Rogue Catholic bishops plan to grow schismatic challenge to Rome - Yahoo News

 

NOVA FRIBURGO, Brazil (Reuters) - Two renegade Catholic bishops plan to consecrate a new generation of bishops to spread their ultra-traditionalist movement called "The Resistance" in defiance of the Vatican, one of them said at a remote monastery in Brazil.

French Bishop Jean-Michel Faure, himself consecrated only two weeks ago by the Holocaust-denying British Bishop Richard Williamson, said the new group rejected Pope Francis and what it called his "new religion" and would not engage in a dialogue with Rome until the Vatican turned back the clock.

Williamson and Faure, who were both excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church when the former made the latter a bishop without Vatican approval, are ex-members of a larger dissenting group that has been a thorn in Rome's side for years.

Their splinter movement is tiny - Faure did not give an estimate of followers - but the fact they plan to consecrate bishops is important because it means their schism can continue as a rebel form of Catholicism.

"We follow the popes of the past, not the current one," Faure, 73, told reporters on Saturday at Santa Cruz Monastery in Nova Friburgo, in the mountain jungle 140 km (87 miles) inland from Rio de Janeiro.

French Bishop Jean-Michel Faure (2nd R) gives holy communions during a mass in Nova Friburgo near Ri …

"It is likely that in maybe one or two years we will have more consecrations," he said, adding there were already two candidates to be promoted to bishop's rank.

The monastery had said Williamson would ordain a priest there at the weekend but he was not seen by reporters, and clergy said it was impossible to talk to him. Faure ordained the priest himself.

Asked what the new group called itself, Faure said: "I think we can call ourselves Roman Catholic first, secondly St Pius X, and now ... the Resistance."

SPLINTER OFF THE SSPX

The Society of St Pius X (SSPX) is a larger ultra-traditionalist group that was excommunicated in 1988 when its founder consecrated four new bishops, including Williamson, despite warnings from the Vatican not to do so.

It rejected the modernizing reforms of the 1962-65 Second Vatican Council and stuck with Catholicism's old Latin Mass after the Church switched to simpler liturgy in local languages.

Former Pope Benedict readmitted the four SSPX bishops to the Catholic fold in 2009, but the SSPX soon expelled Williamson because of an uproar over his Holocaust denial.

In contrast to Benedict, Pope Francis pays little attention to the SSPX ultra-traditionalists, who claim to have a million followers around the world and a growing number of new priests at a time that Rome faces priest shortages. Their remaining three bishops have no official status in the Catholic Church.

Faure said the Resistance group would not engage in dialogue with Rome, as the SSPX has done. "We resist capitulation, we resist conciliation of St Pius X with Rome," he said.

Faure said he was not sure what it would take for Rome to return to its old traditions but conflict could be a catalyst.

 

French Bishop Jean-Michel Faure (C) attends a mass in Nova Friburgo near Rio de Janeiro March 28, 20 …

"If there is another World War ... maybe the Church will go back to the way it was before," he said.

The prior of the monastery, Thomas Aquinas, explained the split simply: "The Pope is less Catholic than us."

Under Catholic law, Williamson and Faure are excommunicated from the Church but remain validly consecrated bishops. That means they can ordain priests into their schismatic group and claim to be Catholic, albeit without Vatican approval.

By contrast, women supposedly made priests by dissident Catholic bishops are not validly ordained because Catholic law reserves the priesthood only for men.

(Reporting by Stephen Eisenhammer; Editing by Tom Heneghan and Richard Chang)

Rogue Catholic bishops plan to grow schismatic challenge to Rome - Yahoo News

Looking Past Cardinal Dolan's Hearty Smile | Michael D'Antonio

 

In Rome, Vatican watchers like to say that the institutional Catholic Church measures time not with a clock, but with a calendar, and that its memory is as durable as the records in its archives, where Galileo's signature, preserved in the documents from his famous trial, looks like it was penned yesterday. In America the one institution that might match the Vatican when it comes to memory and deliberative care is our system of justice where, according to the reliable cliché, the wheels grind slowly. But grind they do and they are gradually revealing the character behind the façade of New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan's hearty smile and twinkling eyes.
In the most recent turn in the struggle for justice by victims of clergy sexual abuse, a federal judge found that the Archdiocese of Milwaukee cannot stash $55 million in a trust devoted to cemeteries and deny litigants access to the money as they sue for compensation. Victims of predator priests have used the courts to seek both the documented truth and financial compensation for more than a decade.

The architect of the trust fund idea was then Archbishop of Milwaukee Dolan, who was subsequently made cardinal of New York by Pope Benedict XVI.

Before he shocked the Church by resigning, Benedict stood as the symbol of the Vatican's immoral and schizophrenic response to abuse as he spoke empathetically but acted to shield both clergy and the Catholic treasury. Dolan practiced the same duality, posing as a Christ-like figure of compassion in meetings with victims but acting as if he never heard the admonition to the greedy contained in the gospel of Luke. Indeed, after establishing the trust he then sought the protection of the bankruptcy court for the rest of the assets of the archdiocese. This strategy was replicated elsewhere in the country as bishops, who understood that victims had won billions of dollars in compensation, recognized in Dolan's example a way to evade claims.

Created just as the state of Wisconsin was moving to permit victim lawsuits against the official church, Dolan's enormous trust fund was described by the archdiocese as a vehicle for the care of eight burying grounds. For the care of clergy victims Milwaukee church officials proposed $4 million, less than 10 percent of the sum earmarked for the dead, to be split by 128 claimants. An additional 450 people who came forward to accuse priests of sexual abuse would have been given nothing because they failed to meet certain legal, not moral, criteria.

Although it was explained in straight-faced seriousness, the notion that this much money would be required for a cemetery trust is hard to square with the experience of leaders at local churches who manage to cut the grass and plow pathways at their cemeteries with the aid of volunteers and revenues from the sale of plots. Court documents show that indeed, the cemeteries of the archdiocese actually operated at a profit of roughly $500,000 per year and the trust gave almost four times as much -- $1.95 million annually -- to headquarters in downtown Milwaukee.

So far, the archdiocese has spent more than $11 million in legal fees to wage its battle with victims in bankruptcy court. The cemetery excesses, since the trust was established, have totaled almost $8 million. Add these moneys to the $55 million secreted away by Dolan and you get an amount -- $74 million -- that would approach a reasonable settlement figure. These facts, revealed by the grinding wheel of American justice, represent the truth behind the hail-fellow-well-met image Dolan has cultivated. Although he has seemed a bit out of step since his sponsor, Benedict, was replaced by the more humble Francis I, Dolan has insisted that he has made no effort to change his style or practice. In view of how this vicar of Christ chose to represent Jesus when he managed the money in Milwaukee, that's too bad for New Yorkers.

Looking Past Cardinal Dolan's Hearty Smile | Michael D'Antonio

Cardinal Raymond Burke: Gays, Remarried Catholics Are Just As Sinful As Murderers

 

When Pope Francis last year effectively demoted U.S. Cardinal Raymond Burke by moving him out of a senior post in the Vatican to a largely ceremonial role as head of a Rome-based Catholic charity, it was viewed as a way to sideline one of the pontiff’s most outspoken critics on the right.

But the move seems to have left Burke free to air his conservative — and pointed — views on efforts to change church practices, not that he was ever terribly hesitant about speaking his mind.

Now the American churchman has spoken out again, telling an interviewer that gay couples and divorced and remarried Catholics who are trying to live good and faithful lives are still like “the person who murders someone and yet is kind to other people.”

“If you are living publicly in a state of mortal sin there isn’t any good act that you can perform that justifies that situation: the person remains in grave sin,” Burke said in an interview with LifeSiteNews, a U.S.-based web service focused on battling abortion and promoting other conservative causes.

“And to give the impression that somehow there’s something good about living in a state of grave sin is simply contrary to what the (Catholic) Church has always and everywhere taught,” said Burke, who spoke to LifeSiteNews in Rome.

Asked if being “kind” and “generous” and “dedicated” is enough, Burke replied: “Of course it’s not. It’s like the person who murders someone and yet is kind to other people.”

The lengthy interview was published on Tuesday (March 24).

On the surface, Burke’s comments break little theological ground; the church has always taught that sin is sin, and some sins are especially serious. For example, cohabitation, homosexual relations and adultery (which is how the Catholic Church views the relations of a couple who are divorced and remarried without annulling the first marriage) are viewed as mortal sins, as is murder.

But comparing those situations in any context is unusual, and certainly out of step with the pastoral tone that Francis has set in his papacy. Moreover, reformers argue that a murderer — or almost any other sinner — can go to confession, receive absolution, and take Communion in a state of grace. But there is no such option for a gay person or those who are divorced and remarried, except permanent celibacy.

The cardinal’s comments take on added weight in the context of the increasingly heated debate that Francis opened over how the church should respond to rapid changes in family life in the modern world.

The issues were heatedly debated at a global summit of bishops and cardinals at the Vatican last October, and the debates have continued as both sides jockey for position ahead of a follow-up synod this October. Those who back reforms in church practices and attitudes — especially toward gay couples and those who are divorced or cohabiting — are opposed by those who see any changes as tantamount to undermining doctrine.

During last fall’s synod, several high-ranking churchmen spoke about the lives of unmarried or remarried couples as having value that the church should recognize.

Austrian Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn, for example, repeatedly stressed that the church should “look at the person and not the sexual orientation.” He cited the case of a gay couple he knew in which one partner cared for the other through a long-term illness in a way that was “exemplary. Full stop.”

Similarly, Cardinal Reinhard Marx of Munich, a senior adviser to Francis, said that “one simply cannot say that a faithful homosexual relationship that has held for decades is nothing.”

“We just mustn’t lump things together and measure everything with the same yardstick, but must differentiate and take a closer look, which doesn’t mean that I endorse homosexuality as a whole,” he said.

But such language sounded alarm bells for traditionalists like Burke, who after the synod was named to the largely ceremonial post of patron of the Order of the Knights of Malta. In his earlier post in the Roman Curia, Burke was automatically included in the synod discussions; he will probably not take part in this fall’s meeting.

In this latest interview, he repeated his earlier claims that reformers were manipulating the synod discussions and waging a media campaign “to justify extra-marital sexual relations and sexual acts between persons of the same sex” that would undermine church teaching.

Burke, 66, has raised eyebrows, and made headlines, with previous comments. Earlier this year, he argued that the church has become too “feminized” and he blamed the introduction of altar girls more than 20 years ago for the decline in vocations to the church’s all-male priesthood.

The cardinal also blamed gay clergy for the church’s sexual abuse crisis, saying priests “who were feminized and confused about their own sexual identity” were the ones who molested children.

Cardinal Raymond Burke: Gays, Remarried Catholics Are Just As Sinful As Murderers

Catholic priests’ group won’t take stance on referendum

In Ireland the bishops oppose same sex marriages and Association of Priests say nothing.

Association of Catholic Priests has decided not to take a position on the same-sex marriage referendum on May 22nd, and has urged priests not to direct parishioners to vote either Yes or No.

In a statement the group, which has a membership of more than 1,000 priests in Ireland, said: “After a consultation with our members, the results of which indicated clearly a wide range of views, the Association of Catholic Priests has decided not to adopt a position in favour or against the marriage equality referendum.”

The association appealed for “a respectful and civilised debate in which the issues involved can be discussed in a calm and reasonable manner”.

“Sexual orientation does not debar anyone from God’s love. If as priests we are speaking on this matter, we need to remember that the use of intemperate language can cause deep hurt among gay people and their families, as well as doing further damage to an already ailing church.”

The association said priests had a “particular responsibility” to measure their words carefully, and “not to direct their parishioners to vote Yes or No”.

“We look forward to a debate that will be characterised by freedom of speech and respectful listening so that the best result for the Irish people might be reached.”

Position of Christians

Meanwhile, the archdiocese of Dublin has issued a transcript of what Archbishop Diarmuid Martin said in response to a question on the position of Christians who did not agree with same-sex marriage, should the referendum be passed.

Archbishop Martin was speaking following a talk he delivered on “The Teaching of the Church on Marriage Today” at an Iona Institute gathering on Thursday night.

The transcript was issued by the archdiocese in response to what it described as “commentary, some inaccurate, in mainstream and social media in recent days concerning responses given by Archbishop Martin to a question at a public meeting which he addressed in Dublin last week, in particular in relation to freedom of conscience”.

The archdiocese said that at the event “the archbishop limited his comments to the broad issue of freedom of conscience, without making any specific proposals in the context of the upcoming referendum”.

It had been reported that Archbishop Martin had called on the Government to insert a “conscience clause” in the legislation to accommodate troubled Christians should the referendum be passed.

‘Brutal persecution’

On a more global scale, the Irish Catholic Bishops have joined with Pope Francis in calling for an end to the “brutal persecution” of minorities in the name of religion. They prayed for “a renewed global commitment to respect freedom of conscience and religion”.

The bishops said that “across the world the denial of the freedom of conscience and religion is closely connected to other human rights abuses”.

“The consequences include violent conflict, loss of life, forced displacement of populations, and the abduction and exploitation of women and children. This is a truly global crisis, but it is the poorest communities that remain most at risk.”

Catholic priests’ group won’t take stance on referendum

Church of England to have first bishop couple - Yahoo News

 

London (AFP) - The Church of England will have its first husband and wife bishops after nominating Alison White to be the next bishop of Hull on Wednesday.

"This is an adventure I had never imagined setting out on," White said in a statement.

"You may have noticed that I am married to a bishop. This may seem excessive! You would think that one in a family is more than enough.

"Believe me, this has crossed our minds."

Her husband, Frank White, is a deputy bishop in Newcastle in northern England although in effect he has the same status as a bishop.

The Archbishop of York John Sentamu, who made the announcement, said it was "a joyous day".

"Alison is a person of real godliness and wisdom -- it is fantastic that she has accepted God's call," he said.

The Church of England consecrated its first female bishop, Libby Lane, in January.

The general synod of the Church of England last year gave final approval to a historic reform allowing female bishops.

Women have been able to be ordained as priests in England since 1992 and now make up a third of the clergy.

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Church of England to have first bishop couple - Yahoo News

Weekly Collection for the weekend of March 22, 2015

 

Three additional pledges;  $1,800 additional pledged.

19th Century Church In Northeast Philadelphia To Be Demolished « CBS Philly

 

By Molly Daly

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — The Archdiocese of Philadelphia has announced its plan to demolish the city’s oldest Polish Roman Catholic church. The archdiocese acted last fall to de-consecrate St. Laurentius, a church that dates back to the late 19th century. It’s a move that a group of parishioners have appealed to the Vatican to overturn.

St. Laurentius church was erected in the late 1880s. In 2013, it merged with Holy Name of Jesus parish. That’s where the demolition plan was announced over the weekend. Patricia Kinsman, with the group Save St. Laurentius, says the archdiocese is moving without waiting for a decision from the Vatican.

“The archdiocese contacted Holy Name on Wednesday and said they could move forward to get their permits for demolition,” she says. “But our appeal never came back. It’s sitting at the Vatican waiting to be reviewed, and they just jumped the gun.”

In a statement, the archdiocese put the cost of repairing St. Laurentius at $3.5 million, a cost it says would “seriously jeopardize the fiscal welfare of the parish as well as its future existence.” Officials say demolishing the structure would cost about $1 million. But Kinsman says an engineer her group retained put the tab for repair at $650,000. And she says the archbishop is required to repair a building that’s fixable.

“They are violating canon law,” Kinsman says. “And, unfortunately, legally, they own the building. In the court of law, of American law, there’s nothing we can do.”

Except hope the Vatican answers their prayers.

19th Century Church In Northeast Philadelphia To Be Demolished « CBS Philly

Helena diocese reaches sex abuse settlement via 'consensus model' | National Catholic Reporter

 

In what U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Terry L. Myers called a "singular achievement," a bankruptcy and reorganization plan for the Helena, Mont., diocese reached via mediation and negotiation rather than protracted litigation has been approved.

It will provide $21 million to compensate more than 360 sexual abuse claimants. Distributions averaging about $40,000 per claimant are scheduled to begin in April, attorneys for the diocese said.

During the three and a half years since the original lawsuit was filed, fewer than three hours were actually spent in court, according to lawyers involved in the case.

Approved by Myers on March 4 at proceedings in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, the settlement officially went into effect Thursday following a mandatory two-week waiting period for potential appeals.

The plan, which also includes the restructuring of about $17 million in internal diocesan debt, received "nearly unanimous approval in voting by the sexual abuse victims and other creditors, and the confirmation order by Judge Myers resolves all outstanding sexual abuse claims against the Diocese of Helena," according to a diocesan press release.

The plan confirmation also "resolves claims against the Western Province of Ursuline, who joined in the reorganization process and made a substantial contribution to the overall settlement," the release stated.

A set-aside of $920,000 for potential future claims was part of the agreement.

The settlement includes non-monitory requirements aimed at preventing future abuse of children, such as intensive background checks and screening of potential seminarians, and the release of names of all known current and past abusers listed in abuse claims or the lawsuits.

The proceeding has been watched closely across the country by trial lawyers, bankruptcy courts, victims' groups, dioceses and archdioceses, and the U.S. bishops' conference, according to attorneys interviewed by NCR.

Mike Patterson, lead attorney for the Helena diocese, described the negotiations that led to the settlement as "a conciliatory process" marked by the diocese openly sharing its financial picture and personnel files, by "compassionate and respectful" treatment of sex abuse plaintiffs, and by open sharing of information between all parties.

"It is not just us who are talking about" how fairly and efficiently the settlement was achieved, Patterson said, "but we have been contacted by many dioceses and bishops reaching out for guidance on how to handle this type of litigation" as well as by the general counsel of the bishops' conference.

Attorney Ford Elsaesser, who handled details of the bankruptcy for the diocese, said Patterson and Helena Bishop George Thomas insisted on "putting the litigation on a mediation tract with full disclosure from the beginning."

"I have been doing Chapter 11s for almost 33 years," Elsaesser said, "and this has been remarkable. I have never felt better about how a Chapter 11 went from start to finish than this one."

Patterson agreed. "This has certainly been the smoothest sexual abuse litigation that I have been involved with, and that includes [cases involving] the Mormons, Boy Scouts, school districts, other churches and public entities."

"All sides," Patterson added, "recognized that the scorched-earth posture does not work. It does not benefit the victims or the diocese and it leads to a tremendous amount of animosity and mistrust, and it emasculates the transparency that should prevail."

Elsaesser, who teaches bankruptcy law at the University of Idaho and at St. John's University, said he plans "to incorporate a lot of what we learned in the Helena process" into courses.

Most of the diocese's portion of the settlement, about $14.4 million, will be paid by insurance. The diocese will be responsible for about $2.6 million, part of it to be generated from the sale of its youth camp and retreat center to an independent foundation with close links to the diocese, a diocesan official said. Thus, the facility will be able to continue to operate.

The Ursuline province will contribute about $4.5 million.

Elsaesser said it is critical for a party seeking Chapter 11 protection to be able to "show it can not only pay claimants what has been agreed, but to also prove it can survive and keep going forward."

The Helena diocese is "coming out of the process in a reasonably strong financial condition," Elsaesser told the Wall Street Journal.

The diocese enlisted the help of an "insurance archeologist" to research what insurance carriers and coverages might have been in place when the bulk of the abuse events took place, 30 to 60 years ago, Elsaesser said. Ultimately, seven insurers were involved in the settlement.

Elsaesser and Patterson as well as most plaintiff attorneys lauded Thomas' leadership and pastoral approach.

In testimony at the March 4 hearing, Thomas expressed "profound sorrow for what victim survivors have experienced over the past decades" and praised the "tremendous amount of courage" they displayed "to come forward."

He said he wanted "to be on record as saying that the victim survivors in our diocese of Helena are believed and deeply respected."

In meeting with clergy sexual abuse victims, Thomas told NCR, "the pain they experienced is not yesterday, but in the present tense. The church needs to acknowledge that."

Thomas said that "early on, when I was first made aware of the cases coming at us, my first instinct was pugnacity, that we would fight this thing through, circle the wagons. But as I talked with priests and attorneys and victims and prayed for wisdom and guidance, it became clear pugnacity was not the key."

The bishop testified that he "really rejected the idea of prolonged, acrimonious litigation. I believe that the strong suit of the church should be healing and conciliation and not long-term litigation. So I really hope that the pastoral care approach we have taken will be effective."

In court, Thomas complimented Milton Datsopoulos and Molly Howard, the attorneys for the bulk of the plaintiffs, for being "pivotal in creating what I would describe as a consensus model. This has been a cooperative venture from the beginning, and for me it has led to this day where there's the possibility of a healing and mediated process that comes both to a conclusion today and affects the healing process for the future."

Thomas said in court and in an interview that "complacency is a danger" and that the church "must re-double prevention education" and other efforts to combat future sex abuse.

Elsaesser described the legal path taken as "the exact polar opposite of what is going on in Milwaukee."

The Milwaukee archdiocese's contentious sex abuse litigation was also mentioned during the March 4 hearing.

James Stang, who represented the committee of uninsured creditors, said: "It's no secret that the archdiocese in Milwaukee, where we [also] represent the creditors committee, is going into its fourth year with very large administrative expenses and no resolution in sight."

Stang described church cases in which he had been involved in which church officials sought to "hinder, delay and defraud" abuse victims and creditors.

Stang also spoke highly of the Helena and Ursuline claimant attorneys. While the media and some church officials "talk about 'greedy trial lawyers,' " he said, "If it weren't for those lawyers, all of whom work on a contingency, the crimes that have been hidden in the dark for decades would have stayed in the dark."

In remarks at the end of the Coeur d'Alene session, Judge Myers said, "Mr. Stang was absolutely correct in noting that this case is unlike many of the cases throughout the country on church Chapter 11 bankruptcies."

He portrayed the overall process as "an enlightened as well as diligent, talented effort to reach an optimum solution for all concerned."

[Dan Morris Young is NCR West Coast correspondent. His email address is dmyoung@ncronline.org.]

Helena diocese reaches sex abuse settlement via 'consensus model' | National Catholic Reporter

Holocaust-denying bishop making waves again, plans consecration without Pope Francis' consent - 3/18/2015 12:49:54 PM | Newser

 

Holocaust-denying bishop makes waves again with consecration

By NICOLE WINFIELD | Associated Press | Mar 18, 2015 12:49 PM CDT in Entertainment

VATICAN CITY (AP) — A Holocaust-denying Catholic bishop who made headlines in 2009 when Pope Benedict XVI rehabilitated him and members of his breakaway traditionalist society is heading for new trouble with the Vatican.

Bishop Richard Williamson is planning to consecrate a new bishop Thursday in Brazil without Pope Francis' consent — a church crime punishable by excommunication.

The Rev. Rene Miguel Trincado Cvjetkovic confirmed the planned consecration of the Rev. Christian Jean-Michel Faure in an email to The Associated Press. The consecration was first reported by the traditionalist blog Rorate Caeli.

Williamson, Trincado and Faure have all been, or are in the process of being, kicked out of the Society of St. Pius X, which was formed in 1969 by the late Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre in opposition to the modernizing reforms of the Second Vatican Council. They have opposed the society's recent efforts at reconciliation with the Holy See.

In 1988, the Vatican excommunicated Lefebvre, Williamson and three other bishops after Lefebvre consecrated them without papal consent.

In 2009, Benedict removed the excommunications in a bid to bring the group back into full communion with Rome and prevent further schism. But an uproar ensued after Williamson said in a television interview aired just before the decree was made public that he did not believe Jews were killed in gas chambers during World War II.

Trincado said neither Williamson nor Faure fear a new excommunication "because what we intend with this consecration is to preserve the true Catholic faith from the greatest crisis that the church has suffered in her history."

The Rev. Robert Gahl, a moral theologian at the Pontifical Holy Cross University in Rome, said the planned consecration incurs automatic excommunication for both Williamson and Faure.

He said the church is concerned because "such an act of disobedience" can deepen the schism across generations because of the attempt to make a new bishop who is capable also of ordaining priests.

Holocaust-denying bishop making waves again, plans consecration without Pope Francis' consent - 3/18/2015 12:49:54 PM | Newser

Weekly Collection for the weekend of March 15, 2015

Two additional pledges; no change in total pledges indicated.

Largest Presbyterian Denomination Gives Final Approval for Same-Sex Marriage - NYTimes.com

 

After three decades of debate over its stance on homosexuality, members of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) voted on Tuesday to change the definition of marriage in the church’s constitution to include same-sex marriage.

The final approval by a majority of the church’s 171 regional bodies, known as presbyteries, enshrines a change recommended last year by the church’s General Assembly. The vote amends the church’s constitution to broaden marriage from being between “a man and a woman” to “two people, traditionally a man and a woman.”

The Presbytery of the Palisades, meeting in Fair Lawn, N.J., put the ratification count over the top on Tuesday on a voice vote. With many presbyteries still left to vote, the tally late Tuesday stood at 87 presbyteries in favor, 41 against and one tied.

“Finally, the church in its constitutional documents fully recognizes that the love of gays and lesbian couples is worth celebrating in the faith community,” said the Rev. Brian D. Ellison, executive director of the Covenant Network of Presbyterians, which advocates gay inclusion in the church. “There is still disagreement, and I don’t mean to minimize that, but I think we are learning that we can disagree and still be church together.”

The church, with about 1.8 million members, is the largest of the nation’s Presbyterian denominations, but it has been losing congregations and individual members as it has moved to the left theologically over the past several years. There was a wave of departures in and after 2011, when the presbyteries ratified a decision to ordain gays and lesbians as pastors, elders and deacons, and that may have cleared the way for Tuesday’s vote….

Read the entire article:  Largest Presbyterian Denomination Gives Final Approval for Same-Sex Marriage - NYTimes.com

Archdiocese bankruptcy will include search for assets | Minnesota Public Radio News

 

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis chancery building sits near the foot of the Cathedral of St. Paul, overlooking downtown St. Paul. Jeffrey Thompson | MPR News

The bankruptcy of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis takes another step forward Tuesday afternoon with the first meeting of the creditors committee.

Citing clergy-abuse lawsuits and the costs of future claims, the archdiocese filed for bankruptcy in January. Its Chapter 11 filing requires alleged victims to file claims in federal court as creditors.

• Archbishop: Bankruptcy best path for clergy sex abuse claims

Explore the full investigation Clergy abuse, cover-up and crisis in the Twin Cities Catholic church

So far, five people — all alleged victims of clergy sex abuse — have been named to the committee. Payouts to them and other creditors will depend greatly on what assets the archdiocese has available for compensation — a factor that likely will set in motion a detailed search for church assets.

The archdiocese and attorneys for abuse victims hope that insurance will cover a large portion of abuse claims that will be settled through the bankruptcy process, with church insurers potentially providing $100 million or more.

• Related: What mediation means for the archdiocese, insurers and victims

Insurers are contesting coverage claims by the archdiocese, with some companies claiming they owe the archdiocese nothing for claims related to abusers whom the church identified but failed to stop.

But in bankruptcies prompted by sex abuse claims, a diocese typically contributes something to a settlement with victims.

A big question is what the Twin Cities archdiocese could offer the 150 or so people with abuse claims.

"The answer is: 'It depends,' " said Christopher Soper, a University of Minnesota law professor and attorney who has been involved in several Catholic Church bankruptcies. He expects close scrutiny of archdiocese accounting and the church's relations with other Catholic organizations.

"It's a pretty common way for creditors of the debtor to try to gin up more assets to spread around," Soper said. "I'm sure all the interested parties will be looking very carefully at the archdiocese finances to see if the various entities are really as separate as they claim."

Toward that end, forensic accountants will dig into the finances of the archdiocese, hunting for anything of significant value that may not have been already disclosed. They'll also peruse pension plans, parishes, schools, cemeteries, charities and other Catholic entities, looking for any money and assets that could be deemed to be property of the archdiocese.

Archbishop John Nienstedt Jeffrey Thompson / MPR News

Archbishop John Nienstedt and other diocese leaders serve on many of the boards of those organizations. The archdiocese insists parishes, schools, cemeteries, charities and other Catholic entities are legally separate and their assets — which could be worth several hundred million to more than $1 billion -- should be beyond the reach of creditors.

But Jennifer Haselberger, a former archdiocese canon lawyer and whistleblower on abuse, argues that many of those assets may still be at risk.

In a recent blog post, she wrote that creditors could make the case that the archdiocese exerts enough control over parishes and other Catholic entities that legal separation effectively does not exist.

While many parishes are in debt or have few or no assets of value to creditors, Haselberger said a fair number of them hold a significant amount of property.

Jennifer Haselberger Jennifer Simonson | MPR News 2013

"St. Katherine Drexel, for instance, has more than thirty undeveloped acres in Ramsey, and Sts. Joachim and Anne about ten acres in Shakopee," she wrote in her blog post. "Other parish corporations hold undeveloped land, commercial real estate, rental housing, etc."

In its bankruptcy filing, the archdiocese reported net assets of only about $30 million. But that includes about $14 million in trust accounts that fund medical and dental health plans.

Larry Ricke, the attorney for the trustees of the archdiocese's medical and dental plans, said that more than 90 percent of the money in the plans comes from Catholic parishes, schools and other organizations and some 3,350 of their employees.

"The funds ... were contributed by participating employers, primarily the parishes and schools, and their individual employees and are to be used solely for the purpose of paying the medical and dental claims of the employees," Ricke wrote in an email.

The archdiocese has about $2 million in funds that it contends have donor restrictions on how the money can be used.

The bankruptcy also likely will cost the archdiocese millions of dollars in legal and other professional fees. That's money that won't go to abuse victims. In just the 90 days before its bankruptcy filing, the archdiocese paid legal and consulting firms about $2 million.

Indeed, the financial state of the archdiocese appears dire when the potential cost of compensating abuse victims is factored in. Archdiocese auditors late last year warned that there was substantial doubt about the chancery's ability to continue as a going concern.

Jack Ruhl, an accounting professor at Western Michigan University who has worked with victims' attorney Jeff Anderson, believes the archdiocese has more assets than it admits.

"I would not conclude that there's not much there," he said. "There's a lot of different pots of money. There are entities like the cemeteries, the pension fund."

There is also property. The archdiocese has reported real estate holdings that it values at least $11 million. The two most attractive properties are the Hayden Center on West Kellogg Boulevard and the chancery on Summit Avenue.

A development on the chancery property could include scores of high-end apartments or a few luxury homes with spectacular views of the river valley. But developer James Stolpestad, chairman of Exeter Group, which has developed many projects in St. Paul, said such projects could be too impractical to provide much value in bankruptcy.

"The biggest issue would be the historic approvals, local, state and federal, because it's a national historic district long Summit," he said.

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis chancery building sits near the foot of the Cathedral of St. Paul, overlooking downtown St. Paul. Jeffrey Thompson | MPR News

Archdiocese real estate holdings also include the Cathedral of St. Paul and land under three Catholic high schools. But church officials doubt those properties have much value.

The cathedral has an estimated market value for tax purposes of about $21 million. But there is a $4.5 million loan on the cathedral and archdiocese officials say the property has very high maintenance costs, substantial deferred maintenance, limited potential and no "realizable value."

It's not unheard of, however, for grand churches or temples to be sold, typically to followers of another faith.

"Churches can be sold like any other property," said Catharine Wells, a Boston College law professor who has followed church bankruptcies across the country. "There certainly isn't in most states any special exemption for church property."

In 2012, The Catholic Diocese of Orange, California bought the Crystal Cathedral that was built for televangelist Robert Schuller, paying nearly $60 million for the church and its 34-acre campus.

The Twin Cities archdiocese estimates the land under the Totino Grace, Benilde-St. Margaret's and DeLaSalle high schools has a combined estimated market value of $13.7 million. But it reported that the value of its interest in the properties is "unknown."

That reflects uncertainty about what value the land could have given its current use and zoning and other restrictions on the properties.

Each school pays $1 a year to lease land from the archdiocese. DeLaSalle President Barry Lieske said he doesn't expect the bankruptcy to affect his school financially.

DeLaSalle High School in Minneapolis. Jennifer Simonson | MPR News

"DeLaSalle is confident that the archdiocese bankruptcy will have no impact on what we do," he said. "We're a separately incorporated nonprofit."

There are more than 200 undeveloped acres of land in Catholic cemeteries in New Hope and Mendota Heights.

According to the archdiocese, the cemeteries are part of a separate legal entity, established in 1969.

Public records indicate the archbishop and two other high ranking archdiocese officials have seats on the cemeteries' boards and they appoint other board members.

John Hedback, the attorney for the cemeteries, said their officials don't see how those properties could be tapped to pay archdiocese creditors.

"We don't believe there's been any action since they were spun off which would give result in it being a source of funds," he said.

But Charles Zech, director of the Center for Church Management and Business Ethics at Villanova University, expects the relationship will be closely examined.

Resurrection Cemetery in Mendota Heights is the largest cemetery in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Less than half of the total 350 acres have been developed for current cemetery use. Jeffrey Thompson | MPR News

"That'd be up to the court to decide how separate they are," he said. "But potentially the undeveloped cemetery land could be part of the settlement."

The assets of the cemeteries is unknown, as they do not have to file public financial reports. In the Archdiocese of Milwaukee's bankruptcy, creditors have been trying to access a $60 million cemetery trust fund.

There is a lot of money — probably more than $100 million — in the priest and lay employee pension plans overseen by the archdiocese. The plans cover 401 priests and 5,079 current and former employees of the archdiocese, parishes, schools and other Catholic organizations.

But archdiocese officials say the pensions are not archdiocese property and "our understanding is that the plan assets should not be available to the creditors."

The archdiocese also contends that the plans currently do not have enough money to pay future obligations. As of the end of 2010, internal church documents indicate the plans had about $114 million in assets and were on the hook to pay projected benefits of $183 million.

The current state of the pensions is unclear because they are not subject to the public reporting requirements that most pensions are. But the archdiocese plans to issue a pension funding report next month.

Given the stock market's rise in recent years, the gap between pension assets and obligations likely narrowed. But Zech expects the pensions' funding could be diminished by the bankruptcy. Zech said archdiocese assets that could fund the pensions could be diverted toward a settlement with abuse victims. He said that happened in the Wilmington, Del., church bankruptcy.

"They're certainly in for some financial hit," he said.

As church plans, the pension plans are not subject to federal reporting requirements, nor are they backed by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation.

Overall, Zech said, the archdiocese appears to have done a good job to limit the damage that can be done by big legal settlements. It has largely accomplished that by ensuring that related Catholic entities are set up as separate legal entries, which could put them beyond the reach of archdiocese creditors.

Villanova professor Charles Zech Courtesy of Charles Zech

But that doesn't mean the archdiocese could not raise money from those organizations, deep-pocketed individual donors and the rest of the Twin Cities Catholic community.

Zech said the archdiocese could ask the Catholic community to contribute toward a settlement. He said that the archbishop could even order parishes to contribute, since he controls most of the seats on individual parish boards.

"The archbishop says, 'Your parish will contribute.' They will contribute," Zech said.

But parishioners might rebel against such an edict — Zech doubts Archbishop John Nienstedt would try to tap other Catholic organizations, unless there is court pressure to do so.

"I can't see the archdiocese not fighting this tooth-and-nail and not trying to pay as little as possible to the victims," Zech said.

Archdiocese bankruptcy will include search for assets | Minnesota Public Radio News

The Tablet - News

 

March 2015 11:48 by Abigail Frymann Rouch

Archbishop Philip Wilson of Adelaide has been charged with covering up child abuse committed by a priest in the 1970s.

Archbishop Wilson, vice president of the Australian Catholic Bishops’ Conference, is the most senior cleric to be charged with an offence relating to the handling of an allegation of clerical sex abuse. He is due to appear in Newcastle local court on 30 April and if convicted, faces up to two years in jail.

The archbishop, 64, issued a statement today denying the allegation of concealing a serious offence regarding child sexual abuse, and said he was “disappointed” that police from New South Wales had decided to press charges.

The alleged abuse took place in New South Wales in the Hunter Region, in the diocese of Maitland-Newcastle, where Archbishop Wilson was a priest.

“The suggestion appears to be that I failed to bring to the attention of police a conversation I am alleged to have had in 1976, when I was a junior priest, that a now deceased priest had abused a child,” he said.

He said he would take leave “to consult with a wide range of people in response to the information I have received today”.

The president of the Australian bishops’ conference, Archbishop Denis Hart, issued a statement, pointing out that Archbishop Wilson “strongly maintains his innocence” and urging people from making any judgement until the charge has been dealt with by the court.

It is alleged that Wilson covered up knowledge of abuse by Fr Jim Fletcher in the 1970s, the Australian reported. Fr Fletcher was administrator at Maitland cathedral, where he met then Fr-Wilson.

In 2004 Fr Fletcher was jailed over the rape of a young boy between 1989 and 1991. He died of a stroke in 2006 while serving his sentence.

The NSW Special Commission of Inquiry into the handling of abuse allegations in the Hunter Region, which was launched in 2012, has identified at least five known victims of Fletcher, “each of whom was as a child sexually abused by him over a number of months, and often years”.

It said Fr Fletcher had an “extensive history” of abusing children, in particular altar boys, dating back to the 1970s.

In 2011 the American bishop Robert Finn of Kansas City-St. Joseph became the first Catholic bishop to be convicted for the handling of alleged abuse by a priest. Bishop Finn was sentenced to two years of probation for failure to report suspected child abuse

The Tablet - News

Norway's Catholic Church denies fraud - Yahoo News

 

Oslo (AFP) - Norway's Catholic Church, accused of exaggerating its membership numbers to obtain more state aid, denied Monday it had engaged in fraud but admitted its past methods were "unsatisfactory."

 

The Oslo diocese and two officials, the bishop and the financial officer, are suspected of fraudulently registering thousands of people on its membership lists between 2010 and 2014, which enabled it to obtain 50 million kroner (more than $6.0 million or 5.8 million euros) in state subsidies.

In Norway, a predominantly Protestant country, the state provides subsidies to organised religions, the size of which is determined by the number of members.

"The opinion of the diocese is that we have done nothing illegal," the interim head of the Church, Lisa Wade, said at the presentation of the Church's report on the affair.

Police have accused the Oslo diocese of going through the telephone directory in search of immigrants whose names appear to signal that they come from Catholic countries, and adding them to the membership list, sometimes without their knowledge.

Norway's Roman Catholic minority had 140,000 registered members in 2014, more than double the number in 2010.

To explain the jump, the Church has claimed it benefitted from a large wave of Catholic immigrants, notably Poles, who practised their religion but did not register with the Church, which in turn cost the Church more but did not result in increased state subsidies.

"The diocese never intended to do anything other than identify the Catholics in the country," Wade said.

"Unfortunately, the method that was used led to some incorrect registrations," she added.

Wade said 7,000 people had been mistakenly registered, including Catholics who did not want to be included on the list and non-Catholics. Their names have now been removed from the list.

More than 21,000 other cases have yet to be clarified.

Police raided the Catholic Church's offices on February 26 on suspicions of "aggravated fraud

Norway's Catholic Church denies fraud - Yahoo News

Where'd cemetery money go? asks priest who wants $7.8 million accounted for | National Catholic Reporter

 

A retired Milwaukee priest, who is also a certified public account, is asking that the FBI to investigate why $7.8 million was spent by the Milwaukee Archdiocesan Cemetery Trust Fund over a four-year period during which the cemeteries operations generated net profits each year.

The priest, Fr. James Connell, told NCR that he contacted the archdiocese with his questions before sending his letter to U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Susan V. Kelley who is handling the Chapter 11 bankruptcy petition filed by the archdiocese more than four years ago.

Connell, also a former vice chancellor for the archdiocese, said that archdiocesan spokesman Jerry Topczewski responded to his email saying that the funds were used solely as they were intended  “but he gave me no explanation for where I was wrong or what I missed in their statements.”

“I have not seen the letter, but I’m not sure what standing Father [Connell] has with Judge Kelley,” Topczewski told NCR. “Nonetheless, the archdiocese’s financial statements, expenditures, etc., have been available to the creditors’ committee for more than 4 years and their accountants, BRG, have certainly scrutinized them.

“Regarding any money received from the cemetery perpetual care trust, those monies are used solely for the purpose for which they were intended – the perpetual care of archdiocesan cemeteries.”

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In his letter to the judge, Connell notes that the audited financial statements for the fiscal years 2011-2014 that are on the archdiocese’s website indicated that $1.95 million a year was distributed by the Cemetery Trust Fund at the same time that other records in the court file showed cemetery operations gains ranging from $428,792 to $535,114.

“Money coming out of Cemetery Trust is supposed to pay the expenses for the eight cemeteries it operates,” Connell said. “Why would they need that when they have gains from the operations?”

The gains would come from the sale of plots, markers and other revenues from sources other than the trust fund, Connell said. If the revenues  “covered all the cemetery expenses, then the funds distributed from the Cemetery Trust each year ($1,950,000) paid for Archdiocesan expenses other than cemetery expenses.”

Connell noted that most of the cemeteries located in the 10-county Milwaukee archdiocese are operated by parishes and are not part of the eight cemeteries covered by the trust fund. Most cemeteries affiliated with parishes, he said, operate on a shoestring and rely on volunteers who care for the grounds.

In December, Connell was one of three priests who sent an open letter to Pope Francis asking for an investigation into the way clergy sexual abuse survivors have been treated in the bankruptcy action. He said he was told that the letter was referred to the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, set up by Francis to make recommendations for changes in how clergy sex abuse is being handled. The commission is headed by Boston Cardinal Sean O’Malley and met last month.

Connell said he sent a second letter to Francis on March 7, saying that the “disturbing financial reality of the Archdiocese [of Milwaukee]” lends credence to the call for an investigation. In that letter, Connell noted that the financial statement filed by the archdiocese with court on Feb. 13 indicate that as of Jan. 31, 2015, liabilities exceed assets.

“So, while the archdiocese has some cash, investments and other assets, the archdiocese does not have enough assets to pay its liabilities -- unless they include the assets of the Cemetery Trust which the archdiocese contends are restricted to serve the needs of eight cemeteries but not the other liabilities of the archdiocese,” he said.

Where'd cemetery money go? asks priest who wants $7.8 million accounted for | National Catholic Reporter

Pope Francis' friends reveal how he fell in love, held 'unforgettable' parties and pranked his teachers | Daily Mail Online

Don’t know the truth here—but very interesting.

EXCLUSIVE - High school friends of Pope Francis reveal how the young pontiff fell head over heels in love with a beautiful brunette, held 'unforgettable' parties and pranked his high school teachers

• The young Pope, then Jorge Bergoglio, was part of a group of '10 Lads'
• They reveal how Jorge fell in love with a girl - and had a brief relationship
• Friends say the teenager was 'crazy' about the girl, who was 'very pretty'
• But the relationship ended - and a little later Jorge entered the seminary
• Friends also lift the lid on the group's 'unforgettable' house parties
• Memories of teenage pontiff include him dressing up as a woman
• Friends also remember his dedication to the church from an early age
• Decided to be a priest aged just 15, but remained close to best friends

Read and see if you can determine the truth.  Click on the following:  Pope Francis' friends reveal how he fell in love, held 'unforgettable' parties and pranked his teachers | Daily Mail Online

Pope Francis’s announcement of an extraordinary jubilee is great news for Italy’s economy - Quartz

 

On the second anniversary of his election, pope Francis has just promulgated a universal extraordinary jubilee: beginning Dec. 8 (the day when Catholics celebrate the Immaculate conception), the “holy” doors of St. Peter’s in Rome will be opened to welcome repenting devotees and grant them God’s pardon.

The Jubilee, the “Holy Year,” explains the Vatican Insider:

is the year of the remission of sins and of suffering from sin, of reconciliation, of conversion and of sacramental penance.

The Jubilee is an institution Christianity shares with Judaism, and has its roots in the Old Testament.

In practical terms, the Jubilee is a year during which a devotee performs a pilgrimage to a sacred site to obtain pardon of all sins. For Catholics, that sacred site happens to be the Vatican.

While the sacred texts set the frequency of the Jubilee to every 50 years, it is often indicted every 25: it’s been the 20th century, when ordinary jubilees occurred in 1925, 1950, 1975, and 2000. There are, however, exceptional circumstances when a so-called “extraordinary” Jubilee happens—this year would be one of them (there were two last century, in 1933 and 1983).

This should be cause for celebration for Italians of any religion: last jubilee, in 2000, recorded an unprecedented tourism boom in Italy, with a total 221.7 million rooms booked in Italian hotels, an increase of nearly 5% compared to the previous year, and an overall 22% increase in income from tourism (link in Italian), which accounts for about 10% of Italy’s GDP.

In the city of Rome, particularly, there were over 30% more tourists staying at five-star hotels compared to the previous year, and an impressive flow of visitors from Catholic countries such as Ireland (35% more visitors than 1999) and Poland (72% increase, link in Italian).

If those numbers are anything to go by, Italy—likely to benefit from an increased number of tourists generated by a cheaper euro as well as by the world Expo opening in May in Milan—should really thank the lord, or at least her man in Rome.

Pope Francis’s announcement of an extraordinary jubilee is great news for Italy’s economy - Quartz

Bishop asks collar-wearing clergy to rally at city meeting | National Catholic Reporter

Bishop Finn in conflict with one of his urban parishes.  Bishop calls Catholic clergy to be on his side.

Kansas City, Mo.

The bishop of Kansas City-St. Joseph, Mo., who hopes to raze a former parish school and build a faith-based dormitory on that ground, has invited all the priests and deacons of his diocese to appear at a city planning meeting to show support for his plan.

“If you attend it would certainly be appropriate for you to wear your collar,” Bishop Robert Finn tells the clergy in a letter dated March 13 and sent as an attachment to emails on Friday.

The City Plan Commission meets Tuesday, March 17 at 9:30 a.m.

Finn writes that he anticipates opposition to the plan to build the Bellarmino Catholic Student Center, which would include meeting and activity rooms for the Fellowship of Catholic University Students, a Catholic evangelical outreach ministry known as FOCUS, and dorm rooms for up to 237 area college students. The school building, which was closed several years ago, would have to be torn down.

In his March 13 letter to diocesan clergy, Finn writes “This letter is a sincere request for your prayers and presence as we face a difficult challenge to our efforts to provide Campus Ministry and a Catholic Housing opportunity for students at University of Missouri, Kansas City.”

 

“We have had many, many meetings with neighborhood groups and others who have their own designs on our property,” the bishop’s letter says. “Though we have modified our plan significantly in response to their suggestions, they remain vocal in their opposition.”

“We ask for as many of our Priests and Deacons as possible to be present at the meeting and support the Diocese's plan. If you attend it would certainly be appropriate for you to wear your collar.”

Members of St. Francis Xavier Parish tell a slightly different story. They had hoped to work with neighborhood groups to take advantage of the existing building and its location, seeing it as an opportunity to unite the east and west sides of Troost Avenue, a street considered a racial and economic dividing line in Kansas City's urban core.

Nearly two years ago, parishioners and a neighborhood group, the 49/63 Neighborhood Coalition, worked with an architectural firm, BNIM, to carry out a needs assessment of the area. The result was a 19-page plan that made several suggestions for the existing building, such as a parochial or charter school, space for adult education, a child development center, community gardens, assisted living housing, an event space, and more.

While all these ideas included financial planning and options for hosting FOCUS groups, the bishop shot down each proposal because, according to parishioner Ken Spare, Finn said the ideas did not meet the broader mission of the diocese.

Furthermore, the only changes the developer made to the plan, according to parishioners and neighborhood groups has been to reduce the number of floors and dorm rooms.

"We met several times [to discuss proposals], and the bishop clearly said he was only interested in the Catholic student housing project," said Spare.

"For a project that is supposed to be about ministry, worship, and a refuge of light in a world of sin, it is surprising that there is so little consideration given to the needs of the church next door," said Les Cline, president of the 49/63 Neighborhood Coalition.

"What few people on the other side of this debate don't appreciate is that we community people have worked very seriously, earnestly and sincerely with the four criteria the bishop set about this project," he added. "We agreed to these principles. Now, I want to tell the bishop to live up to his own standards. We are holding fast to them."

The diocese’s dormitory plan would cost about $15 million-$16 million and would be funded through bonds.

Bishop asks collar-wearing clergy to rally at city meeting | National Catholic Reporter

Pope declares jubilee in powerful reform signal - Yahoo News

 

Vatican City (AFP) - Pope Francis on Friday marked the second anniversary of his election by declaring a jubilee year that will be interpreted as a powerful signal of his commitment to reforming the Church.

The extraordinary holy year, dedicated to the theme of mercy, has been called to celebrate the 50th anniversary of a groundbreaking Vatican council that transformed how the Church related to the modern world, most notably ending the obligation for religious services to be conducted in Latin.

The jubilee year will begin on December 8 and run until November 20, 2016. December 8 is one of the holiest dates in the Catholic calender as the Feast of the Immaculate Conception and is also the date on which the Vatican II council closed in 1965.

Speaking in St Peter's cathedral, the 78-year-old pontiff described the year's start date as being "of great significance, for it impels the Church to continue the work begun at Vatican II."

Vatican II is considered to be one of the defining moments in the history of the Catholic church -- the point at which the clerical hierarchy accepted that some centuries-old ways of thinking and acting had to be jettisoned if the institution was to remain relevant as the sixties began to swing.

- A divided Church -

View gallery

Pope Francis receives confession during the penitential celebration in St. Peter's Basilica at t …

Fifty years later, the Church is facing a similar set of dilemmas and is beset by divisions over how to respond to them and close the gap between what it officially preaches and how many of its followers actually live their lives in the early 21st Century.

Deep divisions over how the Church should relate to homosexual, divorced and co-habiting believers were aired at an inconclusive, sometimes rancorous, synod of bishops in October-November 2014. They will be revisited when senior clerics re-assemble in Vatican City this October.

Francis, the first pope to hail from Latin America, is regarded by most of the world as having been a huge success in his two years at the helm of the Church.

His easy charm, decisive approach to issues such as paedophile priests and his pleas for a more merciful and worldly approach on questions like homosexuality and divorce have endeared him to a much broader public than his conservative, dour predecessor Benedict XVI could reach.

But he has not endeared himself to everyone within the Church.

Pope declares jubilee in powerful reform signal - Yahoo News

Pope Francis Gets The Problem With Money In Politics Exactly Right

 

Francis succinctly summarized the corrupting influence that money can have in elections during an interview with a group of Argentine teenagers from a Buenos Aires slum, Crux reported.

Speaking about elections in his home country of Argentina, the pope said that candidates can become too beholden to donors who back their campaigns.

"Because many interests come into play in financing of an election campaign and then they ask you to pay back," he said in the interview. "So, the election campaign should be independent from anyone who may finance it."

The pope also said that a public finance system for elections would create more transparency.

"Perhaps public financing would allow for me, the citizen, to know that I'm financing each candidate with a given amount of money," he said.

Although the pope was speaking about Argentina, some quickly seized on his comments to make the case for reforming the influence of money in American politics. In the landmark 2010 case Citizens United v. FEC, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that independent political groups, such as corporations and unions, could spend unlimited sums of money in elections. The ruling has led to a flood of campaign spending from various groups, and President Barack Obama has said that the decision "has caused real harm to our democracy."

Pope Francis Gets The Problem With Money In Politics Exactly Right

WisBar News: Milwaukee Archdiocese Loses Federal Appeal on $55 Million Transfer:

 

the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit has ruled that protections on religious freedom won’t protect a $55 million transfer that diminished the Archdiocese's bankruptcy estate.

In 2008, the Archdiocese of Milwaukee transferred $55 million to a trust fund designated to maintain cemeteries it owned in Milwaukee, after seeking approval from the Vatican.

According to court records, a letter to the Vatican indicated that the transfer would protect funds from legal claims and future liability. The Vatican approved the transfer.

In 2011, amidst civil fraud lawsuits that stemmed from sexual abuse by priests, the Archdiocese filed for bankruptcy protection. 

Sexual abuse victims sought to void the $55 million transfer as fraudulent, in violation of the Bankruptcy Code, in order to make those funds reachable by them as unsecured creditors with claims against the Archdiocese’s bankruptcy estate.

The Archdiocese argued that the $55 million was protected as necessary to maintain cemeteries under Canon Law obligations. Specifically, the Archdiocese argued that the Religious Freedom and Restoration Act (RFRA) barred application of the Bankruptcy Code provisions, because the transfer was made for religiously protected purposes.

RFRA prohibits the “government” from placing substantial burdens on a person’s exercise of religion, without a compelling interest achieved by the least restrictive means, even if the government’s law or regulation is generally applicable to everyone. The government includes government officials or persons acting “under color of law.”

The Archdiocese argued that RFRA applies because the U.S. Trustee, which oversees the administration of bankruptcy cases, appointed a Creditors’ Committee – consisting of sex abuse victims – to represent the Archdiocese’s unsecured creditors in the case.

Thus, the Archdiocese argued, the Committee was acting “under color of law.” The Archdiocese also argued that the transfer is protected by the First Amendment.

The appointed Committee of victims argued that RFRA did not apply because the Committee is not a government actor. It also contested the Archdiocese’s First Amendment defense, and argued the district court judge should have recused himself because he has family members buried at cemeteries owned by the Archdiocese.

District Judge Rudolph Randa ruled that RFRA and the Free Exercise Clause barred application of the Bankruptcy Code provisions against the $55 million.

In Listecki v. Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors (March 9, 2015), a three-judge panel for the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the Archdiocese’s RFRA and First Amendment defenses to the transfer, but did not rule on the recusal issue.

First, the panel said RFRA did not apply because the Committee is not a government actor, and RFRA only protects government actions that substantially burden religion.

“Although each determination of an entity’s governmental actor status is fact- and case-specific, our conclusion that the Committee is not a governmental actor is supported by the Supreme Court’s precedent,” wrote Judge Ann Claire Williams. “There might be a ‘nexus,’ between the Committee and the government, but it is not a close one.”

The panel also ruled that the First Amendment’s free Exercise of Religion Clause does not bar application of the Bankruptcy Code provisions to the $55 million transfer, even though the First Amendment can apply in private civil suits.

“The Code and its relevant provisions are generally and neutrally applicable and represent a compelling governmental interest in protecting creditors that is narrowly tailored to achieve that end,” Judge Williams wrote for the panel.

The Bankruptcy Code may be used to void certain transactions, including fraudulent and “preferential” transfers that would allow the debtor to avoid inclusion of certain funds into the bankruptcy estate, which is subject to creditors. The Archdiocese said certain Code provisions are not neutral because they target religious organizations.

But the panel explained that such provisions do not prohibit the practice of religion and do not single out religious practice. “Anyone, regardless of religion or beliefs, can donate money to a qualified religious or secular charitable organization under the Code and qualify for avoidance – no religion or religious practice is required,” Williams wrote.

Even assuming the Bankruptcy Code’s provisions substantially burdened the Archbishop’s religious belief by disallowing a monetary transfer that supports cemetery maintenance, the panel said the government had a compelling reason.

“The Committee’s asserted compelling governmental interest is the protection of creditors. We agree that this is a compelling governmental interest that can overcome a burden on the free exercise of religion,” wrote Judge Williams, noting that the Bankruptcy provisions are narrowly tailored to protect the creditors’ interests.

The panel did not rule whether the $55 million transfer actually violated the Bankruptcy Code provisions, only that RFRA and the First Amendment do not prevent the code’s application: “[I]f the case reaches that stage, the adjudicator can consider the issue of whether the transfer of the Funds ran afoul of any of the Challenged Provisions.”

See more at:  SWisBar News: Milwaukee Archdiocese Loses Federal Appeal on $55 Million Transfer:

Weekly Collection for the weekend of March 8, 2015

 

Four additional pledges; Total pledges increased $1,115.

Pope meets with Chile bishop amid outcry over appointment | Lubbock Online | Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

 

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis met Friday with the bishop running a Chilean diocese where there has been unprecedented opposition to the nomination of his successor, accused of covering up for Chile’s most notorious pedophile.

The Vatican released no details of Francis’ audience with Monsignor Fernando Natalio Chomali Garib, who has been running the Osorno diocese temporarily since its previous bishop was transferred in 2013.

In January, Francis appointed Bishop Juan Barros Madrid to take over permanently. But in the ensuing weeks, some 1,300 lay faithful from Osorno, 51 of Chile’s 120 national lawmakers and many of the 35 priests from the diocese urged Francis to rescind the appointment.

They have accused Barros of covering up for the Rev. Fernando Karadima, a prominent priest sanctioned by the Vatican in 2011 for sexually abusing minors.

A criminal complaint against Karadima was dismissed because the statute of limitations had expired, but the Chilean judge handling the case determined the abuse allegations were truthful.

Barros had been close to Karadima, and some of Karadima’s victims have accused him of defending the priest against their claims of abuse. Barros has not responded to the accusations; the issue is likely to come to a head before the planned March 21 ceremony in which he is to be formally installed as bishop of Osorno.

The Barros case is being watched as a test case for Francis on the question of holding accountable bishops who covered up for pedophiles. Francis has already sent a Vatican investigator to the U.S. diocese of Kansas City, where Bishop Robert Finn pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of failing to report a priest who had child pornography on his computer.

But the Vatican has taken no action against Finn, and no bishop has ever been publicly sanctioned for having covered up for an abuser.

Members of Francis’ sex abuse advisory commission have said holding bishops accountable is one of their priorities, and that they are drafting proposals for Francis to consider for sanctioning compromised bishops.

Pope meets with Chile bishop amid outcry over appointment | Lubbock Online | Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

Pope meets with Chile bishop amid outcry over appointment | Lubbock Online | Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

 

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis met Friday with the bishop running a Chilean diocese where there has been unprecedented opposition to the nomination of his successor, accused of covering up for Chile’s most notorious pedophile.

The Vatican released no details of Francis’ audience with Monsignor Fernando Natalio Chomali Garib, who has been running the Osorno diocese temporarily since its previous bishop was transferred in 2013.

In January, Francis appointed Bishop Juan Barros Madrid to take over permanently. But in the ensuing weeks, some 1,300 lay faithful from Osorno, 51 of Chile’s 120 national lawmakers and many of the 35 priests from the diocese urged Francis to rescind the appointment.

They have accused Barros of covering up for the Rev. Fernando Karadima, a prominent priest sanctioned by the Vatican in 2011 for sexually abusing minors.

A criminal complaint against Karadima was dismissed because the statute of limitations had expired, but the Chilean judge handling the case determined the abuse allegations were truthful.

Barros had been close to Karadima, and some of Karadima’s victims have accused him of defending the priest against their claims of abuse. Barros has not responded to the accusations; the issue is likely to come to a head before the planned March 21 ceremony in which he is to be formally installed as bishop of Osorno.

The Barros case is being watched as a test case for Francis on the question of holding accountable bishops who covered up for pedophiles. Francis has already sent a Vatican investigator to the U.S. diocese of Kansas City, where Bishop Robert Finn pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of failing to report a priest who had child pornography on his computer.

But the Vatican has taken no action against Finn, and no bishop has ever been publicly sanctioned for having covered up for an abuser.

Members of Francis’ sex abuse advisory commission have said holding bishops accountable is one of their priorities, and that they are drafting proposals for Francis to consider for sanctioning compromised bishops.

Pope meets with Chile bishop amid outcry over appointment | Lubbock Online | Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

Pope Meets With Chile Bishop Amid Outcry Over Appointment - ABC News

 

Pope Francis met Friday with the bishop running a Chilean diocese where there has been unprecedented opposition to the nomination of his successor, accused of covering up for Chile's most notorious pedophile.

The Vatican released no details of Francis' audience with Monsignor Fernando Natalio Chomali Garib, who has been running the Osorno diocese temporarily since its previous bishop was transferred in 2013.

In January, Francis appointed Bishop Juan Barros Madrid to take over permanently. But in the ensuing weeks, some 1,300 lay faithful from Osorno, 51 of Chile's 120 national lawmakers and many of the 35 priests from the diocese urged Francis to rescind the appointment.

They have accused Barros of covering up for the Rev. Fernando Karadima, a prominent and charismatic priest sanctioned by the Vatican in 2011 for sexually abusing minors. A criminal complaint against Karadima was dismissed because the statute of limitations had expired, but the Chilean judge handling the case determined the abuse allegations were truthful.

Barros had been close to Karadima, and some of Karadima's victims have accused him of defending the priest against their claims of abuse. Barros has not responded to the accusations; the issue is likely to come to a head before the planned March 21 ceremony in which he is to be formally installed as bishop of Osorno.

The Barros case is being watched as a test case for Francis on the question of holding accountable bishops who covered up for pedophiles. Francis has already sent a Vatican investigator to the U.S. diocese of Kansas City, where Bishop Robert Finn pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of failing to report a priest who had child pornography on his computer.

But the Vatican has taken no action against Finn, and no bishop has ever been publicly sanctioned for having covered up for an abuser.

Members of Francis' sex abuse advisory commission have said holding bishops accountable is one of their priorities, and that they are drafting proposals for Francis to consider for sanctioning compromised bishops.

Pope Meets With Chile Bishop Amid Outcry Over Appointment - ABC News

At 100 Colleges Around the Country, Adjuncts Take Action to Demand an End to Precarity and Low Pay - Working In These Times

 

While the word adjunct literally means “a supplementary rather than essential part,” adjunct faculty are an integral part of the new corporate model of higher education that has come to dominate academia in recent decades. As colleges have increasingly cut back on tenure-track appointments since the 1970s, adjuncts, as well as graduate student teachers who also typically work for low pay, have picked up the slack.

According to the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), 76 percent of college instructors in the United States are no longer in tenure-track positions. Forty-one percent of faculty, according to the AAUP, are adjuncts.

As the ranks of adjuncts have swelled and pay has failed at many colleges to even keep up with inflation, adjuncts have been organizing for years, pushing for better working conditions and representation. They are unionizing in increasing numbers, as well as engaging in grassroots organizing to raise awareness of the issues adjuncts face.

The media and public have taken note. When an 83-year-old longtime adjunct, who was not renewed for her adjunct position at Duquesne University, died on the streets after bouts of cancer and quasi-homelessness in late 2013, adjuncts and their supporters pointed to her as a symbol for systemic exploitation. Stories of adjunct exploitation became commonplace in the news, and social media became an incubator for online activism, with hashtags like #NotYourAdjunctSidekick used to keep the discussion public.

At 100 Colleges Around the Country, Adjuncts Take Action to Demand an End to Precarity and Low Pay - Working In These Times

Judges dismisses key sex abuse claims against archdiocese

 

The judge in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee bankruptcy on Wednesday dismissed nine sexual abuse claims involving priests and a counselor at a Catholic social service agency — the largest group of victims eliminated from the 4-year-old bankruptcy to date.

U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Susan V. Kelley threw out nine of 10 claims challenged by the archdiocese, saying seven of the victims failed to show evidence of fraud — the basis for their claims — and that lawsuits by two others had previously been dismissed by state courts.

The judge left one claim standing, at least for now: a man who alleges he was molested by the late Rev. Lawrence Murphy as a boy at St. Lawrence School for the Deaf in the 1970s. Murphy, one of the archdiocese's more prolific abusers, is believed to have molested as many as 200 boys over several decades.

Kelley said evidence suggests the archdiocese may have known as early as the 1950s that Murphy was molesting deaf boys at the school and failed to remove him, and that such disputes over facts must be litigated rather than dismissed on summary judgment as the archdiocese had asked.

The 10 claims taken up Wednesday — all identified by number because their claims were filed under seal —had been seen by some as test cases that could be used to dismiss large numbers of similar claims.

Victims voiced anger and disappointment at Kelley's dismissals of the nine. Arthur Budzinski, who also was molested by Murphy, drew little consolation from the other survivor's legal victory.

"It's ugly," Budzinski said through a sign language interpreter.

He lashed out at the archdiocese and its attorneys, who challenged the admissibility of the evidence against Murphy, including a letter from a Chicago priest who said he had reported Murphy to then-Archbishop Albert Meyer in the 1950s.

"The church needs to be honest. It's not being honest," he said.

Monica Barrett, whose claim involving the late Rev. William Effinger was disqualified because of a prior state court ruling, called Kelley's decision "a travesty of justice."

Barrett took issue with the judge's characterization of pedophile priests as "a few bad apples."

"That's insulting and demeaning to every survivor who suffered at the hands of these criminals," she said. "Let's call them what they are: criminals."

Jerry Topczewski, chief of staff for Milwaukee Archbishop Jerome Listecki, said Kelley's ruling affirms what the archdiocese has said for years about most of the sex abuse allegations against its priests — "that the vast majority of abuse was not known to the archdiocese until years after it occurred."

The 10 survivors are among the more than 500 individuals who filed sex abuse claims seeking compensation. The claims considered Wednesday involved some of the archdiocese's most notorious sex offenders, including Murphy, who is believed to have molested some 200 boys over the years; Effinger; and the late Rev. George Nuedling.

Wednesday's hearing was the latest legal battle in a costly and contentious bankruptcy filed by the archdiocese in January 2011 to address its sexual abuse liabilities dating back decades — and the latest in a string of legal victories for the archdiocese in the Chapter 11 proceedings.

Barred by Wisconsin courts from asserting negligent supervision — the claim asserted in most church abuse cases around the country — survivors allege instead that the archdiocese defrauded them by moving problem priests from post to post without divulging they were a danger to children.

Six of the survivors were unable to show Wednesday that the archdiocese knew about their abusers before they were molested because theirs were the first allegations to surface against those offenders. One, involving an unnamed priest, is the first and only accusation against that cleric, the archdiocese said.

Legal fees in the bankruptcy have totaled more than $16 million, according to the archdiocese. However, victims' attorneys and the advocacy group Survivors Network of Those Who Have Been Abused by Priests put it at more than $20 million. Each side accuses the other of dragging the case out by litigating every possible point. Under bankruptcy law, the archdiocese pays the bill for both sides…..

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