Catholic News
- Pope, at general audience, reflects on temperance (CWN)
At his April 17 general audience, held in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Francis reflected on temperance, in the latest talk in a series of Wednesday general audiences devoted to the virtues and vices. - Pope, Council of Cardinals continue discussion of women in the Church (USCCB)
The Pope’s nine-member advisory Council of Cardinals concluded a two-day meeting on April 16. On the first day, the prelates continued their discussion of women in the Church and heard from Sister Regina da Costa Pedro, director of the Pontifical Mission Societies of Brazil, and Stella Morra, a theology professor at the Pontifical Gregorian University. On the second day, the prelates listed to a report on the Synod on synodality by Cardinal Mario Grech, secretary general of the Synod of Bishops, and Msgr. Piero Coda, secretary general of the International Theological Commission. They also discussed the implementation of Praedicate Evangelium, the Pope’s apostolic constitution on the Roman Curia, at the diocesan level. “Throughout the session there were references—and on several occasions prayer—dedicated to the scenarios of war and conflict being experienced in so many places around the world, particularly in the Middle East and in Ukraine,” according to the Vatican statement on the meeting. - Typical new US priest: 34-year-old who prays Rosary, takes part in Eucharistic adoration (CWN)
The typical member of the priestly ordination class of 2023 is a 34-year-old cradle Catholic, according to a newly released survey of 392 of the 475 men slated to be ordained to the priesthood in the United States this year. The survey was conducted for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate. - Pope prays for release of prisoners of war (Vatican News)
At the conclusion of his weekly audience on April 17, Pope Francis offered a prayer for prisoners of war. “May the Lord move wills so they may all be freed,” he said. “We think of the Holy Land, of Palestine, of Israel,” the Pope said. “We think of Ukraine, tormented Ukraine.” - Swiss bishop defends attendance at predecessor's SSPX funeral (Pillar)
Bishop Joseph Bonnemain of Chur, Switzerland, has issued a statement defending his attendance at the funeral of his predecessor, Bishop Vitus Huonder. The funeral was celebrated by priests of the traditionalist Society of St. Pius X. Upon his retirement in 2019, Bishop Huonder had announced that he would live his remaining days in an SSPX community. Bishop Bonnemain said that he regretted that choice, since the SSPX “has an irregular status in the Catholic Church,” and added that he would not “actively participate in the liturgical celebration” for that reason. However Bishop Bonnemain decided to attend the funeral out of respect for his predecessor. Several other Swiss bishops refused to attend. - Key witness in landmark Vatican trial confirmed in post (Pillar)
Msgr. Alberto Perlasca, a key prosecution witness in the Vatican’s landmark financial-misconduct trial, has been confirmed in his role as a prosecutor for the Apostolic Signatura, the Vatican’s top canonical court, according to Italian media reports. Msgr. Perlasca had been working at the same post in 2020 when Vatican police raided his office, looking for information about a London real-estate investment deal. Msgr. Perlasca has been a key figure in that deal while working at a previous assignment in the Secretariat of State. However he was not named as a defendant in last year’s trial, and his testimony helped secure the conviction of his former boss, Cardinal Angelo Becciu. The Vatican has not yet officially announced the restoration of Msgr. Perlasca to his office at the Apostolic Signatura. If the reports are accurate, however, the move could be interpreted as a reward for his cooperation with prosecutors in the finance trial. - NY Attorney General: Brooklyn diocese mishandled abuse allegations; agreement announced (New York State Attorney General)
The New York State Attorney General has announced that the Diocese of Brooklyn, led by Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio from 2003 to 2021, “failed to consistently comply with its own policies and procedures for responding to sexual abuse.” These policies were implemented shortly after the US bishops issued their Dallas charter in 2002. The diocese “applied inconsistent standards to evaluate the credibility of an abuse allegation, delayed investigations, and failed to adequately monitor priests who were accused of sexual abuse,” Attorney General Letitia James said on April 16. Under an agreement reached with the attorney general, the diocese has agreed to install “an independent, secular monitor who will oversee the Diocese’s compliance with enhanced policies and procedures and issue an annual report on the Diocese’s handling of sexual abuse cases.” The diocese has agreed to accelerated timelines for addressing abuse allegations and to establishing new leadership positions, including a “Clergy Monitor, with previous law enforcement or counseling experience addressing and preventing sexual abuse, [who] will regularly monitor credibly accused priests and other clergy, as well as develop individualized prevention plans for each.” - National Conservatism Conference resumes in Brussels (National Catholic Register)
Belgium’s top court has ruled that a conservative political conference should be allowed to continue in Brussels, after the city’s mayor had ordered police to close down the conference. The National Conservatism Conference resumed on April 17, after a police cordon had blocked access to the venue the previous day. Cardinal Gerhard Müller, one of the speakers at the event, said that the police intervention was “like Nazi Germany.” - USCCB committee chairman backs Asylum Seeker Work Authorization Act (USCCB)
Bishop Mark Seitz of El Paso, chairman of the US bishops’ Committee on Migration, has lent his support to the Asylum Seeker Work Authorization Act. The legislation “would significantly reduce the amount of time that bona fide asylum seekers must wait before applying for employment authorization, allowing them to begin the process of finding work and providing for themselves and their families in the United States,” he wrote in an April 12 letter to members of Congress. “As a result, those having their asylum claims adjudicated will be less susceptible to human trafficking and other forms of exploitation.” The legislation “would offer a practical solution to our nation’s current labor shortages by allowing asylum seekers to legally join the workforce and contribute to their local communities,” he added. The House version of the legislation is sponsored by Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME); the Senate version, by Rep. Susan Collins (R-ME). - Chartres pilgrimage faces flood of registrations (Tribune Chretienne (French))
The traditionalist Catholic organizers of an annual pilgrimage from Paris to Chartres have announced that they are closing registrations early because of an unexpected number of early registrants. Last year the Chartres pilgrimage was forced to turn away some applicants, as more than 16,000 people joined in the prayerful march. Organizers had expected an increase in registration for this year’s pilgrimage, which will be held May 18-10. But the flood of early applications exceeded their expectations. - Malaysia: Catholic woman's conversion to Islam declared invalid (Free Malaysia Today)
The high court in Malaysia’s Penang state (map) has declared a young Catholic woman’s conversion to Islam invalid and ordered the revocation of her conversion certificate. The woman, now 21, was 17 when she converted; she planned to marry her Muslim boyfriend. He later broke off the engagement. The court ruled that because the woman was a minor at the time of the conversion, parental consent was required. Her parents said they would not have consented to her conversion. Islam is the official religion of the Southeast Asian nation (map). 56% of its 34.2 million people are Muslim, 9% are Christian, 6% are Hindu, and 5% are Buddhist, with 19% adhering to Chinese folk religions and 3% to ethnic religions. - Zimbabwe: 4 men sentenced to 21 years for robbing parish, assaulting priest (iHarare)
Four men have been sentenced to 21 years in prison in Zimbabwe for robbing a parish and assaulting a priest in November 2023, according to a local media report. The men first restrained a security guard. The southern African nation of 15.4 million (map) is 80% Christian (11% Catholic), with 17% adhering to ethnic religions. - Florida bishops oppose extreme abortion amendment (Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops)
Florida’s bishops have announced their opposition to Amendment 4, a November ballot initiative. The bishops described the amendment as “an extreme proposal that legalizes full-term abortion with no protections for the preborn child, including when the child is capable of feeling pain.” “This proposed amendment to our state constitution would prohibit all restrictions on abortion before viability and create a broad exception that any healthcare provider could exploit to allow abortion up to birth,” they added. “We urge all Floridians of goodwill to stand against the legalization of late-term abortion and oppose the abortion amendment.” - Federal appeals court rules against West Virginia's 'Save Women's Sports Act' (CNA)
A federal appeals court has ruled that West Virginia’s Save Women’s Sports Act, which limits participation in high school girls’ sports to biological girls, violates Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. The West Virginia law was challenged by attorneys for a teenage boy who describes himself as a girl and wishes to compete in girls’ track and cross country events. - Young vandals cause significant damage to Kentucky parish (WDRB-TV)
Two juveniles caused significant damage to St. Theresa of Avila Church in Meade County, Kentucky, as they vandalized its interior and exterior. They also damaged new headstones at the church cemetery. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has documented over 300 acts of vandalism, arson, and other destruction at parishes and other Catholic sites in the United States since 2020. - Holocaust scholar contrasts welcome at Catholic college, close-mindedness at secular college (Wall Street Journal)
In a Wall Street Journal op-ed, the executive director of a Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies explained why she is leaving Clark University, a secular college, for Assumption University, a Catholic college. At Clark University, “I was being asked to censor myself on the basis of my Jewish identity and support for Israel,” said Mary Jane Rein. “I will be joining Assumption University, where I will help launch the new Center for Civic Friendship.” “To my surprise as both a scholar and a Jew, I feel a warmer welcome and more commonality of purpose at a Catholic institution than at Clark, a secular one,” she continued. “Its commitment to a style of learning that acknowledges and respects different opinions gives me hope that universities can lead us toward a better future.” - More...