Bishops’ protection charter ready

Posted June 22, 2018 at 12:00 am

By Peter Finney

The Clarion Herald  

The chair of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on the Protection of Children and Young People said a two-year project to revise the charter that guides the U.S. church in protecting minors from sexual abuse is nearly ready to be presented to the full body of bishops.  

“We’ve done a lot of nice work over the last two years,” Lafayette Bishop Timothy L. Doherty, chair of the committee, told the 13th annual Child and Youth Protection Catholic Leadership Conference in New Orleans. “The great thing people should know is that this has been a collaboration among a lot of bishops’ committees and the National Review Board, who are professional people – judges, lawyers, therapists, trauma experts. There’s a lot of healthy conversation there, and

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    Irish voters approve referendum allowing abortion

    By Richard Meek

    The Catholic Commentator

    A St. Amant teenager preparing to embark on a mission to Ireland said she is heartbroken by that country’s vote opening the door to abortion on demand. Yet, she said, the vote is only further evidence that God is leading her where she is needed. Results from the nationwide referendum showed that 66.4 percent of citizens opted to remove the Eighth Amendment from the Irish constitution, while 33.6 percent voted to retain it. Turnout was 64.5 percent. Voters inserted the original amendment in the constitution in 1983 by a margin of 2-1, and it “acknowledges the

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    USCCB president praises pope for ‘powerful words’ calling all to holiness

    WASHINGTON (CNS) – The president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops said he is grateful to  Pope Francis for “his powerful, straightforward words” in “Gaudete et Exsultate” (“Rejoice and Be Glad”), his apostolic exhortation on “the call to holiness in today’s world.”

    “Pope Francis is very clear,” said Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston. “He is doing his duty as the vicar of Christ, by strongly urging each and every Christian to freely, and without any qualifications,

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    Congress gets calls to save DACA

    WASHINGTON (CNS) – As Congress reconvened after a 10-day recess, members of both chambers received calls from Catholics around the country Feb. 26 urging them to find a legislative solution to save the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, known as DACA.

    The U.S. Catholic bishops asked people to call their senators and representatives and urge them to protect “Dreamers” from deportation; provide them a path to citizenship; and to avoid “any damage to existing protections for families and unaccompanied minors in the process.”

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    Rev. Graham remembered for deep faith

    Staff, wire report 

    Bishop Robert W. Muench expressed sadness when he learned of the death of Rev. Bill Graham and offered prayers for the beloved evangelist, his family and followers.  

    Rev. Graham died at his home in Montreat, North Carolina on Feb. 21 at the age of 99. 

    Rev. Bill Graham

     

    “Dr. Graham was a powerful evangelist for Jesus who touched the hearts and

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    Fixing immigration system doesn’t mean demonization

    WASHINGTON (CNS) – Miami Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski said laws need to be changed to fix the country’s broken immigration system, but in the process, immigrants should not be demonized.

    “Fixing illegal immigration does not require the demonization of the so-called ‘illegals,’ ” said Archbishop Wenski, addressing an audience at a Nov. 28 event in Miami sponsored by the Immigration Partnership and Coalition Fund. 

    “America has always been a land of promise and opportunity for those

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    Congress urged to ‘fix fundamental flaws’ in final tax reform bill

    WASHINGTON (CNS) – Congress must “fix the fundamental flaws” in both the Senate and House versions of the tax reform proposal as lawmakers try to reach an agreement on a final bill, said the chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development.

    Bishop Frank J. Dewane of Venice, Florida, the chairman, issued a statement Dec. 2 in response to Senate passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act in a 51-49 vote at 1:50 a.m. Washington time. Both chambers must meet in conference

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    Puerto Rico archbishop sees spiritual rebirth after storm’s wrath

    BALTIMORE (CNS) – Almost two months after the devastating winds and rains of Hurricane Maria pummeled the island of Puerto Rico, there is still no clear path to recovery. 

    Although some power and phone service have been restored and relief supplies are slowly filtering in, the cleanup and rebuilding is only just beginning. 

    “You go day by day, but it’s overwhelming and traumatic,” said Archbishop Roberto Gonzalez Nieves of San Juan, Puerto Rico. 

    The archbishop, who attended the U.S.

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    Liturgical leaders discuss pastoral care to the sick

    Special to The Catholic Commentator

    Nearly 150 leaders from 85 dioceses gathered in Bloomington, Minnesota from Oct. 3-5 for the 48th annual national meeting of the Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions (FDLC), of which vicar general Father Tom Ranzino is a past president and the current Region 5 director.

    The meeting focused on “Touching the Hem of His Garment: The Pastoral Care of the Sick.” Specifically, members examined the rites of the

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    Cuomo, politician with complicated relationship with church, dies

    WASHINGTON (CNS) – While many tributes to former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo reference the impact of his 1984 keynote speech at the Democratic National Convention, for many Catholics, it was a different speech the same year that defined his political legacy.

    Cuomo, who died Jan. 1 at age 82, served three terms as governor and was sought after as a possible candidate for president, though he never took the plunge.

    Those two 1984 speeches may well have helped define both why

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