Free Republic

April 27, 2005 -- A group of teenage girls accused of a racially motivated attack on six Catholic schoolgirls have been offered a deal that could land them in jail for up to a year and a half. City lawyers put out the offer yesterday, but the five suspects and their attorneys have until their next scheduled court appearance on June 1 to accept or reject the offer for a guilty plea of assault as a hate crime. The charge carries an 18-month maximum sentence, but the judge in the case could impose a lighter sentence. The five suspects —...

Cites concerns about Roman Catholics, other faiths KEN GARFIELD Staff Writer One of Charlotte's best-known churches has withdrawn support for a food pantry that serves the needy because the pantry works with Roman Catholics. Central Church of God explained its decision in a letter March 1 from minister of evangelism Shannon Burton to Loaves & Fishes in Charlotte: "As a Christian church, we feel it is our responsibility to follow closely the (principles) and commands of Scripture. To do this best, we feel we should abstain from any ministry that partners with or promotes Catholicism, or for that matter, any...

Confidential letter reveals Ratzinger ordered bishops to keep allegations secret Pope Benedict XVI faced claims last night he had 'obstructed justice' after it emerged he issued an order ensuring the church's investigations into child sex abuse claims be carried out in secret. The order was made in a confidential letter, obtained by The Observer, which was sent to every Catholic bishop in May 2001. It asserted the church's right to hold its inquiries behind closed doors and keep the evidence confidential for up to 10 years after the victims reached adulthood. The letter was signed by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger,...

Sun Apr 24 2005 09:24:57 ET New York -- In the days before the conclave, almost every Cardinal who deigned to speak to the press declared that he was praying to the Holy Spirit for guidance in choosing the successor to John Paul II. The Holy Spirit’s efforts in this particular case began 18 months ago, with a stealth campaign that in the end transfigured an unpalatable candidate into the inevitable Pontiff, turning Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger of Germany into Pope Benedict XVI, TIME Rome Bureau Chief Jeff Israely reports in this week’s cover package on Pope Benedict XVI. The momentum,...