Free Republic

Pastors who bully parishioners over masks appear to have forgotten the soul-saving mission of the church, and are instead tyrannizing those they should serve.Despite Texas Gov. Greg Abbot’s repeal of the state mask mandate, a pregnant Catholic mother was kicked out of Mass in the Diocese of Dallas for failing to wear a mask.Father Milton Ryan, pastor of Holy Trinity Catholic Parish, is alleged to have called the police while the service was underway and have the young mother threatened with arrest for trespass. Deidre Hairston returned to her pew after receiving communion, with her one-year-old baby in her arms,...

Five and a half years ago, reeling from weeks of embarrassing testimony about cover-ups and the largest clergy abuse judgment in history, Dallas Catholic Bishop Charles Grahmann cut a secret deal to resign. It wasn't Pope John Paul II forcing his hand, however. It was a group of influential laymen threatening to publicly denounce him – a group that today, concerned about resurgent scandal in the diocese and the bishop's refusal to yield to his Vatican-appointed successor, is finally talking. This is not the way things ordinarily work in the hierarchical Catholic Church. "Telling a bishop what to do is...

Officials say breach of abuse policy falls on cleric; he says move 'unfair' Officials of the Catholic Diocese of Dallas said this week they were stunned that parishioners of St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church appeared to be "making a martyr" of their priest while vilifying the officials for taking a tough stance on child abuse. In a rare joint interview, Bishop Charles V. Grahmann, Coadjutor Bishop Joseph Galante and Chancellor Mary Edlund offered a fuller explanation for the Rev. Stephen Bierschenk's reassignment for failing to do criminal history checks on church employees and volunteers. "The puzzle is why the people...