The survivors argue that such measures are necessary to protect children worldwide.

The US policy, often referred to as "one strike and you're out", requires the permanent removal of a priest from ministry following a single substantiated or admitted act of abuse. It was approved during the US clergy abuse scandal which came to light through investigative reporting in The Boston Globe.

However, the Vatican did not introduce this policy. Global survivor networks have urged Pope Francis to implement this approach universally.

In other regions, priests found guilty of abusing minors are often assigned limited ministry roles. Sometimes, they are simply prohibited from presenting themselves as clergy rather than being formally removed from the priesthood.

The proposal stems from a June meeting in Rome during a rare collaboration between survivors and church safeguarding experts. Participants included safeguarding leaders such as Rev. Hans Zollner as well as survivor groups and diplomats from multiple countries.

"Despite Pope Francis' repeated calls for zero tolerance on abuse, his words have yet to lead to any real action" said Gemma Hickey, president of Ending Clergy Abuse and herself a survivor of abuse.

Cultural differences cited

Supporters of the global policy, such as US canon lawyer Nicholas Cafardi, believe applying the US norms internationally would strengthen the Church's ability to combat abuse. "Let's just make it universal law" Cafardi suggested. He noted that this would remove the need for bishops in individual countries to request approval repeatedly.

Yet, the Vatican has resisted a one-size-fits-all approach, citing the need for proportionality and the recognition of cultural differences. This stance has led to lighter punishments in some countries compared to US standards, drawing criticism from survivors and advocates.

Abuse survivors and officials also demanded a clarification about the application and applicability of Vos Estis Lux Mundi, the Vatican document covering abuse, issued in 2019.

Anne Barrett Doyle, co-director of BishopAccountability.org, told the National Catholic Reporter that the law's impact has been "insignificant".

"We have no idea how many bishops have been investigated under Vos Estis. BishopAccountability tries to count them, but the information is so vague" she said.

"Safeguarding is not just a legal or organisational matter—it is a moral and spiritual imperative" Rev. Zollner said. "Only by confronting the past openly and taking decisive action can we begin to rebuild the trust that has been so severely broken."

Sources

AP News

Crux

CathNews New Zealand

The pontiff pointed out that, in some instances, political ideology has begun to overshadow genuine faith. This can prompt a displacement of core religious values.

Francis made the comments on August 5 in a private meeting in Lisbon with members of the Jesuit order during his trip for World Youth Day.

During a question-and-answer session, a Portuguese Jesuit recounted his disheartening experience during a sabbatical in the US.

He lamented the presence of hostility towards the pope's leadership within a segment of American Catholics, even among some bishops.

Addressing this concern, Pope Francis acknowledged the existence of a "very strong reactionary attitude" present within the US Catholic Church. He highlighted its organised nature, noting its influence on emotional attachment and affiliation.

Francis termed this attitude as "backward" and cautioned against the potential pitfalls of such a perspective. He stressed it could foster an environment of narrow-mindedness and closure.

Moreover, Pope Francis underscored the peril of allowing ideological beliefs to supersede genuine faith. He stressed that this trend could erode the authentic tradition of the Church.

He cautioned against the replacement of faith by membership within certain segments of the Church. Then Francis emphasised the importance of upholding the broader unity of the faith.

Pope often criticised by conservatives

In the ten years since his election, Francis has been criticised by conservative sectors of the US Church who are opposed to reforms such as giving women and lay Catholics more roles and making the Church more welcoming and less judgmental towards some, including LGBT people.

Appealing for a more progressive outlook, Pope Francis underscored the necessity of embracing an evolving understanding of faith and morals. He invoked historical examples, highlighting that while certain pontiffs of the past tolerated practices like slavery, the Church has evolved over time.

While the Pope's comments resonate with many who seek a more open and adaptable Church, his sentiments have also ignited reactions.

One prominent critic, Cardinal Raymond Burke, cautioned that Francis' upcoming bishops' meeting in October to shape the Church's future might inadvertently foster "confusion and error and division."

Sources

Religion News Service

Reuters

La Civiltà Cattolica

News reports said some Church leaders are planning to use Sunday Masses on Sept. 8 to urge congressional passage of a legislative overhaul that includes a path to citizenship for unauthorized immigrants

The decision to embrace political action from the pulpit is part of a broader effort by the Roman Catholic Church and other faith groups that support President Obama's call for new immigration laws, the Washington Post reported.

The move includes advertising and phone calls directed at 60 Catholic Republican lawmakers and "prayerful marches" in congressional districts where the issue has become a divisive topic.

"We want to try to pull out all the stops," said Kevin Appleby, the director of migration policy at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, who said the immigration issue was at a now-or-never moment.

"They have to hear the message that we want this done, and if you're not successful during the summer, you're not going to win by the end of the year."

Sources

The Washington Post

The New York Times

Image: Reuters/The Washington Post

"Of all the organisations that serve America's poor, few do more good work than the Catholic Church: its schools and hospitals provide a lifeline for millions. Yet even taking these virtues into account, the finances of the Catholic Church in America are an unholy mess," the magazine says.

In a 4000-word article, The Economist says some parts of the church have indulged in "ungainly financial contortions" allegedly to divert funds away from uses intended by donors or to frustrate creditors with legitimate claims, including its own nuns and priests.

Sexual abuse settlements have led to a liquidity crisis, apparently encouraging a trend towards paying for the expansion and renovation of facilities through publicly raised debt rather than donations or contributions from the faithful.

Over the past eight years, eight dioceses in the US have declared bankruptcy. Often parishes that had commingled their funds with diocesan finances lost all their investments, even if they had been told it was being kept separate, and money was diverted from priests' retirement funds.

The Economist estimates that annual spending by Church entities in the US was around $NZ210 billion in 2010 — 57% on health-care networks, 28% on colleges, 6% on parish and diocesan day-to-day operations, and 2.7% on national charitable activities.

The magazine says the American Church may account for as much as 60% of the Catholic Church's wealth globally.

And it names Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York, as "Manhattan's largest landowner, if one includes the parishes and organisations that come under his jurisdiction".

Source:

The Economist

Image: Baylor University