope Francis publicised adaptations to the "Norms on the delicts reserved for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith".

The following day on 8 December (the feast of the Immaculate Conception) a revised version of Book VI of the Code of Canon Law went into effect.

Although the definitions of the crimes themselves have not been changed, the new version of the norms - or ways of dealing with transgressions - aligns with recent laws Francis has issued and with the revisions to Book VI.

These revisions include Francis's motu proprios "As a loving mother" and Vos estis lux mundi.

The new norms include the possibility of the pope decreeing an individual's dismissal from the clerical state directly, without a trial. Situations where this could occur include crimes against the faith, such as heresy, apostasy and schism.

In addition to the crimes against the faith, the doctrinal congregation also judges crimes against the sacraments.

These crimes include desecrating a consecrated host, simulating the Mass, solicitation to a sin against the sixth commandment (adultery) during confession and violating the confessional seal.

Other crimes include attempting to ordain a woman, clerical abuse of a minor and a cleric possessing child pornography.

"The changes that have been introduced mostly concern procedural aspects, aimed at clarifying and facilitating the proper conduct of the Church's legal workings in the administration of justice," Vatican News says.

The norms were first promulgated by Pope John Paul II in 2001 and amended by Benedict XVI in 2010.

Benedict first commissioned the revisions to improve the efficacy of the code's penal sanctions.

Msgr. C. Michael Padazinski, president of the Canon Law Society of America, is pleased with the changes.

"This reinvigoration of canon law is a welcome necessity to our member canonists' work on behalf of the Church and will be, as the Holy Father says, an instrument for the good of souls.

"Recategorizing the crime of sexual abuse of a minor from a delict against celibacy to a delict against the dignity of the human person is a remarkable development.

"It shows a shift from a mindset of concern focused primarily on an accused cleric to a concern for the individual who has been harmed," Padazinski, says.

The revisions coming into effect on the feast of the Immaculate Conception is significant, he comments.

This is because the date "reaffirms that life itself and the protection of human dignity begin at the instant a child is conceived in the mother's womb."

Source

• Catholic News Agency
• Image: Simply Catholic

Archbishop Valery Vienneau said the decision to change the policy followed a conversation between the four bishops of the Archdiocese of Moncton and the New Brunswick provincial health authorities on Thursday night.

The updated policy comes after the archdiocese had previously announced and confirmed policies beyond government requirements mandatory proof of vaccination for many public buildings and events, but not houses of worship.

However, proof of vaccination status is required for weddings and funerals in all venues which are not private residences. Still, there is no maximum capacity cap or requirement for social distancing.

Instead, the local Catholic dioceses have agreed to a common set of policies to combat the spread of the virus, including mandatory masks for indoor liturgies and attendance at 50% to allow for social distancing.

Other dioceses in the province announced their own policies of mandatory indoor masking. Still, none had announced a requirement for proof of vaccination.

Earlier in the week, New Brunswick premier Blaine Higgs had warned that restrictions on maximum capacity and a return to social distancing may be necessary for churches. But he stopped short of suggesting proof of vaccination status for houses of worship.

The archdiocese new policies align with the Church's own internal assessment of vaccines and public health protections during the pandemic.

Pope Francis and the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith have made clear that it is morally acceptable for Catholics to receive all of the widely available vaccines against coronavirus. They repeatedly stated that doing so is a service to the common good. The CDF has also insisted that vaccination is a matter of prudential moral freedom for the individual.

Sources

The Pillar

Diocese of Moncton

The B.C. Catholic

The president of the German Bishops' Conference, Bishop Georg Bätzing, has criticized the upcoming Catholic-backed initiative saying blessings should not be used as a political statement.

The blessing service initiative was organised immediately after the Vatican formally said no to same-sex blessings.

Several lay and ordained Catholic leaders in Germany organised the initiative, calling it: "Love wins, blessing service for lovers."

The national day set for May 10 will consist of blessing services for same-sex couples being held throughout the country.

A statement on the event's website says that in response to the Vatican's 'no' to same-sex blessings:

"We will continue to accompany people who enter into a binding partnership in the future and bless their relationship.

"We do not refuse a blessing ceremony. We do this in our responsibility as pastors, who promise people at important moments in their lives the blessings that God alone gives. We respect and value their love, and we also believe that God's blessings are on them."

The initiative's organizers have condemned what they said is "an exclusive and outdated sexual morality" which is being "carried out on the backs of people" and which "undermines our work in pastoral care."

Bätzing, however, says the blessing ceremonies are not "a helpful sign and a further path," for same-sex couples.

In a statement on 28 April, he explained, for the Church blessings hold spiritual significance and therefore should never be used for political ends or as a means of protest.

Blessing ceremonies "have their own theological dignity and pastoral significance" and are therefore "not suitable as an instrument for church political manifestations or protest actions," he said.

At the same time, he stressed that homosexuals - whether individuals or partners - have a place in the Church. "You are welcome to us," he said.

The Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which issued the decree banning same-sex blessings justified its position, saying:

"God does not bless sin."

This thumbs down from the Vatican immediately had Catholic faithful and hierarchy divided about whether the response was fair.

Much of that backlash was felt in Germany.

Outside Germany, however, as a direct result of the Vatican decree, 700 - mainly young people - formally left the Catholic Church in the Diocese of Antwerp.

Bishop of Antwerp, Johan Bonny, says the "dramatic" backlash has come from "mainly straight people" who saw the Vatican ruling Responsum as "a step too far".

Furthermore, as many as 2,000 people cancelled their baptismal registrations in the Flemish dioceses in Belgium.

Bonny also hit out at Vatican document's "theological weakness" and failure to reflect the developments in biblical theology, sacramental theology and moral theology.

"It's as if it was written in the time of Pius XII," he said.

But the practical cost of this, is the loss to the faith of Church members, he said.

"That is our responsibility in front of God our Father."

Source

• Crux Now
• The Tablet
• Image: America Magazine

A massive blessing service event called "Love wins, blessing service for lovers" has been scheduled for May 10, in direct opposition to Rome's chief doctrinal office.

Bishop Franz-Josef Overbeck of Essen said priests in his diocese will face no canonical consequence if they decide to bless gay and lesbian couples in the event.

"Love wins. Love is a blessing," says the website for the event. "People who love each other are blessed. On May 10th, 2021, we invite you to various places in Germany for blessing services.

"We don't want to exclude anyone. We celebrate the diversity of people's different life plans and love stories, and ask for God's blessings. Without any secrecy.

"On this page, you will find the services that take place. You can register for a service and send us a blessing."

Organizers also ask that on that day, Catholics in Germany use "creative symbols to make visible how many people in the Church perceive the colorful diversity of different life plans and love stories of people as an enrichment and a blessing."

Bishop Overbeck argued on Easter that there are "many blessings for gay couples" in Germany. He also said that the Catholic Church is not supposed to reject gay people. But it should "find ways for homosexuals to be able to live together."

Overbeck's stance is in direct opposition to a statement released by the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) on March 15 with papal approval.

The document, technically an answer to a question posed to the CDF, argues that the Church cannot bless same-sex unions because "God does not bless sin."

The response caused division both among the faithful and the hierarchy. This was highlighted in Germany, which is currently undergoing a synodal path to address the Church's response to clerical sexual abuse. At the same time, it is reviewing Church teaching on human sexuality, priestly celibacy and the ban on ordaining women into the priesthood.

While many bishops oppose the CDF's response, several high-ranking German prelates support the response. The group includes Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki, Archbishop of Cologne; Bishop Stephan Burger of Freiburg; and Bishop Rudolf Voderholzer of Regensburg.

Sources

Crux Now

Reuters

The Archbishop of Vienna has joined more than a dozen German-speaking bishops who have voiced displeasure with the Vatican's recent effort to reinforce a ban on blessing gay couples.

He said the responsum and explanation produced by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) has deeply wounded many people.

"If the request for a blessing is not a show. If the request is honest and is really a plea for God's blessing of a way of life that two people want to embark on together, then such a blessing will not be refused," the 76-year-old cardinal said in the latest issue of his archdiocesan weekly paper, Der Sonntag.

Schönborn said many homosexuals wanted to see "the Church as their mother".

He added, "That is why the Vatican declaration was especially painful for so many, as they felt that they had been rejected by the Church."

The criticism by Schönborn is seen as extremely significant. Not only is he a member of the CDF, but also the Church's second most senior cardinal in active ministry.

He received his red hat in 1998, and is outranked only by 75-year-old Vinko Puljic of Sarajevo, who became a cardinal four years earlier.

"A blessing is not a reward for good behavior, but a plea for help from above," said the Austrian Church leader.

Seven out of the ten bishops who lead dioceses in Austria have publicly criticized the CDF text.

In addition, some 200 German-speaking theologians and more than 2000 priests in Germany and Austria have issued a statement protesting the Vatican's doctrinal congregation.

They publicly stated that they will continue to bless homosexual couples.

The Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK) pointed out that the issue of blessing gay couples was not only being discussed in Germany, but also "in many countries in the world Church".

The ZdK has called for "further development of Church teaching" on homosexuality that could therefore not just simply be rejected.

Catholic bishops and leading laity have already begun discussing this and other issues pertaining to sexual morality. They have done so as part of Germany's ongoing "binding synodal procedure" for ecclesial renewal.

The series of synodal gatherings was triggered by the Church's shattered credibility as a consequence of the abuse crisis.

Sources

• La Croix International
• Catholic Philly

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) on March 15 published a document reiterating the Vatican's longstanding position that it is "illicit" for Catholic priests to bless same-sex unions.

God "does not and cannot bless sin", the responsum said.

There is some support to the responsum from within the church hierarchy.

Cardinal Kevin Farrell, head of the Vatican's laity office, concurred with the pronouncement that a "blessing" is a sacramental action. It relates to the marriage sacrament, which the church teaches can only be celebrated between a man and a woman.

Farrell said civil unions are not "marriages" as the Catholic Church understands the term. He stressed: "I do want to insist that nobody be excluded from the pastoral care and love of the church."

Boston Cardinal Sean O'Malley and head of the Vatican's development office, Cardinal Peter Turkson, pointed to Francis' pastoral outreach to gay men and lesbians. But they repeated the church's position.

"The church has a very clear teaching about marriage that needs to be proclaimed," O'Malley said during an online panel discussion organized by Georgetown University.

However, bishops from several different countries immediately criticised the CDF intervention calling it "unacceptable", hurtful and clumsy.

"I feel ashamed for my church. I mainly feel intellectual and moral incomprehension," said Bishop Johan Bonny, 65, of Antwerp (Belgium).

"Controlling who can or cannot receive God's blessing is inadequate and wrong," said Franz Kreissl, director of pastoral services for the Diocese of St. Gallen in Switzerland.

Bishop Georg Bätzing of Limburg said he was "unhappy" with the new note published by the Vatican.

In the USA, Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago underlined that the CDF note offers "nothing new on the Church's teaching".

"This should prompt us in the Church to redouble our efforts. We need to be creative and resilient in finding ways to welcome and encourage all LGBTQ people in our family of faith," the 72-year-old cardinal emphasized.

In France, the publication of the CDF text has aroused a sense of anger in LGBTQ+ Christian movements and associations.

"What is disappointing is that we had the feeling that some things were moving on the ground, especially in dialogue with the dioceses," lamented Cyrille de Compiègne, spokesperson for the Association David & Jonathan.

Sources

• La Croix
• AP News
• Religion News

Bishop Georg Bätzing, president of the German bishops' conference commented March 15 after the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) clarified that the Catholic Church does not have the power to give liturgical blessings of homosexual unions.

The CDF was asked: "Does the Church have the power to give the blessing to unions of persons of the same sex?"

The doctrinal office's blunt reply was simply, "RESPONSE: Negative."

A one-and-half-page "explanatory note" immediately followed, saying the Catholic Church" declares illicit any form of blessing that tends to acknowledge their unions as such."

CNA Deutsch has previously reported that Bätzing expressed support for same-sex blessings, saying that "we need solutions for this."

In his statement, Bätzing addressed the impact of the CDF's intervention on the "Synodal Path," a multi-year event bringing together German laypeople and bishops to discuss four major topics: the way power is exercised in the Church; sexual morality; the priesthood; and the role of women.

Bätzing said that the "Synodal Path" was seeking to address "the topic of successful relationships in a comprehensive way that also considers the necessity and the limits of ecclesial doctrinal development."

He added: "The points of view put forward today by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith must and will naturally find their way into these discussions."

Meanwhile, Bishop Rudolf Voderholzer of Regensburg welcomed the CDF document.

In a March 15 statement, he said: "The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has made it clear that the Church does not have the authority to bless same-sex partnerships. Pope Francis has approved the publication of the document and the accompanying explanations."

"With the pope and the members of the Family Synod of 2015, I also underline ‘that every person, regardless of sexual orientation, ought to be respected in his or her dignity and treated with consideration, while "every sign of unjust discrimination" is to be carefully avoided' (Amoris laetitia, 250)."

Sources

Catholic News Agency

La Croix International

They have said the shots are moral and are needed urgently to save lives.

The barrage of differing philosophical opinions on the three approved vaccines were based on how central the use of fetal cell lines was in their production.

The lines are essentially reproductions of fetal cells from abortions done in the 1970s and 1980s. The shots themselves don't actually contain fetal cells.

Earlier this week, the chairs of the U.S. bishops' conference committees on doctrine and pro-life activities issued a statement advising Catholics awaiting a COVID-19 vaccine to choose, if possible, the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines over the recently approved Johnson & Johnson's.

This was due to a less remote connection between this newest vaccine and abortion. A previous statement by the New Orleans Archdiocese characterized the Johnson & Johnson vaccine as "morally compromised." A handful of other bishops have concurred.

Some Catholic leaders and medical professionals worried that the stream of criticism over the Johnson & Johnson shot could discourage devout Catholics from getting vaccinated. Some felt the need to say explicitly that getting a vaccine is not at all problematic morally, and there is an ethical imperative to do so.

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith noted that due to the very production and distribution challenges currently in place in the U.S. and globally, "it is morally acceptable to receive Covid-19 vaccines that have used cell lines from aborted fetuses in their research and production process."

They continue that due to the "grave danger" presented by the spread of the SARS-CoV2 virus that causes Covid-19, "all vaccines recognized as clinically safe and effective can be used in good conscience."

And they emphasize that while vaccination — like all medical interventions — is voluntary, there is a moral "duty to protect one's own health [as well as] the duty to pursue the common good."

A group of prominent conservative Catholic scholars said none of the vaccines developed in the U.S. so far should be seen as "more morally tainted" than one another.

The statement by the eight scholars noted that the abortion was not done in order to provide research material. The scientists working to develop the coronavirus vaccines decades later were not involved in the abortion. The cell line is so common for testing that "the great majority of processed/packaged food products available for sale in the United States are likely to contain ingredients produced or tested" with it.

Sources

National Catholic Reporter

Washington Post

Targeted at bishops and religious superiors conducting in-house investigations into allegations of priests who rape and molest minors and vulnerable adults, the long-awaited publication offers advice about how to handle cases of clergy sex crimes.

"These documents constitute an 'instrument' intended to help local Church authorities in the 'delicate task of correctly carrying out cases' involving priests 'when they are accused' of child abuse, says Cardinal Luis Ladaría Ferrer, the prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

Translated into several languages, the manual advises bishops and superiors that all allegations of abuse should be investigated and that they must report sex abuse to the police.

"Even in cases where there is no explicit legal obligation to do so, the ecclesiastical authorities should make a report to the competent civil authorities if this is considered necessary to protect the person involved or other minors from the danger of further criminal acts," the manual advises.

This is a significant change from the previous Vatican policy about bishops and superiors cooperating with law enforcement agencies, prosecutors and police. That said they had to report allegations of sex crimes with minors only where local laws require it.

The manual also says bishops and superiors must comply with subpoena requests.

The manual says anonymous allegations should not be dismissed outright. Nor should allegations be ignored just because they fall outside the church's statute of limitations since the Vatican can at any time decide to waive the time limit.

The new document also suggests hearsay and social media posts can constitute the basis on which to start an investigation and preliminary probe.

The only time dismissing an allegation is justified, the manual advises, is if the bishop establishes the "manifest impossibility of proceeding." As an example, a case could be dismissed if it were found that the priest wasn't physically present when the alleged crimes took place.

The manual explains that the type of crimes that fall under the label of sexual abuse is "quite broad."

They include not only sexual relations but any physical contact for sexual gratification, including actions bishops frequently dismiss as mere "boundary violations."

It also warns that bishops can be prosecuted canonically for negligence if they fail to take allegations seriously and investigate them.

The new publication's origins lie in Pope Francis' 2019 sex abuse summit, in which the presidents of all the world's bishops conferences came to the Vatican for a four-day tutorial on preventing abuse.

On the first day of the summit, Francis issued 21 points of reflection going forward, with the first point a recommendation that the Vatican issue a handbook to help bishops investigate and prosecute sex crimes.

While the Vatican has issued a variety of abuse-related documents over the years to protect minors, the new manual provides a point-by-point instruction on how to conduct investigations, from start to finish.

Source

• Associated Press
• La Croix International
• Image: Hong Kong News

The bishop concerned, Auxiliary Bishop George A. Sheltz (73) of Galveston-Houston has returned to public ministry.

He had stepped aside from public priestly duties after being accused with a "false allegation" of sexual abuse from 1971.

The Texas archdiocese says it received the allegation against the bishop, who also is chancellor, in June.

It immediately referred the allegation to the Vatican Congregation for Bishops, "who in turn referred it to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which has competency in these matters."

A statement released by the archdiocese says:

"The CDF has determined that the allegation against Bishop Sheltz is manifestly unfounded".

"The Congregation for Bishops has notified us and this brings the matter to a close and Bishop Sheltz is restored to full public ministry.

"We are very grateful Bishop Sheltz is resuming his normal ministry activities effective immediately."

Sheltz was named an auxiliary bishop for the archdiocese by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012.

Since 2010, Sheltz has held a number of posts in the archdiocese.

He has served as vicar general, chancellor and moderator of the curia for the archdiocese.

He has also been responsible for overseeing the administrative operations of the largest Catholic diocese in Texas and the fifth largest in the United States.

Source

• Crux Now
• Image: Houston Chronicle

He is currently in custody, waiting for three senior judges to consider his appeal against his conviction for child sexual abuse.

Pell was jailed in February for six years, with a non-parole period of three years and eight months, after being convicted last December of several child sex offences.

Regardless of whether he wins or loses his appeal, he may find the Vatican will also want to examine his case in court.

A lecturer in canon law at a pontifical university in Rome, who prefers to remain anonymous, says if Pell were tried at the Vatican, three judges would need to be involved.

"The two legal systems, that of Victoria [the Australian state where Pell is appealing his convictions] and the Vatican, are independent of one another.

"Canonical (Catholic Church law) trials can judge Catholic faithful independently from states," the lecturer says.

Therefore, if the Vatican were informed of a crime, canonical justice would investigate it "in any case", with the accuser represented by the "Promoter of Justice".

The lecturer went on to explain that there are two types of Vatican trial.

One is a trial by three judges, including a chief judge who conducts the trial. The trial involves interrogating, verifying documents and arranging psychological assessments.

At the end, the chief judge receives the comments the prosecution and defence make on all the evidence.

Only then do the judges pronounce their ruling, and sentence if appropriate.

If the person who has been convicted disagrees with the judges' decision, they can appeal the sentence through the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

The lecturer said the second and more likely type of trial was an administrative one.

In this type of trial, all possible proofs are collected and the accused is heard. Pope Francis, or someone nominated by him examines these and then tells the accused exactly what he is being accused of. The accused is then given time to prepare his defence.

As is the case with the first type of trial, the chief judge discusses the evidence with the other judges and makes a ruling.

Again, the option of appealing the sentence through the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith is available.

The lecturer said the court in Melbourne could opt to share all evidence and documents with the Vatican trial judges who would take "more or less a year" to rule on the case after a "not secret but reserved" trial process.

If it chose to, the court in Melbourne could opt to share all evidence and documents with the Vatican trial judges.

The lecturer said it is likely it would take "more or less a year" to rule on the case after a "not secret but reserved" trial process.

"Those who don't believe in the Church's honesty won't believe in such a trial. Those who believe Church law is being respected, even if they don't have first-hand knowledge of its proceedings, will still trust it," the lecturer said.

Source

• SBS News
• TVNZ
• Image: RFI

Müller, the former archbishop of Regensburg, Germany, made the comment during a reflection in Verona on the theme "Prayer: A gift from God," telling hundreds of listeners that "the faithful of Islam are not adopted children of God by the grace of Christ, but only his subjects."

Therefore, "We cannot pray like or with Muslims," he said.

"Their faith in God and his self-revelation is not only different from the Christian faith in God, but even denies its formula, claiming that God does not have a Son who, as the eternal Word of the Father, is a divine person and, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, is the One and Trinitarian God."

He went on to explain that Muslims can pray only to a distant God, submitting to his will as an unknown destiny.

"Their prayer expresses the blind subordination to the dominant will of God. The Christian instead prays that the will of God be done, a will that we do in liberty and that does not make us slaves, but free children of God."

Müller explained that unlike people of other religions, Christians "do not view their neighbours, who do not want or cannot believe in God, as opponents or victims of the Zeitgeist to be pitied.

"Instead, Christians see them as brothers whose Creator and Father is the only God, the One who seeks them out.

"They [Christians] offer an honest dialogue regarding the question that determines the meaning of being in general and of human existence in particular, because they feel united to them in the search for a better world."

For Müller, "Even Islam has faith in the one God, but which is understood as a natural faith in the existence of God and not as faith as a virtue infused with hope and love, which makes us sharers in the life of God, ensuring that we remain in him and he in us."

Source

• LifeSite
• Image: National Catholic Register

He called the acquittal a "scandalous verdict" as it had been made without hearing the plaintiff Doris Wagner-Reisinger.

On 15 May, the Apostolic Signatura, the highest judicial authority in the Church apart from the Pope, acquitted Fr Geissler, 53, of charges of solicitation during Confession made against him by Doris Wagner-Reisinger, a former nun born in 1983, when she, too, was a member of the FSO (The Spiritual Family "The Work").

The reason given for the acquittal was that "the circumstances of an alleged serious crime had not been proven with sufficient moral certainty." Read more

Father Hermann Geissler who formerly worked at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith resigned from his post in January after allegations against him went public.

He has always maintained his innocence.

The day he resigned, the congregation issued a request for a canonical investigation and penal measures enacted.

A five-member group from the Court was was established to investigate the allegations.

After a meeting last week, the investigators "issued the decree of acquittal of the accused".

They said they could not prove the crime "with the required moral certainty" and, "after a thorough examination of the case," determined that Geissler was innocent.

The investigators said "the configuration of the alleged serious offence" was not proven "with the requisite moral certainty" after a "careful examination of the case".

Geissler, who is member of the German community "The Work" ("Das Werk"), or "Spiritual Family Work" ("Familia Spiritualis Opus"), had been accused by a former nun of this community for alleged "advances" in the confessional.

The former nun, Doris Wagner-Reisinger, a former member of Das Werk community, spoke of having unwanted advances from a member of the Vatican's doctrine office at a November 2018 women's event in Rome.

In January, she told media that in 2014 she reported Geissler to officials in the congregation, saying the alleged encounter happened in 2009.

The Vatican announcement may make waves in Germany and Austria, given comments on the case Cardinal Christoph Schönborn of Vienna made to Wagner-Reisinger that led many to conclude he accepted her claim.

However, Schönborn said his comment to Wagner-Reisinger was not "a legal act," and therefore bore no weight on the guilt or innocence of the parties. Although Schönborn said he trusts what Wagner-Reisinger recounted, "I am not a judge who must decide in a case of law".

Source

• Crux Now
• Zenit
• Image: Catholic News Agency

In a statement, the Vatican acknowledges the "utmost respect for the Australian judicial authorities" and says the Vatican is waiting for the outcome of the appeals process.

It says, (Pell) "has the right to defend himself until the last stage of appeal".

"At the same time, it is important to recall that Cardinal Pell has openly and repeatedly condemned as immoral and intolerable the acts of abuse committed against minors," the statement says.

"[Pell] has cooperated in the past with Australian authorities (for example, in his depositions before the Royal Commission); has supported the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors; and finally, as a diocesan bishop in Australia, has introduced systems and procedures both for the protection of minors and to provide assistance to victims of abuse".

The statement also confirmed the arrangements barring Pell from public ministry and from contact with minors during the course of the legal process.

Vatican opens investigation

Following his conviction, the Vatican says it will be opening its own investigation into the accusations.

"The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) will now handle the case following the procedure and within the time established by canonical norm," Vatican spokesman Alessandro Gisotti said.

Just when the proposed investigation will take place has not been announced. The Vatican says the investigation could lead to a full trial or an abbreviated "administrative process".

When a deacon, priest or bishop is accused of abuse, the first phase of the investigation generally is carried out by the diocese where the abuse is alleged to have occurred.

If the allegations are found to be credible, the case is handed over to the CDF.

Last October Pell resigned his position as head of the Secretariat for the Economy, where he oversaw the Vatican's finances.

His successor's name has not yet been announced.

The County Court of Victoria, Australia, (December) found Pell guilty of five counts of child sexual abuse against two former choristers in Melbourne Cathedral in 1996.

Pell's guilty verdict was revealed in Australia on Tuesday this week after a court suppression order was dropped.

He spent his first night behind bars on Wednesday and will be sentenced on 13 March.

Pell, who has continuously said he is innocent, plans to appeal the verdict.

Source

• Reuters
• Catholic News Service
• Zenit
• Catholic News Agency
• Image: France 24

The Congregation is the Vatican office that processes sex abuse cases globally and examines appeals (in matters of grave offence).

The announcement came as the Vatican prepares for a summit meeting of the presidents of 130 bishops conferences from all continents in February.

Francis has called the conference to discuss two matters: protecting minors in the church; and the issue of accountability.

Scicluna, who is currently the President of the College for the Ordinary Session of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, is considered the Church's expert on investigating sex abuse allegations.

By appointing Scicluna to this position, Francis is assigning him the lead role in the Vatican in dealing with all matters relating to the abuse crisis, underlining his determination to deal decisively with the scandal.

Earlier this year Francis sent Scicluna to Chile to gather information about the unfolding sex abuse scandal.

He has also investigated sex abuse allegations involving high-profile clergy such as Father Marcial Maciel Degollado, founder of the Legionaries of Christ.

In 2005 Pope Benedict XVI ordered Degollado to "a life reserved for prayer and penance, renouncing any public ministry."

Scicluna has a reputation as a man with a "zero tolerance" policy against priests and religious who abuse minors and children.

He was appointed as auxiliary bishop in Malta in 2012 before Francis made him archbishop in 2015.

Scicluna will continue as the Archbishop of Malta, but is expected to travel to Rome on a regular basis.

Scicluna's Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Galea-Curmi will assume the ordinary leadership of the Archdiocese of Malta when Scicluna is absent.

Source

• America Magazine
• The Tablet
• La Croix
• Image: TVM