• Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò gives his first extended interview since calling on the pope to resign
In his first extended interview since he called on Pope Francis to resign last August, accusing the pontiff of covering up for a sexual abuser, Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò corresponded by email with The Washington Post over two months, writing 8,000 words in response to nearly 40 questions. Here we present that exchange. Selected passages containing unverified allegations have been removed. Others have been lightly edited for clarity. The conversation took place in English.
• Cdl. Müller: Contraception is ‘intrinsically bad’ | The John-Henry Westen Show Ep. 12 - June 4, 2019
• Pre-Amazon Synod private meeting calls for female diaconate, Vatican in attendance
A final report from this week’s private and unannounced Pre-Amazonian Synod “study meeting” is openly calling for the Church to reconsider the female diaconate and to ordain married men in the Latin Rite. It is also urging the Oct. 6-27 synod of bishops to put in place the necessary structures to implement this agenda. - June 28, 2019
• US bishop promotes ‘celebration of Pride’ with prayer card, rainbow crucifix
A U.S. bishop has issued a “prayer” card that celebrates homosexual “pride” and includes an image of a crucifix with rainbow colors coming from it. The card, to be distributed this weekend at pro-homosexual events, was released via social media on Friday, the feast day on which Catholics celebrate the Sacred Heart of Jesus. - June 28, 2019
• Vatican OKs Chinese clergy ‘registering’ with communist government
The Holy See today released “Pastoral Guidelines” to help bishops and priests decide whether registering with the Chinese government is a betrayal of their faith. - June 28, 2019
• Purging silence: Vatican expands abuse prevention to lay movements
Millions of Catholics live their faith through their association with lay movements and Catholic groups, but some also have lost their faith when they were sexually abused in those groups and felt they had nowhere to turn. - June 25, 2019
• Cardinals, bishops who back women’s ordination secretly meet near Rome to prepare for Amazon synod
A group of cardinals and bishops who are involved with the preparation of the Amazon synod and who back the abolishment of priestly celibacy and other progressivist positions contrary to perennial Catholic teaching are quietly meeting together near Rome in preparation for the upcoming synod, a well-placed source revealed to LifeSiteNews today. - June 25, 2019
• Portland diocese to engage third-party system for reporting ethics violations
The Diocese of Portland announced Tuesday it will be using a third-party reporting system for violations of its standards of ethical conduct, such as fraud or harassment. - June 25, 2019
• Jesuits at Indianapolis school, archbishop at odds over gay employee
The Archbishop of Indianapolis issued a decree June 21 against a Jesuit school that refused to dismiss a gay employee, saying that “with great sadness” the archdiocese no longer recognizes it as a Catholic institution. - June 24, 2019
• US Bishops Support Priest Assembly Calling for Women’s Ordination
The Association of US Catholic Priests (AUSCP), which claims a priestly membership of just over 1,300 priests, issued a white paper on May 8, 2019, titled “AUSCP Declaration on the Status of Women.” This white paper calls for the priestly ordination of women and utilizes condemned Modernist reasoning to reach its conclusions. According to the St. Louis Dispatch, AUSCP members will be asked to affirm this declaration at the ongoing AUSCP 2019 Assembly in St. Louis. - June 24, 2019
• Judge OKs return of Argentine bishop accused of abusing seminarians to the Vatican
A judge in Argentina allowed Bishop Gustavo Zanchetta, who has been accused of serial sexual abuse of seminarians, to return to the Vatican. - June 24, 2019
• Cathedral High School in Indianapolis recognizes archbishop's oversight
A Catholic high school in the Indianapolis archdiocese has said it will comply with the archbishop’s instructions to stop employing a teacher in a same-sex marriage. - June 24, 2019
• Ecological Turn at the Vatican
COMMENTARY: The working document for the Pan-Amazonian synod, and two other recently released documents, suggest that environmental policies will be treated as magisterial matters. - June 24, 2019
• Three priests sue Corpus Christi diocese for inclusion in credibly accused list
Three priests have filed suits against the Diocese of Corpus Christi and its bishop, claiming that they were wrongfully included in a list of clerics credibly accused of sexually abusing a minor within the diocese. - June 22, 2019
• EWTN’s “Papal Posse” criticizes working doc for Amazon Synod
The working document for the Amazon Synod has Catholics wondering if the bishops’ meeting isn’t just a sneaky way of introducing married priests and female ordination. - June 21, 2019
• Explosive Dossier: Cardinal Cupich Under Investigation for Withholding Bernardin Documents
Editor’s note: the following article from Marco Tosatti originally appeared today in Italian at La Nuova Bussola Quotidiana, and has been translated for us by Giuseppe Pellegrino. It summarizes the story released earlier this week by Church Militant about documents obtained from secret Chicago diocesan archives pertaining to the late Cardinal Joseph Bernardin’s alleged sexual abuse — some of it reportedly Satanic in nature — and the fact that Cardinal Blase Cupich failed to turn this documentation over to law enforcement. - June 21, 2019
• US Bishops Send $750k to LGBT-Promoting Ignatian Network
The Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD), an anti-poverty agency of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), is providing a $750,000 grant to the Ignatian Solidarity Network (ISN) over the next three years. - June 20, 2019
• US bishops give $750K grant to group pushing homosexuality, LGBT propaganda
The Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD), an anti-poverty agency of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), is providing a $750,000 grant to the Ignatian Solidarity Network (ISN) over the next three years. Announcing the grant on its website, ISN president Christopher Kerr said, "The Ignatian Solidarity Network staff and board are grateful for the support of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops." - June 20, 2019
• Efforts to remove Fort Worth bishop are about more than his decisions and style
At a time when the Catholic Church in the U.S. is undergoing a serious but deserved crisis of confidence over its handling of sexual abuse within its ranks, Bishop Michael Olson is the face of the faith in Fort Worth, charged with leading his flock through ominous times. - June 20, 2019
• Vatican proclaims ‘Season of Creation’ to limit global warming
In a letter released on Tuesday by the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, Christians were called to put Pope Francis’s Laudato Si’ encyclical on the environment into practice. - June 19, 2019
• BREAKING: Fr. Rosica resigns from Salt and Light after plagiarism scandal
Former Vatican spokesman Fr. Thomas Rosica, who was discovered to have plagiarized dozens of his writings, has resigned as CEO of Salt and Light Catholic Media Foundation almost four months after his misuse of the work of others became public knowledge. - June 18, 2019
• Bp. Strickland demands that laypeople be allowed to investigate abuser bishops
Bishop Joseph Strickland called for the U.S. bishops to support proposed efforts before them to reveal specifics related to the scandal surrounding disgraced former cardinal Theodore McCarrick. - June 17, 2019
• Nun appointed by Pope Francis to advise bishops praises ‘small steps’ toward women’s ordination
A nun appointed by Pope Francis to the Vatican body tasked with offering strategic direction to the Synod of Bishops’ gatherings has stated that the priesthood will become accessible to women in “small steps.” - June 17, 2019
• Priest who told Christians to avoid LGBT Pride stands by message despite severe backlash
A Catholic priest who told his parishioners last week that they should “not attend” pro-homosexual pride events in June is standing by his message despite pushback from LGBT activists and even his own archbishop. - June 17, 2019
• Vatican’s Amazon Synod to discuss allowing married priests, letting bishops ‘adapt’ Mass
The Vatican today released the working document for the Special Synod of Bishops on the Amazon, being held in Rome Oct. 6-27. The 64-page document, which will form the basis of discussion at the upcoming Synod, suggests that local bishops’ conferences “adapt the Eucharistic rite to their cultures,” that the Church consider ordaining married “elders” to the priesthood, and that Synod fathers identify the “official ministry that can be conferred on women,” given their prominent role in Amazonian culture. - June 17, 2019
• Amazon Synod to Consider Possible Ordination of Married Men
The working document, which calls for “a Church with an indigenous face,” further recommends that the synod identify “an official ministry that can be conferred upon women, taking into account the central role they play in the Amazonian church.” - June 17, 2019
• Courage’s Father Bochanski Addresses Bishop Tobin’s Remarks on ‘Pride’ Month
The director of the apostolate for same-sex-attracted Catholics said the bishop was affirming Church teaching when he advised on social media that Catholics shouldn’t participate in ‘Pride Month’ celebrations. - June 17, 2019
• Lead By Example, Not Documents, Vatican Abuse Expert Tells Polish Bishops
In a May 22 letter, the Polish bishop’s conference spoke out against clergy sexual abuse and pledged both to continue to “eliminate factors conducive to crime” and to adopt a more sensitive attitude toward victims. - June 15, 2019
• Trial Date Set for Argentine Priests Accused of Abusing Deaf Children
Father Nicola Corradi, now 83, was first accused of abuse in 2009, when 14 Italians reported that they had been abused by priests, religious brothers, and other adults at the Provolo Institute in Verona, over the course of several decades. - June 15, 2019
• Bishops move toward transparency and accountability to restore trust and credibility
The U.S. bishops met in Baltimore from June 11-14 to begin providing their long-awaited response to revelations of sexual abuse of minors and vulnerable adults, as well as cover-ups on the part of several American bishops and cardinals that emerged in 2018. Most notably, this included the case of laicized former cardinal and notorious sexual predator Theodore E. McCarrick, former archbishop of Washington, D.C. - June 14, 2019
• Bishop: Lay involvement needed ‘to make darn sure that we bishops do not harm the Church’
Pointing to the anemic nature of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) measures to deal with episcopal accountability, a bishop pressed for mandatory lay involvement in investigating allegations against bishops concerning sexual abuse and cover-up. - June 14, 2019
• Illinois bishops oppose abortion law, disagree on Communion for pro-choice lawmakers
While two Illinois bishops are unified in their strong opposition to the state’s new abortion law, they differ on the question of prohibiting to receive Holy Communion the Catholic state legislators who led the effort for the bill’s passage. - June 14, 2019
• US Bishops Authorize Reporting Mechanism for Episcopal Abuse Cases
The bishops met for the second day of their annual spring meeting Wednesday, during which they voted to authorize the third-party reporting system, in addition to approving a set of proposed strategic priorities for their upcoming 2021-24 Strategic Plan - June 13, 2019
• Archbishop exhorts thousands of pilgrims to fight for good in a time of great ‘confusion’
Last Monday in the French cathedral of Chartres – where for centuries pilgrims have venerated the Veil of the Blessed Virgin Mary – Archbishop Andre-Joseph Léonard, former Primate of Belgium, celebrated the Tridentine Mass in front of thousands of pilgrims who had walked more than 60 miles from Paris in the now traditional three-day Pentecost pilgrimage. - June 12, 2019
• Bishop urges fellow U.S. bishops to hold errant ‘Catholic’ politicians accountable
When Bishop Joseph Strickland addressed the urgent need to challenge politicians who claim to be Catholic but whose voting record and rhetoric remain at odds with Church teaching on the sanctity of life, his statement was ignored by the assembled body of U.S. Bishops. - June 12, 2019
• US bishops’ National Review Board chairman wants more independence for sex abuse investigations
In an address to the bishops of the U.S., the lay chairman of their National Review Board (NRB) expressed concern that the systems now being set in place by the Vatican and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) to handle episcopal sexual misconduct still leave “bishops policing bishops.” - June 12, 2019
• Pope Francis: Unity is in the ‘DNA’ of Christian Community
“We too,” Francis urged, “need to rediscover the beauty of witnessing to the Risen, emerging from self-referential attitudes, renouncing the withholding of the gifts of God and not yielding to mediocrity.” - June 12, 2019
• Church must be present to migrants and refugees, USCCB leaders say
The Church needs to be present to migrants and refugees in the U.S. who are facing detention or deportation, and cannot be “invisible,” U.S. bishops said on the first day of their annual spring meeting in Baltimore, Md. on Tuesday. - June 11, 2019
• Nuncio recommends synodality, 'walking together' to US bishops
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops 2019 Spring General Assembly kicked off in Baltimore Tuesday with a brief address from USCCB President Cardinal Daniel DiNardo and a message from Archbishop Christophe Pierre, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, explaining the rationale for the Vatican’s cancelation of votes last November. - June 11, 2019
• During USCCB Meeting, Lay Advisors Urge Holy See to Release McCarrick Documents
In addition to calling for the publication of documents related to the Holy See’s investigation of McCarrick, both advisory bodies expressed concern over the proposed USCCB directives for the implementation of Pope Francis’ apostolic letter Vos Estis Lux Mundi as a response to the abuse crisis. - June 11, 2019
• US Bishops Open Debate on Abuse Reforms at USCCB Meeting
Bishop Robert Deeley of Portland, Maine presented the directives for implementing Vos estis on behalf of the conference’s Canonical Affairs and Church Governance Committee. - June 11, 2019
• Anomalies Abound in Cardinal Pell’s Abuse Trials
COMMENTARY: According to prosecutors, the very implausibility of the cardinal’s alleged crimes is an indication of their truth.
Does the very improbability of an accusation mean that it is more likely to be true? That is the argument advanced by prosecutors in the case of Cardinal George Pell, and it indicates a dangerous dynamic in trials for some cases of historic sexual abuse. Convincing evidence leads to a guilty verdict; unconvincing evidence also leads to a guilty verdict. - June 11, 2019
• New Sex-Abuse Report: Homosexual Priests Decrease, Sex Abuse of Girls Increases
According to Ruth Institute sociologist Father Paul Sullins, a generation of younger clergy formed for lives of chaste celibacy is a major reason why clergy abuse rates are much lower than before 2000. - June 10, 2019
• New Vatican Document Says Gender Theory is ‘Cultural and Ideological Revolution’
The document says it aims to set out an intellectual framework “towards a path of dialogue on the question of gender theory in education.” - June 10, 2019
• New ‘Declaration of Truths’ Affirms Key Church Teachings
The document, whose signatories include Cardinal Raymond Burke, upholds key doctrines in areas ranging from the Eucharist and marriage to capital punishment and clerical celibacy. - June 10, 2019
• Zanchetta to Stand Trial in Argentina for Sexual Abuse of Seminarians
Zanchetta, bishop emeritus of Orán, Argentina, was first accused of sexually inappropriate behavior in 2015. - June 10, 2019
• USCCB to discuss abuse crisis and future priorities at Baltimore meeting
The U.S. bishops’ conference will convene in Baltimore this week, to discuss the ongoing clerical sexual abuse crisis, and to conduct the ongoing regular business of the organization. The meeting begins June 11. - June 10, 2019
• Cdl Burke, Bp Schneider issue ‘declaration of truths’ to correct rampant ‘doctrinal confusion’ in Church
Cardinal Raymond Burke and Bishop Athanasius Schneider, together with several other bishops, have issued a public declaration of truths of the faith to remedy the “almost universal doctrinal confusion and disorientation” endangering the spiritual health and eternal salvation of souls in the Church today. - June 10, 2019
• Vatican releases new doc on ‘gender theory’ in schools, urges ‘path of dialogue’
The Vatican’s Congregation for Catholic Education has released a new document on “gender theory” in schools, urging a “path of dialogue.” - June 10, 2019
• Gender ideology is opposed to faith, reason, Vatican office says
Catholic schools must help parents teach young people that biological sex and gender are naturally fixed at birth and part of God’s plan for creation, said the Congregation for Catholic Education. - June 10, 2019
• Explosive report: Bishop sexually harassed priests, seminarians, spent millions of Church dollars
An explosive report alleges that the retired Bishop of Wheeling-Charleston was a sex pest who spent millions of dollars on an “extravagant and lavish lifestyle.” - June 7, 2019
• Pope Francis appoints pro-LGBT Cdl Tobin to oversee Catholic education
Newark archbishop Cardinal Joseph Tobin, who has come under fire for statements at odds with Church teachings about sexuality, was named by Pope Francis as a member of the Congregation for Catholic Education. - June 6, 2019
• Bishop Paprocki: Communion Prohibited to Pro-Abortion Illinois Catholic Lawmakers
In an interview with the Register, the Springfield bishop discusses his decree that specifically calls on Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton not to present themselves for Communion. - June 6, 2019
• DiNardo Denies Mishandling Priest Abuse Case and Confession Allegations
The Archdiocese released a statement saying, at each step in this matter, Cardinal DiNardo has reacted swiftly and justly — and has always kept the welfare of the Pontikeses in mind. - June 6, 2019
• Prosecution Falters During Cardinal Pell Appeal Hearing
Under questioning from the judges, led by court president Justice Chris Maxwell, Boyce struggled to account for what the judge called the “wildly improbable” circumstances of Pell’s alleged crimes. - June 6, 2019
• Iowa bishops to cooperate with attorney general’s request for abuse records
The Catholic bishops of Iowa have agreed to voluntarily hand over records on clerical sex abuse allegations in their dioceses, responding to a request made last week by the state attorney general. - June 6, 2019
• Cardinal Kasper: Pope Francis will ‘probably accept’ married priests if Amazon synod proposes it
Cardinal Walter Kasper has said that if bishops from the Amazon together propose that married men should be ordained to the priesthood, Pope Francis would “in principle probably accept it.” - June 6, 2019
• Did Arlington Diocese Ignore Key Evidence of Possible False Allegation Against Priest?
Evidence obtained by the Lepanto Institute sheds new light on an ongoing investigation led by the Diocese of Arlington into one of its priests. A statement and cover letter sent to the diocese in early April indicate that the diocese may have ignored vital evidence regarding an alleged victim accusing the priest of improper conduct. - June 5, 2019
• Renowned US Catholic hymnist composes song to celebrate pro-homosexual ‘Pride month’
A famous American Catholic hymnist whose songs are sung in churches across the continent every Sunday has composed a chant to celebrate homosexuality. - June 5, 2019
• Pope’s new teaching on death penalty appears in revised theological commentary on catechism
The revised edition of the 1993 Theological Commentary on the Catechism of the Catholic Church will contain Pope Francis’ new doctrine on the death penalty. - June 5, 2019
• President of US Conference of Catholic Bishops accused of coverup in new sex abuse case
Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, President of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, is being accused of covering up a sexual abuse case in his Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston involving the archbishop’s right-hand man. - June 5, 2019
• Bishop defends brother bishop attacked for telling Catholics to not ‘support, attend’ LGBT events
A US bishop is defending his brother bishop who is under assault from LGBT activists and mainstream media after he told Catholics that they should have nothing to do with homosexual "pride" events. - June 5, 2019
• ‘No excuse, no adequate explanation’: Lori releases findings of Bishop Bransfield investigation
Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore has released a letter to the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston addressing the findings of a preliminary investigation into the former head of the diocese, Bishop Michael Bransfield. - June 5, 2019
• DiNardo Accused of Mishandling Clerical Sexual Misconduct Case
DiNardo, who suffered a stroke in March, is set to lead the Spring Assembly of the U.S. bishops’ conference next week. - June 4, 2019
• Fr. Z's Blog Mail from a priest: “It finally dawned on me that the dysfunction could be demonic.” Then a short rant from @FatherZ
A priest sent an interesting email, in the wake of what I wrote HERE about the need to perform exorcisms of all church properties. I short, I wrote: - June 30, 2019
• Cardinal Tagle on Traitors, Bernardin & McCarrick Connection PLUS Why Sunday Obligation? - June 28, 2019
• Vatican Offers a Useful Tool for ‘Gender Theory’ Education
COMMENTARY: ‘Male and Female He Created Them’ has great potential for Catholic education. Faithful Catholics should pick up this ball and run with it. - June 27, 2019
• Stalinist Purges and More in the Knights of Malta: New Fast-Breaking Developments
On 16 May OnePeterFive described the takeover of power in the Order of Malta by the German, secularising party led by the Grand Chancellor, Baron von Boeselager. The story goes back to December 2016, when the then Grand Master, Fra Matthew Festing, attempted to dismiss Boeselager. - June 27, 2019
• Quick Hits: Priest-pundits mince no words, on death penalty and McCarrick scandal
Today two priest-pundits offer essays that really cannot be missed: Father George William Rutler is at his best, which is very, very good, as he analyzes the US bishops’ discussion of capital punishment for Crisis. - June 26, 2019
• Cardinal Bernadin Cover Up, Aleister Crowley, SexMagick, and Saul Alinsky
The horrific exploits of Cardinal Bernadin of Chicago. This is one year after the summer of shame. #TnT give commentary. They also discuss Aleister Crowley and his system of SexMagick and his Gnostic Mass and Gnostic Catholic Church based in Switzerland. They also discuss the connection of Pope Paul VI with Saul Alinsky. It's getting deep. - June 25, 2019
• Amazon Synod Working Document Criticized for Serving ‘Neo-Pagan Agenda’
The working document for the upcoming synod of bishops on the Amazon region represents a “total opening of the gates of the Magisterium to Indian theology and eco-theology” which includes “clearly pagan” and “pantheistic elements of belief,” a Chilean author has said.
• More Roman Confusion about Religious Pluralism
The just-released Instrumentum Laboris for the upcoming Synod, “Amazonia, New Paths for the Church and for an Integral Ecology,” implicitly accepts the presupposition that God willed the diversity of religions – religious pluralism. And that presupposition lies behind its faulty concept of inculturation. - June 25, 2019
• Clergy Sex-Abuse Victims and Perpetrators Have Changed Since 2000
COMMENTARY: Part II — The Ruth Institute report ‘Receding Waves: Child Sexual Abuse and Homosexual Priests Since 2000,’ finds surprising changes in both the victims and the perpetrators of clerical sexual abuse. - June 25, 2019
• Unpacking the options for priesthood in the Amazon
The Vatican has released significant details of a major South American bishops’ meeting scheduled for October of this year, raising concerns over several issues relating to doctrine, discipline and practice that could have serious implications for the Church far outside the Amazonia region for which Pope Francis has called the meeting. - June 24, 2019
• Bp. Tobin defended Catholic doctrine on LGBT. Where are his brother bishops?
Organizers of "Gay Pride" events have successfully conditioned the media and the public to talk about these parades as if they were simply celebrations of "equality." However, even some people who are fully on board with the LGBT agenda have pointed out the obvious: these parades are often less about celebrating equality than they are about celebrating promiscuous sex — the more debauched the better. - June 24, 2019
• When is religion OK in America? When it is no longer religious.
The recent US Supreme Court decision permitting a cross to remain on public land in Bladensburg, MD is a peculiar one, to say the least. It demonstrates the kind of convoluted reasoning that must characterize justices who have reservations about public expressions of religion but do not wish to obliterate history. We can, I believe, take this reasoning as the best our secular officials can do to avoid actively erasing all remembrance of God. - June 24, 2019
• In responding to gender theory, ‘forming the formators’ is key, educators say
Amid a flurry of headlines denouncing the Vatican for releasing a document condemning “gender theory,” theology professors and Catholic educators told CNA that the document will be helpful in setting priorities for Catholic educators going forward, as Catholic schools respond to questions about LGBT issues. - June 24, 2019
• How to Understand the Death Penalty and Development of Doctrine
COMMENTARY: One must respect the right of Rome to seek to abolish the death penalty, but one may also disagree as to whether this is a homogenous development of doctrine or merely a debate about circumstantial application of that doctrine. - June 24, 2019
• Why I Believe that Hell Is the Default
Again and again as of late, we see Catholic bishops and the pope making statements that seem to call into question the basic attributes of Hell, particularly the insistence of the Church that Hell is a place of eternal punishment and separation from God, and that it is not empty of human souls. Most of us remember the Bishop Robert Barron controversy when he told Ben Shapiro in an interview that Jesus Christ is the “privileged route to Salvation,” failing to inform Shapiro in charity that no one comes to the Father except through Christ, which the Scriptures clearly state. Pope Francis has again and again made scandalous and baffling comments about the Four Last Things. - June 24, 2019
• Fr. Z's Blog: Concerning the upcoming Synod, Germans and Tapirs
I try try try to give these Synod (“walking together”) guys the benefit of the doubt, but does anyone sincerely believe that talking about married clergy is really about shortage of priests in a mission country? Really? - June 23, 2019
• Fr. Z's Blog: Archd. of Indianapolis says Jesuit school isn’t Catholic
UPDATE 22 June: CNA has more of the back story. HERE
UPDATE 21 June: Check out canonist Ed Peters on this story. HERE
You may have already seen this, but I’m both glad and sad to post it. This speaks for itself. - June 21, 2019
Archdiocese of Indianapolis’ statement on Brebeuf:
• Will bishops look at why millennials are fleeing the church? The answer is closer than they think
The US Bishops are wrestling with the mass exodus of a half of a generation from the U.S. Church, one of their Committee heads has said, but while the Bishops appear to be concerned and eager to address the issue, the question remains as to whether they will take an honest and comprehensive look at why this is happening. - June 21, 2019
• Will bishops look at why millennials are fleeing the church? The answer is closer than they think
The US Bishops are wrestling with the mass exodus of a half of a generation from the U.S. Church, one of their Committee heads has said, but while the Bishops appear to be concerned and eager to address the issue, the question remains as to whether they will take an honest and comprehensive look at why this is happening. - June 21, 2019
• Does Knights of Malta’s Latin Mass ban signify world-wide persecution of traditionalists?
I have been reflecting on Henry Sire’s article about the recent decision by the Grand Master of the Order of Malta to ban the celebration of the Traditional Mass in the Order. - June 21, 2019
• Desecrating the Legacy of the American Martyr St. Jean de Brébeuf
“On March 16,” writes a modern-day Jesuit of his forebear in faith, the missionary martyr St. Jean de Brébeuf, “the Iroquois attacked the village and took the Hurons, who were mainly Christians, along with Jean and another Jesuit, Gabriel Lalement, prisoner. He knew that the possibility of martyrdom was imminent.”
What happened next is the kind of brutality that makes many people squeamish about even the idea of martyrdom: - June 21, 2019
• Pope Francis and PanAmazonian Synod Plans Revealed #TnT Commentary
Why is the upcoming PanAmazonian Synod so important for Pope Francis and the hierarchy of Germany? How does it relate to married priests and the ordination of women? Who are the native peoples and what are their beliefs? Do we need to be converted by them? - June 20, 2019
• On raising our voices in and for the Church
In his commentary “Exit, voice, and loyalty in the Catholic Church” (with which I completely agree), Phil Lawler applies to the Church the three basic responses people make when they are dissatisfied with any institution of which they are a part. Phil concludes: - June 20, 2019
• Paprocki vs. Cupich on Communion for Pro-Abortion Politicians: Who’s Right?
On June 5, in reaction to radical new pro-abortion laws passed in the state of Illinois, Bishop Thomas Paprocki of the Diocese of Springfield issued a decree “declaring that Illinois legislative leaders who promoted and voted for the act … are not to be admitted to receive Holy Communion” and that said legislators should not try to receive it. Predictably, this action has caused a large amount of controversy. - June 20, 2019
• The Amazon Synod’s Long Game Is More Radical Than You Think
It’s 2029, and, by necessity, you’re attending a “group-conducted” Mass celebrated by Jerry the bus driver, Charles the bank manager, and Josh the carpenter. You’re in the Church dreamed up by the Amazon synod’s radical muse, Bishop Fritz Lobinger. After Pope Francis hailed Lobinger’s work, you saw that 2019 synod clinch the ordination of married “elders” — a practice that then spread, predictably, to Germany, the U.S., and elsewhere. - June 19, 2019
• The Disastrous State of Things
Looking out across the Catholic landscape, things are pretty grim.
We are losing this war.
I talked to someone yesterday who is close to one of the American seminary abuse scandals and helped bring it to light. “It can’t hold together much longer,” he said, then rephrased it as a question. “Can it?” - June 18, 2019
• Fr. Z's Blog: Priest apologizes to traditional Catholics: “The future of the Church is in her past.”
Dear Fr Z:
I’ve just returned from France where, among other things, I took part in the Chartres Pilgrimage.
After registering for the Pilgrimage, I discovered that the usus antiquor would be required of all participating priests, I decided it was high time to learn how to celebrate the Extraordinary Form, thanks to a very kind and patient FSSP priest in the neighborhood. - June 18, 2019
• Fr. Z's Blog: Fr Rosica, amazing papal claims, and resignations
Let’s be clear. There is an element among Francis’ most dedicated promoters, channel their inner Rex Mottram and declare nearly every syllable that he utters to be oracular and under the inspiration of the Spirit. Some of them form an inner core, like a New catholic Red Guards, a la the Cultural Revolution, ready to pounce on any deviation from their received message and according to their orders from their cadres. - June 18, 2019
• Editorial: More vigilance is needed, but don’t discount the progress being made
As the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops met in Baltimore from June 11-14 for its annual spring general assembly, many Catholics anticipated what they hoped would be progress on addressing the continuing saga of the Church’s sexual abuse crisis. While the bishops released three documents addressing different areas of concern related to the crisis, other outlets took the meeting as an opportunity to release information to garner attention that may or may not have shed light on certain points of interest. - June 18, 2019
• Taking a risk with Pope Francis; avoiding a risk to ourselves
I think it is time to remind ourselves once again of what we might call the other side of the Pope Francis coin. Back in 2013, when we were first adjusting ourselves to this Pope’s “all over the map” style of leadership, including his apparent lack of doctrinal precision and his waffling in matters of discipline, I paused in my own litany of complaints to suggest ways to recognize the values implicit in his particular way of proclaiming the gospel and offering the mercy of God. - June 17, 2019
• Archbishop Viganò on Bransfield, Rossi, and the “Gay Mafia”
VIGANÒ: I Speak Only About What I Have Seen Personally. This Is How the Gay Mafia In The Church Operates.
The interview given by Archbishop Viganò to the Washington Post, in which he reiterates his testimony about McCarrick and declares that the Pope is lying in order to cover up evildoing, has understandably aroused great interest. This is also due to the fact that his declarations have always been confirmed, for nearly a year at this point, by the documents and other testimonies which have come to light, most recently the “Figuereido Report” written by McCarrick’s former secretary. - June 17, 2019
• Catholic approach to gender in the classroom
On June 10, the Vatican’s Congregation for Catholic Education released a new document titled “Male and Female He Created Them: Towards a Path of Dialogue on the Question of Gender Theory in Education.” This timely document seeks to address the confusion of educators in general — and Catholic educators specifically — regarding new ideas in “gender theory” and how this relates to authentic Christian anthropology. - June 17, 2019
• Pope Francis Promotes Goals Created by Communists
Since the very beginning of his pontificate, Pope Francis has been working very hard to promote international adoption and implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) of the United Nations. Just a little over a year after his election, Pope Francis was cited in a document of the United Nations Population Fund titled, “Religion and Development Post 2015.” - June 17, 2019
• Transgenderism and perfect freedom
There are many reasons to read Dante’s Divine Comedy, not least the pleasure of encountering sheer imaginative genius. But in the end, the most important reason is one he identifies in a letter to a patron, Can Grande della Scala: “the subject is man according as by his merits or demerits in the exercise of his free will he is deserving of reward or punishment by justice.” - June 17, 2019
• Exit, voice, and loyalty in the Catholic Church
Different people react in different ways to the crisis in our Church. Reflecting on that fact, I find myself thinking about a little classic of a book that was published almost 50 years ago: Exit, Voice, & Loyalty, by Albert O. Hirschman. - June 17, 2019
• Amazon Synod Working Document Released Today, and It Confirms There’s Trouble on the Horizon
The “Instrumentum Laboris” (working document) for the upcoming Amazon Synod was released today. Currently available only in Italian and Spanish, the 45,000-word document — as expected — contains indications that like the two family synods that came before it, this October’s synod on issues facing the Church in the Amazon river basin will not remain local in its focus, but instead bring troubling developments to the entire Catholic Church. - June 17, 2019
• Fr. Z's Blog: Thoughts about the change to CCC 2267 on the death penalty
When the change was made to the Latin text of CCC 2267 – concerning the death penalty (claiming that it is now always “inadmissible”) – I both said in sermons and wrote here that the change was troubling and for more than one reason. - June 15, 2019
• Cardinal Cupich’s counterproductive advice
Cardinal Cupich explains why he will not deny Communion to pro-abortion politicians, despite the clear mandate of Canon 915:
I think it would be counterproductive to impose sanctions, simply because they don’t change anybody’s minds, but it also takes away from the fact that an elected official has to deal with the judgment seat of God, not just the judgment seat of a bishop. - June 14, 2019
• Bishop Paprocki’s Bold Defense of the Innocent Is the Mark of a True Father
EDITORIAL: Illinois shepherd’s decree puts pro-abortion politicians on notice.
Days after Illinois lawmakers passed legislation that secured legal abortion as a fundamental right, Bishop Thomas Paprocki of Springfield took swift action, issuing a directive that explicitly banned two Chicago-area Catholic Democrats — House Speaker Michael Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton — from receiving Holy Communion in his diocese. - June 14, 2019
• Psychologist gives searing critique of Vatican’s new gender doc: a compromise with ‘neo-paganism’
A Catholic psychologist has denounced the latest Vatican document on gender theory as containing “not one sentence of sound advice for parents who try to educate their children towards the virtues necessary for a Christian life.” - June 14, 2019
• The CCE on gender theory: Strengths and weaknesses of a Catholic position
The text of the statement on gender theory by the Congregation for Catholic Education is excellent, but the approach it proposes demonstrates both the strengths and weaknesses of the Catholic position today. - June 14, 2019
• Should Catholics attend 'pride' events?
On June 1, Bishop Thomas Tobin of Providence tweeted that Catholics should not attend Pride events during the month of June, which is commemorated as “Pride Month” throughout the United States. - June 14, 2019
• Una Voce Federation Confirms TLM Ban at Knights of Malta Violates Summorum Pontificum
The International Una Voce Federation (FIUV) is an organization that seeks “to foster the cultural heritage of the Latin rite of the Roman Catholic Church upon which so much of European culture, music, art, literature and architecture has been built and nourished.” - June 13, 2019
• Declaration of Truths Paves a Way Forward for the Post-Vatican II Church
The Declaration of Truths recently signed by five bishops provides the Church with a clear document capable of uniting Catholics against the enemies of Holy Church. But in order to unite, faithful Catholics of every stripe will need to agree on this: the pastoral approach of Vatican II must be abandoned — but without abandoning the Magisterium itself. - June 13, 2019
• Analysis: At USCCB Meeting, Will Words Speak Louder Than Votes?
The open sessions of the conference are being broadcast live, and the message many bishops appear to be sending is “We know you’re watching and we want you to know we are talking about you.” - June 13, 2019
• Vatican’s new doc on ‘gender theory’ enraged LGBT activists. But it should alarm Catholics too
The Vatican’s newly released document on what should be done about “gender theory” when it comes to Catholic education of children is proving to be a source of anger for LGBT activists. But it should also be a cause of alarm for faithful Catholic parents. - June 12, 2019
• Knights of Malta Coup Turns Inward; TLM Banned in Apparent Violation of Summorum Pontificum
We have written at considerable length about the tragic saga of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta in these pages over the past two years. In my most recent piece, I discussed how the recent election has highlighted how fully the German faction has now taken over the Knights of Malta. - June 12, 2019
• Archbishop Vigano Interview AND Cd. Burke & Bp. Schneider Issue 40 Points
- June 12, 2019
• Catholic 'gender theory' document: clarity for a wounded, oversexed culture?
Catholic commentators have welcomed a Vatican document warning that gender theory is a cultural and ideological revolution that undermines both human dignity and the right understandings of sexual difference and complementarity, though the document was not without its critics. - June 11, 2019
• Analysis: The laity - the who and the how in sexual abuse reform
On Tuesday, the USCCB General Assembly in Baltimore gave over much of its morning session to hearing questions from the floor asking for clarity on proposals to increase transparency and accountability among its members. - June 11, 2019
• Why I’m Not So Quick to Judge Jonathan Morris for Leaving the Priesthood
Last night, I watched the interview that the now laicized Fr. Jonathan Morris gave to Martha MacCallum on Fox News, where he’s been a contributor for many years. A lot of folks are very unhappy with Morris, and I can understand why. But I think there’s a good reason to reserve judgment in this particular instance. - June 11, 2019
• I Left Eastern Orthodoxy for the Church Led by Pope Francis, and I Don’t Regret It
I converted from Eastern Orthodoxy to Catholicism shortly after Pope Francis was elected. I have never regretted this decision because I have seen what it is like to live without the Roman primacy, and I will never go back. The Eastern Orthodox route is a dead end for these reasons: the Roman primacy is instituted by God and is the safeguard for humility, while the Orthodox are hopelessly divided and afflicted with a pathology against charity. - June 11, 2019
• Archbishop Viganò to Washington Post: “Pope Francis Is Deliberately Concealing the McCarrick Evidence”
Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò is in the news again today after the release of a new, 8,000-word interview with the Washington Post. According to the post, the interview was conducted via email over a period of two months, with the former U.S. papal nuncio providing answers to some 40 questions. - June 10, 2019
• Cardinals and Bishops issue a “Declaration of Truths” intended to “aid” the Supreme Pontiff
A small group including Card. Burke and Bp. Schneider have issued a Declaration of Truths comprising some 40 paragraphs over 8-pages under various subheadings, and have also issued an Explanatory note comprising some 1300 words and 2 single spaced pages. - June 10, 2019
• Chief of the Vichy Knights of Malta forbids the Extraordinary Form
In the wake of the hostile takeover some two years ago, the Sovereign Military Order of the Knights of Malta has dealt yet another self-inflicted wound to its identity and purpose. - June 10, 2019
• Wherein Fr. Z reads, rants and prays
There is an article today at National Review which has a reaction to Pope Francis’ strange words about the Eucharist. HERE. Francis said that, since “there is already unity” among Christians, then we shouldn’t have to “wait for theologians to come to agreement on the Eucharist.” - June 10, 2019
• Newly Released “Declaration of Truths” Reads like a Neo-Syllabus of Errors
“In our time the Church is experiencing one of the greatest spiritual epidemics, that is, an almost universal doctrinal confusion and disorientation, which is a seriously contagious danger for spiritual health and eternal salvation for many souls. At the same time one has to recognize a widespread lethargy in the exercise of the Magisterium on different levels of the Church’s hierarchy in our days.” - June 10, 2019
• A call for radical renewal
Tomorrow, the United States Council of Catholic Bishops will meet in Baltimore for its General Assembly. This will be the bishops’ second gathering since former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick’s disgrace. As before, they will discuss mechanisms for improving accountability among their own ranks, though this time with a marked drop in expectations among the faithful. - June 10, 2019
• Vigano is for Victory! New Docs on Pope Francis and McCarrick
- June 7, 2019
• Pope Francis forgets
Did Pope Francis know? Was he told, five years before the world found out, that the powerful Cardinal McCarrick was a serial sexual abuser? The diplomat who claims to have informed the pope, Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, names two dates on which he raised the matter with Francis: June 23 and October 10, 2013. But the Holy Father, in a new interview with Valentina Alazraki, says he simply can’t remember. “When [Viganò] says he spoke to me that day, he came ... I do not remember if he told me about this. If it is true or not. No idea.” - June 7, 2019
• Reasonable doubts about Pell's conviction
Catholics and non-Catholics around the world are justly outraged by the crimes and coverups of the Church’s hierarchy. But our concern for justice should also lead us to protest when men are falsely convicted. Today, Australia’s George Cardinal Pell sits in a Melbourne prison, awaiting the outcome of a hearing to appeal his recent conviction on five counts of child sexual abuse. (A decision may be rendered any time within the next month.) If there is justice down under, his appeal will succeed. - June 7, 2019
• Scandal in the West Virginia diocese: ‘there is no excuse’
Yesterday I wrote that Archbishop William Lori had done the Church a real service by providing a detailed account of the corruption that had been uncovered in the Diocese of Charleston/Wheeling, West Virginia, under former Bishop Michael Bransfield. It was, I wrote, the first time—at least certainly the first time that I can recall—that “a bishop has been removed from office, and Church leaders have given an honest and convincing explanation for the action.” Unfortunately, my compliment was misplaced. - June 7, 2019
• 1P5 Minute Ep. 12 | Married Priests, Intercommunion, Weigel & Vigano
Cardinal Kasper on switching from ordaining women to the lesser obstacle of married priests. Pope Francis pushing again for Intercommunion. - June 7, 2019
• Finish the job
Last November’s general assembly of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) was notable for the genuine sense of urgency among the bishops gathered in Baltimore. They understood that their credibility was at stake, and that their exasperated flock was pleading for concrete action. Rome threw a wet blanket on their plan, but the bishops’ frustration at Rome’s delay only seemed to add to their feeling of urgency. - June 6, 2019
• A whole new scandal—financial this time—looms for the Catholic hierarchy
Another week, another story about massive corruption in the Catholic hierarchy. But there is some relief as well. First, this week’s scandal is not about sexual misconduct. Well, not primarily about sexual misconduct. In his report to the faithful of Charleston/Wheeling, West Virginia, Archbishop William Lori said that there was no conclusive evidence that the former shepherd of the diocese, Bishop Michael Bransfield, had been guilty of sexual abuse of young men. - June 6, 2019
• Does Bishop Tobin deserve our support, or do we deserve his?
Here’s the narrative, as I’ve seen it presented:
• Analysis: Houston case raises questions about pope's reforms
A report was published Tuesday of an apparent affair between a married woman and a senior priest of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. - June 5, 2019
• “I spit on your evil!” (or) The joy of rational discussion
The last few days have been amusing, as I’ve fielded comments on my review of Taylor Marshall’s book. For example:
• Our Tower of Babel
You have to work at it not to notice similarities between the postmodern world and that very old, Old Testament story about the Tower of Babel. (Gen. 11:1-9) Like those ancient builders, we have been trying for several centuries now to raise a purely human edifice in Western nations, with no reference – no real need, we think – for God. - June 3, 2019
• One Year After McCarrick’s Fall: A Status Report on Bishop Accountability
The scandal has led to Theodore McCarrick’s laicization and Vatican norms designed to hold bishops accountable, but investigations into an alleged cover-up continue. - June 3, 2019
• When the headline is the editorial
The headline on a Boston Globe story read: Providence bishop faces backlash for homophobic tweet.
Here’s the story, in its entirety as it appeared on the Boston.com site:
Providence Bishop Thomas J. Tobin took to Twitter Saturday to tell Catholics not to celebrate Pride Month this June, saying the event runs counter to the teachings of the faith.
“A reminder that Catholics should not support or attend LGBTQ ‘Pride Month’ events held in June,’’ Bishop Thomas Tobin tweeted Saturday morning.
“They promote a culture and encourage activities that are contrary to Catholic faith and morals,’’ he continued. “They are especially harmful for children.’’
- June 3, 2019
• Pontifical institute's banishment of John Rist for criticizing pope is unjust
Last year when he issued new rules for the governance of pontifical ecclesiastical faculties, Pope Francis called for a "culture of encounter" that would encourage "wide-ranging dialogue." But there are limits, apparently, to how widely the dialogue should range. - June 3, 2019
• Social Justice Clericalism?
The headline of a recent news article caught my eye: “N.H. lunch lady fired for feeding student who couldn’t pay; vendor accused her of $8 theft.” Mascoma Valley Regional High School lunch clerk Bonnie Kimball thought she was doing what she was told to do by the company (Café Services) – an ethical act, feeding a high-schooler who might be in difficult circumstances and unable to pay for food. - June 1, 2019
• Enthronement of the Sacred Heart: The Spiritual Anchor of the Domestic Church
In a homily delivered at Chartres on Pentecost Monday in 2015, His Excellency Bishop Athanasius Schneider offered to the pilgrims gathered there both an analysis of the most pressing challenge facing the Church today as well a strategy for meeting and, with the grace of God, mastering that challenge: - June 28, 2019
• Cardinal Zen: Compelled to Speak
New book offers a Catholic Chinese perspective on Catholics in China.
The Communist government in China is playing the Church for a sap, and many in the Church know it — and no one knows it better than Cardinal Joseph Zen, a Chinese native who served for seven years as the sixth bishop of Hong Kong and continues to make news as a staunch critic of the Vatican’s attempts to deal with Beijing according to the old Ostpolitikmodel of dialogue used by the Church during the Cold War. - June 25, 2019
• Fr. Z's Blog: ACTION ITEM: How you can help defend the Seal of Confession in California
Every once in a while, some legal case pops up whereby one side tries to undermine the Seal of Confession. These attempts usually go down in defeat. However, each time they are advanced, the needle is bumped ever so slightly in their desired direction. - June 22, 2019
• Fr. Z's Blog: NOVENA FOR SEMINARIANS – from Corpus Christi to Sacred Heart, with a Marian Consecration
From a priest:
Dear Father, we have met several times, most recently last year at the Canon Law conference in La Crosse. I wrote a novena for seminarians to be prayed from Corpus Christi to the Sacred Heart, with a Marian Consecration on the Immaculate Heart (OF Calendar). If you wish to distribute it, here is the text. If you do so, please do so anonymously. - June 18, 2019
• Approaching Pride Month as a Catholic
It is impossible to miss the numerous messages this month that urge us to celebrate LGBTQ+ pride. These messages range from heartfelt personal testimonies to rather perfunctory corporate advertising. The month is full of parades, rallies, articles and media programs. Participants come from all different perspectives, and they speak and act with a variety of intentions. But they all leave us with the same question: “How should a faithful Catholic respond?” - June 10, 2019
• PETITION: Support Bishop who is barring 'Catholic' pro-abortion politicians from Holy Communion
Bishop Paprocki, leader of the Diocese of Springfield, Illinois, has barred from Holy Communion, two 'Catholic' state politicians in leadership positions, who worked to pass Illinois' new, radical abortion law. After months of other pro-abortion 'Catholic' politicians getting 'slaps on the wrist' and 'stern talkings-to' from other US bishops and Cardinals over their promotion of abortion, Bishop Paprocki is to be highly commended for taking such action. - June 6, 2019
• On the difficulty of knowing whom to believe, and what to do
If the furor over Taylor Marshall’s book does not tell us how hard it has become to know whom to believe and/or what to do, then I can point to two other contemporary issues (among many) which present the same problem. - June 5, 2019
• PETITION: Support Catholic Bishop who is calling for a boycott on LGBT 'Pride'
The Catholic prelate of Providence, Rhode Island, Bishop Thomas Tobin, is calling on Catholics to avoid supporting or attending so-called 'pride' events, during the month of June. For stating the obvious, Bishop Tobin is now being attacked online, and protested by LGBT activists, offline. - June 3, 2019