Peter
Oh holy Virgin, Mother of God, help those who implore your assistance. Turn toward us. Have you perhaps forgotten us because you have been elevated to a position close to God? No, certainly not. You know well in what danger you left us. You know the miserable condition of your servants. No, it would not … Read more
Heavenly Father, we confess the sins of the Church, both individually and collectively for as Your Body we have not loved You as we ought nor have we followed You as faithfully as You desire. We have sinned and done so many wrongs and often acted in prideful and rebellious ways – and have not … Read more
At this point in our Church’s history, many of us will be tempted to despair. Saint Jude is specifically invoked in despairing situations because his New Testament letter, The Letter of Saint Jude, stresses to us the importance of persevering despite harsh and difficult times. Therefore, he has been appointed as the Patron Saint of … Read more
Theodore McCarrick isn’t the first prince of the Catholic church to have lived a private life scandalously at odds with the red hat he wore. Nor is he the first to have been booted from the College of Cardinals, as he was this past Saturday after disturbing allegations—that as a priest he had molested an … Read more
Faithful Catholics can easily see how the virtual abandonment of Humanae vitae by mid-level ecclesiastical leadership (many bishops, most priests, and nearly all marriage formators) over the last five decades has wrought incalculable damage on domestic life and civil society. No more evidence of this disaster among laity is needed than is already available to open-minded observers. … Read more
The church has described itself as “mater et magistra,” mother and teacher. Yet, having obliterated its ability to inspire trust, in large part through decades of abuse and abuse-enabling, the church has now been rendered unqualified, in the eyes of many, to serve in that role. As McCarrick allegedly transgressed and abused his position as … Read more
On July 28, I sent the letter below to my bishop, the Most Reverend Robert E. Guglielmone of the Diocese of Charleston. In it, I explain that I will no longer contribute to diocesan appeals for financial contributions until I am convinced by his public actions and witness that he is zealously seeking the creation … Read more
Cardinal Donald Wuerl knew nothing of the abuse settlements paid to sex abuse victims of his predecessor Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, according to a letter sent to priests of the Archdiocese of Washington. The letter, which came from Archdiocesan Vicar General Monsignor Charles Antonicelli, informed priests in the Archdiocese: “Neither the Archdiocese of Washington nor Cardinal Wuerl … Read more
This week I have been swamped with messages from loyal Catholics who have been shaken and disgusted by the latest eruption of the continuing sex-abuse scandal in the Church. I wish I saw some sign that our bishops recognized the rising tide of anger – righteous anger – among the most active lay Catholics. Unfortunately, … Read more
Bishop Edward Scharfenberger of Albany wrote to the clerics of his local Church Sunday, saying that abuse of authority and sexual abuse by clerics is, more than a crisis of policies and procedures, a spiritual crisis. His comments come amid a scandal centered on Theodore McCarrick, the Archbishop Emeritus of Washington. Last month the Archdiocese … Read more