Catholic News
- New York diocese moves to dismiss bankruptcy, in impasse with creditors (Our Sunday Visitor)
The Diocese of Rockville Center, New York, has asked a bankruptcy court to dismiss its bankruptcy case, after sex-abuse claimants rejected a settlement plan. The move by the diocese—unprecedented in the many cases of diocesan bankruptcies in the US—suggests that a dramatic showdown is coming in the case. Attorneys for sex-abuse claimants are currently demanding more than twice the sum proposed in the last reorganization plan submitted by the diocese. Plaintiffs voted in February to reject a proposed $200-million settlement, which diocesan officials described as “the highest offer in the history of diocesan bankruptcies.” The diocese now argues that the creditors are “demanding an unrealistic amount of money,” and asking the court to dismiss the case. The diocese, which now faces more than 500 sex-abuse suits, filed for bankruptcy protection in October 2022. The contentious process has already cost about $100 million in legal fees. - Pope Francis writes to world's parish priests, encourages 'synodal and missionary' Church (Vatican Press Office)
Pope Francis has written a letter to the world’s parish priests emphasizing the importance of becoming a “synodal and missionary” Church. “I ask you first to live out your specific ministerial charism in ever greater service to the varied gifts that the Spirit sows in the People of God,” he wrote in his May 2 letter. “With all my heart, I suggest that you learn to practice the art of communal discernment, employing for this purpose the method of ‘conversation in the Spirit,’ which has proved so helpful in the synodal journey and in the proceedings of the synodal Assembly itself,” the Pope continued. “Finally, I would like to urge you to base everything you do in a spirit of sharing and fraternity among yourselves and with your bishops.” The Pope wrote to the world’s parish priests at the conclusion of Parish Priests for the Synod. The four-day Vatican meeting was announced in February amid criticism that parish priests were insufficiently included on the Synod on synodality. - Pope says society must accept transgender people (National Catholic Reporter)
“Transgender people must be accepted and integrated into society,” Pope Francis wrote in a letter to Sister Jeannine Gramick. The Pontiff wrote to Sister Gramick—one of the founders of New Ways Ministry, whose advocacy for homosexuals drew a caution from the Vatican and, in 2010, from the US bishops’ conference—after she had written to complain about the condemnation of gender ideology in Dignitas Infinita. Responding quickly to the complaint, the Pope said that the Vatican document’s negative judgement “refers not to transgender people but to gender ideology, which nullifies differences.” - Bishop named for troubled Nigerian diocese (Vatican Press Office)
Pope Francis has named Bishop Simeon Nwobi, CMF—since October the auxiliary of the apostolic administrator of Ahiara—as the new bishop of the troubled Nigerian diocese. Founded in 1987 and located in the Mbaise region of Imo State in southern Nigeria, the diocese was governed by Bishop Victor Chikwe from its inception until his death in 2010. In December 2012, Pope Benedict appointed Father Peter Okpaleke, a priest of the Diocese of Awka in neighboring Anambra State, as the diocese’s new bishop. 400 priests, angered that a Mbaise priest was not appointed, protested the decision. Father Okpaleke was ordained bishop of Ahiara in 2013, but the ordination took place at a seminary in another diocese amid heavy security. He was unable to carry out his episcopal ministry, even after Pope Francis warned of the suspension of priests who resisted the new bishop. Okpaleke resigned in 2018, and since that time, the see has been vacant. In 2020, Pope Francis named Okpaleke the bishop of a different diocese (Ekwulobia, in Anambra State), and in 2022, the Pontiff named Okpaleke to the College of Cardinals. - Offer education especially to the needy, Pope urges (Vatican Press Office)
Pope Francis met on May 3 with leaders of an Italian federation dedicated to vocational training, and exhorted them to “take care of those who have not had opportunities or come from socially disadvantaged situations.” “Not everyone has received the indispensable support of the family and the Christian community, and we are called to take responsibility for this,” the Pops said, “so that no-one can be left at the door, especially the poorest and most marginalized, who risk serious forms of exclusion—migrants included.” - Spanish bishop rips government's 'obsessive' focus on abuse (CNA)
Archbishop Jesus Sanz Montes of Oviedo has denounced the Spanish government’s plan to address sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, saying that the government has approached the problem “in a biased and manipulative way.” The government is exploiting the sex-abuse issue, the archbishop said, as “a kind of obsessive mantra every time they need a smokescreen to distract from the real problems we have.” He argued that the government aims to suggest that abuse is “attributable only to the Catholic Church,” while actually public policies not only fail to address the problem but “actually exacerbate it.” The archbishop charged that the country’s socialist leadership has encouraged “a perverse pornographic and obscene manipulation that confuses and harms children and young people based on gender ideology.” - Pope to speak at event on Italy's record-low birth rate (CNA)
The director of the Holy See Press Office announced that Pope Francis will take part in “The General State of the Birth Rate,” a May 7 conference in Rome organized by the Forum of Family Associations and the Foundation for Births. Births in Italy have fallen for 15 consecutive years and now stand at a record low, according to recently released statistics. - African bishops prepare study on responses to polygamy (CISAnews)
The Symposium of the Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) has formed a commission to study the issue of polygamy and appropriate pastoral responses. The formation of the commission is a response to a recommendation from the African Synod of 2023, which directed the African bishops to “promote theological and pastoral discernment” on the issue of polygamy, which remains widespread on the continent. The commission is scheduled to make a report at the SECAM meeting in July, which will be held in Rwanda. - Anglican primate signs AI ethics statement backed by pontifical academy (Rome Call for AI Ethics)
Archbishop Jutin Welby of Canterbury, the Anglican primate, has signed the Rome Call for AI Ethics. The Rome Call, which dates from 2020, was first signed by leaders of the Pontifical Academy for Life, Microsoft, IBM, and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization. It was later signed by Jewish and Muslim representatives and, more recently, by the CEO of Cisco. “I am delighted to support the Rome AI Call, which emphasizes the dignity of every human being amid technological change,” said Welby. “Let us all work to ensure that the dignity of every human being, created by God, not for profit or productivity, is central to all we do.” Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, president of the Pontifical Academy for Life, said that “we are very pleased that, with the inclusion of our Anglican brothers and sisters, the Rome Call may experience a further step of growth. When reflection and dialogue on issues of technological development meet in a spirit of fraternity, it is possible to find shared paths and effective solutions to build peace and the common good.” - Pursue simple life, not impossible ideals, Pope recommends (Vatican Press Office)
Speaking on May 3 to representatives of a Spanish educational foundation, Pope Francis called for a model of moral education that “proposes to us simple models of life, and natural models of life, in which we can serve the Lord and be happy.” “How much pain and frustration are caused today by the unattainable stereotypes that markets and pressure groups claim to impose on us,” the Pope remarked. He said that Christians should be guided “not by the longings of careerism, but an answer to a calling.” - Ecumenical Patriarch issues Easter encyclical (Orthodox Times)
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, who holds a primacy of honor among the Orthodox churches, has released an encyclical for Easter, celebrated this year on May 5 according to the Julian calendar. “Orthodox spirituality does not recognize the utopianism of a Resurrection without Crucifixion, nor the pessimism of the Cross without the Resurrection,” he writes. “For this reason, in the Orthodox experience, evil does not have the final word in history, while faith in the Resurrection serves as the motivation for the struggle against the presence of evil and its consequences in the world, acting as a powerful transformative force.” - It is 'terrible to earn with death': Pope denounces weapons factories (Vatican Press Office (Italian))
At the conclusion of his May 1 general audience, Pope Francis renewed his appeal for peace and denounced the manufacture of arms. “Let us not forget to pray for peace: let us pray for the peoples who are victims of war,” he said. “War is always a defeat, always. Let us think about tormented Ukraine, which suffers so much. Let us think about the inhabitants of Palestine and Israel, who are at war. Let us think about the Rohingya, about Myanmar, and ask for peace. We ask for true peace for these peoples and for the whole world.” “Unfortunately today the investments that generate the most income are arms factories,” he continued. “Terrible, to earn with death. We ask for peace, for peace to go forward.” The Pontiff’s appeal for peace and condemnation of weapons factories were omitted from the Vatican’s English translation of his remarks. - Papal video: 'Every vocation is a diamond in the rough' (The Pope Video)
In a video message in which he commented on his May prayer intention (for the formation of religious and seminarians), Pope Francis said that “every vocation is a diamond in the rough that needs to be polished, worked, shaped on every side.” “A good priest, sister or nun, must above all else be a man, a woman who is formed, shaped by the Lord’s grace, people who are aware of their own limitations, and willing to lead a life of prayer, of dedicated witness to the Gospel,” he continued. “Beginning in the seminary and the novitiate, their preparation must be developed integrally, in direct contact with the lives of other people. This is essential.” “There’s also preparation to live in community—life in community is so enriching, even though it can be difficult at times,” the Pope added. “Living together is not the same as living in community.” - Papal encouragement of Marian entrustment, prayer for peace during May (@Pontifex)
At the beginning of the month of May, long dedicated to the Virgin Mary, Pope Francis tweeted, “During this month of May, may we entrust to the Blessed Virgin Mary our personal and family matters, as well as the suffering of those who fall victim to war.” “Let us prayer together for the Church, all nations, and for peace in Ukraine and the Middle East,” he added. - Chinese diocese closes year devoted to Catechism (Fides)
The Diocese of Xiamen, China, formally closed a Year of Catechism on May 1, with Joseph Cai Bingrui calling on the faithful to “persevere in the spirit of the Year of the Catechism, to promote the mission of proclaiming the Gospel.” More than 2,000 Catholics participated in the closing ceremony, which began with a quick quiz on the Catechism before a celebration of Mass in the square outside the cathedral. - Papal tribute to classic Fellini film (Vatican News)
Pope Francis has sent a brief video message to participants in a conference marking the 70th anniversary of La Strada, a movie by Italian filmmaker Federico Fellini. “As a boy, I watched many of Fellini’s films, but La Strada has stayed in my heart,” said the Pope, who was 17 when the movie was released. “The film begins with tears and ends with tears; it starts at the seashore and ends at the seashore. But above all, the scene with the fool and the pebble has stayed in my heart, which gives meaning to that girl’s life.” La Strada was included in the Pontifical Council for Social Communications’ 1995 list of 45 important films. CatholicCulture.org’s Thomas Mirus and James Majewski have discussed the film on Criteria: The Catholic Film Podcast. - Public statement calls for Pope's resignation (Rorate Caeli)
A group of Catholic scholars and journalists has issued a call for the resignation of Pope Francis, accusing him of “criminal acts gravely damaging to the Church” and charging “that he rejects the Catholic faith, and has worked to destroy the faith of other Catholics.” The lengthy statement, issued on the feast of St. Athanasius, calls upon the world’s bishops to demand the Pontiff’s resignation. In a lengthy indictment, it lists his protection of priests and prelates accused of involvement in sexual abuse, his suppression of the traditional Latin Mass, his secret pact with China, and his statements which, in the opinion of the signatories, constitute heresy. On each point the statement explains the reasons for the charge. The statement is signed by Peter Kwasniewski, John Rist, John-Henry Westen, and fifteen others. - Theologian critiques Cardinal Fernández's theology of charity (Communio )
Father José Granados, formerly vice president and professor of dogmatic theology at the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family, has written a lengthy analysis and critique of the theology of charity in the works of Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, who was appointed prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith last July. “We can conclude that Fernández is right to focus on the virtue of charity,” writes Granados. However, “the charity described by Fernández lacks articulation with the moral order, the doctrine of faith, and the sacramentality of salvation in the Church. These are essential dimensions that make charity concrete and incarnate in our life. Without them, charity lacks an architecture and thus loses its capacity to build up the people of God.” The critique appeared in the winter 2023 issue of Communio, which arrived in American subscribers’ mailboxes in May 2024. - Vatican announces 37 jubilee events (USCCB)
The Vatican has announced 37 events for the 2025 jubilee year. Since the 15th century, it has been customary for the Church to celebrate a jubilee every 25 years. The theme of the 2025 jubilee is “Pilgrims of Hope.” The first of the 37 listed events is for the world of communications (January 24-26); the last is for prisoners (December 14). - USCCB committee chairman criticizes requirement to perform transgender procedures (USCCB)
The chairman of the US bishops’ Committee for Religious Liberty criticized the Biden administration for announcing regulations which, the bishops’ conference noted, “generally require health care workers to perform ‘gender transition’ procedures in the name of nondiscrimination.” “The same core beliefs about human dignity and the wisdom of God’s design that motivate Catholics to care for the sick also shape our convictions about care for preborn children and the immutable nature of the human person,” said Bishop Kevin Rhoades of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Indiana. Bishop Rhoades said that the Department of Health and Human Services’ final regulations implementing a section of the Affordable Care Act offered modest improvements over draft regulations issued in 2022. “We appreciate that the final rule does not attempt to impose a mandate with regard to abortion,” he said. The final regulations, according to the bishops’ conference, “make modest improvements to the proposed regulations’ protections for the exercise of conscience, religious belief, and clinical judgment.” - More...