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March 19, 2019

West Virginia Attorney General sues diocese and former bishop over sex abuse

March 19, 2019

The Attorney General of West Virginia is suing the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston and former bishop Michael Bransfield, claiming they “knowingly employed pedophiles and failed to conduct adequate background checks” for employees working in schools and camps, Patrick Morrisey tweeted that he was filing the civil action against the diocese and bishop for “deceiving consumers and

Edinburgh council rejects call to ban pro-life vigils outside abortion clinics

March 19, 2019

Edinburgh City Council has rejected plans to create “censorship zones” outside abortion clinics. The council dropped proposals to ban peaceful pro-life prayer vigils after a report stated there was “no overwhelming evidence” the vigils caused “unnecessary distress”. The Scottish Sun reports that a team involving the city council, NHS Lothian and Police Scotland considered whether

Pope Francis refuses to accept resignation of cardinal convicted of sex abuse cover-up

March 19, 2019

Pope Francis has not accepted the resignation of Cardinal Philippe Barbarin as Archbishop of Lyon. The cardinal travelled to Rome to present his resignation to the Pope after he was convicted by a French court of covering up sexual abuse committed by a priest. He received a six-month suspended sentence, but is appealing the conviction.

Pope meets cardinal convicted of abuse cover-up

March 19, 2019

As he announced he would do after he was convicted of covering up sexual abuse committed by a priest, French Cardinal Philippe Barbarin of Lyon met Pope Francis March 18 to hand in his resignation. The Vatican confirmed the meeting took place but gave no details and no immediate sign of whether the Pope agreed

Pope Francis: ‘Christianity without tenderness does not work’

March 19, 2019

Meeting with representatives of a charismatic group dedicated to caring for the sick, Pope Francis on Monday emphasized the need for tenderness as the natural Christian response to human suffering. The word “tenderness,” Pope Francis warned, is “a word that today risks being dropped from the dictionary.” “We must take it up again and put

Naumann defends Catholic school that refused to admit child of same-sex couple

March 19, 2019

Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City, Kansas has hit back at criticism of a Catholic school that refused to admit the child of a same-sex couple. Writing in archdiocesan newspaper The Leaven, the archbishop said: “Not surprisingly, the secular media has been very negative in their portrayal of the decision” by St Ann Catholic School

Morning Catholic must-reads: 19/03/19

March 19, 2019

French prosecutors have called for the apostolic nuncio’s immunity to be lifted. The Church in El Salvador has criticised a proposed amnesty. A senior Benedictine nun has called for women priests. A Jamaican archbishop has suggested that alleged misconduct by a bishop may have been the result of illness. Inés San Martín explores the “long

‘It is very important to expose children as early as possible to the Bible’

March 19, 2019

Having blogged recently about a lovely illustrated book for young children titled God the Father’s Loving Plan, designed to introduce them to the Bible, I have caught up with its author, Jean Ann Sharpe and its illustrator, Roseanne Sharpe, her daughter. In that earlier blog I admitted that as a cradle Catholic I had not