Mega-dioceses are part of the problem
At his website, Taylor Marshall suggested one little-discussed reason for the abuse crisis: the growth of the “mega-diocese”. It used to be the case, Marshall wrote, that a diocese was small enough for a bishop to oversee. But today, he said, “the Archdiocese of Los Angeles has 1,117 priests and 4,392,000 baptised laity. One bishop cannot oversee more than 1,000 priests. One bishop cannot be shepherd for 4.3 million people. For reference, the entire population of England in AD 1086 was 3.6 million. Imagine if all of England in AD 1086 had only one bishop. Ridiculous.” In the 16th century, the pace of episcopal appointments slowed; from 1870 under Pius IX, it slowed even more. It is particularly extreme in the United States, Marshall said.
He advocated the creation of many more bishops, in accordance with the Catholic principle of subsidiarity.“If a bishop had 100 priests and 100,000 people, it would be a manageable situation,” strengthening supervision and accountability in the dioceses.
The relic-hunter who became a saint
At Aleteia, Philip Kosloski described the aftermath of St Helena’s conversion in the 4th century. “She decided to go straight to the source and set out on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land with the support of her son, Emperor Constantine.” St Helena is believed to have recovered the Cross on which Jesus was crucified. “It is also believed that St Helena found the ‘title of the cross’, upon which was inscribed ‘Jesus the Nazarene, King of the Jews’. She also reportedly discovered the nails of the True Cross that were driven into the hands and feet of Jesus,” Kosloski wrote.
Tradition also holds that the “holy stairs” which Christ climbed before Pilate were brought back from Jerusalem to Rome by Helena. There’s room for historical debate about Helena’s exact role, but “when we visit the shrines dedicated to these relics, we are reminded of a fundamental spiritual truth: Jesus Christ walked this earth, died for our sins and reigns forever in heaven. He is not a ‘myth’, or a ‘legend’, but a real person who loves us dearly and desires to be with us for all eternity.”
Publisher says Africa is the future
At National Catholic Register, Justin McClain interviewed Fr Joseph Fessio, the founder of Ignatius Press, the publishing house which marks its 40th anniversary in November. Fr Fessio recalled its beginnings: “I came to know Frank Sheed, who was the dean of Catholic publishing in the 20th century, with his publishing company Sheed and Ward. I asked him whether we should consider establishing our own publishing company, and he said, ‘By all means. But be ready for 10 years of grief.’” Fr Fessio predicted that “the African continent will be the future for us, just as Ireland once re-evangelised Europe.”
✣ Sting has said he loved singing the traditional Latin Mass as a boy and that it still influences his music. The former Police frontman was speaking to the American National Catholic Register a few days ahead of meeting Pope Francis.He said: “I was an altar boy and I learned the Latin Mass but I loved plainsong, I loved Gregorian chant, sung Mass. I still think I carry some of those cadences in my composition when I compose.” He said the Church’s music and liturgy “fed this artistic soul”. Citing “Pascal’s wager”, he also said he would “probably seek out the sacraments” at the end of his life. The singer was in Rome for the premiere of a film for which he had composed a Dies Irae. The film, produced in collaboration with the Vatican Museums, was about the making of Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel frescoes. (see Arts Essay)
✣ Air conditioning is coming to the Vatican Museums. Barbara Jatta, the museums’ director, told Crux that her staff were working hard to expand “climate control” beyond the Sistine Chapel, starting off with the Borgia apartments and the Raphael rooms. She also said she was getting used to the scale of her responsibilities as head of the world’s fourth-most visited museum. “I’m less scared than I was 18 months ago … I’m sleeping at night.”
You are the shepherds of the Church. If you do not act, evil will go unchecked
A letter to US bishops from young Catholics
First Things
He’s driving a Skoda
Norah Casey, a papal visit fundraiser, on the Pope’s transport in Ireland
RTÉ Radio One
A flood of men and women of the Church wrote to me. Even priests and bishops
Matteo Salvini on his Catholic supporters
La Bussola Quotidiana
We plead with the [world] not to neglect Ukraine
Archbishop Shevchuk
Address to Knights of Columbus
300
Number of priests named in a grand jury report to be released in Pennsylvania this week
State’s attorney general
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