Archive for September, 2013
Cases of Sexual Abuse Will Shock the Nation / Australian Regional Media
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Clergy Sexual Abuse, Voice of the Faithful on September 17, 2013
More than 4000 people have reported allegations of child sexual abuse to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse since it began in January. In the first day of public hearings in Sydney on Monday (Sept. 16), Commissioner Justice Peter McClellan warned the stories the commission had already heard would shock the nation. The commission has already heard the cases of nearly 400 victims, with a further 449 waiting to tell their stories and another 1178 people yet to be assessed for private hearings.” By MyDailyNews.com of Australian Regional Media
Read the rest of this story by clicking here, and you may be interested in this editorial point of view from Australia’s Newcastle Herald, “Child Sex Abuse Inquiry.”
Arrested Prelate Tells Magistrates of Secret Accounts in the Vatican / Reuters
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Catholic Church Finances, Pope Francis, Vatican, Voice of the Faithful on September 17, 2013
The Vatican department in charge of paying salaries and managing real estate acted improperly as a parallel bank, providing accounts to outsiders, an arrested prelate who worked there for 22 years has told Italian prosecutors. The latest allegations of misdoings come as Pope Francis struggles to tackle years of financial scandals involving the Vatican bank, which has long been in the spotlight for failing to meet international standards against tax evasion and the disguising of illegal sources of income. By Philip Pullella, Reuters
Read Pullella’s entire article by clicking here.
Francis at the Six Month Mark Seems a Force of Nature / National Catholic Reporter
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Pope Francis, Vatican, Voice of the Faithful on September 16, 2013
Looking for clues as to where the Catholic Church is heading under Pope Francis? John L. Allen, Jr., sizes up the Pope’s first six months in an article in National Catholic Reporter, “Francis at the Six Month Mark Seems a Force of Nature.” Here’s how it begins:
As it’s come to be understood in the 21st century, the papacy is really an impossible job. A pope is expected to be the CEO of a global religious organization, a political heavyweight, an intellectual giant, and a media rock star, not to mention a living saint. Any one of those things is a life’s work; rolled together, they’re a prescription for perpetual frustration.
“Yet at his six-month mark, which falls today (Sept. 13), Pope Francis is drawing better reviews on those five scores than anyone might reasonably have anticipated back on March 13, either in terms of the magnitude of the task or the background of 76-year-old Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Buenos Aires, Argentina.”
Click here to read the rest of the article.
Six months into Pope Francis’ pontificate, what do Catholics think of their new Pope? 80% view him favorably! Read Pew Research’s study, released Sept. 12, by clicking here.
U.S. Bishops Set to Meet with Young Theologians; Theological Societies Unaware of Meeting / National Catholic Reporter
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Catholic Bishops, Voice of the Faithful on September 13, 2013
The U.S. bishops’ committee known in recent years for criticizing several prominent American theologians is bringing together 14 bishops and a select group of younger members of the theological field in a three-day meeting this week. The meeting, sponsored by the U.S. bishops’ doctrine committee and the Knights of Columbus, is part of a multiyear effort on the part of the bishops to encourage dialogue with theologians. Even so, attendance is open only to academics selected by the bishops. Additionally, the heads of the two major U.S. theological societies, the Catholic Theological Society of America and the College Theology Society, told NCR they were unaware of the meeting and did not know how the bishops selected the invitees.” By Joshua McElwee, National Catholic Reporter
Read all of McElwee’s article by clicking here.
As Pope Meets Curia, New Secretary of State Makes Waves / John Thavis Blog
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in church reform, Vatican, Voice of the Faithful on September 11, 2013
As Pope Francis presided over a meeting of Roman Curia department heads today (Sept. 10), his new pick for Secretary of State was making news on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. Archbishop Pietro Parolin, in an interview with the Venezuelan newspaper El Universal, said among other things that the church’s tradition of priestly celibacy was not dogma and was therefore open to discussion. And he said that while the church was not a democracy, it needs to reflect the democratic spirit of the times and adopt a collegial way of governing. Neither statement is exactly groundbreaking, but the fact that the new secretary of state feels free to make them says a lot about the current atmosphere in the Vatican.” By John Thavis, journalist, author and speaker specializing in Vatican affairs.
Read Thavis’ entire article by clicking here.
Priest Recounts in Essay Released in Church Files of Fleeing from LA after Abuse Confession / Associated Press
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Clergy Sexual Abuse, Voice of the Faithful on September 11, 2013
The orders the Rev. Carlos Rodriguez got from his religious superiors after he confessed to molesting a 16-year-old boy just hours before were swift and decisive: Leave immediately. Check into a motel. Don’t tell anyone where you are going.” Wait for further instructions. By Gillian Flaccus, Associated Press
Read Gillian Flaccus’ entire article by clicking here.
Vatican Looks into German ‘Luxury Bishop’ Charges / Reuters
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Catholic Bishops, Catholic Church Finances, Vatican, Voice of the Faithful on September 10, 2013
The Vatican launched a rare review of a German Catholic diocese on Monday (Sept. 9) following accusations its bishop spent lavishly on a new residence, putting him out of step with the new ‘church of the poor’ promoted by Pope Francis.” By Tom Heneghan, Religion Editor, Reuters
Read Heneghan’s entire article by clicking here.
Pope Francis’ Qualifications for Bishops — Ambitious Priests Steeped in Clericalism Need Not Apply
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Catholic Bishops, Vatican, Voice of the Faithful on September 5, 2013
I would like to conclude by saying just one word about one of the important points of your service as Papal Representatives, at least for the vast majority: collaboration in providing bishops. You know the famous expression that indicates a fundamental criterion in choosing who should govern: si sanctus est oret pro nobis, si doctus est doceat nos, si prudens est regat nos – if holy let him pray for us, if learned teach us, if prudent govern us. In the delicate task of carrying out inquiries for episcopal appointments be careful that the candidates are pastors close to the people, fathers and brothers, that they are gentle, patient and merciful; animated by inner poverty, the freedom of the Lord and also by outward simplicity and austerity of life, that they do not have the psychology of “Princes.” Be careful that they are not ambitious, that they do not seek the episcopate – volentes nolumus – and that they are married to a Church without being in constant search of another. That they are able to “watch over” the flock that will be entrusted to them, take care to keep it united, “vigilant” of the dangers that threaten it, but above all that they are able to “watch over” the flock, to keep watch, imbue hope, that they have sun and light in their hearts, to lovingly and patiently support the plans which God brings about in His people. Let us think of the figure of St. Joseph, who watches over Mary and Jesus, of his care for the family that God entrusted to him, and the watchful gaze with which he guides it in avoiding dangers. For this reason Pastors must know how to be ahead of the herd to point the way, in the midst of the flock to keep it united, behind the flock to prevent someone being left behind, so that the same flock, so to speak, has the sense of smell to find its way.”
From Pope Francis’ address to papal nuncios, June 21, 2013, as carried on Vatican Radio, “Be Pastors Who Carry Christ to the World”
Additional commentary: Pope Francis’ Game-Changing Decision: Non-Ambitious, Pastoral Bishops, Eugene Cullen Kennedy, National Catholic Reporter; Pope Francis Wants Pastors as Bishops, Fr. Thomas Reese, National Catholic Reporter
Update on Voice of the Faithful’s Bishop Selection Project
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Catholic Bishops, Voice of the Faithful on September 5, 2013
Last week, Voice of the Faithful® sent a letter and proposal to Pope Francis outlining a demonstration project for restoring wider lay participation in the selection of a diocesan bishop. The effort would have national bishop conferences conduct demonstrations, report on the results, and then submit them to the Vatican for development of “best practices.”
The VOTF proposal, prepared by our Bishop Selection Committee, details the mechanism for collecting lay input via projects the national bishop councils would conduct within their own countries.
The method retains papal assignment of local bishops (thus avoiding what could easily become a decades-long revision of canon law) and shows how broad, local lay and clergy input can be incorporated in the recommendations sent to the pope for such assignments.
Here are the documents VOTF mailed to Rome:
Furthering the New Evangelization: Consulting the Laity on Candidates for the Episcopacy
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