Pope Francis' meets with U.S. bishops in the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington Sept. 23, 2015.

Glen Argan: Local Catholics must become watchdog

The Roman Catholic Church today has nearly 3,000 dioceses and archdioceses, each with at least one bishop.

Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, former apostolic nuncio to the United States, speaks at a dinner honoring then-Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick of Washington in May 2012. Archbishop Vigano said in an Aug. 26 letter that now-Archbishop McCarrick was under sanctions imposed by Pope Benedict XVI in 2009 or 2010 in connection with allegations of sexual abuse against the former Washington archbishop, but that Pope Francis and U.S. church leaders declined to enforce them.

Charles Lewis: Accepting allegations against Pope at face value is foolhardy

I understand those who do not want to dismiss the letter written by Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò out of hand, given his high regard in the Church. His allegations that Pope Francis did nothing after being made aware five years ago of the sexual misconduct of former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick are serious and should raise concerns. 

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.

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

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.
Mozart and Elvis... musical rebels in their own times.

Figure of Speech: Church music can build our stairway to Heaven

One of my favourite bloopers from a church bulletin reads like this: “Eight new choir robes are currently needed, due to the addition of several new members and to the deterioration of some older ones.” 

Cardinal Roger M. Mahony, retired archbishop of Los Angeles, Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick, retired archbishop of Washington, Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, and Cardinal Adam J. Maida, retired archbishop of Detroit, attend Pope Francis' meeting with U.S. bishops in the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington Sept. 23, 2015. Pictured in the second row is Bishop Kevin J. Farrell of Dallas, who served as an auxiliary bishop of Washington from 2001-2007

Peter Stockland: Scandals put faith in Church to test

After Bill Cosby’s sexual assault trials and convictions, Canada’s great comedian Norm Macdonald delivered a piercing bit about public refusal to acknowledge the heinousness of the crimes.

“The three-year study of no-strings attached payments is not the answer Ontario families need. Ontario will focus resources on more proven approaches,” said a July 31 government press release announcing the end of the pilot program and other changes to Ontario’s social assistance system. 

Cathy Majtenyi: Basic income study meets untimely end

It was a made-in-Ontario experiment based on a concept put forth by such thinkers as Conservative Canadian Hugh Segal and American free-market advocate Milton Friedman: a basic income guarantee, something like Old Age Security and Guaranteed Income Supplement. 

With sleeve tattoos, weightlifter’s muscles and a foul mouth like a truck driver, Nadia Bolz-Weber ensures she is definitely not everyone’s cup of tea.

Tattoo-covered Lutheran pastor brings gospel message from different perspective

Like too many baby boomers, I probably spend too much time on Facebook. The other day, a friend posted a short video from a Lutheran pastor in the United States with this simple note: “This makes a lot of sense.”

Left: Jesuit Father Thomas Reese attends an Easter prayer breakfast in the East Room of the White House in Washington 2015. Right: Washington Cardinal Donald W. Wuerl looks over papers June 13 during the USCCB's annual spring assembly in Florida.

Fr. Thomas Reese: Pennsylvania grand jury report is a new low for Catholic Church

Awful, disgusting, horrifying, sickening — one runs out of adjectives in describing the actions of abusive priests chronicled in the just-released Pennsylvania grand jury report.

Francis Campbell: Follow God’s direction at life’s crossroads

Francis Campbell: Follow God’s direction at life’s crossroads

By the time this scribbling reaches publication online and in print, our long summer journey will be more than half completed.

Trappist Father Thomas Merton, one of the most influential Catholic authors of the 20th century, is pictured in an undated photo. Devotees of the monk, who died in 1968, have planned various observances of the 100th anniversary of his birth, Jan. 31.

Glen Argan: Renewal enhanced in ‘a deserted place’

Jesus told His apostles who had just returned from a missionary trip, “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while” (Mark 6:31).

Vanessa Santilli-Raimondo: Food and family creates a perfect recipe

Vanessa Santilli-Raimondo: Food and family creates a perfect recipe

Pesto tastes like summertime to me.

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