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February 28, 2019

Victims shed harsh light on sex abuse at Vatican summit

Clerical sex abuse victims and their supporters rally outside Castel Sant’Angelo in Rome Feb. 21.

The abuse summit began with the voices of the abused … five testimonies gathered from around the world.

Published in International
February 21, 2019

Clericalism, abuse of power, at heart of sex abuse crisis, Colombian cardinal says

Pope Francis walks with his crosier next to Colombian Cardinal Ruben Salazar Gomez of Bogota as he arrives to celebrate Mass at Simon Bolivar Park in 2017. (Pope Francis walks with his crosier next to Colombian Cardinal Ruben Salazar Gomez of Bogota as he arrives to celebrate Mass at Simon Bolivar Park in 2017.
VATICAN – The abuse crisis in the Catholic Church is a call for bishops to unmask the deep-seated clericalism that placed protection of the institution of the church above the sufferings of victims, said the head of the council of Latin American bishops. 
Published in International
December 29, 2018

Vatican begins sex abuse investigation of McCarrick

Then-Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick attends a Mass in Rome April 13. The prelate, no longer a member of the College of Cardinals, has been accused of abusing a minor decades ago when he was a priest and being sexually inappropriate with seminarians in more recent years as a bishop. He has denied the allegations but his case roiled the U.S. Catholic Church in 2018 amid a growing abuse crisis.
WASHINGTON – James Grein, a Virginia man who said Archbishop Theodore E. McCarrick, former archbishop of Washington, sexually abused him for years beginning when he was 11, gave his testimony about what occurred Dec. 27 before a judicial vicar for the New York Archdiocese.
Published in International
December 6, 2018

Pope Francis approves new laws governing Vatican City State to boost transparency

The Palace of the Governorate, seat of the administrative offices of Vatican City State, is pictured at the Vatican in this Dec. 31, 2010, file photo.
VATICAN – Pope Francis approved a new set of laws concerning the structure and governance of Vatican City State in an effort to simplify the many offices and activities of the world's smallest nation and to boost oversight, transparency and budgetary controls.
Published in International
December 3, 2018

Do not fall into 'spiritual worldliness', clericalism, Pope Francis tells Jesuits

Pope Francis leads an audience with faculty and staff of the Jesuits' International College of the Gesu at the Vatican Dec. 3. The pope, a Jesuit, told his brethren that they have to be lambs when fighting the wolves.
VATICAN – There is no growth without some form of crisis and no victory without a battle, Pope Francis told a group of Jesuits.
Published in Vatican
November 12, 2018

Bishops must be 'blameless' servants of God, not businessmen, Pope says

Pope Francis celebrates the Eucharist during morning Mass in the chapel of the Domus Sanctae Marthae at the Vatican Nov. 12.
VATICAN – A bishop must be "blameless" and at the service of God, not of cliques, assets and power, especially if he is ever to "set right" what needs to be done for the church, Pope Francis said.
Published in Reflections
October 29, 2018

Pope closes synod with apology to young people who felt ignored by the Church

Pope Francis leave in procession after celebrating the closing Mass of the Synod of Bishops on young people, the faith and vocational discernment in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican Oct. 28.
VATICAN – Speaking on behalf of all adult Catholics, Pope Francis formally closed the Synod of Bishops by asking young people for forgiveness.
Published in Reflections
October 25, 2018

Synod missed chance to apologize for sex abuse, Archbishop Chaput says

Pope Francis greets Archbishop Charles J. Chaput of Philadelphia before a session of the Synod of Bishops on young people, the faith and vocational discernment at the Vatican Oct. 16.
VATICAN – The more than 250 Catholic bishops from around the world meeting at the Vatican in October missed an opportunity to confront the global sex abuse crisis, said Archbishop Charles J. Chaput of Philadelphia.
Published in International
October 18, 2018

Robert Brehl: Was Wuerl resignation handled correctly?

Cardinal Donald W. Wuerl of Washington talks with Pope Francis at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland near Washington Sept. 22, 2015.

Pope Francis had little or no choice but to accept the resignation of Cardinal Donald Wuerl, archbishop in Washington, D.C.

Published in Register Columnists
October 18, 2018

Church needs women to fight clericalism, extreme masculinity, Cardinal Ouellet says

Cardinal Marc Ouellet, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, leaves a session of the Synod of Bishops on young people, the faith and vocational discernment at the Vatican Oct. 18.
VATICAN – The church needs to further integrate women into ecclesial life to confront the problems of clericalism and an exaggerated sense of masculinity, a Vatican official told the Synod of Bishops.
Published in International
October 18, 2018

God wants 'deep spiritual renewal' in church marred by clericalism, Pope says

Pope Francis and Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga of Tegucigalpa, Honduras, share an umbrella as they leave a session of the Synod of Bishops on young people, the faith and vocational discernment at the Vatican Oct. 11.
VATICAN  Catholics need to help the church along a path of "deep spiritual renewal," Pope Francis told Jesuits from Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.
Published in Faith
October 9, 2018

Robert Brehl: Will Church leaders confront awful past?

St. Louis Archbishop Robert Carlson meeting with Pope Benedict in 2012.

Is it possible for a Catholic bishop to not know sex with children is a crime? 

Published in Register Columnists
October 2, 2018

Canadian bishops’ new sex abuse guidelines focus on prevention

“What we want is for the Catholic Church to be the safest place for young people,” said Bishop Lionel Gendron, president of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, Sept. 28 after the close of the bishops’ annual plenary in Cornwall, Ont.

OTTAWA – New sexual abuse policies which Canada’s bishops have vowed to implement will focus on prevention, but will not include a mechanism to censure a bishop who commits or covers up an offence.

Published in Canada
October 1, 2018

Women must fight clericalism to heal church from abuse, Vatican publication says

A woman religious is seen with delegates during a breakout session Sept. 21 at the Fifth National Encuentro in Grapevine, Texas.
VATICAN – In response to current scandals, clericalism and the need for reform, Catholic women must take the initiative and make their voices be heard, according to a series of articles in a Vatican magazine.
Published in International
September 28, 2018

Readers Speak Out: September 30, 2018

Readers Speak Out: September 30, 2018

What does he want?

Re: Abuse Survivor demands ‘real’ change (Sept. 16):

I am shocked and very much disappointed by your giving publicity to this “abuse victim.” What changes does he really want? When he calls for “real” change founded on “honesty and accountability” does he imply that Pope Francis is dishonest?     

Published in Letters to the editor
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