CWI : Operation Latharna (20)

Before we write what we wish to, let us advise you Mr Buckley, so as to save you the effort, that what we write here - to you - is NOT harassment, threatening, untrue or defammatory.

We believe that you are more qualified than anyone else to understand that, but just in case you or your Southern Sidekick want to go making false allegations against us again in another attempt to shut us down - as evidenced here, we are well within the legal definitions of the above.

A comment on your own blogspot...

'So if Pat has the facts, I say publish and be damned. we deserve to know and then we can make our own minds up.'

CW : Mr Buckley has made many many untrue claims via his blogspot, and has been called out by this site to publish any and all evidence he may have to underwrite what he has claimed as truth. Our questioning of him can be viewed by clicking on any posting under Operation Latharna, and we will advise that to date (17th April 2024) he has NEVER replied, challenged, contradicted or indeed acknowledged our questions.

What he has done is reported such posts as harassment - which tells us all we need to know in relation to the veracity of his claims on his blogspot.

We agree with the idea of the above challenging Mr Buckley to publish and be damned - but we know he will not, because if he did so, he would be damned for the untruths he has thus far published.

The above comment goes further : 'Remember, the kind of thing that he would reveal has to do with professional lack of integrity and bare faced lies....'

CW : Well, isn't that a bit of the pot calling the kettle black considering that the evidence that we hold in relation to Mr Buckley and his Southern Sidekick would totally destroy any credibility they may think they have.

Again we repeat that callout to them both in why - thus far - Mr Buckley has failed to disclose the truth contained in a telephone call and email he is in posession of, which would totally undermine and discredit him, and indeed expose him for the liar we - and he - knows he is.

Even more in this comment...'Pat does not need to fear any comeback, because these guys know that if they take him to court over something he has said about them, they will under oath find themselves having to account for much more, so they will keep quiet.'

CW : We would just like to say here, be careful for that which you ask, as you may get it - but not the way you may expect!!

This site may yet find itself under threat of closure again due to Mr Buckley making further false allegations against us - but we, Mr Buckley,  have got so much truth (something with which you are not acquainted) about you and others, that we will gladly publish and be damned.

And as for a day out in the courts, under oath, you will be the one, alongside your Southern Sidekick, having to account for yourselves in a very very public way.

All we can say for now - bring it on!!

AODHÁN DE FAOITE

Eagarthóir / Editor

Changes to Mayo's dioceses are a break with 900-plus years of tradition (Opinion)

Last Tuesday (April 9) could be called Simon Harris Day as Dáil Éireann, the media, Fine Gael and others pulled out all the stops to celebrate the political beatification of a new Taoiseach. 

Young, brisk, energetic and a gifted communicator, Harris played a starring role (as new Taoisigh do) in a series of parliamentary and other semi-liturgical set-pieces that mark his huge leap up the political ladder. 

As ever, we witnessed history in the making.

The following day (April 10) was historic in its own way when the Papal Nuncio in Ireland announced that the dioceses of Tuam and Killala, as well as the dioceses of Elphin and Achonry were to merge.

Archbishop Francis Duffy of Tuam will head a new diocese, incorporating Tuam (of which he is already archbishop) and Killala (to which he has been appointed Apostolic Administrator). Bishop Kevin Doran of Elphin will head another new diocese, incorporating Elphin (of which he already is bishop) and Achonry (to which he has been appointed Apostolic Administrator).

This is a huge break, in terms of diocesan boundaries, with a 900-plus years of tradition. From Patrician times until the 12th century, the Irish Church was pre-diocesan and was in large part monastic. 

The diocesan territorial system under the administration of bishops was introduced in the twelfth century in order to bring the structure of the Church in Ireland into line with that of the rest of Europe.

The first delineation of dioceses in Ireland was introduced by the Synod of Rathbrazil in the year 1111AD where tentative boundaries were agreed. Killala was mooted to stretch from Nephin to Ballyshannon and from Blacksod to Ballisodare but this never became a reality. 

In the event, it was left to the Connacht clergy to agree boundaries for themselves and what became Killala diocese was subsequently confined to the territory in which Ui Fiachrach lived – what we know now as the baronies of Tireragh, Tirawley and Erris. 

That delineation of Killala was sanctioned at the Synod of Kells in 1152 and the boundaries have been unchanged for 900 years.

Archbishop Duffy, in a statement, described what he called "this level of change in the episcopate in one province at the same time" as "quite significant". 

He continued: "It creates the possibility of exploring a closer union between the Archdiocese of Tuam and the Diocese of Killala, and between the Dioceses of Elphin and Achonry not unlike the process that is already underway in the Dioceses of Galway and Clonfert. Any such change would involve living communities and could not be simply structural or administrative. It would require careful discernment over some time, involving the whole people of God in the respective Dioceses." 

It’s understandable (and necessary) that Archbishop Duffy would be so tentative in his approach because this initiative is very much a game-changer. It’s breaking new ground and in the process over-turning centuries of tradition. 

Unlike the union between Galway and Clonfert where each of the two dioceses retain their independence under a shared bishop, it was clear in the preceding consultation to the above ‘unions’ that any decision to ‘merge’ dioceses would be of a different order to that of Galway and Clonfert, in other words an amalgamation.

This process will demand much time, will need to be given plenty of space and will require a huge commitment as merging two dioceses is a huge task, covering a whole range of issues, many of which will demand challenging levels of sensitivity and respect for the traditions and heritage of both dioceses.

There’s no accepted template for the union of dioceses and the four dioceses – Tuam, Killala, Elphin and Achonry – will have to negotiate a new path without much guidance or precedence regarding an optimum sequence to be followed. 

Traditions, procedures, approaches vary from diocese to diocese and a mutually respectful, open and a facilitative attitude to problem-solving needs to be accepted as a necessary building block for the resolution of what may emerge as contentious issues.

In a way, the union of Tuam and Killala could be more problematic in that, unlike with Elphin and Achonry, there is a greater disparity in size. 

Tuam has 56 parishes (Killala, 22). Tuam has a population of 145,000 (Killala, 36,000). 

Tuam has 74 priests (Killala, 23). Tuam has 131 churches (Killala, 48). Tuam has 195 primary schools and 18 second-level schools (Killala has correspondingly, 63 and 10).

Individual disparities of practice and tradition will need a mutual and respectful engagement that will include appointments policy in terms of location, the status of the two cathedrals (each at either end of the new diocese), determining the character and location of ritual diocesan occasions like Chrism Masses, priests retreats and other standard realities of diocesan life, agreeing appropriate and acceptable name changes for the new diocese and reconciling any disparity of income that may exist.

There is no reason why such agreements would not be possible given the core values of respect and generosity that underpin our Christian faith. 

The reconfiguration and amalgamation of dioceses is not the equivalent of a company takeover of another company. Fundamentally, this is not so much about down-sizing as about maximising the potential to respond to the primary focus of the Church, the gospel message of Jesus, a reconstruction that adverts to deeper impulses than market forces.

It is also about responding at a personal level to a huge loss of diocesan identify cemented over 900 years of history and lifetimes of individual service and with the personal and institutional sadness that many will grieve. 

It will be, as someone said to me the other day, an orphan experience for many.

Though it’s a done deal, there is a further road to travel in respecting the depths of its implications.

Inquiry to review Caldey Abbey abuse allegations

A Welsh abbey has commissioned an independent review into historical claims of child abuse linked to its community.

The Cistercian Abbey of Caldey Island said last week that Jan Pickles, a former assistant police and crime commissioner for South Wales Police, would conduct the independent inquiry.

Fr Jan Rossey of Caldey Abbey announced the review in a statement on 10 April, when he also announced his appointment as the new superior of Caldey Abbey.

“In common with many other organisations, Caldey Abbey has, in the past, received disclosures and allegations involving members of the monastic community about their behaviour towards children,” he said.  “We take these allegations very seriously.”

Dozens of people have alleged they were abused by Fr Thaddeus Kotik, a monk of Caldey Abbey who died in 1992, without facing criminal investigation into claims he abused children from 1977 to 1982.

In March 2017, six of his alleged female victims received compensation from Caldey Abbey in an out-of-court settlement. One asked for Kotik’s body to be exhumed and removed from the island. 

More allegations have been since emerged, some involve the late Fr Charles Jeffries, a priest of the Diocese of Arundel and Brighton.

Fr Rossey has asked Maria Battle, the former deputy children’s commissioner for Wales, to be the inquiry’s lead on safeguarding.

Anyone with an allegation is invited to contact Battle via email or telephone or email the Religious Life Safeguarding Service.

“We will recommend that the findings will be made public,” said Battle, adding that Fr Rossey hoped to “hear from anyone affected”.

Kevin O’Connell, the founder of the Caldey Island Survivors’ Campaign, said the review was “a start”. 

In 2021, he submitted a petition to the Welsh Senedd signed by 5,000 people asking the devolved government to launch a public inquiry into the allegations of abuse at Caldey. It refused to do so.

Monks have inhabited the island of Caldey, off the coast of Tenby in Pembrokeshire, since the sixth century.

DC Knights call for Rupnik art removal

A Washington, D.C., Knights of Columbus council has called for chapel mosaics created by disgraced artist Fr. Marko Rupnik to be removed from the area’s St. John Paul II Shrine, which is sponsored by the Knight of Columbus fraternal organization.

The Cardinal O'Boyle Council 11302 passed a resolution April 9 calling on Knights leadership to remove Rupnik’s artwork from the shrine’s Redemptor Hominis Church and the Luminous Mysteries Chapel.

The resolution notes that Rupnik has been accused of sexually abusing religious sisters in the context of creating his works of art.

“O’Boyle Council calls upon the executive leadership of the Washington, DC State Council of the Knights of Columbus (State Council) and the executive leadership of the Supreme Council of the Knights of Columbus (Supreme Council) to renovate the Shrine such that the mosaics in both the Redemptor Hominis Church and the Luminous Mysteries Chapel created by Fr. Rupnik are removed and replaced with liturgical art suitable to the celebration of the sacraments,” says the resolution, which was obtained by The Pillar.

The council calls on Knights national leadership to immediately publicize a plan for a removal of the artwork and to cover the images until a full renovation can begin.

“O’Boyle Council calls upon the executive leadership of the Washington, DC State Council and the executive leadership of the Supreme Council to immediately make a public apology to survivors of Fr. Rupnik's abuse for the Order's continued inaction in addressing the matter of the mosaics in the Shrine,” the resolution adds. 

Rupnik is a well-known Slovenian priest, an artist, and a former member of the Jesuit order, the Society of Jesus.

The priest is at the center of a multi-faceted sexual abuse and cover-up scandal. Rupnik has been accused of spiritually, psychologically, and sexually abusing consecrated women in a Slovenian religious community. He was also briefly excommunicated in 2020, for attempting to sacramentally absolve a woman after a sexual encounter with her, a major crime in the Church’s canon law.

An initial examination of the allegations against Rupnik met a dead end when the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) declined to lift the statute of limitations on the allegations.

Amid widespread criticism, Pope Francis in October 2023 waived the statute of limitations on the claims against Rupnik, reopening the case against the priest, and allowing him to face a canonical process. 

The DDF is currently investigating the allegations. Five new complaints of abuse were filed with the dicastery earlier this month.

The allegations against Rupnik have led to calls for the removal of his artwork, which is prominently featured in sacred spaces around the world, including the Basilica of the Sanctuary in Lourdes, France.

In December 2022, the Knights of Columbus said it was “reconsidering the place” of Rupnik’s work in the organization’s chapels. The Knights have already removed Rupnik’s art from their evangelization booklets and other published materials.

The O’Boyle Council resolution cites Sacrosanctum concilium’s exhortation that works of art which are “repugnant to faith, morals, and Christian piety” should be removed from sacred spaces.

“[T]he mosaics created by Fr. Rupnik in the St. John Paul II Shrine are repugnant to faith, morals, and Christian piety due and lack artistic worth due to the fact that Fr. Rupnik reportedly perpetrated his sexual abuse through the creation of his artwork,” the resolution states.

Rupnik’s mosaics are also featured in Holy Family Chapel, at the Knights of Columbus’ headquarters in New Haven, Connecticut.

Swiss bishop defends attending predecessor’s SSPX funeral

A Swiss bishop defended his decision Tuesday to attend his predecessor’s funeral at the seminary church of the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) in Écône.

Bishop Joseph Bonnemain said in an April 16 statement that he had received “recommendations, warnings, and comments” about his participation in the April 17 funeral Mass of Bishop Vitus Huonder, after other Swiss bishops indicated that they would not be attending.

Huonder, who joined the SSPX after his retirement as Bishop of Chur in 2019, died April 3, at the age of 81.

Bonnemain, who succeeded Huonder as Bishop of Chur in 2021, said that after considering “all the arguments,” he had resolved to attend the funeral at the church of the International Seminary of St. Pius X, “with a very clear stance.”

He said he regretted Huonder’s decision to spend the final years of his life at the SSPX’s Sancta Maria Institute in Wangs and be buried at the seminary church in Écône, alongside the organization’s founder Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre.

“The Society of St. Pius X has an irregular status in the Catholic Church,” Bonnemain said. “For this reason, I will not actively participate in the liturgical celebration.” 

The live stream of the funeral Mass showed the bishop sitting at the front of the congregation, near Huonder’s coffin. Bishop Marian Eleganti, a Chur auxiliary bishop from 2009 to 2021, sat beside him.

“When I, as Bishop of Chur, attend the funeral of a former bishop of the diocese, I do so in the attitude in which I stand at the grave of every human being. It is not for me to judge the life and work of a person. Only God knows our motives and intentions,” Bonnemain said.

“The canonical status of the community is not directly related to the old wounds and tensions in the Diocese of Chur. It is high time that we put them behind us and take a step towards each other. If we in the Catholic Church are not prepared to act in this way, we can no longer speak credibly about reconciliation, peace, and fraternity.” 

“With this attitude and this hope, we will also celebrate the Requiem in the cathedral in Chur on April 19, 2024, to which I cordially invite everyone once again.”

Vitus Huonder was born in 1942 in Trun, in the eastern canton of Graubünden. He was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Chur in 1971. He was named a canon of Chur Cathedral in 1990 and vicar general in 1998. When Pope Benedict XVI appointed him bishop of the diocese in 2007, he took the motto “Instaurare Omnia in Christo” (“Restore all things in Christ”).

The Diocese of Chur, which covers seven of Switzerland’s 26 cantons and serves around 650,000 Catholics, is considered to be deeply polarized, with complex geographical, political, cultural, and linguistic divisions. 

Huonder was seen as a forceful advocate of the diocese’s conservative wing. During his 12 years in charge of the diocese, he was frequently embroiled in controversies, including over comments on homosexuality, women priests, and sex education in schools. 

In 2015, the then Vatican doctrine chief Cardinal Gerhard Müller asked Huonder to establish contacts with SSPX representatives.

“The idea was to create a friendly interpersonal relationship with the community,” Huonder explained in a 2023 video. “At the same time, the doctrinal questions of the Church were to be addressed.” 

He added: “As these contacts progressed, I delved into the biography and the writings of the founder of the SSPX, Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. I thus became more and more familiar with the theological arguments, the concerns, and the objectives of the SSPX.”

Lefebvre, a French member of the Holy Ghost Fathers alarmed by the Church’s direction after the Vatican Council II, established the SSPX in Écône in 1970 to form seminarians along traditional lines. He was excommunicated in 1988 after consecrating four bishops despite a papal prohibition and died in 1991.

Pope Benedict XVI lifted the four bishops’ excommunications in 2009. In a letter to the world’s bishops explaining the decision, he wrote: “Until the doctrinal questions are clarified, the Society has no canonical status in the Church, and its ministers — even though they have been freed of the ecclesiastical penalty — do not legitimately exercise any ministry in the Church.”

Talks between Rome and the SSPX failed to resolve the impasse, meaning that the group continues to have a canonically irregular status.

Pope Francis accepted Huonder’s resignation in 2019, at the age of 77. 

In a joint statement with SSPX superior general Fr. Davide Pagliarani, the bishop said that he was retiring to an SSPX house.

“The one sole purpose of this step is to dedicate himself to prayer and silence, to celebrate the traditional Mass exclusively, and to work for Tradition, the only way of renewing the Church,” the statement said.

In April 2023, Huonder appeared in a three-part video series called “The Great Wound,” produced by the German Catholic YouTube channel Certamen, in which he discussed his journey to the SSPX.

He argued that the Church was in “one of the greatest crises in its history.”

“It covers all areas of the life of the Church: proclamation, liturgy, pastoral care, and government. It is a deep crisis of faith,” he said.

He added that “there is only one way out of the crisis: a return to those values and beliefs that one has abandoned or neglected or unlawfully discarded.”

He also criticized Pope Francis’ 2021 motu proprio Traditionis custodes, which restricted celebrations of the Extraordinary Form of the Mass, also known as the “Traditional Latin Mass” or the “usus antiquior,” and 2022 apostolic letter on liturgical formation Desiderio desideravi.

“The measures taken against the traditional liturgy, which have recently begun with Traditionis custodes, Desiderio desideravi, and the accompanying documents, are nothing other than a hunt against those faithful who have reason to recognize in this liturgy the true and original worship of the Roman Church,” he said.

Years before his death, Huonder expressed the wish to be buried in the crypt of the SSPX seminary church at Écône, rather than at Chur Cathedral, as is customary for bishops of Chur. The request was reportedly repeated to Fr. Pagliarani and Bishop Bonnemain a few days before Huonder died.

“He wanted to be buried alongside Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, who suffered so much for the Church,” FSSPX News said.

Priests in the Diocese of Chur expressed mixed feelings about Huonder’s last wishes.

Pastor Fr. Stephan Kristan told kath.ch that he felt the bishop had missed an opportunity to challenge divisions within the diocese.

“If he had reconsidered his wish to be buried at Écône, during Bishop Joseph [Bonnemain]’s last visit, it would have been a wonderful sign to everyone in the diocese that it is wise to look ahead and act as one Catholic Church,” he said.

Another priest, Fr. Andreas Egli, said that Huonder’s burial place “should not be seen as a provocation or rejection, but as an expression of his long-standing desire to overcome division and contribute to reconciliation within the Church.”

Church warns of ticket fraud for papal mass

The Catholic Church in Singapore is warning of scams in the run-up to Pope Francis' planned visit in September. 

Individuals or groups are falsely posing as contact points for the sale of tickets for the papal mass, the news portal Channel News Asia (CNA) reported on Tuesday.

"Tickets for the papal mass are free, if available," CNA quoted the Archdiocese of Singapore as saying. "We urge the public to remain vigilant and not fall victim to these scams." 

The only legitimate sources of information related to the papal visit are the archdiocese's website and the special website for the papal visit.

Pope Francis is travelling to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore in September. 

The Pope will be in Singapore, the last stop on his trip, from 11 to 13 September. 

Around 19 per cent of Singapore's approximately six million inhabitants are Christians, including 221,000 Catholics.

Rector of Notre-Dame: This is how the reopening will take place

The reopening of Notre-Dame de Paris five years after the major fire is seen by the rector of the cathedral as a "sign of hope for the whole world". 

In a shattered world full of tension and despair, it shows that "what seemed dead is still standing, thanks to the solidarity of all those who made it possible", Olivier Ribadeau Dumas told the online diocesan magazine "Paris Notre-Dame" on the fifth anniversary of the fire on 15/16 April 2019.

The rebuilding is a sign "that fraternity has a real meaning and that if we join forces, we can create something great and beautiful", said the rector. 

This could not have been foreseen five years ago. 

The reopening of the Episcopal Church of Paris is also an opportunity for a spiritual awakening, emphasised Ribadeau Dumas; and: "This is not the reconstruction of a museum, but a church that is called to be a sign of God's presence in the heart of our city."

What is planned for the reopening?

The rector also explained what the reopening on 8 December will look like. On the afternoon of 7 December, the doors of Notre-Dame will be ceremoniously opened, followed by the blessing of the organ, which had to be completely dismantled, cleaned and reassembled. 

The ceremony concludes with a Te Deum and the Magnificat. 

On the morning of 8 December, the second Sunday in Advent and the Solemnity of the Assumption, the new altar is consecrated. 

This is followed by the first mass. 

On 9 December, another mass is celebrated in the presence of numerous bishops and priests from France and around the world.

As the Paris cathedral can only seat 1,500 people, a large marquee is erected around the church. 

Large screens will be installed there and throughout the city so that visitors and all the inhabitants of Paris can see their cathedral again. 

In the following days until 15 December, services will be held for charitable associations, the needy, individual religious communities, young people, donors, carers, etc.

The early Gothic Parisian episcopal church of Notre-Dame is a landmark of Paris. It is considered by many to be the epitome of French cathedrals. 

Dedicated to the Virgin Mary, the church is prominently located on the Ile de la Cite in the historic centre of the Seine and was visited by around 12 to 14 million people a year before the major fire in 2019. 

During renovation work, a major fire broke out on the roof of Notre-Dame on 15 April 2019, destroying the roofs and roof trusses, parts of the vaults and the crossing tower. 

President Emmanuel Macron's wish to reopen the church by the fifth anniversary of the fire could not quite be met, but it is due to take place on 8 December.

Observers: Pope to send Gänswein as ambassador to the Baltic states?

New speculation about the future of Georg Gänswein: the former secretary to Benedict XVI could be sent to the Baltic States as the Pope's ambassador. 

This was reported by the newspaper "Corriere della Sera" at the weekend. 

The Baltic nunciature is located in Lithuania and also includes Estonia and Latvia. 

The post of Vatican ambassador there is currently vacant. 

On 11 March, Pope Francis transferred his nuncio in Lithuania, Archbishop Petar Rajic, to Italy.

Neither the Vatican nor Gänswein himself have yet commented on the speculation. 

Last week, however, the Argentinian daily newspaper "La Nacion" reported on a possible new post for the 67-year-old German. 

It was said that Gänswein would become Apostolic Nuncio at a location yet to be named. 

The Holy See will officially announce the appointment "soon".

Pope Francis: lack of decency

In a recently published interview book, the Pope had accused Benedict XVI's former secretary of a lack of decency and humanity because a memoir by Gänswein about his years with the ex-pope was published immediately after his death. 

However, with regard to intrigues in the Vatican, Francis also said that people who have made a mistake must be forgiven and a new chapter opened. Only people who remain obstinate are different.

Since his release from the Vatican in the summer of 2023, Gänswein has been living without a job in his home archdiocese of Freiburg. 

He was Joseph Ratzinger/Benedict XVI's private secretary for 19 years and accompanied him as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, as Pope and as Pope Emeritus until his death.

Cardinal Pizzaballa postpones taking possession of the titular church in Rome

The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, has cancelled his planned trip to Rome due to the current situation in the Middle East. 

He was due to take possession of his titular church of Sant'Onofrio there on Monday. 

The ceremony has been postponed to a date yet to be determined, his secretary confirmed to the Catholic News Agency (KNA) in Jerusalem on Sunday evening.

The assignment of a titular church in Rome confirms the assignment of the cardinals to the Pope's local church in his diocese of Rome. 

Some cardinals maintain a close relationship with their titular church in Rome, its parish priest and the parishioners. 

Others limit themselves to occasional church services when they visit the Eternal City.

The church of Sant'Onofrio, built in the early 15th century, is located near the Vatican on the ascent to the Gianicolo hill, right next to the Vatican's Bambino Gesu children's hospital. 

The church has been the seat of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem since 1945, when Pope Pius XII decided to move it from Jerusalem to Rome.

Pascal Delannoy takes up the post in the beleaguered archdiocese of Strasbourg

Pascal Delannoy, until now Bishop of Saint-Denis in the concrete-grey north-east of Paris, says: "You can't just look at the tragedies. Every day, I experience a very different Saint-Denis to the one portrayed in the media. There is enormous fraternity and solidarity among the people here." Solidarity - standing together: This will also be necessary in Strasbourg, which is often considered a tranquil city, where the 67-year-old will be inaugurated as the 107th Bishop of Strasbourg next Sunday.

After all, the metropolis of Alsace, for centuries a bone of contention between France and Germany, is a religious hotspot behind the scenes. Not only is the city of 290,000 inhabitants considered a stronghold of Islamism in France alongside Paris and Marseille. Catholicism - which is comparatively well-heeled here - has also been in a bit of a mess recently.

Resignation of the predecessor after months of conflict

Flashback: A year ago, in May 2023, Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Strasbourg Archbishop Luc Ravel (66) after months of controversy over Ravel's conduct in office and following a Vatican review. Catholics had previously demonstrated in favour of his dismissal on the forecourt of Strasbourg Cathedral.

Ravel had headed the archbishopric since the beginning of 2017 and critics described the religious, who was previously France's military bishop, as quick-tempered and distant from people, sometimes cutting and authoritarian. His followers, however, rejected this. In June 2022, for example, the diocese's head of finance, Jacques Bourrier, was dismissed without notice and without justification. The former naval officer announced his intention to appeal - and spoke of the bishop's "banana republic practices".

There were also disputes about the two Strasbourg auxiliary bishops, Christian Kratz (71) and Gilles Reithinger (51). Archbishop Ravel had largely disempowered Kratz - after it was reported that the Vatican had appointed him interim administrator (Apostolic Administrator) in order to remove Ravel's power to lead the archdiocese. After all, this controversy was resolved with Ravel's departure.

Unlike the Reithinger appointment. He resigned two months ago, in mid-February, after he was accused of covering up sexual assaults. The official line was: "due to health problems".

Quite a plucked personnel tableau

The new Archbishop Delannoy's personnel roster is quite a mixed bag. And he will have to deal with another peculiarity in his new role - which doesn't sound very unpleasant at first glance: the Archdiocese of Strasbourg is significantly wealthier than most other dioceses in France.

This is due to a peculiarity of state-church law in Alsace and Lorraine: In 1905, the secular Third Republic cancelled the French Concordat of 1801 and implemented a strict separation of church and state for France. However, Alsace and Lorraine belonged to Germany between the wars of 1870/71 and 1914/18 - so the Concordat is still in force there today. This also means that the French state pays the salaries of the clergy as well as building subsidies.

According to a diocese insider, this also gives some priests "a certain sense of independence from the bishop". Some took good care of their advantages from an economically comfortable position. For example, there was resentment when Delannoy's predecessor criticised Christian complacency just a few weeks after his arrival in Strasbourg and declared that no one could be a good priest without a passionate love of Christ. Many were outraged to be criticised right from the start.

The new man will not make this mistake: Concilience in his dealings, level-headedness, knowledge of human nature and analysis, the ability to listen and mediate; these qualities are valued both in the Bishops' Conference, where Delannoy was Vice-Chairman for many years, and in his former diocese.

"He listens to people. His sermons are concrete"

Jean-Luc Brunin, Bishop of Le Havre, described the new archbishop as a peacemaker in the newspaper "La Croix"; he could overcome the deep crisis of confidence in Strasbourg. And the Jesuit Marcel Remon from Delannoy's previous diocese of Saint-Denis emphasises his modesty and accessibility as a priest: "He listens to people. His sermons are concrete. You can sense that he worked before he decided to become a priest."

Delannoy, who was born in Comines on the border with Belgium, was actually a chartered accountant before he was ordained at the age of 32. His first assignment as a priest: the economically weak Roubaix, also known among cycling fans as "the hell of the north", which was shaken by structural change. After years as an auxiliary bishop in Lille, he was appointed bishop of the Seine-Saint-Denis department in 2009, which is one of the poorest in France. It is no coincidence that Delannoy also heads the Council for Solidarity and Diaconia of the Bishops' Conference.

The new archbishop also has a great sense of cultural diversity: Maghrebi, black Africans, Chinese, Tamils - around 130 nationalities live in Saint-Denis. Delannoy: "This prevents one particular group from gaining the upper hand, as is the case in other regions. Here, it would be a total illusion to believe that you could only do a thing among the French." Of course, Catholics often believe that diversity is an opportunity. "Of course you can say that," says the bishop - "and still nothing has been achieved! That's a pretty thick plank."

Young people are particularly close to Delannoy's heart. "We have to stop always thinking that they are the future of the church," he says. "They are our present!" And: "If we can't offer young people work, then we are signalling to them that we don't need them. And that wreaks havoc in their minds."

Bishop's motto "With humility and confidence"

Delannoy's bishop's motto is: "With humility and confidence". He can make good use of both in his new role. And also his financial expertise as an auditor, which is often in demand from his fellow bishops - because there are actually church funds to manage in Strasbourg; a stark contrast. The same applies to the number of clergy: instead of 140 diocesan and religious priests in Saint-Denis, there will now be more than 600.

The auditor Delannoy should be able to listen to them and understand them. 

Authoritarianism, however, is far from his mind. Some observers believe that making decisions and asserting himself will be a challenge in the future.

Archbishop Kieran O’Reilly to celebrate Mass of Welcome for relics of Polish martyrs

This Sunday, 21 April, Good Shepherd Sunday, Archbishop Kieran O’Reilly SMA will celebrate a Mass of Welcome at 1.00pm for the relics of Polish martyrs, Blessed Zbigniew Strzałkowski and Michal Tomaszek.  

This Mass will be celebrated at Saint Joseph and Saint Brigid Church, Bohernanave, Thurles, Co Tipperary, E41 KF98, in the Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly.

Looking forward to Sunday’s special celebration, Archbishop O’Reilly said, “I welcome the relics of two modern day Polish missionary martyrs,  Blessed Zbigniew and Blessed Michal.  It is a privilege for the Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly to have the opportunity to venerate their memory.

“The Church in the world today has many brave and courageous religious and lay people who are placing their lives in danger to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. The presence of the relics will enable us to bring to our hearts and minds the many Christians in our time who are suffering as they witness to their faith. I thank the Polish community, and Father Jaroslaw Kurek OSB, for facilitating the bringing of the holy relics to the Archdiocese”

Glenstal Abbey-based Father Kurek OSB, originally from Poland, has been the lead organiser for the visit of the holy relics to Ireland.  

Father Kurek said, “It is the goal of the Polish community to strengthen the Catholic faith by venerating the heroic Franciscans who sacrificed their lives in the Peruvian Andes in 1991. We wish to share the good news of their lives and ministy with both the Polish citizens and with our Irish brothers and sisters in faith who, over the last twenty years, have magnanimously accepted us on their land and in their workplaces.”

Attendance at Sunday’s Mass of Welcome celebration will include the General Consul of the Embassy of Poland, Mr Maciej Wójcik; the Abbot of Glenstal Brendan Coffey OSB; members of the monastic community; as well as clergy and parishioners of the archdiocese.

Former Kildare pastor to be sentenced over theft and deception

A former Kildare pastor convicted of 87 charges including theft of around €125,000, deception and company law offences has appeared at a sentencing hearing in Naas.

Ebenezer Oduntan, former pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, City of David Church Naas was convicted of nine company law offences, 73 counts of theft and five counts of deception at a trial in March.

During the trial, Oduntan pleaded guilty to some of the charges but the jury returned guilty verdicts to the outstanding 54 against him.

The court heard Oduntan had been a pastor at the City of David Church for over ten years and that he had sole access and control of the finances from 2012 to 2020.

The church is a branch of the Redeemed Christian Church of God with headquarters in Nigera, and is funded by member donations and the Church in Nigera.

The court also heard that during the trial Oduntan accepted some level of responsibility for €15,000 -€25,000 and that he spent it for himself and family.

During the hearing today, it was relayed that the trial heard he stole church funds, including cheques made payable to cash and cheques of up to €20,000 for him personally.

It heard the City of David Church had been awarded charity status and Oduntan had made the application for charity status.

It also heard Oduntan admitted five counts of deception during the course of the trial in relation to a fraud involving the inflation of donations made to the church, which then resulted in Revenue Commissioners reimbursing more than it should under the Charitable Donation Scheme.

The prosecution told the court that the ultimate monies stolen amounted to more than €52,000, stolen by way of a Life Credit Union account and more than €75,000 in cheques withdrawn in cash from various accounts, amounting to around €126,000 and that no monies have been returned.

The prosecution also said in relation to the company law offences that Oduntan said he had acted single handedly and that he admitted no member of the church or current board colluded with him and that he wished to apologise for the abuse of trust.

Senior Counsel Damien Colgan appealed to Judge Martina Baxter for leniency in her sentencing.

He said Oduntan, aged 58, is married with four children, he is a naturalised Irish citizen and had been working as a taxi operator, and has no previous convictions.

Mr Colgan said Oduntan made admission to some of the charges and expressed a certain amount of remorse, but does not accept the jury's verdict.

Mr Colgan said that Mr Oduntan has been ostracised by his community and has no friends.

He said that before this happened he seemed to have true faith, and that this is something that he will have to live with.

Oduntan is due to appear at Naas Circuit Court for sentencing tomorrow, 18th. April.

Reports say star witness in ‘trial of the century’ confirmed in Vatican post

 

According to reports in the Italian media, the erstwhile star prosecution witness in the Vatican’s “trial of the century” for various financial crimes has been confirmed by Pope Francis in his role as an adjunct prosecutor for the Vatican’s supreme court.

Assuming the reports are correct, some observers likely will be tempted to see the confirmation as a reward for the role Italian Monsignor Alberto Perlasca played in the convictions of Italian Cardinal Angelo Becciu and eight other defendants, despite critical questions raised at trial about Perlasca’s credibility and judgment.

First published by the Italian site “Dagospia,” the reports suggest that Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin has sent a letter to the Apostolic Signatura, the highest court in the church’s system of canon law, indicating that Perlasca “has been confirmed” in his role as an adjunct Promoter of Justice, meaning a prosecutor.

Though Parolin’s letter apparently did not specify, it’s widely presumed that the decision was made, or at least approved, by Pope Francis. The confirmation was necessary since Perlasca was first named to the Signatura in July 2019, at a time when an internal Vatican investigation of a $400 million property deal by the Secretariat of State in London was getting underway, and such appointments are normally for a five-year term.

While other news outlets subsequently have claimed to have confirmed the report, the Vatican has not issued any official statement.

In his previous role as the head of an office within the Secretariat of State responsible for financial administration, Perlasca effectively was the architect of the London deal, and early on was considered a likely target of an indictment. In mid-2021, however, Perlasca volunteered to become a whistle-blower in the case, offering to testify against Becciu and other former colleagues.

Though no plea bargain with the Vatican’s Promoter of Justice was ever confirmed, the fact remains that Perlasca was never charged. In 2023, chief prosecutor Alessandro Diddi described Perlasca as “more like a victim than a participant, a fragile person.”

The decision to confirm Perlasca as a prosecutor himself in the Vatican’s legal system has raised some eyebrows because of the way in which testimony during the trial raised questions about Perlasca’s own role.

At one point, an April 2021 memorandum prepared for investigators by Venezuelan Archbishop Edgar Peña Parra, Becciu’s successor as the sostituto, or “substitute,” effectively the pope’s chief of staff, identified Perlasca as the key figure in a system within the Secretariat of State which was intended to pressure top officials into making hasty decisions about financial matters, effectively rubber-stamping decisions already made.

“It’s a mechanism in which the superior is put under pressure, pushing him to act quickly and predicting catastrophe, such as, ‘If you don’t sign immediately, you risk losing a lot of money,’ ‘We don’t have an alternative,’ ‘Don’t worry, the practice is fine,’ and ‘This is only a formality’,” Peña Parra wrote.

With regard to the star witness, Peña Parra said, “In daily meetings with Monsignor Perlasca, in response to my request for explanations he provided incomplete or partial information that were limited to attempts to justify operations that were already underway.”

Perhaps most damningly, the Peña Parra memo asserted that Perlasca himself signed two key documents authorizing the London deal “before the question had been submitted to the attention of the Secretary of State or the Holy Father,” meaning, effectively, that Perlasca had presented his superiors with a fait accompli.

In addition to the Peña Parra memo, it also emerged at trial that Perlasca had allowed himself to be coached in preparing his testimony by two other figures: Francesca Immacolata Chaouqui, a former PR consultant and member of a Vatican advisory body who was convicted of leaking confidential information in the Vatileaks 2.0 scandal in 2015; and Genoveffa Ciferri, a consecrated secular Franciscan who once consulted for the Italian security service and who is a longstanding friend of Perlasca.

According to Ciferri, Perlasca was kept in the dark about Chaouqui’s role, being told instead that her advice was coming from an “elderly magistrate.” At one point, Ciferri told the court that she went along with the deception because Chaouqui “is like charcoal — whoever touches it gets dirty.”

Ciferri also claimed that at one point in 2018 she feared Becciu wanted to have Perlasca killed, after Perlasca was administered barbiturates “that left him like a zombie for days.” At the time, an article by Vatican News, the state-owned news agency, said that what actually happened is that a doctor from the Vatican health service prescribed a few drops of valium for Perlasca after an “hysterical crisis.”

Many observers felt the disclosures about Chaouqui and Ciferri’s role undercut the evidentiary value of Perlasca’s testimony, and in his closing arguments last December, even Diddi appeared to try to downplay its significance. He insisted that Perlasca’s evidence was not the “cornerstone” of the prosecution, and that Perlasca himself was not the “super-witness” or “great accuser” in the case.

Now 63, Perlasca began his service with the Secretariat of State in 2003. From 2006 to 2008, he served in the Vatican embassy in Argentina, at a time when Pope Francis was still the Cardinal-Archbishop of Buenos Aires. Beginning in July 2009, he worked in the administrative office of the Secretariat of State, responsible for its financial activities.

Over the years, Perlasca also has served as member of the administrative council for the Vatican’s pension fund, a member of the board of a fund supporting the papally-sponsored Bambino Gesù pediatric hospital, and also a member of the “Joseph Ratzinger – Benedict XVI” foundation. In addition, he has also been a consulter for the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.

Church schools unaffected by Muslim prayer-ban ruling

A HIGH COURT ruling that upheld a school’s decision to ban Muslim prayer rituals does not challenge the principle of freedom of religion or belief, the Church of England’s chief education officer, the Revd Nigel Genders, has said.

Michaela School in Wembley — a non-faith state secondary school — was taken to court by one of its female students over the school’s policy, which she argued was discriminatory. There is no legal requirement for schools to allow pupils a time or place to pray.

On Tuesday, Mr Justice Linden dismissed the case. In his 83-page written judgment, he said: “The claimant at the very least impliedly accepted, when she enrolled at the school, that she would be subject to restrictions on her ability to manifest her religion.”

Of about 700 pupils at the school, about half are Muslim, the High Court had heard. The school, which is rated Outstanding, has strict rules on uniform, silence in corridors, and a ban on groups of more than four gathering during breaks.

In March 2023, about 30 students began praying in the schoolyard, using their blazers to kneel on, the court heard. 

It also heard that a ban on prayer was issued the same month owing to concerns about a “culture shift” towards “segregation between religious groups and intimidation within the group of Muslim pupils”.

The Headteacher, Katharine Birbalsingh, who set up the school a decade ago, said on Tuesday that the ruling was a “victory for all schools”, adding: “If parents do not like what Michaela is, they do not need to send their children to us.”

The National Secular Society also welcomed the decision. Its chief executive, Stephen Evans, said that it “also serves as a useful reminder that claims of religious freedom do not trump all other considerations. If a school wishes to uphold a secular ethos, it should be entitled to do so.”

Mr Genders agreed. He commented: “This case does not appear to be about banning prayer in schools but relates to day-to-day decisions of a particular school in its own circumstances.

“We agree that heads and governing bodies of individual schools are best placed to address these issues locally and would uphold their right to do so. We do not believe this judgment challenges the principle of freedom of religion or belief, or indeed, collective worship in schools, which we strongly support.”

The student said that, while she was “disappointed” at losing, “I still feel that I did the right thing in seeking to challenge the ban. I tried my best and was true to myself and my religion.”

Christian woman killed by son, daughter-in-law for refusing return to Islam

A Muslim man in eastern Uganda is suspected of killing his mother last week by putting pesticide in her food for refusing to leave her Christian faith, a relative said.

Sulaina Nabirye, 50, of Kamuli, Kamuli District, put her faith in Christ on Feb. 10, and since then her 31-year-old son had tried to persuade her to return to Islam, said the relative, whose name is withheld for security reasons.

“During the month of Ramadan, she complained of her son pressuring her to stop attending church and revert back to Islam since he was studying to become an imam at Bugembe Mosque,” the relative said. “When she refused to convert back to Islam, he stopped visiting her at her house and threatened to chase or even kill her.”

Nabirye’s fears led the source to make frequent visits, praying with and encouraging her to withstand the threats.

“She had peace and joy and was encouraged by the sermons from the pastor,” the source said.

The threats from Nabirye’s son, Arajabu Mukiibi, intensified during Ramadan, and the source was present when Mukiibi visited on April 9 to tell Nabirye that his wife would prepare dinner for them.

“At 7 p.m. he came with food, which he gave to us, and he left,” the relative said. “I was praying and fasting, so I did not eat the food. Shortly after eating the food, Sulaina started vomiting, and then followed diarrhea. I tried what I could, but things were worsening, I called a nearby clinic officer who came with medication. He tried to put her on drip, but all was in vain.”

Nabirye died that night at 2 a.m., April 10. The relative’s bitter weeping and wailing at Nabirye’s death alerted neighbors, who arrived to learn of the tragedy.

The source had the food tested at a medical clinic and discovered that it contained Methanol, a toxic alcohol used as an industrial solvent and pesticide.

“Her son did not come to help his mom,” the relative said. “He and his wife who were living close by did not show up. This made me conclude that he is the one who planned the poisoning.”

Locals have condemned Mukiibi for allegedly taking his mother’s life for becoming Christian and have vowed to take revenge, the source said. Relatives are planning to file a report with police.

Nabirye, whose husband died in an auto accident in 2019, is also survived by a second adult child. She attended church services every Sunday after putting her faith in Christ, the source said.

“On Feb. 9, I shared with her the Christian faith, and the following day we attended an open-air preaching,” the relative said. “After the preaching, she requested the pastor to prayer for her salvation. She was prayed for and received Jesus as Lord and Savior.”

The killing was the latest of many instances of persecution of Christians in Uganda that Morning Star News has documented.

Uganda’s constitution and other laws provide for religious freedom, including the right to propagate one’s faith and convert from one faith to another. 

Muslims make up no more than 12% of Uganda’s population, with high concentrations in eastern areas of the country.