The Vatican has announced steps to combat the misuse of Catholic spirituality for potential spiritual abuse. Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, the head of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, has expressed a heightened vigilance over the potential for mystical or spiritual elements to be exploited for abusive ends. Speaking to OSV News, Cardinal Read more
The Vatican has responded to Bishop of Christchurch Michael Gielen’s request for help dealing with unauthorised exorcisms and related spiritual abuse in the Diocese. The retired bishop of Toowoomba, Robert McGuckin (pictured), has been tasked with conducting an Apostolic Visitation to investigate the allegations. The former professor of Canon Law at the University of Notre Read more
Following allegations of unauthorised exorcisms, Bishop Michael Gielen has suspended all exorcisms in the Christchurch diocese and ordered a comprehensive review of the practice. Gielen is currently in Portugal at World Youth Day. The announcement arrives in the wake of a report by TV3 journalist Michael Morrah that exposed alleged unapproved exorcisms conducted by the Read more
The recent television reporting of exorcisms and potential abuse by a fringe religious group in the Diocese of Christchurch is deeply disturbing on several levels. Poor Church communication is in the spotlight. The nub of the issue is why a fringe group, that does not belong to the mainstream of the Church and does not Read more
Fr Michael Mary, the leader of the ‘Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer,’ a conservative Latin Rite Catholic group in Christchurch, denies accusations that his group performed exorcisms on children. He clarified that sprinkling Holy Water around a child does not constitute an exorcism. The controversy surrounding the ‘Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer’, also Read more
An Australian of Samoan descent has been ordained in the first ordination ceremony conducted by the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer since the traditionalist group reconciled with Rome. Father Magdala Maria and a fellow member of the group, Father Yousef Marie, were ordained in Rome alongside Father Massimo Botta of the Priestly Fraternity of Read more