1. Case of high-ranking cleric allegedly tracked on Grindr app poses Rorschach test for Catholics, By Marisa Iati and Michelle Boorstein, The Washington Post, July 22, 2021, Pg. A2
Is Monsignor Jeffrey Burrill a victim of both the surveillance and morality police? Or a hypocrite who had it coming? The case of the high-ranking Catholic cleric who resigned after allegedly being tracked on the gay dating app Grindr quickly became a Rorschach test Wednesday for Catholics already mired in tension over politics, theology and culture.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/religion/2021/07/21/catholic-official-grindr-reaction/
___________________________________________________________
2. The Religious Leaders on the Front Lines of Mental Health, Houses of worship have grown more sophisticated in their handling of the surge in anxiety among congregants since the pandemic began, By Clare Ansberry, The Wall Street Journal, July 22, 2021, 6:00 AM
About one in four people with mental-health concerns turn to a clergy member before seeking help from clinical professionals, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, giving faith leaders a unique window on the mental health of many Americans.
Priests, pastors, rabbis, imams and deacons have witnessed waves of anxiety, depression, fear and grief. People who never sought help before reached out needing more than spiritual support and pastoral care. In response, some churches created mental-health ministries, hired clinical social workers and held town halls staffed by professionals.
…
Ed Shoener, a deacon at the Cathedral of St. Peter in Scranton, Pa., and a founding member of the Association of Catholic Mental Health Ministers, found that people suffering from depression and anxiety were becoming accustomed to the isolation.
The association, which has about 200 mental-health ministers in about 25 of the church’s 194 dioceses nationwide, encourages people to seek professional help if needed. Most have direct mental-illness experience with a family member. Mr. Shoener’s daughter, Katie, suffered from bipolar disorder and died by suicide in 2016.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/religion-mental-health-pandemic-11626884567?
___________________________________________________________
3. Cardinal Gregory Speaks at Immigration Reform Rally, Cardinal Gregory’s call for reform of the immigration system noted that “our opportunity is found in our shared humanity and our shared dignity and respect for our neighbors.”, By Joe Bukuras, Catholic News Agency, July 22, 2021
Wilton Cardinal Gregory, Archbishop of Washington, spoke Wednesday in support of congressional immigration reform alongside US Senators Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Dick Durbin, D-Ill.
Following many speakers in support of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which was recently struck down by a district court in Texas, Cardinal Gregory’s July 21 speech called for immigration reform “whether through the enactment of stand alone legislation or a broader legislative package.”
Cardinal Gregory said that the 117th Congress has the opportunity to be “courageous,” after years of delay, to pass comprehensive immigration reform. He called for bipartisan immigration reform legislation, on behalf of the nation’s Catholic bishops.
https://www.ncregister.com/cna/cardinal-gregory-speaks-at-immigration-reform-rally
___________________________________________________________
4. Justices deal blow to outdated claims of child sexual abuse, By Mark Scolforo, Associated Press, July 21, 2021, 12:52 PM
Pennsylvania’s high court on Wednesday dealt a blow to victims of child sexual abuse, throwing out a lawsuit by a woman whose lower court legal victory had given hope to others with similarly outdated claims who’d sued in the wake of a landmark report that documented decades of child molestation within the Catholic church in Pennsylvania.
The 5-2 decision ended plaintiff Renee Rice’s legal effort to recover damages from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown for allegedly covering up and facilitating sexual abuse she said had been inflicted on her by a priest in the late 1970s.
Rice sued in 2016, but the court majority said that was too late under the Pennsylvania statute of limitations.
…
The diocese’s lawyer, Eric Anderson, hailed the decision.
“They’re going to apply the statute of limitations the way it should be applied in Pennsylvania,” Anderson said. “It’s been the law, established law, for a long period of time. There’s nothing unique or different about this case.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/justices-deal-blow-to-outdated-claims-of-child-sexual-abuse/2021/07/21/e2f543d8-ea38-11eb-a2ba-3be31d349258_story.html
___________________________________________________________
5. Survey: A majority of US Catholics support the death penalty, By Matt Hadro, Catholic News Agency, July 21, 2021, 6:02 PM
One recent survey shows a majority of U.S. Catholics supporting use of the death penalty for murder convicts. The poll numbers follow a 2018 update to the Catechism that the death penalty is “inadmissible.”
According to a survey of 5,109 U.S. adults by the Pew Research Center, conducted from April 5 to 11, 2021 and published in June, a majority of U.S. Catholics either “strongly” or “somewhat” support use of the death penalty for murder convicts.
Mirroring the responses of U.S. adults overall, 31% of Catholics “somewhat” favor the death penalty for those convicted of murder, while 27% of Catholics “strongly” favor it.
In comparison, 32% of U.S. adults “somewhat” favor the death penalty in such cases, and 27% “strongly” favor it, according to the Pew report.
…
Among Catholics overall, 60% say capital punishment is morally justified “when someone commits a crime like murder”; among Hispanic Catholics, that number is 62%. Only 30% of Catholics believe the death penalty is morally wrong, including 35% of Hispanic Catholics.
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/248450/survey-a-majority-of-us-catholics-support-the-death-penalty
___________________________________________________________
6. Traditionis custodes: Cardinal Zen reacts to restrictions on Traditional Latin Masses, By Hannah Brockhaus, Catholic News Agency, July 21, 2021, 12:00 PM
Cardinal Joseph Zen published a statement on Wednesday, saying that new restrictions on the celebration of Traditional Latin Masses are a “blow,” even if they were expected.
“Many tendentious generalizations in the documents [of the motu proprio] have hurt the hearts of many good people more than expected,” the retired bishop of Hong Kong wrote on his personal blog.
Zen added that he thought many people hurt by the restrictions “have never given the smallest reason to be suspected of not accepting the liturgical reform of the [Second Vatican Council].”
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/248447/traditionis-custodes-cardinal-zen-reacts-to-restrictions-on-traditional-latin-masses
___________________________________________________________
7. Cincinnati Archbishop: I Would Not Have Approved President Biden’s Visit to Catholic University, On Wednesday, July 21, President Joe Biden will appear at a townhall event broadcast by CNN and hosted by Mount St. Joseph University in Cincinnati. The university is sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati., By Matt Hadro, Catholic News Agency, July 21, 2021
The archbishop of Cincinnati on Tuesday said he was not informed of President Joe Biden’s upcoming visit to a Catholic university in his archdiocese. He did not approve the university hosting the event.
On Wednesday, July 21, President Joe Biden will appear at a townhall event broadcast by CNN and hosted by Mount St. Joseph University in Cincinnati. The university is sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati.
News of the event’s location was reported on Tuesday. Archbishop Dennis Schnurr then issued a statement saying that he “has not been contacted by any involved party” regarding Biden’s appearance at the university.
“Archbishop Schnurr has therefore not been asked for, nor would he have granted, his approval for any such event to occur on Catholic premises,” the archdiocese stated.
https://www.ncregister.com/cna/cincinnati-archbishop-i-would-not-have-approved-president-biden-s-visit-to-catholic-university
___________________________________________________________TCA Media Monitoring provides a snapshot from national newspapers and major Catholic press outlets of coverage regarding significant Catholic Church news and current issues with which the Catholic Church is traditionally or prominently engaged. The opinions and views expressed in the articles do not necessarily reflect the views of The Catholic Association. |
