News Highlights

Some recent news highlights...

* Parishioners bailed out a priest accused of abuse in the San Bernardino (CA) Diocese. Hundreds of people raised thousands of dollars to free the priest they believe is innocent

* A "historic Catholic school for girls" in Santa Rosa, California will reportedly close at the end of the school year due to lack of funding. The school was established in 1880 by the Ursuline Sisters

* The attempted assassin of Pope John Paul II, Mehmet Ali Agca, now alleges that "The Vatican government decided on [Pope John Paul II's] assassination." He claims that "The order to shoot the Pope was given by Vatican secretary, Cardinal Agostino Casaroli." Previously, Mehmet Ali Agca - who is believed to be of 'questionable mental health' - claimed to be Christ

* A parish priest in the Democratic Republic of Congo is thought to have been the victim of a "targeted killing" by "an armed man in military uniform". The gunman apparently stopped drivers & asked them if they were priests. He reportedly shot the victim after the priest responded in the affirmative

* The cause for canonization of Archbishop Fulton Sheen has reportedly been halted by the Diocese of Peoria. The Peoria diocese (the late Archbishop's native diocese) apparently hopes the Archdiocese of New York will take up the cause

* More than 20 cemetery markers were toppled at a Catholic cemetery in Ohio this past weekend. This was the second instance of vandalism at the cemetery in the last few months

* The Archdiocese of New York may close 32 schools in "the largest school system reorganization in its history". Proposed closures, resulting from the termination of church subsidies, may affect close to 20% of elementary schools in the archdiocese. A final decision regarding closures is expected in January

* A 'human rights watchdog group' has appealed to the Irish government to investigate alleged abuse in 'prison-style Catholic laundries' ("Magdalene Laundries") from the 1920's - mid 1990's

* Iranian officials are reportedly meeting at the Vatican to discuss ways of "strengthening ties" between the Catholic Church and the largely Muslim country

* A video 'making the rounds' online shows a pie being thrown in the face of the Belgian archbishop who recently made controversial remarks. The incident apparently occurred on All Saints Day

* Donor funds set aside for the training of seminarians in Canada may be used to pay abuse victims if the court okays the Diocese of Bathurst's request. Reportedly "the amount of money in the trust far exceeds its intended use" for seminarians

* Encouraging: The following quote from 'America’s youngest archbishop', the recently named successor to Archbishop Alex Brunett of Seattle, Archbishop-elect J. Peter Sartain, appears on the National Catholic Register website: "One of our challenges in celebrating the sacraments today is to rekindle our understanding of grace - in part, our recognition that in the sacraments Christ does something. I think that we often overemphasize what we do in the liturgy to the detriment of our realization that the sacraments are first and foremost the work of God. We must recapture and savor the mystery of grace."

* Anglican update: Members of the Catholic hierarchy in England are reportedly unhappy regarding the ordinariate structure that will be put in place for Anglicans who enter the Catholic Church under the provisions of Anglicanorum Coetibus ("this kind of whole extra wrinkle on top of the complicated structure they've already got", according to an Anglican leader). The Anglican leader also charges that he heard a (liberal) Catholic priest complain that "we've got quite enough traditionalists" in the Catholic Church already without having to have 'traditionalist Anglicans' enter the Church as well. It is also being reported that the Anglican 'Archbishop of Canterbury'*, Rowan Williams, will visit the Vatican next week [*Reminder: Anglican 'clergy' are not true priests - their orders have been ruled invalid by the Church: "Wherefore, strictly adhering, in this matter, to the decrees of the pontiffs, our predecessors, and confirming them most fully, and, as it were, renewing them by our authority, of our own initiative and certain knowledge, we pronounce and declare that ordinations carried out according to the Anglican rite have been, and are, absolutely null and utterly void." (Pope Leo XIII, "Apostolicae Curae", 1896 A.D., emphasis added)]

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Recent News Highlights

The following are some recent news highlights...

* A youth association in Italy is organizing demonstrations ('sit-ins') throughout the country on April 18 in support of Pope Benedict, who has reportedly "suffered greatly" over the abuse scandals

* A Catholic college in Georgia run by the scandalized Legionaries of Christ has announced that it will close on April 15. The "abrupt closure" will occur a month before the spring semester ends. The students will reportedly receive "full credit" for the semester

* Great news: Bishop Daniel R. Jenky has ordered that the tabernacle be located "in the direct center at the back of the sanctuary" in all churches and chapels in the Diocese of Peoria (except those which receive a special dispensation). The bishop noted that "where we place the Tabernacle - and how we ritually reverence the Reserved Sacrament - is as important for the continuing Eucharistic catechesis as is all our preaching and teaching." Unfortunately, a long (five-year) compliance period has been granted for the directive. [Related: Tabernacle Reflections]

* More good news: A Mandeville, Louisiana parish will construct a new Gothic-style church after "parish committees rejected the idea of a church with a 'modern' design." It is estimated that it will take at least four years to complete the project. The parish reportedly has the largest congregation in the Archdiocese of New Orleans. [Related: Church Talk Reflections]

* Not good: A model for a new church in L’Aquila, Italy that "can only be described in terms such as 'awful' and 'hideous'" has been proposed. The so-called "power-blogger Fr. Z" has referred to the design as "perhaps the worst ever" and says "If they actually build this monstrosity...the Roj Mahal in Los Angeles will no longer be the [most] ugly church I have ever seen." The design "resembles a glob of white toothpaste."

* The sister in Chicago who scandalized pro-lifers by claiming that "[President Obama] is not pro-abortion. The president is pro-choice. I think they are two very different things" has apologized for & renounced her comment. In her statement, which appears on the archdiocesan site, she says, "I am affirming my belief in the teachings of the Catholic Church and understand that there can be no distinction between pro-abortion and pro-choice because the choice at issue is the choice to kill a child." Her office has also recently been under criticism for giving an award to the controversial Fr. Michael Pfleger. [Earlier story here]

* A 'Vatican expert' has come to the defense of Pope Benedict, refuting six 'attacks' on the Holy Father. Regarding the matter of abuse scandals in the Church, he says that "Here too, the accusation is against the very man who has done more than anyone, in the Church hierarchy, to heal this scandal." His defender concludes that the reason why "this pope [is] so under attack, from outside of the Church but also from within, in spite of his clear innocence with respect to the accusations" is that "he is systematically attacked precisely for what he does, for what he says, for what he is."

* A "Jewish poet, novelist and essayist" has joined other papal defenders saying that "I am not Catholic, but even I am not blind to the immense moral stature of the current Pontiff in comparison to his present-day swarm of detractors, who are a bunch of harassers." He claims that certain persons in the media are "exploiting the scandal" in an "excuse to corner Benedict XVI", and charges that some media personnel have a greater "fascination with the idea of a hypothetical papal resignation, than with the very acts of pedophilia committed by priests"

* A "prominent African archbishop" has lamented that the Good News we announce "sounds so hollow, so devoid of any meaning when matched with our much publicized negative moral behavior" and complains that "Ironically, [certain] priests have become a stumbling block to the promotion of vocations." He also noted that the abuse scandals help to "weaken the authoritative voice of the Church" and says we must "ourselves turn a new leaf, by being beyond reproach" to rebuild confidence and respect.

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