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August 17, 2018

Bishops who covered up sex abuse should resign, Pennsylvania prelate says

Bishop Lawrence T. Persico of Erie, Pa., speaks during a meeting in late January at the headquarters of U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in Washington. In an Aug. 16 interview on EWTN, he said the church needs "complete transparency" in addressing abuse "if we're going to get the trust of the people back."
WASHINGTON – In an Aug. 16 interview with Eternal Word Television Network, Erie Bishop Lawrence T. Persico said the only way to regain the trust of the laity after decades-long claims of sexual abuse by priests and others at six Pennsylvania dioceses is by deeds and one of those deeds may mean getting rid of bishops who hid abusers.
Published in International
September 25, 2017

Vatican, former Vatican auditor give differing accounts of resignation

Pope Francis meets Libero Milone, then the Vatican's auditor general, at the Vatican April 1, 2016.

VATICAN CITY – The first person to serve as the Vatican's independent auditor said he was forced to resign after opponents of Pope Francis' financial reforms mounted a campaign against him.

Published in Vatican
June 15, 2015

Pope accepts resignations of St. Paul archbishop, auxiliary

Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Archbishop John C. Nienstedt and Auxiliary Bishop Lee A. Piche of St. Paul and Minneapolis. They are pictured in a combination photo. On June 5 the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis was criminally charged with failing to protect children.

ST. PAUL, Minn. - Pope Francis accepted the resignations June 15 of Archbishop John C. Nienstedt and Auxiliary Bishop Lee A. Piche of St. Paul and Minneapolis and named coadjutor Archbishop Bernard A. Hebda of Newark, New Jersey, a canon lawyer, to be apostolic administrator of the Minnesota archdiocese.

Published in International
April 30, 2015

Ruling against Belgian archbishop could spur claims for damages

Belgian Archbishop Andre-Joseph Leonard of Mechelen-Brussels is pictured in a March 15 photo.

OXFORD, England - A Belgian bishop said the president of the bishops' conference urged Catholics to respect a court judgment against him for failing to act on allegations of abuse.

Published in International
April 21, 2015

Pope accepts resignation of Bishop Finn

Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Bishop Robert W. Finn of Kansas City-St. Joseph, Mo., who was convicted in 2012 on one misdemeanor count of failing to report suspected child abuse. Bishop Finn is pictured in a 2014 photo at the Vatican.

VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Bishop Robert W. Finn of Kansas City-St. Joseph, Missouri, who was convicted in 2012 on one misdemeanour count of failing to report suspected child abuse.

Published in Vatican
February 12, 2013

Pope Benedict's resignation will set in motion period of transition

The cover of a cardinal's prayer book from the last papal transition is imprinted with the Vatican insignia representing a vacant Holy See. The emblem is used between the death of a pope and the election of a new one -- a period known as the "interregnum ." The Holy See will be considered vacant with the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI Feb. 28.

VATICAN CITY - While the surprise resignation of Pope Benedict XVI is a first for the church in centuries, it also leads to a complicated period of transition that ends in the election of a new pope.

Published in International
February 11, 2013

Papal resignation catches Cardinal Collins by surprise

Cardinal Thomas Collins asked that people pray for cardinals "in their profound mission they have now as cardinals, that is to elect the successor to Peter."

TORONTO - Surprise and then prayer was Cardinal Thomas Collins' reaction to Pope Benedict XVI's resignation from the Throne of Peter Feb. 11.

Published in Canada
February 11, 2013

Pope Benedict shows signs of aging, but Vatican reports no illness

Pope Benedict XVI is shown in side-by-side images from 2005 and 2013. At left is the pope in a photo taken May 4, 2005, about two weeks after his election. At right is an image taken Feb. 9 at the Vatican. The 85-year-old German pontiff announced Feb. 1 1 that he was stepping down saying his does not have the strength to exercise ministry over the universal church.

VATICAN CITY - From the moment he was elected pope at the age of 78 in 2005, Pope Benedict XVI has kept a schedule that appeared light compared to that of Blessed John Paul II, but busy for a man who already had a pacemaker and who wanted to retire to study, write and pray when he turned 75.

Published in International
February 11, 2013

Pope Benedict's resignation announcement stuns world religious leaders

Pope Benedict XVI announced Feb. 11 that he will resign at the end of the month. The 85-year-old pontiff said he no longer has the energy to exercise his ministry over the universal church.

WASHINGTON - Pope Benedict XVI's announcement that he planned to resign Feb. 28 stunned and shocked religious leaders around the world.

Published in International
February 11, 2013

Citing health reasons, Pope Benedict announces he will resign

Pope Benedict XVI responds to the cheers of World Youth Day pilgrims as he cruises in a boat down the Rhine River in Cologne in 2005. The pope announced Feb. 11 that he will resign at the end of the month. The 85-year-old pontiff said he no longer has th e energy to exercise his ministry over the universal church.

Updated 02/11/13

VATICAN CITY - Saying he no longer has the strength to exercise ministry over the universal church, Pope Benedict XVI announced Feb. 11 that he would be resigning at the end of the month after an eight-year pontificate.

Published in International