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[Catholic Caucus] "We wish to raise our grave concern over the apostolic visitation to Bishop Strickland." His Excellency Archbishop Christophe Pierre Apostolic Nuncio of the United States of America Apostolic Nunciature 3339 Massachusetts Ave NW Washington, DC 20008-3610Via Email nuntiususa@nuntiususa.orgRE: Apostolic Visitation of the Diocese of Tyler, Texas Your Excellency, Archbishop Pierre:This letter is offered in fidelity to Christ and His Church on behalf of the Catholic faithful in the Diocese of Tyler, Texas. We respectfully address this matter consistent with our rights and in obedience to our obligations under the Canon Law of the Catholic Church, particularly Canons 208-223,...

Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence Condemn Pope Francis for “Anti-Catholic” Campaign Against NunsSr. Tequila Nastypants, Mother Superior of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, came out swinging at a press event last evening, criticizing Pope Francis for his attacks on conservative religious orders in the Catholic Church:Yeah, we poke filthy fun at nuns, and prance around in outrageous costumes doing obscene, sacrilegious things. But Pope Francis has sent in henchmen to interrogate sincere, traditional nuns. Then he closed down their communities, seized their facilities, and essentially turned them out on the street to fend for themselves. We’d never do that. It’s just...

The Sino-Vatican Pact fails again: an appeal from the Catholic Church in ChinaThis has been written by a Chinese Catholic, to whom we have for obvious reasons granted anonymity.The translation of Bishop Shen Bin from the Diocese of Haimen to the nearby diocese of Shanghai on 4th April 2023 marks the failure of the secret Sino-Vatican agreement of 2018. Diocesan priests in Shanghai are mostly reluctant to accept Bishop Shen Bin as the bishop of Shanghai, and it seems difficult for Bishop Shen to execute his governance such as transferring the priests among parishes. The appointment was made, without the...

WSJ: Pope Francis Has Undermined His Moral Authority by Pandering to ChinaROME — The editors of the Wall Street Journal have published a searing indictment of Pope Francis, insisting he has undermined the Church’s moral authority by pandering to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).The case in point is the Vatican’s renewal Saturday of its secret agreement with the CCP on the appointment of bishops in the country, which since its inception in 2018 has resulted in the ordination of just 6 bishops, despite some 36 vacant episcopal sees.The chief fruit of the accord has instead been “to mute Vatican criticism...

China Snubs Pope, Enforces New Clergy LawsChinese Communist Party rips to shreds secret concordat with VaticanBEIJING (ChurchMilitant.com) - In a further blow to Pope Francis' secret Sino-Vatican concordat, China is enforcing new draconian laws compelling clergy to "practice the core values of communism" and promote the "sinicization of religion" — under threat of criminal sanctions.Police remove a cross from a church in China The Measures for the Administration of Religious Clergy, issued by the Communist Party of China's (CCP) State Bureau of Religious Affairs (SBRA), came into force on May 1 — creating an "Orwellian system of surveillance" and tightening...

[Catholic Caucus] Cardinal Zen expresses ‘pain and indignation’ at St. Peter’s Basilica private Mass restrictionsCardinal Joseph Zen on Tuesday expressed “pain and indignation” at restrictions on private Masses in St. Peter’s Basilica.The former bishop of Hong Kong said March 30 that if he could, he would fly to Rome and kneel outside the pope’s residence until the decree was withdrawn.He wrote: “Pain and indignation invade my heart to hear certain incredible news: They have forbidden private masses in St. Peter’s!?” “If it were not for the restrictions imposed by the coronavirus, I would take the first flight to come to...

[Catholic Caucus] Exclusive. Cardinal Sarah Asks the Pope to Lift the Ban on “Individual” Masses at St. Peter'sFor a week now, the basilica of St. Peter has been a silent desert. It is no longer enlivened, every morning, by the many Masses celebrated on its numerous altars. And all this on account of an ordinance issued on March 12 by the first section of the secretariat of state - the one that through the substitute has a direct line to the pope - that has banned all “individual” Masses and allowed only collective Masses, no more than four per day...