Hope for a Wounded Church

From Mars Hill to Harvest: Hope for a Wounded Church How Christians care for one another when their leaders fall. Kate Shellnutt

Last weekend was the first time Harvest Bible Chapel gathered for worship without James MacDonald as its senior pastor. Days after firing the church’s founder, the elders of the Chicago-area multisite congregation announced more changes. The executive committee—the top leaders on the elder ...

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How to Jump Back In to Bible Reading

How to Jump Back In to Bible Reading Christian leaders have their own reasons for not reading Scripture. Ted Olsen

It’s worth remembering that Augustine was “weeping, with agonizing anguish in [his] heart” over his inability to control himself before he read Romans 13:13–14. We tend to think that Scripture usually works the other direction. We read seeking instruction, wisdom, or intimacy and then read a challenging word like Paul’s that prompts contrition: “Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, ...

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Rapists presented by their church as men of God

Rapists presented by their church as men of God
The New York Times: Southern Baptist leaders ignored the wrongdoing. An all-male clergy is part of the problem, says Nicholas Kristof.

Opening summit, Pope urges 'concrete, effective measures' on abuse
Crux: Concrete, effective actions and courage, not merely "simple condemnations," is what Pope Francis said he's expecting from a Vatican summit on clerical abuse that opened this morning.
NPR: As Pope holds sex abuse summit, U.S. Catholics not hopeful for 'bold moves'

Ahead of St. Louis meeting, one United Methodist offers prayers along the way
Religion News Service: On a pilgrimage to UMC meeting, organizer for Reconciling Ministries stops in dozens of UMC churches to say a prayer and pin an envelope containing her prayer to the door of each congregation.

Why is this cross-shaped memorial constitutional?
The Atlantic: The Supreme Court seems poised to affirm that it can be displayed on public land -- but a great deal rides on its rationale.

Is there such a thing as the "Judeo-Christian tradition"?
Australian Broadcasting Corporation: The notion of a "Judeo-Christian tradition" is a modern invention, and one we would do well to abandon. After all, it conceals the Western history of anti-Judaism, even when seeming to extol the virtue of Jewish identity.

Augustus Tolton one step closer to being first black American saint

·      Ohio doctor under investigation after dozens of patient overdose deaths

A doctor at a Catholic health system in Ohio has been fired after being accused of prescribing excessive doses of drugs to at least 30 ailing patients, some near death and some not. The accusations have also prompted the suspension of 20 hospital staff and over a dozen lawsuits alleging wrongful death.

·      Nigerian Catholics brave persecution to remain steadfast in faith

·      Dutch cathedral may be sold because of poor attendance, maintenance costs

·      Augustus Tolton one step closer to being first black American saint

·      Victims from Africa, Asia at Vatican to call for 'zero tolerance' of abuse cover-up

·      Dubia cardinals ask bishops to confront ‘conspiracy of silence’

·      In private meeting, victims tell leaders of abuse summit: 'We want action'

·      Vatican spokesman shifts focus to summit follow-up before abuse meeting begins

·      Hoya no more: Georgetown rescinds McCarrick's honorary degree

·      Supreme Court rejects appeal to make Texas bishops release abortion communications

·      There are alternatives to abortion, says Archdiocese of New York

·      Only God loves perfectly, Pope Francis says

·      Daily Readings

·      Saint of the Day

Question for L.A.’s Bishop Barron

Question for L.A.’s Bishop Barron: Why bring up bishops' letter on racism to the Covington boys?

Court allows Catholic bishops to bury aborted babies: Supreme Court rules against Texas abortionist

Watch the ghost of McCarrick in Blaise Cupich: Pope Francis' pick for this week's summit

The Times, the Abuse Crisis, and the War Against Celibacy

The Times, the Abuse Crisis, and the War Against Celibacy

David G. Bonagura Jr.
 

The New York Times has spent this past week in a less than subtle attack on clerical celibacy, insinuating it as the cause of the current crisis in the Church. On the eve of the Vatican summit on The Protection of Minors in the Church, the Times, in a panic that homosexuality will be blamed […]

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The Times Pushes a Tired and Flawed Gay Priest Narrative

Adrian Reimers
 

In its recent Sunday edition, America’s newspaper of record ran a front-page article on the challenges facing gay Catholic priests titled “A Silent Crisis for Gay Priests.” It is the most recent specimen of the journalistic genre, suffering-gay-Catholic-priests-in-an-unwelcoming-church. The narrative is well-known by now: a Church that fails to welcome gay priests, a Church whose […]

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Christ in Our Midst with Pastor Carlos

Sunday, February 24, 2019 — Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

Christ in Our Midst

The impasse between the President and Congress concerning the wall is now exacerbated with the President’s national emergency declaration and some States now suing the President. Church leadership continues also to waddle in scandal. Although steps have been taken in corrective measures, such the laicization of the former Cardinal McCarrick, new scandals of abuse and cover-up in other parts of the world have surfaced, such as the abuse of religious sisters in India.

Speaking with one of my relatives about these topics, she sees them as signs pointing to the final tribulation and the “end times.” I imagine other people do too. I, myself, find such apocalyptic thinking difficult to accept because not even Jesus knew for sure when the end times would come about. Previous historical times like medieval plagues, or more recent times, like the Cold War seem to me that they were closer to wiping out the human race.

While news of abuse and cover-up are always painful and perplexing, the Spirit of the risen Christ has not abandoned us. I see very much God’s saving grace active in our parish: first and foremost in the Eucharist, but also in the students preparing for sacraments and the guidance from their parents and teachers, in the stories of conversion I hear from you, in the various parish groups with their various charisms, in how some of you share faith with one another, in the support of some of you who come to nearly all of our funerals to support mourning families; in the generosity of our volunteers and benefactors helping our parish and school; and in the good surprises I’m sure will continue to come.

While I’m not suggesting to choose a myopic view of reality, since we do have to face what is happening and work for truth and justice, let us not forget to also look for the tangible signs of grace around us.

God Bless, Fr. Carlos, OSA.

Two American wives of ISIS militants want to return home

As pope holds sex abuse summit, U.S. Catholics not hopeful for ‘bold moves’
NPR
Catholic churches in Colorado will allow former federal prosecutor to review allegations of sex abuse by priests
THE DENVER POST*
As Vatican meets on sex abuse, pope must defrock Guam’s Apuron, groups say
PACIFIC DAILY NEWS
The Washington Post sued by family of Covington Catholic teenager
THE WASHINGTON POST*
Supreme Court blocks Texas from executing mentally disabled man
NPR
Two American wives of ISIS militants want to return home
THE NEW YORK TIMES*
Megachurch announces executive committee will resign, more changes after founding pastor fired
RELIGION NEWS SERVICE
Albert Vorspan, 95, is dead; rallied Reform Judaism for social justice
THE NEW YORK TIMES*
 

International Headlines

Ending the silence on sex abuse: Vatican holds summit
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Abuse victims demand to see pope, say bishops should be sacked
REUTERS
Thousands protest against anti-Semitism in France
BBC NEWS
Murders of religious minorities in India go unpunished, report finds
THE NEW YORK TIMES*
British inquiry into church sexual abuse blasts UK’s papal nuncio
RELIGION NEWS SERVICE
‘Tarnished image’: Myanmar touts troubled Rakhine as investment destination
REUTERS
Teenager who travelled from London to Syria to join ISIS ‘a bit shocked’ that UK has revoked citizenship
THE GUARDIAN
Zimbabwe pastor who helped oust Mugabe returns to protesting — and jail
RELIGION NEWS SERVICE
 

Analysis & Commentary

The disappeared children of Israel
THE NEW YORK TIMES*
A plan to counter anti-Jewish prejudice
THE ECONOMIST*
The Catholic Church is breaking people’s hearts
THE NEW YORK TIMES*
The lessons Southern Baptists need to learn
THE ATLANTIC
The creeping liberalism in American Islam
THE NEW YORK TIMES*
 

* Some websites may require a paid subscription

Notre Dame rescinds McCarrick's honorary degree

·      Why the USCCB is speaking out against payday loan rule rollbacks

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on Feb. 14 officially proposed to rescind a rule to protect borrowers from predatory lending, prompting concern from Christian groups nationwide that the CFPB may weaken existing protections against loan sharks.

·      Colorado’s Catholic bishops will open abuse records for review

·      Chilean whistleblower to meet with bishops, victims ahead of abuse summit

·      Notre Dame rescinds McCarrick's honorary degree

·      Philadelphia archdiocese has authorized $8.4 million to abuse victims

·      Cologne's cardinal warns against inventing 'a new Church'

·      Supreme Court overturns death penalty for man with intellectual disability

·      Assisted suicide threatens the entire medical profession, Maryland doctor warns

·      Religious superiors voice shame over child abuse failings

·      Bishops ask Supreme Court to hear case on racism in death sentencing

·      Daily Readings

·      Saint of the Day