A report released last week on abuse in the archdiocese from 1945 to 2019 said then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ex-pope-benedict-criticised-munich-church-abuse-report-2022-01-20 failed to take action against clerics in four cases of alleged abuse when he was its archbishop between 1977-1982.
At Thursday’s news conference in Munich, lawyers who investigated the abuse contested an assertion by Benedict in an 82-page statement that he did not recall attending a meeting in 1980 to discuss the case of an abuser priest.
read more at:
Ex-Pope Benedict acknowledges faulty testimony in German abuse case - Metro US
Showing posts with label the Vatican. Show all posts
Showing posts with label the Vatican. Show all posts
1/24/22
3/4/19
The Vatican: Pope Francis Says Secret Archives On Holocaust-Era Pope Pius XII Will Be Opened Early - by Billy Perrigo
The Pope Francis announced Monday that the Vatican’s archives on controversial
World War II-era pope Pius XII would be opened up eight years earlier
than planned, in 2020, a move seen as an olive branch to Jews who have
criticized the Vatican for not doing enough during the Holocaust.
The church is not afraid of history,” Pope Francis said, announcing the move in a speech to members of the Vatican’s Secret Archives. “On the contrary, it loves it, and would like to love it even more, like it loves God.”
Papal archives are usually opened to historians 70 years after the end of a pope’s rule, but the Church has come under pressure to reveal Pius XII’s records earlier than that, while aging Holocaust survivors are still alive.
Many Jewish groups have been calling on the Vatican to open the archives for decades. Rabbi David Rosen, of the American Jewish Committee, welcomed the news, telling Reuters it would help historians to “acknowledge both the failures as well as the valiant efforts made” during the Holocaust.
Read more: Pope Francis Says Secret Archives On Holocaust-Era Pope Pius XII Will Be Opened Early
The church is not afraid of history,” Pope Francis said, announcing the move in a speech to members of the Vatican’s Secret Archives. “On the contrary, it loves it, and would like to love it even more, like it loves God.”
Papal archives are usually opened to historians 70 years after the end of a pope’s rule, but the Church has come under pressure to reveal Pius XII’s records earlier than that, while aging Holocaust survivors are still alive.
Many Jewish groups have been calling on the Vatican to open the archives for decades. Rabbi David Rosen, of the American Jewish Committee, welcomed the news, telling Reuters it would help historians to “acknowledge both the failures as well as the valiant efforts made” during the Holocaust.
Read more: Pope Francis Says Secret Archives On Holocaust-Era Pope Pius XII Will Be Opened Early
9/20/15
CUBA-Vatican: Under the white robe a shrewed politician with objectives that have little to do with Christianity
Astrid Prange writes in the German DW - "Can praying be sin? In Cuba, one definitely does not need to respond to
this question with a 'no.' Pope Francis, the third leader of the
Catholic Church to travel to Cuba, prays politically.
His calls for help from heaven could help re-shape the foundations of the one-party system established by the old revolutionaries.
During his visit to Cuba, the Pope has urged Cubans to freely practice their religion, a right that is included in the Cuban constitution, but often disregarded in practice. He aims to push for the renovation of existing churches and the construction of new ones and for Internet access for parishes so they can establish their own media. He has been hinting that the Catholic Church could, once again, run schools, universities and hospitals.
Pope Francis' demands are more than just a "mediation prize" for the Vatican's successful diplomacy, which has encouraged the rapprochement between Havana and Washington. They are also telling us that religious freedom means more than just holding church services, worshiping saints and taking part in processions without worrying about the secret police.
Religious freedom is a human right that touches the innermost selves of people and is one the pillars of an open-minded, democratic society. In Cuba, the growing political influence of the Vatican can become a catalyst for reforms. Years ago, when the Soviet Union was falling apart, the Catholic Church was striving for this role. Now it seems like the Church's time has come.
And if that were not enough: once again, the Catholic Church is going down in Latin American history. In the 1960s and 1970s, revolutionary liberation theology, a religious movement in the New World, startled the cardinals in Rome. Now, liberation theology - personified in Pope Francis - has arrived in the Vatican and has put the old socialist revolutionaries in Havana in an uneasy state.
Read moreA holy revolution: Pope Francis in Cuba | Opinion | DW.COM | 20.09.2015
His calls for help from heaven could help re-shape the foundations of the one-party system established by the old revolutionaries.
During his visit to Cuba, the Pope has urged Cubans to freely practice their religion, a right that is included in the Cuban constitution, but often disregarded in practice. He aims to push for the renovation of existing churches and the construction of new ones and for Internet access for parishes so they can establish their own media. He has been hinting that the Catholic Church could, once again, run schools, universities and hospitals.
Pope Francis' demands are more than just a "mediation prize" for the Vatican's successful diplomacy, which has encouraged the rapprochement between Havana and Washington. They are also telling us that religious freedom means more than just holding church services, worshiping saints and taking part in processions without worrying about the secret police.
Religious freedom is a human right that touches the innermost selves of people and is one the pillars of an open-minded, democratic society. In Cuba, the growing political influence of the Vatican can become a catalyst for reforms. Years ago, when the Soviet Union was falling apart, the Catholic Church was striving for this role. Now it seems like the Church's time has come.
And if that were not enough: once again, the Catholic Church is going down in Latin American history. In the 1960s and 1970s, revolutionary liberation theology, a religious movement in the New World, startled the cardinals in Rome. Now, liberation theology - personified in Pope Francis - has arrived in the Vatican and has put the old socialist revolutionaries in Havana in an uneasy state.
Read moreA holy revolution: Pope Francis in Cuba | Opinion | DW.COM | 20.09.2015
5/8/15
Italy: Catholic Church and Equal Rights - Anti-Gay Pope Francis Meets Sweden's Antje Jackelén Female Head Of Lutheran Church
Archbishop Antje Jackelén, the first female head of the Lutheran Church of Sweden, tweeted her gratitude for the meeting to the pope, with a photograph of the two religious leaders chatting.
The pontiff has staunchly opposed ordination for women in the Catholic Church. “The Church has spoken and says no... That door is closed," he said in a July 2013 press conference.
The topic on Monday's agenda was not, however, women's role in the church, but rather the need for Christian unity across denominations and for better care for the poor. Francis addressed the archbishop as "esteemed Mrs. Jackelén, esteemed sister" in his call for charity.
“The call to unity as followers of Our Lord Jesus Christ includes an urgent call for a common effort on the charity front," Francis said, according to Vatican Insider. "The testimony of our brothers and sisters especially, pushes us to grow in fraternal communion."
Note EU-Digest: in the meantime it was reported that the Pope - who in some eyes is a "wolf in sheep's clothing", has personally met with France’s proposed Gay ambassador to the Vatican – to tell him his appointment will be blocked because he is gay.
Read more: Pope Francis Meets With Female Head Of Church Of Sweden, Archbishop Antje Jackelén
4/10/15
Vatican - gay community: "Pope Frances speaks out of two sides of his mouth" - Vatican refuses gay French ambassador′s nomination
Italian gay activists have slammed the Vatican after it reportedly
refused to accept France’s nomination for new ambassador Laurent
Stefanini on the grounds of his alleged homosexuality.
"Clearly, even at the Vatican they do not practice what they preach," Flavio Romani, chairman of the Arcigay association said Friday in a statement, where he blamed "top prelates" of contradicting one of Pope Francis' most famous statements.
In 2013, the pontiff said that "if a person is gay and seeks God and has goodwill, who am I to judge?
The debate comes as tensions rise between the Holy See and France's Socialist government after gay marriage was legalized in 2013, much to the outrage of the Catholic Church and traditionalists.
Vatican officials have refused to comment on the allegation.
1/21/14
EU - US President Obama Plans to Visit Pope Francis, the Netherlands, Belgium and Italy in March - by Alle Bowel
President Barack Obama will travel to Italy in March to meet
with Pope Francis for the first time, the White House announced Tuesday.
The March 27 visit to the Vatican comes as part of a European tour during which Obama will also visit the Netherlands, Belgium and Italy.
"The president looks forward to discussing with Pope Francis their shared commitment to fighting poverty and growing inequality," said a White House statement.
Before arriving in Vatican City, Obama will spend two days in the Netherlands participating in the Nuclear Security Summit, hosted by the Dutch government. Those gathered will discuss security processes for nuclear materials, the statement said.
Read more: President Obama Plans to Visit Pope Francis in March - US News and World Report
The March 27 visit to the Vatican comes as part of a European tour during which Obama will also visit the Netherlands, Belgium and Italy.
"The president looks forward to discussing with Pope Francis their shared commitment to fighting poverty and growing inequality," said a White House statement.
Before arriving in Vatican City, Obama will spend two days in the Netherlands participating in the Nuclear Security Summit, hosted by the Dutch government. Those gathered will discuss security processes for nuclear materials, the statement said.
Read more: President Obama Plans to Visit Pope Francis in March - US News and World Report
3/28/13
Vatican Intrigue: The Pact that Secured More than Ninety Votes for New Pope - by M.Antonietta Calabrò
But what were the agreements, the groupings and the voting blocks that led to the election of Cardinal Bergoglio (now Pope Francis)?
A brief and necessarily blunt summary would be that the new pontiff was the result of an agreement struck by the dean of the college, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, Cardinal Giovan Battista Re, the Curia led by the current secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone (who supported Cardinal Odilo Scherer but had to back down when Scherer criticised Cardinal Re at the general congregation), and the cardinals from the United States. Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York was swift to put an American stamp on the election of a New World pope two hours after Francis appeared on the Loggia of the Blessings. “We are very happy about the result. It is a remarkably emotional experience”, he said, adding in an official statement that it was a “milestone for our Church”.
Italian cardinals presented a united front only in freezing out the cardinal of Milan, Angelo Scola, with even the Lombard cardinals voting against him. At the general congregation over the past few days, the cardinal non-elector and former Vatican representative at the UN for fifteen years, Raffaele Martino, has been picking and unpicking alliances. He knows the American diocese well and as a former president of the pontifical commission Justitia et Pax he has always been involved in the most contentious social issues. At the 2005 conclave, Cardinal Martino opposed Ratzinger and supported Bergoglio.
But according to Catholic theology, isn’t it the Holy Spirit that chooses the Pope? Once many years ago, this question was put to the then Cardinal Ratzinger ( now retired pope), the prefect of the congregation for the doctrine of the faith and guardian of orthodoxy. With a certain dose of irony, he replied: “I wouldn’t say that, in the sense that it is the Holy Spirit that does the choosing, His role should be understood in a more flexible sense, probably the only certainty He offers is that the whole business won’t be a total disaster”.
Pope Francis shares that sense of irony. When he accepted, he told the cardinals: “Dear brethren, may God forgive you”.
Read more: The Pact that Secured More than Ninety Votes for New Pope - Corriere della Sera
A brief and necessarily blunt summary would be that the new pontiff was the result of an agreement struck by the dean of the college, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, Cardinal Giovan Battista Re, the Curia led by the current secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone (who supported Cardinal Odilo Scherer but had to back down when Scherer criticised Cardinal Re at the general congregation), and the cardinals from the United States. Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York was swift to put an American stamp on the election of a New World pope two hours after Francis appeared on the Loggia of the Blessings. “We are very happy about the result. It is a remarkably emotional experience”, he said, adding in an official statement that it was a “milestone for our Church”.
Italian cardinals presented a united front only in freezing out the cardinal of Milan, Angelo Scola, with even the Lombard cardinals voting against him. At the general congregation over the past few days, the cardinal non-elector and former Vatican representative at the UN for fifteen years, Raffaele Martino, has been picking and unpicking alliances. He knows the American diocese well and as a former president of the pontifical commission Justitia et Pax he has always been involved in the most contentious social issues. At the 2005 conclave, Cardinal Martino opposed Ratzinger and supported Bergoglio.
But according to Catholic theology, isn’t it the Holy Spirit that chooses the Pope? Once many years ago, this question was put to the then Cardinal Ratzinger ( now retired pope), the prefect of the congregation for the doctrine of the faith and guardian of orthodoxy. With a certain dose of irony, he replied: “I wouldn’t say that, in the sense that it is the Holy Spirit that does the choosing, His role should be understood in a more flexible sense, probably the only certainty He offers is that the whole business won’t be a total disaster”.
Pope Francis shares that sense of irony. When he accepted, he told the cardinals: “Dear brethren, may God forgive you”.
Read more: The Pact that Secured More than Ninety Votes for New Pope - Corriere della Sera
3/9/13
Christians - Middle East: Religious summit to unite Middle East’s Christians
A religious summit between Catholic and Orthodox patriarchs of the Middle East will take place in the next few months, Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai announced Wednesday.
Speaking to the Fides Agency in Rome, Rai said that preparations were under way to hold an “important summit” that would address the challenges facing Christians in the Middle East.
“We are preparing a meeting of all Orthodox and Catholic Patriarchs of the Middle East, to promote unity among Christians and deal with the problems and sufferings that we share in this difficult moment in history,” Rai said.
The cardinal arrived in Rome earlier this week to attend the religious conclave at the Vatican to elect a new pope to replace Pope Benedict XVI.
Note EU-Digest: no mention is made if Protestants and Evangelicals Christians and the World Council of Churches have also been invited in order to create a unified, broader and stronger platform.
Read more: Religious summit to unite Middle East’s Christians | News , Local News | THE DAILY STAR
Speaking to the Fides Agency in Rome, Rai said that preparations were under way to hold an “important summit” that would address the challenges facing Christians in the Middle East.
“We are preparing a meeting of all Orthodox and Catholic Patriarchs of the Middle East, to promote unity among Christians and deal with the problems and sufferings that we share in this difficult moment in history,” Rai said.
The cardinal arrived in Rome earlier this week to attend the religious conclave at the Vatican to elect a new pope to replace Pope Benedict XVI.
Note EU-Digest: no mention is made if Protestants and Evangelicals Christians and the World Council of Churches have also been invited in order to create a unified, broader and stronger platform.
9/29/12
The Vatican: Pope's butler goes on trial in 'Vatileaks' scandal
A once loyal servant who said he grew disgusted by the "evil and corruption" he witnessed, Gabriele told investigators he was acting as an "agent" of the Holy Spirit to help the pope put a weary Catholic Church back on track.
Gabriele faces up to four years in prison for aggravated theft in a trial that is unprecedented in the modern history of the world's smallest state.
Using the codename "Maria", he is accused of meeting investigative reporter Gianluigi Nuzzi earlier this year and passing him copies of secret papers.
The trial will unfold in a 19th-century courtroom tucked away behind the apse of St Peter's basilica in a corner of the city state that is strictly off-limits to the millions of visitors who visit the Vatican every year.
Television cameras are banned and only 10 journalists are allowed to attend.
The Vatican has said the 85-year-old German pope is deeply hurt by the betrayal of confidence by someone he "knew, loved and respected". Gabriele has confessed and has written a letter begging the pope for forgiveness.
Many commentators have said they expect the pope to pardon Gabriele.
But many also question whether he really acted alone or as part of a wider group of disgruntled Vatican employees who could even include high-placed prelates. An investigation into the "Vatileaks" scandal is ongoing. Click here to see the EU-Digest special report on Religion
Read more: Pope's butler goes on trial in 'Vatileaks' scandal | Radio Netherlands Worldwide
Gabriele faces up to four years in prison for aggravated theft in a trial that is unprecedented in the modern history of the world's smallest state.
Using the codename "Maria", he is accused of meeting investigative reporter Gianluigi Nuzzi earlier this year and passing him copies of secret papers.
The trial will unfold in a 19th-century courtroom tucked away behind the apse of St Peter's basilica in a corner of the city state that is strictly off-limits to the millions of visitors who visit the Vatican every year.
Television cameras are banned and only 10 journalists are allowed to attend.
The Vatican has said the 85-year-old German pope is deeply hurt by the betrayal of confidence by someone he "knew, loved and respected". Gabriele has confessed and has written a letter begging the pope for forgiveness.
Many commentators have said they expect the pope to pardon Gabriele.
But many also question whether he really acted alone or as part of a wider group of disgruntled Vatican employees who could even include high-placed prelates. An investigation into the "Vatileaks" scandal is ongoing. Click here to see the EU-Digest special report on Religion
Read more: Pope's butler goes on trial in 'Vatileaks' scandal | Radio Netherlands Worldwide
5/28/12
Italy: Vatican denies Cardinal's involvement in 'Vatileaks' scandal
The Vatican Monday denied reports by Italian media that a cardinal is suspected of playing a major role in the widening "Vatileaks" scandal, Reuters reported.
Pope Benedict XVI's butler Paolo Gabriele was arrested last week after leaked documents were found in his home, sparking rumors and speculations about cardinals' involvement in the papers' release, Agence France Presse reported.
Several Italian media outlets quoted anonymous sources on Monday who said Gabriele was just one of around 20 whistleblowers who had been leaking information from the Holy See, according to the AFP.
Read more: Vatican denies Cardinal's involvement in 'Vatileaks' scandal | GlobalPost
Pope Benedict XVI's butler Paolo Gabriele was arrested last week after leaked documents were found in his home, sparking rumors and speculations about cardinals' involvement in the papers' release, Agence France Presse reported.
Several Italian media outlets quoted anonymous sources on Monday who said Gabriele was just one of around 20 whistleblowers who had been leaking information from the Holy See, according to the AFP.
Read more: Vatican denies Cardinal's involvement in 'Vatileaks' scandal | GlobalPost
9/16/11
Separation of State and Religion: German Opposition to boycott Pope’s address to Parliament
Dozens of German opposition MPs have announced plans to boycott next week’s address of Pope Benedict XVI to the Bundestag, the lower house of Parliament, in protest against “violation of state neutrality” by the head of the catholic church.
The Left party, which is leading the boycott, said that most of its MPs will stay away when the religious leader of over 1.1 billion Catholics addresses the house on 22 September.
Besides the Left party, several MPs belonging to the Social Democratic Party (SPD) as well as the ecological Green parts, also announced that they will be joining the boycott. Media reports said more than 100 of the Bundestag’s 620 elected representatives plan to stay away when the pope, a German national, speaks at the house as the first head of the catholic church to do so.
The Vatican has reacted angrily to the boycott plans and said they will strengthen the image of “ugly Germans” abroad. Curial Cardinal Walter Brandmueller warned the members of German Parliament to be aware of the effects of their protests abroad.
Note EU-Digest: keeping in mind that all the countries within the EU adhere to a strict separation of State and Religion, no church or religious movement, including the Roman Catholic Church, has the right to tell its membership how to vote, and has no business telling elected officials how to conduct business of state, especially under pain of some religious sanction. No church also has the right to hold civil government hostage. In other words, civil law trumps religious law in the European Union. It seems, therefore, that the Pop,e who has a history of mixing politics with religion in his public speeches should not have been allowed to speak in the German parliament.
For more: German Opposition to boycott Pope’s address to Parliament | Firstpost
The Left party, which is leading the boycott, said that most of its MPs will stay away when the religious leader of over 1.1 billion Catholics addresses the house on 22 September.
Besides the Left party, several MPs belonging to the Social Democratic Party (SPD) as well as the ecological Green parts, also announced that they will be joining the boycott. Media reports said more than 100 of the Bundestag’s 620 elected representatives plan to stay away when the pope, a German national, speaks at the house as the first head of the catholic church to do so.
The Vatican has reacted angrily to the boycott plans and said they will strengthen the image of “ugly Germans” abroad. Curial Cardinal Walter Brandmueller warned the members of German Parliament to be aware of the effects of their protests abroad.
Note EU-Digest: keeping in mind that all the countries within the EU adhere to a strict separation of State and Religion, no church or religious movement, including the Roman Catholic Church, has the right to tell its membership how to vote, and has no business telling elected officials how to conduct business of state, especially under pain of some religious sanction. No church also has the right to hold civil government hostage. In other words, civil law trumps religious law in the European Union. It seems, therefore, that the Pop,e who has a history of mixing politics with religion in his public speeches should not have been allowed to speak in the German parliament.
For more: German Opposition to boycott Pope’s address to Parliament | Firstpost
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)