El Arzobispado de Barcelona admite abusos y encubrimiento en la ‘red de pederastia’ de la parroquia de San Félix Africano

(Jesús Bastante. Religión Digital).

¿Hubo una ‘red de pederastia’ en la parroquia de San Félix Africano? Tres días depués de que El País publicara que un cura abusó de varios monaguillos de la parroquia en los años setenta, en un caso conocido, aunque no denunciado, por el vicario parroquial de aquellos años, el Arzobispado de Barcelona ha emitido un comunicado en el que admite la existencia de dichos abusos, así como del “encubrimiento”, y las medidas adoptadas en los últimos meses.

Así, la diócesis admite los abusos de mosén Josep Marimé, párroco de San Félix Africano en los 70, y fallecido en 2010, denunciados por Aurelio Álvarez, a quien reconoce como “víctima de abusos sexuales” y sufraga “el coste íntegro del tratamiento” psicológico.

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Sri Lanka bishops deny support for extending attorney general’s mandate

(Crux.  Nirmala Carvalho).

MUMBAI, India – Sri Lanka’s reported plans to extend the mandate of its attorney general was not made after a dialogue with the South Asian country’s Catholic Church, according to the nation’s bishops’ conference.

Local newspapers said President Ranil Wickremesinghe was extending the tenure of Attorney General Sanjay Rajaratnam for six months, saying he was “pivotal” in working with the bishops about the investigation of the 2019 Sri Lanka Easter bombings. The attack on three churches and several other buildings killed at least 269 people and was contributed to the ISIS Islamist terrorist group. Local newspapers reported the president told politicians that the report of the Presidential Commission appointed after the Easter Sunday attacks was presented to the President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Sri Lanka, Bishop of Kurunegala Harold Anthony Perera and appointed President’s Secretary Saman Ekanayake, Chief of Staff Sagala Ratnayaka and Attorney General Sanjay Rajaratnam to discuss it. The attorney general is a member of this Committee. According to the newspapers, the president said that he had decided to extend his service until the end of the discussions as he is continuously holding discussions with the members of the Bishops’ Conference.

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Al G7 Papa Francesco “farà un accenno all’applicazione dell’intelligenza artificiale sulle armi”. E parlerà con Biden e gli altri leader. Parolin: la Cei ha diritto di criticare le Riforme

(FarodiRoma. S.C.).

Al G7 del 14 giugno in Puglia, Papa Francesco “farà un accenno all’applicazione dell’intelligenza artificiale sulle armi”. Lo ha anticipato il cardinale segretario di Stato, Pietro Parolin, a margine della presentazione del libro “Il senso cristiano dell’uomo secondo Reinhold Niebuhr”, tesi di dottorato di don Luigi Giussani, presso la Pontificia Università Gregoriana. Quello che il Papa dirà ai leader saràcertamente in linea con la sua posizione contro la fabbricazione e distribuzione di armi sempre più micidiali: Francesco considera terribile “guadagnare con la morte”, ma “purtroppo oggi gli investimenti che danno più reddito sono le fabbriche delle armi”, come ha ripetuto spesso prendedndo posizione contro l’industria delle armi, che genera guadagni costruendo strumenti di morte. Parolin ha anche confermato che a margine del G7 il Papa potrà avere un incontro faccia a faccia con il presidente statunitense Joe Biden. “Penso di sì, che il Papa dedicherà del tempo ad alcuni incontri bilaterali con presidenti e capi di Stato che glielo hanno chiesto. Quindi immagino che ci sarà anche questo”, ha detto.

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IL PAPA: «CHE GLI AIUTI UMANITARI ARRIVINO A GAZA»

(Annachiara Valle. Familiglia Cristiana).

Preoccupato per la situazione umanitaria a Gaza, che precipita di giorno in giorno. Papa Francesco ringrazia al Giordania e i Paesi che lunedì dieci si troveranno per occuparsi proprio di questo. E, dice il Pontefice, «mentre ringrazio per questa importante iniziativa incoraggio la comunità internazionale ad agire urgentemente per soccorrere la popolazione di Gaza stremata dalla guerra» e spinge perché arrivino «gli aiuti umanitari. Devono arrivare e nessuno lo può impedire». Ricordando i dieci anni dalla preghiera per la pace con «il compianto Simon Peres» e con Abu Mazen, sottolinea che «quell’incontro testimonia che stringersi la mano è possibile e che per fare la pace ci vuole molto più coraggio che per fare la guerra» e incoraggia perché «le proposte di pace per il cessate il fuoco e per la liberazione degli ostaggi siano accettate». Non dimentica neppure la martoriata popolazione ucraina, salutando quanti in piazza san Pietro hanno portato le bandiere gialle e azzurre, il Myanmar e gli altri Paesi in guerra. «È un desiderio, questo della pace, perciò incoraggio tutti gli sforzi perché la pace possa costruirsi quanto prima», dichiara.

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A p. D’Ambra la massima onorificenza della Chiesa filippina

(Asia News. Santosh Digal).

Missionario del PIme da quarant’anni promuove il dialogo interreligioso e la pace tra cristiani e musulmani a Mindanao. Durante la prossima sessione della Conferenza episcopale a luglio riceverà il premio intitolato al mons. Jorge Barlin, il primo vescovo filippino. La Conferenza Episcopale delle Filippine (CBCP) ha annunciato che conferirà un premio a p. Sebastiano D’Ambra, missionario del Pime, per i suoi sforzi nel promuovere la pace e il dialogo tra cristiani e musulmani a Mindanao, nel sud delle Filippine.

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Francis Appoints Homosexualists to Shape Doctrine

(Julia Meloni. One Peter Five).

Recently, Pope Francis appointed three new members of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.  Notably—according to the reporting of Vatican expert Edward Pentin—all three can be linked to concerning statements, actions, or alliances regarding the topic of homosexuality. 

The three prelates are Archbishop Bruno Forte, Cardinal Jose Tolentino de Mendonca, and Cardinal Marcello Semeraro.

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Magisterium AI: A Revolutionary Tool for Catholic Non-Profits and Apostolates

(Catholic Fundraiser).

For Catholic non-profits and apostolates, it can be a daunting task to stay up-to-date with the teachings of the Catholic Church while also fulfilling their mission to serve those in need. However, with the advent of Magisterium AI, this task has become much more manageable. This revolutionary tool makes accessible the teachings of the Catholic Church like never before, allowing non-profits and apostolates to write fundraising letters and emails that link their mission with the teachings of the Catholic Church.

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Vatican Faces Backlash Over Use of Artwork by Accused Abuser Father Rupnik

(National Catholic Register. Adriana Azarian).

The Vatican is once again drawing criticism for using the artwork of Father Marko Ivan Rupnik in a Vatican News article on the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus on June 7. Father Rupnik, a priest and artist, has been accused of spiritual, psychological, and sexual abuse of religious sisters. He was removed from the Jesuits last June, and the Vatican has announced that Rupnik will face a canonical process over the abuse allegations after Pope Francis decided to waive the statute of limitations on the claims.

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ARE YOU STILL DEFENDING RUPNIK’S ART?

(dymphna road).

To everyone who still defends the mosaics by the foul and vicious Fr. Marko Rupnik because they think you must separate the art from the artist and who use the “Caravaggio gave the Church some of her greatest art, yet he was crazy and once committed murder,” excuse,  I ask you do two  things: look and then consider. Go somewhere that has Rupnik’s work, such as the  JPII Shrine   or look at one of his mosaics online then consider this: The woman who cut or placed  the individual pieces that make up the mosaic may have been one of the nuns that Fr. Rupnik abused, physically, psychologically, and sexually. 

Caravagio got into a fight with a pimp and killed him. Rupnik is accused of creating a cult of personality, and of attempting to have sex with as many nuns as possible in the convent he co-founded. Some sources say that he abused 20 women, other sources it was more like 40. He’s accused of breaking a nun’s finger. He is accused of forcing a nun to drink his semen from a chalice. You know that the chalice only has one purpose so this was also an act of stomach turning blasphemy and desecration. 

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Importance of theology in society

no foto

(German Bishops Conference).

Faith Commission promotes the future of Catholic theological faculties at state universities

Theology offers space for reflection on faith. In addition, it is also a recognized and publicly funded science in Germany. However, this importance of theology as a science is not simply self-explanatory. Theological faculties at state universities in particular are faced with fundamental questions.

Against this background, the Faith Commission of the German Bishops’ Conference has repeatedly addressed the question of the importance of theology in society and formulated the central aspects of these considerations in a statement that is being published today (June 6, 2024). The Permanent Council of the German Bishops’ Conference has adopted this declaration as part of a consultation process on the future of Catholic theology in Germany initiated by the Commission for Science and Culture of the German Bishops’ Conference.

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Catholicism in Ireland: An assessment

(Tim Kirk. Boston Irish).

Back in early 2020, we had tickets to see Christy Dignam, the legendary lead singer of the ‘80s and ‘90s band Aslan, play at the Olympia. Then the pandemic hit, and everything everywhere was canceled. We were still hoping to have the chance to see him after the shutdown but, sadly, Christy’s rare blood cancer that had been in remission came back with a vengeance.  He canceled his comeback shows and entered palliative care before passing away on June 13, 2023, at 63, joining Shane McGowan and Sinead O’Connor on a grim honor roll of beloved Irish musicians lost during the year.

Christy’s relatives and friends organized a tribute concert for last month. The Vicar Street venue was already fairly packed when we arrived and as we entered, we were handed a small card with Christy’s face, the dates of his birth and death, and a short inscription on the reverse side.

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Trial of Hong Kong’s Jimmy Lai continues; dissidents recall Tiananmen Square massacre

(National Catholic Reporter. Osv news).

Catholic activist Jimmy Lai’s trial on charges of violating a Chinese-imposed national security law is nearing the 100-day mark. He is the highest-profile Hong Kong resident to be tried under the law, and his case is considered a landmark case. The trial of the 76-year-old pro-democracy advocate was suspended for a day June 3 after Lai’s lawyers said he was not feeling well. They told the judge that Lai, who is being held in Hong Kong’s Stanley Prison, had seen a doctor the previous night and had been prescribed painkillers. The trial resumed June 4, with one judge telling Lai he could notify the court if he felt unwell again. Lai’s son, Sebastien, has said his father suffers from diabetes and was diagnosed with high blood pressure while in prison in 2021. For decades Lai, who founded the now-defunct pro-democracy Apple Daily, campaigned for freedom of the press and freedom of expression in Hong Kong, which was designated a Special Administrative Region of China in 1997, when British rule ended after more than 150 years. Hong Kong’s Basic Law was supposed to allow the region “to exercise a high degree of autonomy and enjoy executive, legislative and independent judicial power, including that of final adjudication.”

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Dicastero per il Clero, chiusa la plenaria su formazione, diaconato e vocazioni

(Vatican News).

Si è conclusa oggi, venerdì 7 giugno, l’assemblea plenaria del Dicastero per il Clero, che dal 5 giugno ha riunito i cardinali e vescovi membri del Dicastero insieme ai consultori, per confrontarsi sulle sfide e sulle opportunità attorno a tre temi chiave: l’accompagnamento e la formazione permanente dei sacerdoti nella Chiesa di oggi, la valorizzazione del ministero del diaconato e la promozione della pastorale vocazionale, opera sinergica di tutta la comunità cristiana, opera ecclesiale, sinodale e missionaria. Due, in particolare, gli obiettivi di questa assemblea, a sette anni dall’ultima celebrata nel 2017: da un lato informare i membri e i consultori su problematiche attuali e sviluppi in corso e dall’altro poter ricevere il loro parere esperto e raccogliere le loro istanze, nonché incoraggiare la loro collaborazione anche a distanza. La discussione si è snodata quindi attorno ai tre temi chiave e alle attività ordinarie del Dicastero.

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¿Por qué el Papa Francisco suele pedir oraciones por él “a favor y no en contra”?

(Aciprensa. Almudena Martínez-Bordiú).

“No se olviden de rezar por mi”: esta sea quizá una de las frases más representativas del Papa Francisco desde que fue elegido Sucesor de Pedro.  En su primera aparición aquel 13 de marzo de 2013, desde el balcón central de la Basílica de San Pedro, el Pontífice latinoamericano pidió a todos los católicos del mundo —en un gesto de humildad—, que rezaran para ayudarle en su nueva misión como Vicario de Cristo en la tierra. Esto se debe a una divertida anécdota que explicó el pasado 10 de mayo, durante su intervención en el  evento “Estados Generales de Natalidad”, sobre la crisis demográfica en Italia. 

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Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet, seen as unusual fit for Francis’ Vatican, leaves the scene

(National Catholic Reporter. Christopher White).

When Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet turns 80 on June 8, the prelate who was touted as a potential future pope in both the conclaves of 2005 and 2013, will no longer be able to participate in the next papal election. Ouellet, who was archbishop of Quebec from 2003-2010 and then prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Bishops until his retirement in 2023 at age 78, has been a pivotal player under three papacies. And in two of those he played an outsized role in shaping the Catholic hierarchy throughout the world. The Canadian cardinal’s retirement last year brought about an end to an incongruous era, where a prelate much more identified with Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI was kept on by Pope Francis to lead the powerful Vatican office tasked with vetting potential candidates for the Catholic episcopacy.

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Kentucky parish offers scheduled appointments for same-sex blessings

(CNA. Daniel Payne).

A parish in the Diocese of Lexington, Kentucky, is openly promoting blessings for same-sex couples despite a Vatican directive that suggests such blessings should be “spontaneous.” Historic St. Paul Catholic Church in downtown Lexington says on its website that “same-sex couples who would like a blessing” can contact the church’s pastor, Father Richard Watson, via phone or email. The offer, made via the church’s “LGBTQ+ Ministry” page, is accompanied by a link to the Vatican’s December 2023 Fiducia Supplicans declaration, which says that Catholic priests can bless same-sex couples as an expression of pastoral closeness without condoning their sexual relations. 

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Primeras imágenes de Rolando Álvarez en España tras su destierro a Roma

(Alfa y Omega. Rodrigo Moreno Quicios).

«Visita de cortesía y de descanso». Así describió José Ángel Saiz Meneses, arzobispo de Sevilla, las fotos junto a Rolando Álvarez que publicó a través de X en la tarde del 6 de junio. Según reveló Saiz Meneses, el prelado nicaragüense visitó a su paso por Sevilla el Palacio Arzobispal, su seminario, la catedral y la casa sacerdotal. Más allá de unas pocas instantáneas en Roma los días sucesivos a su llegada hace cinco meses, estas son las primeras imágenes recientes que se tienen tras su excarcelación. Según ha revelado El Debate, el obispo de Matagalpa llegó a Sevilla el mismo jueves en que se tomaron estas fotografías y pasará en esta ciudad unos días. Su visita a España se debería en gran parte a la insistencia de Saiz Meneses, quien viaja Roma con regularidad y pidió permiso a la Santa Sede para que Rolando Álvarez visitara su sede episcopal. Por el momento, el Arzobispado de Sevilla no ha proporcionado detalles adicionales sobre la estancia en la archidiócesis del obispo de Matagalpa, más allá de que «su visita se ha llevado con todas las reservas posibles, y así va a seguir siendo». 

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Religious freedom is a pipe dream for Pakistan’s minorities

(Uca News).

Umar Saleem is still traumatized by the abuses and torture he endured in police custody after he and his brother were accused of defaming Islam, which sparked a Muslim mob attack on Christians in eastern Pakistan last year. “I tried to commit suicide during the interrogations,” Saleem, 28, a member of Full Gospel Assembly Church, told UCA News on June 3. Saleem and his family have been living in a shelter house in Punjab province since the religiously charged riot in Jaranwala left at least 80 Christian houses and several churches looted, vandalized and burned to the ground on Aug. 16.

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P. Andrei Paz, filippino, nuovo superiore generale dei missionari di San Colombano

(Asia News. Santosh Digal).

Manila (AsiaNews) – Il sacerdote filippino p. Andrei Paz è il nuovo superiore generale dei missionari di San Colombano, istituto irlandese che ha una lunga storia di apostolato in Asia, anche nella Cina continentale, con legami che continuano ancora oggi come abbiamo ricordato nei giorni scorsi in Ecclesia in Asia. L’elezione è avvenuta durante l’assemblea generale 2024 dell’istituto in programma ogni sei anni e che si è svolta in questi giorni a Lima, capitale del Perù.  “È con grande gioia – si legge in un comunicato inviato ad AsiaNews – che annunciamo che l’assemblea generale 2024, dopo un periodo di prolungato discernimento, di preghiera e di molte conversazioni e dialoghi nello Spirito, ha eletto è. Andrei Paz al ruolo di guida”. Egli resterà in carica, prosegue la nota della Società missionaria di San Colombano, “per un periodo di sei anni”. 

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Catholic Priests in West Africa Urged to Find Solutions to Region’s Tribal, Religious Conflicts

(Agnes Aineah. ACI Africa).

Catholic priests in West Africa who are meeting in Guinea-Bissau for their general assembly have been urged to propose ways to address ethnic and religious divisions in the region.

In his goodwill message to the 10th Conference of the Regional Union of West African Priests, Archbishop Edward Tamba Charles of Sierra Leone’s Archdiocese of Freetown expressed regret that many countries in West Africa are experiencing divisions on tribal lines and that some of these divisions are manifest in the Church.

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