The Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith released a 17-page document offering a step-by-step guide for how bishops, religious superiors and canon lawyers are supposed to handle accusations of alleged abuse by clerics against minors.
Catholic Church
Authorities Investigate Attacks on Catholic Churches, Statues
The vandalizing of a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary outside Cathedral Prep School and Seminary was just one of several shocking and disturbing attacks on Catholic institutions in the U.S. in recent days.
Vatican Says Don’t Deny Disabled People the Sacraments
In a set of updated guidelines for catechesis released June 25, the Vatican weighed in on what has long been a debate among theologians, insisting that the Church’s sacraments are a gift, and as such, they cannot be denied to disabled people.
First Chance to Receive Eucharist at Mass in Months Leaves Some in Tears
A parish priest in Bangor, Maine, said he saw many Massgoers “in tears” as they took holy Communion for the first time in close to three months at a publicly celebrated Mass June 7, Trinity Sunday, at St. Paul the Apostle Church.
Young People Will Need to Help Get Churches Ready for Mass, Irish Archbishop Says
Ireland’s top prelate is calling on “the younger members of our parishes” to help manage the transition back to full parish life and celebration of the sacraments as the island eases out of the restrictions imposed due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
Missionary Says Navajo Can’t Be Forgotten After COVID-19 Pandemic
COVID-19 infection rates in the Navajo Nation surpassed that of New York last month, giving it the unwanted distinction of having the highest per capita infections of any place in the country and placing a strain on already over-taxed Catholic ministries in the region.
As Latin America Becomes Center of Pandemic, Churches Confront Hunger
Diego Ramirez, a single father in a rural village in southern Guatemala, worked in a restaurant and kept a chicken farm, selling the birds in a market to support his three daughters.
Catholic Doctors Say Churches Essential, Offer ‘Road Map’ to Safely Reopen
A blue-ribbon panel of Catholic doctors from some of the nation’s top research hospitals and universities said churches should be able to reopen “as safely as other essential services,” after being shut down for more than two months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
St. John Paul II Shrine’s Events Mark Pope’s 100th Birthday
St. Pope John Paul II, the longest reigning pope in modern history, was born May 18, 1920, and the national shrine in Washington dedicated to the pontiff will celebrate the centennial of his birth with a series of virtual events May 16-22.
Analysis: Italy’s Church Going Back to Business, But Not Business as Usual
As if Italy hasn’t been through enough since a sweeping national lockdown was imposed March 8, and with more than 30,000 Italians dead from the coronavirus, Romans awoke around 5:00 a.m. May 11 to an earthquake. A loud boom sent people into the streets in their pajamas under an early morning rain, temporarily forgetting their masks and gloves.
