Catholic Hospitals in Ireland May Be Asked to Remove Some Religious Symbols

Last updated on: March 1, 2019 at 9:49 am By Deacon Greg Kandra

From Crux: Catholic hospitals in Ireland could be asked to remove crucifixes and other religious symbols from rooms with non-Catholic patients, according to a new report issued on Thursday. The report was issued by an independent review group led by former European Union official Catherine Day, which was asked to look into the relationship between the Irish state and Church-run hospitals. There are a dozen Catholic hospitals in the Republic of Ireland, all of which receive state funding. “We recommend... Read more

Will the Amazon Synod Discuss Married Priests?

Last updated on: February 28, 2019 at 12:46 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

Well, that depends on whom you interview and when. This appeared yesterday, via CNS: The issue of married priests is something for the universal Catholic Church to discuss and is not the focus of the upcoming Synod of Bishops for the Amazon, said Peruvian Cardinal Pedro Barreto Jimeno of Huancayo. Cardinal Barreto told Catholic News Service Feb. 26 that reducing the synod to a debate on ordaining married men of “proven virtue” — the so-called “viri probati” — distracts from... Read more

After Covington, Is This the Way Forward?

Last updated on: February 27, 2019 at 12:57 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

Robert C. Bordone, founder of the Harvard Negotiation and Mediation Clinical Program, offers a compelling and very Catholic approach to healing: The entire string of events, including the rush to judgment and public shaming of the boys, has been painful to witness. But something of value can come from all this, something more ennobling than “Check your facts before railing about how horrible someone is.” The students have an opportunity to go beyond seeking legal remedies, to use this moment for... Read more

Catholic Bishops ‘Dismayed and Outraged’ at Senator Tim Kaine’s Vote on ‘Born Alive’ Bill

Last updated on: February 27, 2019 at 6:51 am By Deacon Greg Kandra

The Catholic senator — who ran for vice president three years ago — came under attack from his bishop: Tim Kaine’s bishop harshly rebuked the Virginia Democrat Tuesday for his vote against legislation that would clarify that babies who survive attempted abortions must receive medical care. “We are dismayed and outraged that Virginia’s U.S. Senators [Mark] Warner and Kaine voted against this critical lifesaving legislation,” Bishop Barry Knestout, the head of the Richmond Diocese of which Kaine is a member,... Read more

Shock: Thousands of Migrant Children Allegedly Abused While in U.S. Custody

Last updated on: February 26, 2019 at 6:38 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

Further evidence, if any were needed, that this scourge isn’t just “A Catholic Thing.” This is everywhere. We should all be sickened and repulsed at how pervasive this abuse has become. These reports come from HHS documents covering the last four years. Via Axios: Thousands of allegations of sexual abuse against unaccompanied minors (UAC) in the custody of the U.S. government have been reported over the past 4 years, according to Department of Health and Human Services documents given to Axios... Read more

The Problems with the Pell Case

Last updated on: February 26, 2019 at 12:21 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

The case that made headlines last night is not as simple or clear-cut as some may think. From CNA: During the March preliminary hearings, the defense petitioned for the allegations against Pell to be heard in two separate trials, the first concerning the accusations of the Melbourne choristers, and the second related to allegations from Pell’s time as a priest in Ballarat. Other charges Pell faced were dropped during the pre-trial committal hearings. Sources say that five counts of sexual... Read more

It’s official: Cardinal Pell Found Guilty of Sex Abuse in Australia

Last updated on: February 25, 2019 at 7:42 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

Details from BBC: Cardinal George Pell has been found guilty of sexual offenses in Australia, making him the highest-ranking Catholic figure to receive such a conviction. Pell abused two choir boys in the rooms of a Melbourne cathedral in 1996, a jury found. He had pleaded not guilty. The verdict was handed down in December, but it could not be reported until now due to legal reasons. As Vatican treasurer, the 77-year-old cardinal is one of the Church’s most powerful... Read more

Cathedral May Be Sold Due to Declining Mass Attendance, Rising Costs

Last updated on: February 25, 2019 at 3:54 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

Incredible: St Catherine’s Cathedral in Utrecht is expected to be closed and sold due to an ongoing decrease in attendance, as the aging building has become more expensive to maintain. The cathedral will likely be sold to the Museum Catharijne Convent, a former convent that was turned into a religious art gallery. A hearing for the sale was held on February 18. An online petition has been opened by a group of parishioners who believe there is still a possibility for... Read more

This Bishop Gets It: ‘Our Moral Credibility Has Been Shot to Pieces’

Last updated on: February 25, 2019 at 2:49 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

From the BBC’s Martin Bashir, check out this brief but potent interview with the Archbishop of Brisbane, Mark Coleridge. He doesn’t mince words. Archbishop Coleridge also spoke at the closing Mass of the weekend’s summit: The Catholic Church needs a true conversion that places survivors, and not the institution, as the focus of its concern as it enacts measures to combat the sexual abuse of minors and vulnerable people, said Australian Archbishop Mark Coleridge of Brisbane. Like Nicolaus Copernicus’ discovery... Read more

Stunning Video on the Priesthood: ‘Are You Weak Enough to be a Priest?’

Last updated on: February 24, 2019 at 5:20 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

This Sunday at my parish, we celebrated the 40th anniversary of our administrator’s ordination to the priesthood. The Very Rev. Frank Passenant was overwhelmed with a lot of emotions during the Mass (which was a stunning celebration featuring trumpet, timpani, choir and an exultant rendition of “Oh God, Our Help in Ages Past” as the recessional, followed by the “Hallelujah Chorus.”) It was a wonderful liturgy and a stirring tribute to four decades of sacrifice, dedication and devotion. So it... Read more