Posts Tagged ‘US Bishops’

US church lobbies to prevent broader abuse civil actions

Tuesday, May 17th, 2016

The US Catholic Church has spent millions of dollars in the last decade opposing measures that would help sex abuse victims get redress. The church has paid lobbyists to work against bills in four states that would extend statutes of limitation for child sex abuse cases or grant an extra window in some cases for Read more

US bishops oust long time CNS editor-in-chief over tweets

Tuesday, April 19th, 2016

The editor-in-chief of the US-based Catholic News Service has resigned abruptly at the request of a US bishops’ conference official. Tony Spence had posted tweets in reaction to religious freedom legislation under debate in Georgia and Tennessee and a gender identity measure in North Carolina. He also tweeted about an article in another publication about gay Read more

US bishops support calls to keep immigrant families together

Tuesday, March 15th, 2016

American Catholic bishops joined various faith groups in calling on the US Supreme Court to give temporary relief to undocumented persons in the country who are eligible for deportation. “Courts have repeatedly recognized that there is a public interest in maintaining stable families and communities,” the bishops said in an amicus brief filed on March 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

Doubts if US bishops’ election guide reflects Francis

Friday, November 20th, 2015

Sharp debate on the degree to which US bishops should adjust their priorities to match those of Pope Francis preceded approval of an election-year guide. The US bishops, meeting this week in Baltimore, approved an election guide called “Faithful Citizenship”. It stresses the moral imperative to evaluate political candidates according to their position on marriage Read more

Pope praises US bishops’ response to abuse crisis

Friday, September 25th, 2015

Pope Francis has hailed the “courage” shown by United States bishops in facing up to the clergy sex abuse crisis. Speaking to about 400 bishops in Washington, DC, on September 23, the Pope said the bishops had regained the authority and trust which was demanded of them. He also praised the bishops for being ready Read more

US bishops told priests don’t like giving marriage advice

Tuesday, June 16th, 2015

American Catholic bishops have been told that many priests admit they don’t feel comfortable giving guidance to couples on marital problems. At their spring assembly, the bishops heard from three married couples speaking about marriage and the family. One of the couples, Ricardo and Lucia Luzondo, raised the issue of seminarian and priest formation. “We Read more

Interview: Cardinal’s doubts about Vatican reform

Tuesday, February 17th, 2015

A US cardinal said he has some unanswered questions about the practicality of proposed reforms in the Roman Curia, the Vatican’s main administrative bureaucracy, although he praised efforts to clean up Vatican finances and to combat clergy sexual abuse. Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, archbishop of Galveston-Houston, also told Crux in a wide-ranging interview on Saturday that Read more

US bishops respond to “botched” 2014 Synod communication

Friday, November 21st, 2014

The US bishops elected a solidly conservative team to represent the US Church at part two of the Synod in 2015. The decision, reported Monday, comes in the wake of what they see as a confusing part one of the Synod held in October 2014. The US Bishops are of a view that the October 2014 Synod sent Read more

Chicago cardinal puzzled as to what Pope Francis wants

Friday, November 14th, 2014

The outgoing Archbishop of Chicago says he has sometimes been puzzled as to what Pope Francis’ intentions are in the wake of some papal statements. According to a New York Times report, Cardinal Francis George stated that Francis has “said some wonderful things”. But Cardinal George added: “But he doesn’t put them together all the Read more