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September 25, 2018

Pope Francis ‘very moved’ by support from Canadian bishops, says nuncio

Archbishop Bonazzi, the Vatican's ambassador to Canada, told the bishops that the crisis afflicting the Church stems from what he called a crisis of communion, “a lack of unity.”

CORNWALL, Ont. – Pope Francis is grateful for the support of Canada’s bishops during this time of difficulty in the Church, said the Vatican’s ambassador to Canada.

Published in Canada
September 24, 2018

Bob Brehl: Will Vatican meeting lead to real change?

Pope Francis prepares to meet bishops during his general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican Sept. 19.

Frustrated by the Church’s inability to defuse long-running clergy sex scandals, Pope Francis has summoned the worldwide presidents of Catholic bishops conferences to the Vatican in February to find better ways to protect children and eradicate predatory priests.

Published in Register Columnists
September 20, 2018

Editorial: Confront the past

Pope Francis speaks during a meeting with recently appointed bishops from around the world at the Vatican Sept. 13. The pope spoke about updating the processes of selection, accompaniment and evaluation of bishops.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission was long, emotional and painful, but necessary as an act of a nation’s contrition after facilitating decades of abuse at residential schools. 

Published in Editorial
September 20, 2018

Apostolic visitor outlines plans to expand Medjugorje shrine for young pilgrims

Archbishop Hoser, who had been sent by the Vatican in 2017 to study the pastoral situation in Medjugorje, says he hopes more priests will come to provide sacraments and catechesis training at Medjugorje.
WARSAW, Poland – The Polish archbishop tasked with overseeing Bosnia-Herzegovina's Medjugorje shrine has outlined plans for expansion, including more Masses in different languages and facilities for young pilgrims who flock to the site of the alleged Marian apparitions.
Published in International
September 19, 2018

U2's Bono meets Pope Francis to sign charity agreement

Bono, the lead singer of U2, speaks during a news conference in the Vatican press hall after meeting Pope Francis at the Vatican Sept. 19.
VATICAN – Bono, the lead singer of the Irish band U2, said he told Pope Francis that in Ireland "it looks as though the abusers are being more protected than the victims. And you could see the pain in his face."
Published in International
September 19, 2018

Vatican-China deal could be signed in late September, media reports say

A man prays during Mass in 2017 at in the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Beijing. Sources say a long-awaited Vatican agreement with China, expected to be signed soon, only solves some of the issues of the church in China.
HONG KONG – The long-awaited Sino-Vatican agreement on the nomination of bishops is expected to be signed in September, reported several media outlets.
Published in International
September 17, 2018

Vatican publishes list of bishops, youth to participate at synod

The CCCB elected Archbishop Luc Cyr of Sherbrooke, Quebec; Montreal Auxiliary Bishop Thomas Dowd; Bishop Lionel Gendron of Saint-Jean-Longueuil, Quebec; and Bishop Stephen A. Jensen of Prince George, British Colombia.
VATICAN – To the list of members of the Synod of Bishops elected by national bishops' conferences, Pope Francis added cardinals from 14 countries, bishops from another 10 nations, as well as 10 priests who be full voting members of the gathering.
Published in International
September 11, 2018

Satan is attacking bishops by revealing their sins, Pope says

Pope Francis gives the homily as he celebrates morning Mass in the chapel of his residence, the Domus Sanctae Marthae, at the Vatican Sept. 11. The Pope said the devil seeks to reveal sins in order to scandalize the people of God.
VATICAN – Bishops must remember, particularly when under attack, that their role is to pray, be humble in knowing God chose them and remain close to the people, Pope Francis said in his morning homily.
Published in Reflections
September 9, 2018

Letter confirms Vatican officials knew of McCarrick abuse allegations in 2000

Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, left, prefect of the Congregation for Eastern Churches, leaves a session of the extraordinary Synod of Bishops on the family at the Vatican Oct. 7, 2014. A 2006 letter from Cardinal Sandri to U.S. Father Boniface Ramsey confirms that the Vatican knew of Father Ramsey's written warning in November 2000 about sexual misconduct committed by Archbishop Theodore E. McCarrick (right).
VATICAN – A top official from the Vatican Secretariat of State acknowledged allegations made by a New York priest in 2000 concerning Archbishop Theodore E. McCarrick, according to a letter obtained by Catholic News Service.
Published in International
September 5, 2018

Laity must have role in formation of priests, fighting clericalism, Vatican official says

Cardinal Beniamino Stella, prefect of the Congregation for Clergy, leaves the opening session of the extraordinary Synod of Bishops on the family at the Vatican Oct. 6, 2014. Cardinal Stella said the current abuse crisis facing the church would not have been so grave if laity were more involved in the formation of priests.
VATICAN – Clericalism has led to a distorted view of authority that has contributed to the problems of sexual abuse and the abuse of power and conscience affecting the Catholic Church, said the head of the Vatican's clergy office.
Published in International
August 28, 2018

Fr. Thomas Reese: Doubts about Viganò’s accusations aside, Pope Francis needs a better response

The former U.S. nuncio, Archbishop Vigano, has accused church officials, including Pope Francis, of failing to act on accusations of abuse by Archbishop Theodore E. McCarrick.
Religion News Service – It is hard to know what to think of the bombshell dropped by Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, who released a scalding letter on Sunday (Aug. 26) calling on Pope Francis to resign. Viganò, the former Vatican ambassador to the United States, claims in the letter that Pope Francis knew that recently resigned Cardinal Theodore McCarrick abused seminarians when he was a bishop in New Jersey but nonetheless didn’t punish the cardinal.
Published in Guest Columnists
August 21, 2018

Pope to meet sex abuse survivors in Ireland at World Meeting of Families

Clergy abuse survivor Andrew Madden poses for a photograph after an Aug. 16 interview in Dublin. Madden became the first victim of clergy sex abuse in Ireland to speak out publicly in 1995 when he detailed how, as a 12-year-old altar boy, he suffered two-and-a-half years of abuse at the hands of his parish priest. The Vatican press office confirmed Aug. 21 that Pope Francis would meet survivors of sexual abuse during his trip to Ireland Aug. 25-26.
VATICAN – Pope Francis will meet survivors of sexual abuse during his trip to Ireland Aug. 25-26, but it will be up to the survivors to decide whether any information about the meeting will be released, said the director of the Vatican press office.
Published in International
August 20, 2018

Nuncio says U.S. bishops committed to addressing cover-up, abuse scandal

Archbishop Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States, speaks July 22 at the 2018 National Diaconate Congress in New Orleans.
VATICAN – The U.S. bishops are "deeply committed" to facing the reality of clerical sexual abuse and the history of covering it up, said the Vatican nuncio to the United States.
Published in International
August 20, 2018

Pope Francis makes 'urgent' appeal to prevent clerical sex abuse

Pope Francis, in an open letter to Catholics regarding clerical sexual abuse, said the "heart-wrenching pain of these victims, which cries out to Heaven, was long ignored, kept quiet or silenced."

VATICAN – "No effort must be spared" to prevent future cases of clerical sexual abuse and "to prevent the possibility of their being covered up," Pope Francis said in a letter addressed "to the people of God."

Published in International
August 17, 2018

Vatican wants accountability for abusers, those who orchestrated sex abuse cover ups

Greg Burke, Vatican spokesman, is seen with Pope Francis aboard the flight from Dhaka, Bangladesh, to Rome Dec. 2, 2017.
VATICAN – In the wake of a grand jury report on clergy sexual abuse in six dioceses in Pennsylvania, a Vatican spokesman called the abuses described in the report as being "criminal and morally reprehensible."
Published in International
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