Brooklyn bishop retires after 18 years (The New York Times) Pope Francis named a new bishop to lead the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn on Wednesday, ending the 18-year tenure of the current bishop, Nicholas DiMarzio, weeks after a Vatican investigation cleared him of two accusations of child sexual abuse dating to the 1970s. The new bishop, Robert J. Brennan, will be the eighth man to lead the diocese, which encompasses 1.5 million Catholics in Brooklyn and Queens. He has served as bishop of the Columbus, Ohio, diocese since 2019. Before that, he held various roles in the Diocese of Rockville Centre on Long Island over 30 years…
Baltimore cancels Church Militant protest, citing possible violence (NCR) A federal court is set to hear arguments Sept. 30 over whether the extreme right-wing Catholic group Church Militant can stage a large downtown protest in Baltimore during the U.S. bishops’ meeting there in November. The group is expected to argue that the city of Baltimore violated its constitutional rights to free speech and religious freedom by canceling the planned event…
“Massacre”: Attack on Christians in Nigeria (CNA) A Catholic priest has described last Sunday’s attacks on villages in Nigeria’s northern Kaduna State as a “massacre” against native people, many of whom are Christian. An estimated 49 people, including women and children, were killed in a two-hour-long attack by Muslim Fulani herdsman who “came in large numbers and began shooting at anything on sight,” according to the priest, who spoke to Middle Belt Times on condition of anonymity because he serves in the region…
Pope chooses “Listen” as theme for World Communications Day (CNS) In the search for truth, Catholic communicators must learn how to listen above all else, the Vatican said. “Listen” will be the theme for the 2022 celebration of World Communications Day, said the statement released Sept. 29. A papal message on the theme should be published on or around the Jan. 24 feast of St. Francis de Sales, patron saint of journalists…