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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Scandals Update

The following are some updates concerning the recent abuse scandals...

* Vatican spokesman Fr. Federico Lombardi noted that media attacks of late "have without doubt caused damage", but said that "the authority of the Pope and the commitment of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith against [abuse] of minors will come out of this not weakened but strengthened"

* Archbishop of Westminster Vincent Nichols recently told the BBC that "The Pope won’t resign. Frankly there’s no strong reason for him to do so", and said that "In fact it’s the other way around - he is the one above all else who has tackled these things."

* According to Cardinal Schönborn, Pope Benedict (while still Cardinal Ratzinger) had attempted to persuade Pope John Paul II to "mount a full investigation" into abuse allegations involving a Vienna cardinal, but "opponents in the Vatican" convinced Pope John Paul II not to proceed. The accused cardinal later "went into exile". According to Cardinal Schönborn, "To accuse [Pope Benedict] of being someone who covers things up - having known the Pope for many years - I can say that is certainly not true"

* NY Archbishop Timothy Dolan spoke of Pope Benedict's ongoing 'passion' during his Palm Sunday Mass, claiming that, "The dramatic progress that the Catholic Church in the United States has made...could never have happened without the insistence and support of the very man now being daily crowned with thorns by groundless innuendo." He also said that "No one has been more vigorous in cleansing the church of the effects of this sickening sin than the man we now call Pope Benedict XVI."

* Members of a victims' rights group arrested after their recent demonstration outside St. Peter's Square and held for "a couple of hours" said they have "spent more time in an Italian jail this week than the late Fr. Lawrence Murphy did in his entire life". Fr. Murphy was accused of abusing as many as 200 deaf boys in the U.S. Recent media articles have attempted to vilify Pope Benedict in this deplorable case.

* Pope Benedict XVI spoke of "courage that doesn’t let us be intimidated by the chatter of dominant opinions" at Mass on Palm Sunday. Some have taken his comments as a signal that he "won't be intimidated" by the recent wave of media attacks vilifying him.

* The attempted assassin of Pope John Paul II, recently released from prison & thought to be of 'questionable mental health', has reportedly said that he wants the Holy Father to resign, "not be arrested" - as some Turkish papers are calling for. The gunman recently indicated his desire to visit Fatima again this year when the Holy Father will be there.

Related: Scandal in the Church (apologetics)

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Attempted Assassin of Pope John Paul II Released From Prison

The attempted assassin of Pope John Paul II, Mehmet Ali Agca, has been released from prison. Upon his release, the attempted assassin - who is believed to mentally ill - stated, in part, that...

"I proclaim the end of the world. All the world will be destroyed in this century. Every human being will die in this century"

He also reiterated his claim to be Christ.

In recent statements, he indicated his supposed desire to be baptized as well his plan to "write the perfect gospel". He has also sought multi-million dollar book deals for his story.

Pray this man stays far away from Rome!

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