Man charged in attack on priest at Canadian parish

Bolivian bishops express their support for Bishop Robert Flock on Nov. 13, 2023. / Credit: Bolivian Episcopal Conference (CEB)

ACI Prensa Staff, Nov 15, 2023 / 09:00 am (CNA).
During its plenary assembly, the Bolivian Bishops’ Conference expres… […]

A protest of Cuba’s communist government in Havana, July 11, 2021. / Domitille P/Shutterstock

Havana, Cuba, Nov 12, 2021 / 15:01 pm (CNA).

The Cuban bishops’ conference on Thursday indicated its support for the right of citizens to express themselves freely, without fear of intimidation and reprisals, shortly before marches protesting the island’s communist government planned for Nov. 15.

“Every person deserves esteem and recognition of his dignity, for his condition as a human being and a child of God, for being a free citizen, a person with rights and duties. Consequently, every Cuban should be able to freely and respectfully express and share their personal opinions, thoughts or convictions, even when they disagree with the majority,” the conference stated Nov. 11.

A “Civic March for Change”, a peaceful demonstration in several cities of Cuba that seeks to repeat the protests which took place across the country July 11-12, has been announced for Nov. 15.

The bishops lamented that in recent weeks “the increase in a climate of tension and confrontation that is not healthy nor benefits anyone.”

“Any act of violence between us, whether physical, verbal or psychological, seriously wounds the soul of the Cuban nation and contributes even more to the sorrow, suffering and sadness of our families,” they said.

“A wounded soul is in no condition to build a future of hope. Violence contradicts the will of God, as Christ has said: ‘Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called children of God’,” they added.

The bishops consider there is “an increasing urgency for the involvement of Cubans in a national project that involves and motivates everyone; that takes into account the differences, without exclusions or marginalizations.”

“We think that it is necessary to implement mechanisms where, without fear of intimidation and reprisals, everyone can be heard and the dissatisfaction be channeled, in the face of the harsh daily realities that overwhelm so many, especially the most impoverished and vulnerable,” they continued.

The Cuban bishops said that it is “indispensable to implement the necessary changes, so long desired, that favor a decent and happy life here for all the sons of this land of ours.”

The bishops urged “everyone to spare no effort so that the way to understanding, reconciliation and peace is paved; in such a way that the various proposals on the present and future destiny of our country, find an area of common sense, tolerance and concord, and a harmonious and civilized dialogue is established in which the best solutions to the problems that concern us can be found. “

“How much would so many Cuban families and the Church itself be grateful, and how much social tension would be diminished if there were a gesture of clemency for those still under arrest for the events of last summer!”

Prisoners Defenders, a Spanish NGO that provides legal defense for human rights,  reported Nov. 4 that Cuba has detained 683 political prisoners in the last 12 months.

In addition, the NGO said it has been possible to determine there were 591 active cases during the month of October, and that of that group, 370 remain in prison since the protests of July 11.

Protests took place across Cuba July 11-12. Protesters cited concerns about inflation, shortages of food and medicine, and the Covid-19 pandemic. Some protesters were beaten, and thousands were arrested.

Communist rule in Cuba was established soon after the conclusion of the Cuban Revolution in 1959, which ousted the authoritarian ruler Fulgencio Batista.

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Mexico City, Mexico, Aug 14, 2017 / 02:35 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- The Archdiocese of Mexico has countered claims made by two former priests that Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera covered up the actions of pedophile priests, calling the allegations an “orchestrated farce.”

The communications office of the Mexico City archdiocese reported that Cardinal Rivera had spoken to a Public Ministry official July 26, in response to the June 2 complaint filed by  Alberto Athié and José Barba.

Athié and Barba filed their complaint with the Attorney General of the Republic’s Office, accusing Cardinal Rivera of the alleged cover-up of 15 pedophile priests. In the 1990s Athié had brought allegations against Fr. Marcial Maciel, founder of the Legion of Christ. Fr. Maciel was later removed from public ministry after it was verified he had committed sexual abuse and fathered several children.

The Archdiocese of Mexico indicated that Athié and Barba based their charges on a Dec. 19, 2016, news brief  published in El Universal “in which a meeting was made known that the cardinal had with journalists where the archbishop mentioned that during his administration as head of the Primatial Archdiocese of Mexico he had sanctioned 15 priests – not all for the crime of pederasty, but with other illicit acts classified in canon law.”

The archdiocese said that “the complaint against the Archbishop of Mexico was in the sense that he did not promptly report these cases to the authorities, for which they cavalierly accused him of covering up sexual abusers.”

It indicated that during his July 26  meeting with the Public Ministry agent, “the cardinal showed copies of the complaints filed by the Archdiocese of Mexico since 2010, as laid down by law, against alleged criminal acts within the Church.”

The archdiocese added that Cardinal Rivera “made it clear that from the time that Part 2 of Article 12 of the Law on Religious Associations went into effect Aug. 19, 2010, – which obliged ministers of worship and their representatives to inform the appropriate authority of the probable commission of crimes – he was aware, through some of his episcopal vicars, of the probable commission of six presumably criminal acts.”

According to the archdiocese, the cardinal instructed his episcopal vicars “immediately to notify the appropriate authorities, which was done, as attested by the copies he exhibited, and which demonstrated that he did not commit the crime of cover-up.”

The archdiocese also publicized the dates of the six complaints, along with the authorities to whom they were made, and the officials who made them.

Cardinal Rivera “explained that the other nine cases were prior to the cited law going into effect, and only one had to do with the crime of pederasty, and the accused is being criminally prosecuted with the information that the archdiocese provided to the authorities,” the Mexico City archdiocese stated.

“The other eight cases were for conduct penalized by canon law, such as financial fraud, mistreating an adult, breaking the seal of confession, and others that were made known to Church authorities,” it said.

The Archdiocese of Mexico stated that in response to “the express question of the Public Ministry agent, the Archbishop of Mexico acknowledged as his own the statement referred to in the news brief published by El Universal Dec. 19, 2016; clarifying that, however, since it was an impromptu interview, he failed to specify that not all the mentioned cases had to do with the crime of pederasty – as the former priests Alberto Athié and José Barba maliciously indicated.”

In addition, “he said that regarding the cases made known to the civil authorities, it was solely their responsibility to follow up on them, and of the ones the church authorities knew about, they were concluded with the suspension of priestly ministry, since in those cases the ecclesiastical sentence is given by the Pope and is made known through the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.”

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