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On 30 January, a study commission convoked by L'Arche International to look into the question of reports of sexual abuse of vulnerable women by L'Arche issued its report. Vanier founded L'Arche as a ministry supporting physically and mentally challenged people. The report produced by an interdisciplinary group of French academics after lengthy probing and study of the evidence, found the following, as Michael Atencio reports:
Here are some valuable articles I've read in the past week or two about religion and politics and their intersection:
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| Detail from Rogier van der Weyden's "Descent from the Cross," 15th century, Prado Museum, Madrid, at Wikimedia Commons |
Mark Wingfield writes, "Colorado Springs clergy speak out against religious hate speech that leads to violence":
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| PRRI, "Support for Nondiscrimination Protections for LGBTQ People, by Religious Affiliation, 2015-2021" |
An offering of interrelated articles commenting on the Senate vote to advance the Respect for Marriage Act and how religious groups — notably, the U.S. Catholic bishops — are dealing with this issue:
Frank Schindler of Baltimore writes the Baltimore Sun, "Bishops show lack of interest in pedophile victims":
More commentary on the eye-popping revelation in the French Catholic church that 11 former bishops, some still sitting and others retired, have been credibly accused of sexual abuse of minors, and a French cardinal has admitted abusing a 14-year-old girl in his pastoral care in the past:
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| Notre Dame cathedral, Paris, photo by Tom S., Wikimedia Commons |
As a follow-up to my two previous postings (here and here) about the shocking revelations now breaking in the French Catholic church, indicating that at least 11 bishops, some retired and some still presiding over dioceses, have been credibly accused of having molested minors, and that a French cardinal admits having abused a 14-year-old girl when he was a parish priest, more reactions from French Catholics:
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| From Wiktionary |
“Thirty-five years ago, when I was a parish priest, I behaved in a reprehensible way with a young girl aged 14. My behaviour has inevitably caused serious and lasting consequences for this person.”
Ricard was made archbishop of Bordeaux in 2001 by Pope John Paul II and made a cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI in 2006. In 2002, Pope John Paul II appointed Ricard to the influential Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
This All Saints' day, I think of a little iconostasis I kept for some years next to my desk. The saints whose pictures or icons I had on the iconostasis were my own personal saints — an idiosyncratic collection, almost all of whom would never be canonized by the church.
Just in case you were concerned that this election wasn't crazy enough, and I know you were, here's the lieutenant governor of Idaho, featured in a demonstration with some militia crazies, waving a Bible and a firearm out the window of her truck.
Read the responses of a number of bishops and the homophobic sector of Catholic Twitter to the recently released papal statement about civil unions for same-sex couples, and the word you will hear over and over is, No.
Frank Cocozzelli, "A Catholic’s Case Against Amy Coney Barrett":
The issue with the Barrett nomination for me as a Catholic is quite simple: I choose to dissent from my Church on certain issues such as choice, birth control and embryonic stem cell research. Judge Barrett, on the other hand, follows a more orthodox approach to the Church.
That is her right to do so. It is also the Church's right to set such doctrine. But what concerns me is that she may use the power of the federal government to impose her particular Catholicism, one that is clearly not in sync with most American Catholics, on me and those that share my faith who look to the government to shield me from the excesses of Church hardliners.
A number of my co-religionists, the ones who are anti-choice have a peculiar habit of looking at the issue of abortion only through the lens of orthodox Catholicism. What of a SCOTUS justice that sees abortion as "always immoral"? That sounds like someone that is primed and ready to substitute her Church's particular teaching on the matter as the only true religious position on the matter.
Police kill George Floyd, Archbishop Gomez responds six days later; SCOTUS files a ruling about LGBT people, Gomez responds six hours later. https://t.co/LHMFVHp1Wo— Dan Cosacchi (@dcosacchi) June 15, 2020
The vote was 6 to 3. It should have been unanimous.
President Trump says the country must reopen churches and other places of worship because they are essential.— Weijia Jiang (@weijia) May 22, 2020
He said, “If they don’t do it, I will override the governors.”
The President left without taking questions.
After choir practice in Skagit County, #Washington, 52 members became ill with #COVID19 symptoms. COVID-19 spreads easily between people. Avoid groups, stay at least 6 feet apart, and wear cloth face coverings to reduce spread. Learn more from @CDCMMWR: https://t.co/NJ2bfA6QPw. pic.twitter.com/zJa5b32Gk1— CDC (@CDCgov) May 12, 2020
Kansas Gov Laura Kelly puts in place a stay-at-home order and a ban on large gatherings, like other (sane) governors.— Rachel Maddow MSNBC (@maddow) April 8, 2020
Republicans in KS Legislature just **overturned** the ban on large gatherings because they...
want Kansans in large gatherings?
now?https://t.co/OFDx224vny
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