Catholic Church

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Despite 'Spiritual Halo,' Nuns Are Part of Something Darker

Victims who are sexually abused by women of the cloth aren't often discussed in church sex scandals

(Newser) - On Wednesdays, the support group meets over Zoom. Members talk about their lives, religious families, and old parochial schools. But mostly, they're there to talk about the sexual abuse they suffered at the hands of Catholic nuns—and it's a topic that deserves more attention, they say. The...

Church 'Outraged' Over Funeral for Trans Activist
Church 'Outraged'
at 'Scandalous'
Funeral
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Church 'Outraged' at 'Scandalous' Funeral

Trans activist Cecilia Gentili was memorialized at an iconic New York church, in iconic fashion

(Newser) - The funeral of a trans activist that was held at Manhattan's iconic St. Patrick's Cathedral went viral last week, and now the Archdiocese of New York is speaking out against it in no uncertain terms. Cecilia Gentili, who died at age 52, was a "pillar" of the...

He Kept Vatican's Secrets for 45 Years. Now He's Retiring

Retiring prefect of the Vatican Apostolic Archive reveals how US funds paid for 1922 peculiar conclave

(Newser) - The Vatican has been trying for years to debunk the idea that its vaunted secret archives are all that secret: It has opened up the files of controversial World War II-era Pope Pius XII to scholars and changed the official name to remove the word "Secret" from its title....

Senior Adviser to Pope Faces Sexual Assault Allegation

Lawsuit names Quebec cardinal in late 1980s abuse

(Newser) - Canadian Cardinal Gerald Lacroix, a senior adviser to Pope Francis, has been named in a class-action lawsuit accusing him of sexual assaults in 1987 and '88. The suit accuses Lacroix of sexually touching a female teenager without her consent on multiple occasions, the Wall Street Journal reports. A new...

After Pope's Public Comments, Nicaragua Frees Jailed Bishop

Along with 18 other clergy members

(Newser) - Nicaragua's government released a prominent Catholic bishop and 18 other clergy members imprisoned in a crackdown by President Daniel Ortega and handed them over to Vatican authorities, who welcomed them in Rome on Sunday. Bishop Rolando Alvarez—described by the New York Times as "one of the most...

Vatican Restricts Minnesota Archbishop

Investigation finds John Nienstedt didn't break church law but took 'imprudent' actions

(Newser) - A lengthy Vatican investigation into misconduct allegations against Archbishop John Nienstedt, former leader of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, concluded that he took "imprudent" actions but did not violate church law, the archdiocese announced Friday. However, the archdiocese said Nienstedt, who is still an archbishop, remains barred...

Pope: Priests Can Bless Same-Sex Couples

Those seeking God's love and mercy shouldn't be subject to 'exhaustive moral analysis' to get it

(Newser) - If same-sex couples go to their priest looking for a blessing, Pope Francis is cool with it. This news comes via a new document approving a radical change in Vatican policy by insisting that people seeking God's love and mercy shouldn't be subject to "an exhaustive moral...

Israeli Sniper Kills Two Women Taking Shelter at Gaza Church

Catholic officials report a mother and daughter were shot 'in cold blood'

(Newser) - Two women who had fled to a church in Gaza for refuge were killed there "in cold blood" by an Israeli sniper, Catholic officials said. The women were mother and daughter, the Washington Post reports. They were shot without warning while walking to a convent in the complex, "...

Vatican Bends Its Rules Regarding Ashes of the Dead

Families may request to keep a small portion, so long as the rest resides in a sacred space

(Newser) - The Vatican has slightly softened its stance when it comes to the ashes of the dead, saying Tuesday that Catholic families may keep a small portion of their relative's cremated ashes in a "place of significance" to them rather than in a church or cemetery. It's the...

Vatican Reminds Catholics Freemasonry Is Banned

Church believes those Catholics who join are in a state of 'grave sin'

(Newser) - In 1738, Pope Clement XII declared Freemasonry an excommunicable offense, and the Catholic Church's position hasn't softened much since then. The Vatican this week confirmed its ban on Catholics becoming Freemasons, a secretive and ritualistic society with an estimated 6 million members worldwide. "Active membership in Freemasonry...

This Is Not Your Father's Catholic Priest

Catholic priest Guilherme Peixoto spreads the gospel as a DJ

(Newser) - Guilherme Peixoto, a village priest in northern Portugal, has been busy this month celebrating Masses at his two parishes, presiding over remembrances for the dead—and, as the AP reports, preparing the electronic music set for his next international DJ gig. What started nearly two decades ago as a novel...

Pope's Meeting Calls Expanding Women's Church Roles 'Urgent'

Session is part of Francis' effort to include laypeople in decision-making

(Newser) - Pope Francis' big gathering of Catholic bishops and laypeople declared Saturday that guaranteeing fuller participation of women in church governance is "urgent," calling for research on allowing women to be deacons to be released within a year. After a month of closed-door debate, the Vatican meeting on the...

Pope's Comments on Same-Sex Unions Make Waves

Francis suggests there could be ways to bless such unions

(Newser) - Pope Francis has suggested there could be ways to bless same-sex unions, responding to five conservative cardinals who challenged him to affirm church teaching on homosexuality ahead of a big meeting where LGBTQ+ Catholics are on the agenda. The Vatican on Monday published a letter Francis wrote to the cardinals...

Pope Enters 'Crucial New Phase' for Church

Francis appoints 21 new cardinals to help him enact his reforms, cement his legacy

(Newser) - Pope Francis created 21 new cardinals at a ritual-filled ceremony Saturday, including key figures at the Vatican and in the field who will help enact his reforms and cement his legacy as he enters a crucial new phase in running the Catholic Church. On a crisp sunny day filled with...

Fearing Rush of Abuse Suits, Archdiocese to File Chapter 11

New Maryland law removes statute of limitations

(Newser) - The Archdiocese of Baltimore announced Friday that it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization days before a new state law goes into effect removing the statute of limitations on child sex abuse charges and allowing victims to sue their abusers decades after the fact. The step will "allow the...

New Evidence Shows Convents in Rome Hid Jews During War

Research finds names of 3,200 people sheltered during Nazi occupation

(Newser) - Researchers have discovered new documentation that substantiates reports that Catholic convents and monasteries in Rome sheltered Jews during World War II, providing names of at least 3,200 Jews whose identities have been corroborated by the city's Jewish community, officials said Thursday. Researchers from the Pontifical Biblical Institute, Israel'...

Ex-Cardinal Accused of Abuse Won't Stand Trial

Theodore McCarrick, 93, has dementia

(Newser) - The once-powerful Roman Catholic Cardinal Theodore McCarrick will not stand trial on charges he sexually assaulted a teenage boy decades ago, as a Massachusetts judge dismissed the case against the 93-year-old on Wednesday because both prosecutors and defense attorneys agree he suffers from dementia. McCarrick, the ex-archbishop of Washington, DC,...

Philadelphia Archdiocese Settles Priest Sex Abuse Case

Victim of now-deceased priest will get $3.5M

(Newser) - The Archdiocese of Philadelphia will pay $3.5 million to settle a civil case alleging a now-deceased priest sexually assaulted a teenage boy nearly two decades ago, and church officials knew of similar reports about the priest dating back to the 1970s, attorneys for the victim announced Wednesday. The plaintiff...

Pope Adds to Group That Will Pick His Successor

New cardinals include choices for Hong Kong, Jerusalem

(Newser) - Pope Francis on Sunday announced he has chosen 21 new cardinals, including prelates from Jerusalem and Hong Kong—places where Catholics are a small minority—as he shapes the body of churchmen who will select his successor. The pope announced his picks during his weekly appearance in St. Peter's...

Nun's Exhumed Remains Cause a Stir in Missouri

Believers say body of Sister Wilhelmina Lancaster is miraculously preserved

(Newser) - Thousands of people are making a pilgrimage to a church in rural Missouri to pay their respects at the coffin of a deceased nun. The unusual thing is that Sister Wilhelmina Lancaster—founder of the Benedictine Sisters of Mary, Queen of Apostles—died four years ago at age 95, reports...

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