Wednesday, August 29, 2018

Former Vatican Ambassador to the U.S. Accuses Pope Francis of Cover-Up of Cardinal McCarrick's Sex Abuses


Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano -- former Vatican Nuncio (ambassador) to the USA
Photo courtesy: CNS via www.ncronline.org/

Thanks to Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, former Vatican Ambassador to the U.S., for drawing our attention to Pope Francis' cover-up of sexual abuse crimes of U.S. Cardinal Theodore McCarrick. This, if proven true, is perhaps only one of few examples of Pope Francis' shielding of Church's sex abusers. Archbishop Vigano even publicly asked Pope Francis to resign!

This type of shielding or cover-up behaviour of Catholic popes and other members of the hierarchy is nothing new -- it is centuries, even millennia, old. In the long history of the Catholic Church, there were certain rogue and morally depraved popes and members of the hierarchy. The "Secret Vatican Archives" can shine more light on this type of behaviour. The integrity and holiness of the Church were frequently marred by these people.

 If Archbishop Vigano was so concerned about the "integrity" and "holiness" of the Catholic Church, where was he -- who was one of the Vatican officials in 2009 - 2011 before becoming an ambassador to the U.S. (2011 - 2016) -- regarding the massive clergy sexual abuse cover-ups by Pope Francis' predecessors Pope Benedict XVI (2005 - 2013) and Pope John Paul II (1978 - 2005) of hundreds and thousands of clergy sexual abuse cases? These two popes sat on cases of clergy sex abuses without almost taking any action on them. Archbishop Vigano now comes forward with this damning information as a revenge of sort against Pope Francis for something they have between them. This looks like the culmination of the fight between the conservative elements (like Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke and his supporters) and the reformist elements (like Pope Francis and his supporters) in the upper echelon of the Catholic Church. Remember the rebuke of Pope Francis made in his every Christmas message to the members of the Vatican Curia in each December for the last five years? This latest Archbishop Vigano allegations against Pope Francis is clearly their tit for the tat of the pope. 

 Pope Francis was the first modern pope to be open, accepting and tolerant of opposing persons and their opinions. He is the first pope, who from the first day of his election, mentioned that he was a sinner and he needed prayers of the Catholics (other popes on their election behaved as if they were unearthly, unsinful, and God-sent beings on earth to be obeyed, obeyed, and obeyed without any opposition or criticism. Pope Francis, on the other hand, encourages speaking up to him however unpalatable the subject matter is. He tells Catholics to use their conscience and human rights. This perhaps emboldened Archbishop Vigano to speak against him publicly. Other popes in the past would consider such a move as a revolt or coup. 

 For details, pros and cons, on the exposition of Archbishop Vigano, please read the following:

(Updated on August 30, 2018)

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Sunday, August 26, 2018

Pope Francis Visits Ireland Amid Lukewarm Welcome


Pope Francis (in middle) meets with President Michael Higgins of Ireland (on his right) and his wife (on his left)
Photo courtesy: Public Radio International

Pope Francis offers solemn Mass at the World Meeting of Families in Phoenix Park of Dublin
 Photo courtesy: PA Wire via www.independent.ie/

Savia (a group of survivors and victims of institutional abuse during their childhood days) lays out black-ribboned children's shoes as part of a protest near Dublin Castle
 Photo courtesy: Reuters via BBC

After much speculation and protesting attitude among the Irish Catholics, Pope Francis arrived in Dublin, the capital of Ireland, on a two-day visit on Saturday, August 25, mid-morning. He then paid a courtesy visit to Mr. Michael D. Higgins, the President of Ireland, at the Presidential Residence, near where he was given an official welcome. 

 In the afternoon, he met with and spoke to government authorities, civil society members, and foreign diplomatic corps in the Dublin Castle. In mid-afternoon, he visited St. Mary's Pro-Cathedral and greeted the persons present. He then visited the Day Centre of the Capuchin Fathers and met with some homeless families. Later he gave a speech at the Festival of Families in Croke Park Stadium where more than 82,000 people were present. 

 In the next day morning, he flew to Knock and visited Our Lady of Knock Shrine and recited the Angelus prayer. After returning to Dublin, he gives a homily in the solemn Mass held in mid-afternoon at the Phoenix Park. Then he met with all Catholic bishops of Ireland in the Dominican Sisters' convent. At 6:45 p.m. he left Dublin for Rome. 

 Ireland: A "Most Catholic Country" Sees A Sea-Change in Its Religious Affiliation

 Ireland was once called "the most Catholic country" in the world, where the state wholeheartedly supported most of the Church teachings and the Catholic Church strictly controlled lives of Catholics from their birth to death. Now it has become a country where many Catholics feel ashamed to call themselves "Catholic," due to clergy sexual abuses, institutional sexual and physical abuses, and different types of Church-supported women's abuses on a massive scale. 

 In the 1861 census report, it is found that 89.36% of the population of Ireland called themselves Roman Catholics. Whereas, in the 2016 survey, this number came down to 85.14%. 

 In 1972-1973, Ireland's 91% Catholics attended weekly Masses in the church, whereas, in 2011 -- after 38 years -- only 30% attended Masses. In 2010, Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference survey found that 10.1% of the Irish Catholics saying that they did not believe in God. 


(Updated on August 28, 2018)
(To be continued) 


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The Quotation of the Week (August 26 - September 1, 2018)


A quotation of Pope Francis on 'non-immunity of religions from individual delusion or ideological extremism,' compiled by Jerome D'Costa
Artwork (A butterfly in Toronto summer) by Andrea Mary D'Costa (June, 2018)

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Thursday, August 23, 2018

Cardinal Patrick D'Rozario Meets With Bangladeshi Catholics in Toronto


Cardinal Patrick D'Rozario, after the evening Mass on August 18,
speaking at the reception given by Bangladesh Catholic Association
of Ontario (BCAO) 

Mr. Paul Roy, President of Bangladesh Catholic Association
of Ontario (BCAO), giving a welcoming speech at the reception
Photos (Toronto: Aug. 18, 2018) © Jerome D'Costa

Cardinal Patrick D'Rozario, Archbishop of Dhaka, Bangladesh, was on a short pastoral visit to Toronto meeting with Bangladeshi Catholics. 

 On Saturday, August 18, the cardinal celebrated a Mass in the Bengali language at St. Theresa Catholic Church, where about 200 Catholics were present. 

 After the Mass, the newly-elected Executive Committee of the Bangladesh Catholic Association of Ontario (BCAO) gave a reception to Cardinal Patrick D'Rozario with a kirtan (chanting in accompaniment of drum and harmonium), dance, and speeches.

 Cardinal Patrick D'Rozario, in the end, expressed his pleasure in meeting with the Bangladeshis and thanked all for their participation in the Mass. 

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Wednesday, August 22, 2018

Art Expression of Ujjal Peter D'Costa - 1


A happy boy in Toronto
Artwork (Toronto: Aug. 19, 2018) © Ujjal Peter D'Costa

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Monday, August 20, 2018

Pennsylvania, USA: More than 300 priests in six Catholic dioceses sexually abused over 1,000 children


Grand Jury Report Tells Of Massive Clergy Sex Abuse Cases in Six Pennsylvania Catholic Dioceses

Catholic Dioceses of Pennsylvania, USA: Erie, Pittsburgh, Greenburg, Alltona-Johnstown, Harrisburg, Scranton, Allentown, and Philadelphia
Map courtesy: https://www.hbgdiocese.org/about/pa-diocese-map-2/

According to the CNN, the grand jury report made it public on August 14 that internal documents from six Catholic dioceses of Pennsylvania indicate that more than 300 Catholic priests sexually abused over 1,000 children. 
"We believe that the real number of children whose records were lost or who were afraid ever to come forward is in the thousands," the grand jury report continues. 
"Priests were raping little boys and girls, and the men of God who were responsible for them not only did nothing; they hid it all. For decades. Monsignors, auxiliary bishops, bishops, archbishops, cardinals have mostly been protected; many, including some named in this report, have been promoted."
These are additional revelations of clergy sex abuse of hundreds of thousands of minors all over the USA. 
For more on the extent and depth of the Catholic clergy sex abuse cases in Pennsylvania, please click on the following: 


Related Items: 

(Updated on August 27, 2018)

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Sunday, August 19, 2018

The Quotation of the Week (August 19 - 25, 2018)


A quotation of Yves Congar on 'Catholic Church's concern for sin and virtue,' compiled by Jerome D'Costa
Photo (Apartment buildings in Toronto: January 1, 2010) © Jerome D'Costa

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Sunday, August 12, 2018

The Quotation of the Week (August 12 - 18, 2018)


A quotation of Benjamin Disraeli on 'courage,' compiled by Jerome D'Costa
Photo (Fire brigade vehicles busy on a street where a house in Scarborough, Toronto, is on fire: April, 2018) © Jerome D'Costa

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Friday, August 10, 2018

U.S. Cardinal Theodore McCarrick Resigns Amid His Sex Abuse Scandal



Cardinal Theodore McCarrick with Pope John Paul II at the Vatican in 2003
Photo courtesy: papam.wordpress.com/

In face of several sexual abuse allegations, U.S. Cardinal Theodore McCarrick submitted his resignation from the College of Cardinals, and Pope Francis accepted his resignation on July 28 and stripped him from any public ministry, according to the Catholic News Agency (CNA). 

Pope Francis also placed Cardinal McCarrick to "a life of prayer and penance in seclusion" until the end of the Vatican canonical process (investigation) against him.

Allegations made against this Cardinal are: as a bishop, McCarrick "sexually abused, assaulted, or coerced seminarians and young priests" for a number of years. The U.S. Diocese of Metuchen and Archdiocese of Newark disclosed that they had received reports that McCarrick had engaged in sexual misconduct with adults, and reached legal and financial settlements in two cases.

For details, kindly click on the following:


Some Other Cardinals In The Same Boat of Sex Abuse:

 Cardinal Hans Herman Groer of Austria:
Pope John Paul II with Cardinal Hans Herman Groer of Vienna, Austria (right)
Photo courtesy: kkpp.blox.pl/


Cardinal Keith O'Brien of Scotland, U.K.:

Cardinal Keith O'Brien of Scotland, U.K. with Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican

Photo courtesy: www.catholic-ew.org.uk/



Cardinal George Pell of Australia:
Cardinal George Pell of Australia, with Pope Benedict XVI

Photo courtesy: GettyImages through businessinsider.com/



Certain Other Cardinals Who Participated in Others' Sins (by ignoring clergy sex-abuse victims and by shielding clergy sex-abusers):

Catholic Church has a clear-cut teaching on participation in the sins of others. This teaching is applicable to all the Catholics -- laymen, laywomen, members of the Religious orders, and members of the hierarchy (priests, monsignors, bishops, archbishops, cardinals, and popes). 

 According to the Church teaching, a Catholic participates in the sins of others in the following ways: 9 Ways You Might Be Sharing in the Sins of Others (June 13, 2017). If other persons' sins are mortal or deadly sins, by participating in them, the Cardinals also committed mortal sins. For committing mortal sins, serial mortal sins, or unconfessed mortal sins, laypersons easily get their holy communions banned, but, who, on earth, then will ban holy communion of these Cardinals? How can they touch or receive the holy communion in their daily Holy Masses with their mortally tainted hands and hearts? How can they hear others' confessions? How can they perform different sacramental acts without any concern for their own mortal sins? What is the guarantee that members of the hierarchy confess their mortal sins regularly and promise not to commit these sins in future -- a requirement for receiving God's pardon for one's mortal sins? But, the Catholic Church teaches that in spite of unconfessed or unrepented mortal sins in their hearts, members of the hierarchy can still receive holy communion by themselves and perform sacramental rites with impunity. In case of judging, condemning, and punishing, there is an abysmal discrepancy between the laypersons and members of the hierarchy, although all of them are members of the same Catholic Church. This hypocrisy is really disturbing for the Catholic laypersons.  

 It needs to be remembered that, according to the Bible, God created Adam and Eve (a layman and a laywoman) first, the priestly class evolved or came much later from among their descendants to serve other laypersons (who were also descendants of  Adam and Eve) religiously and spiritually. The priestly class, in the Catholic Church, is called the hierarchy, whose members are there to serve the laity. Pope Francis is trying to show how to be of servant leadership and not of autocratic or dictatorial leadership when dealing with the laity. 

 The following Cardinals, we are sorry to say, got most publicity for their participation in the sins of their fellow priests and bishops:

 Cardinal Josef Ratzinger (who later became Pope Benedict XVI) (Vatican):

Cardinal George Bernard Law of Boston, USA:

Cardinal Ricardo Ezzati of Santiago, Chile (successor to Cardinal Francisco Javier Errazuriz):

Cardinal Francisco Javier Errazuriz of Santiago, Chile (predecessor of Cardinal Ricardo Ezzati): 



Cardinal Dario Castrillon Hoyos (at the Vatican):


Cardinal Angelo Raffaele Sodano (Vatican Secretary of State and Dean of the College of Cardinals): 

Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone (Vatican Secretary of State -- after Cardinal Angelo Raffaele Sodano):


 Cardinal Donald Wuerl (Washington Diocese, USA):



 Some Other Notorious Cardinals of the Past:
(Updated on August 14, 2018)
(Updated on August 15, 2018)
(Updated on August 17, 2018)
(Updated on August 21, 2018)


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