I write these words on the airplane taking me home from my first visit as a bishop ad limina apostolorum (to the threshold of the apostles). This is the pilgrimage, required by canon law of […]
Buffalo, N.Y., Feb 4, 2020 / 02:45 pm (CNA).- The interim leader in the Diocese of Buffalo announced Tuesday that the diocesan seminary will suspend its operations at the end of the current semester.
Although Christ the King Seminary has been at the c… […]
Lagos, Nigeria, Feb 4, 2020 / 02:01 pm (CNA).- Following the death of an 18-year-old seminarian in Nigeria at the hands of his kidnappers, the Archbishop of Lagos urged government officials to make changes to security measures.
“I received with great sadness the news of the murder of the fourth seminarian, Mr. Michael Nnadi who was kidnapped recently in Kaduna. This was a young man who abandoned all with the desire to serve His creator and humanity, now murdered for no just cause,” Archbishop Alfred Martins said Feb. 3.
“This is just one of several cases of innocent Nigerians being killed on daily basis by gun men while our security services and their chiefs watch as if they were helpless,” he added.
“This appalling situation must come to an end. We cannot just fold our arms and allow these monstrous activities to continue to thrive. The consequences of the dastardly acts on the psyche of Nigerians can only be imagined. The Federal Government must act now before things get out of hand,” he said.
“For a while now, many Nigerians from different walks of life have been calling for a revamping of the security arrangements in the nation even if it means the replacement of the Heads of the various Security Agencies in order to give room for new ideas,” the archbishop stated.
“It is beyond doubt that the gains of the past few years are being lost because those at the helm of affairs and the soldiers in the thick of the war are tired and need to be replaced. The strategy for executing the war needs to be reexamined to determine its effectiveness.”
Nnadi was one of four seminarians kidnapped last month in northwestern Nigeria. The other three were released, but Nnadi’s death was announced Feb. 1.
Pius Kanwai, 19; Peter Umenukor, 23; Stephen Amos, 23; and Michael Nnadi, 18, were taken from Good Shepherd Seminary in Kaduna, around 10:30 pm on Jan. 8 by gunmen.
Nearly 270 seminarians live at Good Shepherd.
Good Shepherd Seminary is located just off the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria Express Way. According to AFP, the area is “notorious for criminal gangs kidnapping travelers for ransom.”
Schoolgirls and staff from a boarding school located near the same highway were kidnapped in October, and were later released.
Nnadi was killed along with another abductee, the wife of a doctor.
Kanwai, Umenukor, and Amos were all released by their captors.
“The security situation in Nigeria is appalling”, Thomas Heine-Geldern, executive president of ACN International, said Jan. 13. “Criminal gangs are further exploiting the chaotic situation and making matters still worse.”
He compared the situation in Nigeria to that of Iraq prior to the Islamic State’s invasion: “Already at that stage, Christians were being abducted, robbed and murdered because there was no protection by the state. This must not be allowed to happen to the Christians of Nigeria. The government must act now, before it is too late.”
Kidnappings of Christians in Nigeria have multiplied in recent months, a situation that has prompted Church leaders to express serious concern about the security of their members and to call on the government to prioritize the security of its citizens.
Tallahassee, Fla., Feb 4, 2020 / 01:19 pm (CNA).- Several states this legislative session have introduced bills aimed at curtailing access to transgender surgery and puberty-blocking drugs for minors, as well as restricting biological males from compet… […]
Crookston, Minn., Feb 4, 2020 / 12:45 pm (CNA).- The Diocese of Crookston announced Tuesday that the Vatican has ordered additional investigation into the conduct of Bishop Michael Hoeppner, the first U.S. bishop to be investigated through a process developed by Pope Francis last year.
Hoeppner will not be permitted to oversee sexual abuse cases in his diocese during the follow-up investigation.
“Archbishop Bernard A. Hebda of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis has recently been authorized by the Congregation for Bishops in Rome, to conduct further investigation related to claims that Bishop Michael J. Hoeppner had engaged in ‘acts or omissions intended to interfere with or avoid civil or canonical investigations of clerical sexual misconduct’ as prescribed by the motu proprio, Vos estis lux mundi,” the Crookston diocese announced Feb. 4.
Hoeppner, 70, has been accused of mishandling the cases of priests accused of sexual misconduct: the bishop is reported to have pressured an alleged victim to drop his allegation of abuse against a priest, failed to follow mandatory reporting laws, and neglected to follow protocols designed to monitor priests accused of misconduct.
In depositions released Nov. 5 as part of a legal settlement, Hoeppner is seen to admit to several of the charges against him. In those depositions, Hoeppner also defended a diocesan decision to allow a priest to remain in ministry, without notifying parents or parishioners, after the priest admitted that while he was teenager he had sexually abused a younger child.
The first stage of the Vatican investigation was also undertaken by Hebda, under the auspices of Vos estis lux mundi, 2019 norms from Pope Francis on investigating bishops accused of mishandling or obstructing allegations of clerical sexual abuse.
It is not clear how many of the allegations against Hoeppner fell within the mandate of Hebda’s initial investigation, and how many will only be formally examined by the Vatican after the follow-up investigation.
Hebda sent his initial findings and recommendations to the Vatican in late October, leaving the matter in the hands of the Vatican’s Congregation for Bishops.
Vos estis lux mundi allows the Vatican “to provide for a supplementary investigation” after initial steps are taken, if Vatican officials deem it necessary.
Judge Timothy O’Malley, Director of the Archdiocesan Office of Ministerial Standards and Safe Environment, will serve as Hebda’s delegate for the second investigation, presumably overseeing day-to-day responsibilities.
The move announced Tuesday comes as a surprise to observers, though because Hoeppner is the first bishop to face a Vos estis investigation, there is no precedent from which to set expectations.
Tuesday’s announcement comes after several months in which local Catholics have called for Hoeppner’s ouster, and accused him of mistreating a popular priest removed from ministry under vague terms.
Priests in the diocese told CNA in recent weeks that they expected Hoeppner to be removed from office, and that given the bishop’s record, the credibility of the Vos estis procedures could be called into question if he is eventually permitted to remain in office.
At the same time, several U.S. bishops told CNA that they are watching the investigation against Hoeppner carefully, to see whether he is afforded the opportunity to defend himself during the investigation.
The Crookston diocese also announced Tuesday a Vatican decision “that for the duration of the investigation, the faculty to deal with cases of sexual abuse against clerics of the Diocese of Crookston has been transferred from Bishop Hoeppner to Archbishop Hebda.”
Sources in the diocese tell CNA that Hebda has already begun overseeing at least one case of a priest in the Crookston diocese accused of unspecified misconduct.
Hoeppner, alongside other bishops from Minnesota and neighboring states, met with Pope Francis Jan. 13 for nearly two hours, during the bishops’ ad limina visit to Rome, which is required by canon law to take place every five years.
A timeline for the next phase of the investigation has not been released.
Hamburg, Germany, Feb 4, 2020 / 11:01 am (CNA).- A court in Germany overturned Monday a school’s ban on niqabs, ruling that Hamburg law does not allow educational authorities to impose such a ban.
The niqab is a face veil worn by some Muslim women.
The Feb. 3 ruling by an administrative court come after a 16-year-old student was told she must expose her face to her teachers.
According to the court, the student has “a right to unconditional protection of her freedom of belief.”
Hamburg’s state minister for education, Ties Rabe, said in response to the ruling that he would seek to change the state’s law, and that “only if students and teachers have a free and open face can school and lessons function.”
The German state of Schleswig-Holstein recently failed to pass a ban on niqabs in universities and colleges, but Bavaria has had a similar ban since 2017.
European countries have moved toward banning niqabs and other religious garments in recent years.
A Dutch ban on wearing “face-covering clothing” in hospitals, schools, government buildings, and on public transit went into effect in August 2019. One law professor at a Dutch university suggesting it would be to the detriment of religion’s role in the public square.
Austria implemented a bans on wearing burqas or niqabs in some public places in 2017. They have been banned in public in France since 2010.
In a 2017 ruling The Court of Justice of the European Union allowed a qualified ban on hijabs in the workplace. The ban additionally forbade other religious garb, including crucifixes, skullcaps, and turbans, from being worn while at work, depending on internal company rules.
A German court ruled in 2015 against a blanket ban on teachers wearing headscarves.
Vatican City, Feb 4, 2020 / 10:03 am (CNA).- Pope Francis Tuesday marked the first anniversary of the joint signing of the Abu Dhabi document on human fraternity with a video message urging an end to extremism and terrorism.
The pope called the signin… […]
Vatican City, Feb 4, 2020 / 09:44 am (CNA).- The Vatican has donated hundreds of thousands of face masks to China to help limit the spread of coronavirus, which has killed 361 people since the start of the new year.
The masks have been sent to the Chi… […]
Charleston, S.C., Feb 4, 2020 / 03:14 am (CNA).- A prison ministry in South Carolina brought five inmates into the Catholic Church this winter, with the help of a dedicated team of ministers offering catechetical formation and sacrament preparation.
The inmates at Perry Correctional Institution, near Pelzer, South Carolina, had been attending RCIA in the prison since last July.
Three of the men were baptized at a Dec. 10 Mass at the facility with Bishop Robert Guglielmone of Charleston, while two others had already been baptized in Protestant denominations and were brought into full communion with the Catholic Church.
Also at the Mass were Deacon John Leininger, the outside coordinator for and Father Rhett Williams, who handles the sacramental responsibilities at Perry.
Different inmates were attracted through different aspects of the the faith, Father Williams told CNA, “whether it’s the history of [Church], whether it’s the sacraments, or whether it’s God working through the community.”
He emphasized the importance of the prison’s catechetical classes, which were able “to put a little flesh on the bones of what the faith is and what [is] God’s grace and how it is that he works.”
Inmates were allowed to invite family members and fellow prisoners to the Mass. The Catholic Miscellany, the diocesan newspaper, said those receiving the sacraments were deeply touched by the support they received.
“So many loving, caring people attended to watch me being welcomed into the Church. I truly felt the spirit of God throughout the Mass,” said Timmy, one of the inmates receiving confirmation.
“[Confirmation was] the most important day of my adult life. The understanding of the role Christ plays in my life has taken new shape. I have come to love the Catholic faith, and the more I learn, the better my life becomes,” said James, another inmate.
Fr. Williams attributed this year’s success largely to the team assembled by Deacon Leininger, who has been involved with the prison for the last four and half years. He said the deacon and his team have developed a consistent ministry, where the inmates can rely on the volunteers and the presence of the Church.
Leininger also stressed the importance of consistent volunteers and commitments made by the ministry.
“Now, we’re up to about six volunteers. So generally there’s almost always two volunteers…And so even if somebody doesn’t make it [as] planned, you still have somebody showing up. So consistency, the men know it’s going to be there and… they feel welcomed,” he told CNA.
He added that the ministry tries to avoid placing an undue focus on sin and repentance. “I’ve been there when other churches have come in and they’re preaching out in that way, and we’re just trying to live with them and talk about God’s word,” he said.
Leininger first began his work in prison ministry at a county jail more than 10 years ago. He worked there for six years, but the inmates there had sentences of no longer than a year, and he wanted a ministry where he could develop stronger relationships over time.
During the last couple of years, he has become more serious about prison ministry, retiring from his teaching job at Clemson University and entering the diaconate. Now, he leads the prison ministry for Perry, managing the schedules for priests and volunteers, and coordinating activities.
The ministry is divided into two weekly commitments – Thursday Mass and Friday catechesis. Mass is celebrated by alternating priests: Father McClellan from St Andrew in Clemson, Father Dwight Longenecker from Our Lady of the Rosary in Greenville, Father Patrick Tuttle from St. Anthony of Padua in Greenville, and Father Williams, who is also the parochial vicar at St. Mary Magdalene in Simpsonville.
A specially selected inmate known as an “inside coordinator” sets up the altar, passes out rosaries or Bibles if requested, and obtains permission slips for men to exit their cells for the service. The attendance for Mass can range between 8 and 18 men.
“We have a number of people that come to Mass on Thursday that aren’t Catholic either,” said Leininger. “They’ll come in just like in a regular church, cross their arms, and get a blessing. Now that was happening last year, and then we asked some of these men if they want to get brought into the church. Then we started a formal catechism with them.”
The weekly catechetical classes are two hours long. Similar to RCIA, they study a variety of theological topics and sometimes watch Christian movies on the lives of saints. Among other lessons, Leininger said the class reviews the Eucharist and the history of the Church, including discussions on the Church councils and major heresies.
The class is also centered on prayer, he said. At a recent session, Leininger printed out worksheets for a novena and initiated a nine-day series of prayers for the sanctity of life.
Catechesis in prisons does pose its own set of obstacles, he noted, and it often takes longer than other RCIA programs. He said there are times when the prisons are on lockdown and outside religious groups cannot enter or prisoners get sent back to their cells early before the meeting has finished.
There are also inmates who transfer from another prison during the catechesis process but have to start all over because RCIA can differ depending on the institution. He said this will be a point of discussion at an upcoming meeting of prison volunteers. The hope is to unify the process enough that someone who transfers will not have to restart the program.
Leininger said prison ministry has been a powerful experience for him, witnessing the joy and life this ministry brings to inmates. He recalled one instance when a prison lockdown resulted in him and the inside coordinator being the only people present at a catechetical class.
After talking for about an hour, the inmate – who was serving a life sentence – told him, “The two hours I get to spend with the Catholic Church each week are when I feel more at home than any other time of the week.”
“That one statement keeps me going – when I take an hour drive to get there, and then they won’t let me in, but I’ll still come back the next week,” he said. “If I don’t get in, I know they’re missing it more than I am and it keeps me going every week.”
Fr. Williams stressed that while the inmates in prison may have made mistakes in their lives, their circumstances do not detract from their value – or their need for the sacraments as “spiritual food for the journey.”
“There’s nothing greater that we can give than our love and attention [and] God’s grace working through us to help them see themselves for who they are and where they need to go. We’re all sinners and need to draw closer to God,” he said.
“So no matter whether we are in prison, no matter whether we’re in an elderly home, no matter whether we’re here in the parish or in the home, the sacraments are given for all to guide all of us there.”
“Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.”—Mark 16:15 Like many powerful forces in this world, online communication is capable of building-up humanity or tearing people down and apart from each […]
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