The Quotation of the Week (December 7 - 13, 2014)

A quotation of Albert Einstein on 'education,' compiled by Jerome D'Costa

Photo (A window with ornamental design in a building in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada: Nov. 2, 2014) © Jerome D'Costa

Pope Francis Terms It a Scandal for Turning Churches into 'Businesses'

Pope Francis in a Mass at St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican , in Oct., 2014

 Photo courtesy: CNA

Pope Francis, speaking to Mass attendees in the Vatican's Santa Marta (Saint Martha) guesthouse on November 21, expressed his disapproval of priests and laity who turn their parishes into a 'business' by charging for items like baptisms, blessings and Mass intentions -- calling it a scandal that's hard to forgive, reports Catholic News Agency/EWTN News.

 “It is interesting: the people of God can forgive their priests, when they are weak; when they slip on a sin, the people know how to forgive them,” the Pope said.  “But there are two things that the people of God cannot forgive: a priest attached to money and a priest who mistreats people. This they cannot forgive! It is scandalous…”

His Mass homily was based on Luke's gospel where Jesus turns over tables and drives out those who were selling animals and items inside the temple, which, he said was meant for prayer and not for business.

For more on this news, please read: 

• Turning Churches into 'businesses' is  a scandal
• Pope at Santa Marta: Keeping God's temple clean

The Quotation of the Week (November 23 - 29, 2014)

A quotation of Edmund Burke on 'triumph of evil,' compiled by Jerome D'Costa

Photo (National Martyrs' Memorial -- Jatiyo Smriti Shoudho -- at Savar, Bangladesh: Aug. 1, 2013) © Jerome D'Costa

The Quotation of the Week (November 23 - 29, 2014)

A quotation of Candace Bushnell on the 'first snow,' compiled by Jerome D'Costa

Photo (The first snowfall in Toronto: November 17, 2014) © Jerome D'Costa

The Latest on Sex Abuse by Catholic Priests and Bishops

 

Pope Francis

 Photo courtesy: Facebook

Pope Francis has set up a Vatican commission for hearing appeals of Catholic priests and bishops accused of what Church considers delicta graviora (serious sins against the Sacraments), like sexual abuse of minors, wrongful use of the sacrament of penance, and ordination of women, reports the National Catholic Reporter online. 

The seven-member commission within the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to hear clerical appeals of cases involving delicta graviora. Bishops accused in cases involving delicta graviora are to have their appeal heard by the full Vatican Congregation and not only the new commission. 

To know more on different aspects of the issues and cases of sexual abuse by priests and bishops and relevant Church actions on them, you may visit the following:

•  NewsVa (Official Vatican Newwork): Clergy Sex Abuse
• Chicago archdiocese releasing child sex abuse files on 36 more priests
• Chicago archdiocese releases 15,000 pages on priest sex abuse
• How Sicko Priests Got Away With It
• Chicago Priests Raped and Pillaged for 50 Years
• Catholic News Agency (CNA): Clergy Sex Abuse
• Catholic News Service (CNS): Clergy Sex Abuse
• UCANews: Clergy Sex Abuse
• America Magazine: Clergy Sex Abuse 
• The Catholic World Report Magazine: Clergy Sex Abuse 
• The Vatican's Dump-Them-Fast Scheme: Pope Defrocks 400 Priests in 2 Years
• Benedict XVI defrocked nearly 400 priests in two years
• Will the Vatican step up and hold bishops accountable?
• Pope's sex abuse panel to develop protocol to hold bishops accountable
• National Catholic Reporter: Catholic Sex Abuse Cases
• Pope Francis and Clergy Sex Abuse
• The Catholic Herald: Pope Francis and Clergy Sex Abuse
• Rome's abuse prosecutor thanks media for keeping up pressure  
• Bishop Accountability Org
• Voice of the Faithful

The Quotation of the Week (November 16 - 22, 2014)

A quotation of Pope Francis on 'perfect family,' compiled by Jerome D'Costa

Photo (High-rise apartment buildings on the Bay Street near College Park, Toronto: October 11, 2013) © Jerome D'Costa

The Quotation of the Week (November 9 - 15, 2014)

A quotation of John Ruskin on 'education,' compiled by Jerome D'Costa

Photo (A light source at a hotel in Halifax, Canada: Nov. 2, 2014) © Jerome D'Costa