A high-ranking Vatican official who oversees church law clarified on Tuesday (Nov. 28) the protocols for disciplining a bishop, saying any failure to act in communion with the church and the pope can be cause for dismissal. “There is no official mechanism for the firing of bishops, which can be evaluated by the college of … Read more
Reached by email on Tuesday, Strickland told Religion News Service he was unaware of any resignation request from the Vatican, saying, “I have received no information on this from Rome.” Asked whether he would resign if the pope asked, Strickland suggested he would resist, possibly forcing the Vatican to remove him. “As a basic principle … Read more
A group of Catholic Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives unveiled a “statement of principles” on Saturday (June 24) reaffirming their support for abortion rights and expanding on a similar letter directed at the American Catholic bishops two years ago. The lawmakers’ statement, chiefly organized by Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut and signed by … Read more
A law firm representing alleged sexual abuse victims in California is suing the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego, claiming the diocese fraudulently moved around real estate assets in an attempt to hide its wealth and avoid paying child sex abuse claims. The suit, filed Tuesday (Feb. 21) by the Zalkin Law Firm in San … Read more
Two days after Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco announced he would bar her from receiving the Eucharist in her home city due to her stance on abortion rights, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi reportedly received the sacrament at a Catholic church in the nation’s capital. According to Politico’s Playbook, Pelosi received Communion on Sunday … Read more
Vatican prosecutors issued new indictments Tuesday (Jan. 25) against four individuals involved in a financial scandal over the Roman Catholic Church’s money-losing investment in a London real estate deal, further expanding the number of defendants in what is already being referred to as the Vatican “megatrial.” All of the newly indicted are familiar figures in … Read more
Former Vatican economy czar Cardinal George Pell warns in a new book that the Catholic institution is facing a growing deficit, but he hopes financial reform efforts have put a stop to money laundering in the small city-state. Pell’s newest book, “Prison Journal, Volume 3: The High Court frees an Innocent Man,” was published in … Read more
In early February, the second-highest-ranking prelate in the Vatican told news outlets that a long-awaited report into the ascent of disgraced former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick would be published in the “near future.” In 2018, Pope Francis ordered that the Vatican investigate all of the documentation it had collected over the years regarding McCarrick, including data … Read more
A man who says he was sexually abused decades ago by his parish priest said he is suing all Catholic bishops in California and the Archdiocese of Chicago, seeking to compel church officials to release records on clergy abuse. The filing Tuesday (Oct. 2) in Los Angeles by Thomas Emens claims a civil conspiracy among … Read more