Catholic Church

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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...

Vatican Censures Yale Nun for Sex Book

Margaret Farley's book presents support for gays, masturbation

(Newser) - The Vatican has censured a nun and emeritus professor of Christian ethics at Yale University for her book on sexuality, calling it "unacceptable" and a "grave harm" to Christians. Leading theologian Sister Margaret Farley's book, Just Love: A Framework for Christian Sexual Ethics, aims to present a...

US Nuns to Vatican: We're Not 'Radical'

Leaders will go to Rome later this month for talks

(Newser) - The American nuns who were slammed by the Vatican in April for featuring "radical feminist" beliefs are fighting back, asserting that the criticisms against them came from "unsubstantiated accusations” and a “flawed process,” reports the New York Times . The Vatican had said it would send three...

Catholics File Flood of Birth-Control Lawsuits

Bishops turn to the courts to fight health care law

(Newser) - Notre Dame's lawsuit yesterday was just the beginning, because America's Catholic bishops have turned en masse to the courts in an attempt to ensure that employees of Catholic institutions do not have health plans that cover birth control. Some 43 Catholic dioceses, schools, social service agencies, and...

Notre Dame Sues Over Obama Birth Control Mandate

Nation's most prominent Roman Catholic school says it violates constitution

(Newser) - More trouble for the Obama administration's mandate requiring most employers to cover birth control: Now the University of Notre Dame is suing, the AP reports, claiming that the mandate violates religious freedom. Observers had been waiting to see what step Notre Dame would take as the US' most prominent...

Catholic School Boycotts Title Game Over Girl Player

Arizona baseball team refuses to play rival 'out of respect'

(Newser) - An Arizona Catholic high school has ditched a shot at a state baseball title to shun a rival team with a female second-baseman. Our Lady of Sorrows, a fundamentalist Catholic school in Phoenix, refused to participate in the Arizona Charter Athletic Association state championship game against Mesa Prep because Paige...

Nuns Rock, and Vatican Is Nuts to Mess With Them
Nuns Rock, and Vatican Is Nuts to Mess With Them
Nicholas Kristof
Apr 29, 2012 9:14 AM CDT

Nuns Rock, and Vatican Is Nuts to Mess With Them

Nuns show the best of Catholic Church; Rome, the worst: Nicholas Kristof

(Newser) - Catholic nuns represent much of the best the church has to offer—they're tough, smart, and humble. Which is why Nicholas Kristof has a clear warning for Pope Benedict: "You are crazy to mess with nuns," whom Kristof lauds as "the first feminists" and whom he...

Vatican to Outspoken Priest: Spend 6 Weeks in Prayer

Critics see building 'Catholic spring' backlash

(Newser) - A popular Irish priest known for his liberal views has been told to shut up by church authorities, reports the Daily Beast . Father Tony Flannery, who has questioned the doctrine of celibacy, and said the priesthood should be opened up to women, has been told to stop writing about controversial...

Poverty Groups With Gay Ties Lose Catholic Funding

The Catholic Campaign cracks down on groups that don't toe church line

(Newser) - For years, Compañeros, a small nonprofit that helps Hispanic immigrants in Colorado, has relied on thousands in funding from the Catholic Church's Campaign for Human Development. But now the Campaign is considering yanking that money, after noticing that Compañeros is a member of an immigrant rights coalition...

Priest Flashes Gay Porn During Communion Talk

He has no idea how it got on memory stick

(Newser) - A Catholic priest in Northern Ireland insists he has no idea how gay porn ended up on a memory stick he was using for a Powerpoint presentation to families before their children's First Communion. After he clicked on a folder and explicit images filled the screen, the "visibly...

Fidel Castro Meets Pope
 Fidel Castro 
 Meets Pope 
Mar 28, 2012 2:50 PM CDT

Fidel Castro Meets Pope

Benedict wraps up visit to Cuba

(Newser) - Pope Benedict delivered a relatively blunt message during his homily in Havana today—"Cuba and the world needs change"—but that didn't prevent a subsequent half-hour meeting with Fidel Castro, reports NBC News . It's not Castro's first with a pontiff: He met John Paul II...

Dutch Catholics Castrated at Least 10 Teens in 1950s
Dutch Catholics Castrated
at Least 10 Teens in 1950s
says report
Mar 20, 2012 1:27 PM CDT

Dutch Catholics Castrated at Least 10 Teens in 1950s

In bid to rid them of homosexuality, newspaper claims

(Newser) - The Dutch Roman Catholic Church castrated at least 10 boys under age 21 "to get rid of homosexuality" in the 1950s, according to a report from Dutch newspaper NRC Handelsblad. The paper identified one victim, named Henk Heithuis, who in 1956 claimed to have been sexually abused by priests....

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