bishop

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Bishops Take Drug Cartel Matters Into Their Own Hands

Catholic clergy is trying to negotiate for peace, says Mexican government isn't doing its job

(Newser) - Four Roman Catholic bishops met with Mexican drug cartel bosses in a bid to negotiate a possible peace accord, and President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said Thursday he approves of such talks. The revelation by the bishop of Chilpancingo-Chilapa, Jose de Jesus Gonzalez Hernandez, illustrates the extent to which the...

After Pope's Public Comments, Nicaragua Frees Jailed Bishop

Along with 18 other clergy members

(Newser) - Nicaragua's government released a prominent Catholic bishop and 18 other clergy members imprisoned in a crackdown by President Daniel Ortega and handed them over to Vatican authorities, who welcomed them in Rome on Sunday. Bishop Rolando Alvarez—described by the New York Times as "one of the most...

Pope Approves 'Significant Crack in Stained-Glass Ceiling'

Women will have the right to vote at an upcoming meeting of bishops

(Newser) - Pope Francis has decided to give women the right to vote at an upcoming meeting of bishops, and the AP reports that's a historic reform that reflects his hopes to give women greater decision-making responsibilities and laypeople more say in the life of the Catholic Church. Francis approved changes...

Arrest Made in Killing of Los Angeles Bishop
Husband of LA Bishop's
Housekeeper Arrested
UPDATED

Husband of LA Bishop's Housekeeper Arrested

Suspect is accused of killing Bishop David O'Connell

(Newser) - Police in Los Angeles have identified the suspect arrested in the murder of Bishop David O'Connell: It's 65-year-old Carlos Medina, husband of the bishop's housekeeper, reports the Los Angeles Times . A tipster reportedly told police that Medina had been behaving oddly after the killing and spoke of...

'Bling Bishop' Is Facing Serious Federal Charges

Lamor Whitehead is accused of swindling a parishioner and other fraud charges

(Newser) - Over the summer, a Brooklyn bishop made unwanted headlines because he was robbed during a live-streamed service of an estimated $1 million in jewelry. Now Lamor Whitehead is making more unwanted headlines—federal prosecutors charged him with multiple offenses, including swindling a parishioner and extorting a local businessman. Whitehead, known...

Bishop Ostracizes School Flying BLM, Pride Flags

Jesuit school in Massachusetts says displays merely indicate everyone is welcome

(Newser) - A Roman Catholic bishop in Massachusetts has told a school that displays Black Lives Matter and LGBTQ flags that it can no longer consider itself Catholic. Nor can school grounds host Mass or the sacraments, according to the decree issued Thursday by Bishop Robert McManus of the Diocese of Worcester,...

Top US Catholic Official Quits After Grindr Data Exposed

Monsignor Jeffrey Burrill's resignation over use of gay hookup app has split Catholics

(Newser) - Monsignor Jeffrey Burrill, a top official at the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, stepped down this week over alleged misconduct—but the manner of his downfall has split Catholics. Burrill resigned after the Pillar , a Catholic news site, reported that app data showed Burrill had "visited gay bars and...

Bishops Just Gave Catholics a Big Lenten Dispensation

Some dioceses are letting followers eat meat on Fridays (but not Good Friday) due to coronavirus

(Newser) - Catholics who don't eat meat on Fridays during Lent, as well as give up other things during the 40 or so days of the religious observance before Easter, probably didn't anticipate this year also sacrificing hanging out with friends, heading out to restaurants and bars, and attending most...

Buffalo's Bishop Steps Down Amid Scandal

Richard Malone was under fire for handling of sex abuse complaints

(Newser) - The bishop of the Roman Catholic diocese of Buffalo has resigned following widespread criticism over how he handled allegations of clergy sexual misconduct, reports the AP . Pope Francis on Wednesday accepted Bishop Richard Malone's resignation and named the bishop of Albany, New York, Edward Scharfenberger, to run the Buffalo...

Entire City to Undergo Exorcism via Helicopter

Move comes after girl's murder in Buenaventura, Colombia

(Newser) - A Colombian port city plagued by violent crime is about to get an exorcism. The bishop of Buenaventura, Monsignor Rubén Darío Jaramillo Montoya, will hop in a helicopter Sunday in order to sprinkle holy water over the streets while reciting a prayer meant to expel demonic spirits. In...

Bishop Tells Catholics to Avoid 'Pride Month' Events

Thomas Tobin faces backlash after tweet

(Newser) - Rhode Island's Roman Catholic bishop on Sunday defended a tweet urging Catholics to not support or attend LGBTQ Pride Month events, saying it was his obligation to teach the faith "clearly and compassionately, even on very difficult and sensitive issues." Diocese of Providence Bishop Thomas Tobin sparked...

Vatican Has New Law on Sex Abuse Complaints

For first time, a system is in place to investigate bishops, other higher-ups

(Newser) - Pope Francis issued new rules Thursday on how the church should handle sexual abuse allegations. Some key points of the decree, called "You Are the Light of the World," which takes effect June 1:
  • A first: For the first time, priests and nuns are required to report abuse
...

Pope's Shocker on Nuns: 'Sexual Slavery,' Forced Abortions

'Do we have to do more? Yes. Are we willing? Yes.'

(Newser) - A shocking first emerged from the pope on Tuesday: admission of more sexual abuse within the Catholic Church, this time of nuns at the hands of male clergy. The New York Times notes it's the first time the pontiff has publicly recognized the church's very own #MeToo issue,...

Vatican, China Make Breakthrough Deal

They make a 'provisional agreement' over disputed bishops

(Newser) - The Vatican and China said Saturday they had signed a "provisional agreement" over the appointment of bishops, a breakthrough on an issue that stymied diplomatic relations for decades and aggravated a split among Chinese Catholics, the AP reports. The deal resolved one of the major sticking points in recent...

Bishop Who Enchanted Royal Wedding Has Cancer

Michael Curry says 'do say a prayer,' will have surgery Tuesday

(Newser) - Bishop Michael Curry, whose distinctly American sermon on the power of love stole the Prince Harry-Meghan Markle show , has prostate cancer, reports WJZ-TV . The Baltimore Episcopalian was diagnosed a few months ago at an annual physical, meaning he likely knew his prognosis at the time of the royal wedding. He'...

Vote by US Bishops Seen as Call to Resist Pope Francis

Conference picks conservative archbishop, rejecting Francis ally

(Newser) - In a move seen as pushback against Pope Francis' agenda for the church, US Catholic bishops broke with tradition and elected a conservative archbishop to lead a top committee. The US Conference of Catholic Bishops voted 96 to 82 Tuesday to name Kansas City Archbishop Joseph Naumann chief of anti-abortion...

Church Admits 'Inexcusable' Coverup of Bishop's Abuse

Archbishop of Canterbury apologizes to victims

(Newser) - The Church of England "colluded" with and helped to hide the long-term sexual abuse of young men by one of its former bishops, the head of the church said Thursday, per the AP . Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby apologized to the victims who had spoken out and helped to...

Russian Bishop Accepts $106K SUV, Uses Jesus to Defend It

'Jesus Christ Himself wore expensive clothes gifted to him'

(Newser) - A Russian Orthodox bishop is tooling around in a new Land Cruiser he was given, and he's got kind of a unique defense against critics who say he shouldn't have accepted the $106,000 gift: Per a rep from Bishop Nektary's archdiocese in Oryol: "Jesus Christ...

Under Remarkable 17th-Century Corpse: a Secret Body

Fetus was tucked at Peder Winstrup's feet after death in 1679

(Newser) - Peder Winstrup is remarkably well-preserved for a man who died in 1679, and while researchers expected the mummified corpse of the former bishop of Lund would yield fascinating information on the 17th century, they didn't expect a CT scan to reveal another body. But when his coffin was removed...

Pope Creates New Court for Abuse Cover-Up Bishops

It will punish those who 'failed to protect their flock'

(Newser) - Pope Francis has taken the biggest step yet to crack down on bishops who cover up for priests who rape and molest children, creating a new tribunal inside the Vatican to hear cases of bishops accused of failing to protect their flock. The initiative has significant legal and theological implications,...

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