Free Republic

ALBANY, New York — The cathedral filled with applause as New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan placed the bishop's miter on the head of the Rev. Monsignor Edward Scharfenberger, ordained Thursday as the 10th bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Albany.Hundreds of white-robed priests and 34 bishops from across New York and New England participated in the Ordination Mass at the red-stone neo-Gothic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception near Albany's capitol complex.Scharfenberger, 65, of New York City, was appointed by Pope Francis to succeed Bishop Howard Hubbard, who was the longest-tenured bishop of a single diocese in the nation when...

Formal cooperation in another’s evil act (that is, undertaking to help expressly another to perform an act known to be evil) is itself evil. Davis, Moral and Pastoral Theology (1938), I: 341-342. There are no exceptions to this rule; no supervening circumstances can ever render formal cooperation in evil good.The use of [illegal] drugs “inflicts very grave damage on human health and life [and] . . . is a grave offense. Clandestine production and trafficking in drugs are scandalous practices. They constitute direct co-operation in evil, since they encourage people to practices gravely contrary to the moral law.” CCC...

The Roman Catholic Faithful (RCF) is simply what our name states: we are Catholics who are faithful to the teachings of the Holy Father and the Magisterium of the Roman Catholic Church. Some of our members are priests, others are religious, but most are ordinary laity. Our diverse membership has a common goal -- to fight actively and spiritually to restore Holy Mother Church. The following was originally published in monthly installments through The Wanderer. A word of caution. This is a lengthy but riveting article. Agony in Albany

ALBANY -- A distraught clergy sex abuse victim has threatened to kill Bishop Howard Hubbard if his alleged abuser is cleared of sexual misconduct allegations, according to attorney John Aretakis.Without naming the victim or the priest, Aretakis sent a Jan. 15 letter to Hubbard's lawyer, Michael Costello, apprising him of the threat. Aretakis, who represents a number of clergy sex abuse victims, said he does not think the threat is credible, but said he still felt a warning to Hubbard was warranted."I feel a moral obligation to pass this information on," Aretakis said in the letter. "Please (tell) Bishop Hubbard...

Judge accused of bias quits 3 diocese cases Albany -- Recusal comes after plaintiffs' lawyer asks appeals court to oust jurist from civil lawsuits By ANDREW TILGHMAN, Staff writer First published: Friday, March 14, 2003 RELATED STORIES •  Senate bill targets clergy sex abuse •  Leaders support mandated reports •  Lawyer for clergy victims cites 'bias' •  Albany diocese attorney has ties to Senate State Supreme Court Justice Joseph Teresi has removed himself from three lawsuits involving the Albany Diocese, stepping aside amid questions about his impartiality and his alleged secret communications with church officials.Teresi's recusal came two days...