1. Key suspect in Vatican corruption case detained in London, By Associated Press, May 12, 2021
The main suspect in the Vatican’s corruption investigation into a London real estate venture was taken into custody Tuesday in London after he appeared for his first extradition hearing, his lawyers said.
The British judge determined businessman Gianluigi Torzi was a flight risk and ordered him detained. A statement from Torzi’s lawyers said they would argue he is not a flight risk at a new audience expected in the next 48 hours.
British authorities were acting on an arrest warrant issued last month by a Rome judge accusing Torzi of false billing, tax evasion and money laundering. Torzi has denied the allegations.
https://cruxnow.com/vatican/2021/05/key-suspect-in-vatican-corruption-case-detained-in-london/
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2. Reinstating the Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s foster care placement agency’s contract, Supreme Court must stay laser focused on freedoms granted by the Constitution’s framers, By Andrea Picciotti-Bayer, The Washington Times, May 12, 2021, Pg. B4, Opinion
The Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s foster care placement agency hopefully will win an important victory in the Supreme Court before summer gets under way.
A ruling in favor of the Catholic agency has the potential to limit the ability of progressive politicians — including those in the Biden administration — to persecute groups that hold the “wrong” opinions.
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Any combination of factors could save the centuries-old Catholic foster care program. One thing is certain. The justices must be allowed to do their job and stay laser focused on the freedoms specifically granted to Americans by the framers of the Constitution.
Andrea Picciotti-Bayer is the director of the Conscience Project, a project advancing conscience rights through public education and amicus support in religious freedom cases.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2021/may/11/reinstating-the-archdiocese-of-philadelphias-foste/
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3. ND governor vetoes penalizing state colleges over abortions, By James MacPherson, Associated Press, May 11, 2021, 6:32 PM
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum has partially vetoed a bill aimed at penalizing the state’s 11 colleges and universities for funneling federal grant money to individuals or organizations that promote or perform abortions.
The Republican governor said in his veto message late Friday that the “multimillion-dollar penalties directed toward our public higher education institutions and mandatory criminal charges against state employees” is “problematic.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/nd-governor-vetoes-penalizing-state-colleges-over-abortions/2021/05/08/58cc93f2-b016-11eb-82c1-896aca955bb9_story.html
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4. Biden forcing Catholic, religious entities to violate beliefs with new HHS rule, critics say, Biden administration will force doctors to act against ‘their best medical judgment and conscience,’ one critic warns., By Sam Dorman, Fox News, May 11, 2021, Pg. A3
President Biden, the second U.S. president to identify as Catholic, is coming under fire for a new rule that critics say would force religious doctors to violate their deeply held beliefs about gender.
While some have framed the new Health and Human Services (HHS) rule as a way to combat discrimination, others argue it’s backing religious entities into a corner.
Announced on Monday, HHS’ rule would reverse the Trump administration’s decision to interpret a sex discrimination statute as applying to just biological sex rather than including gender identity or sexual orientation. Advocates say that in doing so, the Biden administration would require federally funded hospitals and insurers to support gender-related treatments and procedures — both of which conflict with Catholic teaching and what other religions believe.
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CatholicVote President Brian Burch similarly blasted the decision, arguing it “turns back the clock on medical sanity.” Burch added that “Catholic hospitals and doctors are likely to come under increased pressure and scrutiny as a result.”
“Coercing doctors to carry out highly controversial and unproven ‘treatments’ like administering puberty blocking hormones to children and performing irreversible sex changes – against their best medical judgment and conscience – is the latest effort by the Biden administration to force anyone who dissents from its radical ideology into compliance,” said Dr. Grazie Pozo Christie, policy adviser for The Catholic Association.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-transgender-health-care-catholic-religious-freedom.amp
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5. Biden administration reconsiders abortion pill regulations, By Catholic News Agency, May 11, 2021, 6:00 PM
Pro-abortion groups last week praised the Biden administration for reconsidering federal safety regulations of the abortion pill regimen.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) on Friday said it was “thrilled” that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was reviewing restrictions on the regimen that have been in place since the year 2000. The FDA has long required the abortion pill regimen to be dispensed in-person in a health clinic setting, but pro-abortion groups have recently pushed for the pill to be prescribed remotely and dispensed through the mail.
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/247624/biden-administration-reconsiders-abortion-pill-regulations
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6. San Francisco archbishop insists pro-abortion Communion ban isn’t political, By John Lavenburg, Crux, May 11, 2021
Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco on Monday doubled down on his stance that Catholic public figures who support abortion rights be barred from Communion while at the same time pleading with them to have a change of heart.
“Please stop the killing. This is killing innocent human life,” Cordileone told Currents News on Monday. “You have a very prominent position in society. You can influence societal attitudes and practices. You’re in a position to stop the killing.”
The comments come about a week after Cordileone published a pastoral letter on the topic, as the Communion debate continues to grow since President Joe Biden, the country’s second Catholic president and a pro-choice Democrat, took office.
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“This is not a political motive for me. I intentionally waited until after the election to release [the pastoral letter] so it would not be misinterpreted as a political move,” Cordileone said. “One could also say that those who are against applying the church’s discipline are doing so for political reasons.”
https://cruxnow.com/church-in-the-usa/2021/05/san-francisco-archbishop-insists-pro-abortion-communion-ban-isnt-political/
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7. Bishops urge Catholics to sign petition against Hyde Amendment’s repeal, By Catholic News Service, May 11, 2021
Diocesan Respect Life coordinators and the Pro-Life Secretariat of the U.S Conference of Catholic Bishops are encouraging Catholics to speak out against the repeal of the Hyde Amendment, legislation which bans federal Medicaid funding of abortions.
“It is so important for people in our parishes to learn about the Hyde Amendment and the life-saving, conscience-protecting impact it has had for the past 45 years. Without this protection, our federal tax dollars will contribute to millions more abortions around our nation and beyond,” said Rachel Hendricks, diocesan Respect Life coordinator for the Diocese of Trenton, New Jersey.
The Hyde Amendment, which first became law in 1976, prohibits use of federal Medicaid dollars for abortion except in cases of rape, incest or when the life of the woman would be endangered.
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As the amendment faces an uncertain future, the USCCB’s Pro-Life Secretariat is encouraging Catholics to sign the petition asking members of Congress to oppose the Hyde Amendment’s repeal at https://www.notaxpayerabortion.com/.
https://cruxnow.com/church-in-the-usa/2021/05/bishops-urge-catholics-to-sign-petition-against-hyde-amendments-repeal/
___________________________________________________________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. |
