A blockbuster article published by Commonweal magazine this week has taken a critical look at the Pennsylvania grand jury report on clerical abuse released last summer, and claims it is “grossly misleading, irresponsible, inaccurate, and unjust.”
National News
Cardinal Wuerl Knew of Allegations Against McCarrick, Despite Earlier Denials
Despite persistent denials that he was unaware of allegations against former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, both the Archdiocese of Washington and the Diocese of Pittsburgh have confirmed that Cardinal Donald Wuerl was aware of sexual misconduct allegations related to McCarrick and that he took steps to inform the Vatican of them.
Pro-Immigrant Nun Praised by Pope to Meet Trump At the Border
When President Donald Trump visits the southern U.S. border today as a part of his push for a security wall between Mexico and the U.S., he will meet with Sister Norma Pimentel, one of the nation’s most active Catholic leaders along the border.
Trump Signs Law to Pump $430 Million Into Anti-Human Trafficking Efforts
Nationwide efforts to confront human trafficking received a boost in the new year as President Donald Trump signed a bill reauthorizing federal expenditures for prevention and assistance programs across the federal government.
Leading Religion Reporter Calls Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report ‘Inaccurate and Unjust’
Veteran religion reporter Peter Steinfels has published an in-depth article questioning both the motivation and the methodology of the August Pennsylvania grand jury report, which chronicled seven decades of abuse within the state’s six Catholic dioceses and led to the resignation of one of the nation’s top Catholic cardinals.
Catholic Groups And Others Rail Against Trump Border ‘Crisis’ Speech
No sooner had President Donald Trump finished his Jan. 8 nine-minute speech, his first such event televised in prime time from the Oval Office, about what he called a “crisis” at the border, than Catholic groups and others began tearing apart his arguments.
Young Adults Renew Their Faith at SEEK2019
Tears filled Missy Brassie’s eyes as she talked about the most emotional part of the five-day SEEK2019 conference involving more than 17,000 young adult Catholics from around the world.
Budget Bill Repeals ‘Mexico City Policy’ on Abortion
The budget bill passed by the House of Representatives to try to end the partial government shutdown includes a provision to repeal the “Mexico City Policy” that prohibits U.S. funding of foreign nongovernmental organizations that perform or promote abortion.
Gov. Cuomo Vows to Pass Abortion Rights Bill
Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Jan.7 that he would push to expand abortion rights in New York State as a central part of his political agenda for 2019.
Opus Dei Paid Settlement After Celebrity Priest Accused of Groping Woman
Opus Dei, an influential Catholic organization, paid nearly a million dollars to settle a case against a woman accusing one of its most prominent priests of sexual misconduct in 2005.