Free Republic

The Archdiocese of Santa Fe is asking parishes to help provide at least $12 million of $75 million needed to satisfy the terms of its Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings stemming from hundreds of clergy abuse lawsuits — and one method to help fund the debt will be to mortgage the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi. A June 17 letter from Archbishop John C. Wester informed parishes of the intention to mortgage the cathedral in Santa Fe, considered by many as the emotional and spiritual center for Roman Catholics in New Mexico. “If the market value is not enough...

[Catholic Caucus] Cardinals, theologians gather to plan how US church can support Pope FrancisCardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago celebrates Mass March 25 in Chicago. Cupich was among about 70 cardinals, bishops and theologians gathered privately March 25-26 for conversations focused on how the U.S. church can better support Pope Francis. (NCR screengrab)Chicago — A group of about 70 cardinals, bishops and theologians gathered privately for two days here from March 25-26 for conversations focused on how the U.S. Catholic Church can better support the agenda of Pope Francis.Through a series of keynote presentations and panel discussions centered on tracing the...

The Archdiocese of Santa Fe’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy efforts have plodded along for three years with no end visible in the case involving more than 400 clergy abuse victims. Lawyers say three years is a comparatively long time for Chapter 11 proceedings but is far from unheard of. It’s in everyone’s interests — the archdiocese’s and the victims’ — to resolve it through Chapter 11, attorneys say. Therefore, an eventual settlement is still expected. “The alternatives are so bad that it’s worth it to stay in the game,” Laura Coordes, associate professor of law at Arizona State University, said of...

US Catholic Bishops Attend Conference Promoting Same-Sex ‘Marriage’Heresy on full displayFrom June 21–24, the Association of United States Catholic Priests ("AUSCP") held its annual assembly in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Participating in the conference were at least three Catholic bishops: Abp. John Wester of Santa Fe, New Mexico; Bp. Richard Pates of Crookston, Minnesota; and Bp. William Wack of Pensacola, Florida.The Lepanto Institute was on location for the duration of the assembly, holding two Rosary rallies of reparation for the heresies and sacrileges being promoted by the AUSCP while further monitoring the AUSCP's activities. While the AUSCP has vocally supported homosexuality in...

Two US bishops back pro-LGBT campaign calling for acceptance of men who claim to be femaleBishops Wester and Stowe joined the Human Rights Campaign in calling for 'transgender individuals' to be 'treated with dignity and respect'April 9, 2021 (LifeSiteNews) — A U.S. Catholic archbishop along with a bishop and several priests joined up with the pro-LGBT Human Rights Campaign in releasing an April 1 letter affirming “transgender individuals” — men who claim they are women and women who claim they are men — while calling for an end to the “epidemic of violence” that they say such individuals face.“We, Bishops,...

Catholic bishops sign statement to LGBT youth: ‘God created you, God loves you.’A group of U.S. Catholic bishops, including a cardinal and an archbishop, have signed a statement of support for L.G.B.T. youth, telling them, “God created you, God loves you and God is on your side.”“As we see in the Gospels, Jesus Christ taught love, mercy and welcome for all people, especially for those who felt persecuted or marginalized in any way; and the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that LGBT people are to be treated with ‘respect, compassion and sensitivity,’” reads the statement, released by the Tyler...

EXCLUSIVE: Archbishop bans indoor Masses, leaves cathedral gift shop open for business Catholics are protesting, with one laywoman invoking Scripture: 'My house shall be called a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves.' SANTA FE, New Mexico, November 10, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — Archbishop John C. Wester recently suspended indoor public Mass and regular confession in the Archdiocese of Santa Fe for the express purpose of “protecting” people from the coronavirus, prompting public rosaries and petitions for the lifting of all restrictions on Mass and the sacraments. The Archdiocese of Santa Fe, meanwhile, has kept its...

[Catholic Caucus] Homo-Folly: Bishops and Priests Outbid Each Other in Gay Propaganda Jesuit Fordham University in New York produced a June 18 video as a compensation for the cancelled pro-gay Outreach 2020 conference. It contains short statements by the originally scheduled speakers who are outbidding each other in gay propaganda. The first is the inevitable James Martin who announces that Outreach 2020 has the support of New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan. Santa Fe Archbishop John Wester whines that “so many of our fellow Catholics" experience isolation and depression on an almost daily basis because of their "sexual orientation" or "gender...

SANTA FE, New Mexico, September 13, 2018 (LifeSiteNews) – A bishop known for his radical pro-LGBT views has issued a letter to the priests of his diocese ripping “conservative” bishops for statements critical of Pope Francis. Santa Fe Archbishop John Wester accuses “conservatives” within the Church of using recent revelations of homosexual abuse and subsequent cover ups in order to “further an agenda.” “Sadly, since the recent revelations of the Pennsylvania Grand Jury and the abuse committed by Archbishop Theodore E. McCarrick, there have been many who, it seems to me, have been using these tragedies to further an agenda,”...