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That's the easy question. Bishop Joseph Martino was pushed into resignation at the age of 63. No intelligent observer can credit the official explanation: that Bishop Martino retired because of health problems. The outgoing bishop openly acknowledged to reporters that he "clearly" was not suffering from any grave illness. Clearly Bishop Martino was under a great deal of pressure, and therefore it is not difficult to believe that he suffered from insomnia and fatigue: the only medical complaints that were mentioned in the press conference announcing his departure. But while those are serious problems, they are not ordinarily serious enough...

Pope Benedict XVI on Monday accepted the early retirement of a northeastern Pennsylvania bishop who critics say alienated parishioners with his leadership style. The brief announcement, keeping to Vatican tradition, did not say why Bishop Joseph Martino, 63, submitted his resignation. The usual retirement age for bishops is 75. Martino, who was installed in 2003, has been a controversial, conservative leader of the diocese that serves 350,000 parishioners. Earlier this year, he blasted a local Catholic university for sponsoring a lecture by a gay-rights advocate. He also threatened to cancel a traditional St. Patrick's Day parade Mass if parade organizers...

Bishop Joseph F. Martino said today that the decision by King’s College to have Sen. Robert Casey serve as commencement speaker on May 17 is, in view of his affirmative vote for Kathleen Sebelius as Secretary of Health and Human Services, an affront to all who value the sanctity of life. Previously, the Bishop had asked Sen. Casey to reflect on his oft-stated pro-life beliefs and oppose the nomination of Gov. Sebelius who as a Catholic has been a committed advocate of abortion while she served as governor of Kansas. It is the Bishop’s position that his vote on April...

Bishop Joseph F. Martino and Auxiliary Bishop John M. Dougherty have joined more than a dozen bishops who are protesting the University of Notre Dame’s decision to honor President Barack Obama at commencement next month. In a letter to the university’s president, which the Diocese of Scranton released Thursday, Bishops Martino and Dougherty call Mr. Obama being the school’s commencement speaker and recipient of an honorary doctorate “truly shameful” and “a scandal to the Church.” “The numerous, repeated and extensive anti-life positions taken by President Obama merit his recognition as an unequalled, prominent proponent of the culture of death in...

Senator Bob Casey Jr. proclaims his pro-life credentials but fails to vote in a consistent manner to defend the fundamental right to life. He also missed an extraordinary opportunity to undo the injustice done to his father all those years ago at another Democratic Convention, when he spoke at the one in 2008. He failed to do so and many, including this writer, were deeply disappointed. He has come under increasing criticism as he defends the Administrations indefensible anti-right to life agenda and is regularly rolled out as one of President Obama’s Catholic supporters. Senator Casey has also been consistently...

A very dear friend of mine, an evangelical Protestant minister who is a Champion of Life, commented to me upon reading it, “Boy, does this Pope know how to Pope!” In this instance, my reaction to Bishop Joseph Martino’s continued defense of the truth in his Diocese was “Boy does this Bishop know how to Bishop!” And further, how desperately we all need him - and others like him - as we walk through the smoke of what Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, right before he was elected to the Chair of Peter, prophetically called “the dictatorship of relativism.” The latest news...

SCRANTON, Pa. (AP) — The bishop's threat was almost incomprehensible. In this heavily Roman Catholic city, where tens of thousands of people pack downtown for the annual St. Patrick's parade, Mass would be canceled that day if organizers honored an abortion-rights supporter. The warning — seen by some as a reference to Vice President Joe Biden, a native son — was the latest in a series of tough stands by Bishop Joseph Martino, who is establishing himself as one of the nation's most outspoken defenders of Catholic orthodoxy. Supporters say he is simply enforcing church teachings to counter "cafeteria Catholics,"...

Statement of the Diocese of Scranton in Response to Misericordia University’s Plans to Host Speaker Keith Boykin "Misericordia University’s Diversity Institute is twice providing at the University on February 17, 2009, a platform for Keith Boykin. "Mr. Boykin has authored three books and all three have been nominated for a Lambda Literary award. Lambda is a legal advocacy effort for homosexual causes. Mr. Boykin is an avid supporter of same sex marriage and is an activist for positions disturbingly opposed to Catholic moral teaching. "Bishop Martino wants Catholics of the Diocese of Scranton to know of his absolute disapproval of...

Keith Boykin Scranton, Pa., Feb 19, 2009 / 04:06 am (CNA).- Bishop Joseph F. Martino has issued a statement informing Catholics of his diocese that he has “absolute disapproval” of Misericordia University’s hosting of Keith Boykin, described as an activist for positions “disturbingly opposed” to Catholic moral teaching.In the diocese’s statement, Bishop Martino warned that in this instance the university is “seriously failing” to maintain its Catholic identity. The statement noted that all three of Boykin’s books have been nominated for the Lambda Literary Award, which is given by a legal advocacy effort on behalf of homosexual causes.The diocese...

Misericordia University, as a Catholic institution, has a responsibility for helping the community achieve these goals. However, precisely because it is a Catholic institution, it also has a responsibility to transmit Catholic teaching to its students in ways that are not ambiguous or confusing. SCRANTON, PA (Catholic Online) - Once again, Bishop Joseph Martino has acted in a manner which not only displays fidelity to his teaching office as a Catholic Bishop but great courage - in an age too often characterized by its opposite, cowardice. He has released further reflections on the issue of properly teaching authentic diversity and...

Bishop Joseph F. Martino has taken an administrative step toward fulfilling his vow to deny Holy Communion to Roman Catholic lawmakers who support abortion rights. The prelate published an official notice in the diocesan newspaper on Thursday reminding all Eucharistic ministers of their duty to follow Catholic law and refuse Holy Communion to anyone, specifically Catholic lawmakers, whose “unworthiness” to receive the sacrament is “known publicly.” “No one having accepted this responsibility (of administering Holy Communion) has the right to ignore the Church’s law in this regard,” the bishop told the ministers. The notice, signed by diocesan chancellor James B....

Vice President Joe Biden’s sister and mother will be honored by the Society of Irish Women at its annual St. Patrick’s Day dinner, a society founder confirmed Friday. Valerie Biden Owens, Mr. Biden’s sister and lifelong campaign manager, will be a principal speaker at the event. Jean Finnegan Biden, Mr. Biden’s mother, will be an honored guest. She will sit at the head table but will not give a speech, said Evie Rafalko McNulty, one of the society’s founders. “Oh, my God, it’s wonderful, because she is Scranton; she’s from Scranton,” Mrs. McNulty said about the confirmation that Mrs. Biden...

SCRANTON, Pennsylvania, February 27, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Pro-life leaders across the country are hailing Scranton Bishop Joseph Martino for his recent salvo against public anti-life and anti-family forces in the Scranton diocese.Bishop Martino has attracted national attention for his fearless pastoral work on several occasions in the past few weeks.  Known to be a staunch defender of the Church's teaching on life, Martino made that teaching abundantly clear earlier this month to Sen. Bob Casey, a Scranton parishioner who had voted against restoring the Mexico City Policy. In a letter to the Senator, the bishop urged him to rescind his vote...

My letter of January 30 urging you to rescind your vote on the Mexico City Policy was in no way mistaken regarding the nature and the effect of President Obama’s order to rescind America’s long-standing policy to avoid using U.S. tax dollars to support organizations that promote abortion abroad. It is imperative that this fact be made known to the public. It is also imperative that there be utter clarity when it comes to the teaching of the Church on matters that pertain to the taking of innocent life and the special responsibilities that fall to you, Senator, as a...

Bishop Joseph F. Martino could strip Misericordia University and other local colleges of their status as Catholic institutions if he believes they are no longer true to Catholic teachings, according to several Catholic officials. The bishop has publicly criticized the appearance of gay-rights advocate Keith Boykin, a best-selling author, television commentator and founder of the National Black Justice Coalition, who spoke at two forums at Misericordia this month. In a statement released by the Diocese of Scranton on Tuesday, the bishop asked the school “to seriously consider discontinuing its Diversity Institute” and conveyed that students should learn respect for all...

Two key items showed up on the Diocese of Scranton's 2009 page for Press Releases, both with today's date of February 26, 2009: 1) A 2nd letter sent to Senator Bob Casey from Bishop Martino and, 2) An Official Notice on worthy reception of Holy Communion which states that "all ministers of Holy Communion, ordinary and extraordinary" are to deny Communion to those whose worthiness to receive Holy Communion is publicly known.

In response to Misericordia University’s assertion that it “is committed deeply to its Catholic mission,” Bishop Joseph F. Martino observes that the institution should convey to its alumni, and in fact to all the faithful of the Diocese of Scranton, its efforts to teach Catholic morality regarding sexuality and homosexuality. In doing this, the Bishop believes the school should speak precisely, naming courses, content and even catalog numbers. Bishop Martino’s position at this time follows his “absolute disapproval” of the university’s hosting of Keith Boykin, a proponent of morality that is disturbingly opposed to Catholic teaching. Bishop Martino is also...

Bishop Joseph F. Martino is calling on Misericordia University to “seriously consider discontinuing its Diversity Institute,” which hosted a gay-rights speaker earlier this month. The bishop has publicly criticized the appearance of Keith Boykin, a best-selling author, television commentator and founder of the National Black Justice Coalition. Now Bishop Martino wants to ensure other speakers like Mr. Boykin do not receive a platform at Misericordia again. The Diversity Institute, which has a primary goal of working with community members to promote multicultural understanding and the elimination of all forms of discrimination, invited Mr. Boykin to speak at two functions on...

The president of the St. Patrick’s Parade Association expects the group to be in compliance with the demands of Bishop Joseph F. Martino. Though the group’s board must still vote on whom to honor, it is unlikely the group will choose to honor elected officials who support abortion rights, Mike Harrity, president of the association, said Friday. The diocese issued a letter warning Irish-American groups that the bishop may close St. Peter’s Cathedral during St. Patrick’s Day celebrations if pro-choice honorees are selected. “We are fully supporting the bishop’s position,” Mr. Harrity said. Mr. Harrity said he could not recall...

Bishop Martino is making news again. He sent a letter to the President of the “Friendly Sons of St. Patrick of Lackawanna County”, Mr. John Keeler. The letter begins “Saint Peter’s Cathedral in Scranton plays no small role in the local annual observance of St. Patrick’s day. It has been the practice to offer Holy Mass there prior the St. Patrick’s Day Parade and on the Feast day itself”. The Bishops concern is that Catholic politicians who are in open defiance of the Church’s teaching on the fundamental right to life will be featured at these events, honored, and worse...