The Catholic Herald dubbed this the one speech from the abuse summit you should read, and I’d agree: There’s one speech you need to read from the Saturday sessions of the Vatican’s child protection meeting — a day dedicated to the theme of transparency — and veteran Vaticanologist Valentina Alazraki of Mexico’s Noticieros Televisa delivered it during the afternoon session. It was the last working session before Vespers and the special penitential liturgy, and it is not too much to... Read more
Sad news from the Abbey of Gethsemani in Kentucky: Brother Patrick Hart, O.C.S.O., who served as the last secretary to Father Louis Merton—better known as Thomas Merton, the heralded Trappist monk and author of the spiritual classic The Seven Storey Mountain—died at the age of 93 on Feb. 21. After Merton’s death, he became the literary executor of Merton’s works and the custodian of the legacy of the 20th century’s most prominent religious seekers and teachers. A native of Green Bay, Wis.,... Read more
Via NCR: A top cardinal has admitted that the global Catholic Church destroyed files to prevent documentation of decades of sexual abuse of children, telling the prelates attending Pope Francis’ clergy abuse summit Feb. 23 that such maladministration led “in no small measure” to more children being harmed. In a frank speech to the 190 cardinals, bishops and heads of religious orders taking part in the four-day summit, German Cardinal Reinhard Marx said the church’s administration had left victims’ rights... Read more
Not all abusers are treated the same way in every country, as The Wall Street Journal makes clear: One Sunday morning last year, the Rev. Jacek Wentczuk stood before his congregation and made a startling admission. He was a convicted sex offender, he said, found guilty in 2012 of molesting a 15-year-old girl in a nearby town. His bishop was considering transferring him. Parishioners rallied to the side of the popular Catholic priest, who insisted he had done nothing wrong.... Read more
Excuse me, there’s something in my eye. (Pause to blow nose to stop sniffling) This is just spectacularly wonderful: a military dad gives his wife the surprise of a lifetime. Just watch. Read more
Hundreds of years of tradition are about to fall by the wayside. From the BBC: A weekly Sunday service will no longer be compulsory for churches after a vote to change a 400-year-old law was passed by the Church of England’s ruling body. The General Synod voted to end the law – dating back to 1603 – which required priests to hold a Sunday service in every church they looked after. The Bishop of Willesden, who proposed the change, called... Read more
I’ve been noticing this myself, and Elizabeth Scalia sums it all up: “I am so done.” “I just can’t anymore.” Some variation of these two phrases are littered throughout the email and private messages I’m getting from fellow Catholics who have been “hanging in and hanging on” since last summer’s revelations about both the Pennsylvania Grand Jury report and the ongoing saga of former Cardinal, former Archbishop, former priest Theodore McCarrick. Faithful Catholics who have been doggedly digging in their heals and... Read more
From CNS: Opening the Vatican summit on child protection and the clerical sexual abuse crisis, Pope Francis said, “The holy people of God are watching and are awaiting from us not simple, predictable condemnations, but concrete and effective measures” to stop abuse. The summit meeting Feb. 21-24 brought together almost 190 church leaders: the presidents of national bishops’ conferences, the heads of the Eastern Catholic churches, superiors of some men’s and women’s religious orders and top Vatican officials. In his... Read more
This is, in every sense, very cool: Famous actor Tom Hanks visited the Orthodox church of the Life-Giving Trinity in Antarctica at the Russian polar station “Bellingshausen” on Waterloo Island, Deacon Maxim Gerb, a cleric of the church in Antarctica, told the journal Foma. “Many interesting people visit our church, including Tom Hanks who was recently sailing past our island on a yacht. He is a very open and friendly person. After he lit some candles I suggested to him to... Read more
From the blog of Hemmer Law: Today, Lin Wood and Todd McMurtry filed their first lawsuit on behalf of Nicholas Sandmann against The Washington Post. The lawsuit filed is included below. The suit seeks $250 million in both compensatory and punitive damages. Lin and Todd will continue to bring wrongdoers before the court to seek damages in compensation for the harm so many have done to the Sandmann family. This is only the beginning. Among the details: In a span... Read more
The Deacon's Bench
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