Posts Tagged john l allen jr
O’Malley says cardinals more open to reform / The Boston Globe
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Clergy Sexual Abuse, Vatican, Voice of the Faithful on February 17, 2015
Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley (head of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors) said on Monday (Feb. 16) that a prior climate of denial among Catholic cardinals on the need for reform with regard to the church’s child sexual abuse scandals has been largely driven underground.
“O’Malley also said that a lack of accountability for bishops who fail to make “zero tolerance” policies stick has damaged the church’s credibility, and vowed that he will present proposals for new accountability mechanisms to the pope within two months’ time.
“O’Malley spoke Monday in an exclusive interview with the Globe during a Rome event to present an expanded antiabuse initiative at the Jesuit-run Gregorian University.”
By John L. Allen, Jr., The Boston Globe — Click here to read the rest of this story.
Papal sexual abuse commission ‘developing processes’ of accountability / National Catholic Reporter
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Clergy Sexual Abuse, Pope Francis, Vatican, Voice of the Faithful on February 9, 2015
Somewhat cryptically hinting at possible new procedures for handling Catholic bishops who mishandle clergy sexual abuse, the Vatican commission advising Pope Francis on the issue says it is ‘developing processes to ensure accountability for everyone in the Church.’
“The commission, which met for the first time at the Vatican with all 17 of its members this weekend, makes the claim of such new processes in a press statement released Monday (Feb. 9) afternoon.
Mentioning the word ‘accountability’ four times in the statement, the commission says it is ‘keenly aware that the issue of accountability is of major importance …’
“The Vatican commission on clergy sexual abuse, which the pope created to advise him on the protection of minors in all circumstances, is being led by Boston’s Cardinal Sean O’Malley. Among its 17 members are two survivors of clergy sexual abuse, Irishwoman Marie Collins (Marie Collins will be the featured speaker at the Voice of the Faithful® 2015 National Assembly, April 18) and Englishman Peter Saunders …
“Asked by NCR after the press conference about the fact that only the pope can remove bishops, Collins interrupted the question to say: ‘Currently, yes.’
“‘All I can say is the commission is working on a means by which bishops can be made accountable,’ Collins, an Irish abuse survivor who serves on the commission, continued. ‘And if that goes forward … there will be an answer to this problem.’”
By Joshua J. McElwee, National Catholic Reporter — Click here to read the rest of this story.
Also of interest, “Accountability is key concern for pope’s child protection commission,” by Cindy Wooden, Catholic News Service, and “Forget spanking: bishop accountability is the big pope story,” by John L. Allen, Jr., Cruxnow.com
Forecast: 2015 Synod of Bishops will be just as stormy as last time / Cruxnow.com
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Synod of Bishops, Synod on the Family, Vatican, Voice of the Faithful on February 3, 2015
Just a day before America’s big game, Pope Francis set the stage for the Vatican’s equivalent of the 2015 Super Bowl by confirming 48 prelates as members for October’s Synod of Bishops on the Family, after they had been chosen by their bishops’ conferences around the world.
“It’s not yet a complete lineup; other bishops’ conferences still have to submit their picks. In addition, the pope presumably will appoint the heads of Vatican offices as members of the Oct. 4-25 summit, and also will make a handful of personal picks.
“Looking only at Saturday’s (Jan. 31) crop, however, one point already seems clear: There’s absolutely no reason to believe the 2015 Synod of Bishops will be any less contentious than last year’s edition, which featured a vigorous, and occasionally nasty, back-and-forth over issues such as homosexuality and divorce.”
By John L. Allen, Jr., Cruxnow.com — Click here to read the rest of this article.
Pope gives Vatican leadership withering critique / Cruxnow.com
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Pope Francis, Vatican, Voice of the Faithful on December 23, 2014
At the end of a tumultuous year for the Catholic Church, in which divisions among senior leadership over the direction being set by Pope Francis were at times glaringly apparent, the pontiff on Monday delivered a blistering critique of arrogance, careerism, gossip, and division in the Vatican.
“Among other points, the pope denounced what he called ‘spiritual Alzheimer’s,’ meaning ‘a progressive decline in spiritual faculties,’ leading people to ‘build walls around themselves’ and to make ‘idols’ of their personal habits.
“After the broadside, some observers wondered if the pontiff might risk alienating the very aides he needs to motivate in order to implement his reform agenda, especially ahead of challenges set for 2015 on which he may need the help.”
By John L. Allen, Jr., Cruxnow.com — Click here to read the rest of this story.
Vatican probe ends with an olive branch for American nuns / Cruxnow.com
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Future of the Church, Pope Francis, Religious Women, Vatican, Voice of the Faithful on December 16, 2014
An unprecedented and highly controversial Vatican investigation of every community of Catholic sisters in the United States that began with criticism of nuns as having a ‘secular mentality’ ended Tuesday (Dec. 16) with a report full of praise, and without any disciplinary measures or new controls.
“The result likely will be seen as a major olive branch from the Vatican for American nuns, as well as another sign of a more conciliatory approach under Pope Francis.
“‘Since the early days of the Catholic Church [in the United States], women religious have courageously been in the forefront … selflessly tending to the spiritual, moral, educational, physical and social needs of countless individuals,’ the report says.”
By John L. Allen, Jr., Cruxnow.com — Click here to read the rest of this story.
Click here to read the full Vatican report on the Apostolic visitation to American nuns.
Bishops wrap-up extraordinary synod
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Catholic Bishops, Synod of Bishops, Synod on the Family, Vatican, Voice of the Faithful on October 18, 2014
Divided bishops water down welcome to gays and divorced Catholics
A dramatic Vatican summit of bishops ended Saturday night by significantly watering down an opening to both gays and divorced and remarried Catholics contained in an interim report released Monday.
“Paragraphs on those two points were the only items that failed to receive a two-thirds majority of the Synod of Bishops in voting on its final document. While there’s no magic to the two-thirds threshold in this sort of Vatican ballot, the results clearly reflect a divided hierarchy on both issues.”
By John L. Allen, Jr., Cruxnow.com — Click here to read the rest of this story.
Synod is more and more like a soap opera / Cruxnow.com
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Synod of Bishops, Synod on the Family, Vatican, Voice of the Faithful on October 17, 2014
Every day, the 2014 Synod of Bishops on the family, a summit of 260 bishops and other participants convened by Pope Francis, seems more and more like a daytime soap opera. Today (Oct. 16) brought more surprising turns on multiple fronts.
“For one thing, the bishops made the unprecedented decision to release internal reports of small group discussions about a working document released Monday (Oct. 13) that became a sensation due to its positive language about same-sex unions, couples who live together outside of marriage, and others in “irregular” situations.”
By John L. Allen, Jr., Cruxnow.com — Click here to read the rest of this article.
Synod of Bishops 2014: The drama is back / Cruxnow.com
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Catholic Bishops, Synod of Bishops, Synod on the Family, Voice of the Faithful on October 16, 2014
True old-timers in the Vatican press corps still love to reminisce about how much fun it was covering the Second Vatican Council, a gathering of the world’s Catholic bishops from 1962 to 1965 that launched the Church on a course of modernization and reform …
“Underneath the drama was the sense that something momentous was happening — a Church that had seemed frozen in place was suddenly on the move. Whether it was doing so in a wise or haphazard fashion is a matter of debate to this day, but no one denied that the plates were shifting.
“Over the past two weeks, that kind of drama has been back on the Vatican beat.”
By John L. Allen, Jr., Cruxnow.com — Click here to read the rest of this news analysis.
Some bishops want a do-over, as opposition to synod document grows
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Synod of Bishops, Synod on the Family, Voice of the Faithful on October 15, 2014
Surprising words of appreciation for homosexuals, couples living together outside marriage and others that appeared yesterday in a working document from a summit of Catholic bishops in Rome have triggered a media tumult on the outside, and sharp debate on the inside.
“While the Vatican tried to play down the significance of the document, insisting that it’s merely provisional, some bishops inside the Oct. 5-19 Synod of Bishops on the family seem to be taking it very seriously indeed.”
By John L. Allen, Jr., and Ines San Martin, Cruxnow.com — Click here to read the rest of this story.
Senior church figures have expressed concern about a document issued by the bishops’ Synod on the Family yesterday proposing a landmark shift in the Church’s pastoral care of gay Catholics, cohabiting couples and those in civil marriages.
“Cardinal Raymond Burke, Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura – the Church’s supreme court – told The Tablet the text is ‘unacceptable.'”
By Hannah Roberts and Christopher Lamb, The Tablet — Click here to read the rest of this story.
Married couples are stealing the show at synod / Crux
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Synod of Bishops, Synod on the Family, Voice of the Faithful on October 7, 2014
Although the Oct. 5-19 Synod of Bishops on the family may be primarily a gathering of prelates, during the opening two days of the meeting it’s largely been the laity who have stolen the show.
“Since this is a summit on family issues, the synod invited 12 married couples from around the world to be among a group of what’s known as “auditors,” meaning people who take part in discussions but don’t get a vote.
“So far, however, the lack of voting rights hasn’t prevented these couples from making an impression.”
By John L. Allen, Jr., on Cruxnow.com — Click here to read the rest of this story.
Voice of the Faithful
A lay movement for governance reform in the Roman Catholic Church, responding to the clergy sexual abuse scandal and supporting survivors.
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