Minneapolis, Minn., Aug 1, 2014 / 12:30 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Archbishop John Nienstedt of Saint Paul-Minneapolis, facing calls for his resignation amid legal battles over the local Church's handling of clerical sex abuse, apologized Wednesday but refused to resign. “It comes down to this: 18 years ago, Pope John Paul II chose me to serve the Church as a bishop, an authentic successor of the apostles,” he wrote in a July 30 column at The Catholic Spirit. “A bishop’s role is more like that of a father of a family than that of a CEO. I am bound to continue in my office as long as the Holy Father has appointed me here.” “I have acknowledged my responsibility in the current crisis we face, and I also take responsibility for leading our archdiocese to a new and better day.” The column began noting that “to say this has been a difficult year is quite an understatement.” From December until March, Archbishop Nienstedt recused himself from public ministry while a claim he touched a male minor's buttocks was investigated; charges were not filed in the case. Last month, it was revealed that he has been the subject of sexual misconduct allegations involving adult males, including seminarians and priests. The archdiocese is among the defendants in a suit filed by a man who claims to have been abused as a minor by a former priest. In December, the judge in the case ordered the local Church to submit a list of all priests accused of abusing minors since 2004, and he deposed three bishops who have been associated with the archdiocese. A jury trial in the case is set for Sept. 22. On July 7, Jennifer Haselberger, who from 2008 to 2013 was chancellor of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, filed an affidavit in the case charging that while she was employed there, the archdicoese had a pattern of failing to deal appropriately with allegations of sex abuse made against clergy. Her testimony stated that when she raised concerns over sexual abuse allegations, she was dismissed and her suggestions ignored: “my concerns were ignored, dismissed, or the emphasis was shifted to what was best for the priest involved,” she wrote. Haselberger concluded her affidavit saying that she had long disagreed with calls for Archbishop Nienstedt to resign, on the bases of theology and that he had learned from his mistakes. “However, my opinion regarding the Archbishop's resignation has changed,” she said, citing the investigation of he himself for sexual misconduct and her doubt that he and his staff have been honest about the knowledge and handling of clerical sex abuse allegations. On July 26, The Star Tribune, a Minneapolis daily, published an editorial for the archbishop's resignation, saying he “cannot be a force for reform” in the archdiocese. “The continued presence of the embattled Nienstedt in the chancery increases the likelihood that those matters will impede the work of the church in the larger community. Deservedly or not, Nienstedt has become the face of a coverup that has put children in harm’s way,” the paper's editors wrote. “His credibility is in tatters. The archdiocese needs a different leader – a reformer – to have a reasonable chance of restoring its damaged reputation and sustaining its service to the community.” Fr. Thomas Berg, a professor of moral theology at St. Joseph's Seminary, tweeted July 29 calling it “a remarkably thoughtful editorial by a secular paper.” “I must agree: best for the Church that Bp Nienstedt resign,” the New York-based priest wrote. In his column, however, Archbishop Nienstedt stated his intention of remaining in service as Archbishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. He quoted the Lord's words to Jehosaphat, a ninth century B.C. king of Judah who was a reformer, as he was being attacked by a foreign alliance: “stop being afraid, and stop being discouraged because of this vast invasion force, because the battle doesn’t belong to you, but to God.” He wrote, “I have heard calls for my resignation since I arrived in this wonderful archdiocese seven years ago. I will continue to listen to those who express concerns about my leadership, but I will also continue serving as I have been called to do.” “I am devoted to serving this local Church, and I will continue to do so and to apply these hard lessons that I have learned over the past months. While it may be difficult to believe, the suffering we have endured is bearing much fruit in reform of practices and correction of decisions that were made in the past, either by me or my predecessors.” Archbishop Nienstedt mentioned his collaboration with priests, lawyers, communicators, the faithful, and the victims of sexual abuse and their families, as well as his prayer, though the scandals. “I can only speak for myself and my actions, not the words or actions of others,” he said. “Over the last year, I have re-examined the words I have spoken and the actions I have, or have not taken,” and he offered three points. First, he has created “a new leadership team that operates under the philosophy of 'Victims First.'” This consultative team “continually operate(s) from the perspective of how we can best help victims of sexual abuse and their families,” he said, adding that he will hire a victim's liaison. “'Victims First' has become more than a philosophy,” Archbishop Nienstedt stated. “It has become standard operating procedure.” The archbishop's second point: “I have never knowingly covered up clergy sexual abuse.” He added, however, that he has been “too trusting of our internal process and not as hands-on as I could have been.” He added that “while it is very clear that we did not handle all complaints the way we should have in the past, we are now doing all we can to make sure that we are living up to our commitment to be accountable, transparent, and are, in fact, providing safe environments for our children.” Finally, he said, he has “always been honest with the Catholics of this local Church.” He noted that he has asked for investigations of himself “because I had nothing to hide and wanted to be vindicated from false allegations, as anyone would.” He said he has “no doubt” that his “administrative and personal style, with its strong point of view, may have offended some. I apologize to those I have hurt. The last year has helped me realize I need to change my administrative style, soften my words, and get out from behind the desk to spend more time with the faithful.” “I am sorry for the distractions I have inadvertently caused that have taken the focus away from the challenging and rewarding work we do as the Catholic Church in our local community,” Archbishop Nienstedt said. “We must continue to address head-on the terrible scandal of clerical sexual abuse. It is apparent that this is the work of the Church we are called to address at this time.” He maintained that “the past 10 months” has prepared him and his staff “to lead this local Church through the present crisis to a much better place. The challenges are there, to be sure, but we are more ready to tackle them now than at any time in our past history.” “I regret that some have lost their confidence in me. I hope ultimately to win back that trust. As your shepherd, I promise to make changes in what we do so that we can see more clearly the work of God in our lives and grow closer to His Beloved Son and Our Savior, Jesus Christ.” Read more

Sioux Falls, S.D., Aug 1, 2014 / 04:03 am (CNA/EWTN News).- If you have seen an artistic Facebook cover photo with a saint and a powerful quote, there's a good chance it came from Cassie Pease. The 22-year-old South Dakota native's designs have been floating around social media and phone backgrounds for over a year now. While Pease has always been interested in design, she did not realize her saint art would be so popular. The first composition she made was of Saint John Paul II, and she shared it on Facebook for her friends to enjoy. “I started putting these designs on Facebook just to kind of share with my friends so they could know what I was up to,” Pease said. “About a week later I checked it and it had over 300 shares…and I was just astonished.” Growing up, Pease said she enjoyed creating designs with characters from movies and T.V. shows. While attending college for graphic design in Sioux Falls, her art began reflecting her growing faith. “I started falling more in love with Jesus and the Catholic Church, so for different projects I would do things for the Newman Center or youth ministry office in our diocese, and I really loved that. I wanted to use my talents in design for the Church in some way,” she said. After college, Pease tried to get a job working for the Church in design, but it didn't work out. A job at a winery paid the bills, but when she got home in the evening she continued creating designs on her computer with her favorite saints. When they started taking off on Facebook, Pease looked into creating her own design business. “People started asking, 'Do you do print?' or 'Do you have your designs as posters that I can hang up?' So it was through those questions that I started looking into…could I actually do this as a job?” she said. Pease started the printing side of her business after finding a good sale on posters, which she then sold online. She now has her own design business, Cassie Pease designs, which includes free Saint designs for Facebook and computer backgrounds as well as print designs such as posters, postcards and wallets for sale among other things. Saint John Paul II is Pease's favorite saint, so there are several designs with different quotes from the late pontiff. “He’s also pretty easy to find pictures of,” Pease said. It's true – the saint was arguably one of the most photographed men in the history of the world. Other favorites of Pease include St. Jose Maria Escriva and Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassatti. “He’s such a vibrant young guy, he’s really inspiring for young people,” Pease said of Frassatti. Pease said she likes to take requests from people who enjoy her designs about which saints they’d like to see. Her inspiration also comes from powerful quotes from the saints. “Every once in a while you just get those quotes that really hit home and you want to remember them and keep going back to them,” she said. Tied for the oldest of nine children (she has a twin sister), Pease said she thinks her home-schooled background has a lot to do with how artistic she and her siblings are. “(My parents) were great teachers and great examples in the faith growing up, (though) neither one of my parents are very artistic,” Pease said. “But I think being homeschooled really played a part in all my siblings’ lives,” she said. “Everyone’s kind of got their own little (creative) niche.” Pease’s twin sister, who is now a sister with The Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity, loves to draw with pencils. The next sister down was really into music and taught herself piano, and is now a religious sister with the Capuchin Sisters of Nazareth. “It’s really cool because she can sing all the time with the sisters, their voices are all so beautiful,” Pease said. “I’d go visit her and it’s like, ‘Yeah, you fit in here.’” Another Pease sister creates her own designs and sells clothes and owl purses on Etsy.  “All the rest of my siblings are pretty artsy,” Pease said. She noted that said her designs create opportunities to share her faith with others. “A mom e-mailed me through the website and she said her daughter didn’t really seem like she’s that interested in her faith, but she found my designs and she showed them to her mom and she was just really excited about them,” Pease said. “And that was a gift, because it provided them an opportunity to talk about the saints and the Catholic Church.” Pease said her design business will likely continue to grow organically as she learns more about design and receives more requests from people who love her art. She’s thinking about adding journals or diaries to her store soon, but the Facebook and computer background images will remain free for people to download and use. “Because at the end of day I really just want to share that message of the saints and let Jesus Christ work through them to touch people’s lives.” Read more

Jackson, Miss., Aug 1, 2014 / 03:42 am (CNA/EWTN News).- A federal appeals court has drawn criticism for blocking a 2012 Mississippi law requiring abortion doctors to have admitting privileges at local hospitals. “The issue has been so politic... Read more

Washington D.C., Jul 31, 2014 / 08:02 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Congressional representatives have introduced a resolution to protect persecuted Christians and other minorities in Iraq, as Islamist militants consolidate control over portions of the country's northwest. “For 1,600 years, Mosul has been a center of Christian life,” Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-Neb), referring to Iraq’s second-largest city, said in a July 30 speech before Congress. “Today, not a single Christian remains in the city.” The Sunni militant organization ISIS took control of Mosul, in northern Iraq, in June, and on July 18 the group issued an ultimatum to Christians in the city insisting they convert to Islam, pay jizya, or be killed. Thousands of Christians and other religious minorities fled the city, seeking refuge in villages in the Nineveh Plains and Kurdistan. “We are witnessing an ongoing crime against humanity,” the congressman stressed as he introduced the resolution. Fortenberry, along with Anna Eshoo (D-Calif), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), and Frank Wolf (R-Va.), introduced a resolution that would help protect Christians and other religious minorities facing religious as well as ethnic persecution in Iraq's Nineveh province, much of which is now controlled by ISIS. The resolution calls for action to ensure safety and basic human resources such as water and shelter for civilians. Some of the Christians displaced from Mosul have fled to the towns of Bakhdida, Bartella, and Bashiqa, all of which are within 30 miles of Mosul. They all suffer from a lack of drinking water, electricity, and medicine, ISIS having cut off their supplies. The homes of Christians who have fled Mosul have been marked with the Arabic letter 'nun', standing for 'nusrani' – meaning Nazarene, or Christian. The homes have been confiscated for use by ISIS. ISIS have not limited their attacks to Christians, however; all non-Sunni communities of Mosul are targets. Shia mosques have been demolished, and the Yazidi, an ethno-religious community, have also been targeted. The homes of Shiites have been marked with 'ra', standing for 'rejecter.' Currently, the bi-partisan resolution has more than 50 co-sponsors. The bill would require mechanisms that would prevent the diversion of humanitarian aid from its intended recipients, and make preparations for the resettlement and economic assistance of victims of persecution. If passed, the resolution would call on Congress, the U.S. president and secretary of state, and the UN Security Council, to consider “an urgent international humanitarian intervention to speed assistance to communities facing ferocious ethnic and religious cleansing,” Fortenberry explained. “The world cannot simply watch as the region’s refugee crisis worsens every day. We must act for the principles of basic human rights and religious freedom that our international endeavors seek to champion.” More than 1 million Christians lived in Iraq before the 2003 U.S. invasion, but their numbers have now plummeted and observers fear that they could soon be eliminated from the country altogether. According to Patriarch Sako, Mosul itself had 60,000 Christians prior to the U.S. invasion in 2003, which had fallen to 35,000 by this year. Read more

Washington D.C., Jul 31, 2014 / 05:10 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- The announcement that Rabbi David Saperstein is being tapped as the next U.S. ambassador for global religious freedom has drawn concern based on his recent statements on the issue at home. “I've been following David's activities for 30 years,” Rabbi Aryeh Spero of the Caucus for America told CNA. “I’m not confident he will address the greatest threat to religious freedom today, which is radical Islam’s oppression and persecution of Christians across many parts of the world as well as its threats against Jewish people.” President Barack Obama on Monday announced plans to nominate Saperstein as Ambassador at-Large for International Religious Freedom. The position had been vacant for nine months, since the resignation of the former ambassador. Religious freedom groups thanked the president for taking a step toward filling the position. However, some groups questioned whether Saperstein will truly protect religious freedom abroad. In addition to serving as the current director of the Religious Action Center for Reform Judaism, Rabbi Saperstein was the first chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom in 1999, and served on the White House Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. In 2009, Newsweek named him the most influential rabbi in America. However, Saperstein’s views on domestic religious liberty issues have prompted fears about his understanding of religious liberty. The rabbi took issue with the Supreme Court after it ruled this summer that the “closely-held” business Hobby Lobby was protected by federal law from being forced to comply with parts of the HHS contraception mandate against its owners’ religious beliefs. The rabbi claimed that corporations like Hobby Lobby could not be protected as persons under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, a law he supported the passage of in 1993. He also supported a Senate bill that would have overturned the Hobby Lobby decision and required religious employers with group health plans to cover birth control, regardless of their religious beliefs. The U.S. bishops and religious freedom advocates throughout the country staunchly opposed the bill, saying it would do away with conscience protections for business owners. “In the weeks following the dismaying ruling in Hobby Lobby, we commend the Senate and House for taking swift action to ensure that women do not lose access to critical contraceptive care because of their employers’ religious objection,” Saperstein said of the bill. The legal organization Alliance Defending Freedom said that it is “troubling that this nominee’s most recent statements regarding religious freedom were in opposition to religious freedom for family business owners.” The Catholic Association, a group that works to defend Church teaching in the public square, agreed and went even further, saying the nomination showed a “callous disregard for religious liberty” on behalf of the president. “This baffling appointment is akin to putting the fox in charge of the hen house,” said Maureen Ferguson, senior policy advisor for the group. “How can a man that favors upending longstanding, bi-partisan religious liberty protections at home be trusted to protect those persecuted for their faith overseas?” asked the organization’s senior fellow Ashley McGuire, citing Saperstein’s views on the Hobby Lobby decision. Rabbi Spero told CNA that both Saperstein and the Obama administration have indicated that they will not defend persecuted Christians and Jews like they may support other oppressed faith groups. “In my opinion, he will not issue nearly enough statements, if any, spotlighting the attacks, the oppression on Christians coming from the hands of Islam and in the name of Islam. He will rarely do that,” said Rabbi Spero. “I don’t think he will because thus far, after six years I haven’t heard President Obama speak to the atrocities, the human rights violations committed in the name of Islam against who they call infidels,” he said.   Read more

Washington D.C., Jul 31, 2014 / 11:42 am (CNA/EWTN News).- The child migrant crisis at the U.S-Mexico border shows the need for a Catholic response and for sound government policy to help children who are fleeing violence, several Catholic experts have... Read more