Justice may not be wise

In an ideal world, said John Allen at Crux, “doing the just thing and the wise thing would always coincide”. But the “VatiLeaks” trial reminds us that life isn’t that simple. Five people are on trial: three ex- members (one a priest) of a papal commission known by its acronym Cosea, accused of leaking details of Vatican finances, and two journalists who published the revelations. “The strict interests of justice” would say that the trial should go ahead and, if found guilty, the defendants must be convicted and serve their full sentences – both for reasons of accountability, and as a deterrent to others, Allen said. But that may not be the wise thing to do. “It’s not as if the financial situations revealed in these documents amount to some kind of thunderclap revelation,” said Allen; the wrongdoing is precisely why Pope Francis ordered the clean-up. “Prosecuting people for leaking these documents inevitably makes it look as if the Vatican has something to hide,” he said. And the defendants could easily become “media darlings” if they were convicted.

Etiquette on Instagram

On his Instagram account, Fr James Martin SJ welcomed the Pope to the photo-sharing social network. He offered some advice, including: “People like beautiful colour photos most of all, which shouldn’t be a problem since you live in a beautiful place.” Fr Martin concluded: “But here’s a conundrum, Your Holiness: on the one hand, if you post too many photos of yourself, you’ll seem vain. So you should avoid that. On the other hand, I’ve found that people really like photos of the Pope. Good luck with that one.”

The Sister who survived

Several outlets published the testimony of Sister Sally, the superior of the four Missionaries of Charity murdered at a care home in Yemen earlier this month. In the testimony, relayed by another MC, Sister Rio, the superior wrote: “Because of their faithfulness they were in the right place at the right time and were ready when the Bridegroom came.” The note records that ISIS shot the Sisters “one by one”. They also killed several lay people working there. Fr Tom Uzhunnalil, the priest, stayed at the convent to protect the Blessed Sacrament. Sister Sally recalled: “At the convent, Father had heard the screaming and consumed all the Hosts. He had no time to consume the large Host, so he threw the oil out of the sanctuary lamp and dissolved it in the water.” The note recorded an exchange between the Sisters: “Sister Sally told Sister Rio she is so sad because she is alone and did not die with her sisters. Sister Rio told her God wanted a witness and told her: ‘Who would have found the Sisters’ bodies and who would ever tell us what happened? God wants us to know.’”

✣ Meanwhile…

✣ A surprisingly Catholic superhero story has returned, with the second series of Daredevil on Netflix. Its hero, Matt Murdock, is a blind attorney who battles against villains in New York City. The show’s writer Frank Miller explained: “Only a Catholic could be a vigilante and an attorney at the same time.” It features a priest, Fr Lantom, who says: “Nothing drives people to the church faster than the thought of the Devil snapping at their heels. Maybe that was Go

✣ The Sky News anchor Kay Burley made an unfortunate mix-up last week, tweeting her condolences on the death of the journalist Malcolm Muggeridge, who died in 1990. She explained that she had sent the tweet – “RIP Malcolm Muggeridge” – after confusing him with the TV presenter Cliff Michelmore, who had just died at the age of 96. Muggeridge was a contributor to the Catholic Herald both before and after converting to Catholicism in 1982.

✣ A bishop in Albany, New York State, has decided to spend 24 hours  hearing confessions non-stop – after one of his priests pioneered the idea. Bishop Edward Scharfenberger was inspired by Fr Bob Longobucco, who heard 130 confessions on March 4-5. He called it “the best night of my priesthood”.

✣ The week in quotations

This will be the first step of a reform that will make the Church turn a page after 1,700 years
Cardinal Kasper on the apostolic exhortation on the family synod
National Catholic Register

We are faced with a profound evolution of dogma
Benedict XVI on Church teaching on salvation after Vatican II
Catholic World Report

It seems to me that our joint voice was heard
Patriarch Kirill on his appeal with Francis for peace in Syria
Interfax

They never saw her. It was miraculous
An eyewitness account of how a nun escaped ISIS fighters in Yemen
Aleteia

✣ Statistic of the week

30,000
The number of flowers decorating St Peter’s Square at Easter
Source: Daily Telegraph