Catholic Church

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Pope's First Tweet: 'I Bless All of You'

Pontiff uses personal Twitter account for first time

(Newser) - As promised , @Pontifex —otherwise known as Pope Benedict XVI—started tweeting today. The pope's first tweet from his personal account was a blessing, USA Today reports. He followed that up by answering a question, one of many posed to him since his Twitter account was announced using...

Vatican: In 9 Days, Pope Will Tweet

@Pontifex personal account to get off the ground next Wednesday

(Newser) - Get ready for one of Twitter's newer handles, @Pontifex , which belongs to none other than one Pope Benedict XVI. The pontiff doesn't plan on using it until Dec. 12, the Vatican revealed today, but come next Wednesday, he'll begin tweeting in six languages. His first tweets will...

Vatican Canonizes 1st Native American Saint

Benedict seeks to honor missionaries from regions where church is lagging

(Newser) - The Vatican canonized seven new saints today, adding to its roster from parts of the globe where the Catholic church is falling behind. America claimed two of those seven spots, reports the Star-Telegram , notably including the first Native American saint, the so-called "Lily of the Mohawks," Kateri Tekakwitha,...

Best Lines From Romney, Obama Roast

Candidates tweak each other, themselves, at charity dinner

(Newser) - The presidential candidates took a break from the campaign to poke fun at themselves and each other last night during the annual Alfred E. Smith charity dinner in Manhattan. Some highlights, from the New York Times and Washington Post :
  • Romney: "As President Obama surveys the Waldorf banquet room with
...

Pope's Former Butler to Testify in 'Vatileaks' Trial

Verdict could come by week's end

(Newser) - As the trial of Pope Benedict's ex-butler enters its second day, the defendant himself is set to testify. Paolo Gabriele will likely confess to leaking confidential Vatican documents, al-Jazeera reports, since he already admitted guilt to prosecutors during a pretrial hearing. What to watch for at today's session:...

Court Upholds Germany's 'Catholic Tax'

German faithful pay between 8% and 9% of their income

(Newser) - You can't be a Catholic in Germany if you don't pay "church tax," a federal court has ruled. Germany requires people registered as Catholics, Protestants, or Jews to pay an extra tax worth 8% to 9% of their income tax bill, but the law was challenged...

Prop. 8 'Architect' Set to Take Over as SF Archbishop

Gay Catholics reeling

(Newser) - Critics are calling it "bombshell by the Bay." The pope has sent a strong message to his Left Coast faithful by naming a key backer of Proposition 8 against gay marriage as the new archbishop of San Francisco. Salvatore Cordileone, who officially takes charge next week, is considered...

NYC Church Endorses Mitt, Draws Outrage

20K sign a petition decrying the pro-Romney bulletin

(Newser) - Church bulletins more often inspire dishes to pass than outrage, but a printout distributed to Mass-goers two weeks ago at Manhattan's Church of St. Catherine of Siena has quite a few people riled up. The bulletin, penned by the Rev. John Farren, contained a reprint of a letter from...

Ancient Scrap of Papyrus Refers to Wife of Jesus

It also quotes him talking of a female disciple

(Newser) - Shades of the Da Vinci Code: A small scrap of fourth-century papyrus contains this potential bombshell of a line: “Jesus said to them, ‘My wife ...’" And a bit later, the text reads, "she will be able to be my disciple." A Harvard historian made...

In Beirut, Benedict Pleads for Syria Peace

'I appeal to you all to be peacemakers,' pontiff tells restive region

(Newser) - Pope Benedict XVI made a sweeping appeal today for peace in Syria and the Middle East, decrying the violence "which generates so much suffering." Speaking at an open-air Mass before a huge crowd in Beirut, he urged the international community and Arab countries in particular to find a...

Strapped Europe's New Idea: Tax the Vatican

Church's long-held government breaks might be in danger

(Newser) - As Europe continues to seek a way out of its financial straits, some countries are eyeing the wealth of the Catholic Church. Italy's prime minister wants a tax on church properties. British city councils have cut funds for transportation to religious schools, while Ireland considers similar moves. And a...

Cardinal Delivers Pro-Life Prayer at DNC

Pundits see subtle swipes at other parts of Democratic platform, too

(Newser) - In case you didn't stay up late enough to see it, President Obama's speech at the DNC last night was followed by a benediction from Cardinal Timothy Dolan, one of the Catholic Church's most vocal abortion foes. He raised a few eyebrows with this bit of prayer,...

Priest Says Teenage Abuse Victims Can Be Seducers

Father Groeschel apologizes, blames old age, poor health for comments

(Newser) - This inevitably wasn't going to end well: In an interview given earlier this week, a high-profile Roman Catholic leader said that the "youngsters" who are sexually abused by priests are often the instigators, and that priests who are first-time offenders should not go to prison, reports the New ...

Catholics Question Bishop's RNC Role

New York cardinal set to deliver benediction

(Newser) - New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan is headed to the Republican National Convention to deliver a benediction, a rarity in modern times: Not since 1972 has an out-of-town bishop flown in to bless a party convention. While observers at first called it a win for Mitt Romney, now some Catholics are...

Pope's Ex-Butler to Stand Trial Over 'VatiLeaks'

Paolo Gabriele currently under house arrest

(Newser) - Pope Benedict's former butler is going on trial over the "VatiLeaks" scandal, per the order of a Vatican judge today. Paolo Gabriele was charged in May with leaking sensitive information about the Vatican, and is currently under house arrest, the BBC reports. Gabriele was one of just a...

Bishop: US Nuns Making Up New Theology

Church needs obedience, not debate, says Toledo bishop

(Newser) - Church doctrine is for obeying, not so much debating, says the bishop who oversaw the report that condemned the Leadership Conference of Women Religious , a group that includes some 80% of American nuns. By promoting positions contrary to Vatican teachings, the LCWR is creating "a new kind of theology,...

Catholic Cleric Gets 3 to 6 Years in Sex Abuse Coverup

Monsignor William Lynn didn't rein in priests in Philadelphia

(Newser) - A Roman Catholic monsignor who became the first US church official to be convicted for covering up sex abuse claims against priests was sentenced today to three to six years in prison by a judge who said he "enabled monsters in clerical garb ... to destroy the souls of children....

Abuse Victim Cleared of Assaulting Priest

Jury refuses to convict William Lynch

(Newser) - A California man who beat up a retired Catholic priest he accused of molesting him as a child has been found not guilty of assault, despite admitting the beating on the witness stand. Jurors said none of them wanted to convict William Lynch, 44, after hearing about the alleged abuse...

Church Official Convicted of Child Endangerment

Philly monsignor shielded predators

(Newser) - A Roman Catholic church official was convicted today of child endangerment but acquitted of conspiracy in a groundbreaking clergy-abuse trial, becoming the first US church official convicted of a crime for how he handled abuse claims. Monsignor William Lynn of Philadelphia helped the archdiocese keep predators in ministry, and the...

Nuns Go on Bus Tour, Protest GOP Budget Plan

They say they're not trying to counter Vatican's recent criticisms

(Newser) - A group of Roman Catholic nuns began a nine-state bus tour protesting proposed federal budget cuts yesterday, saying they weren't trying to flout recent Vatican criticisms of socially active nuns but felt called to show how Republican policies are affecting low-income families. The tour was organized by Network, a...

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