Although the exact purpose of the inquiry remains unclear, the Texas diocese led by perhaps the most publicly outspoken U.S. bishop in his criticism of Pope Francis is now the subject of a Vatican investigation.
Author: John Lavenburg
Bishop Brennan Unveils New Regional Governance, Says Restructuring Deaneries Sets Diocese Up for the Future
Bishop Robert Brennan has made changes to how the diocese is currently set up with two distinctive boroughs — Brooklyn and Queens — each with an episcopal vicar.
As Hurricane Season Nears, Florida Diocese Struggles With Insurance Rate Spikes
A few months out from the Atlantic’s peak hurricane season, Bishop William Wack of Pensacola-Tallahassee, Florida, is calling attention to the precarious situation the diocese is in because of massive insurance rate increases.
Pope Francis Offers Blessing for U.S. Bishops’ Eucharist Initiative
A year ahead of the National Eucharistic Congress that is part of the U.S. bishops’ three-year eucharistic revival initiative, the efforts have received a blessing from Pope Francis.
U.S. Bishops’ New Leader Blasts LA Dodgers for ‘Disrespect for the Truth and Traditions’
Encouraging Catholics to be “slaves to the truth,” Archbishop Timothy Broglio delivered his first address as the new leader of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops on Thursday, touching on immigration reform, support for Haiti and Ukraine, and what he called the “disrespect for the truth and traditions” of the faith by a group the Los Angeles Dodgers will honor Friday night.
Catholic Family, School Sue Maine Over Exclusion From Tuition Assistance Program
A Catholic family and a Catholic high school in Maine have sued the state, alleging that it continues to exclude faith-based schools from a tuition assistance program even after the Supreme Court ruled last year that it couldn’t do so.
Franciscan Priests Return to Walter Reed Medical Center
A few months after a contract issue ended the services of a community of Franciscan priests at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, has announced the issue has been resolved, and the priests have returned to their ministry.
U.S. Bishops Ponder Plan to Combat Declines in Hispanic Catholicism
A few months after a Pew Research Center study showed that the number of U.S. Hispanics who identify as Catholic has drastically dropped over the past decade, the nation’s bishops will vote on a plan to overhaul the U.S. Church’s approach to Hispanic ministry.
U.S. Bishops Urge Greater Online Protection for Children
Multiple leaders among the U.S. Catholic bishops came together earlier this week to encourage lawmakers to explore online protections for children, and now the bishops are encouraging Catholics nationwide to do the same.
Survey Finds Number of Deacons at Lowest Level Since 2011
A new survey from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and Georgetown University shows that the number of permanent deacons in active ministry in the U.S. last year is the lowest since 2011, which “is [a trend] in keeping with the slow decline of the diaconate over the past several years.”