Following the Nov. 10 release of the Vatican’s 460-page report on former cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick, some of the speculation in the media has centered on the role of St. John Paul II in McCarrick’s rise through church ranks.
National News
Social Media Censorship Leads To the Rise of Free-Speech App
Disgruntled conservatives, claiming they were targeted while liberals could tweet freely, are flocking to “Parler” — that’s French for “talk.” This new platform claims to be an unbiased home for social networking that honors free speech. Conservative politicians, pundits, and other users tout it as a powerful alternative to longtime platforms such as Twitter and Facebook.
Pope Francis, U.S. Bishops Continue Working to Combat Sex Abuse
Pope Francis and U.S. bishops have worked hard to combat clergy sex abuse, according to officials who said the church has made a serious effort to put the victims first even if it means publicly exposing ugly facts about crimes.
New ‘Benchmarks’ Released to Help Seminaries Deal With Sexual Misconduct
When reports of then-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick’s sexual misconduct surfaced in 2018, John Cavadini got to work.
Chaplain to Death-Row Inmates Says Use of Death Penalty in U.S. Must End
A Catholic chaplain to Florida’s death-row inmates used a virtual forum to focus on his most significant lifetime pursuit — raising awareness about the wrongness of America’s use of the death penalty.
In Gathering for U.S. Bishops Like No Other, Annual Meeting Goes Online
U.S. Catholic bishops will gather Nov. 16 and 17 for their annual meeting, but this time in an online format because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Navy Dad, Back Home After 15 Months Away, Surprises Daughter at Catholic School
The father-daughter reunion at a Catholic school in suburban Chicago was weeks in the making. U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Konrad Otachel recently made a surprise visit to St. Thomas of Villanova Catholic School in Palatine to see his daughter, Naomi, a kindergartner.
Only in Print: Veterans Work to Save Memory of WWII Chaplain
Everyone’s reflections flashed across the face of a shiny, stone memorial on a speck of parkland called “Father Giorgio Triangle.” Etched into the memorial is the portrait of a young man — the park’s namesake.
Supreme Court Seems Ready to Let Affordable Care Act Stand
On Nov. 10, when the fate of the Affordable Care Act faced the Supreme Court for the third time since it was signed into law 10 years ago, the justices seemed willing to leave the bulk of the law intact even if they found one part of it to be unconstitutional.
Author-Vet from Queens Explores Catholic Faith in War Recovery
Author Phil Klay of Queens, an Iraq War veteran, explained that even in a so-called “just war,” the combatants cannot shrug off memories of violence they’ve inflicted. “So,” Klay added, “when you try to confront issues that our existence throws up at us, you have to rely on different tools. And that’s how I came back to religion.”