Weekly Contributions for the weekend of March 23, 2014

 

No change in stewardship.

Overpayment increase $905.16.

Pope Francis replaces German 'bling bishop' after inquiry | The Detroit News

 

Pope Francis on Wednesday permanently removed a German bishop from his Limburg diocese after his $43 million new residence complex caused an uproar among the faithful.

Francis had temporarily expelled Monsignor Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst from Limburg in October pending a church inquiry.

At the center of the controversy was the huge price tag for the construction of a new bishop’s residence complex and related renovations. Tebartz-van Elst defended the expenditures, saying the bill was actually for 10 projects and there were additional costs because the buildings were under historical protection.

But in a country where Martin Luther launched the Reformation five centuries ago in response to what he said were excesses and abuses within the church, the outcry was enormous. The perceived lack of financial transparency also struck a chord since a church tax in Germany brings in billions a year to the German church.

Read the entire story by clicking on the following; Pope Francis replaces German 'bling bishop' after inquiry | The Detroit News

Cardinal George Pell set to take stand in child sex abuse royal commission

 

Cardinal George Pell is due to take the stand at the child sex abuse royal commission on Monday, where he will likely face tough questions over the Catholic Church's handling of abuse claims.

The commission will examine Cardinal Pell's role in the church's treatment of John Ellis, who sought damages for abuse by Father Aidan Duggan at the Sydney Archdiocese's Bass Hill parish.

The abuse, which lasted years, began when Mr Ellis was a 13-year-old altar boy.

The commission has heard the cardinal was in charge of the infamous case in which the church fought Mr Ellis' claim.

Read the entire story by clicking on the following:  Cardinal George Pell set to take stand in child sex abuse royal commission

Pope Francis adds former child victim to new commission on sex abuse cases - NY Daily News

 

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis named the initial members of a commission to advise him on sex abuse policy Saturday, signaling an openness to reach beyond church officials to plot the commission's course and priorities: Half of the members are women, and one was assaulted by a priest as a child.

….

In a statement, the Vatican hinted that it might, saying the commission would look into both "civil and canonical duties and responsibilities" for church personnel. Canon law does provide for sanctions if a bishop is negligent in carrying out his duties, but such punishments have never been imposed on a bishop for failing to report a pedophile priest to police.

The eight inaugural members include Marie Collins, who was assaulted as a 13-year-old by a hospital chaplain in her native Ireland and has gone on to become a prominent campaigner for accountability in the church.

Read more of the story by clicking on the following:  Pope Francis adds former child victim to new commission on sex abuse cases  - NY Daily News

Retired Pope Benedict Critiqued Pope Francis' Interview, Aide Says

by  Nicole Winfield

The man who serves two popes has revealed that retired Pope Benedict XVI wrote four pages of critique and commentary on Pope Francis's landmark interview in which he blasted the church's obsession with "small-minded" rules.

Monsignor Georg Gaenswein, Benedict's personal secretary and head of Francis' papal household, told German broadcaster ZDF that Francis had solicited Benedict's input on the interview, which was published in September in 16 Jesuit journals around the globe and helped define Francis' agenda.

Francis received a draft of the interview to vet before publication, but it's unclear whether Benedict saw that draft or the published text. As a result, it's unclear if any of Benedict's suggestions impacted the final version.

Regardless, the revelation is further evidence of the remarkable and unprecedented collaboration between the two popes, who stay in touch by phone, in person and by sending notes back and for th across the Vatican gardens via Gaenswein

Read the entire article by clicking on the following:  Retired Pope Benedict Critiqued Pope Francis' Interview, Aide Says

Weekly Contributions for the weekend of March 16, 2014

 

 

No change in Stewardship.

Of the $6,470.92 collected it appears that $1,025 was from overpayments and the remaining $5446 was pledge payment.

Russian Orthodox leader pays tribute to Pope Francis : News Headlines - Catholic Culture

 

The first year of your tenure as pontiff was marked with high hopes and important initiatives in the Roman Catholic Church,” said Patriarch Kirill I of Moscow, according to the Interfax news agency. “The wish of Your Holiness to make the presence of evangelical ideals in the life of modern society is already bearing good fruit.”

“The bilateral relations between the Russian Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches continued developing last year,” he added. “It is with satisfaction that I am pointing out the high degree of mutual understanding and the wish of both parties to strengthen Orthodox-Catholic cooperation in the name of establishing Christian spiritual and moral values in the modern world, protection of the oppressed, and service to people.”

Russian Orthodox leader pays tribute to Pope Francis : News Headlines - Catholic Culture