Concerned Catholics of Boone County

Pope's Mexico trip clouded by Legion victim's book - Yahoo! News

2012-03-21T23:38:00.001-05:00

Holy See knew decades ago of allegations that the Mexican founder of the disgraced Legion of Christ religious order was a drug addict and pedophile.
The documentation has been compiled in a book "La voluntad de no saber" ("The will to not know"), which is co-authored by Jose Barba, a former Legion priest who along with other priests in 1998 brought a church trial against the Legion's founder, the Rev. Marciel Maciel, for having sexually abused them while they were seminarians.
new documents seem to solidify proof that the Vatican knew of the allegations long before taking action. Excerpts of the book were published by the Mexican magazine Proceso on Sunday.
The former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now Benedict, headed the office that received their complaint in 1998, but it took the Vatican eight years to sanction Maciel for the crimes, while the accusers were branded as liars and discredited by the Legion.

Click on the following for more details: Pope's Mexico trip clouded by Legion victim's book - Yahoo! News

Pope Benedict Makes Three Interesting Appointments

2012-03-21T22:29:00.001-05:00

By Scott P. Richert, About.com Guide March 21, 2012

But the most interesting of yesterday's appointments, at least to me, was the naming of Msgr. David J. Malloy of the archdiocese of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to replace Bishop Thomas Doran

reputation for being far more conservative and traditional than the longtime archbishop of Milwaukee, Rembert Weakland, who ordained him to the priesthood.
The appointment of a man well connected in the Vatican and at the highest levels of the U.S. hierarchy to the bishopric of Rockford would seem to confirm rumors I've heard over the past year that the Vatican now regards the Diocese of Rockford as an important American diocese. The question, of course, is why? It is possible that Rockford is being viewed as a proving ground for bishops who will later move on to larger and more important dioceses, such as Milwaukee and Chicago. Or it may simply be a question of numbers: While the Diocese of Rockford has far fewer priests, it is larger in area than, say, the Archdiocese of Baltimore, and it now has almost as many Catholics within its borders.

Click on the following to read the entire article: Pope Benedict Makes Three Interesting Appointments

Vatican launches criminal probe into leaks

2012-03-21T00:46:00.000-05:00

The scandal — and the rare threat to punish the perpetrators within the Vatican's own legal system of criminal and administrative sanctions — has come at an exceedingly delicate time for the Vatican, which is seeking to win European approval for its efforts to ensure its finances are transparent and that its laws to fight money laundering and terror financing meet international norms.

Leaks of memos alleging corruption in the awarding of Vatican contracts, mismanagement in the Vatican's finances, infighting and disputes over the Vatican's new anti-money laundering efforts haven't helped the bid.

Click on the following to read the story: http://news.yahoo.com/vatican-launches-criminal-probe-leaks-180247337.html

Documents leaked to the Italian press over the last few weeks have shed light on dark power struggles between senior cardinals, alleged corruption and nepotism in the running of the Vatican administration, and a mysterious prediction that the 84-year-old pontiff would die within a year, possibly as a result of an assassination attempt.

Msgr Becciu described whistle-blowers as "cowardly" and "deeply disloyal" and warned that they would face the full force of the law from Vatican prosecutors. They had abused the trust placed in them by leaking the documents, he said.

The investigation will be conducted by a tribunal and will probe all departments in the Vatican administration.
Read more of The Telegraph's story by clicking on the following: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/vaticancityandholysee/9151418/Pope-sets-up-criminal-investigation-into-Vatican-leaks.html

The Vatican has opened a rare criminal investigation into unauthorised leaks to the Italian media of confidential documents, its official paper reports.
Read more from the BBC News: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17410490

Vatican Bank Account Closed At JP Morgan, Image May Be Hurt

2012-03-21T00:40:00.000-05:00

VATICAN CITY/MILAN, March 19 (Reuters) - JP Morgan Chase is closing the Vatican bank's account with an Italian branch of the U.S. banking giant because of concerns about a lack of transparency at the Holy See's financial institution, Italian newspapers reported.

The bank, formally known as the Institute for Works of Religion (IOR), enacted major reforms last year in an attempt to get Europe's seal of approval and put behind it scandals that have included accusations of money laundering and fraud.
Read the entire Reuters story by clicking on the following: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/19/vatican-bank-image-hurt-closed_n_1363432.html

St. James Sunday Collection and Campaign Numbers for week ending March 18, 2012

2012-03-20T23:53:00.001-05:00

One additional pledge; Total Pledges decrease $3,570. Now $677,015 from the required $3,000,000.

Two additional pledges; $760 additional pledge.$673,444 from the required $3,000,000.

Two additional pledges; $1,002 additional pledges. $674,203 from the required $3,000,000

One additional pledge; $1,277 additional pledged. $675,205. from “required” $3,000,000.

Bishop William E. Lori is named next archbishop of Baltimore – USATODAY.com

2012-03-20T22:55:00.001-05:00

If there is any Catholic bishop in the U.S. who probably didn't need a bigger platform, it would be William E. Lori, who was named Tuesday by Pope Benedict XVI as the next archbishop of Baltimore

Lori has been tasked with coordinating the bishops' opposition to the White House's birth control mandate as well as opposing gay marriage and a host of other hot-button controversies.
Last September, Lori was tapped to lead the bishops' new Ad Hoc Committee on Religious Liberty in order to sharpen the bishops' message and raise their profile after years of playing defense in the clergy sexual abuse scandals.
In recent months, Lori has testified in Congress three times, and the bishops' fight with the White House has dominated the headlines and even seeped into the 2012 presidential race.

Click on the following to read he entire article: Bishop William E. Lori is named next archbishop of Baltimore – USATODAY.com

Carl Siciliano: A Call to Cardinal Dolan to Stop Endangering LGBT Youth

2012-03-20T22:38:00.001-05:00

LGBT="lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender”

I write to you as the director of the Ali Forney Center, the nation's largest organization dedicated to homeless LGBT youth. I am writing to you on behalf of the hundreds of thousands of LGBT youths who have been driven from their homes by parents unwilling or unable to accept their own children because they are gay. And I write to you as a member of the Archdiocese of New York who is deeply ashamed by the ways that his bishop contributes to the abuse and harm suffered by these youths.

I want you to understand how you, and other religious leaders who fight against the acceptance of LGBT people, are helping to create a national tragedy

Parental rejection has become so prevalent that LGBT youths make up an astonishing 40 percent of the nation's homeless youth population.

When you use your position as a religious leader to fight the acceptance of LGBT persons as equal members of our society, you inevitably make many parents less able to accept their own LGBT children

Carl Siciliano is the founder and executive director of the Ali Forney Center, which provides housing, medical care, and vocational and educational support to LGBT youths who have been driven from their homes. Formerly he was a Benedictine monk and a member of the Catholic Worker movement.

Click on the following for more details; Carl Siciliano: A Call to Cardinal Dolan to Stop Endangering LGBT Youth

St. Matthew (Oak Creek, WI) secretary sentenced to three years in prison | FOX6Now.com – Milwaukee News & weather from WITI Television FOX6

2012-03-20T21:52:00.001-05:00

Prosecutors say she accepted tuition and charitable payments, and then used accounting fraud to keep most of the money herself.
She told the judge she doesn’t have a drug or gambling problem, and that she used most of the money on her family.
last seven years, Vodvarka had purchased over $200,000 in gift cards on behalf of parishioners and school parents, but she had only deposited over $8,000 into the church’s bank account.

Click on the following for more details: St. Matthew secretary sentenced to three years in prison | FOX6Now.com – Milwaukee News & weather from WITI Television FOX6

From ano~~the~~r source: Vodvarka was first accused of taking $217,000 dollars by the use of subscription gift cards that merchants donated for Saint Matthew’s School. A related civil lawsuit then uncovered $183,000 dollars in stolen cash which Vodvarka covered up by falsifying church ledgers. Vodvarka said the thefts were almost like an “addiction” to her since she started them in 2004. She told the judge she must have spent the money on her family because quote, “I don’t gamble. I don’t have new cars. I don’t take trips.” Vodvarka claimed she gave some of the stolen funds to charities

Vatican issues report on Irish church child abuse investigation - latimes.com

2012-03-20T21:23:00.001-05:00

investigation, or Apostolic Visitation, was ordered by Pope Benedict XVI in response to the widespread sexual abuse of minors by priests in Ireland and subsequent coverup that had been detailed in at least two damning reports commissioned by the Irish government.
The Vatican said that in issuing the eight-page summary, “The Holy See re-echoes the sense of dismay and betrayal which the Holy Father expressed in his Letter to the Catholics of Ireland regarding the sinful and criminal acts that were at the root of this particular crisis.”

progress had been made in eradicating the problem as well as in preventing abuse.

Click on the following for the complete LA Times article; Vatican issues report on Irish church child abuse investigation - latimes.com

Below is the eight page letter:

PASTORAL LETTER
OF THE HOLY FATHER
POPE BENEDICT XVI
TO THE CATHOLICS OF IRELAND

1. Dear Brothers and Sisters of the Church in Ireland, it is with great concern that I write to you as Pastor of the universal Church. Like yourselves, I have been deeply disturbed by the information which has come to light regarding the abuse of children and vulnerable young people by members of the Church in Ireland, particularly by priests and religious. I can only share in the dismay and the sense of betrayal that so many of you have experienced on learning of these sinful and criminal acts and the way Church authorities in Ireland dealt with them.

As you know, I recently invited the Irish bishops to a meeting here in Rome to give an account of their handling of these matters in the past and to outline the steps they have taken to respond to this grave situation. Together with senior officials of the Roman Curia, I listened to what they had to say, both individually and as a group, as they offered an analysis of mistakes made and lessons learned, and a description of the programmes and protocols now in place. Our discussions were frank and constructive. I am confident that, as a result, the bishops will now be in a stronger position to carry forward the work of repairing past injustices and confronting the broader issues associated with the abuse of minors in a way consonant with the demands of justice and the teachings of the Gospel.

2. For my part, considering the gravity of these offences, and the often inadequate response to them on the part of the ecclesiastical authorities in your country, I have decided to write this Pastoral Letter to express my closeness to you and to propose a path of healing, renewal and reparation.

It is true, as many in your country have pointed out, that the problem of child abuse is peculiar neither to Ireland nor to the Church. Nevertheless, the task you now face is to address the problem of abuse that has occurred within the Irish Catholic community, and to do so with courage and determination. No one imagines that this painful situation will be resolved swiftly. Real progress has been made, yet much more remains to be done. Perseverance and prayer are needed, with great trust in the healing power of God’s grace.

At the same time, I must also express my conviction that, in order to recover from this grievous wound, the Church in Ireland must first acknowledge before the Lord and before others the serious sins committed against defenceless children. Such an acknowledgement, accompanied by sincere sorrow for the damage caused to these victims and their families, must lead to a concerted effort to ensure the protection of children from similar crimes in the future.

As you take up the challenges of this hour, I ask you to remember “the rock from which you were hewn” (Is 51:1). Reflect upon the generous, often heroic, contributions made by past generations of Irish men and women to the Church and to humanity as a whole, and let this provide the impetus for honest self-examination and a committed programme of ecclesial and individual renewal. It is my prayer that, assisted by the intercession of her many saints and purified through penance, the Church in Ireland will overcome the present crisis and become once more a convincing witness to the truth and the goodness of Almighty God, made manifest in his Son Jesus Christ.

3. Historically, the Catholics of Ireland have proved an enormous force for good at home and abroad. Celtic monks like Saint Columbanus spread the Gospel in Western Europe and laid the foundations of medieval monastic culture. The ideals of holiness, charity and transcendent wisdom born of the Christian faith found expression in the building of churches and monasteries and the establishment of schools, libraries and hospitals, all of which helped to consolidate the spiritual identity of Europe. Those Irish missionaries drew their strength and inspiration from the firm faith, strong leadership and upright morals of the Church in their native land.

From the sixteenth century on, Catholics in Ireland endured a long period of persecution, during which they struggled to keep the flame of faith alive in dangerous and difficult circumstances. Saint Oliver Plunkett, the martyred Archbishop of Armagh, is the most famous example of a host of courageous sons and daughters of Ireland who were willing to lay down their lives out of fidelity to the Gospel. After Catholic Emancipation, the Church was free to grow once more. Families and countless individuals who had preserved the faith in times of trial became the catalyst for the great resurgence of Irish Catholicism in the nineteenth century. The Church provided education, especially for the poor, and this was to make a major contribution to Irish society. Among the fruits of the new Catholic schools was a rise in vocations: generations of missionary priests, sisters and brothers left their homeland to serve in every continent, especially in the English-speaking world. They were remarkable not only for their great numbers, but for the strength of their faith and the steadfastness of their pastoral commitment. Many dioceses, especially in Africa, America and Australia, benefited from the presence of Irish clergy and religious who preached the Gospel and established parishes, schools and universities, clinics and hospitals that served both Catholics and the community at large, with particular attention to the needs of the poor.

In almost every family in Ireland, there has been someone – a son or a daughter, an aunt or an uncle – who has given his or her life to the Church. Irish families rightly esteem and cherish their loved ones who have dedicated their lives to Christ, sharing the gift of faith with others, and putting that faith into action in loving service of God and neighbour.

4. In recent decades, however, the Church in your country has had to confront new and serious challenges to the faith arising from the rapid transformation and secularization of Irish society. Fast-paced social change has occurred, often adversely affecting people’s traditional adherence to Catholic teaching and values. All too often, the sacramental and devotional practices that sustain faith and enable it to grow, such as frequent confession, daily prayer and annual retreats, were neglected. Significant too was the tendency during this period, also on the part of priests and religious, to adopt ways of thinking and assessing secular realities without sufficient reference to the Gospel. The programme of renewal proposed by the Second Vatican Council was sometimes misinterpreted and indeed, in the light of the profound social changes that were taking place, it was far from easy to know how best to implement it. In particular, there was a well-intentioned but misguided tendency to avoid penal approaches to canonically irregular situations. It is in this overall context that we must try to understand the disturbing problem of child sexual abuse, which has contributed in no small measure to the weakening of faith and the loss of respect for the Church and her teachings.

Only by examining carefully the many elements that gave rise to the present crisis can a clear-sighted diagnosis of its causes be undertaken and effective remedies be found. Certainly, among the contributing factors we can include: inadequate procedures for determining the suitability of candidates for the priesthood and the religious life; insufficient human, moral, intellectual and spiritual formation in seminaries and novitiates; a tendency in society to favour the clergy and other authority figures; and a misplaced concern for the reputation of the Church and the avoidance of scandal, resulting in failure to apply existing canonical penalties and to safeguard the dignity of every person. Urgent action is needed to address these factors, which have had such tragic consequences in the lives of victims and their families, and have obscured the light of the Gospel to a degree that not even centuries of persecution succeeded in doing.

5. On several occasions since my election to the See of Peter, I have met with victims of sexual abuse, as indeed I am ready to do in the future. I have sat with them, I have listened to their stories, I have acknowledged their suffering, and I have prayed with them and for them. Earlier in my pontificate, in my concern to address this matter, I asked the bishops of Ireland, “to establish the truth of what happened in the past, to take whatever steps are necessary to prevent it from occurring again, to ensure that the principles of justice are fully respected, and above all, to bring healing to the victims and to all those affected by these egregious crimes” (Address to the Bishops of Ireland, 28 October 2006).

With this Letter, I wish to exhort all of you, as God’s people in Ireland, to reflect on the wounds inflicted on Christ’s body, the sometimes painful remedies needed to bind and heal them, and the need for unity, charity and mutual support in the long-term process of restoration and ecclesial renewal. I now turn to you with words that come from my heart, and I wish to speak to each of you individually and to all of you as brothers and sisters in the Lord.

6. To the victims of abuse and their families

You have suffered grievously and I am truly sorry. I know that nothing can undo the wrong you have endured. Your trust has been betrayed and your dignity has been violated. Many of you found that, when you were courageous enough to speak of what happened to you, no one would listen. Those of you who were abused in residential institutions must have felt that there was no escape from your sufferings. It is understandable that you find it hard to forgive or be reconciled with the Church. In her name, I openly express the shame and remorse that we all feel. At the same time, I ask you not to lose hope. It is in the communion of the Church that we encounter the person of Jesus Christ, who was himself a victim of injustice and sin. Like you, he still bears the wounds of his own unjust suffering. He understands the depths of your pain and its enduring effect upon your lives and your relationships, including your relationship with the Church. I know some of you find it difficult even to enter the doors of a church after all that has occurred. Yet Christ’s own wounds, transformed by his redemptive sufferings, are the very means by which the power of evil is broken and we are reborn to life and hope. I believe deeply in the healing power of his self-sacrificing love – even in the darkest and most hopeless situations – to bring liberation and the promise of a new beginning.

Speaking to you as a pastor concerned for the good of all God’s children, I humbly ask you to consider what I have said. I pray that, by drawing nearer to Christ and by participating in the life of his Church – a Church purified by penance and renewed in pastoral charity – you will come to rediscover Christ’s infinite love for each one of you. I am confident that in this way you will be able to find reconciliation, deep inner healing and peace.

7. To priests and religious who have abused children

You betrayed the trust that was placed in you by innocent young people and their parents, and you must answer for it before Almighty God and before properly constituted tribunals. You have forfeited the esteem of the people of Ireland and brought shame and dishonour upon your confreres. Those of you who are priests violated the sanctity of the sacrament of Holy Orders in which Christ makes himself present in us and in our actions. Together with the immense harm done to victims, great damage has been done to the Church and to the public perception of the priesthood and religious life.

I urge you to examine your conscience, take responsibility for the sins you have committed, and humbly express your sorrow. Sincere repentance opens the door to God’s forgiveness and the grace of true amendment. By offering prayers and penances for those you have wronged, you should seek to atone personally for your actions. Christ’s redeeming sacrifice has the power to forgive even the gravest of sins, and to bring forth good from even the most terrible evil. At the same time, God’s justice summons us to give an account of our actions and to conceal nothing. Openly acknowledge your guilt, submit yourselves to the demands of justice, but do not despair of God’s mercy.

8. To parents

You have been deeply shocked to learn of the terrible things that took place in what ought to be the safest and most secure environment of all. In today’s world it is not easy to build a home and to bring up children. They deserve to grow up in security, loved and cherished, with a strong sense of their identity and worth. They have a right to be educated in authentic moral values rooted in the dignity of the human person, to be inspired by the truth of our Catholic faith and to learn ways of behaving and acting that lead to healthy self-esteem and lasting happiness. This noble but demanding task is entrusted in the first place to you, their parents. I urge you to play your part in ensuring the best possible care of children, both at home and in society as a whole, while the Church, for her part, continues to implement the measures adopted in recent years to protect young people in parish and school environments. As you carry out your vital responsibilities, be assured that I remain close to you and I offer you the support of my prayers.

9. To the children and young people of Ireland

I wish to offer you a particular word of encouragement. Your experience of the Church is very different from that of your parents and grandparents. The world has changed greatly since they were your age. Yet all people, in every generation, are called to travel the same path through life, whatever their circumstances may be. We are all scandalized by the sins and failures of some of the Church's members, particularly those who were chosen especially to guide and serve young people. But it is in the Church that you will find Jesus Christ, who is the same yesterday, today and for ever (cf. Heb 13:8). He loves you and he has offered himself on the cross for you. Seek a personal relationship with him within the communion of his Church, for he will never betray your trust! He alone can satisfy your deepest longings and give your lives their fullest meaning by directing them to the service of others. Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus and his goodness, and shelter the flame of faith in your heart. Together with your fellow Catholics in Ireland, I look to you to be faithful disciples of our Lord and to bring your much-needed enthusiasm and idealism to the rebuilding and renewal of our beloved Church.

10. To the priests and religious of Ireland

All of us are suffering as a result of the sins of our confreres who betrayed a sacred trust or failed to deal justly and responsibly with allegations of abuse. In view of the outrage and indignation which this has provoked, not only among the lay faithful but among yourselves and your religious communities, many of you feel personally discouraged, even abandoned. I am also aware that in some people’s eyes you are tainted by association, and viewed as if you were somehow responsible for the misdeeds of others. At this painful time, I want to acknowledge the dedication of your priestly and religious lives and apostolates, and I invite you to reaffirm your faith in Christ, your love of his Church and your confidence in the Gospel's promise of redemption, forgiveness and interior renewal. In this way, you will demonstrate for all to see that where sin abounds, grace abounds all the more (cf. Rom 5:20).

I know that many of you are disappointed, bewildered and angered by the way these matters have been handled by some of your superiors. Yet, it is essential that you cooperate closely with those in authority and help to ensure that the measures adopted to respond to the crisis will be truly evangelical, just and effective. Above all, I urge you to become ever more clearly men and women of prayer, courageously following the path of conversion, purification and reconciliation. In this way, the Church in Ireland will draw new life and vitality from your witness to the Lord's redeeming power made visible in your lives.

11. To my brother bishops

It cannot be denied that some of you and your predecessors failed, at times grievously, to apply the long-established norms of canon law to the crime of child abuse. Serious mistakes were made in responding to allegations. I recognize how difficult it was to grasp the extent and complexity of the problem, to obtain reliable information and to make the right decisions in the light of conflicting expert advice. Nevertheless, it must be admitted that grave errors of judgement were made and failures of leadership occurred. All this has seriously undermined your credibility and effectiveness. I appreciate the efforts you have made to remedy past mistakes and to guarantee that they do not happen again. Besides fully implementing the norms of canon law in addressing cases of child abuse, continue to cooperate with the civil authorities in their area of competence. Clearly, religious superiors should do likewise. They too have taken part in recent discussions here in Rome with a view to establishing a clear and consistent approach to these matters. It is imperative that the child safety norms of the Church in Ireland be continually revised and updated and that they be applied fully and impartially in conformity with canon law.

Only decisive action carried out with complete honesty and transparency will restore the respect and good will of the Irish people towards the Church to which we have consecrated our lives. This must arise, first and foremost, from your own self-examination, inner purification and spiritual renewal. The Irish people rightly expect you to be men of God, to be holy, to live simply, to pursue personal conversion daily. For them, in the words of Saint Augustine, you are a bishop; yet with them you are called to be a follower of Christ (cf. Sermon 340, 1). I therefore exhort you to renew your sense of accountability before God, to grow in solidarity with your people and to deepen your pastoral concern for all the members of your flock. In particular, I ask you to be attentive to the spiritual and moral lives of each one of your priests. Set them an example by your own lives, be close to them, listen to their concerns, offer them encouragement at this difficult time and stir up the flame of their love for Christ and their commitment to the service of their brothers and sisters.

The lay faithful, too, should be encouraged to play their proper part in the life of the Church. See that they are formed in such a way that they can offer an articulate and convincing account of the Gospel in the midst of modern society (cf. 1 Pet 3:15) and cooperate more fully in the Church’s life and mission. This in turn will help you once again become credible leaders and witnesses to the redeeming truth of Christ.

12. To all the faithful of Ireland

A young person’s experience of the Church should always bear fruit in a personal and life-giving encounter with Jesus Christ within a loving, nourishing community. In this environment, young people should be encouraged to grow to their full human and spiritual stature, to aspire to high ideals of holiness, charity and truth, and to draw inspiration from the riches of a great religious and cultural tradition. In our increasingly secularized society, where even we Christians often find it difficult to speak of the transcendent dimension of our existence, we need to find new ways to pass on to young people the beauty and richness of friendship with Jesus Christ in the communion of his Church. In confronting the present crisis, measures to deal justly with individual crimes are essential, yet on their own they are not enough: a new vision is needed, to inspire present and future generations to treasure the gift of our common faith. By treading the path marked out by the Gospel, by observing the commandments and by conforming your lives ever more closely to the figure of Jesus Christ, you will surely experience the profound renewal that is so urgently needed at this time. I invite you all to persevere along this path.

13. Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, it is out of deep concern for all of you at this painful time in which the fragility of the human condition has been so starkly revealed that I have wished to offer these words of encouragement and support. I hope that you will receive them as a sign of my spiritual closeness and my confidence in your ability to respond to the challenges of the present hour by drawing renewed inspiration and strength from Ireland’s noble traditions of fidelity to the Gospel, perseverance in the faith and steadfastness in the pursuit of holiness.In solidarity with all of you, I am praying earnestly that, by God’s grace, the wounds afflicting so many individuals and families may be healed and that the Church in Ireland may experience a season of rebirth and spiritual renewal.

14. I now wish to propose to you some concrete initiatives to address the situation.

At the conclusion of my meeting with the Irish bishops, I asked that Lent this year be set aside as a time to pray for an outpouring of God’s mercy and the Holy Spirit’s gifts of holiness and strength upon the Church in your country. I now invite all of you to devote your Friday penances, for a period of one year, between now and Easter 2011, to this intention. I ask you to offer up your fasting, your prayer, your reading of Scripture and your works of mercy in order to obtain the grace of healing and renewal for the Church in Ireland. I encourage you to discover anew the sacrament of Reconciliation and to avail yourselves more frequently of the transforming power of its grace.

Particular attention should also be given to Eucharistic adoration, and in every diocese there should be churches or chapels specifically devoted to this purpose. I ask parishes, seminaries, religious houses and monasteries to organize periods of Eucharistic adoration, so that all have an opportunity to take part. Through intense prayer before the real presence of the Lord, you can make reparation for the sins of abuse that have done so much harm, at the same time imploring the grace of renewed strength and a deeper sense of mission on the part of all bishops, priests, religious and lay faithful.

I am confident that this programme will lead to a rebirth of the Church in Ireland in the fullness of God’s own truth, for it is the truth that sets us free (cf. Jn 8:32).

Furthermore, having consulted and prayed about the matter, I intend to hold an Apostolic Visitation of certain dioceses in Ireland, as well as seminaries and religious congregations. Arrangements for the Visitation, which is intended to assist the local Church on her path of renewal, will be made in cooperation with the competent offices of the Roman Curia and the Irish Episcopal Conference. The details will be announced in due course.

I also propose that a nationwide Mission be held for all bishops, priests and religious. It is my hope that, by drawing on the expertise of experienced preachers and retreat-givers from Ireland and from elsewhere, and by exploring anew the conciliar documents, the liturgical rites of ordination and profession, and recent pontifical teaching, you will come to a more profound appreciation of your respective vocations, so as to rediscover the roots of your faith in Jesus Christ and to drink deeply from the springs of living water that he offers you through his Church.

In this Year for Priests, I commend to you most particularly the figure of Saint John Mary Vianney, who had such a rich understanding of the mystery of the priesthood. “The priest”, he wrote, “holds the key to the treasures of heaven: it is he who opens the door: he is the steward of the good Lord; the administrator of his goods.” The Curé d’Ars understood well how greatly blessed a community is when served by a good and holy priest: “A good shepherd, a pastor after God’s heart, is the greatest treasure which the good Lord can grant to a parish, and one of the most precious gifts of divine mercy.” Through the intercession of Saint John Mary Vianney, may the priesthood in Ireland be revitalized, and may the whole Church in Ireland grow in appreciation for the great gift of the priestly ministry.

I take this opportunity to thank in anticipation all those who will be involved in the work of organizing the Apostolic Visitation and the Mission, as well as the many men and women throughout Ireland already working for the safety of children in church environments. Since the time when the gravity and extent of the problem of child sexual abuse in Catholic institutions first began to be fully grasped, the Church has done an immense amount of work in many parts of the world in order to address and remedy it. While no effort should be spared in improving and updating existing procedures, I am encouraged by the fact that the current safeguarding practices adopted by local Churches are being seen, in some parts of the world, as a model for other institutions to follow.

I wish to conclude this Letter with a special Prayer for the Church in Ireland, which I send to you with the care of a father for his children and with the affection of a fellow Christian, scandalized and hurt by what has occurred in our beloved Church. As you make use of this prayer in your families, parishes and communities, may the Blessed Virgin Mary protect and guide each of you to a closer union with her Son, crucified and risen. With great affection and unswerving confidence in God’s promises, I cordially impart to all of you my Apostolic Blessing as a pledge of strength and peace in the Lord.

From the Vatican, 19 March 2010, on the Solemnity of Saint Joseph

BENEDICTUS PP. XVI

Prayer for the Church in Ireland

God of our fathers,
renew us in the faith which is our life and salvation,
the hope which promises forgiveness and interior renewal,
the charity which purifies and opens our hearts
to love you, and in you, each of our brothers and sisters.

Lord Jesus Christ,
may the Church in Ireland renew her age-old commitment
to the education of our young people in the way of truth and goodness, holiness and generous service to society.

Holy Spirit, comforter, advocate and guide,
inspire a new springtime of holiness and apostolic zeal
for the Church in Ireland.

May our sorrow and our tears,
our sincere effort to redress past wrongs,
and our firm purpose of amendment
bear an abundant harvest of grace
for the deepening of the faith
in our families, parishes, schools and communities,
for the spiritual progress of Irish society,
and the growth of charity, justice, joy and peace
within the whole human family.

To you, Triune God,
confident in the loving protection of Mary,
Queen of Ireland, our Mother,
and of Saint Patrick, Saint Brigid and all the saints,
do we entrust ourselves, our children,
and the needs of the Church in Ireland.

Amen.

From: http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/letters/2010/documents/hf_ben-xvi_let_20100319_church-ireland_en.html

Archbishop Listecki gives additional praise and information regarding Rockford’s future bishop

2012-03-20T17:38:00.001-05:00

Love One Another
March 20, 2012
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Today, the Archdiocese of Milwaukee received with joy the news that Pope Benedict XVI has named Msgr. David Malloy, currently pastor of St. Francis de Sales Parish, Lake Geneva, as the new bishop of Rockford Ill. He will replace the retiring Bishop Thomas G. Doran.
Bishop-elect Malloy’s appointment is a tribute to his dedication and priestly service to the Church. After ordination to the priesthood, Bishop-elect Malloy was assigned to diplomatic service for the Vatican. He was stationed in Pakistan, Syria and, in addition, his assignments included the Papal Mission to the United Nations, and the Prefecture of the Papal Household in Rome. Most recently, he was the associate and then general secretary of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in Washington, D.C.
Upon returning to the Archdiocese of Milwaukee in 2011, he was appointed administrator of St. Francis de Sales Parish, Lake Geneva, and later became pastor. When I appointed him to that faith-filled congregation, I could sense the excitement in the parishioners and the parish staff, who couldn’t help but envision their congregation moving forward in partnership with this energetic priest. His mother and immediate family, present at the celebration, were happy to have their son, brother and uncle so close to home and enjoying his assignment.
I know that even with the joy of this announcement for Bishop-elect Malloy, there is sadness in a community which has so quickly embraced him and the direction he offered as their new pastor. Every time I would see Msgr. Malloy and ask how he was adjusting to parish life, he would respond without hesitancy that he couldn’t be happier, and was loving ever minute of parish life. Like a proud “father,” he would boast about his parishioners, telling me of their commitment to the parish and the depth of their faith.

Bishop-elect Malloy’s proficiency in Spanish helped to create a bridge to the growing Hispanic population at St. Francis de Sales Parish. His associate pastor, Fr. Angel Anaya, told me that he personally learned much from Bishop-elect Malloy’s leadership style and that they worked collaboratively to make sure that the Hispanic community was always included in all the activities, with the understanding that they worked as one parish.
I first met Bishop-elect Malloy when he was a theologian at the North American College. We shared a love for basketball and would play one-on-one. Eight years younger, he was quick and agile, with a good shot to offset his ability. I myself would depend upon the wisdom that comes with age, my cunning deception, physical intimidation and unlimited timeouts just to stay in the game!
Back then, neither of us at that time envisioned the episcopacy. Our discussions usually revolved around the priesthood and our love for the Church. Through these experiences and discussions of faith, a friendship developed which has managed to last for over 30 years.
Bishop-elect Malloy’s appointment is a tribute to the priests and people of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. We serve Christ and his Church and Pope Benedict honors us by selecting one of our own to be a successor of the Apostles. As his friend and archbishop, I am proud of this appointment. However, I know that we in the archdiocese will be losing a talented pastor, who serves with the heart and mind of the Church. In spite of that, I also know that the Holy Spirit will challenge us to step forward to fill the leadership role, and assume our responsibility to LOVE ONE ANOTHER.
In His Name,
Most Reverend Jerome E. Listecki
Archbishop of Milwaukee

Concerned Catholics approaches 13,000 page views since its beginning in June 2011

2012-03-20T12:27:00.001-05:00

There have been 12,872 page views since July 4, 2011. Note the extremely large number of page views today—due to the news of the appointment of the new bishop

Click on the photocopy to enlarge:.

Diocese of ROCKFORD’s Statement on new Bishop

2012-03-20T12:16:00.001-05:00

Welcome!
The Vatican announced Tuesday, March 20, 2012 that The Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, accepted the resignation of Bishop Thomas G. Doran and appointed Msgr. David John Malloy, as the ninth Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Rockford.
Bishop Doran held a press conference at 10 a.m. the same day at the Diocesan Administration Center to officially introduce Bishop-elect Malloy.
Please join the Diocese of Rockford in offering prayers of thanksgiving for the good work and faith of Bishop Doran and for the new episcopacy of our new shepherd, Bishop-elect David Malloy.
BISHOP-ELECT DAVID JOHN MALLOY
Bishop-elect Malloy was born Feb. 3, 1956 in Milwaukee, Wis., the son of David (deceased) and Mary Malloy.
He has one sister Mary Ellen and four brothers; Daniel, Father Francis, Robert and Richard.
He attended Christ the King Grade School in Wauwatosa, Wis., and graduated from Wauwatosa East School in 1974. He graduated from Marquette University in Milwaukee in 1978 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology. He studied one year at St. Francis de Sales Seminary in Milwaukee and five years at the Gregorian University in Rome where he received advanced degrees in theology.

He was ordained to the priesthood in 1983 by Archbishop Rembert Weakland. He served two years as associate pastor of St. John Nepomuk Parish in Racine. In preparation for the Vatican Diplomatic Service he attended the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy from 1986 to 1990 where he received a degree in Canon Law from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas, (Angelicum) and a doctorate in Sacred Theology from the Gregorian University. After his studies, he served as secretary to the Apostolic Nunciature (Vatican Embassies) in Pakistan (1990-1994) and the Apostolic Nunciature in Syria (1995). From 1995 to 1998 he was secretary to the Permanent Observer Mission to the Holy See. Bishop-elect Malloy left the Diplomatic Service in 1998 and served for two and a half years in the Vatican's prefecture of the Papal Household helping with the Great Jubilee Year of 2000.
In 2001 he was appointed Associate General Secretary of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and in 2006 began a five year term as General Secretary. After his term at the USCCB ended, Bishop-elect Malloy was assigned to be pastor at St. Francis de Sales Parish in Lake Geneva where he has served since Aug. 1, 2011.
He speaks Italian, Spanish and some French.

Rockford’s New Bishop

2012-03-20T12:02:00.001-05:00

20-March-2012 -- Vatican Information Service

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Pontifical Acts for March 20

Vatican City, 20 March 2012 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Appointed Bishop William E. Lori of Bridgeport, U.S.A., as archbishop of Baltimore (area 12,430, population 3,119,000, Catholics 499,529, priests 543, permanent deacons 158, religious 1,249), U.S.A.

- Appointed Msgr. David J. Malloy of the clergy of the archdiocese of Milwaukee, U.S.A., pastor of the parish of St. Francis de Sales at Lake Geneva, as bishop of Rockford (area 16,717, population 1,665,000, Catholics 451,509, priests 288, permanent deacons 136, religious 184), U.S.A. The bishop-elect was born in Milwaukee in 1956 and ordained a priest in 1983. He studied in Rome then served for a number of years in the diplomatic service of the Holy See before becoming an official of the Prefecture of the Pontifical Household. From 2006 to 2011 he was secretary general of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. He succeeds Bishop Thomas G. Doran, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

- Appointed Bishop Christian Lepine, auxiliary of the archdiocese of Montreal, Canada, as metropolitan archbishop of the same archdiocese (area 1,103, population 2,574,000, Catholics 1,640,000, priests 1,163, permanent deacons 100, religious 4,158). He succeeds Cardinal Jean-Claude Turcotte, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same archdiocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

- Appointed Fr. Gregory L. Parkes of the clergy of the diocese of Orlando, U.S.A., vicar general, chancellor for canonical affairs and pastor of the parish of Corpus Christi at Celebration, as bishop of Pensacola-Tallahassee (area 36,724, population 1,381,566, Catholics 74,868, priests 94, permanent deacons 67, religious 49), U.S.A. The bishop-elect was born in Mineola, U.S.A. in 1964 and ordained a priest in 1999. Before becoming a priest he worked in the banking sector. He studied in Rome and, since ordination, has worked in pastoral care in the diocese of Orlando.

On Saturday 17 March it was made public that the Pope:

- Appointed Archbishop Mario Roberto Cassari, apostolic nuncio to South Africa, Botswana, Namibia and Swaziland, also as apostolic nuncio to Lesotho.

- Appointed Bishop Rufin Anthony of Islamabad-Rawalpindi, Pakistan, as apostolic administrator "sede vacante et ad nutum Sanctae Sedis" of the diocese of Faisalabad, Pakistan.

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Rockford’s new bishop: David J. Malloy

2012-03-20T08:48:00.001-05:00

Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Pope Benedict XVI announced today that he has appointed Msgr. David J. Malloy as the 9th bishop of the Diocese of Rockford, Illinois. Malloy will succeed Bishop Thomas Doran, who is retiring.
“I am extremely proud and pleased that the Holy Father has chosen a priest of our diocese to lead the Diocese of Rockford. Although a loss for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, and his parish, Saint Francis de Sales in Lake Geneva, it is a gain for the faithful of Rockford and the State of Illinois, as well as the Church of the United States. Our prayers and good wishes go with him as he responds to this new call,” said Archbishop Listecki.
David Malloy was born February 3, 1956, in Milwaukee. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in biology from Marquette University, and then studied for the priesthood at St. Francis de Sales Seminary in Milwaukee and the North American College in Rome. He was ordained a priest for the archdiocese in 1983.
Prior to ordination he earned a bachelor’s degree and a licentiate in theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome. After ordination he earned a licentiate in canon law from Rome’s Pontifical University of St. Thomas (Angelicum) and a doctorate in theology from the Gregorian University.
After ordination Bishop-elect Malloy was associate pastor at St. John Nepomuk Parish, in Racine, Wisconsin, 1984-1986. He studied for the Vatican Diplomatic Corps, 1986-1990. His diplomatic corps assignments included secretary, apostolic nunciature, Pakistan, 1990-1994; secretary, apostolic nunciature, Syria, 1995; secretary, U.S. Permanent Observer to the Mission of the Holy See, 1995-1998. He also assisted in the Prefecture of the Papal Household at the Vatican, 1998-2001.
At the USCCB, he served as associate general secretary, 2001-2006, and general secretary, 2006-2011. He was named administrator at c 2011-2012, and pastor of that parish in 2012.
As he embarks on this new journey, I ask that you pray for Msgr. Malloy as well as the people of the Diocese of Rockford and the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.
Very truly yours in Christ,
Most Reverend Jerome E. Listecki
Archbishop of Milwaukee

Photograph of Monsignor Malloy

Philadelphia Archdiocese fights to keep 12 documents out of Lynn trial

2012-03-19T22:26:00.001-05:00

…. 12 documents that could reveal how its lawyers advised church leaders to handle claims that priests were molesting children.
The records include correspondence between the lawyers and Msgr. William J. Lynn, the church official criminally charged over his alleged role in responding to abuse allegations in the 1990s. Most concern the "development of policy" by the archdiocese, its attorney, Robert Welsh, said during a Common Pleas Court hearing.

Click on the the following to read the entire article: Archdiocese fights to keep 12 documents out of Lynn trial

Waukesha Co. priest on leave, under investigation | abc7chicago.com

2012-03-19T22:21:00.001-05:00

Rev. Mark Molling of St. Paul Parish in Genesee Depot was placed on temporary administrative leave after allegations contained in the archdiocese's Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Molling denies the accusations.
Listecki says there's been no substantiation of the allegations, which will be reviewed by an independent investigator.

Click on the following for the complete story: Waukesha Co. priest on leave, under investigation | abc7chicago.com

Cardinal Dolan's Contraception Fight With Obama - The Daily Beast

2012-03-19T08:53:00.001-05:00

In a sense, the fight over the contraception mandate has its roots in the old divide within the church that began with Vatican II, the ecumenical council convened by Rome in 1962 in the hope of reinvigorating the church. By the time the council concluded in 1965, the agenda had become full-scale reform, and the prevailing reformers imagined a thoroughgoing remaking of the church, informed by the contemporary culture. The progressive ideal, with its strong emphasis on social justice, dominated the American episcopacy for decades, largely shaped by the hand of Joseph Bernardin, the first head of the American bishops conference. Bernardin urged the church to follow “a consistent ethic of life,” by which he meant that Catholics should devote as much concern to such matters as tending to the poor and advocating for peace as they did to protecting the fetus in the womb. One expression of Bernardin’s vision came to life in his own archdiocese of Chicago, in the form of the Developing Communities Project, on the city’s impoverished South Side. In 1984, one of the project’s founders, a Saul Alinsky–trained organizer, traveled to New York and hired a young Columbia University graduate to run the operation. That is how Barack Obama, operating out of an office at the Holy Rosary Church on the South Side, began his career as a community organizer.

By then, among those in the church who believed that the reforms had gone off track was the charismatic Polish pope, John Paul II, and his right-hand man (and eventual successor), Joseph Ratzinger. They began a program of reinterpreting Vatican II, with an emphasis on evangelization, derived from a strongly held orthodoxy. A new generation of churchmen arose, deeply attached to the person, and the theology, of John Paul II, and began to assert itself inside the American church. One of them was Timothy Dolan, whose 1950s upbringing in the Holy Infant parish in Ballwin, Missouri, with its Irish nuns in the classrooms, and its robust community life, instilled in him a lasting vision of the faith as a joyous and liberating thing. “The church is about a yes,” he says. “And the only time she says no is when she detects something negating human dignity.”

Click on the following to read the entire story from Newsweek.: Cardinal Dolan's Contraception Fight With Obama - The Daily Beast

Counting the Catholic abuse crisis toll 10 years later | StarTribune.com

2012-03-18T22:16:00.001-05:00

By 2005, as the church responded with new rules and safeguards, many Catholics were willing to give bishops the benefit of the doubt, sociologist William D’Antonio of Catholic University of America said.
However, “Six years later, as the scandal continues and becomes worldwide, the laity seem much more distressed by it,” said D’Antonio, who has led five major surveys of American Catholics since 1987. “The laity seems to be losing their patience.”
In the 2011 study of 1,442 adult Catholics, 69 percent of respondents said the Catholic bishops have done a fair or poor job in handling accusations of sexual abuse by priests.
More than four in five respondents said the issue has hurt church leaders’ political credibility, reported researchers D’Antonio, Mary Gautier of the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate and Michele Dillon of the University of New Hampshire.

Click on the following for more details of this Twin Cities newspaper: http://www.startribune.com/opinion/commentaries/142932155.html

Philadelphia Archdiocese suspends top attorney

2012-03-17T21:42:00.001-05:00

The Archdiocese of Philadelphia on Friday suspended its top lawyer, less than two weeks before a trial that could shine a spotlight on the role he and other church lawyers played in the handling of decades of child-sex-abuse allegations….

Coyne had been in-house counsel for the church for at least six years. Before that, he worked at Stradley, Ronon, Stevens & Young L.L.P., the Philadelphia law firm that for years handled legal matters for the archdiocese.
(Archbishop) Chaput cut ties to Stradley Ronon last fall, hiring separate firms to represent the church in criminal and civil matters.
The grand jury report that led to endangerment and child-sex-abuse charges against four priests suggested Coyne was slow to turn over documents regarding one abuse allegation
Last month, attorneys for the lead defendant, former Secretary for Clergy Msgr. William J. Lynn, disclosed that Coyne waited until this year to turn over records he found in 2006 that suggested that Cardinal Anthony J. Bevilacqua once ordered aides to shred a memo identifying 35 priests suspected of sexual misconduct with minors.

Click on the following to read the entire article: Archdiocese suspends top attorney

Priest guilty of indirectly violating seal of confession - JSOnline

2012-03-17T21:32:00.001-05:00

An inadvertent violation is one in which the priest reveals a penitent's sin, but not necessarily his or her identity, said archdiocese spokeswoman Julie Wolf. Such situations are extremely rare.
Milwaukee Archbishop Jerome Listecki, who determined Verhasselt's guilt as part of an administrative penal process, spoke with parishioners after Mass.

Click on he following for the complete story: Priest guilty of indirectly violating seal of confession - JSOnline

Catholics and Contraception: Boston, 1965 - NYTimes.com

2012-03-17T21:22:00.001-05:00

Is Cardinal Dolan and the hierarchy out of of step with the Church of the 1960’s?

In 1948, Cushing, then an archbishop, led a public charge against Referendum No. 4, a statewide ballot measure designed to relax the ban on contraception. From the pulpit and on the radio, the Catholic campaign argued that birth control was “still against God’s law.” Cushing defined contraception at the time as “anti-social and anti-patriotic, as well as absolutely immoral.” The campaign was a bitter one. In the end, 57 percent of voters rejected the referendum.
Cushing had won, but victory came at a cost. “Deployment of the Church’s political muscle,” the historian Leslie Tentler argues, offended non-Catholics in and out of the commonwealth. Four years later, the toll hit home as Cushing confided to a friend, “I hate to think of going through another battle.”
1963, while a guest on WEEI radio, Cushing took a question from an unidentified female caller who asked if he considered the birth control ban to be “bad law.” Yes, Cushing replied. “I have no right to impose my thinking, which is rooted in religious thought, on those who do not think as I do

Please read the entire piece, click on the following: Catholics and Contraception: Boston, 1965 - NYTimes.com

REPOSTING--- The New St. James Church: Many Questions; Few Answers

2012-03-17T18:54:00.001-05:00

Other than supplying a weekly statement of pledges there has not been little new information.

Back in October Father Geary stated that the architect was working on the plans and we would be impressed by the drawings. (see: http://boonecountycatholics.blogspot.com/2012/01/when-will-new-design-drawings-be-coming.html ). The drawings currently shown in the entrance to the church and parish center are all from August 2011 and were prepared before the city council vote in September.

The best statement as to where we are is at the end of this posting: “Father Geary will tell us when he deems the parish should be told.”

This artistic rendering is based upon submission to Belvidere Planning department by St. James. The picture was altered to eliminate the tall trees which will not exist after construction.

The New St. James Church: Many Questions; Few Answers

Changes from October 6, 2011 in Yellow. November 3, 2011 changes in orange.

Since January 2011 parishioners have been asked to support the campaign for a new church. However since then there have been many changes some of which only a few parishioners are aware. Just to clear things up --here is what you should be aware.

The capacity of the new Church is now 850
It is being planned to be located at the old convent/parking lot on Church Street and Caswell Streets. The main entrance doors will be on Caswell. [NOT on the 22 acres West of Belvidere on Town Hall Road]
The new church will have steps at the front and at all side entrances. The church will be handicapped accessible only for the front. The handicapped ramp will be much less steep than the current ramp however it will be approximately twice as long. And it will require the walker to enter on the ~~school side~~ Church Street side of the church. See drawings at: http://boonecountycatholics.blogspot.com/2011/07/new-st-james-church-will-be-very-bigyou.html
A number of neighbors have signed formal protest requests regarding the parish’s zoning request. ~~None of the adjacent neighbors have agreed to sell their property to the parish.~~ Only the property owners on the side of the school parking lot have signed sales contract. See: http://boonecountycatholics.blogspot.com/2011/08/how-much-does-bird-housecost.html
Type of roof on the new church: Despite what the application for zoning stated and what Father Geary stated earlier, the roof apparently now is standard shingles—not a metal roof. (Metal roofs have a much longer life) Mr. Linkenheld at 8-23-2011 meeting stated that standard shingles were always planned for the roof.
The old church will be torn down to make a parking lot. ~~The new church will be five stories tall. There will be four inches (basically zero) set back on the Church Street side of the building.~~ The new church is now seven feet shorter (63 feet at peak relative to ground). The baptistery is now on the parish center side approximately 12.5 feet from parish center.
The Parish will pay all city expenses ~~for rebuilding the 300 block of Church Street to make diagonal parking alone the new church building~~. for widening Church Street to accommodate fire trucks. Parking will be in the same parallel style but may have handicapped parking on the church side of street.
The parish will now have 170 on parish premises parking spots. The rectory will be torn down and converted to parking. The parish will be buying two parcels adjacent to the school playground/parking lot to accomplish this goal--548 Caswell Street and 402 Laurel Court..
When will Father Geary or Bishop Doran communicate with St. James Parishioners? First communication in bulletin on 8-7-2011; To see this, click on following: http://boonecountycatholics.blogspot.com/2011/08/insert-to-parish-bulletin-8-7-2011.htmlFew of the changes (such as those listed above) have been published in the weekly bulletin or any other written source. Father Geary has orally stated many things which “the Bishop will not approve or Diocese demands” but such things have not been written nor has the pastor, the parish finance committee or the parish council disseminated the information in written form to the parish. Other than continuing to solicit funds, parish administration appears to have little desire to communicate with the parish members concerning changes to the new church.
Is the Church still going to have a basement? NO, IT WILL NOT At least that is what the 8-7-2011 insert stated; click on following: http://boonecountycatholics.blogspot.com/2011/08/insert-to-parish-bulletin-8-7-2011.html
Many heard that the project was running over the $5.5 limit [maybe this is $6,000,000, see insert] and no basement was being planned even though at public meetings an unfinished basement was stated. If there is no basement St. James Parish will have even less storage. The school and organizations are already complaining about storage. Where will the old stain glass and other sacred items be stored?
How much money does the campaign have in the Parish DIAL account? There have been many expenses for the campaign management firm, architect, surveying and legal. The campaign needs $1,000,000 in the DIAL account. How close are we to that requirement? SEE 6-30-2011 accounting, .go to: http://boonecountycatholics.blogspot.com/2011/10/st-james-fy-2011-financial-reports.html As of the 6-30-2011 accounting , $633,306 of new church pledges were received , $165,737 of new church building expenses were paid and $387,862 of DIAL deposits were indicated as building deposits. Apparently the remaining $79,707 was used to pay other parish debts or assessments.($633,306 minus $165,737, minus $387,862 equals $79,707)
The “Bird House”, 534 Caswell, was purchased for $62,737 and the empty lot for $10,000. These transactions occurred in September 2011. (See: http://boonecountycatholics.blogspot.com/2011/11/how-much-did-st-james-pay-for-two.html). It is not certain if cash was used for the transaction.
What happens if the pledge goal of $3,000,000 is not reached? Will any funds be returned to the donors?
Will the expenses for the campaign and pre-construction be shown in the parish’s June 30, 2011 annual statements to the parishioners?~~If not, what type of public accounting will parishioners receive and when?~~ To see 6-30-2011 accounting go to: http://boonecountycatholics.blogspot.com/2011/10/st-james-fy-2011-financial-reports.html As of the 6-30-2011 accounting , $633,306 of new church pledges were received , $165,737 of new church building expenses were paid and $387,862 of DIAL deposits were indicated as building deposits. Apparently the remaining $79,707 was used to pay other parish debts or assessments.($633,306 minus $165,737, minus $387,862 equals $79,707)
Will St. James be a good steward of the Earth in the building of the new church? Will modern ecological/energy-savings devises and systems be employed to lessen heating, cooling and lighting bills? Can a church with 50 feet ceilings ever be consider energy efficient? Will the demolition, constructions and operations be earth friendly?
What is the projected cost of the total project now? Rumor says the church building will cost $6.4million and if there is a basement $7.5 million. ~~And now there is talk that the parish will be buying the houses of the landowners who have signed formal protests. Could that be another $1,000,000~~? 9-9-2011. A budget limit of $5.5 Million is still in effect, based upon my personal conversation with Father Geary.
I have been told by Father Geary that he will answer questions when he deems the parish should be told.

St. Patrick's to Undergo a Three-Year, $177 Million Renovation - NYTimes.com

2012-03-17T10:52:00.001-05:00

I’m talking about survival,” the cardinal said in an interview last week. “If we don’t do something substantive for St. Patrick’s Cathedral, in four or five years we’re going to have to close it, because it will be dangerous.”
That may be a bit of fund-raising hyperbole. But the physical condition of St. Patrick’s, which was designed by James Renwick Jr. and opened in 1879
last renovation of equivalent scope occurred in the 1940s. Lesser rehabilitation was done in the 1970s.

Click on e following for more details: St. Patrick's to Undergo a Three-Year, $177 Million Renovation - NYTimes.com

WIKIPEDIA: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Patrick%27s_Cathedral_(New_York)

Construction of the cathedral

The Diocese of New York, created in 1808, was made an archdiocese by Pope Pius IX on July 19, 1850. In 1853, Archbishop John Joseph Hughes announced his intention to erect a new cathedral to replace the Old Saint Patrick's Cathedral in downtown Manhattan.^[6]

The new cathedral was designed by James Renwick, Jr. in the Gothic Revival style. On August 15, 1858, the cornerstone was laid, just south of the diocese's orphanage. At that time, present-day midtown Manhattan was far north of the populous areas of New York City.

Work was begun in 1858 but was halted during the Civil War and resumed in 1865. The cathedral was completed in 1878 and dedicated on May 25, 1879, its huge proportions dominating the midtown of that time. The archbishop's house and rectory were added from 1882 to 1884, and an adjacent school (no longer in existence) opened in 1882. The towers on the west façade were added in 1888, and an addition on the east, including a Lady chapel, designed by Charles T. Mathews, was begun in 1901. The stained-glass windows in the Lady Chapel were designed and made in Chipping Campden, England by Paul Vincent Woodroffe between 1912 and 1930. The cathedral was renovated between 1927 and 1931 when the great organ was installed and the sanctuary enlarged.

The cathedral and associated buildings were declared a National Historic Landmark in 1976.^[2]^[7]^[8]

[edit] Architectural features

This section is in a list format that may be better presented using prose. You can help by converting this section to prose, if appropriate. Editing help is available. (August 2011)

‎

The cathedral is built of brick clad in marble, quarried in New York and Massachusetts.
It can accommodate 2,200 people.
The site of the church takes up a whole city block, bounded by East 51st Street to the north, Madison Avenue to the east, East 50th Street to the south, and Fifth Avenue to the west.
It is 332 feet long and 174 feet wide at the transepts.
The spires rise 330 feet (100 m) from street level.
The windows were made by artists in Chartres, France; Birmingham, England; and Boston, Massachusetts. The great rose window is one of Charles Connick's major works.
The Saint Michael and Saint Louis altar was designed by Tiffany & Co. The Saint Elizabeth altar was designed by Paolo Medici of Rome, Italy.
The Saint John Baptist de la Salle altar, sculpted by Dominic Borgia, remains one of the few original side-chapel altars commemorating the patron saint of catechists and teachers. The adjoining stained-glass window depicts the Papal bull (a type of letters patent) of approbation granted by the Vatican to the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools who, since 1848, have conducted numerous parish grade and high schools throughout the Archdiocese of New York, as well as Manhattan College, Riverdale (in The Bronx borough of New York City) and Lincoln Hall.
The cathedral's Stations of the Cross won a prize for artistry at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Illinois.
The Pietà is three times larger than Michelangelo's Pietà. It was sculpted by William Ordway Partridge.
A bust of Pope John Paul II is located in the rear of the cathedral, commemorating his visit to the city in 1979.
Archbishop Francis Spellman, later cardinal, undertook a major renovation of the cathedral's main altar area in the late 1930s and early 1940s. The bronze baldachin in the sanctuary is part of this work, and the former high altar and reredos that stood there were removed and replaced. The original high altar of Saint Patrick's is now in the University Church of Fordham University in The Bronx (Spellman's alma mater). Coincidentally, that church, built in the 1830s, is also home to stained-glass windows donated by French King Louis-Philippe I for Saint Patrick's Old Cathedral downtown when it was originally being built. The windows were installed in the University Church when it was discovered that they did not fit in the Old Saint Patrick's. Clendenin J. Ryan donated the rose window. He was the grandson of Thomas Fortune Ryan and Ida Barry Ryan who built the Church of St. Jean Baptiste at East 76th Street and Lexington Avenue.
In the 1980s, Cardinal John Joseph O'Connor undertook further renovation work, most notably the construction of a new stone altar in the middle of the sanctuary, closer and more visible to the congregation. It was built from sections of one of the side altars that were removed to reposition the baptismal font in the north transept.
The roof is made from slate from Monson, Maine.

[edit] Organs

The original pipe organs, built by George Jardine & Son in the 19th century, have been replaced. The chancel organ, in the north ambulatory, was made by the St. Louis, Missouri, firm of George Kilgen & Son, and installed in 1928; it has 3,920 pipes. The grand gallery organ, by the same company, was installed in 1930, and has 5,918 pipes.^[9]

The combined organs, totaling 177 stops and 9,838 pipes, can be played from either of two five-manual consoles installed in the early 1990s to replace the original Kilgen consoles.

[edit] Burials and funeral Masses

Located underneath the high altar is a crypt in which notable Catholic figures that served the Archdiocese are entombed. They include:

The eight past deceased Archbishops of New York:

John Hughes (interred 1883)
John McCloskey (interred 1885)
Michael Corrigan (interred 1902)
John Murphy Farley (interred 1918)
Patrick Joseph Hayes (interred 1938)
Francis Spellman (interred 1967)
Terence Cooke (interred 1983)
John Joseph O'Connor (interred 2000)

Other interments:

Michael J. Lavelle (Cathedral Rector and Vicar General; interred 1939)
Joseph F. Flannelly (Auxiliary Bishop, 1948–1969; interred 1973)
Fulton J. Sheen (Auxiliary Bishop, 1951–1965, later bishop of Rochester; interred 1979)
John Maguire (Coadjutor Archbishop, 1965–1980; interred 1989)
Pierre Toussaint (interred 1990)

In the above list, Cardinal O'Connor declared Pierre Toussaint, Archbishop Sheen, and Cardinal Cooke to be servants of God, a step in process of being declared a saint of the Catholic Church. Toussaint was declared venerable in 1996 by Pope John Paul II.

Four of the Cardinals' galeros (those of Cardinals McCloskey, Farley, Hayes, and Spellman) are located high above the crypt at the back of the sanctuary. Cardinal Spellman's galero was also worn by Pope Pius XII (as Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli) until the latter's election to the papacy at the 1939 Papal conclave. In 1967, the ceremony of the consistory was revised by Pope Paul VI and therefore no galero was presented to Cardinal Cooke or any of his successors.

Some notable people whose Requiem Masses were said at the cathedral include New York Yankees greats Babe Ruth, Roger Maris, and Billy Martin; legendary football coach Vince Lombardi, singer Celia Cruz, former Attorney General and U.S. Senator from New York Robert F. Kennedy, New York Giants owner Wellington Mara, and former Governor of New York Hugh Carey. Special memorial Masses were also held at the cathedral following the deaths of artist Andy Warhol, baseball player Joe DiMaggio, and noted author William F. Buckley, Jr.

Is the Church Too Trusting? | Daily News | NCRegister.com

2012-03-17T10:43:00.001-05:00

The $900,000 embezzlement in Philadelphia.

Archbishop Chaput said that while most employees are honest, a few are not.
“Precisely because religious organizations run on the good will of the people they serve and the dedication of their staffs, they can easily become too trusting in their internal safeguards,” he said. “But that only makes the need for tight financial controls and accounting procedures more urgent.”
The archbishop wrote that new procedures are in place, along with more rigorous internal controls and tighter budget discipline, as well as a demand for improved skills in everyone tasked with the management of archdiocesan resources.
In 2007, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Accounting Practices Committee recommended several ways to enhance the financial governance in the thousands of parishes across the country, including diocesan-wide training of parish councils, completion of an annual internal-control questionnaire, as well as internal audits.

Click the following for more details on his story from the National Catholic Register: ; Is the Church Too Trusting? | Daily News | NCRegister.com

Victims object to pedophile priest's burial in full vestments - JSOnline

2012-03-16T10:45:00.001-05:00

A Milwaukee area priest who was restricted from ministry for sexually abusing a child in the 1960 has died, and victim advocates are objecting to his being buried in his priestly robes.
“This is absolutely outrageous,” Peter Isely of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests said of the burial plans for Jerome E. Lanser, 88. “Here’s a man who violated everything the priesthood stands for,” and he is being buried “in full uniform,” he said.
Julie Wolf, spokeswoman for the Milwaukee Archdiocese said Lanser would have a closed casket out of respect for victims, but that he was entitled to be buried in his vestments because he remained a priest until death. A private viewing will be held for family, but she did not know whether the casket would be open or closed for that.

Click on the following for more details: Victims object to pedophile priest's burial in full vestments - JSOnline

Book on Vatican finance is uneven, but worth a read

2012-03-14T00:20:00.001-05:00

The following is taken from the Catholic Reporter. Click on the following to read the entire review: http://ncronline.org/node/25535-----

Reviewed by Michael Walsh
A church built on cash
RENDER UNTO ROME: THE SECRET LIFE OF MONEY IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
By Jason Berry
Published by Crown Publishers, $25
Berry claims, sums of money are -- or have been -- regularly creamed off by parochial clergy as pocket money or even (one would like to think) as donations to the poor. But such moneys never went through the parish books. From parish funds, according to Berry's scenario, bishops have been able to build up considerable reserves, then use them to buy favor in Rome through large donations to papal coffers -- labeled as Peter's Pence to disguise the fact they were originally creamed off the top of church collections. Berry proposes with good reason that some of these offerings are little better than bribes.

Danielle Tumminio: Is Birth Control Coverage Motivated by Religious Freedom or Religious Bullying?

2012-03-13T22:46:00.001-05:00

The issue, then, is really about how Catholics treat non-Catholics. After all, presumably Catholics would not want birth control -- it's all the other folks who do. Which makes this a debate not about religious freedom but about how people of one faith care for those who do not share their beliefs.

Imagine, for a second, that this was an elementary school playground where one student was telling another what to believe, how to act.We would call that bullying.
there has to be a better way forward, and perhaps if we were able to really listen -- not to forward our own agenda but with willingness to change -- we might be able to find it.

Click on the following to read the entire opinion piece: Danielle Tumminio: Is Birth Control Coverage Motivated by Religious Freedom or Religious Bullying?

Philadelphia Priest facing suspension — 18 years later

2012-03-13T22:30:00.001-05:00

Current court case bring to light priest listed as abuser in 1994 shredded list.

The priest, Msgr. Richard T. Powers, is expected to be removed from his post as a senior priest at Epiphany of Our Lord in South Philadelphia and placed on administrative leave pending a review

Powers' suspension comes after his name emerged on a newly disclosed 1994 memo that listed 35 area priests suspected or accused of abusing children.

No other priests named in the 1994 memo remain in active ministry in the region.

CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING FOR MORE DETAILS: Priest facing suspension — 18 years later

Anita Guzzardi, Former Philadelphia Diocese Church Officer Surrenders, Accused Of Stealing $900k

2012-03-13T22:25:00.001-05:00

Reuters) - The former chief financial officer of the beleaguered Archdiocese of Philadelphia surrendered to authorities on Tuesday to face charges that she stole more than $900,000 from the church to pay her credit card bills.
Anita Guzzardi, 41, is accused of theft, forgery and other charges involving the archdiocese, the nation's sixth-largest, which is less than two weeks away from the start of a high-profile pedophilia trial.

Click on the following for more details: Anita Guzzardi, Former Philadelphia Diocese Church Officer Surrenders, Accused Of Stealing $900k

St. James Sunday Collection and Campaign Numbers for week ending March 11, 2012

2012-03-13T20:51:00.001-05:00

Two additional pledges; $760 additional pledge.$673,444 from the required $3,000,000.

Two additional pledges; $1,002 additional pledges. $674,203 from the required $3,000,000

One additional pledge; $1,277 additional pledged. $675,205. from “required” $3,000,000.

Springfield PA pastor placed on administrative leave - delcotimes.com

2012-03-12T21:31:00.001-05:00

move involving the Rev. Louis C. Bier is " not connected to any complaint of inappropriate behavior with minors," the archdiocesse stressed. They did not elaborate on ther reasons for his removal from the parish.
According to a statement released by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia on Monday, "there are a variety of reasons why a priest could be found unsuitable for ministry. As Father Bier’s situation is currently under thorough examination and no determination has yet been reached, it is not possible to provide further information at this time,”said archdiocesan officials in a prepared statement.

Click on the following for more details on this action in the Philadelphia Archdiocese: Springfield pastor placed on administrative leave - delcotimes.com

Concerned Catholics approaches 12,000 page views since its beginning in June 2011

2012-03-12T21:21:00.001-05:00

There have been 11,971 page views since July 4, 2011

Vatican rule allows some priests to marry - CBS News

2012-03-12T14:51:00.001-05:00

Click on the following to Play CBS News Video : http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505263_162-57395291/vatican-rule-allows-some-priests-to-marry/?tag=morningFlexGridRight;flexGridModule and then click on the “play button”.
(CBS News) For centuries, the Roman Catholic Church has had a very firm rule - if you're a priest, you can't get married. But there are exceptions to the rule of celibacy.
Married for 30 years, Rev. Doug Grandon has fathered six children and enjoyed a successful career as an Episcopal pastor in the Protestant Church. But in 2003, he realized his calling was to the Catholic Church.
"The Catholic church is the fullest expression of what Jesus meant Christianity to be," Grandon said. "And I wanted to be a part of that."
Pope John Paul II issued a little known edict that said Protestant priests wishing to become Catholic shouldn't break their marriage vows. It took five years of schooling and a blessing from Pope Benedict to make Grandon one of 77 priests in the US who have converted allegiance to the Vatican.
Grandon's wife Lynn was "really angry" when he said he wanted to convert. In giving up his protestant ministry, Grandon took a considerable pay cut. The Catholic Church hasn't quite figured out how much to pay a priest with a family.
It's a good thing Lynn runs the Denver Diocese "Respect Life" office. She's the breadwinner now.
Last June, Grandon joined his new parish, the Church of the Risen Christ. The 45-year-old congregation hosts 3,200 families. Monsignor Ken Leone, the former pastor of the church, says his parish had never heard of anyone like Grandon.
"When they heard about a married priest with a wife and six kids coming, one lady said to me, 'Well, I'll never go to confessional to him. Because don't you know that husbands tell their wives everything?'"
Leone hopes that "we look at the man, we don't look at just the fact that he's married."
So, should all Catholic priests have the option to marry?
"Having married priests like us in the Latin rite allows them to look and see how it would work, if they wanted to change it," Grandon said.
Faith and religion contributor the Rev. Edward Beck told "CBS This Morning" co-hosts Gayle King and Erica Hill it's good that men like Grandon have the option to become a Catholic priest.
"It's pushing the conversation. What we're seeing is, it can work," he said. (Watch Beck's full comments, at left)
Beck, however, said he couldn't do it personally.
"I could not do what I do, in the full capacity that I do it, and be married with children. It would not work. Something would suffer."
"The idea with celibacy is you're single-minded, you're single-hearted," Beck said. "You can really give yourself to your ministry, to God, to what you do."
(Watch Michelle Miller's full report in the video above.)

Vatican rule allows some priests to marry - CBS News

Archdiocese of Milwaukee’s Disclosure of accused sexual offenders and Cardinal Dolan’s response of “hiding” assets

2012-03-12T00:20:00.001-05:00

Below is the list of accused sexual offenders in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. This list was court mandated.

Go to the above page of the internet by clicking on the following: http://www.archmil.org/reorg/bardate/ClergyOffenders.htm And click on the individual’s name to obtain their assignments with the Archdiocese.

Cardinal Dolan’s answers to questions concering his actions as Archbishop of Milwaukee and “hidden funds”.. And others comments on the Milwaukee Archdiocese blog.

This is available at: http://www.archmil.org/archmil/home/ArchmilBlog/TMD_021511.htm

Groundless Gossip

Most Reverend Timothy M. Dolan
Archbishop of New York

I owe it to all of you — both the Catholic and wider community — to be very clear about the ridiculous and groundless gossip spread about me by a tort lawyer named Jeff Anderson.
You may have heard this man claim that, when I was archbishop of Milwaukee, I “hid’ $130 million of archdiocesan funds so victims of clergy sexual abuse could not sue for it.
Malarkey! The Archdiocese of Milwaukee has an excellent record of fiscal integrity and transparency. I worked hard at that, and my successor, Archbishop Listecki, continues to do so. (By the way, you might also be interested to know that during my years as archbishop of Milwaukee, and with the generous service of many dedicated people, we established a mediation process that reached settlements with almost 200 victim survivors; that mediation process has been praised by the victim survivors who have participated in the process.)
In my seven years there, the meager resources of the archdiocese were under the vigilance of a sound and respected finance council, composed of prominent and respected business leaders from the financial community; annually we were audited; and each year there was complete, published financial disclosure. You can find the audited financial statements here. To claim that, given this rigorous supervision, an archbishop could have “hidden” $130 million, is beyond ridiculous.
I do want you to know that, when I arrived as archbishop, the financials showed that parishes had $70 million of their peoples’ money on deposit with the archdiocese. This was not archdiocesan money at all, but belonged to parishes. That’s why the finance council, and our outside professional auditors, advised me that it was inappropriate for the archdiocese to hold money for parishes, and that it should be returned to the parishes to which it belonged anyway. This was done, and publicly reported in the annual audit.
So much for “hidden funds.” Far from inappropriate, this decision was virtuous, open, and in accord with the clear directives of the professionals on our finance council and outside auditors.
The archdiocese of Milwaukee has issued an enlightening statement speculating that this lawyer’s reckless charges also included “hiding” the “cemetery fund,” which, of course, by state law, is scrupulously protected, and cannot be touched or transferred by anybody.
So, these silly charges are baloney. Unfortunately, this man got the attention he wanted and has come to expect from the news, tarnishing the good name of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, and of me. Some of our priests reported that people at Sunday Mass asked them, “Why did Archbishop Dolan hide those funds?”
Lord knows I’ve made mistakes, but “hiding” $130 million is hardly one of them!

This blog originally appeared on the Archdiocese of New York's website at www.archny.org on 2/14/11.

Feedback on this blog

By: tom ryan

Comment:

Bishop: If only 1/10 of the effort you bishops had spent trying to convince the faithful that the new translation of the Mass would

"help us all be better catholics, had been put into preventing priest sexual abuse we all would be better served.

Title:REALLY

By:Andrew Wesley

Comment:

I don't trust anybody in the church! I'm still scratching my head as to why nobody has been indicted from the Milwaukee Diocese? Too many priests in question and ZERO ARRESTS? REALLY........REALLY......

Title: Fiscal Integrity and Transparency

By: Archdiocese of Milwaukee

Comment:

In 2002, a group called “Friends of Weakland” collected donations to pay back the settlement money in full.

Title: credibility

By:Judy Lorenz

Comment:

Bishops have zero credibility. Lies and cover ups traced all the way to Benedict and John Paul II are to blame. Mr. Anderson could be wrong on this, but he's been right a lot! Catholics must demand structural change. Jesus would want us to.

Title: we hear you

By: jim1234

Comment:

You protest too much for there to be no truth in it...

Title: Fiscal Integrity and Transparency

By: Larry

Comment:

You miss my point -- the $450,000 was paid with diocese money, yes ?

Then after the fact -- many years later repaid. Why was it paid in the first

place ? That's fiscal integrity and transparency ? Who repaid the money ?

Or is that also a secret ?

Title: Fiscal Integrity and Transparency

By: Archdiocese of Milwaukee

Comment:

The $450,000 used in a legal settlement between the archdiocese and Paul Marcoux has been completely repaid to the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.

Title: Groundless Gossip

By: Larry

Comment:

Rev. Dolan stated : " The Archdiocese of Milwaukee has an excellent record of fiscal integrity and transparency."

Oh really ? Was Rev. Weakland's payment of over $400,000 of diocese money to his former lover fiscally responsible and transparent

Televangelist Dr. Robert Schuller, wife resign from board of Crystal Cathedral Ministries

2012-03-10T21:54:00.001-06:00

Dr. Robert Schuller and his wife Arvella announced "with great sadness" Saturday that they resigned from the board of directors of the Crystal Cathedral, the televangelist ministry he founded four decades ago and made famous through his "Hour of Power" television program.
Their resignation was the latest upheaval for the financially-struggling megachurch, which sold its iconic home to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange last month to emerge from federal bankruptcy protection.
The Schullers' daughter, Carol Schuller Milner, said her parents were stepping down because they and the board couldn't reach a deal for housing benefits and fees for using her father's writings and sermons as part of the bankruptcy proceedings

Click on the following to read more this story: Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star

Prosecutors seek trial for Finn and diocese - KansasCity.com

2012-03-10T09:41:00.001-06:00

bishop’s lawyers have argued that because the diocese had a designated reporter, Finn’s responsibility to make the calls had been “extinguished.”
In her response filed Friday, Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker said that pre-trial dismissal was improper because a jury needed to decide the facts of whether Murphy was the designated reporter.
Baker revealed that Murphy said in grand jury testimony that he knew very little about such issues.

Click on the following for more details: Prosecutors seek trial for Finn and diocese - KansasCity.com

Phila. Archdiocese plans to turn students into recruiters

2012-03-08T21:25:00.001-06:00

More than $1 million in new scholarships and open houses also are part of the archdiocesan plan to boost enrollment for next year and beyond.
The initiatives were announced at a town-hall meeting Thursday led by Archbishop Charles J. Chaput. It was attended by about 30 high school students and broadcast in all high school classrooms and eighth-grade classrooms at elementary schools, reaching about 20,000 students.

Phila. Archdiocese plans to turn students into recruiters

Chaput: Review of accused priests to be finished by May

2012-03-08T21:22:00.001-06:00

By John P. Martin
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
hopes to complete within two months an Archdiocese of Philadelphia review of nearly two dozen priests suspended last year over past accusations of sexual abuse or misconduct around children.
"Our ability to act on these cases has been limited by a number of stubborn legal and practical factors," Chaput wrote in his weekly newsletter. "But some of these cases are very near conclusion.

Click on the following for the complete story: Chaput: Review of accused priests to be finished by May

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Rockford Diocese vs. Sacred Heart Parish ($1.7 million battle) - Aurora, IL -- AmericanTowns.com

2012-03-08T15:57:00.001-06:00

This week Sacred Heart Parish of Aurora is celebrating its rebuilt church. There is a four page spread in The Observer regarding its dedication by Bishop Doran. I hope you have an opportunity to read the story and share that parish’s joy.

It is also only right to review some of the happenings that were required to reach this goal. To review the “truth” of this project that the Observer neglected to share. And obtain the “rest of the story”. You should note that the insurance proceeds and fund raising numbers at time conflict.

The original story from the Chicago Tribune:

Church Hopes To Rise From Ashes Of Arson

Sacred Heart Must Show Financial Savvy

May 24, 1999|By Hal Dardick. Special to the Tribune.

If the mostly poor parishioners of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Aurora can get their finances in order, a new house of worship might rise to replace the 100-year-old church destroyed in December by an arson fire.

That was the conclusion of a group of priests, deacons and lay leaders from 11 Aurora-area churches recently forwarded to Bishop Thomas Doran of the Rockford diocese.

The bishop said he was impressed with the report, and parishioners who have been briefed on it are expected to craft a written response by July 1, said diocese communications director Owen Phelps.

"The parish is rallying together to prove its financial viability," said Craig Hall, a Sacred Heart parishioner and member of the group that wrote the report. "The best thing is the diocese is going to move forward and give us the opportunity to proceed."

Hall said he expects his fellow parishioners to accept the report's recommendations in their reply. If it does, the diocese will issue a "letter of intent, stating that if the parish does meet its financial obligations, there will be no diocesan impediments to the construction of a new church," the report states.

The parish, which has at least a 12-year history of financial troubles, might launch a capital campaign for a new church upon accepting the obligation to fix its finances, the report concludes. A preliminary meeting to start that campaign will be held in less than two weeks, Hall said.

Aurorans of French heritage laid the cornerstone for Sacred Heart in 1898.

On Dec. 1, the church was destroyed by fire. Only the outer walls and a damaged steeple remain on the site at 125 N. State St., on the city's near east side.

A new church "may be constructed on the site of the old church, perhaps incorporating some elements of the old church," the report states.

But construction cannot start until the parish "demonstrates to diocesan financial authorities" it can service the debt for a new church and operate without a deficit.

Charges against a 15-year-old boy accused of setting the blaze were dropped in April after his alleged confession was suppressed. The youth, who was on supervision for setting an earlier blaze, has been placed in a treatment center out of state.

Parishioners have been attending mass in a nearby church school.

The report recommends that $450,000 from an insurance payment be used to retire an existing debt. The remaining $600,000 would be placed in an interest bearing account but would not be used for operational expenses.

That $600,000 would probably be "for the eventual building of a new church," Phelps said.

The parish then would be given 18 months to show financial viability.

"If, after 18 months, the parish cannot show that it is financially viable, we recommend the parish be closed," the report states.

This letter and demonstrations at the Cathedral (2009) in Rockford all occurred and appear very necessary for this poor Hispanic community to rebuilt its church.

Rockford Diocese vs. Sacred Heart Parish ($1.7 million battle)

posted:April 23rd, 2009
This letter is to make you aware of the ongoing situation with the Rockford Diocese in Rockford, Illinois and the Sacred Heart Parish located on the East Side of Aurora, Illinois. And to extend an invitation to cover this story further when a group of parishioners make a trip to Rockford to continue their efforts in trying to meet with Bishop Doran regarding his the continued promises of support for rebuilding a church that burned over 10 years ago. It is now being said that they will be shut down and the $1.7 million raised by the parishioners will pay for other diocese debt. One of such debts is legal fees accumulated for representation of Father Campabello (a story that was covered by the Beacon News, Aurora) which accumulated to over $2 million.
Following is a synopsis of what the Parish has been through and how they have been led to believe they would get a new church if they raised funds. Now those funds are going to be stripped away and they will be left without a church:
The parish church burned down in December on 1998. It was an unfortunate situation which devastated the whole community.   They immediately came together and found a solution to try to keep the community whole; they began holding masses in the basement of the school.   Assured by the diocese that this would only be temporary until the new church was built they maintained their spirits high.
In late 1999 Father Camacho arrived at Sacred Heart Parish. He immediately became a fierce advocate for his new community and tried to work with the Diocese of Rockford to move on the promise they had made to rebuild the church. After tried conversations and letters with the Diocese, Bishop Doran published a response in the Observer (a Catholic Newsletter that goes out to parishioners of the Rockford Diocese) In that publication he stated that the Sacred Heart Parish would be given 18 months to liquidate all debt and prove that they would be able to sustain a new church. If they met that goal the Diocese would provide a percentage of the funds needed to have the church built. With new added hope the parish began to work diligently to meet the expectation.
Fast forward to present day issues–
With the insurance payoff of $800,000 and through many fundraisers which include family fairs, dances, and raffles the parish has been able to liquidate all debts and have a savings account of $1.7 million. Everything for these events has been donated.
When the Diocese began to notice that the debt had been liquidated and the bank account was quickly accumulating funds they were fast to approach Father Camacho via messages (never did they ask him to come in and meet with Bishop Doran or any other higher official at the diocese) and specifically advise him that only 2 fundraisers would be allowed per calendar year. The messages also relayed that it was not felt that there was not enough proof that the parish could sustain a new church and they should continue to raise funds.
A group of friends came together to brainstorm ideas on what needed to be done, so that the dream of having a new church would become a reality. They determined that the first step would be to have blueprints drawn up and available to show Bishop Doran or his representative. They paid an architect $18,000 (not part of the $1.7 million) to draw the blueprints. Once this was complete they were ready to present the blueprints and the continued desire of the community to have a church. They followed procedure in trying to obtain an appointment with Bishop Doran, they wrote a letter and mailed it to the diocese, after a period of waiting, there was not a response. Again they followed the same procedure and followed up with a phone call. In that phone conversation they were told that Bishop Doran reads all his correspondence and that he would get back to them. Again there was no response. They began a letter marathon and for one month straight they sent letter daily requesting the opportunity to meet with him, and again no answer. This has been an ongoing request for the past few years.
The most recent involvement that Bishop Doran has had with the parish is to advise that Father Camacho will be removed from the Parish and sent to Freeport. Father Camacho has been told that the $1.7 million will be used to pay off the debt St. Mary’s Church (also in Aurora) has, and that there may not be another priest available to cover the masses at Sacred Heart Church so the Parishioners will be asked to go to St. Nicholas or St. Mary’s.
With constant failed attempts to try to meet with the Bishop Doran a group of 10 people made the trip to Rockford, on Thursday April 16, 2009 to personally ask for an appointment to meet with Bishop Doran regarding two issues: the removal of Father Camacho and the plans for a new church. When they arrived they were able to go into the Diocese building but got no further than being met by the secretary of Monsignor Arquimides to be told that a letter needs to be set to ask for an appointment. They left without any accomplishment.
On Sunday April 19, 2009 hundreds of signatures were collected at the Parish masses asking Bishop Doran to please not remove Father Camacho from the Parish and to please consider building the church he promised.
Everyone has worked really hard and they feel that the diocese is stealing the money that has been raised and collected for the purpose of building a new church. It was never said that this money raised by Sacred Heart Parishioners (for a church that was promised) would be used to pay off debt of another parish.
This group of parishioners including many more will be heading back to Rockford to try to meet with Bishop Doran and we would like to invite the media to cover the story and make the public aware of the corruption this Bishop is causing.
The planned date of the trip is Tuesday, April 28, 2009. The buses will leave Aurora, IL at 7:30 am and arrive at 555 Coleman Center Dr., Rockford, IL 61125 at approximately 9:00 a.m.
Attached you will find the two latest letters that were sent to request a meeting.
Please let me know if you will be able to join us and make the public aware of what is happening. My contact information is Jesus Sanchez and I can be reached at 630-649-3136.
Sincerely,
Jesus Sanchez

Chick on the following to review the article: Rockford Diocese vs. Sacred Heart Parish ($1.7 million battle) - Aurora, IL - 40 - AmericanTowns.com

200 step up effort for OK to rebuild house of worship destroyed in 1998 fire

April 29, 2009|By Vikki Ortiz, Tribune reporter

Fed up with what they say have been years of ignored pleas to build a new church in Aurora, four busloads of people arrived at the doors of the Catholic Diocese of Rockford offices Tuesday, accusing leaders of being dishonest and unhelpful.

"You don't follow your own rules," said Jesus Sanchez, a member of Aurora's Sacred Heart parish who helped to organize the nearly 200 parishioners carrying signs, chanting the rosary and singing hymns in Spanish.

Click on the following to see this 2009 story: http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2009-04-29/news/0904280621_1_parish-diocesan-leaders-new-church

8,500-square-foot building … with beautiful stained glass windows, refurbished wooden pews, and seating for up to 450 people.

The new church is a not a replica of the original. But it is built in a more traditional style to keep a connection with the old church. The design is clean and simple. The pews and lights have been donated from other churches and refurbished.

When the diocese discouraged rebuilding on the site near Fulton and State streets, by refusing to pay for reconstruction, the community stood strong, raising funds on their own.

On March 4, at 11:30 a.m., Sacred Heart will hold the Consecration Mass for the new church. The Rev. Thomas G. Doran, bishop of Rockford, will preside over the bilingual Mass.

Click on the following for more details on thie story from the Beacon News: From the ashes, a new church rises - Aurora Beacon News

And now the dedication of the new Sacred Heart Church. Please look at Friday, March 9, 2012. If the print addition is not available here is the much shorter on-line version.

Click on the following: http://observer.rockforddiocese.org/article?id=31

Coroner: Pa. cardinal died of natural causes

2012-03-08T14:10:00.001-06:00

Coroner Walter Hofman said at a Thursday afternoon press conference in Norristown, Pa., that Bevilacqua died primarily from heart disease, but prostate cancer and dementia also roles

Click on the following for more details: Coroner: Pa. cardinal died of natural causes

OLD NEWS: Philadelphia Archdiocese Suspends 21 Priests - NYTimes.com

2012-03-08T13:33:00.001-06:00

By KATHARINE Q. SEELYE

Published: March 8, 2011 – today is the one year anniversary of this action

The archdiocese’s action follows a damning grand jury report issued Feb. 10 that accused the archdiocese of a widespread cover-up of predatory priests, stretching over decades, and said that as many as 37 priests remained active in the ministry despite credible accusations against them.
Of those 37 priests, 21 were suspended; three others already had been placed on administrative leave after the grand jury detailed accusations against them….

Nor did it name the 21 whom it suspended, drawing the fury of groups representing abuse victims. Many parishioners are likely to learn that their priest was accused when he fails to appear for Ash Wednesday services.

Click on the following for more details: Philadelphia Archdiocese Suspends 21 Priests - NYTimes.com

These cases are still in”limbo”—look at the following which is taken from:: http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20120306_Fates_of_suspended_priests_still_in_limbo.html

The wave of suspensions in a single diocese - the list ultimately grew to 27 priests - was unprecedented in the decade since the clergy sex-abuse scandal erupted. So, too, has been the aftermath.

Archdiocesan officials have been virtually silent about the priests' status or details of the allegations that led to their suspensions. A confidential investigation they once predicted might take six months has already lasted twice as long.

In December, new Archbishop Charles J. Chaput wrote in his newsletter that he expected the cases to be resolved "in the first months of 2012." Twice in January, church officials signaled such announcements were looming, but they have yet to make them.

CNS STORY: Vatican website succumbs to online attack

2012-03-07T22:47:00.001-06:00

By Francis X. Rocca
Catholic News Service
Italian media outlets reported that the website, vatican.va, became unresponsive around mid-afternoon local time, just as several other websites carried messages taking credit for the disruption in the name of the hacking group Anonymous. Email to and from the vatican.va domain was reportedly also blocked for at least part of the time.

Click on the following to read more of the story: CNS STORY: Vatican website succumbs to online attack

Lawyer: Vatican reverses closing of 13 parishes in Cleveland; bishop didn’t follow procedure - The Washington Post

2012-03-07T21:13:00.001-06:00

rulings from Rome on three closings and that he learned that 10 others had also been overturned. In invalidating the closings, the Vatican cited such reasons as the bishop’s failure to consult his priest advisers and to issue a formal decree.

Click on the following to read all of the story: Lawyer: Vatican reverses closing of 13 parishes in Cleveland; bishop didn’t follow procedure - The Washington Post

Fates of suspended Philadelphia priests still in limbo

2012-03-06T22:01:00.001-06:00

Thursday marks a year since the Archdiocese of Philadelphia abruptly removed him and 20 priests across the region from ministry and pledged to reexamine past accusations that they had sexually abused or acted inappropriately around children.
Cardinal Justin Rigali, then leader of the 1.5 million-member archdiocese, ordered their removal after a Philadelphia grand jury recommended charges against four current and former priests and accused the church of letting dozens more stay in ministry despite questionable conduct.
The wave of suspensions in a single diocese - the list ultimately grew to 27 priests - was unprecedented in the decade since the clergy sex-abuse scandal erupted. So, too, has been the aftermath.
Archdiocesan officials have been virtually silent about the priests' status or details of the allegations that led to their suspensions. A confidential investigation they once predicted might take six months has already lasted twice as long.

Read the entire story by clicking on the following: Fates of suspended priests still in limbo

St. James Sunday Collection and Campaign Numbers for week ending March 4, 2012

2012-03-06T21:45:00.001-06:00

Two additional pledges; $1,002 additional pledges. $674,203 from the required $3,000,000

One additional pledge; $1,277 additional pledged. $675,205. from “required” $3,000,000.

Soraya Chemaly: I'm No Longer a Catholic. Why Are You?

2012-03-06T13:41:00.001-06:00

There are so many perspectives on the Obama/Catholic Church contraception debate that it is hard to keep track. But, after you've stripped it all of its partisanship, wonky indignation and misleading religious angst, what you are left with it whether or not you really think women are equal and how much that equality means to you personally.

At its core, this debate is about control. And not just birth control. Either you are willing to support and participate in a culture in which men, refusing to accept women as fully human, use a perverted claim of divine right to control women and their bodies, or you don't.

Click on the following for all of Ms. Chenaly’s opinion piece: Soraya Chemaly: I'm No Longer a Catholic. Why Are You?

Click on the following to hear her NPR interview: http://www.npr.org/player/v2/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=147980268&m=147980261

Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests’ Statement upon Bishop Cistone’s Appointment to Saginaw

2012-03-05T23:51:00.001-06:00

For immediate release: Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Sex abuse victims blast new papal Saginaw/Philly appointment
Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, national director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 566 9790 cell, 314 645 5915 home)
This is perhaps the most upsetting appointment of Pope Benedict’s tenure. Cistone is heavily implicated in one of the most widely-documented cover ups of clergy sex crimes, as thoroughly proven in a Philadelphia grand jury report.
The same Vatican officials who have acted so insensitively toward other groups recently now thumbs its nose at millions of American Catholics and thousands of American child sex abuse victims by promoting a corrupt individual to a higher post in the church.
(SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the nation’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. We've been around since 1988 and have more than 9,000 members across the country. Despite the word “priest” in our title, we have members who were molested by religious figures of all denominations, including nuns, rabbis, bishops, and Protestant ministers. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)
Contact David Clohessy (314-566-9790 cell, 314-645-5915 home), Peter Isely (414-429-7259) Barbara Blaine (312-399-4747), Barbara Dorris (314-862-7688), Mary Grant (626-419-2930), Mark Serrano (703-727-4940)
FROM A 2005 PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER ARTICLE:
Bishop Joseph R. Cistone
Now auxiliary bishop and archdiocesan vicar for administration.
The grand jury found that Cistone, as assistant vicar for administration, was complicit in the 1996 silencing of Sister Joan Scary, who was trying to alert parishioners to the Rev. Edward DePaoli's history of abuse. It said Cistone received regular updates, including a final one that "everything is quiet at St. Gabriel parish concerning the situation."
Cistone also wrote an administrative memo in 1998 saying that Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua did not want to meet with a victim of the Rev. Stanley Gana, a repeat abuser. When the victim demanded a meeting, Cistone wrote that such a step might "set a precedent, i.e. for the Cardinal to meet with such individuals."
In response to church therapists' warnings about Gana and their recommendation that he be treated at a residential facility, Cistone wrote to Bevilacqua that "Bishop Cullen and I both feel that this has the potential of becoming a PR concern." Gana left his parish assignment but was allowed to choose his treatment.
In 2002, the report said, Cistone learned that another molester, Raymond O. Leneweaver, had been teaching in two suburban school districts and took no action. The report says that in 2002, Cistone heard from a victim that the Rev. Thomas Smith had made boys strip and pricked some with pins. Smith had acknowledged the behavior, yet Cistone recommended letting him continue to perform parish duties.
In an e-mail last week, Cistone declined to discuss those incidents. "I am deeply aware of the suffering caused to the victims of abuse by some of our priests as well as the pain experienced by Catholics throughout our Archdiocese. I have taken the opportunity to publicly express my sincere, personal sorrow for these abhorrent acts as well as for any mistakes in judgment made by those of us... with responsibility for these matters.
"[I]t would not serve any purpose to revisit the grand jury report and endeavor to recall the rationale for past decisions made in specific cases."
http://www.bishop-accountability.org/news5/2005_10_14_Remsen_AbusesEnablers.htm

SNAP Statement

Phila Auxiliary Bishop to Lead Diocese in Michigan, by David OReilly, Philadelphia Inquirer, May 21, 2009

2012-03-05T23:43:00.001-06:00

Other issues with Bishop Cistone

A 2005 Philadelphia grand-jury investigation into clergy sexual abuse in the archdiocese concluded that Cistone, while assistant vicar for administration, was complicit in 1996 in silencing a nun who tried to alert members of St. Gabriel's parish about an abusive priest.
The grand jury also found that, among other things, Cistone in 2002 took no action to warn a suburban school district that one of its teachers was a former priest known to abuse children. It said he had taken no action against a parish priest despite reports that he sometimes made boys strip and pricked some with pins.
In an e-mail to The Inquirer in 2005, Cistone expressed his "sorrow" for "any mistakes in judgment made by those of us . . . with responsibility for these matters."
Cistone oversees the archdiocesan secretariat for Catholic Human Services and the secretariat for Temporal Services, and has pastoral oversight for the parishes in Philadelphia-South and parts of Delaware County.
He also serves on the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee for Protection of Children and Young People, which oversees sex-abuse matters, and committees related to cultural diversity, African American affairs, and finance.

Click on the following for more details: Phila Auxiliary Bishop to Lead Diocese in Michigan, by David OReilly, Philadelphia Inquirer, May 21, 2009

Preliminary Toxicology Results for Cardinal Bevilacqua | The Philly Post

2012-03-05T22:36:00.001-06:00

Coroner: Pa. cardinal died of natural causes Apparently an autopsy is occurring.

Today, a preliminary toxicology report released by the Montgomery County coroner shows that all drugs in Cardinal Bevliacqua’s system at the time of his death were prescribed by a doctor. It will take more time for the coroner to determine if the dosages of those drugs was more than what was prescribed. Those results are expected to be announced on March 10th. [

Click on the following for all of the story: Preliminary Toxicology Results for Cardinal Bevilacqua | The Philly Post

The final toxicology is in: Coroner: Pa. cardinal died of natural causes

St. Bridget protesters demand answers from church officials — NewsWorks

2012-03-05T22:33:00.001-06:00

Philadelphia Archdiocese’s other problems.

We've been given zero answers," said Stevens. "When you don't have answers, and when you don't have explanations," he added, "you start thinking it must be political – (the decision) must be about something else besides sustainability."
Stevens observed that Holy Child is the home parish of Bishop Daniel Thomas, and speculated that this relationship may have contributed to the selection of Holy Family as the site of the merger. ….
"Archbishop Chaput came into the Archdiocese to restore trust," said Stevens, noting that, "without transparency, you can't have trust – and you can't have confidence."

Click on the following for all of the story: St. Bridget protesters demand answers from church officials — NewsWorks

Now a Second Bishop witnessed 1994 shredding of list of Philadelphia accused priests

2012-03-04T22:32:00.001-06:00

Allentown Bishop Edward Cullen was a witness to order to destroy list of Philadelphia priests suspected of abuse. - Morning Call

Cullen had secret list

New court filing says Allentown bishop, four others knew of 35 allegedly abusive priests

Allentown Bishop Edward Cullen was one of three high ranking clergy present… (Mariella Savidge, TMC)
March 03, 2012|By Peter Hall and Matt Assad, Of The Morning Call
Nearly two decades ago, Allentown Bishop Edward Cullen was one of two or three high-ranking clergy present when the head of the Philadelphia Archdiocese ordered the shredding of a list of 35 priests suspected of sexually abusing children, according to a recent court filing in Philadelphia.
A copy of that list and a 1994 memo recording Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua's instructions to destroy it has turned up in the case of Monsignor William Lynn, a former archdiocesan official charged with endangering the welfare of children and conspiracy for allegedly enabling priests to molest children.

Click on the following for more of the story: Allentown Bishop Edward Cullen was a witness to order to destroy list of Philadelphia priests suspected of abuse. - Morning Call

To read about the other Bishop(Saginaw Bishop Joseph Cistone) who witness the shredding go to: http://boonecountycatholics.blogspot.com/2012/03/lawyers-say-saginaw-bishop-joseph.html

To read the actual court document which names the two bishops, go to: http://www.mcall.com/news/local/mc-philadelphia-priest-abuse-cardinal,0,4657013.htmlpage#document/p2

Edward Peter Cullen

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Peter_Cullen

Most Rev. Edward Peter Cullen

Bishop of Allentown

Church
Roman Catholic

See
Allentown

In Office
1997—2009

Predecessor
Thomas Jerome Welsh

Successor
John Barres

Orders

Ordination
May 18, 1962

Personal details

Born
March 15, 1933 (1933-03-15) (age 78)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Previous post
Auxiliary Bishop of Philadelphia,
Titular Bishop of Paria in Proconsolare
Bishop

Edward Peter Cullen (born March 20, 1933) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He was the third Bishop of Allentown. His resignation was accepted on 27 May 2009 by Pope Benedict. [1]. At the same time, Pope Benedict named Msgr. John Barres as the fourth Bishop of the diocese.

Early life

The second of six children in an Irish Catholic family, Edward Cullen was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Edward Peter and Julia Catherine (née Leahy) Cullen.^[1] He was raised in Yeadon, along with his older sister, Joan, and three younger brothers, Joseph, John, and James.^[2] Cullen attended West Philadelphia Catholic High School for Boys, where he excelled at football and track and was involved in the school newspaper, and worked as a cashier at an Acme supermarket.^[1]

Following his graduation from West Catholic, he studied engineering at the Drexel Institute of Technology.^[1] In 1953, he entered St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Overbrook, from where he obtained Bachelor of Arts degree in 1958.^[1]

Priesthood

On May 19, 1962, Cullen was ordained to the priesthood by Archbishop John Krol in the Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul. He then served as an assistant pastor at St. Maria Goretti Church in Hatfield and at St. Bartholomew Church in Philadelphia.

Cullen was sent by Archbishop Krol to study social work at the University of Pennsylvania, later earning his Master of Social Work degree in 1970.^[1] This was followed by a Master of Religious Education from La Salle University (1971) and Master of Divinity from St. Charles Borromeo Seminary (1974).^[3] From 1979 to 1993, he served as a chaplain at St. Edmond's Home for Children in Bryn Mawr.^[2]

Cullen was raised to the rank of Honorary Prelate of His Holiness in April 1982,^[1] and served as director of Catholic Social Services from 1983 to 1988.^[3] In August 1988, he was named vicar general of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

Episcopal career

On February 8, 1994, Cullen was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Philadelphia and Titular Bishop of Paria in Proconsolare by Pope John Paul II. The event was con-celebrated by the notorious Father DePaoli, a man with thousands of dollars worth of illegal pictures of children. Cullen received his episcopal consecration on the following April 14 from Anthony Cardinal Bevilacqua, with Archbishops John Foley and Francis Schulte serving as co-consecrators.^[4] He selected as his episcopal motto: "Christ, Church, Compassion".^[1]

Bishop of Allentown

Cullen was later named Bishop of Allentown on December 16, 1997. Replacing the retiring Thomas Welsh, he was formally installed on February 9, 1998.^[4] In 2003, he was appointed to the Board of Trustees of The Catholic University of America.^[1]

In 2008, Cullen initiated a program which would restructure many parishes in the Diocese. As part of this program, 47 parishes were closed, this reduced the number parishes from 151 to 104.

In April 2009, Cullen described the University of Notre Dame's decision to have President Barack Obama to deliver its commencement speech and receive an honorary degree as "disappointing" and "not in harmony" with the directive of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops against honoring pro-choice politicians.^[5]

[edit] References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h "The Bishop". Roman Catholic Diocese of Allentown. http://www.allentowndiocese.org/bishop.html.
^ ^a ^b "Bishop of the Diocese of Allentown". Cathedral of Saint Catharine of Siena. http://www.cathedral-church.org/bishop.html.
^ ^a ^b "Bishop Welsh's Resignation Accepted; Bishop Cullen to Allentown". United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. 1997-12-15. http://www.usccb.org/comm/archives/1997/97-267.shtml.
^ ^a ^b "Bishop Edward Peter Cullen". Catholic-Hierarchy.org. http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bcullen.html.
^ Gilbert, Kathleen (2009-05-04). "62: Three More Bishops Against Notre Dame Scandal, Obama Urged to Decline Invitation". LifeSiteNews.com. http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/may/09050403.html.

“60 Minutes” interviews the controversial Irish Archbishop

2012-03-04T20:42:00.001-06:00

This Sunday, March 4, 2011 60 Minutes interviewed the archbishop who opened many of the hidden secrets of clerical sexual abuse and the cover-up. If you missed it, se it now by clicking on the following:

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18560_162-57390125/the-archbishop-of-dublin-challenges-the-church/?tag=contentMain;cbsCarousel The direct link to the video is: http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7400874n&tag=contentBody;storyMediaBox

Below is a lengthy and at times “difficult to follow” story of Archbishop Martin. Archbishop Martin’s vast diplomatic experience with the Holy See should make him an expert on Papal politics.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diarmuid_Martin

Diarmuid Martin

The Most Reverend
Diarmuid Martin

Archbishop of Dublin
and Primate of Ireland

Diocese
Dublin

See
Dublin

Enthroned
26 April 2004

Predecessor
Desmond Connell

Other posts
Coadjutor Archbishop of Dublin (2003-2004); Apostolic Nuncio in Geneva and Titular Archbishop of Glenndálocha (2001-2003); Titular Bishop of Glenndálocha (1999-2001)

Orders

Ordination
25 May 1969 (Priest)

Consecration
6 January 1999 (Bishop)

Personal details

Born
8 April 1945 (1945-04-08) (age 66)
Dublin, Ireland

Nationality
Irish

Denomination
Roman Catholic Church

Diarmuid Martin (born 8 April 1945) is the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland. He was born in Dublin.

Early life and education

Diarmuid Martin was raised and educated in Dublin, at the Oblate school in Inchicore, the De La Salle School situated on the Ballyfermot Road in Ballyfermot and Marian College, Ballsbridge. Following that, he went to University College Dublin, where he studied philosophy, and then went to the Dublin Diocese's seminary at Clonliffe, where he studied theology. He entered Clonliffe seven days before the opening of the Second Vatican Council on the 11 October 1962. He was ordained a priest on 25 May 1969 by Archbishop John Charles McQuaid. Following this he pursued further education at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) in Rome, though, it appears, without attaining any degrees.

Pastoral experience

From 1973 to 1974 he was curate at the Parish of St Brigid in Cabinteely, but actively sought to return to Rome.

Work for the Holy See

In 1976, Martin began to work in the service of the Holy See for the Pontifical Council for the Family. He later worked on the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, being appointed the Under Secretary in 1986 and the Secretary in 1994. On 6 January 1999 he was ordained as Titular Bishop of Glendalough by Pope John Paul II. On 17 January 2001, he was appointed Titular Archbishop of the same diocese. This marked his appointment as the Holy See Permanent Observer in Geneva, at the United Nations Office and Specialised Agencies and at the World Trade Organisation. It was in this capacity that he represented the Holy See at various UN conferences, including the International Conference on Population and Development. He led the delegations of the Holy See to the Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organisation (Doha, 2001), the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance.

During the 1990s, Diarmuid Martin represented the Holy See at major United Nations International Conferences, spoke about the Church's teachings on social matters at a variety of Bishop Conferences, and was a member of various Vatican Offices, including the Central Committee for the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000. Also, he was involved in discussions between the World Council of Churches and the Catholic Church as well as the World Faiths Development Dialogue. He also represented the views of the Holy See to the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, where he advocated for debt relief for less developed countries.

Archbishop of Dublin

Styles of
Diarmuid Martin

Reference style
The Most Reverend

Spoken style
Your Grace

Religious style
Archbishop

Posthumous style
not applicable

Martin was appointed Co-Adjutor to Cardinal Connell on 3 May 2003, and was installed as such on 30 August of that year. On 26 April 2004, following the acceptance of Cardinal Connell's resignation by Pope John Paul II, Martin automatically succeeded him as Archbishop of Dublin.

Following Summorum Pontificum, the decree of Pope Benedict XVI liberalising the use of the Latin Mass, which took effect on 14 September 2007, Martin duly established a Latin Mass Chaplaincy in the Dublin City area.^[1]

Gay priests

In 2005 Martin said that being gay should not prevent a man becoming a Catholic priest. "You don't write off a candidate for the priesthood simply because he is a gay man," is quoted saying in an issue of the British Catholic magazine The Tablet.^{[citation needed]} His remarks followed the Congregation for Catholic Education's publishing of a document in November that would ban gay men, even if they were chaste, from training for the priesthood. "You have to say that horrendous damage was done to people", said Martin, "Then you need to take steps to ensure this will never happen again." But, he noted, "you cannot identify homosexuality with paedophilia". He said that paedophilia is "not the result of homosexuality, nor is it a result of celibacy".^[2]

Missionary work

In 2007, Martin announced that "a Catholic Church representative will visit every household in the Dublin Archdiocese next year. He predicted his evangelisation programme would promote greater co-operation between lay people and priests in the Church's mission and ministry".^[3]

Cardinalatial and curial speculation

On 21 February 2006 The Irish Times published a front page article which stated that Martin was due to receive the red hat in the next consistory, suggesting the date for this would be the 25 March the Feast of the Annunciation. However, on the next day Pope Benedict XVI announced the names of the 15 new cardinals to be created, who did not include Martin.

On 17 October 2007, Pope Benedict XVI announced the next batch of names to be elevated to the cardinalate and once again Martin's name was not on the list, which instead contained that of Seán Brady, the Archbishop of Armagh. This was in accordance with a tradition whereby the Primate of All Ireland is more frequently chosen as a cardinal than the Archbishop of Dublin, who holds the title of Primate of Ireland.

In April 2009, a British newspaper considered Cardinal Renato Martino, head of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, "likely to be succeeded by Monsignor Diarmuid Martin, the astute and able Archbishop of Dublin",^[4] and a Dublin news service also reported that "Archbishop Martin is strongly tipped to get the post in diplomatic circles".^[5] However, on 24 October of that year the appointment went to Cardinal Peter Turkson, then Archbishop of Cape Coast, Ghana.

Civil Partnerships legislation

In response to comments by Cardinal Brady on the Civil Partnership Bill, Martin said: "We haven't expressed an opinion as an Episcopal Conference (on the Bill). I don't think anyone in the conference is against what Cardinal Brady said, but they may have said it in different ways." He also said that while the Catholic Church favoured marriage, "it is not against other forms of intimacy".^[6]

Dr Martin told the Irish Independent in 2004 that "I recognise that there are many different kinds of caring relationships and these often create dependencies for those involved. The State may feel in justice that the rights of people in these relationships need to be protected." He emphasised he was not thinking mainly of homosexual relationships, but rather of caring, dependent relationships in general. At the same time, he said, he did not exclude homosexual relationships. Dr Martin said: "I have a wide range of relationships in mind. I do not exclude gay relationships but my main concern is with all caring relationships where dependencies have come into being."^[7]

Ecumenical activity

On 4 November 2007 Martin became the third Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin to preach in the Anglican (Church of Ireland) Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, since the 16th century Reformation. Delivering the annual Citizenship Sunday sermon, he said that selling drugs was about trafficking with death.

50th International Eucharistic Congress

At the end of the 49th International Eucharistic Congress held in Quebec in 2008, in a video message, Pope Benedict XVI announced that the next International Eucharistic Congress would be held in Dublin in 2012: "As this significant event in the life of the Church draws to a conclusion I invite you all to join me in praying for the success of the next International Eucharistic Congress, which will take place in 2012 in the city of Dublin."He took the opportunity "to greet warmly the people of Ireland, as they prepare to host this ecclesial gathering" and added: "I am confident that they, together with all the participants at the next congress, will find it a source of lasting spiritual renewal."

Cardinal Brady and Archbishop Martin, who attended the Congress in Quebec, welcomed the decision, stating: "On behalf of the Catholic faithful of Ireland, we are honoured and humbled that the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, has chosen Dublin to host the 50th International Eucharistic Congress in 2012. While the theme for the next congress has yet to be finalised, we are deeply conscious that 2012 also marks the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council."

This is the second time that Dublin will host the congress, the first being the 31st congress in 1932. "We live in different times now", the prelates said in their statement, "and it is our hope that the 2012 congress will be an opportunity for the Catholic Church in Ireland to both reflect on the centrality of the Eucharist at the heart of our increasingly diverse community, and, to give renewed impetus to the living of faith.

On 11 November 2010 Pope Benedict met Archbishop Martin and members of the organising committee of the 50th Eucharistic Congress as well as participants in the plenary assembly of the Pontifical Committee for International Eucharistic Congresses in the Sala Clementina of the Apostolic Palace. Pope Benedict expressed the hope that the preparations in Ireland for the Eucharistic Congress would help with the renewal of the Irish church. “Your assembly has paid great attention to this event, which is also part of the modernisation programme of the church in Ireland. The theme recalls the centrality of the Eucharistic mystery for the growth of the life of faith and every authentic process of church renewal” he said.^[8]

Credibility deficit of Church

Speaking in Dublin at a discussion organised by the Communion and Liberation lay Catholic movement, Martin said that, when the Church speaks, it faces a severe hindrance: "When I was younger, if you did your Leaving Certificate examination through the medium of Irish you got a bonus on your mark - I think it was either a 10 per cent or 15 per cent - just for that fact. Today for the church to make a credible statement on many aspects of public life or simply to talk about faith you start out with the opposite. You start out with a substantial percentage of credibility deficit." He wondered: "How does one really begin to speak about faith? How does one attempt to reach out and lead young people on a journey of faith, when they in many ways have lost trust in a church which many young people find no longer just 'irrelevant' but ... in which many young people say they have very little confidence".^[9]

Martin again spoke on this topic when, in his homily at the pro-cathedral on Holy Thursday 2009, he said that the two biggest problems facing young people were the Catholic Church's condemnation of gay couples and the question of suicide. He said that these were causing "a disconnect" which was causing "a dramatic and growing rift" between the Church and the younger generation. He accepted that this was partly the Church's fault because young people were much more questioning today than previously - and he urged his priests to offer services in the parish that would be geared more towards their particular concerns. He said that young people "see through the superficial answers we give".^[10] He added:"Our young people are generous and idealistic but such generosity and idealism does not seem to find a home in the Church. Where are we offering young people a home in our Church communities? Where are the focal points where we are helping young people to find an interpretation of their generosity, idealism and questioning in the light of the challenge and of the beauty of the message of Jesus Christ?"^[11]

Commission on child sexual abuse

In his homily on Holy Thursday 2009, he also warned that the depth of the Catholic sex abuse cases "will shock us all", throwing up challenges to the Catholic Church in Ireland it has never experienced before. Martin said: "It is likely that thousands of children or young people across Ireland were abused by priests in the period under investigation and the horror of that abuse was not recognised for what it is. The report will make each of us and the entire church in Dublin a humbler church".^[12] Martin also asked for the "forgiveness of anyone that I may have hurt or left feeling neglected. I know my own failings and limitations and I wish to renew sincerely today my respect and concern for each and every priest of this diocese or working in this diocese".^[13]

On 25 May 2009, Martin stated in the Irish Times (partially quoting a correspondent),

"'There is always a price to pay for not responding'. The church will have to pay that price in terms of its credibility. The first thing the church has to do is to move out of any mode of denial. Where the church is involved in social care it should be in the vanguard. That is different to a situation in which the church proclaims that it is in the vanguard.... in a very short time another report on the sexual abuse of children will be published, this time about how such abuse was managed in the Archdiocese of Dublin of which I am archbishop".^[14]

Ordinations and commissioning of lay pastoral workers

On Saturday 27 June 2009, three men were ordained priests – two for the Archdiocese of Dublin and one for the Capuchin Province of Korea, at a ceremony in St. Mary’s Pro-Cathedral in Dublin. And for the first time in Dublin, a unique part of the ceremony saw 13 parish pastoral workers commissioned into their new roles in parishes throughout the Archdiocese.

The new priests and parish pastoral workers took up their roles as the diocese began its Year of Evangelisation - a time of renewal of faith and the call to proclaim the Gospel. The aim of the Year of Evangelisation was to support, animate and develop evangelisation initiatives throughout parishes in the diocese. This included supporting parish sacramental programmes and initiatives such as the Do This in Memory Holy Communion programme and the You Will Be My Witnesses Confirmation programme and joint initiatives with the Church of Ireland.

The men ordained were Aloysius Zuribo, from Orlu in the state of Imo in Nigeria, Colin Rothery from Kilmacud in Dublin and Stephen Kim (OFM Capuchin) from Korea, who is currently in the Capuchin Friary, Raheny.

The parish pastoral workers – women and men – came from a variety of backgrounds, were theology graduates and had just completed a year-long formation course in Mater Dei Institute. They included former teachers, a barman, a homemaker, a technician and students. Their central role would be to support priests and communities in educating people in their faith, supporting and developing parish initiatives around prayer and the sacraments.

Addressing the parish pastoral workers, Martin said that “The Archdiocese of Dublin renews itself today with the commissioning of 13 new Parish Pastoral Workers who will bring their talents and charisms as lay men and women into our parishes and help animate our communities, especially around the Word of God. Saint Augustine reminds all of us that without being first a hearer of the word in our own hearts, we will only be empty preachers of the word to others. I urge you to witness to the word through the example of your lives and through the personal holiness which your mission calls for.”

Red Mass 2009

Addressing on 5 October 2009 a congregation including Supreme Court and High Court judges, at the formal opening of the law term in St Michan's church, Martin warned that ongoing prosperity could not on its own bring the harmony which society requires.

Urging the congregation to work to strengthen the fabric of society and make it more caring, he said self-indulgence could lead to corruption, total disregard for the rights of others, a breakdown of community and violence. Violence, he added, was "a continual threat to the harmony of society" in Ireland, was "profoundly anti-democratic" and attempted to "limit the effectiveness of community through a climate of fear". Speaking of "those whose mission it is to advance legislation which promotes harmony and equality and those whose mission it is to apply such laws and administer justice", he said: "Yours is a task of the spirit: to ensure that true communication in the fullest sense between people is not inhibited by the raw power of the self-interest of the few".^[15]

Murphy Report

This section may be too long to read and navigate comfortably. Please consider moving more of the content into sub-articles and using this article for a summary of the key points of the subject. (March 2010)

On 26 November 2009, the Murphy Report into abuse carried out by priests and covered up to varying degrees by the four preceding Archbishops of Dublin, namely, John Charles McQuaid, Dermot Ryan, Kevin McNamara, and Desmond Connell, was published. The report, which took three years to complete, said the archdiocese had an "obsessive concern with secrecy and the avoidance of scandal" and had "little or no concern for the welfare of the abused child".^[16]

The report also noted how Church authorities used the concept of "mental reservation", which allowed clergy to mislead people without being guilty, in the church’s eyes, of lying. The report also stated that there were some courageous priests who brought complaints to the attention of their superiors. But in general there was a "don’t ask, don’t tell" policy.

The investigating commission identified 320 individuals who complained of abuse between 1975 and 2004, and noted that 130 complaints had been made since May 2004.^[17] Cardinal Connell, the only living archbishop of the four mentioned in the report, expressed his "bitter regret that failures on my part contributed to the suffering of victims in any form".

At a press conference held on the day the report was released, Martin said: "As Archbishop of a Diocese for which I have pastoral responsibility, of my own native diocese, of the diocese for which I was ordained a priest, of a Diocese which I love and hope to serve to the best of my ability, what can I say when I have to share with you the revolting story of the sexual assault and rape of so many young children and teenagers by priests of the Archdiocese or who ministered in the diocese? No words of apology will ever be sufficient."

In a letter to the priests and laity read out at all Masses on Sunday 29 November 2009, Martin wrote that "The damage done to children abused by priests can never be undone. As Archbishop of Dublin and as Diarmuid Martin I offer to each and every survivor, my apology, my sorrow and my shame for what happened to them. I am aware however that no words of apology will ever be sufficient".^[18]

Martin said on 1 December 2009 that he was writing to Bishop of Limerick Donal Murray, a former auxiliary bishop of the Dublin diocese who was strongly criticised in the report but who, while saying he regretted his actions, did not immediately resign from his Limerick post, and to all other auxiliary bishops who served in Dublin and who were named in the report.^[19] He said he was “not satisfied” with some of their responses so far. He pointed out that those bishops named in the report, but no longer serving in the Dublin archdiocese, could not tailor their responses to people in their current dioceses. What they did and did not do failed people in Dublin and they owe them a response, he said.^[19]

On 11 December Archbishop Martin and Cardinal Brady met with Pope Benedict XVI to discuss the Murphy Report.^[20] Pope Benedict was accompanied by a group of Curial officials including the Cardinal Secretary of State and the Cardinal Prefects of the Congregation for Bishops, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Congregation for the Clergy and the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.^[21] The Apostolic Nuncio to Ireland, Archbishop Giuseppe Leanza, also attended.^[22]

After the historic two-day meeting between the Irish bishops and Pope Benedict, there was a certain dismay in the Vatican at the widespread negative Irish media reaction.Speaking of what he called a “dialogue between deaf parties”, one commentator said neither the Holy See nor Irish public and media opinion had fully understood the other. What seemed a very useful, groundbreaking meeting to one, looked like a total waste of time to the other. Vatican insiders argue that a meeting like that held this week could never produce obvious, tangible results. This meeting was much more about listening and understanding. Issues such as the resignations of bishops and arranging a “symbolic gesture” meeting between abuse survivors and Pope Benedict were simply never on the agenda.^[23]

After the meeting, the Holy See's Press Office released a statement that included the following: "Today the Holy Father held a meeting with senior Irish bishops and high-ranking members of the Roman Curia. He listened to their concerns and discussed with them the traumatic events that were presented in the Irish Commission of Investigation's Report into the Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin. After careful study of the report, the Holy Father was deeply disturbed and distressed by its contents. He wishes once more to express his profound regret at the actions of some members of the clergy who have betrayed their solemn promises to God, as well as the trust placed in them by the victims and their families, and by society at large. ... The Holy See takes very seriously the central issues raised by the Report, including questions concerning the governance of local Church leaders with ultimate responsibility for the pastoral care of children. The Holy Father intends to address a Pastoral Letter to the faithful of Ireland in which he will clearly indicate the initiatives that are to be taken in response to the situation.^[24]

Asked if the meeting and the ensuing Vatican statement would go some way to answering criticism about the perceived silence of the Holy See in the wake of the publication of the report, Martin said: "What appeared to us today is that maybe things were not said but certainly people were reflecting on matters".^[25]

Some survivors of child abuse and their representatives reacted negatively to the Holy See's statement. Marie Collins, who was abused in 1960 by a priest when she was a patient at Our Lady’s Hospital for Sick Children in Crumlin, said: "I can’t say I was disappointed because I didn’t have any high hopes."Acknowledging the sincerity of the pope’s call for prayers for those abused and their families, and possible initiatives where reorganisation of the Irish Church was concerned, she pointed out the statement "doesn’t deal with the past. No one has taken responsibility for what went on in Dublin. There is no accountability".^[26]

Bishops Eamonn Oliver Walsh and Ray Field offered an apology to child-abuse victims, as they tendered their resignations during Christmas Midnight Mass on 24 December 2009.^[27] This came in addition to the resignation of two other bishops, Donal Murray of Limerick and James Moriarty of Kildare, following the publication of the Murphy Report.

In a joint statement Walsh and Field said they hoped their proffered resignations "may help to bring the peace and reconciliation of Jesus Christ to the victims (and) survivors of child sexual abuse. We again apologise to them". Martin had called for his two auxiliary bishops to quit,^{[citation needed]} but both initially refused. In his Christmas sermon, Martin said the church for too long placed its self-interest above the rights of its parishioners, particularly innocent children. He said they, as well as the dedicated majority of priests, had been betrayed by their leaders. "It has been a painful year," he told worshippers at St Mary's Pro-Cathedral in Dublin. "But the church today may well be a better and safer place than was the church of 25 years ago – when all looked well, but where deep shadows were kept buried." On 11 August 2010, however, it was revealed that Pope Benedict had not accepted the resignations of Bishops Walsh and Field. "Following the presentation of their resignations to Pope Benedict, it has been decided that Bishop Eamonn Walsh and Bishop Raymond Field will remain as auxiliary bishops," Archbishop Martin said in a letter to priests of the diocese^[28]

Prior to offering their resignations, Walsh had been a bishop for 19 years and ran the diocese of Ferns for four years after Brendan Comiskey resigned as a bishop over his cover-ups of abuse. Field had served for 12 years in Dublin and was president of the hierarchy's Commission for Justice and Social Affairs.^[29]

Of the five serving bishops who were mentioned in the Murphy report, only one, the Bishop of Galway, Martin Drennan, decided not to offer his resignation. In a radio poll 93% of local people in Galway said that they supported his decision. Likewise, Galway West TD Frank Fahey declared that Drennan should not resign.

Martin came in for criticism among other high ranking clergy for calling for the resignations. In the Connaught Tribune newspaper, Father Tony Flannery was critical of how Martin communicated with his own auxiliary bishops: "These bishops are not recalcitrant teenagers; they are intelligent and mature men, so it was pathetic of Diarmuid Martin to use the media to communicate with them".^[30]

In January 2010, the Archbishop expressed surprise at claims made in the previous month by Bishop of Galway Martin Drennan that he had attacked Drennan's integrity. It followed a call by Martin, following publication of the Murphy report, for all current and former Auxiliary Bishops of Dublin to be accountable for their actions on child protection issues. In a radio interview, after the Archbishop made his comments, Drennan said: "I don't know if Martin intended it or not but it has put a question mark over my integrity, yes. Now that I've responded to him and given him the evidence he needs he might want to reflect on that and see what response he should make to it." Speaking to the media in Maynooth on 22 January, as a day-long extraordinary meeting of the Irish Episcopal Conference concluded which had also been attended by Drennan, Martin said: “I'm surprised that anybody would say that, by asking people to be accountable, to stand up and explain themselves, that was an attack on anyone's integrity.” He said he had received lots of correspondence supporting him for saying people should be accountable, which did not mean heads should roll, he said.^[31]

Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of Dublin Dermot O’Mahony strongly criticised Martin, claiming that he had failed to support priests in the Dublin diocese following publication of the Murphy report. “The archbishop did nothing to counteract the statement of the Murphy report, widely circulated in the media, that the majority of clergy knew and did nothing. Indeed, I feel he made matters worse by giving an example of a parish that could be clearly identifiable to the priests of the diocese,” wrote O’Mahony in letters sent to Martin and the Council of Priests. He added: “To suggest our approach failed to take cognisance of the safety of children is inaccurate and unjust. The acceptance by media and current diocese policy that a cover-up took place must be challenged,”, and took the unusual step of circulating his own correspondence with Martin to the Council of Priests.^[32]

In a letter to Martin on 30 December, Bishop O’Mahony wrote that he had been shocked at the tone of a previous letter he had received from Martin, which had addressed the Murphy report. A spokeswoman for Martin told The Irish Times that this letter to O’Mahony, which was dated 2 December 2009, had been sent following detailed conversation between them. It was sent three days after a meeting of the diocesan council which discussed the Murphy report.^[32]

A meeting of priests heard demands that Martin be confronted over his handling of the fallout from the Murphy report on clerical child sex abuse. It also heard claims that the archbishop had become “a source of division” among priests and bishops. About 25 Dublin priests attended the meeting on 18 January 2010. The minutes state that the majority of priests in attendance were middle-aged and all got a chance to speak. The meeting was specially convened to discuss the Murphy report. “Anger, frustration and a sense of helplessness [were] expressed at the lack of compassion shown by the diocese in recent months, particularly towards the auxiliary bishops,” the minutes report. The minutes go on to say that priests were “dumbfounded” by Martin’s letter to former auxiliary bishop O' Mahony. “To say his good name had been tarnished was untrue, cruel and insulting”.^[33]

Archbishop Martin in August 2010 said that bishops have “a long history of a lack of unity”, according to an English translation of the address he delivered in Italian at Rimini.^[34]

[edit] Pope's Pastoral Letter to Irish Catholics

Pope Benedict's letter to Irish Catholics was signed on Friday 19 March 2010 and was released on the 20 March^[35] The letter follows the publication of the Ryan and Murphy reports into child abuse by Church authorities. After the letter was released Archbishop Diarmuid Martin welcomed the pope's statement, describing it not as a final word but as “a further step in the process of renewal and healing in the Catholic Church in Ireland following the crisis of the sexual abuse of children". Martin said the pope acknowledged the suffering and betrayal experienced by survivors of clerical abuse. “The pope recognises the failures of Church authorities in how they dealt with sinful and criminal acts,” he said.^[36]

[edit] Refusal to call for resignation of Cardinal Brady

In response to a journalist's question following publicity given to Cardinal Brady's role in canonical investigations in 1975 concerning paedophile priest Brendan Smyth, Martin commented: "I never tell people to resign. I never said people should stay. I ask for accountability. Resigning is a personal decision a person has to make on their own. People should be accountable, and render account of what they've done. Resignations are personal decisions." Asked whether it was acceptable that Cardinal Brady did not stop Smyth after the 1975 investigation, he said Smyth "was not stopped by who had the power to stop him", and "somebody should have stopped him".

In the same interview Martin was asked if he had been recently silenced by the church. He replied: "No, I haven't been asked to stop talking. I gave four major interviews in the last four weeks to Irish and international television." Asked if he had been ostracised by other members of the church, he said: "I do things in my own way, which may not please everybody, but in no way was I ostracised. I have to maintain also my own independence of thought."^[37]

Apostolic visitation

In October 2010, Archbishop Michael Neary of Tuam, along with Cardinal Brady, Archbishops Diarmuid Martin of Dublin and Dermot Clifford of Cashel and Emly met for high-level talks with heads of Vatican congregations over the apostolic visitation of Irish dioceses in the wake of the Murphy and Ryan reports. While in Rome, the Irish churchmen came face to face with a team of investigators appointed by Pope Benedict to examine the four Irish archdioceses and "some other as yet unspecified dioceses".

They included Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, the Cardinal-Archbishop Emeritus of Westminster, who inspected Cardinal Brady's archdiocese of Armagh, and Sean O'Malley, Cardinal Archbishop of Boston, who inspected the Dublin diocese. Toronto's Archbishop Thomas Christopher Collins to investigate Cashel, while Ottawa's Archbishop Terrence Prendergast will look at the west of Ireland archdiocese of Tuam. An investigation of the state of Irish seminaries will be conducted by Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York. The investigators, known as apostolic visitors, will report their findings directly to Pope Benedict XVI.^[38]

2011 Liturgy of Lament

Archbishop Martin on 20 February 2011 said that the Church has a long way to journey in honesty before it merits forgiveness for the abuse of children. Archbishop Martin then made what victims said was the most explicit apology to date for the role of the Church hierarchy in enabling the abuse. Apostolic Visitor Sean Cardinal O'Malley of Boston, who was sent to Ireland by the Vatican to study the response of the Dublin archdiocese to sexual abuse, lay prostrate in front of an empty stone altar at the start of the service. They later invited five women and three male victims of abuse to the altar, where they knelt down and washed their feet.^[39] Three of the victims held hands and sobbed as Martin poured water on their feet and Cardinal O'Malley dried them with a towel.^[40]

During the service Archbishop Martin said "I can express my sorrow, my sense of the wrong that was done to you. I think of how you were not heard or not believed and not comforted and supported. I can ask myself how did this happen in the Church of Jesus Christ where as we heard in the Gospel children are presented to us as signs of the kingdom. How did we not see you in your suffering and abandonment?" he contiuned saying "Someone once reminded me of the difference between on the one hand apologising or saying sorry and on the other hand asking forgiveness. I can bump into someone on the street and say “Sorry”. It can be meaningful or just an empty formula. When I say sorry I am in charge. When I ask forgiveness however I am no longer in charge, I am in the hands of the others. Only you can forgive me; only God can forgive me. I, as Archbishop of Dublin and as Diarmuid Martin, stand here in this silence and I ask forgiveness of God and I ask for the first steps of forgiveness from of all the survivors of abuse."^[41]

Comments on Vatican response to report

In May 2011 Archbishop Martin emphasised he was not criticising Pope Benedict, but was encouraging a sense of urgency on the part of the Pope’s “collaborators” in the Roman Curia. Speaking in Dublin he said the pace of change in Irish religious culture was such that “the longer the delay in advancing the fruits of the apostolic visitation, the greater the danger of false expectations, and the greater the encouragement to those who prefer immobilism to reform, and the greater the threat to the effectiveness of this immense gift of the Holy Father to the Irish Church”. He was “impatient to learn about the path that the apostolic visitation will set out for renewal for the Irish Church so that our renewal will move forward decisively. At the same time, I am also becoming increasingly impatient at the slowness in the process, which began over a year ago. This is not a criticism of the Holy Father. It is an appeal to his collaborators.” Archbishop Martin was speaking at All Hallows College, Dublin, to delegates from almost 70 countries attending a conference held in anticipation of the 2012 Eucharistic Congress. His “greatest concern” was “the rift which is growing between the church and young people”.^[42]

Church role in education

In March 2010, Martin welcomed an announcement by Minister for Education Batt O'Keeffe that his department “will shortly be providing an initial list of about 10 urban areas that can be used to test the concept of reducing the number of Catholic schools”. Martin also said that solutions would have to be found to respect the rights of teachers “who do not wish to be involved in religious education”. He welcomed the fact that “the Minister has indicated that there will be consultations with parents, teachers and local communities”.^[43]

Fr Michael Drumm, executive chairman of the Catholic Schools Partnership, also welcomed “the prospect of greater diversity of school provision” as indicated by the Minister yesterday. However, he queried the Minister’s “mention of an eventual reduction of Catholic provision in demographically stable urban areas to 60 per cent”.^[43]

In his address to the Catholic Primary Schools Management Association in Dublin, Minister O'Keefe said that “the issue of the Catholic Church divesting itself of certain schools was originally explicitly raised by Archbishop Diarmuid Martin and it has also found expression in the work of the Bishops’ Conference and through its engagement with my department.” He said that the archbishop’s “public identification of this reality” was “a timely and important contribution not just to the future of Catholic schools but to the future of the primary sector generally,” he said.^[43]

“In overall terms, I know it has been acknowledged that the Catholic primary sector, which currently represents over 90 per cent of overall provision, may ultimately fall to between 50 per cent and 60 per cent of overall provision and that this percentage of overall provision will still be enough to allow the church fulfil its expressed commitment to meet the needs of parents who wish their children to have a Catholic education.”^[43]

In March 2011 Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn has set up an expert group to decide how up to half of all primary schools will be moved away from Catholic Church patronage. The forum will be chaired by Prof John Coolahan, professor emeritus at NUI Maynooth, and will meet for the first time in May 2011. They will advise the Minister on how best it can be ensured that the education system provides a sufficiently diverse number and range of primary schools catering for all religions and none and the practicalities of how transfer of patronage should operate for individual primary schools in communities where it is appropriate and necessary.^[44]

Comments on the Cloyne report

On 13 July 2011 the report in the sexual abuse in the diocese of Cloyne was published. Archbishop Martin said on reading his report that his "first emotion that came to me was anger".^[45] Archbishop Martin has warned that further investigations of clerical child sex abuse in dioceses will not get to the truth if people in the Catholic Church are not prepared to tell the truth. Senior church figures who were not prepared to be honest would only be “discovered” through an “invasive” audit of child protection practices in their dioceses, he said. He said the Vatican, in responding to the findings of last week’s report on child abuse cases in the Cloyne diocese, should reiterate its support for the Irish church in applying existing “norms”, or rules, on child protection. The Vatican should also support the reporting of cases to the State authorities and the carrying out of audits to show exactly where the situation was in relation to child protection. He acknowledged that people could feel deceived by the church, he said the norms set down by the present pope in 2001 had been ignored in the Cloyne diocese. “What sort of a cabal is in there and still refusing to recognise the norms of the church?” he asked. All the other Irish bishops had put these norms into practice, “as far as I know”, he added. Dr Martin said six elderly priests were verbally abused at a colleague’s funeral this week when someone challenged them, claiming they “should be ashamed of themselves”. “Those who felt they were able to play tricks with norms, they have betrayed those good men and so many others in the church who are working today,” he said.^[46]

Third Edition of the Roman Missal

In August 2011 Archbishop Martin defended the new, more accurate English translation of the Roman Missal^[47] entering into force by Advent 2011. A gradual introduction of the missal will begin at Masses in Ireland from Sunday, 11 September. It is planned that it will be in full use throughout Ireland and the English-speaking Catholic world by the first Sunday of Advent this year, 27 November. In a letter to the priests of the Dublin diocese earlier in August, Dr Martin said that since the current Roman Missal was introduced in 1975, “many additional texts have been made available for use. These include new eucharistic prayers for reconciliation I and II, and for Masses for various needs I to IV, Masses for the Blessed Virgin Mary, Masses for new feasts of saints, and other new material.” Those familiar with translations in other languages had come to realise “that often there were key phrases and rich biblical allusions missing from the English translation” in the current missal, he said. Also, “some theological vocabulary had been lost in the 1975 edition” and the new missal “addresses some of these weaknesses”.Those familiar with translations in other languages had come to realise “that often there were key phrases and rich biblical allusions missing from the English translation” in the current missal, he said. Changes to the wording of the Confiteor, the Gloria and the Creed are included in the new Roman Missal. The phrase “begotten, not made, of one being with the Father”, from the Creed, has been changed to “begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father”. The response to “the Lord be with you” has been changed from “and also with you” to “and with your spirit”, while the opening three sentences of the third eucharistic prayer have been replaced with a 72-word sentence.^[48]

Future of the Church in Ireland

Archbishop Martin said in a speech on the future of the Church on 10 May 2010, that the Gospel reminds "us that the Father would send the Spirit who, at each moment in the history of the Church, would teach us all things in Jesus name. In that sense I cannot be pessimistic about the future of the Church in Ireland." He continued saying that "The future of the Catholic Church in Ireland will see a very different Catholic Church in Ireland. I sometimes worry when I hear those with institutional responsibility stress the role of the institution and others then in reaction saying that “we are the Church”. Perhaps on both sides there may be an underlying feeling that “I am the Church”, that the Church must be modelled on my way of thinking or on my position. Renewal is never our own creation. Renewal will only come through returning to the Church which we have received from the Lord."^[49]

On Church teaching, Archbishop Martin said that, "There are further challenges to be addressed regarding Church teaching. Within the Church and outside of it discussion focuses around challenges in the area of sexual morality where the Church’s teaching is either not understood or is simply rejected as out of tune with contemporary culture. There is on the other hand very little critical examination of some of the roots of that contemporary culture and its compatibility with the teaching of Jesus. The moral teaching of the Church cannot simply be a blessing for, a toleration of, or an adaptation to the cultural climate of the day."^[49]

On the need for greater evangelisation he said that "The use of modern media mechanisms to support the distribution of the Gospel is something important and innovative. In this context, we are very fortunate to have a group of scripture scholars who put their knowledge and personal perception of the scriptures at the service of parishes and bible study groups. This material is accessible to any individual who would wish to avail of it on the website www.yearofevangelisation.ie."^[49]

He said that "The Catholic Church in Ireland is coming out of one of its most difficult moments in its history and the light at the end of the tunnel is still a long way off. The Catholic Church in Ireland will have to live with the grief of its past, which can and should never be forgotten or overlooked. There is no simple way of wiping the slate of the past clean, just to ease our feelings. Yet the Catholic Church in Ireland cannot be imprisoned in its past. The work of evangelization must if anything take on a totally new vibrancy."^[49]

He closed saying that "Perhaps the future of the Church in Ireland will be one where we truly learn from the arrogance of our past and find anew a fragility which will allow the mercy and the compassion of Jesus to give us a change of heart and allow others through a very different Church to encounter something of that compassion and faith for their lives."

On 20 February 2011, he made what was regarded by abuse survivors as his most explicit apology yet.^[50]

At a talk on the future of Irish Catholicism on 22 February 2011 for the Cambridge Group for Irish Studies, Magdalene College, Cambridge Archbishop Martin said that "there are parishes in Dublin where the presence at Sunday Mass is some 5% of the Catholic population and, in some cases, even below 2%. On any particular Sunday about 18% of the Catholic population in the Archdiocese of Dublin attends Mass. That is considerably lower than in any other part of Ireland." He continued saying "the conformist Ireland of the Archbishop McQuaid era changed so rapidly and with few tears was read as an indication of a desire for change, but perhaps it was also an indication that the conformism was covering an emptiness and a faith built on a faulty structure to which people no longer really ascribed" and that "The Catholic Church in Ireland will inevitably become more a minority culture. The challenge is to ensure that it is not an irrelevant minority culture." In the context of lay pastoral workers he said "The narrow culture of clericalism has to be eliminated. It did not come out of nowhere and so we have to address its roots from the time of seminary training onwards". He said that of the Church that the "paradoxical thing is that the farther the Church goes in adapting to the culture of the times, the greater is the danger that it will no longer be able to confront the culture of the time", he concluded saying that "I am convinced that one of the principal ways in which the Church can reform itself and bring its message more incisively to society is through developing a renewed biblical apostolate".^[51]

2011 general election comments

Archbishop Martin in February 2011 called on Christians in Ireland to be vocal about the values they want for "a caring" society. Addressing a church celebration of the World Day of the Sick in Clontarf, Archbishop Martin said: "We stand at an important moment regarding the future of our Irish society." He continued saying "In a climate marked too often only by criticism and mud-slinging, we Christians are called to drive for a sense of common purpose regarding the type of society we wish our political leaders to generate and the values that we would wish to see enshrined in that society," Dr Martin said.^[52] Shortly afterwards the Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference released a guide to voters for the general election.^[53]

Family

The Archbishop's brother, Seamus Martin, was a left wing journalist with The Irish Times newspaper.

[edit] References

^ Irish archbishop sets up traditionalist chaplaincy. New Liturgical Movement. Published 19 September 2007.
^ Don't ban gay priests, urges Irish Catholic archbishop
^ Archbishop sends out his missionaries across city. The Irish Independent. Published 21 March 2008.
^ The Times, 20 April 2009
^ Diarmuid Martin tipped for post as Pope's top advisor. The Herald. Published 23 April 2009.
^ Bishops differ over emphasis on civil unions. The Irish Times. Published 11 November 2008.
^ Archbishop backs legal rights for gay couples
^ Pope meets Irish delegation on Eucharistic Congress
^ Church faces credibility deficit, says archbishop. The Irish Times. Published 1 January 2009.
^ 'Rift growing' between youths and the Church. The Irish Independent. Published 10 April 2009.
^ Chrism Mass 2009. Archdiocese of Dublin. Published 9 April 2009.
^ Ireland archbishop admits child abuse report 'will shock us all'. The Guardian. Published 10 April 2009.
^ Archbishop says abuse report 'will shock us all'. The Irish Times. Published 9 April 2009.
^ Tarnished orders have a last chance at redemption. The Irish Times. Published 25 May 2009.
^ Judges called on by churches to help create a just society. The Irish Times. Published 6 October 2009.
^ Church 'routinely covered up' child sexual abuse for 30 years. The Irish Times. Published 27 November 2009.
^ "Abuse 'covered up' by Dublin Archdiocese". RTÉ News and Current Affairs. 26 November 2009. http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/1126/abuse.html. Retrieved 26 November 2009.
^ Archbishops Statement on the Publication of the Dublin Report. Archdiocese of Dublin. Published 26 November 2009.
^ ^a ^b Archbishop Martin not satified with response of some bishops. The Irish Times. Published 2 December 2009.
^ The Holy Father meeting with representatives of the Irish Bishops' Conference and head departments of the Roman Curia. Vatican News Service. Published 11 December 2009.
^ Pope 'shares outrage and shame' at Murphy report. The Irish Times. Published 11 December 2009.
^ Martin and Brady meet pope today over abuse. The Irish Times. Published 11 December 2009.
^ Dismay in Vatican at negative Irish response to 'historic' meeting. The Irish Times Published 18 February 2010.
^ Full Pope Statement on the Murphy Report. NewsTalk. Retrieved on 28 March 2010.
^ Martin and Brady stress significance of pope's promised pastoral letter. The Irish Times. Published 12 December 2009.
^ Victims are left cold by pope's statement. The Irish Times. Published 12 December 2009.
^ Two Irish Catholic bishops resign over church cover-up of child abuse. The Guardian. Published 25 December 209.
^ Pope rejects resignation of two Dublin auxiliary bishops
^ Two auxiliary bishops offer to resign. RTÉ News. Published 25 December 2009.
^ Bishop of Galway stands firm. Ireland.com. Retrieved on 28 March 2010.
^ Archbishop 'surprised' at reaction to remarks. The Irish Times. Published 23 January 2010.
^ ^a ^b Archbishop Martin criticised for failure to support priests. The Irish Times. Published 28 January 2010.
^ Irate priests critical of Archbishop Martin. The Irish Times. Published 5 February 2010.
^ Irish bishops have history of disunity, says Martin
^ Pastoral letter of the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI to the Catholics of Ireland. Vatican News Service. Published 20 March 2010.
^ Pope apologises to victims for 'grave errors' of church. The Irish Times. Published 20 March 2010.
^ Martin refuses to call for cardinal's resignation. The Irish Times. Published 17 March 2010.
^ Bishops summoned to Rome for abuse crisis talks
^ Press Release/ Diary Notice February 15th
^ Archbishop Martin makes explicit apology
^ 20/2/2011 Reflections from Liturgy of Lament and repentance
^ Vatican criticised for 'slowness' on church renewal
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Martin welcomes plan to reduce Catholic schools. The Irish Times. Published 6 March 2010.
^ Carr, Aoife. "Forum to examine school patronage". The Irish Times. http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2011/0328/breaking21.html.
^ Homily post Cloyne Report
^ Archbishop warns over obstruction of inquiries into abuse
^ Order of Mass - new translation
^ Martin defends new Roman Missal
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Archbishop Martin Addresses Knights
^ "Archbishop Martin makes explicit apology". RTÉ. 20 February 2011.
^ Address by Archbishop Diarmuid Martin to the Cambridge Group for Irish Studies, Magdalene College, Cambridge
^ Archbishop hits out at mud-slinging by politicians
^ [1]

NY’s Cardinal Dolan urges faithful to join political ‘battle,’ decries US contraception rules - The Washington Post

2012-03-03T21:39:00.001-06:00

Speaking at Holy Trinity Diocesan High School in Hicksville, the spiritual leader of the Archdiocese of New York said the U.S. government is engaged in “an unwarranted, unprecedented radical intrusion.” He told the crowd they “live in an era that seems to discover new rights every day.”

Click on the following for more of the story: NY’s Cardinal Dolan urges faithful to join political ‘battle,’ decries US contraception rules - The Washington Post

COMMENT by stanchaz:

stanchaz--These "faith-based institutions" are businesses - NOT churches....BIG businesses. The government is trying to protect the freedom of their employees, not to limit it! Seriously: The bottom line is that absolutely NO ONE is coming into our Churches or places of worship and telling believers what to believe.....or forcing them to use contraception. BUT If the Bishops (and other denominations) want to continue running businesses outside of their places of worship...businesses that employ millions of people of varying faiths -or no "faith" at all- THEN they must play by the same rules and rights that other workers live by and enjoy (especially if their businesses use our tax dollars, and skip paying taxes, in the process). If the Jehovah's Witnesses church hires me, can they alter my health insurance to exclude blood transfusions? Even worse- what if they operated a hospital by their “rules”? This is not a “war on religion”. Never was. However, it IS a war BY some religions... on women and men who simply want to plan their families, to control their futures, to keep their jobs, and to have health insurance that allows them to do that. if the Cardinal wishes to be a politician instead of a preacher, and wishes to use his pulpit for that purpose, rather than a place of worship, then he should give up his tax exemption.

Concerned Catholics approaches 11,000 page views since its beginning in June 2011

2012-03-03T09:59:00.001-06:00

There have been 10,949 page views since July 4, 2011

Tainted Saint: Mother Teresa Defended Pedophile Priest - - San Francisco - SF Weekly

2012-03-02T22:28:00.001-06:00

By Peter Jamison Wednesday, Jan 11 2012

Yet documents obtained by SF Weekly suggest that Mother Teresa knew one of her favorite priests was removed from ministry for sexually abusing a Bay Area boy in 1993, and that she nevertheless urged his bosses to return him to work as soon as possible. The priest resumed active ministry, as well as his predatory habits. Eight additional complaints were lodged against him in the coming years by various families, leading to his eventual arrest on sex-abuse charges in 2005.
The priest was Donald McGuire, a former Jesuit who has been convicted of molesting boys in federal and state courts and is serving a 25-year federal prison sentence

Click on the following to read all of the story: Tainted Saint: Mother Teresa Defended Pedophile Priest - Page 1 - News - San Francisco - SF Weekly

Philadelphia Priest charged with patronizing prostitute

2012-03-02T22:10:00.001-06:00

He was charged with patronizing a prostitute and entered into the Accelerated Misdemeanor Program. He was ordered to perform 18 hours of community service and pay $200 in fines, according to court records.
The Archdiocese of Philadelphia put out a statement Friday night calling the information "deeply troubling." McCormick has been put on administrative leave.
It said in a statement that McCormick told the Archdiocese the day after his arrest that he had been charged with DUI, not promoting a prostitute. The Archdiocese said it just found out about the prostitution charges Friday at 5 p.m.

Click on the following to read all of the story: Priest charged with patronizing prostitute

Below is the Archdiocese’s press release regarding the issue:

Cardinal Dolan Issues Letter Hinting at Legal Challenge | Daily News | NCRegister.com

2012-03-02T22:03:00.001-06:00

by JOAN FRAWLEY DESMOND03/02/2012

– EWTN News
WASHINGTON — Cardinal Timothy of New York, the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, issued a letter to his brother bishops today, reporting that negotiations between the conference and the White House had “stalled” and that he was exploring legal remedies to address the First Amendment threat posed by the contraception mandate approved by the Obama administration.

Click on the following to read all Ms. Desmond’s article: Cardinal Dolan Issues Letter Hinting at Legal Challenge | Daily News | NCRegister.com

The four page letter from Cardinal Dolan is available by clicking on the following: http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/religious-liberty/upload/Dolan-to-all-bishops-HHS.pdf

Bishop Joseph Cistone, Bishop of Saginaw, MI

2012-03-02T11:12:00.001-06:00

Joseph R. Cistone

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bishop of Saginaw

Diocese
Saginaw

Enthroned
July 28, 2009

Predecessor
Robert James Carlson

Successor
incumbent

Other posts
Auxiliary Bishop of Philadelphia (2004-2009)

Orders

Ordination
May 17, 1975

Consecration
July 28, 2004

Personal details

Born
May 18, 1949 (1949-05-18) (age 62)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Styles of
Joseph Cistone

Joseph Robert Cistone (born May 18, 1949) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the sixth and current Bishop of Saginaw.

Early life and education

Joseph Cistone was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Daniel A. and Josephine R. (née Altomare) Cistone, Sr.^[1] One of three children, he has two brothers, Daniel and Anthony. He attended Our Lady of Consolation School and graduated from Father Judge High School in 1967.^[1] He then studied at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, from where he obtained a Bachelor's degree in Philosophy (1971) and Master's in Divinity (1975).^[2]

Priesthood

Cistone was ordained to the priesthood by John Cardinal Krol on May 17, 1975.^[3] He then served as parochial vicar at Epiphany of Our Lord Parish (1975-1979) and chaplain at St. Maria Goretti High School (1977-1979) in Philadelphia. He became parochial vicar at St. Jerome Parish in 1979, and advocate on the metropolitan tribunal in 1980.

From 1982 to 1987, Cistone served as parochial vicar at St. Jude Parish in Chalfont, member of the admissions board for the Archdiocesan Permanent Diaconate Program, and Newman Chaplain at Delaware Valley College of Science. He was also Defender of the Bond on the metropolitan tribunal (1983-1989), and parochial vicar at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Norristown (1987-1989) and St. Bernard Parish in Philadelphia (1989-1991).^[1] In 1991, he became Dean of Formation for the Theology Division of St. Charles Seminary.^[2]

Cistone was named associate to Msgr. Edward Cullen, vicar for administration of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, in 1993.^[2] He later served as assistant vicar for administration from 1994 to 1998, and vicar general and vicar for administration from 1998 to 2009. He was raised to the rank of Honorary Prelate of His Holiness in April 1998.^[1]

Episcopal career

[edit] Auxiliary Bishop of Philadelphia

On June 28, 2004, Cistone was appointed an Auxiliary Bishop of Philadelphia and Titular Bishop of Casae Medianae by Pope John Paul II.^[3] Cistone received his episcopal consecration on the following July 28 from Justin Cardinal Rigali, with Bishops Robert Maginnis and Michael Burbidge serving as co-consecrators, in the Cathedral-Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul.^[3] He selected as his episcopal motto: "Father of Mercy and Love."

In addition to his duties as vicar general and vicar for administration, Cistone served as head of the Secretariat for Catholic Human Services and the Secretariat for Temporal Services.^[1] He also had pastoral oversight for parishes in South Philadelphia and a portion of Delaware County.^[1]

[edit] Bishop of Saginaw

Cistone was later named the sixth Bishop of Saginaw, Michigan, by Pope Benedict XVI on May 20, 2009.^[3] He succeeded Robert J. Carlson (who was appointed Archbishop of St. Louis the previous April), and was installed on July 28, 2009. As Bishop, he serves as the spiritual leader for 120,000 Catholics in Central Michigan.

Within the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Cistone currently sits on the Committee for Protection of Children and Young People, Committee for Cultural Diversity in the Church, Subcommittee for African-American Affairs, and Committee on Budget and Finance.

Grand Jury Report

Main article: Sexual abuse scandal in Philadelphia archdiocese

According to a 2005 grand jury investigation into clergy sexual abuse, while serving as assistant vicar for administration in 1996, Cistone was involved with silencing a nun who tried to alert parishioners at St. Gabriel parish about abuse by a priest.^[4]

A week after being named to lead the Diocese of Saginaw, Cistone was asked by a mid-Michigan newspaper reporter about the grand jury investigation and his reported role in covering up instances of sexual abuse. Cistone expressed unhappiness with how little opportunity he had been given to respond to the report, saying, "Unfortunately, the grand jury procedure, as followed in Philadelphia, did not allow for any opportunity to address such questions to offer explanation or clarification."^[5] Cistone also expressed surprise that he had not been questioned about the grand jury report during his introductory press conference and told the reporter, "Had it come up, I certainly would have addressed it."^[6] However, when given the opportunity to answer questions about his actions by the newspaper reporter, Cistone refused to answer specific questions on the matter.

On June 9, 2009, a group of survivors of clergy abuse protested Cistone's appointment outside the Saginaw Diocese office.^[7] Members of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) demanded that Cistone hold a public forum to explain his actions as described in the 2005 grand jury report. SNAP President Barbara Blaine said the actions had to be taken because, "the innocence of children was shattered needlessly because of the action and inaction of this bishop."^[8] In response to the group's calls for transparency, Cistone said, "If someone wants to go back and rehash what the church may have done based on knowledge and experience or lack of experience the church had, well, that's OK, but that's not productive. What's productive is what we can do to move forward."^[9]

On August 31, 2009, representatives of SNAP invited Bishop Cistone to attend a town hall meeting and participate in a discussion on the topic of clergy abuse. The town hall meeting was scheduled to be held on October 25, 2009.^[10] The group asked Bishop Cistone to disclose the whereabouts of two priests accused of sexual abuse.^[11]

Alleged abuse at Bishop's home parish

A maintenance worker alleged that in July, 2009, he was groped, kissed and sat on by a deacon in the rectory of the Cathedral of St. Mary in Saginaw. The Cathedral is the home parish of Bishop Cistone. The maintenance worker reported that after he went to the rector of the parish with his allegations, he was fired from his position in retaliation. The rector of the Cathedral later resigned from his post in November, 2009, taking a leave of absence from active ministry. Bishop Cistone explained that the rector's resignation was due to "personal health" issues.^[12] Cistone has made no further comment on the allegations made by the Cathedral maintenance worker.

incumbent

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "Pope Benedict XVI Names Bishop Joseph Cistone As Bishop Of The Diocese Of Saginaw, Michigan". Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia. 2009-05-19. http://archphila.org/press%20releases/pr001517.htm.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Pope Names Philadelphia Auxiliary Bishop Cistone To Saginaw, Michigan". United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. 2009-05-20. http://www.usccb.org/comm/archives/2009/09-111.shtml.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Bishop Joseph Robert Cistone". Catholic-Hierarchy.org. http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bcist.html.
^ http://www.philadelphiadistrictattorney.com/images/Grand_Jury_Report.pdf
^ Lackey, Angela. "Bishop addresses abuse issue." Midland Daily News, May 29, 2009. http://ourmidland.com/articles/2009/05/29/local_news/1832299.txt
^ Lackey, Angela. "Bishop addresses abuse issue." Midland Daily News, May 29, 2009. http://ourmidland.com/articles/2009/05/29/local_news/1832299.txt
^ http://abclocal.go.com/wjrt/story?section=news/local&id=6856472
^ http://abclocal.go.com/wjrt/story?section=news/local&id=6856472
^ http://abclocal.go.com/wjrt/story?section=news/local&id=6856472
^ Gully, Paul. Sex abuse survivors group invites Saginaw Catholic Bishop Cistone to town hall. Saginaw News, August 31, 2009. http://www.mlive.com/news/saginaw/index.ssf/2009/08/sex_abuse_group_invites_sagina.html
^ Group wants answers from new Saginaw Bishop. August 31, 2009. http://www.connectmidmichigan.com/news/news_story.aspx?id=344319
^ Camp, Terry. ABC 12 news. Parishioners at a Catholic Church in Saginaw were surprised this fall when its priest suddenly resigned. February 24, 2010. http://abclocal.go.com/wjrt/story?section=news/local&id=7293431

[edit] External links

Guest opinion: Catholic women priests served church before, can do so now | The News-Press | news-press.com

2012-03-01T22:48:00.001-06:00

by John W. McNally He is secretary of the Catholic Call to Action Conference of Southwest Florida. He lives in Estero

Scripture scholars now realize that Jesus did not ordain anyone, and that the first bishops and priests to serve the church were installed long after Jesus had left the Earth. They probably came to be as a result of the destruction of the Jewish temple in 76 A.D. and the consequent demise of the Jewish priesthood. At any rate, the Bible indicates that Jesus thought women and men were equals and should be treated as such.
Our Catholic bishops today like to characterize themselves as successors of the apostles. However, most of the apostles were dead and gone before we ever had any bishops in our church….

Dorothy Irvin, a local scholar, has done a lot of research in Rome and early Christian sites and located engraved inscriptions which depict women as bishops and priests. And up until the ninth century, women were being ordained as deacons.

Click on the following to read the rest of the artilcle: Guest opinion: Catholic women priests served church before, can do so now | The News-Press | news-press.com

The citation below regarding Ms. Irwin is taken from: http://www.cbeinternational.org/?q=content/chicago-one-day-speakers

Dorothy Irvin (ThD) has a pontifical doctorate in Catholic theology from the University of Tuebingen, Germany, with specialization in Bible, Ancient Near Eastern studies, and archaeology. She has taught theology at several Catholic universities; published a book on the Old Testament and a commentary on the three Sunday Scripture readings for the entire three-year lectionary cycle; and contributed articles to books, journals, and encyclopedias. She has been on the staff of an archaeological project in Jordan for nineteen years. Most recently, she has begun presenting, in the form of annual calendars, her work on the archaeological documentation of women in the early church who were deacons, priests, and bishops.

Conference Topic: Women Ministers in the Early Church: The Archaeological Documentation with visual presentation
A major reason against women as head pastors is that we have no history of them serving as such in the early church. They are a modern innovation, and therefore suspect! But is this true? The archaeological material begins about the time the New Testament canon was being completed; it includes frescoes, mosaics, sculpture, and tomb inscriptions (in Latin and Greek) attesting to women as synagogue leaders, prophets, stewards, deacons, presbyters, and overseers

Gay woman wants priest relieved of duties after communion | Reuters

2012-03-01T22:03:00.001-06:00

By Joe Danielewicz

WASHINGTON, D.C. | Wed Feb 29, 2012 6:07pm EST

the priest covered the communion chalice with his hand, "looked me in the eye and said 'I cannot give you communion because you live with a woman.'"
… the Archdiocese said in a statement that questions about a person's right to receive communion should be addressed privately and it was not policy to "publicly reprimand" worshipers.
The Archdiocese would not comment on Guarnizo's status, citing the matter as a personnel issue

Click on the following for more details: Gay woman wants priest relieved of duties after communion | Reuters

The crumbling of the institutional Church prejudice against women

2012-03-01T21:39:00.001-06:00

The following is taken from: http://www.womenpriests.org/traditio/crumble.asp

The crumbling of
the institutional Church prejudice
against women

Cultural prejudice against women had been building up in the Catholic communities during the first millennium. In the early Middle Ages this became the Church’s institutional prejudice when it was enshrined in Church Law. The beginnings of this we can see in Gratian’s first collection of Church Law (1140 AD).
In our own time, spurred on by the emancipation of women in secular society, the institutional prejudice of the Church has begun to crumble. But we are still far from its total collapse. Women are still excluded from the ordained ministries in the Catholic Church. 
Compare the shift in official Church laws: 
  
Code of Canon Law 1917
 
Women take their domicile from their husbands 
Only men can hold ecclesiastical orders and offices 
Women cannot be full members of pious organizations 
Women are the last choice of minister for baptism 
Women may not distribute holy communion 
Girls or women may not be Mass servers at the altar 
Only men can be ordained to Holy Orders 
Men and women should sit separately in church 
Women should have their heads veiled in church 
Sacred linen must first be washed by men, before women touch them 
Women may not preach in church 
Women may not read out Sacred Scripture in church 
Women need to act through a male procurator
Code of Church Law 1983
Only men can be installed as lectors or acolytes 
By ‘temporary deputation’ lay persons, including women, may be readers, Mass servers, cantors, preachers, leaders of prayer services, ministers of baptism and communion 
Only men can receive Holy Orders
Other examples showing the crumbling of the institutional bias against women: 
allowing women to be members of church choirs!!  
allowing women to be servers at Holy Mass!! 
These are, of course, relaxations of ridiculous prohibitions. They do not address the real issue of women’s equality in Christ that should open the way to women’s admission to all ministries. But the momentum cannot be stopped. In time to come it will be seen that it was as ridiculous to keep women from presiding at the Eucharist, as it was to keep them from singing in Church or serving at the altar! 
Positions now open to women
Present Church law forbids women to be clerics and so deprives all women of clerical offices which require the power of order or the power of jurisdiction [=church governance] (can. 219, §1 & 274 § 1). 
On the other hand, Church law allows women to be appointed to many new tasks and responsibilities that were closed to them in the past. It demonstrates again how the institutional prejudice is crumbling.
Church law allows women: 
To be a member of the pastoral council of the diocese (can. 512 § 1) and of the parish (can. 536 § 1).  
To be full members of provincial councils of bishops (can. 443 § 4), diocesan synods (can. 463 § 2 & 1.5), the finance committee of the diocese (can. 492 § 1) and of the parish (can. 537).  
To be a financial administrator of the diocese (can. 494).  
To be consultors on the appointment of parish priests (can. 524) and the appointment of bishops (can. 377 § 3).  
To preach in a church or oratory though not the homily (can. 766).  
To be catechists (can. 785) and to give assistance to the parish priest in the catechetical formation of adults, young people and children (can. 776).  
To assist at marriages under certain conditions (c.1112).  
To assist the parish priest in exercising the pastoral care of the community, as parish assistants, or as chaplains in hospitals, colleges, youth centres and social institutions (can. 519).  
To be to be entrusted with a parish because of a shortage of priests (can. 517 § 2).  
To administer certain sacramentals (can. 1168).  
To hold offices in an ecclesiastical tribunal, such as being judges (can. 1421 § 2), assessors (can. 1424), auditors (can 1428 § 2), promotors of justice and defenders of the marriage bond (can. 1435).  
To hold the diocesan offices of a chancellor or a notary (can. 483 § 2). 
The parallel in other Churches
It is instructive to study the dates from which Churches opened up to women as ministers:
1852 United Church of Christ
1863 Universalist denomination, now Unitarian Universalist Association 
1865 Salvation Army 
1911 Mennonite 
1914 Assemblies of God 
1920s Some Baptist denominations 
1939 United Methodist Church. (African Methodists had ordained women for decades.) 
1956 Presbyterian Church (USA) 
1972 Reform Judaism. 
1970s Evangelical Lutheran Church in America 
1976 Episcopal Church
1994 Church of England
Conclusion
Cultural prejudice is slowly breaking down, also in the Catholic Church. The prejudice is still kept in place by Church authorities clinging to flimsy arguments that have no real foundation. The official Church will not be able to shore up its untenable opposition to the ordination of women for much longer.
John Wijngaards
Here is a further article by the same organization.  See:  http://www.womenpriests.org/traditio/servers.asp

Women or Girls serving at Mass?!

From its formulation in the the Middle Ages, Church Law forbade women to serve at the Eucharist. The reasons for this were (a) women’s presumed inferiority that precluded them from leadership functions, and (b) women’s impurity because of menstruation.
 
In 1917, the prohibition was still firmly entrenched in the ecclesiastical legal code.  
‘A female person may not minister. An exception is permitted only when no male person is available and if a just cause is present. The female person may not, however, approach the altar under any circumstances, and may only respond from afar’. (Canon 813/2). 
[Imagine such an impure creature defiling the pure altar!]
Celebration of Holy Mass with a nun as mass server was permitted in a convent chapel, but there were restrictions as moral theologians pointed out. 
‘If a male server is readily available, the celebrating priest would commit a venial sin. It is, however, forbidden on pain of grave sin for the female server to approach the altar’. (Heribert Jone, ‘Katholische Moraltheologie’, Westminster, MD: Newman Bookshop, 1946, p. 444). 
[Note: the priest and sister commit a grave sin if she approaches the altar!]
Many Catholic women felt the ignominy of being excluded from serving at Mass deeply and personally. 
When we were children, a woman tells me, “girls were told they could only go on the altar [past the Communion rails to the front of the church] the day they got married. It made me angry, because my little brother was an altar boy and he could go up there any day he served Mass.” She obviously means during Mass or some other Church service, because women have been cleaning and preparing the altar since the Last Supper! Another woman relates how, as a child, she learned all the Latin responses by heart and would get to Mass early each Lenten morning in the hopes that the altar boy wouldn’t show up and the priest would let her say the responses to his Mass prayers. She had to kneel in the pew, of course, because girls weren’t allowed up there with the priest. “I can remember being told by a priest in the early 1960s that it was a mortal sin (!!) for a woman to be present in the sanctuary [altar area] of Church during Mass," Ruth Wallace writes.
From: The Catholic Woman. Difficult Choices in a Modern World, by Jeanne Pieper, Lowell House, Los Angeles 1993.
Changes since 1963
1963 The Second Vatican Council launched a far-reaching liturgical reform through its document Sacrosanctum Concilium. Women were not mentioned in detail. 
March 1970 The General Instruction on the Roman Missal provided for lay persons of either sex and without canonical limitation on age (although clearly they must be old enough to do the service appropriately) to supply some of the same services as installed rectors and acolytes. These additional roles had been classified in the pre-Code documents as liturgical ministries. 
“All the ministries below those proper to the deacon may be perfomed by laymen whether they have been commissioned for any office or not. Those ministries which are performed outside the sanctuary may be entrusted to women if this be judged prudent by the priest in charge of the church.” (Gen. Instr. § 70)
September 1970 The instruction Liturgiae Instaurationes outlined which ‘ministries’ were permitted to women and which were not. Serving at the altar was still forbidden! 
“The traditional liturgical norms of the Church prohibit women (young girls, married women, religious) from serving the priest at the altar, even in women’s chapels, houses, convents, schools and institutes.”
“In accordance with rules governing this matter, women may:
(a) Proclaim the scripture readings, with the exception of the gospel. Modern technical means should be used so that everyone can easily hear. Episcopal conferences may determine more concretely a suitable place from which women may read the word of God.  
(b) Offer the intentions for the Prayer of the faithful.  
(c) Lead the congregation’s singing; play the organ and other approved instruments.  
(d) Give the explanatory comments to help people’s understanding of the service.  
(e) Fulfil certain offices of service to the faithful which in some places are usually entrusted to women, such as receiving the faithful at the doors of the church and directing them to their places, guiding them in processions and collecting their offerings in church.” (§ 7). 
1980 Pope John Paul II stipulated in an instruction entitled ‘The Inestimable Gift’ that ‘women are not permitted the functions of an altar server’. 
1983 Canon 906 of the revised Code of Church Law came into force in 1983 called for ‘the participation of a believer’ whenever a priest celebrates Mass and thus seemed to remove the ban on women servers implicitly. Canon 230/1 made it clear, however, that the office of acolyte - which covers that of altar servers - may be entrusted to men alone. 
“Lay men who possess the age and qualifications determined by decree of the conference of bishops can be installed on a stable basis in the ministries of lector and acolyte in accord with the prescribed liturgical rite; the conferral of these ministries, however, does not confer on these lay men a right to obtain support or remuneration from the Church.” (Canon 230, §1.) 
The Law recognised the need of exceptions, however, in special circumstances. Here women too were included.  
Canon 230, § 3. “When the necessity of the Church warrants it and when ministers are lacking, lay persons, even if they are not lectors or acolytes, can also supply for certain of their offices, namely, to exercise the ministry of the word, to preside over liturgical prayers, to confer baptism, and to distribute Holy Communion in accord with the prescriptions of law.” 
The present situation
Many local Churches throughout the world have begun to allow girls to function as altar servers. This in spite of repeated attempts by the Roman Congregation for Worship to discourage the practice.
In 1994 the Congregation for Worship capitulated. In a Circular Letter to the Presidents of Episcopal Conferences it stated that the local Bishop may give permission for women and girls to serve at the altar. 
“The Diocesan Bishop, in his role as moderator of the liturgical life in the diocese entrusted to his care, has the authority, within the boundaries of the territory entrusted to his care, to permit women to serve at the altar.”
In 2001 the same Congregation, in its instruction ‘Regarding Female Altar Servers’, reiterated that decision but declared at the same time that the local Bishop may also refuse to allow women to serve. 
“The authorization [by a local bishop] to allow women servers may not, in any way, exclude men or, in particular, boys from service at the altar, nor require that priests of the diocese must make use of female altar servers, since it will always be very appropriate to follow the noble tradition of having boys serve at the altar.”
In other words: the battle is not over!

Phoenix Catholic Cathedral Won’t Allow Girl Altar Servers

2012-03-01T20:59:00.001-06:00

Girls no longer will be allowed as altar servers during Mass at the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix, SS. Simon and Jude.

The Rev. John Lankeit, rector of the cathedral, said he made the decision in hopes of promoting the priesthood for males and other religious vocations, such as becoming a nun, for females

Click on the following for more details: Phoenix Catholic Cathedral Won’t Allow Girl Altar Servers

Lawyers say Saginaw Bishop Joseph Cistone lied about knowledge of sexual assault documents and witnessed their destruction | MLive.com

2012-03-01T14:52:00.001-06:00

Archdiocese of Philadelphia Court Case

Lawyers of one accused priest said Rev. Joseph Cistone, Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Saginaw, witnessed the shredding of the documents in 1994 when he was a church official in the Philadelphia area.
Cistone is not being charged, but was mentioned in the court filing.
Cistone served as Lynn’s assistant in the 1990s and was present during seperate interviews with an alleged victim of sexual assault and father Avery, who is accused of the crime, according to a report of the grand jury signed on Jan. 21, 2011.
The Grand Jury was asked to investigate the sexual abuse of minors by Archdiocesan (of Philadelphia) clergy and employees.
(Monsignor) Lynn's lawyers said Rev. Cistone witnessed the shredding of the documents and misled a grand jury when he did not acknowledge the documents or their destruction during a previous testimony.

Click on the following to learn more about Bishop Cistone’s story: Lawyers say Saginaw Bishop Joseph Cistone lied about knowledge of sexual assault documents and witnessed their destruction | MLive.com

Sex-abuse allegations in bankruptcy case reveal no safety crisis, judge says -

2012-03-01T14:33:00.001-06:00

Archdiocese of Milwaukee Court Case

JSOnline By Annysa Johnson of the Journal Sentinel Feb. 29, 2012

U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Susan V. Kelley said most of the allegations raised in the claims were committed by 44 diocesan priests already identified as abusers on the archdiocese website, many of whom are dead.
"My review has not indicated one iota of a public safety crisis to be concerned about in those proofs of claims," Kelley said during a hearing Wednesday. "Absolutely none, and I've looked at every one."….

The judge has yet to rule on a broader request by Anderson to unseal claims - except for identifying information about victims and certain alleged perpetrators - along with depositions of retired bishops and a defrocked priest, as well as numerous other documents.

Click on the following for more of the story: Sex-abuse allegations in bankruptcy case reveal no safety crisis, judge says - JSOnline

Archdiocese of Milwaukee | Addressing False Implications

2012-02-28T23:15:00.001-06:00

Addressing False Implications

Most Reverend Jerome E. Listecki
Archbishop Of Milwaukee
Since my return from Rome last week, I have been catching up on all the things that happened while I was away for the ad limina trip and the consistory where my friend and predecessor Timothy M. Dolan was elevated to the office of Cardinal.
The first thing that confronted me was the media coverage of the archdiocese’s Chapter 11 proceeding and statements made about the number of abuse claims filed and the safety of children in the Church today.
Any instance of sexual abuse of a minor is a disgusting sin and a horrible crime. My heartfelt apology goes out to anyone who has been harmed. When Pope Benedict visited the United States in April 2008, he rightly referred to the sexual abuse of children by priests as “evil” and a “sin,” acknowledging that the crisis was “sometimes very badly handled by Church leaders.”
However, statements reported as facts in the media, go beyond the adversarial rhetoric we have come to expect in this proceeding. On top of that, several state legislators, without having access to factual information regarding any of the claims, compounded the issue by calling for the state attorney general to investigate, unaware that both old and new claims have been turned over to and been reviewed by district attorneys for more than a decade.
The combination of these two actions is, to me, the equivalent of shouting “fire” in a crowded movie theater and it set off a number of anxious inquiries from our people to which I feel compelled to respond. Here are the facts about the archdiocese’s policies and protocols that have been rigorously followed since 2002.
First, of all the claims filed in the archdiocesan bankruptcy only one (1) claim alleges sexual abuse occurring since 2000. That means the vast majority of claims allege incidents of abuse that date back decades, in some cases more than 70 years. This means the Safe Environment education and protocols implemented by the archdiocese in the mid-1990s are working. As a point of comparison, there have been more than 40 cases of sexual abuse in our state involving public school personnel since 2000 -- and those are just the cases where a person was convicted in court.
Second, it is true that some new names of diocesan priests did surface in the claims process. In those instances, if the accused is still alive, the claim has been sent to the appropriate district attorney’s office for review. If the district attorney chooses not to pursue the case, the archdiocese follows its policies and conducts an independent investigation. During that time, the priest is restricted from public ministry. In addition, any claim against a religious order priest is sent to the religious order with a copy of the allegation sent to the district attorney. This has been diocesan policy for years and it was at my insistence that we worked with the claimants’ attorneys to ensure we could continue this investigative process in Chapter 11. We encourage anyone making a claim involving a lay person to also follow our lead and report the claim to the district attorney.
Third, and just as important, the Archdiocese of Milwaukee has listed the names of diocesan priests with substantiated allegations of sexual abuse of a minor on its website since 2004. When Cardinal Dolan made the decision to list these names, he faced a tremendous amount of criticism since the majority of those listed were never convicted of a crime. No other organization that I am aware of has taken such a drastic step to publicly identify perpetrators within its own organization. Our state legislators should demand public school districts to do the same for teachers and school employees who have been charged with sexual abuse.
Fourth, claimants’ attorneys said there are 75 new priests named in claims who are not listed on the archdiocesan website. What they neglected to say is that all of these priests are either dead or have been reported to the district attorney.
Fifth, claims filed in the Chapter 11 totaled approximately 570 claims. Attorneys representing abuse survivors have attempted to make the pool of claims as large as possible, including at least three tort attorneys who purchased television advertising to solicit clients. In a claims process, anyone can say anything about anybody. Now the system will evaluate those claims.
There is no excuse for what happened within the Church. But there is also no excuse for public officials or media to hold the Church to a different standard than other institutions in society.
As a Church, WE voluntarily hold ourselves to a higher standard. I wish each perpetrator could be punished under criminal law, but as the district attorneys tell us, that is not possible. Instead, the Church has imposed its own rigorous standards and consequences, as proven by the 44 priest-perpetrators listed on the archdiocesan website who either are no longer priests or can no longer serve in any public ministry. We exercise this degree of accountability regardless of the criminal statutes of limitations and it goes beyond what civil authorities can impose.
Since 2004, the archdiocese voluntarily implemented a mediation system that allowed abuse survivors to seek the resolution the criminal courts would not allow, namely, a way to receive assurance their perpetrator was held accountable and that they themselves received pastoral, spiritual, therapeutic and financial considerations. We fought to try and continue this mediation system in the bankruptcy proceeding, but claimants’ attorneys said “no.”
Our Safe Environment initiatives have trained more than 45,000 people who work with children; conducted criminal background checks on staff and volunteers; and provided tools and training for people to recognize suspicious behavior.
These continued attacks on the Church are to be expected. They’ve been happening in different forms for centuries. They have been elevated during this past decade when the Church has admittedly been humbled by the clergy sexual abuse crisis. Reporters, editorial writers and some legislators will use this opportunity to try and weaken the Church’s teaching authority, especially on social issues such as marriage, abortion, workers’ rights, health care and religious freedom. I will not allow that to happen.
In the Chapter 11 proceeding, our goals remain the same. The archdiocese wants to reach resolution with abuse survivors and continue its essential ministries for those who rely upon the Church for assistance.
During this penitential season of Lent, we must humble ourselves in front of our Lord, asking forgiveness for our sins and demonstrating our resolve to ensure nothing like this can ever happen again. As the leader of this Catholic community, I must also call for all involved in this proceeding to act justly and speak truthfully as we continue to reach out and attempt to bring healing through the mandate of Christ to LOVE ONE ANOTHER.
Note: this blog originally appeared as the Feb. 28, 2012 "Love One Another" email sent to Catholics throughout the Archdiocese of Milwaukee by Archbishop Jerome E. Listecki. If you are interested in signing up for these emails, please click here.

Source, click on the following: Archdiocese of Milwaukee | Addressing False Implications

St. James Sunday Collection and Campaign Numbers for week ending February 26, 2012

2012-02-28T21:28:00.001-06:00

One additional pledge; $1,277 additional pledged. $675,205. from “required” $3,000,000.

Since July 2011 there were 97 new pledges with only $89,195 additional pledges.

Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua

2012-02-28T14:37:00.001-06:00

Anthony Bevilacqua

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

His Eminence
Anthony Joseph Bevilacqua

Cardinal Archbishop Emeritus of Philadelphia

See
Philadelphia (emeritus)

Enthroned
February 11, 1988

Reign ended
July 15, 2003

Predecessor
John Krol

Successor
Justin Francis Rigali

Other posts
Bishop of Pittsburgh (1983–88)
Auxiliary Bishop of Brooklyn (1980–83)

Orders

Ordination
June 11, 1949

Consecration
November 24, 1980

Created Cardinal
June 28, 1991

Personal details

Born
June 17, 1923(1923-06-17)
Brooklyn, New York

Died
January 31, 2012(2012-01-31) (aged 88)
Wynnewood, Pennsylvania

Denomination
Roman Catholic Church

Styles of
Anthony Bevilacqua

Philadelphia (emeritus)

Anthony Joseph Bevilacqua (June 17, 1923 – January 31, 2012) was an American cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Philadelphia from 1988 to 2003, having previously served as Bishop of Pittsburgh. He was created a cardinal in 1991.

Early life

Bevilacqua was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Luigi (1884–1961) and Maria (née Codella, 1893–1968) Bevilacqua, who were Italian immigrants.^[1] One of eleven children, he had four brothers, Michael, Angelo, Rocco, and Frank; and six sisters, Josephine (died of meningitis at age 2), Isabella, Virginia, Mary Jo, Gloria, and Madeline.^[2] Bevilacqua's father was born in Spinazzola and worked as a bricklayer, and his mother was born in Calitri.^[2] Luigi immigrated to the United States in 1910, and was soon followed by his wife and oldest son, Michael. The family lived in New Rochelle; Hartford, Connecticut; and Brooklyn before settling in Woodhaven, Queens, where Luigi operated a hair dying shop and shoe shine shop.^[2]

Bevilacqua attended Public School No. 60, St. Thomas the Apostle School,^[3] and Richmond Hill High School. He then studied at Cathedral College, where he won prizes in mathematics and science and earned a trip to Washington, D.C. for an essay on the Immaculate Conception.^[2] He graduated from Cathedral College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1943, and then entered the Immaculate Conception Seminary in Huntington.^[4]

Priesthood

Bevilacqua was ordained to the priesthood on June 11, 1949, at St. James Cathedral. He then served as an associate pastor at the Sacred Heart Church, St. Stephen Church (Brooklyn), and St. Mary Church (Long Island) until 1950.^[2] He taught at his alma mater of Cathedral College from 1950 to 1954, and then furthered his studies in Rome at the Pontifical Gregorian University, from where he obtained a doctorate in canon law summa cum laude in 1956.^[4]

Upon his return to the United States, Bevilacqua served as an official in the diocesan tribunal and as a chaplain to the Sisters of St. Joseph in Brentwood.^[2] He earned a Master's degree in political science from Columbia University in 1962, and was named vice-chancellor for the Diocese of Brooklyn in 1965.^[4] From 1968 to 1980, Bevilacqua was a visiting professor of canon law at Immaculate Conception Seminary.^[4] During this time, he also founded the Diocesan Office for Migration and Refugees in 1971, and received a doctorate in civil law from St. John's University in 1975.^[4] He was entitled to practice law in the courts of New York and Pennsylvania, and, in a rarity for U.S. prelates possessing civil law degrees, had been allowed to argue before the U.S. Supreme Court, though he never actually argued any cases before the Court.^[4]

Bevilacqua was raised to the rank of Honorary Prelate of His Holiness on January 23, 1976; he became chancellor of the Diocese that year as well.^[1] From 1977 to 1980, he taught immigration law as an adjunct professor at St. John's University School of Law.^[4]

[edit] Episcopal career (Catholic Church)

[edit] Auxiliary Bishop of Brooklyn

On October 7, 1980, Bevilacqua was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Brooklyn, and Titular Bishop of Aquae Albae in Byzacena by Pope John Paul II. He received his episcopal consecration on the following November 24 from Bishop Francis Mugavero, with Bishops John J. Snyder and Charles Richard Mulrooney serving as co-consecrators, at the Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. He selected as his episcopal motto: Ecclesia Mater Nostra, meaning, "The Church, our Mother."^[5] As an auxiliary to Bishop Mugavero, Bevilacqua continued to serve as diocesan chancellor and director of the Office for Migrants and Refugees.^{[citation needed]}

In 1983, Detroit Sister of Mercy Agnes Mary Mansour, who administered Michigan's Medicaid program in her position as the director of Michigan Department of Social Services, was directed by Detroit Archbishop Edmund Szoka to declare her opposition to public financing of abortion.^[6] When Mansour refused, Bevilacqua was appointed by the Vatican to demand that she immediately resign either her religious vows or her position as Director of Social Services.^[7] Mansour chose to sign the papers Bevilacqua had provided to request dispensation from her perpetual vows, leaving her religious order.^[7]

Bishop of Pittsburgh

Bevilacqua was later named the tenth Bishop of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on October 7, 1983. He succeeded Vincent Leonard, and was installed as Bishop on December 12 of that year.

Archbishop of Philadelphia

John Paul II appointed Bevilacqua Archbishop of Philadelphia on December 8, 1987. He succeeded Cardinal John Krol, and was installed on February 11, 1988. John Paul II created him Cardinal-Priest of Ss. Redentore e S. Alfonso in Via Merluana in the consistory of June 28, 1991.

During a fifteen year stewardship of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Bevilacqua is remembered for his frequent visits to churches in the diocese, his knowledge of fiscal matters, his conservatism, and his closing of schools (such as Saint James in Chester). Organizationally he divided the Archdiocese into six vicariates, each with a general vicariate, and subdivided the central administration into six secretariats. From 1995 to 2000, he hosted a live weekly radio call-in program, Live with Cardinal Bevilacqua, which aired on WZZD-AM in Philadelphia. In 2002, he was named to the PoliticsPA "Power 50" list of politically influential personalities.^[8]

Within the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Bevilacqua served as chairman of the Committee on Migration from 1983 to 1984, during which time he visited the refugee camps of Southeast Asia and Africa. He also chaired the Committee for Canonical Affairs (1981–1984) and the Committee on Pro-Life Activities.

In 2003 and 2004, Bevilacqua testified 10 times before grand juries regarded accusations that he had protected and shielded priests accused of molesting children. A final grand jury report said it had no doubt that the cardinal knew about the danger posed by the accused priests and that his actions endangered thousands of children in the archdiocese.

In 2012, a document was discovered showing that Bevilacqua had ordered a monsignor to destroy a list of 35 abusive priests. [1]

Retirement and death

Upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75 in June 1998, Bevilacqua submitted his letter of resignation to John Paul II, who allowed the Cardinal to continue in his post. He lost the right to participate in a papal conclave when he reached the age of 80 in June 2003. His resignation was later accepted by the Pope on July 15 of that year, and he served as Apostolic Administrator of Philadelphia until the installation of his successor, Justin Francis Rigali, on October 7, 2003.

In retirement, Cardinal Bevilacqua lived at his home on the grounds of St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Wynnewood. In February, 2011 it was reported that Cardinal Bevilacqua was suffering from cancer and dementia.^[9]

Cardinal Bevilacqua passed away on January 31, 2012 at age 88 in his home in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania. ^[10]

[edit] References

^ ^a ^b "BEVILACQUA, Anthony Joseph". The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church. http://www.fiu.edu/~mirandas/bios-b.htm#Bevilacqua.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "BEVILACQUA Card. Anthony Joseph". Holy See. http://www.vatican.va/news_services/press/documentazione/documents/cardinali_biografie/cardinali_bio_bevilacqua_aj_en.html.
^ Busetti, Linda (2007-02-10). "St. Thomas Apostole School Marks Its 90th Year". The Tablet. http://www.thetablet.org/02102007/stories10.html.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g "Anthony Cardinal Bevilacqua". Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia. http://www.archdiocese-phl.org/offices/biobevilacqua.htm.
^ "Anthony Cardinal Bevilacqua". Quotes of the Ordinaries of Philadelphia. http://www.rc.net/philadelphia/history/quotes.htm.
^ "The Nun vs. the Archbishop". Time magazine. 1983-03-21. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,923370,00.html.
^ ^a ^b "Obey or Leave". Time magazine. 1983-05-23. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,953911,00.html.
^ "Sy Snyder's Power 50". PoliticsPA. The Publius Group. 2002. Archived from the original on 2002-04-21. http://web.archive.org/web/20020421165540/www.politicspa.com/features/power50.htm.
^ http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20110211_Grand-jury_report_on_abuse_targets_priests__teacher__even_a_cardinal.html
^ CBS Philadelphia article about death of Bevilacqua Retrieved 2012-02-01 UTC

[edit] Sources

Glenn, Francis A. (1993). Shepherds of the Faith 1843-1993: A Brief History of the Bishops of the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh: Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh. ISBN none.

[edit] External links

Monsignor William Lynn Trial: Judge M. Teresa Sarmina Refuses To Dismiss Child Endangerment Charges

2012-02-28T14:10:00.001-06:00

Prosecutors called the 1994 list a "smoking gun" for their side. They say it shows Lynn's deep involvement in the church child abuse conspiracy. And they argued that the safe belonged to Lynn, who left office in 2004. Lynn's lawyers argued that Molloy stashed it in the safe.
"They (the documents) show Lynn to be the most active participant in a well-orchestrated conspiracy among Archdiocese officials to cover up the sexual crimes of priests and to keep known child molesters in ministry," prosecutors wrote in a written motion.

Click on the following to read all of the story: Monsignor William Lynn Trial: Judge M. Teresa Sarmina Refuses To Dismiss Child Endangerment Charges