Catholic News

• Pentecostal church's challenge to California Covid limits rejected again (Religion Clause)
  The US Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision in May, rejected an earlier suit filed by South Bay United Pentecostal Church. “At bottom, Plaintiffs’ renewed motion asks the Court to second guess decisions made by California officials concerning whether COVID-19 continues to present a health emergency and whether large indoor gatherings with singing pose a risk to public health,” a federal district court ruled on October 15, in response to a new lawsuit.
• Vatican diplomat: Intellectual property rights should not create barriers to Covid vaccine access (Holy See Mission)
  On October 16, Archbishop Ivan Jurkovic, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva, addressed a World Trade Organization meeting on the topic.
• Barred from Belarus, archbishop confers with Vatican on return (AsiaNews)
  Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz of Minsk is in Rome this week, to confer with Vatican officials on the prospects for his return to his archdiocese in Belarus. The archbishop, who has voiced support for critics of the government in Belarus, has been living in Poland since August 31, when he was barred from re-entering his native land after a pilgrimage to Poland. Vatican officials are in talks with government officials in Minsk, seeking to resolve the impasse.
• New Orleans priests give Archbishop Aymond vote of confidence despite scandals (New Orleans Times-Picayune)
  “All 335 priests in the Archdiocese … emphatically support Archbishop Aymond,” the leaders of two priests’ councils said in a letter. “Archbishop Aymond is a dedicated, faithful and holy priest of Jesus Christ.”
• Nun kidnapped in Mali is alive but needs care, says former hostage (Fides)
  The former hostage, Sophie Petronin, was released along with Father Pierluigi Maccalli earlier this month.
• International Red Cross president meets with Pope (@PMaurerICRC)
  Referring to the Pope’s new encyclical but transposing the words of its title, Peter Maurer said, “In our polarized world never has the imperative of tutti Fratelli, our shared humanity, been so important.”
• Peruvian cardinal succeeds Cardinal Hummes as head of Amazon Church network (Fides)
  Bishops from several South American nations founded the Pan-Amazonian Ecclesial Network (REPAM) in 2014.
• Cardinal Pell's 1st Mass in public in Rome (Catholic Weekly)
  “The Mass was attended by former Australian prime minister Tony Abbott, Australian Ambassador to the Holy See Chiara Porro, and US Ambassador to the Holy See Callista Gingrich,” according to the report.
• After teacher beheaded, some in France turn to Father Jacques Hamel (CNA)
  Father Hamel was murdered by Islamic terrorists as he celebrated Mass at his parish church in 2016; his beatification cause has begun.
• In India, archbishop, imam march for elderly priest's release (AsiaNews)
  India’s bishops have called for the release of Father Stan Swamy. The 83-year-old Jesuit has been arrested on charges of Maoist terrorism.
• As refugees increase, German bishops work to include Eastern Catholics (CNS)
  “The Catholic Church in Germany is changing and the life of our parishes becoming more diverse — faithful from Eastern Catholic Churches are living with us and finding their home here,” the bishops’ conference said in a statement. “Their developed patterns of liturgy and church law deserve to be valued and cherished.”
• Liberia's striking Catholic school teachers angered that they may be replaced (Front Page Africa)
  Catholic teachers in the West African nation of 4.9 million (map) have gone on strike because they are owed three months of salary.
• 'The Bible is all that I have': Iranian convert discusses his experience (Aid to the Church in Need)
  Archbishop Fidel Herráez Vegas of Burgos (Spain) baptized Seyed Mohammad Mahdi, an Iranian refugee.
• Catholic encounters with Muslims frame Fratelli tutti, scholar says (National Catholic Reporter)
  Pope Francis’s third encyclical letter, Fratelli tutti, is devoted to fraternity and social friendship.
• Pope removes Polish bishop accused of sex abuse cover-up (AP)
  In 2012, Bishop Edward Janiak, 68, was appointed bishop of Kalisz, a city of 100,000 in central Poland.
• Becciu 'vigorously' denies interference in Cardinal Pell trial (CNA)
  Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu oversaw the internal affairs of the Roman Curia as Substitute (Sostituto) of the Secretariat of State from 2011 to 2018. Pope Francis created him a cardinal in the 2018 consistory and named him Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. He resigned on September 24.
• 'Speak of God and bear witness to Him' as honest citizens, Pope tells pilgrims (Vatican Press Office)
  During his October 18 Sunday Angelus address (video), Pope Francis reflected on Matthew 22:15-21, the Gospel of the day.
• Woman arrested in Vatican financial scandal fights extradition (CNA)
  Lawyers for Cecilia Marogna, who was arrested last week in connection with a widening Vatican investigation into financial misconduct, have disclosed that she will fight the move by Italian government officials to extradite her to Vatican City, where she is wanted for alleged misuse of funds. Marogna contends that the money she received through Cardinal Angelo Becciu was spent properly in her work as a security consultant.
• Bishop Daly challenges Bishop McElroy's statements on abortion and the 2020 election (National Catholic Register)
  Commenting on recent remarks by Bishop Robert McElroy of San Diego, Bishop Thomas Daly of Spokane said, “Reading through Bishop McElroy’s statement, I noticed that he never mentions that abortion is the ‘preeminent’ moral issue for Catholics.”
• San Francisco archbishop performs exorcism after church vandalized (AP)
  Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone performed a rite of exorcism at St. Raphael Church, where a statue of St. Junipero Serra had been pulled down. The archbishop also said exorcism prayers outside a nearby Planned Parenthood clinic.
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