Religion

The CBC reports: The name of a prominent Vatican cardinal, who is regarded as a potential successor to Pope Francis, appears on a list made public as part of a new class action against the Quebec diocese, Radio-Canada’s investigative program Enquête has found. Cardinal Marc Ouellet, who was the archbishop of Quebec when the Truth and Reconciliation Commission was taking …

The Christian Post reports: One of Canada’s largest megachurches says it has substantiated sexual abuse allegations against former pastor Bruxy Cavey, including one involving a minor. Cavey, who was arrested and charged with sexual assault in June, was the former pastor of The Meeting House, which has multiple campuses across the Toronto area. Ontario police arrested the 57-year-old on May …

Jack Jenkins reports at Religion News Service: Religion News Service reached out to more than 50 House and Senate Republicans seeking their response, questioning whether they support calls to make the RNC the party of Christian nationalism. Two Republicans responded: Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma and Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina. “I took an oath to defend the US …

ABC News reports: A suspect has been charged with attempted murder in the attack on author Salman Rushdie at a speaking event in New York state. The alleged attacker is Hadi Matar, 24, of Fairview, New Jersey, a law enforcement official told ABC News. He was arrested at the scene and is currently in New York State Police custody. Matar …

The Appleton Post-Crescent reports: A 48-year-old pastor has been convicted of four counts of possession of child pornography and one count of meth possession. Rick E. Haberland, former pastor of Oneida United Methodist Church, pleaded no contest to all five charges Friday morning during a plea hearing in Outagamie County Circuit Court. Haberland also formerly served as a pastor at …

The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports: Two professional dominatrices accused of a sexual tryst with a priest on the altar of Pearl River Catholic church in 2020 have each pleaded guilty to a single misdemeanor charge of institutional vandalism and won’t serve jail time, according to court records. But Melissa Cheng and Mindy Dixon will have to come back to 22nd …

The Associated Press reports: Albuquerque police say they have detained the “primary suspect” in the killings of four Muslim men in New Mexico’s largest city. Police Chief Harold Medina on Tuesday announced the update on Twitter. The killings have sent ripples of fear through Islamic communities in New Mexico and beyond and fueled a race to find who was responsible. …

Jefferson City’s CBS affiliate reports: A Hermann pastor has been charged, accused of sexually abusing a child. Prosecutors in Camden County charged John Hampton, 32, with Statutory Sodomy with a Person under 12, 2nd Degree Statutory Sodomy, 4th Degree Child Molestation, and Misdemeanor Sexual Abuse 2nd Degree. Probable cause documents state the abuse happened at a lake house in Roach, …

Wilmington’s ABC affiliate reports: At least two victims have come forward regarding allegations of sexual misconduct involving a former youth pastor at Wrightsboro Baptist Church in New Hanover County. The New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office arrested Alan Croom, 35, for indecent liberties with a minor. The arrest took place at Wilmington International Airport, as Croom was traveling back to Wilmington …

The Christian Post reports: Prominent Southern Baptist theologians have published a statement clarifying the meaning of the word “pastor” amid controversy within the United States’ largest Protestant denomination stemming from Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church ordaining female pastors last year. The theologians said that when it comes to the word “pastor,” Southern Baptists have always understood the term. Article VI of …

The St. Paul Pioneer Press reports: A sting operation this week in St. Paul and Stillwater led to the arrest of six people who now face felony charges in connection with attempting to solicit minors for sex or trafficking. Undercover agents posed as minors or sex buyers on social media and made arrangements to meet the adults. When the adults …

The Guardian reports: Pope Francis has said that he can no longer travel like he used to because of his strained knee ligaments, saying his week-long Canadian pilgrimage was “a bit of a test” that showed he needed to slow down and one day possibly retire. Speaking to reporters while traveling home from northern Nunavut, Francis, 85, stressed that he …

The Fresno Bee reports: A Fresno County minster was arrested Thursday for alleged sex crimes, deputies said. Arrested was 64-year-old Bernardino Villalobos of Del Rey who is a registered sex offender and previously served time in prison for convictions of rape and sodomy. Detectives received information that Villalobos allegedly abused a child in 2017. Villalobos was booked into the Fresno …

Los Angeles’s Fox affiliate reports: An alleged fight between family members in Harbor City ends with an off-duty Los Angeles County deputy getting shot and a pastor in handcuffs. FOX 11 has learned Tuesday that the suspected gunman was Gordon Mueller, a pastor at Believers’ Victory International Church in Carson. Mueller is being charged with the attempted murder of the …

The Washington Post reports: A month has passed since the Supreme Court ruled in favor of a Washington state football coach who knelt at midfield to pray and was joined by student-athletes. The court wrote, in a 6-3 decision, that Bremerton High School assistant coach Joseph Kennedy’s prayers were protected by the Constitution’s guarantees of free speech and religious exercise, …

The New York Daily News reports: Three thieves were caught on tape barging into a Brooklyn church on Sunday where controversial bishop Lamor Whitehead — an ally to Mayor Adams — was preaching and snatched $400,000 worth of jewelry off of him and his wife. Whitehead, the Rolls-Royce-driving bishop, was preaching at Leaders of Tomorrow International Ministry on Remsen Ave. …

The Associated Press reports: Pope Francis began a fraught visit to Canada on Sunday to apologize to Indigenous peoples for abuses by missionaries at residential schools, a key step in the Catholic Church’s efforts to reconcile with Native communities and help them heal from generations of trauma. Francis flew from Rome to Edmonton, Alberta, where his welcoming party included Canadian …

The Christian Post reports: A Canadian court has approved the sale of 43 Catholic Church properties as part of a financial settlement with victims of sex abuse, with more sales expected to come later. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. John’s, based in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, will sell the properties, including 13 church properties, after the …

The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports: A former youth program minister at First Baptist Church in Covington pleaded guilty in 22nd Judicial District Court on Monday to felony second-degree battery and a misdemeanor count of sexual battery, both stemming from the abuse of a girl who belonged to the church youth group in the early 2000s. Darrell Jay English, 50, could …

Providence’s CBS affiliate reports: A former Providence priest already facing federal child pornography charges has been arrested again and is being returned to Rhode Island for violating the conditions of his release. The Rev. James Jackson was arrested in Kansas on Friday, according to a court filing. Danielle Thomas, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s office in Kansas, said in …