Tag Archives: Catholic Church

At the International Criminal Court in The Hague, representatives of victims of child abuse today filed a formal accusation against Pope Benedict and other top Catholic officials, charging them with crimes against humanity for enabling pedophile priests. The submission, lodged at The Hague on Tuesday, accuses the four men not only of failing to prevent or punish perpetrators of rape …

According to a leaked diplomatic cable, the Vatican came out against Uganda’s still-pending “kill the gays” bill after lobbying efforts by the American embassy. Via Box Turtle Bulletin: Embassy Vatican has actively lobbied Holy See officials to take a stand against pending legislation in Uganda that would criminalize homosexuality and in extreme cases, even punish it with death (reftel). On …

“In a proposed consultation regarding the redefinition of civil partnerships, we are talking not of human rights or of civil liberties, nor of legal or fiscal equalities, but of redefining a particular relationship to give it a meaning it doesn’t possess. We would use a word which carries huge significance, and render it meaningless in respect of one of its …

Speaking to an estimated crowd of 1.5 million, yesterday Emperor Palpatine told pilgrims at Spain’s World Youth Day that marriage could only exist between a man and woman. “The Lord calls many people to marriage, in which a man and a woman, in becoming one flesh, find fulfilment in a profound life of communion,” he told the young pilgrims. “For …

Thousands of protesters (including an apparently large LGBT contingent) clashed on the streets of Madrid with Catholic pilgrims celebrating the Pope’s arrival for World Youth Day. Ill Papa will conduct a mass before an estimated two million people tomorrow.

Temporary public confessionals have been erected in Madrid in anticipation of a papal visit. Who else can totally see this installation being repurposed come nightfall? (Tipped by JMG reader David)

The Catholic Diocese of Trenton, New Jersey has agreed to pay a $1M settlement to five men who were molested by the same priest while they were altar boys. The settlements, announced today, bring to $1.3 million the amount the diocese has paid to alleged abuse victims of the Rev. Ronald Becker. Becker was removed from the ministry in 2002. …

It may be hard to believe, but sex education is currently not available to all public high school students in New York City. Each school is allowed to decide whether to offer the courses and only about half do. Bloomberg wants to change that, much to the outrage of busybodies from the Catholic Church. In the first serious challenge to …

Even though 26 suicides have been attributed to the actions of pedophile priests such as Father Robert Best (above), local Catholic officials in Australia say that no inquiry is needed into the deaths. All of the suicides occurred at schools where Best taught. He has pleaded guilty to dozens of counts of child molestation. Bishop Connors on Tuesday said not …

An official with the Catholic Church has been busted for possessing and producing child porn. Ho hum, you say? How about if he was in charge of stopping people exactly like himself? A child protection official for the Catholic Church has been caught with 4,000 pictures of child porn. Father-of-four Christopher Jarvis was arrested after uploading pictures of children being …

The Archbishop of Baltimore, Edwin O’Brien, has a message for Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, who earlier this week vowed to support the renewed push for marriage equality. “Maryland is not New York,” wrote Archbishop Edwin O’Brien of Baltimore in a statement to LifeSiteNews Tuesday. “During the 2011 session, Maryland lawmakers chose not to redefine marriage because they listened to their …

Embattled Philadelphia Archbishop Justin Rigali resigned today after years of growing scandal over his alleged shielding of pedophile priests. Rigali, archbishop in Philadelphia since 2003, has been struggling to contain the pedophilia scandal in the wake of a Philadelphia grand jury report issued at the beginning of this year. Three priests, a monsignor and a church teacher were indicted as …

Toledo Bishop Leonard Blair has banned his parishes and schools from participating in any fundraising for breast cancer research. Because one day, maybe, some of that money might be used for stem cell research. Toledo Bishop Leonard Blair sent a letter banning the fundraising for Susan G. Komen for the Cure to all priests and parishes in the 19-county diocese …

Catholics For The Common Good Claims that this bill is needed to reduce bullying against children that are experiencing gender confusion or take on ‘gay’ or ‘lesbian’ identities are absurd. Children must be taught respect for all persons because of their intrinsic value, not because they agree with their behavior or like their characteristics. In fact, reducing people to merely …

NOM has announced that it will hold anti-gay hate rallies around New York state on Sunday, July 24th – the first day of legalized same-sex marriage. Will they dare appear at Manhattan’s city clerk office?

Brooklyn Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio is telling the Catholic schools and churches in his diocese to ban all visits from pro-gay state legislators. DiMarzio, the leader of the Brooklyn diocese, has urged the Catholic institutions to decline donations and speaking engagements from Gov. Andrew Cuomo and any lawmaker who voted “yes” on the bill legalizing same-sex marriages. Calling New York’s passage …

New York state Assemblyman Joe Lentol voted in favor of same-sex marriage. Which means a Brooklyn Catholic school has to send back his $50 donation. Officials at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church in Williamsburg sent back a $50 gift from Assemblyman Joe Lentol (D-Brooklyn) – following Brooklyn Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio’s edict to refuse any honors from pols who backed …

“We do worry indeed about this freedom of religion. Editorials already call for the removal of guarantees of religious liberty, with crusaders calling for people of faith to be coerced to acceptance of this redefinition. If the experience of those few other states and countries where this is already law is any indication, the churches, and believers, will soon be …

Unsurprisingly, Catholic Bishops are ever so pissed about Rhode Island’s civil unions bill. “In no way can civil union measures be considered a permissible compromise or a step in advancing the common good, said Bishop Salvatore J. Cordileone, Chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Subcommittee for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage, in a July 1 statment. “Instead, they directly violate …