Category Archives: bishops

Prelates Pressured

Posted on 23 April 2014 by

The Catholic Press, at least its independent wing, continues to pressure bishops. Grant Gallicho continues the Commonweal hounding of American bishops of questionable administrative conduct. My sense if that Jeff Anderson is doing what any tenacious lawyer does to earn … Continue reading →

Posted in bishops, Commentary, sex abuse | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Atlanta Apology

Posted on 1 April 2014 by

Archbishop Wilton Gregory’s mansion has become the cause celebre for many conservative Catholics who, stung by their association with other bling bishops, think that the Catholic Left’s campaign against the dwelling places of the one percent is hampered by ideological … Continue reading →

Posted in bishops, Church News | Tagged | 3 Comments

History v Theology?

Posted on 28 March 2014 by

I’m not sure what Fr John Shea expects to accomplish here. I think I perceive his hope. It’s an unrealistic hope at this juncture. There will be no theological discussion. The people responsible, with the probable exception of the Bishop of … Continue reading →

Posted in bishops, Church News, Politics | Tagged , | 6 Comments

A Precedent?

Posted on 26 March 2014 by

Do we pity Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst? Forever he will be known not as a disciple of Jesus Christ, nor even merely as a prince of the church–but as the “bishop of bling.” Now we find that five months after the … Continue reading →

Posted in bishops | Tagged , | 2 Comments

English Bishops Push On Blogging

Posted on 24 March 2014 by

Bishops in the UK seem to have the internet in their sights these days. The bishop who muzzled a deacon is still getting bad press on some Catholics sites. (Like here.) The Bishop of Portsmouth, Philip Egan, directed this letter … Continue reading →

Posted in bishops, The Blogosphere | Leave a comment

Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors

Posted on 22 March 2014 by

The discussion on Pope Francis, negligent bishops, and what the former can or should do about the latter continues in the blogosphere (like here) and offline. The Holy Father has named a commission. I think we continue to wait and … Continue reading →

Posted in bishops, sex abuse | Tagged | Leave a comment

Aparecida 40: The Challenge of Gender Ideology

Posted on 15 March 2014 by

The bishops continue listing the challenges to evangelization. Paragraph 40, written in 2007, seems to me to reflect the concerns of bishops in North America and Europe, more than the concerns of the faithful in Latin America. I have found … Continue reading →

Posted in 2007 Aparecida document, bishops, evangelization, Guest Writers, John Donaghy | Tagged | 3 Comments

I Don’t Want A Francis Effect

Posted on 6 March 2014 by

I put it in the headline to underscore I’m serious. Not cynical. Not making a funny. Cathy Lynn Grossman at RNS cites some Pew Research on Catholic thinking and behavior since last March 13th. Truthfully, I don’t want people showing … Continue reading →

Posted in bishops, Commentary, spirituality | Tagged | 3 Comments

Aparecida 38-39: Cultural Challenges

Posted on 27 February 2014 by

In paragraph 38, the bishops lay part of the blame for the erosion of the tradition of popular at the feet of mass media. Mass media offers fantasy-filled images – but they lack a unifying meaning. They merely offer more … Continue reading →

Posted in 2007 Aparecida document, bishops, evangelization, Guest Writers, John Donaghy | Tagged | Leave a comment

A Thankless Job

Posted on 20 February 2014 by

The NYT hammers on Archbishop Myers. Thumbs up to a palace; thumbs down to a school: is that a fair assessment of the archdiocese’s position? Jim Goodness, the spokesman for the archdiocese, has the thankless job of explaining this. “The … Continue reading →

Posted in bishops | Tagged | 4 Comments

Aparecida 35-37: Challenges of Meaning and Technology

Posted on 18 February 2014 by

The analysis of the reality of Latin America and the Caribbean begins in paragraph 35 with a theological discussion about reductionist approaches to reality that leave out God. For the bishops, globalization and technology have implications in “the life of … Continue reading →

Posted in 2007 Aparecida document, bishops, evangelization, Guest Writers, John Donaghy | Tagged | 1 Comment

New Jersey’s Bishop of Bling?

Posted on 17 February 2014 by

Most retirees downsize living space. Not so the Archbishop of Newark. Church management consultant Charles Zech: Archbishop Myers obviously is not paying any attention to the pope. This is extreme, way beyond what you’d expect to happen. I can’t believe … Continue reading →

Posted in bishops | 3 Comments

Canonical Process For Bishop Finn

Posted on 17 February 2014 by

My former bishop gets reported to Pope Francis. The canonical appeal is facilitated by Father James Connell, priest of the Milwaukee archdiocese and canon lawyer. Over 100,000 online signatures. (I wasn’t one of them.) Will anything come of this? Some … Continue reading →

Posted in bishops, sex abuse | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Good News/Bad News

Posted on 13 February 2014 by

It seems like it’s that kind of week. On two headlines pulled from the Twitter feeds … In Milwaukee, we have … … one of the largest and most contentious of the dozen or so church bankruptcy cases to date. … Continue reading →

Posted in bishops, sex abuse | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Aparecida 33-35: The Challenge of Globalization:

Posted on 6 February 2014 by

The process of discerning the signs of the times begins in paragraph 33 and continues to the end of this section, paragraph 97. In paragraph 33, the bishops specifically note that their work of the meeting is a response to … Continue reading →

Posted in 2007 Aparecida document, bishops, evangelization, Guest Writers, John Donaghy | Tagged | Leave a comment