1. A Belgian bishop says the Vatican has for years snubbed pleas to defrock a pedophile ex-colleague, By Raf Casert, Associated Press, September 27, 2023, 7:01 AM
A prominent Belgian bishop on Wednesday criticized the Vatican for failing to defrock a former bishop who admitted sexually abusing children, saying it had led to massive frustration with the highest Roman Catholic authorities.
Disgraced bishop Roger Vangheluwe, who was brought down by a sexual abuse scandal 13 years ago, became a symbol in Belgium of the Roman Catholic church’s hypocrisy in dealing with abuse in its own ranks.
“We, the (Belgian) bishops, have been asking for years for a reaction. The letters are there, the discussions. All noted down in lists. When will we have a reaction? And why don’t we get one?” Johan Bonny, the bishop of Antwerp, said on broadcaster VRT’s website.
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/09/27/vatican-belgium-child-sex-abuse-pedophile-bishop/437208b6-5d25-11ee-b961-94e18b27be28_story.html
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2. 4th Circuit to speed appeal in Montgomery County parents’ LGBTQ ‘opt-out’ case, Shortened timeline demonstrates importance of case, lawyers say, By Mark A. Kellner, The Washington Times, September 27, 2023
A lawsuit over the Montgomery County Public Schools’ refusal to allow parents to opt their children out of classes with LGBTQ lessons and books will get an expedited appeals hearing, the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals said Monday.
Attorney Eric Baxter of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, a public interest law firm involved in the appeal, reported the expedited status in a post on X. A Becket spokesman said word of the change came via email without a formal ruling by the appeals panel.
Mr. Baxter’s clients — Muslim, Christian and Jewish parents in the Montgomery County school district — want both advanced notice of the books and lessons and the right to take their children out of such instructional periods.
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https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2023/sep/25/fourth-circuit-speed-appeal-montgomery-county-pare/
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3. Anti-abortion groups demand liberal Wisconsin prosecutors charge abortion providers despite ruling, By Todd Richmond, Associated Press, September 26, 2023, 4:57 PM
A coalition of anti-abortion organizations on Tuesday demanded that prosecutors in Wisconsin’s two largest counties bring charges against abortion providers who have resumed practicing following a court ruling that consensual abortions are legal in the state.
Wisconsin Right to Life, Wisconsin Family Action and Pro-Life Wisconsin held a news conference in the state Capitol to call for Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne and Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm to prosecute abortion providers in their counties.
Ozanne and Chisholm, both Democrats, announced last year that they would permit abortions in their counties despite a 174-year-old state law that conservatives argue bans the procedure. Dane County Circuit Judge Diane Schlipper ruled this summer that consensual abortions are legal.
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/2023/09/26/wisconsin-abortion-lawsuit-1849-ban-prosecutors/9715dd98-5ca4-11ee-b961-94e18b27be28_story.html
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4. Family who fled Germany to home-school their kids faces deportation from the U.S., By Daniel Payne, Catholic News Agency, September 26, 2023, 3:20 PM
A German family that has lived in the United States for more than a decade after leaving their home country in order to legally home-school their children faces possible deportation next month, their supporters said.
The Romeikes — father Uwe, mother Hannelore, and their then-five children — fled Germany in 2009 over the country’s severe compulsory education laws, which effectively outlaw home schooling and require all children to attend school outside the home.
The evangelical Christian family has had two more children since arriving in the U.S. and made their home in Tennessee. The couple initially sought asylum from the federal government, claiming religious persecution from German authorities.
They were eventually granted indefinitely deferred action status by the Obama administration, allowing them to reside in the U.S. for more than a decade.
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https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255482/family-who-fled-germany-to-homeschool-their-kids-faces-deportation-from-the-us
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5. Cardinal Dolan says Biden ‘doesn’t take my calls’ on migrant crisis in New York City, By Joe Bukuras, Catholic News Agency, September 26, 2023, 4:08 PM
Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the archbishop of New York, said in an interview that President Joe Biden is ignoring his calls about the “tragic, broken” migrant system in the U.S., which has landed tens of thousands of migrants and refugees in New York City, filling shelters to capacity.
“He doesn’t take my calls or answer my letters,” the cardinal told the New York Post.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams said last week that 60,000 migrants who crossed the southern border are in New York City, while 10,000 more are expected to come each month. Adams’ office said in a press release last week that since the beginning of the crisis, more than 116,000 migrants have been housed in the city.
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https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255481/cardinal-dolan-says-biden-doesn-t-take-my-calls-on-migrant-crisis-in-nyc
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6. Lone Michigan Democrat holds up ‘extreme’ pro-abortion bill, By Jonah McKeown, Catholic News Agency, September 26, 2023, 5:45 PM
A Democratic state representative in Michigan, Karen Whitsett, has said she will not support a slate of pro-abortion bills being pushed by governor and fellow Democrat Gretchen Whitmer, citing her constituents’ wishes and her own support for the state’s 24-hour abortion waiting period.
Whitsett, who explained to CNA she was a survivor of rape who had an abortion, said she supports the idea of a waiting period for abortions to ensure that women are not being forced to abort their children.
“I don’t see anything wrong with being asked if you are being coerced into a termination,” she said, explaining why she plans to vote against that provision.
Since her announcement that she would not support the abortion bills, a coalition of pro-abortion groups have launched a campaign criticizing Whitsett, led by Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan, a group that characterized Whitsett’s stance a “betrayal.”
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https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255486/slate-of-extreme-abortion-bills-held-up-in-michigan-amid-partisan-deadlock
__________________________________________________________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. |
