Boko Haram has threatened to kill two of the aid workers it abducted in a raid on a girls’ boarding school in which it took 110 girls captive. It is believed that they are already murdered an aid worker. Also, the 15-year-old Christian girl who they are still holding captive because she has refused to disavow her faith in Christ is in danger. From CNN: Two International Red Cross Society (ICRC) aid workers kidnapped by a faction of Boko Haram... Read more
Lay Catholics have long been expected to “pray, pay and obey.” This is so engrained in a lot of Catholics that literally thousands of them stood by while priests molested and raped their own children. When bishops bullied them into silence, they allowed themselves to be silenced. Catholics have also long accepted the notion that they have to right to know or be a part of any decisions that are made by their Church. If a bishop wants to close... Read more
Archbishop Oscar Romero was murdered in 1980 by a right wing death squad for the crime of advocating for the poor people of El Salvador who were being murdered, tortured and disappeared in great numbers. Whole villages were slaughtered. Most of the other priests and bishops stood by while all this happened. The pope himself failed. The same Holy Spirit that moved Oscar Romero to speak out to such great peril to himself also motivated a few other priests and... Read more
Pope Francis has removed two Chilean bishops from the priesthood who are accused of sex abuse. From America Magazine: In an unprecedented move, Pope Francis removed from the priesthood two Chilean bishops accused of sexual abuse. In a statement released Oct. 12, the Vatican said that 84-year-old Francisco Jose Cox, the former archbishop of La Serena, and 53-year-old Marco Antonio Ordenes, the former bishop of Iquique, were dismissed from the clerical state by the pope and there would be no... Read more
I’m going to miss chatting with Public Catholic’s long-time readers. You are such good people, all of you, each from your different point on the political spectrum. You’ve taught me so much. But I’m shutting down comments for the time being. I may reopen comments again sometime in the future. But for now, they are closed. In Christ, Rebecca Read more
Mary Pezzulo, who blogs over at Steel Magnificat, wrote a column today addressing what not to say when someone you know says they are leaving the Church. She admonished her readers not to say that you’re glad they’re going and have they read John six. I must admit that in all my years of messing with chickens, I never met anyone quite that stupid, but, then, I’m old and out of touch with the new everybody’s-going-to-hell-but-me Christianity. I have witnessed,... Read more
Cardinal Wuerl resigned because of his “mishandling” of clergy sex abuse of minors, or, as Pope Francis chose to describe it, his “mistakes.” I’m not going to comment further. I think it speaks for itself. From Catholic News Agency: Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Washington’s Cardinal Donald Wuerl on Friday, while asking the cardinal to continue leading the Archdiocese of Washington on an interim basis until a permanent successor is appointed. In a letter to Wuerl obtained by CNA... Read more
Archbishop Bernadito Auza, Holy See’s Permanent Observer to the United Nations in New York, on Oct. 8 spoke at a meeting of the UN General Assembly on the advancement of women. He urged that all people join in the fight against violence and discrimination against women, From Vatican News: “The Holy See condemns all forms of violence against women, including harmful stereotypes that justify violence and promote discrimination against them,” said Archbishop Bernadito Auza, addressing a meeting of the UN... Read more
Cardinal Wuerl resigned due to his behavior during the clergy abuse scandal and was treated as a martyr by the other bishops and the pope. I think the real martyrs are the victims of clergy sex abuse. Here is his full letter of resignation. From Catholic News Agency: To our Venerable Brother Cardinal Donald William Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington: On September 21st I received your request that I accept your resignation from the pastoral government of the Archdiocese of Washington.... Read more
In Pope Francis’ prayer intention for October he asks us to pray to St Michael the Archangel for the Church. From Vatican News: The full text of his intention is below: The Devil presents himself with great power. He brings you gifts. But you don’t know what’s inside. I renew the invitation to everyone to pray the Rosary every day in October, ending with the antiphon “We fly to thy patronage” and the prayer to St. Michael the Archangel, to... Read more
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