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Catholics prepare for Catholic bishop’s departure

June 17th, 2013 - Comments »

PUEBLO, Colorado — Catholics in Pueblo reportedly get ready to say goodbye to the city’s fourth bishop, who has resigned for health reasons.

Bishop Fernando Isern

Since 2009, Bishop Fernando Isern served the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pueblo, which covers 48,000 square miles and 53 parishes.

Catholics plan a goodbye ceremony next week in Pueblo. The 54-year-old Cuban-born bishop reportedly stepped down June 13.

In a statement, diocesan spokeswoman Katherine Chrisman said an administrator would be named by Saturday. She said Rome could spend six months to a year finding a permanent new bishop.

Italian Catholic activist set for sainthood

June 17th, 2013 - Comments »

ROME, Italy — It has been reported that an Italian Catholic activist and journalist, who was murdered by the Nazis for establishing rescue network during World War II, has been formally put on the road to sainthood by the Roman Catholic church.

Odoardo Focherini

Odoardo Focherini, who was declared a Righteous Gentile for saving Jewish lives, was reportedly beatified – the step before sainthood. The ceremony reportedly took place Saturday in his hometown of Carpi, near Modena in northern Italy.

Focherini, born in 1907, was declared a martyr by the church. He is believed to be the first Righteous Gentile, and the first person to be killed for saving Jews, to be beatified.

Man shot father-in-law during Catholic Mass

June 16th, 2013 - Comments »

OGDEN, Utah – News reports said a 35-year-old man has been arrested after he allegedly walked into a Catholic church and shot his father-in-law in the back of the head during Mass.

Investigators said Charles Richard Jennings Jr. was caught Sunday afternoon in nearby Box Elder County after fleeing in a stolen pickup truck.

Witnesses say they heard one gunshot during the 11:30 a.m. Mass on Sunday at Saint James the Just Catholic Church in Ogden, and that parishioners immediately hit the floor.

Pope selects trusted prelate to oversee Vatican bank

June 16th, 2013 - Comments »

VATICAN CITY, Rome — Pope Francis on Saturday reportedly designated a trusted prelate to help oversee the management of the Vatican bank, a first big step taken by the pope in reforming the troubled institute.

It has been reported that the pope officially agreed to naming Monsignor Battista Ricca as interim prelate of the Institute for Religious Works, a key job that has been left vacant since 2011.

The prelate oversees the bank’s activities, attends its board meetings and, critically, has access to all its documentation. The prelate also reports to the commission of cardinals who run the bank and is currently headed by the Vatican No. 2.

Pope wades into same-sex marriage debate

June 14th, 2013 - Comments »

VATICAN CITY, Rome — Pope Francis reportedly told the Archbishop of Canterbury on Friday that he wants to work together to promote family values “based on marriage,” wading diplomatically into the gay marriage debate.

The pope and the spiritual leader of the 77 million-strong Anglican Communion reportedly chatted, prayed and had lunch together at the Vatican in their first meeting since both were installed in March.

Archbishop Justin Welby has opposed proposed legislation in Britain that would legalize gay marriage, saying it seeks to abolish and redefine the institution and would weaken one of the cornerstones of society.

Obama to nominate US ambassador to Vatican

June 14th, 2013 - Comments »

WASHINGTON, District of Columbia – It has been announced that U.S. President Barack Obama will reportedly nominate the former president of Catholic Relief Services to be the United States ambassador to the Vatican.

Ken Hackett

Reports state Ken Hackett was Catholic Relief Services’ president from 1993 to 2012, and retired from the organization in 2012 after working there for 40 years. He is currently a consultant for the University of Notre Dame’s Institute for Global Development.

The announcement on Friday by the White House also named Obama’s nominees to be ambassadors to Brazil, Spain, Germany, Denmark and Ethiopia.

Pope confirms ‘gay lobby’ at the Vatican

June 13th, 2013 - Comments »

VATICAN CITY, Rome — During private remarks to the leaders of a key Latin American church group, Pope Francis reportedly lamented that a “gay lobby” was at work at the Vatican, a shocking acknowledgment that apparently confirm previous reports of alleged corruption and dysfunction in the Vatican.

The regional organization for priests and nuns of religious orders reportedly confirmed Tuesday that its leaders had written a synthesis of the pope’s remarks following their audience on June 6.

The Latin American and Caribbean Confederation of Religious, known by its Spanish acronym CLAR, said it was greatly distressed that the document had been published and apologized to the pope.

Priest accused of sex assault of 11-year-old girl

June 12th, 2013 - Comments »

BLUE EARTH, Minnesota — A 47-year-old priest at the Catholic Church of Saints Peter and Paul in Blue Earth has been charged with sexual assault following an incident that reportedly took place last Friday evening.

Leo Charles Koppala

Leo Charles Koppala allegedly fondled an 11-year-old girl’s breasts over her clothes while he was a dinner guest at a Blue Earth home, according to the girl’s version of events.

During a later conversation with police, Koppala reportedly acknowledged kissing the girl on the cheeks and mouth but said “he did not believe he touched her breasts.”

Catholic church welcomes new pastor

June 11th, 2013 - Comments »

STATESBORO, Georgia – It has been recently announced that St. Matthew’s Roman Catholic Church in Statesboro has a new pastor.

Father Douglas K. Clark

The church’s current pastor and Statesboro native, Father Brett Brannen, has been assigned to Blessed Sacrament Church in Savannah.

Meanwhile, Father Douglas K. Clark will officially become St. Matthew’s pastor on Wednesday. Clark was born in Dayton, Ohio, in 1949, and was received into the Catholic Church while a freshman at the College of William and Mary.

Bishops gather to call for immigration reform

June 11th, 2013 - Comments »

SAN DIEGO, California — Nearly a dozen U.S. catholic bishops gathered at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Logan Heights to call for immigration reform, as the debate over a landmark immigration bill reaches a crucial phase this week.

Catholic bishops from across California gathered in San Diego to push for immigration reform.

Members of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops said Catholic prayer and service groups have been helping immigrants with English classes, job training and medical aid for years.

Though senate leaders weigh a comprehensive immigration bill, they don’t want politics to get in the way of human values.