Tag Archives: Catholic Church

Catholic Church Bishops Beg Forgiveness From Paedophilia Victims

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French bishops pleaded for forgiveness Monday for the “guilty silence” of the Catholic Church following months of damaging revelations over the sexual abuse of children by priests. The church has been rocked by allegations that the Archbishop of Lyon, Philippe Barbarin, covered up the abuse of scouts and failed to remove a priest despite being aware he had sexually abused the boys a quarter of a century ago.

The scandal was the worst to hit the Church in France since 2001, when a bishop was given a three-month suspended jail sentence for failing to inform authorities about a paedophile priest.

Barbarin, who has protested his innocence, remains in his post, but the scandal has tarnished the image of one of the church’s most media-friendly figures.

Archbishop of Paris Andre Vingt-Trois told worshippers at a “time for prayer and penitence” during the bishops’ autumn conference in the southwestern pilgrimage town of Lourdes on Monday that the Church had failed in its duty to victims of abuse.

“We lacked mercy… we did not listen to these victims in the way that they expected us to (and) we lacked the courage to take the measures that were needed,” the archbishop said.

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Catholic Leadership Warns Priests Against “Market Place Prophecies”

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The Catholic Bishop’s Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), has warned its priests against “market place prophecies and visions, charismatic display of talents and material salvation’’
The President of the Conference, Most Rev. Ignatius Kaigama gave the warning on Sunday in Abuja during the Catholic Bishop’s Conference at Our Lady Queen of Nigeria Pro-Cathedral.
He admonished the priests to shun worldliness and materialism.
He charged them not to succumb to the temptation of importing unwanted doctrines that would promote personality and curry favour.
“We must not be frightened into believing in God of “now, now’’, cajoled by mouth watering material attractions or ostentatious living of some ministers of God. We should emphasise the need for sober Christianity without tricks, rhetoric, fanfare and the craze for social media publicity.
“All priests must not compete with trendy pastors to see visions and utter prophecies because they sometimes cause psychological disposition.
“We should help people to interior conversion and attitudinal change,’’ he said.
He urged Christian religious leaders to admonish Christians to pray ceaselessly and evangelise through genuine witnessing and not wooing people with material things or any form of moral coercion.
“We must avoid melo-dramatic displays that look like modern broad-way shows. Catholic priests should avoid flamboyant spirituality and noisy liturgy and teach the people values of internalised prayers from the heart.
The gifts of speaking in tongues, miracle and prophecies are good as long as they are genuine,’’ he said.
Kaigama further urged Christians to help humanity in love to conquer poverty and narrow the yawning gap between the rich and the poor.

“It is only when we engage in works of mercy in favour of the needy that we can hope for a stable, peaceful and safe world,’’ he said.

 

(NAN)

Catholic Church Gives Reason For Father Mbaka’s Transfer

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The Catholic Church on Monday clarified the recent transfer of Father Ejike Mbaka, saying the controversial priest was merely being sent to where he would be more useful to the church.

In its first reaction since the controversy over the transfer broke, the church church said the posting was not meant to be punitive.

In an exclusive interview on Monday, the Secretary-General of the Catholic Secretar?iat of Nigeria, Reverend Father Ralph Madu said transfer of priests within the catholic church is a “normal church procedure.”

“Mbaka’s own is not an exception,” Mr. Madu said. “The Bishop has the right to post any priest wherever he feels his service would be more useful to the church.”

Public criticisms had greeted the Enugu Diocese’s recent decision to transfer Mr. Mbaka out of Christ the King Parish?, GRA, where he had served for over a decade and had established a popular prayer ministry, the Adoration Prayer Ministry.

Mr. Mbaka is to resume immediately at his new post at the Our Lady Parish, Emene.

The priest, who is as fiery as he is controversial, had described his ?re-posting by the church as a “calculated move” to make him suffer.

“I know we are going to suffer within now and few months to come,” the priest said. I am going to suffer and suffer; I know that. I’m going to suffer because I have no place to put my head. I am going to suffer because I have no place to keep the Adoration Ministry’s assets. I know I’m going to suffer.”

On Sunday, the South-East zone of the All Progressives Congress alleged that Bishop Callistus Onaga was manipulated by external forces into effecting Mr. Mbaka’s transfer.

“As a party, we have watched with concern and trepidation the criticism, the attack, assault and unpleasant comments hurled against Fr. Mbaka since he providentially prophesied that President Buhari would win the 2015 elections,” the APC said in a statement by Osita Okechukwu, Spokesperson of its South-East caucus.

“Even the church did not spare him; he was called unprintable names, yet his prophecy came true.”

Credit: PremiumTimes

Pope Francis: Church Must Find Ways of Welcoming Divorced Catholics, Gays

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Pope Francis said the Catholic Church must find ways of welcoming divorced and gay Catholics as part of a yearlong debate by the church’s leadership that has already exposed a split within its ranks.

In an interview with Argentine newspaper La Nación published Sunday, the pontiff addressed the turmoil his 20-month papacy has stirred with more tradition-minded groups in the church, saying it was a “good sign” that there isn’t “hidden mumbling when there is disagreement.” The pope also announced that a reorganization of the Vatican bureaucracy won’t be completed next year and said he would add visits to both Latin America and Africa to his travel schedule next year.

The comments on gays and divorced Catholics were the pope’s first public remarks since the end of the synod, or meeting of bishops, in October on problems facing the family. That meeting of nearly 200 bishops opened discussion on a range of problems affecting Catholic families, with the goal of providing better solutions on issues such as gay unions, divorce, poverty, domestic violence and polygamy.

However, sharp disagreement emerged on the church’s approach to divorced Catholics and gays. One group of bishops called for open support of gay couples and pushed for the possibility of allowing remarried Catholics to receive communion. Currently, the church denies communion to Catholics who have remarried, unless their first marriage is annulled.

Those positions—which, according to senior Vatican clerics, enjoy the support of the pope—sparked fierce opposition from more tradition-minded bishops.

Credit: Yahoo News