Major Archbishop calls for solidarity with Ukraine (Vatican News) In the aftermath of Russian troops entering the rebel-held territories of Donetsk and Lugansk in Eastern Ukraine, the head of the Greek Catholic Church in Ukraine, His Beatitude Sviatoslav Shevchuk, is calling upon all people of good will “not to ignore the suffering of the Ukrainian people…”
Lawsuit accuses Knoxville bishop of rape cover-up (WVLT-TV) A lawsuit filed in Knox County alleges that the Catholic Diocese of Knoxville and its Bishop, Richard Stika, failed to stop the rape of an employee then attempted to cover the incident up. The lawsuit was filed on Feb. 22 under the name of “John Doe” to protect the man’s privacy, according to the person’s lead counsel at Janet, Janet & Suggs, LLC. However, it is stated that the person filing the lawsuit was a former musician and dedicated Diocesan employee. According to the 46-page filing, the Diocese employed a seminarian who was reportedly a friend of the Bishop. The lawsuit claims the seminarian raped Doe on Feb. 5, 2019 at Doe’s home. After the incident, the filing states that the seminarian sent the plaintiff a written apology after the incident but continued to sexually harass him at work…
Cardinal advisors to Pope Francis discuss role of women in Church (CNA) Pope Francis’ cardinal advisers have discussed a report on the role of women in the Church, the Vatican said on Wednesday. The Holy See press office said on Feb. 23 that during the three-day meeting the seven cardinals heard and commented on report by the theologian Sister Linda Pocher, F.M.A., on “the role of women and the ‘Marian principle’ in the Church…”
U.S. bishops defend plans for $28 million Eucharistic congress (NCR) To organize a National Eucharistic Congress in 2024, the Catholic bishops in the United States have partnered with an event planner who was accused of charging exorbitant rates during the preparations for Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration in January 2017. The bishops are also relying on conservative Catholic organizations to provide funding and create catechetical and promotional materials for a multiyear National Eucharistic Revival that will lead up to the four-day congress in July 2024. The bishops intend to set up a nonprofit organization to handle logistics and raise $28 million over the next two years to hold the event in downtown Indianapolis…
Archdiocese of Detroit still trying to remedy hundreds of invalid baptisms (CNN) After hundreds of Catholic baptisms performed in Michigan between 1986 and 1999 were deemed invalid because of the language used during the ritual, the Archdiocese of Detroit is still trying to remedy the situation. The case mirrors a recent predicament for the Catholic Church in Arizona, where it was discovered that a priest had performed invalid baptisms throughout most of his more than 20-year career…
Czech Catholics gather to dedicate Texas church as shrine (CNS) As Bishop Brendan J. Cahill formally dedicated Sts. Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church as a shrine in the Diocese of Victoria, he said his prayer was for the faithful, “under the tutelage and guidance of Sts. Cyril and Methodius, to be a bridge among people.” The church in Dubina was declared a pilgrimage site during a Mass Feb. 14, the saints’ feast day in the U.S., with Czech representatives from many Texas cities and fraternal organizations…
