After the Washington state House of Representatives failed to pass an amendment to a bill that would require clergy to violate the seal of confession, Bishop Thomas Daly of Spokane reminded legislators that throughout history “all” such attempts by “kings, queens, dictators, potentates, and legislators” have failed, and that even if it passed, clergy wouldn’t capitulate.
Author: John Lavenburg
CRS Calls For International Aid To Be Increased to $73 Billion
In recent testimony, the head of Catholic Relief Services requested that Congress increase international humanitarian aid in the Fiscal Year 2024 budget to almost $73 billion, as climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic have diminished economic opportunities and caused greater poverty and food insecurity across the world’s poorest nations.
FBI Targeting Catholics Similar to NY’s Post-9/11 Surveillance of Muslims
While it remains unclear if, or how much, the FBI followed through on an internal proposal to investigate traditionalist Catholics’ association with extremists, the proposal itself somewhat mirrors tactics the New York Police Department used to investigate Muslim communities after 9/11.
Ex-Cardinal McCarrick Charged With Sexual Assault in Wisconsin
While the verdict of assault and battery charges against ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick remains in limbo in a Massachusetts court, another criminal charge of sexual assault has been levied against the disgraced cleric, this time in Wisconsin.
Cardinal Remembers 10th Anniversary of Boston Marathon Bombing
Ahead of the 10th anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombing, Cardinal Seán O’Malley remembered each life lost as a “unique expression of love, concern for others, and courage” and reminded Boston Catholics that despite the violence of that day, they can find faith and trust in the Lord.
Study Reveals Fewer Hispanics in U.S. Identifying as Catholic
While a new study found that Catholicism remains the dominant religion among Latinos in the United States, the trends associated with the data show a population distancing itself from the faith and becoming more and more religiously unaffiliated.
Walter Reed Medical Center: We’ll Still Provide Catholic Services
In response to accusations from the Archdiocese of the Military Services that it has committed a “glaring violation” of hospitalized Catholics’ rights by terminating its contract with a community of Franciscan priests, Walter Reed National Medical Center maintained that Catholic services will still be provided.
Walter Reed Medical Center Terminates Contract with Catholic Ministry; Hires Secular Firm
The Archdiocese for the Military Services has accused Walter Reed National Medical Center of committing a “glaring violation” of hospitalized Catholics’ rights after the medical center terminated its contract with a community of Franciscan priests, and ordered them to stop their hospital ministry ahead of Holy Week.
Six Suspects to be Charged in Deadly Mexico Migrant Center Blaze
After a federal investigation, a Mexican court issued arrest warrants for six people on March 30 for their connection to a fire that killed at least 40 migrants at an immigration detention center in the border city Ciudad Juárez.
East Palestine Toxic Rail Disaster Stirs Up Flint Water Crisis Memories
Katie Baxter remembers when, back in 2014, the water source in Flint, Michigan, was switched from Lake Huron to the Flint River and how, over time, residents began seeing discoloration in the water, feeling itching in their hair, and breaking out in rashes.
