http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/priests/ en-us Sun, 22 Nov 2009 21:24:11 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2392208/posts OVER 4,000 Anglican priests all over the world, including married ones, are expected to join the Catholic Church, Bishop Matthias Ssekamanya announced on Friday. Ssekamanya, who doubles as the chancellor of Uganda Martyrs University, said this does not mean that the Catholic Church is removing the requirement for priests to remain unmarried. “We are not becoming soft on celibacy for Catholic priests. We shall also not tolerate homosexuals and polygamous marriages in the Catholic Church,” he added. He was officiating at the 15th graduation ceremony of the Nkozi-based university. Vatican officials announced that married Anglican priests would be allowed to... Sunday Vision http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2392208/posts#comment Sun, 22 Nov 2009 21:24:11 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2391659/posts WILMINGTON, Del.-- The Catholic Diocese of Wilmington is obligated to pay retirement benefits to six priests who are confirmed pedophiles, church officials argued in a bankruptcy court filing Thursday seeking permission to keep making the payments. After filing for bankruptcy last month, the diocese agreed not to make payments to priests accused of sexual abuse without court approval. That agreement was made after objections were raised by attorneys for alleged abuse victims who now sit on a creditors committee. Attorneys for the diocese now seek authorization to provide pensions, housing costs and medical coverage to six confirmed child abusers. They... The Sudbury Staer http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2391659/posts#comment Sat, 21 Nov 2009 21:29:17 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2390862/posts A Russian Orthodox priest, Fr. Daniel Sysoyev, who carried out missionary work among immigrants from ex-Soviet republics, many of them Muslims, received over a dozen death threats before his murder on Thursday, a Russian paper said. Fr. Daniel of St. Thomas Church in Moscow foresaw his death, writing in his internet diary that he had received telephone threats from Muslims. Fr. Daniel’s evening ‘talks’ for inquirers included several especially designed for Muslims. RIA Novosti http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2390862/posts#comment Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:46:15 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2388810/posts Researchers at New York's John Jay College of Criminal Justice, reporting initial findings in their look into causes of the Catholic church's 2002 sexual-abuse scandal, yesterday said they can't attribute it to gay priests or seminaries for teenagers. "We do not have data to support ... those assertions," said Karen Terry, lead researcher for the $1.8 million study commissioned by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, which is meeting this week in Baltimore. Dr. Terry presented her interim report on the same day that the bishops conference also adopted a pastoral letter on marriage and a statement on reproductive technologies... Pittsburgh Post-Gazette http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2388810/posts#comment Wed, 18 Nov 2009 06:48:43 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2387768/posts Acting Bishop of Basrah, Imad Al Banna, holds a Catholic Mass at Contingency Operating Base Adder, Nov. 7. Banna also had lunch with troops and civilians and was given a Liberty Bell statuette by the 28th Combat Air Brigade, Pennsylvania National Guard. Photo by Sgt. Matthew Jones, 28th Combat Aviation Brigade. COB ADDER — The acting Bishop of Basrah held Catholic Mass here in honor of the service members and civilians working toward a safer, more secure Iraq, Nov. 7. Bishop Imad Al Banna, a Chaldean priest, spoke Aramaic, an ancient language spoken in Palestine 2,000 years ago and still... Multi-National Force - Iraq http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2387768/posts#comment Mon, 16 Nov 2009 23:17:25 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2387682/posts Former Episcopalians who have found a traditional refuge in Catholicism, where the priesthood remains closed to women and openly gay clergy, are applauding the Vatican’s plan to help additional dissatisfied conservatives convert. But while the welcome extends to married priests — a narrow loophole in the Catholic Church’s celibacy requirement — most of those who have already converted say they want to remain rare exceptions. “We trust the church’s wisdom regarding the discipline of celibacy,” said the Rev. D. Paul Sullins, who left the Episcopal Church 10 years ago with his wife and recently surveyed his colleagues on this issue.... Religion News Service http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2387682/posts#comment Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:50:04 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2385528/posts The official Vatican guide to the celebration of the traditional Latin Mass has arrived on YouTube, where you can find long sections of Ecclesia Dei’s DVD about the Extraordinary Form. The clip below shows a priest saying the canon of the Mass. Coming soon to a church near you? Not if certain bishops can help it. The Daily Telegraph (UK) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2385528/posts#comment Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:43:09 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2370180/posts Priesthood Sunday - October 25, 2009 Priesthood Sunday, is a special day to honor Priesthood in the United States. It is a call for parishioners to honor Christ as Priest and the men who were called to be his priests on earth. It is also a day to honor all religious and to focus on the importance of vocations. Catholic Scout Packs, Troops and Venture Crews are encouraged to make a special effort to involve the youth in programs of making appreciation cards to be presented after Mass on the last Sunday in October or at an event planned in... NCCS-bsa.org http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2370180/posts#comment Sat, 24 Oct 2009 21:32:23 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2367435/posts The Archdiocese of New Orleans and its charitable arm, Catholic Charities, said Tuesday they will pay $5.182 million to an undisclosed number of adults who claimed that years ago as children they were beaten, berated and sexually molested at two Catholic orphanages that were supposed to shelter them because their families were in disarray. The archdiocese announced a package settlement of 20 lawsuits, most of them filed by adults alleging that in the 1950s and 1960s they were abused at Madonna Manor and nearby Hope Haven on the West Bank. "I hope these mediations and negotiations will bring some peace... The (New Orleans) Times-Picayune http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2367435/posts#comment Wed, 21 Oct 2009 13:23:43 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2360353/posts Jews in the town of Mitzpe Yericho are taking practical steps to prepare for the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem, by preparing descendents of Cohanim (priests) and Levites for service. At the Mitzpe Yericho school, Temple priest hopefuls learn exactly how to conduct the daily Temple service and offer the required sacrifices. Arutz Sheva http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2360353/posts#comment Mon, 12 Oct 2009 03:13:21 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2348990/posts Bl. Fr. Damien de Veuster Honolulu, Hawaii, Sep 26, 2009 / 01:08 pm (CNA).- Eleven elderly leprosy patients from Hawaii will travel to the Vatican for the canonization ceremony of Fr. Damien de Veuster, the heroic priest who cared for leprosy patients in Hawaii and died of the disease. The patients’ attending doctor called Fr. Damien their “personal saint.”The Belgian-born priest is a hero in Hawaii for caring for those victims banished to the isolated Kalaupapa peninsula. Native Hawaiians were devastated by leprosy, which appeared after the arrival of Captain James Cook in 1778.About 90 percent of the approximately... cna http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2348990/posts#comment Sat, 26 Sep 2009 19:56:47 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2346406/posts SAUK CITY -- At a recent Mass at St. Aloysius Catholic Church, the Rev. John Blewett urged parishioners to emulate their savior and stand firm on matters of church doctrine. ...Blewett and his fellow members of the Society of Jesus Christ the Priest, a religious group based in Spain. Beginning in 2006, Bishop Robert Morlino invited priests from the society to serve in the Madison Catholic Diocese, and in the ensuing years, they have thrilled some and dismayed others with their staunch Catholicism and tough-love approach.... The priests no longer let girls be altar servers, and they have dispensed with... WiscNews.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2346406/posts#comment Wed, 23 Sep 2009 15:31:52 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2339391/posts Vatican City, Sep 14, 2009 / 11:20 am (CNA).- A rare event took place at St. Peter's Basilica on Saturday when Pope Benedict XVI consecrated five priests who had served in the Vatican's government as bishops.Three of the newly consecrated bishops will be serving as diplomats for the Church, one will continue to work in the Roman Curia and one will take up service as a diocesan bishop. The prelates had worked in the Secretariat of State, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and the Governorate of Vatican City State. The new papal nuncios are: Archbishops Gabriele Giordano... cna http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2339391/posts#comment Mon, 14 Sep 2009 17:03:37 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2312209/posts The Priesthood — A Priceless Gift July 1st, 2009 by Gary Zimak On June 19, 2009 Pope Benedict XVI commemorated the official start of “The Year Of The Priest”. This year is dedicated to increasing “spiritual perfection” in priests, but it is also a time for the both the clergy and laity to reflect on the importance of the priesthood. In order to better appreciate the Catholic priesthood, let’s look at its origin, purpose and impact on our lives.The Catholic priesthood has its roots in the priesthood of the Old Covenant. The great Jesuit theologian, Fr. John Hardon, observed that... CatholicExchange.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2312209/posts#comment Mon, 10 Aug 2009 00:36:28 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2301565/posts Eucharistic Season in the Year of the Priesthood By Father Mark on July 26, 2009 10:07 AM | The Seventeenth Sunday of the Year B The First of Five Sundays Focusing on the Mystery of the Most Holy Eucharist in the Sixth Chapter of Saint John's Gospel A Midsummer Eucharistic SeasonEvery three years when the B cycle of the Sunday Lectionary returns, the Church interrupts her reading of Saint Mark's Gospel to spend five weeks listening to the magnificent sixth chapter of Saint John: Our Lord's discourse on the Bread of Life. These five Sundays -- the 17th through the... Vultis Christi http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2301565/posts#comment Sun, 26 Jul 2009 21:43:24 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2297986/posts The morning sun has barely crept above the horizon when 13 beginning seminarians emerge from dormitory rooms and wander into the chapel of their religious compound. "God our Father . . . let not temptation ever quench the fire that your love has kindled within us," they recite from their liturgy books. Inside the Junipero Serra House of Formation, at the base of a rock-strewn mountain 60 miles east of Los Angeles, these men -- the youngest just 19 -- are getting their first taste of the priesthood, devoting themselves to prayer, obedience and celibacy. They are a precious commodity... Los Angeles Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2297986/posts#comment Wed, 22 Jul 2009 03:01:45 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2284480/posts I begin by asking all of our readers to pray for Fr. Geoffrey Farrow. He was the pastor of the St. Paul Newman Center at California State University at Fresno until he was suspended by his Bishop and removed from his position. This strong action was required and intended to be remedial, as are all canonical sanctions. Fr. Farrow openly defies the teaching of the Catholic Church concerning marriage and human sexuality. He also openly condemns the Catholic Church in public for her defense of marriage. Let me be clear, Fr. Farrow needs our prayer. We ask the Lord to... Catholic Online http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2284480/posts#comment Thu, 2 Jul 2009 23:42:09 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2283539/posts Sam Miller is a prominent Cleavland businessman. He is also Jewish. His essay was sent to me by a friend who didn't give any information about where he found it. —————————————————————————————— Why would newspapers carry on a vendetta on one of the most important institutions that we have today in the United States, namely the Catholic Church? Do you know—the Catholic Church educates 2.6 million students everyday at the cost to your Church of 10 billion dollars, and a savings on the other hand to the American taxpayer of 18 billion dollars. Your graduates go on to graduate studies at... The Priestly Pugilist http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2283539/posts#comment Wed, 1 Jul 2009 20:23:56 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2277479/posts NEW HOPE, Minnesota, JUNE 22, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Father Timothy Vakoc, an Army chaplain who was injured in Iraq in 2004, passed away Saturday at the age of 49. The priest's personalized CaringBridge Web site reported that he was "surrounded by family and friends who prayed him into heaven" at St. Therese nursing home in New Hope He was wounded on May 29, the 12th anniversary of his priestly ordination, when his humvee was struck by roadside bomb while returning from celebrating Mass for the soldiers in Mosul. The chaplain was transported through Germany back to Washington D.C., having lost an... Zenit News Agency http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2277479/posts#comment Tue, 23 Jun 2009 13:30:59 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2276583/posts ST. PAUL (AP) ― Click to enlarge1 of 1 Father Tim Vakoc, who was critically wounded in a roadside bomb attack near Mosul, Iraq in May 2004. CBS Close numSlides of totalImages Related StoriesFamily Fights VA For Pulling Chaplain's Benefits (11/14/2007) Priest Wounded In Iraq Continues Recovery (8/29/2006) Related LinksRead More Minnesota News A Minnesota priest who was gravely wounded by a roadside bomb in Iraq five years ago has died, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis confirmed Sunday. The Rev. Tim Vakoc was 49. He died at a nursing home in suburban New Hope about 8... wcco http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2276583/posts#comment Mon, 22 Jun 2009 03:21:10 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2275858/posts Our Holy Father, Pope Benedict VXI has dedicated to the Priesthood the year-long celebration that spans from June 19, 2009 until 2010. The life and worship of the Catholic faithful is liturgical and sacramental. As such, the Priesthood is central, and as essential as DNA, to our concept of worship. This year, we as Catholics will reflect, meditate and pray on everything related to the Priesthood, beginning with our call to participation in the common priesthood in order to better understand the call to the ministerial or hierarchical priesthood in both degrees, Presbyterate [priests] and Episcopacy [bishops], as well as... Examiner.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2275858/posts#comment Sat, 20 Jun 2009 15:16:50 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2264425/posts The scandal surrounding the Rev. Alberto Cutie has raised questions in the minds of many concerning the Catholic Church's discipline of priestly celibacy. Why does the church continue to defend a practice that seems so unnatural and so unnecessary? There is a very bad argument for celibacy, which has appeared throughout the tradition and which is, even today, defended by some. It goes something like this: Married life is spiritually suspect; priests, as religious leaders, should be spiritual athletes above reproach; therefore, priests shouldn't be married This approach to the question is, in my judgment, not just stupid but dangerous,... Catholic Education Resource Center http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2264425/posts#comment Thu, 4 Jun 2009 05:57:29 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2259974/posts The Rev. Alberto Cutié, the celebrity priest removed from his Miami Beach church after photos of him kissing and embracing a woman appeared in the pages of a Spanish-language magazine earlier this month, will leave the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Miami to join the Episcopal church. The small and private ceremony will happen early Thursday afternoon at Trinity Cathedral, the church's South Florida headquarters in downtown Miami. Bishop Leo Frade, head of the Episcopal Diocese of Southeast Florida, will officiate. Later, Cutié is expected to announce that he will marry his girlfriend, whom media reports have cited as 35-year-old Ruhama... Miami Herald http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2259974/posts#comment Thu, 28 May 2009 17:59:46 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2260184/posts (CNN) -- Father Alberto Cutie, an internationally known Catholic priest who admitted having a romantic affair and breaking his vow of celibacy, is joining the Episcopal Church to be with the woman he loves, he said Thursday. "I will always love the Catholic Church and all its members," he said at a news conference. "But I want to start today by going into a new family. "Here before this community where I have chosen to serve and where I live, I am going to continue to proclaim the word of God and my love for God," Cutie said. Cutie (pronounced... CNN.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2260184/posts#comment Fri, 29 May 2009 00:09:04 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2247241/posts Two Catholic priests who appeared as guests during back-to-back segments on Thursday’s No Bias, No Bull program were treated noticeably differently by CNN’s on-air personalities. Father Michael Pfleger of the Archdiocese of Chicago, who is best known for his racially-charged rhetoric against Hillary Clinton during the 2008 Democratic presidential race, as well as his defense of former Obama pastor Reverend Jeremiah Wright, faced only a couple of pointed questions, most notably about his recent decision to fly an American flag upside-down. In the following segment, Father Mitch Pacwa of the orthodox Catholic TV network EWTN faced a more skeptical and... NewsBusters.org http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2247241/posts#comment Fri, 8 May 2009 22:44:13 GMT