I was an Anglican bishop. Then the Pope made an offer I couldn’t refuse

From The Catholic Herald-

It hardly seems possible that it has been 10 years since the publication of the apostolic constitution Anglicanorum coetibus. This allowed for a diocese-like structure to be created for former Anglicans so that they could bring into the Universal Church something of the pastoral, liturgical and spiritual traditions which had formed them over the years.

I vividly remember the day of the announcement. It was something that many of us had been praying for, for a very long time.

In my study, there is a large painting of Mgr Graham Leonard when he was the Anglican Bishop of Truro. In the 1990s, when the Church of England decided to ordain women priests, Bishop Leonard wrote a letter to the Catholic Herald in which he expressed the hope that some structure could be formed, perhaps a personal prelature, to allow former Anglicans to enter the Catholic Church corporately. Years later his hopes were fulfilled by Pope Benedict XVI in a way in that we never could have imagined.

More here-

https://catholicherald.co.uk/magazine/i-was-an-anglican-bishop-then-the-pope-made-an-offer-i-couldnt-refuse/

Catholic Church mourns Kenyan pilgrims perished in Iganga hit and run accident

From Uganda-

The Uganda Episcopal Conference (UEC), the assembly of Catholic Bishops in Uganda has honoured the four Kenyan pilgrims perished in a hit and run accident on weekend as they trekked from Bungoma Diocese, Kenya to Namugongo Martyrs shrines, for the annual pilgrimage.

“Prayers and fond memories are what we have to remember our dearly departed four Kenyan pilgrims who were walking to Namugongo’s Martyrs Catholic Shrine today (Sunday),” a statement shared on their official social media reads.

Two of the victims were from Kisoko Parish while the other two were from Naitiri Parish, which are both under Bungoma Catholic Diocese.

UEC adds that the victims were among the about 150 pilgrims who were heading to Namugongo for this year’s martyr’s day to be marked on June 3.

Police Spokesperson Fred Enanga says two of the pilgrims who died on the spot have been identified as Obanga Ashiuma Geoffrey, 48 of Naitiri, Bungoma and Roseline Wanjala (51), of Kisoko, Busia.

More here-

http://www.pmldaily.com/news/2019/05/catholic-church-mourns-kenyan-pilgrims-perished-in-iganga-hit-and-run-accident.html

Exorcists of the world unite: 250 clerics from different Christian denominations gather in Rome for classes in driving out the devil

From The Daily Mail-

Hundreds of clerics from different Christian denominations have gathered in Rome to exchange tips and to attend classes on exorcism for the first time.

As many as 250 members of the clergy are expected in the Italian capital this week for the conference that comes at the end of a week's training.

Those who believe in exorcisms say a priest tries to draw out an evil spirit that has taken over a person's body - which can take hours or even years to work.

The event, which started yesterday at Ateneo Pontificio Regina Apostolorum - a Vatican-linked university, has classes such as 'Angels and Demons in the Sacred Scripture, The Historical Origins of the Rite of Exorcism' and 'The Symbology of Occult and Satanic Rituals'. 

More here-

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7001341/Christian-exorcists-different-denominations-unite-Rome-classes-driving-devil.html

‘Please pray for us’: Episcopal priest in Tennessee announces he’s becoming Catholic

From Tennesee-

A conservative Episcopal priest, who is a top administrator in the Tennessee diocese, is leaving the church to become a Roman Catholic.

Andrew Petiprin recently announced his plans to change his religious tradition and resign his post as the Episcopal diocese’s canon to the ordinary. He wraps up his job on New Year’s Eve, and Petiprin and his family will start 2019 in the Catholic Church.

“I’m not really running away from the Episcopal Church, but running toward the Catholic Church,” Petiprin said in an interview.

Since June 2017, Petiprin has worked alongside Bishop John Bauerschmidt, helping him with the administration of the Episcopal Diocese of Tennessee, which covers much of Middle Tennessee.

Petriprin said he started the job excited about the chance to influence the future of the Episcopal Church, but it became clear several months ago that God was calling him to Catholicism.

More here-

 https://www.patheos.com/blogs/deaconsbench/2018/12/please-pray-for-us-episcopal-priest-in-tennessee-announces-hes-becoming-catholic/

Episcopal, Roman Catholic Bishops Call On Their Flocks To Be Compassionate

From Long Island-

Last week, the bishops of the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn published pastoral letters regarding the recent shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue, and acts of vandalism against Jews in Brooklyn, as well as the then-upcoming elections and national political climate.

The Rt. Rev. Lawrence Provenzano, the Episcopal Bishop of a diocese that includes Brooklyn and Queens, addressed the anti-Semitic attacks. His letter reads, 

“Last week there was the horrendous anti-Semitic attack on worshippers at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue. Today [Friday, Nov. 2] there is news of several Brooklyn synagogues and Jewish schools being attacked by an arsonist and Union Temple vandalized by graffiti—additional ugly displays of evil that appear to be on the increase in our nation.

“To counter this evil, I call on the priests and deacons of our diocese and the people of each of our congregations to be the personal, outward and visible expressions of God’s goodness for our Jewish sisters and brothers whose lives and worship are being silenced, threatened or disrupted.

More here-

http://www.brooklyneagle.com/articles/2018/11/8/faith-brooklyn-november-8-%E2%80%98showupforshabbat%E2%80%99-packs-several-brooklyn-synagogues

Archbishop Justin given ecumenical welcome to Norwich

From England-

Archbishop Justin was welcomed by the Catholic Bishop of East Anglia and the Anglican Bishop of Norwich, alongside many other local church leaders in a short service of reconciliation. It is believed to be the first time any Archbishop of Canterbury has spoken at St John's Cathedral.

The service marked the start of a three-day visit to the Diocese of Norwich by the Archbishop, which will also include King’s Lynn on Thursday and Great Yarmouth on Friday.

A 500-strong congregation heard Catholic Bishop Alan Hopes open the service with a word of welcome to Archbishop Justin: “The theme of your visit is reconciliation, so it is hugely significant that you have chosen to begin with an ecumenical act of worship. It speaks clearly of the journey we are all called to make in our search for that unity of the Body of Christ which is in accordance with his will and of the healing of the wounds of past divisions. May your visit bring fresh impetus to that journey for Christians in Norfolk.”

More here-

https://www.networknorwich.co.uk/Articles/533703/Network_Norwich_and_Norfolk/Regional_News/_Archbishop_Justin_given_ecumenical_welcome_to.aspx

The Vatican lays groundwork for formal debate on married Catholic priests

From Pittsburgh (AP)-

As the Vatican copes with the growing clergy sex abuse scandal and declining number of priests worldwide, it is laying the groundwork to open formal debate on an issue that has long been taboo: opening up the priesthood to married men in parts of the world where clergy are scarce.

Pope Francis has convened a meeting of South American bishops next year focusing on the plight of the church in the Amazon, a vast territory served by far too few priests. During that synod, the question of ordaining married men of proven virtue — so-called “viri probati” — is expected to figure on the agenda.

This week, a two-hour documentary on Italian television is likely to contribute to the conversation. “The Choice: Priests and Love” profiles more than a dozen men in four European countries who are either living clandestinely with women, have created their own unsanctioned church communities where married priests preside at Mass, or left the Catholic priesthood altogether to marry.

More here-

https://share.newsslide.com/ppg/story/bcbba6ca-8ea5-48b8-a1b8-eba933c0f23a/?EditionId=0be11f2d-4e26-4173-9e0a-9e3bd0c22e43&SectionId=41e9b6e9-4c3e-408e-a140-9259a5319a74&IncludeChrome=True&fbclid=IwAR2aOe-oP9aM6veDJUuMVoKHTU3CQmgIZ3MYUDm9LKvzXkxORVV6B_jc78g

Wuerl to address his role in Pennsylvania sex-abuse scandals with priests in archdiocese: Report

From D.C.-

The archbishop of Washington will reportedly hold a meeting Monday of priests in the archdiocese over his role in the Pennsylvania sex-abuse scandals.

“A spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Washington” confirmed Sunday night that Cardinal Donald Wuerl will address his priests on the grand-jury report on that matter, TV station WTTG (Fox 5) reported.

Cardinal Wuerl was bishop of Pittsburgh from 1988 to 2006, part of the period investigated by the Pennsylvania grand jury and his mishandling of sex-abuse charges was widely detailed in its report. All told, according to the report, six of the state’s dioceses knew of more than 300 priests accused of varying forms of sex-abuse against more than 1,000 young people.

In addition, according to Fox-5, Cardinal Wuerl will also discuss with his priests the case of Theodore McCarrick, his predecessor as Washington archbishop who resigned from the College of Cardinals over charges of sexual abuse of boys and young men — his seminarians and other men discerning the priesthood among them — going back decades.

More here-

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/aug/19/donald-wuerl-meet-priests-over-sex-abuse-scandals/

Cleansing the Catholic Church of Its Sins By Andrew Sullivan

From The Daily Intelligencer-

After a while, I couldn’t continue reading the Pennsylvania grand jury report on sexual abuse in six dioceses in the Catholic Church. Apart from the rising nausea, I realized the horror of each incident had begun to numb my conscience, and the sheer number of cases had numbed it still further. One case is a tragedy; thousands of cases can too easily become a statistic. Like dealing with Trump’s lies, you can get dizzy following the specific horrors committed against children, and the excuses and prevarications and silence of so many in the hierarchy. Which is why specifics matter. They reveal the core nature of the evil involved.

And so we come across a case like this: A teenage boy called George was befriended by a young priest in his twenties, Reverend George Zirwas. The boy’s family saw this as a good influence, as most Catholic families in the 1970s and 1980s would have. One afternoon, the priest invited George, who was around 14 at the time, to a rectory 25 minutes south of Pittsburgh, where he met several other priests: “During a conversation about religious statues, the priests told George to get onto a bed and remove his shirt, and strike a pose like Jesus on the cross. Then they instructed him to strip off his pants and underwear,” writes the Philadelphia Inquirer. “In the unnerving moments that followed, George claimed that [the priests] began taking photos of him on a Polaroid camera. All of the priests giggled — and then added the photos of George to a collection of photos of other teen boys.” This was a grooming gang.

More here-

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2018/08/cleansing-the-catholic-church-of-its-sins.html#comments

Barred by Catholic bishop, Dan Schutte performs in local Episcopal church

From Kansas City-

In the 1970s and '80s, Schutte was part of the liturgical group the St. Louis Jesuits. He is now composer-in-residence at the Jesuit-run University of San Francisco and travels extensively, giving talks, parish retreats and workshops. Prior to coming to Kansas City, he had preached a five-day parish mission in Seattle. Schutte is also a member of the NCR board of directors and came to Kansas City for our spring board meeting.

The Kansas City concert, however, did not happened without a snag. It had to be moved to an Episcopal church, after Bishop James Johnston of the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, Missouri, prohibited Schutte from appearing in a Catholic parish, because, the bishop said, the composer didn't have "a letter of suitability" from his home diocese.

The only reference to this contretemps was in Schutte's opening remarks when he said, "I want to thank the people of St. Paul's [Episcopal Church] who, when we could not do this in our original space, invited us here."

More here-

https://www.ncronline.org/news/people/ncr-today/barred-catholic-bishop-dan-schutte-performs-local-episcopal-church

Sharing abuse stories without hope of accountability 'feels hollow' - Anglican Church

From New Zealand-

The Anglican and Catholic Churches of New Zealand are making a last push to have those abused in faith-based institutions included in the scope of the Government's Royal Commission of Inquiry into State Abuse.

But the prime minister said the primary purpose of the inquiry was to hold the state to account, and there was a risk of "diluting" that responsibility if non-state institutions were included.

Last month, Children's Minister Tracey Martin and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced the draft terms of reference, and scope, of the inquiry.

More here-

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/102587362/sharing-abuse-stories-without-hope-of-accountability-feels-hollow--anglican-church

and here-

https://www.vice.com/en_nz/article/paxpam/news-of-zealand-churches-request-sex-abuse-inquiry

and here-

http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018637782/catholic-anglican-churches-push-to-be-in-abuse-inquiry

and here-

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1803/S00353/anglicans-ask-for-abuse-inquiry-scope-to-be-broadened.htm

An ‘ecumenical Mass’ is impossible, says German cardinal

From Catholic Herald-

Catholics and Protestants do not have enough in common to celebrate a so-called ‘ecumenical Mass’, a German cardinal has said.

Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki of Cologne said there is “no basis” for such a service because the denominations “do not agree on the central issues” around the Eucharist.

The cardinal explained in the Kölner Express that for Catholics, the Eucharist is not just a common meal; it is the true Body and Blood of Christ in the transubstantiated gifts of bread and wine. Protestants do not have this understanding.

The Real Presence is an “incontrovertible certainty” for Catholics, he said. As long as these differences exist, there can be no “common supper”.

More here-

http://catholicherald.co.uk/news/2017/11/03/an-ecumenical-mass-is-impossible-says-german-cardinal/

Homosexuality and Catholic evangelization: “The Dorothy Day Way”

From Aleteia-

In his exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, Pope Francis expresses a constant danger evangelists must keep in mind: “There are times when the faithful, in listening to completely orthodox language, take away something alien to the authentic Gospel of Jesus Christ, because that language is alien to their own way of speaking to and understanding one another. With the holy intent of communicating the truth about God and humanity, we sometimes give them a false god or a human ideal which is not really Christian” (paragraph 41).

This can be seen clearly in some discussion among Catholics when it comes to homosexuality and the gender issues that dominate the news. As statements of fact, it’s hard to find fault with Catholic teaching; the Church is correct to point out that the complementarity of man and woman expresses God’s creative plan for human happiness. Christ reminds us of this plan in the Gospels, and his teaching is unchangeable.

But repeating facts is not the same as being helpful, and often the problem rests in how we repeat the facts of man and woman. Too often our words deal with these topics in the abstract with no regard for the conflicting feelings that some persons may experience.

More here-

https://aleteia.org/2017/09/24/homosexuality-and-catholic-evangelization-the-dorothy-day-way/

Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor obituary

From The Guardian-

Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, archbishop emeritus of Westminster, who has died aged 85, was there or thereabouts at several crucial points in the recent history of the Catholic church. The extent to which he actually influenced the events in which he participated, though, was always hard to assess, partly because this genial cleric naturally played down his own importance, and was much more comfortable in casting himself as the benign parish priest rather than a prince of the church.

Some claimed, though, that his was an influential voice among the small group of liberal-minded cardinals – known as “la squadra” – behind the surprise election at the papal conclave of March 2013 of the “change candidate”, the Argentinian Pope Francis. A few months after his election, the former Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was apparently lightheartedly to credit Murphy-O’Connor, when the two met at a papal audience. The pope pointed to his old friend and said, “You’re to blame!” But, as Murphy-O’Connor subsequently noted, because he was over 80 at the time of the conclave, church rules had allowed him to participate only in the preliminary discussions, and not in the actual vote in the Sistine Chapel.

More here-

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/sep/01/cardinal-cormac-murphy-o-connor-obituary

Priest urges haters to repent; reveals his Ku Klux Klan past

FromYahoo-

Forty years ago he was a Ku Klux Klan "wizard," burning crosses on black families' lawns. Now, after decades as a Catholic priest, he's coming forward about his past.

While Father William Aitcheson's racist past was a matter of public record, it wasn't widely known in the diocese of Arlington, until this week. Prompted by images of violence during a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Aitcheson described his transformation in a column published Monday in The Arlington Catholic Herald, the diocesan newspaper, and urged white supremacists to repent.

"While I firmly believe God forgave me -- as he forgives anyone who repents and asks for forgiveness -- forgetting what I did would be a mistake," wrote Aitcheson, who is taking a leave of absence from active ministry. "My actions were despicable. When I think back on burning crosses, a threatening letter, and so on, I feel as though I am speaking of somebody else."

Aitcheson, 62, said 40 years have passed since he was in the Klan, but the violence he saw last week compelled him to describe his journey.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/priest-takes-leave-disclosing-past-ku-klux-klan-142249934.html

Activists Plan Pot-Burning Ceremony Inside D.C. Basilica During Eclipse

From The "You Can't Make This Stuff Up" Department. (D.C.)

A group that believes there is an ancient and little-known connection between Christianity and cannabis plans to burn oil full of psychoactive cannabinoids inside the nation's largest Roman Catholic church during the solar eclipse on August 21.

Anne Armstrong, a longtime cannabis activist and leader of Rhode Island’s Healing Church, says she will be shocked if the group’s request for a chapel is denied by the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.

Armstrong believes that “the church will say, ‘Welcome, Deaconess Anne, and what room would you like?’” But if she cannot reserve space, Armstrong says she will simply walk in and use a vacant nook off the cavernous building's central nave.

“It’s a big place, it’s a Monday afternoon,” she says, predicting turnout of about 75 people. "We don't need the basilica's permission to have a prayer service in a chapel."

Armstrong says infused olive oil will be put at the bottom of a metal censer and topped with incense for use during a prayer service. "We're timing it to coincide with the eclipse, there's a lot of interesting astrological things going on," she says.

More here-

https://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2017-07-18/believers-plan-cannabis-burning-event-at-dc-basilica-during-eclipse?src=usn_fb

Vatican Journal Jousts Against Imaginary ‘Ecumenism of Hate’ in America

From National Catholic Register (Original article is at link below)-

I was surprised by a recent piece of extended commentary in La Civiltà Cattolica, the Jesuit newspaper that functions as a quasi-official mouthpiece for the Vatican.
Written by the editor in chief, Jesuit Father Antonio Spadaro, and Argentinean edition editor Rev. Marcelo Figueroa, “Evangelical Fundamentalism and Catholic Integralism in the USA: A Surprising Ecumenism” is a collection of uninformed assertions spiced with malice. It argues that Protestant and Catholic support for American conservatism amounts to an “ecumenism of hate.”

It’s hard to take this seriously. Father Spadaro and Figueroa seem to know very little about the history of religion and politics in the United States. For instance, they say “religion has had a more incisive role in the electoral process and government decisions over recent decades, especially in some U.S. governments.” This is wrong. The great reform movements in our history — abolition, prohibition and civil rights — have been motivated and articulated in explicitly Christian terms. Princes of the Church, such as Cardinals Mundelein and Spellman, were frequent guests at Franklin Roosevelt’s White House.


More here-

http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/italian-journal-builds-a-classic-straw-man-against-us-catholicism

Original Article-

http://www.laciviltacattolica.it/articolo/evangelical-fundamentalism-and-catholic-integralism-in-the-usa-a-surprising-ecumenism/

Pope Francis won’t go to South Sudan; proposed trip too dangerous

From Crux-

A proposed visit by Pope Francis to South Sudan, originally planned for the fall, has been postponed indefinitely.

Reports first appeared on Monday in the Italian daily Il Messaggero, stating the worsening security situation in the country made the proposed visit - which would have been an ecumenical event with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby - too dangerous to undertake.

In October 2016, Catholic Archbishop Paulino Lukudu Loro of Juba; Reverend Daniel Deng Bul Yak, Archbishop of the Province of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan and Sudan; and Reverend Peter Gai Lual Marrow, Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of South Sudan, traveled to Rome at the invitation of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, today part of the Dicastery for Integral Human Development.

More here-

https://cruxnow.com/vatican/2017/05/30/pope-francis-wont-go-south-sudan-proposed-trip-dangerous/

Priest Stabbed During Mass at Mexico City Cathedral

From National Catholic Register-

A Mexican priest is in “delicate but stable” condition after being stabbed in the neck Monday evening at Mexico City’s cathedral, according to government and Church authorities.

Father José Miguel Machorro Alcalá, 55, was stabbed in the neck and torso May 15 at the conclusion of saying Mass at the cathedral.

Witnesses reported that it appeared the attacker’s intention was to slit the priest’s throat.

Authorities detained a suspect at the scene who had reportedly attempted to flee the cathedral. The suspect has been identified as John Rock Schild, who identified himself as an artist from the United States. He is believed to be about 30 years old.

More here-

http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/priest-stabbed-during-mass-at-mexico-city-cathedral

Pope Francis: The death penalty is a “mortal sin” and “inadmissible”

From American Magazine-

Faith is a journey guided by the Holy Spirit, who helps the church grow in understanding the sinful nature of once-accepted practices like slavery and the death penalty, Pope Francis said.

While people once even used religious reasons to justify practices such as slavery, the death penalty and "wars of religion," over time the Holy Spirit has deepened the church's understanding of the Gospel, the pope said on May 11 in his homily during morning Mass at Domus Sanctae Marthae.

Slavery "is a mortal sin; today we say this. Back then, some would say that this could be done because these people did not have a soul!" he said. The number of people enslaved today is "even more, but at least we know that it is a mortal sin. The same goes for the death penalty; for a time, it was normal. Today, we say that the death penalty is inadmissible."

More here-

http://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2017/05/11/pope-francis-death-penalty-mortal-sin-and-inadmissible