Free Republic

The spirit of clericalism is an evil that is present in the Church today, Pope Francis said, and the victim of this spirit is the people, who feel discarded and abused. That was the Pope’s message in the homily at the morning Mass at the Casa Santa Marta. Among those taking part in the Mass were the members of the Council of cardinals, who are meeting with the Pope this week in Rome. In his homily, Pope Francis warned pastors of the dangers of becoming “intellectuals of religion” with a morality far from the Revelation of God. The poor and...

Many Judeo-Christian leaders speak out against abortion, but the few who advocate for abortion often are the ones who get the most media attention. On Monday in Kentucky, pro-abortion clergy held a rally at the State Capitol to advocate for abortion and other issues, the State-Journal reports. The event was called the Higher Ground Moral Day of Action, and it was held in conjunction with other rallies nation-wide. Led by clergy, the event highlighted the upcoming election and called on candidates and elected officials to uphold “the most sacred moral principles of our faith and constitutional values.” These included “the...

About a dozen pastors, including the Rev. Jim Velazquez of Temple Baptist Church of Santa Fe, complained during a gathering outside the state Capitol this week that under the Obama administration some Christians are being forced to comply with transgender-friendly policies that go against their religious beliefs. Baptist Pastor Franklin Raddish of Capitol Hill Independent Baptist Ministries in South Carolina helped lead what was billed as a Bible study session Thursday morning that drew about 13 people, most of them clergy. The event was a shot at President Obama’s May 13 order that directs public schools nationwide to allow transgender...

European borders are gradually becoming more opaque, as national governments struggle to come up with answers to the refugee crisis. The Catholic Church has criticized moves to limit the number of refugees entering the country. EurActiv Germany reports. According to the latest opinion polls, 75% of Austrians want the country to stop admitting refugees. Although their choice of words may differ, the two coalition partners appear to be working towards the same goal, namely, reducing the size of the influx of people. Minister of the Interior Johanna Mikl-Leitner (Austrian People's Party) has not minced her words and now has the...

When President Obama announced executive actions that would require that all firearm sales undergo background checks, he did so with the blessing of more than 50 faith communities. Vincent DeMarco, national coordinator of Faiths United to Prevent Gun Violence, a coalition of Baptists, Methodists, Catholics and Mennonites among others, said, "Since Congress won't do anything, he's doing the best that he can do, and we think that's wonderful." Archbishop Thomas Wenski said the nation's Catholic bishops "welcome reasonable efforts aimed at saving lives and making communities safer." Mr. Obama's move on guns also marked the reappearance of an old friend....

Planned Parenthood, which makes money from selling dead baby parts, has a Clergy Advocacy Board, which released a statement defending the abattoir.I tried to find the names of the board members, but came up with this when I clinked their link.  HEREI want to know who the Catholics are.A commentator (below) found it. I dates to April 2015, but we can assume it is still accurate for the most part.Here is a screen shot.

Roman Catholic Archbishop of Milwaukee Jerome E. Listecki, seen here in 2011, announced the archdiocese reached a $21 million settlement with 330 victims of sexual abuse by clergy members. Photo by Amg910/CC MILWAUKEE, Aug. 5 (UPI) -- The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee announced Tuesday it has agreed to pay $21 million to hundreds of victims of childhood sexual abuse by clergy, clearing the way for the archdiocese to emerge from its five-year bankruptcy. Under the agreement, 330 of the 570 who filed sexual abuse claims in the bankruptcy will get financial settlements of varying amounts determined by a court-ordered...

On Nov. 30 - Dec. 1, the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition is holding the First International Symposium on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide, which will take place at the Four Points by Sheraton - Toronto Airport Hotel. Most of the leaders of groups that oppose the legalization of euthanasia and assisted suicide will be speaking at this Symposium, including Bobby Schindler, the brother of Terri Schiavo, the Florida woman who was euthanized by dehydration in 2005. The following is an interview with Bobby Schindler that was conducted for Challenge magazine by Alex Schadenberg, the executive director of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition in...

Time for Clergy to “Man Up” – How the Exhortation of St. Catherine of Siena is Still Needed Today! By: Msgr. Charles PopeTrue sanctity does not easily fit into our notions of being merely nice or humble. The lives of the actual saints of the Church exude joy and can bring great encouragement to many around them. But it is also true that the great saints were irksome and unsettling to many. Most of the great saints had encountered the holiness of God and wanted to see that holiness be like a fire cast on the earth. When you really want...

Spy Wednesday and a Reflection on the Sins of the Clergy By: Msgr. Charles PopeWednesday of Holy Week is traditionally called “Spy Wednesday,” since it was on this day that Judas conspired with the Temple leadership to hand Jesus over. He would not accomplish his task until the evening of the next day, but this day he made the arrangements and was paid.One way to reflect on this terrible sin is to consider that Judas was among the first priests called by Jesus. We see in the call of the Apostles the establishment of the ministerial priesthood. Jesus called these men to...

No, the title of this article is not hyperbole and yes, the title is accurate. The IRS sometimes has their agents pose as clergymen to deceive church parishioners in attempts to gain information from them surreptitiously. I kid you not. Reverend Patrick Mahoney is the Director for the Christian Defense Coalition and he told the Christian Post that, “It is an absolute disgrace that IRS undercover agents can pose as members of the clergy. It is the role of government to protect religious freedom and the First Amendment, and not to use it to gather information and spy on American...

Truthfully, abortion and God don’t go too well together. But apparently, according to a new article on the pro-abortion website Think Progress titled, “God Loves Women Who Have Abortions': The Religious Abortion Advocates That History Forgot” more religious leaders should support “reproductive freedom.” The article presents three main points: God loves women who’ve had abortions, religious clergy joined the pro-abortion movement because too many women were dying from back alley abortions and historically the religious community has failed to love post-abortive women. First of all, of course God loves women who have had abortions, that’s NEVER been in question. Yet,...

Church leaders are upset after a recent article in The New York Times revealed that the Internal Revenue Service can use undercover agents disguised as members of the clergy as a means to gather privileged information. Following the Times' report last weekend that over 40 federal agencies use undercover agents disguised as attorneys, doctors, news media and other positions to gain access to privileged information, church leaders are appalled to find out that IRS agents are also allowed to pose as clergy, even though the agency doesn't have a crime-fighting function that warrants such a use of undercover tactics. In...

I am coming up on my first year as an ordained minister in a continuing Anglican church, and I have noticed that participating on political forums (even when the topic is religious) I find that my opinions and postings more often than not generate more hatred than anything else. Among the things I often hear are that the laity are the real priests and that I am a Pharisee, that my vocation disqualifies me from offering an opinion on anything Christian because I am too narrow minded, and (my personal favorite) because I look too Catholic I must be a...

In a historic vote, the Church of England today approved female bishops. The vote was far from even being close. Women will be bishops in the Church of England after a historic vote in the General Synod, ending 40 years of not being able to do so. An overwhelming 81 per cent of Synod members backed the change, during the sitting in York, and 75 per cent of the laity supported the move.There will no doubt be a great push of the Feminist movement to use this event to further their causes for whatever reasons they may be. There will...

Abortion giant Planned Parenthood is using God to target paying customers for abortion. Planned Parenthood pastoral letter Header. In a Pastoral Letter to Patients, Planned Parenthood tells women and girls in a crisis pregnancy that there is nothing in the scriptures that says abortion is wrong and that many clergy think abortion is okay: The decision to have an abortion is personal. Though your reasons may be complicated and private, you’re not alone. As religious leaders from a number of religious traditions, we’re here to support you in your decision. Many people wrongly assume that all religious leaders disapprove of...

A book published by Orbis Books is titled “Jesus Was An Immigrant”. What about it? A blurb for the book reads, “A Biblically grounded presentation of the value migrants, immigrants, and refugees bring to all of us.” Does the text also emphasize the Scripture that also urges rendering to Caesar what is Caesars and to obey those earthly laws that do not violate those of God?

Recent revelations of clergy sex abuse cases here and abroad have caused great distress among the people of God. There is simply no excuse for such offenses that can satisfy, and there should not be. The crime is bad enough but further charges of cover up cause even more distress and anger.But while the Church remains in the media focus, questions should also arise in the minds of all observers. Is the Church the only place where such things take place?Are the Church and Catholic Clergy worse offenders than, say, non-Catholic denominations and clergy, or public schools, or sports teams,...

Spy Wednesday Reflection: The Sins of the ClergyBy: Msgr. Charles Pope Wednesday of Holy Week is traditionally called “Spy Wednesday” since it is this day when Judas conspired with the Temple Leadership to hand Jesus over. He would accomplish his task the evening of the next day, but today he makes arrangements to hand Jesus over and is paid.One way to reflect on this terrible sin is to reflect that Judas was among the first priests called by Jesus. We see in the call of the Apostles the establishment of the ministerial priesthood. Jesus called these men to lead...

From the start of his tenure as the leader of L.A.'s Catholics, Roger Mahony had ambitious plans for the archdiocese. But clergy molestation claims were vying for his attention. A year after arriving in Los Angeles, the youngest archbishop in the U.S. Catholic Church had a schedule and an agenda befitting a presidential candidate. Roger Mahony raced around the city in a chauffeured sedan, exhorting labor leaders to support immigrant rights and rallying hundreds against a proposed prison in Boyle Heights. Where his predecessors had talked up praying the rosary, Mahony touted his positions on nuclear disarmament and Middle East...