Bishop

Pope Francis names Chinese bishop who attended Synod on Synodality to Archdiocese of Hangzhou

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(CNA. Hannah Brockhaus).

Pope Francis has named Bishop Joseph Yang Yongqiang to lead the Archdiocese of Hangzhou in China, transferring him from the Diocese of Zhoucun, the Vatican announced Saturday. The June 12 nomination took place “within the framework of dialogue concerning the implementation of the Provisional Agreement between the Holy See and the People’s Republic of China,” the Vatican’s June 22 press release said. The new archbishop was one of two bishops from mainland China to participate in the October 2023 session of the Synod on Synodality in Rome. He has led the Zhoucun Diocese in Shandong Province since 2013.

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Indigenous reactions mixed after US bishops’ apology: ‘They won’t ever forget’

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(National Catholic Reporter. Katie Collins Scott).

“A deep sadness.”

That was the first emotion Jay, a member of the Gros Ventre Tribe, said he felt as he read an apology issued by the U.S. bishops for the Catholic Church’s mistreatment of Indigenous people. Jay attended the now-closed St. Paul Mission Grade School on the Fort Belknap Reservation in Montana, where he says he was sexually abused by a religious sister, often in front of a statue of Jesus, and by a priest in a remote location in the mountains. He was 11 years old. “I thought of those small little children, younger than me, at boarding schools miles from home,” said the 70-year-old, whose nickname is being used to protect his privacy. “It’s an awful thing.” His own horrors have not left his head or heart, he said. “I will never really get away from them. Not until I die.” Jay was among a number of Indigenous individuals, including survivors and tribal leaders, who spoke with NCR after the bishops issued a document acknowledging, in a circumscribed manner, the Catholic Church’s culpability, especially through church-run boarding schools, in the intergenerational trauma of Indigenous people.

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Brazilian Supreme Court justice accuses bishops of ‘disinformation’ on marijuana debate

Posted on by Catholic Radar An

(Crux. Eduardo Campos Lima).

As the Supreme Court of Brazil prepared to examine the decriminalization of marijuana possession, Justice Luis Roberto Barroso said the head of the Bishops’ Conference called him earlier to express his concerns over “the legalization of drugs,” adding it was a sign that he had been exposed to “disinformation.” Barroso claimed Archbishop Jaime Spengler of Porto Alegre had been misguided by “fake news,” since the court is not willing to allow the consumption of illicit drugs in Brazil.

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U.S. bishops issue plea for nonviolence ahead of elections

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(The Catholic World Report. Gigi Duncan).

A leading U.S. bishop issued a statement Wednesday urging Christians “and people of goodwill” to abstain from political violence and resolve differences through dialogue and the voting process. In the statement titled “‘Pursue What Leads to Peace’: A Christian Response to Rising Threats of Political and Ideological Violence,” Archbishop Borys Gudziak of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia warned that violent behavior is “seen by many as an acceptable means for carrying out political or ideological disputes.” Gudziak, who serves as chairman of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) committee on domestic justice and human development, wrote: “We pray and urge all Christians and people of goodwill: Abstain from political violence of any kind! Instead, ‘pursue what leads to peace and building up one another’ (Rom 14:19) through dialogue, seeking justice.” Describing the political climate today, Gudziak wrote that “political speech is often full of insults, fear, anger, and anxiety. Sadly, racism, religious discrimination, and xenophobia are on the rise. People in public office are receiving more death threats than ever before, some of which turn into physical attacks.” The document references an Axios poll from earlier this year, which showed that 49% of Americans expect there will be violence in response to the results of future presidential elections.

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In Slovakia: communism, consumerism, and evangelizing the ‘seekers’

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(The Pillar. Edgar Beltrán).

For a lot people, Slovakia is hardly the first nation that comes to mind when they think of Catholic countries in Europe. They might first think of Italy, where Vatican City is, of Portugal, where Our Lady of Fatima appeared, or of Poland, where Pope St. John Paul II grew up.

Bishop Jozef Hal’Ko. Credit: Archdiocese of Bratislava

But the small Central European nation of Slovakia boasts a deep Catholic tradition, maintained even through decades of communism in the 20th century. Perhaps the best-known Catholic figure in Slovakia today is Bishop Jozef Hal’Ko, 60, the auxiliary bishop of Bratislava, the country’s capital. Hal’ko’s public defense of the Catholic faith and social media activity have made him a well-known personality in his country. The bishop’s main social media activity is his Na minútku series — “One minute” — in which the bishop preaches briefly about each Sunday’s Gospel. Bishop Hal’Ko talked with The Pillar about his pastoral activities, secularization in Europe, and the mission of evangelization.

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