Pope Francis calling out the church at his Xmas mass and reports of priests sexually abusing nuns. We visited the Vatican this year and we were told that the Pope lives in a the Vatican guest hous and spends most of his times with the nuns. The former pope lives in the papal palace and Francis is much more in touch with what is happening on the ground level than any Pope before him. He did invite the Cardinal he defrocked and accused of financial improprieties at the Vatican less than a year ago. The criminal case against him is still ongoing with him claiming innocence. I am sure tha tmajor power alliances are working to steer that case. Pope denounces psychological abuse as Jesuit case rocks Church (msn.com) VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Thursday denounced psychological violence and abuse of power in the Church, as the case of a prominent priest accused of exploiting his authority to sexually abuse nuns has rocked the Vatican. The 86-year-old pope made his comments in his annual Christmas address to cardinals, bishops and other members of the Curia, the central administration of the Vatican. ................................ Although he did not specifically refer to this, the Jesuit order, of which the pope is a member, has been rattled in recent weeks by the case of Father Marko Ivan Rupnik, a Slovenian priest known in the Church for his artwork, including the designing of a chapel in the Vatican. Rupnik has been accused of psychologically and sexually abusing nuns in Slovenia three decades ago while he was the spiritual director of their convent there.
other items of note Pope Francis removes Tagle, other leaders from Caritas Internationalis (cnnphilippines.com) Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 23) — Pope Francis has ordered the removal of Caritas Internationalis leaders, including Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle as president, and appointed a temporary administrator, citing the need to “revise the current regulatory framework” for the renewal of the confederation. “It would appear necessary to revise the current regulatory framework to make it more appropriate to the statutory functions of the organization, and to prepare it for the elections to be held at the next General Assembly,” read a copy of the decree released by the Vatican on Wednesday. Secretary General Aloysius John, who was elected in a contested vote in 2019, was also among those ousted from the leadership of the confederation of Catholic relief and social services organizations. "With the entry into force of this measure, the Members of the Representative Council and the Executive Council, the President and Vice Presidents, the Secretary General, the Treasurer and the Ecclesiastical Assistant shall cease from their respective offices," the decree added. The Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, in a Nov. 22 statement, clarified an independent review found “no evidence emerged of financial mismanagement or sexual impropriety.”
Pope Francis Accepts Resignation Of Conservative African Cardinal : NPR Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Cardinal Robert Sarah of Guinea as head of the Vatican's liturgy department, removing a conservative who was seen as an opponent of the pontiff's vision for the church. In a statement released on Saturday, the Holy See Press Office announced that Sarah had stepped down from his leadership position. The Vatican did not provide any reason for his resignation or name a successor. Sarah submitted his resignation as required by church law last June when he turned 75. But cardinals are often allowed to remain in their posts for a few years longer, according to The Wall Street Journal. ................................... By accepting the cardinal's resignation, Pope Francis ousted a proponent of more traditional Catholic liturgy. Sarah is considered a staunch conservative and has been seen as a possible future pontiff. In 2014, Pope Francis appointed Sarah as prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. However, as the Journal notes, it became clear that the African cardinal and the pope shared very different visions on theological matters, including on topics such as homosexuality and the church's relationship with the Muslim world.
There are few things worse than using the position of being in the church hierarchy (catholic or otherwise) to sexually abuse or exploit others; especially children.
The OP talks about criminal activity and abuse. They should lead to conviction. Not sure what the 2nd two posts have to do with anything.
Great thread. Pope Francis is a prophetic voice, and in a lighter note, just celebrated a birthday one day before his beloved Argentine team won the cup
Seems like we see headlines like yours on a regular basis, though it usually involves children. For God's sake - literally - why doesn't that religion allow priests to marry!?! I doubt God is very happy with the church hierarchy, which seems more about ceremony that Christ's message.
It's complicated. Don't necessarily disagree. And there are licitly openly married Catholic priests (Orthodox that convert). But change is slow
??? I post a pretty wide range of topics. We visited the Vatican this summer and went on a guided tour. Took our guide and his wife out to dinner. The power factions there and the history of the papalcy and the power it did/does yield is fascinating. Pope's have greenlighted family assassinations (Medici family among others) and have toppled kingdoms. Ranks on the most powerful organization in human history so when the pope dressed down the structure that has lost sight of the true message it seems like a worthwhile topic to discuss.
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis warned Vatican bureaucrats on Thursday to beware the devil that lurks among them, saying it is an “elegant demon” that works in people who have a rigid, holier-than-thou way of living the Catholic faith. Francis used his annual Christmas greeting to the Roman Curia to again put the cardinals, bishops and priests who work in the Holy See on notice that they are by no means beyond reproach and are, in fact, particularly vulnerable to evil. Francis told them that by living in the heart of the Catholic Church, “we could easily fall into the temptation of thinking we are safe, better than others, no longer in need of conversion.” “Yet we are in greater danger than all others, because we are beset by the ‘elegant demon,’ who does not make a loud entrance, but comes with flowers in his hand,” Francis told the churchmen in the Hall of Blessings of the Apostolic Palace.
My only regretful thought reading these words is that he was elected to reign in the princely clericalism and has made great progress but the resistance has been powerful. But I don’t see his successors going back to the palace lifestyle. I do worry he may be stepping down too soon
