VATICAN-US BISHOP
Pope accepts resignation of US bishop who failed to report
VATICAN CITY (AP) β Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of a U.S. bishop who was convicted of failing to report a suspected priestly child abuser, answering demands of victims to crack down on bishops who covered up for pedophiles.
The Vatican said Tuesday that Bishop Robert Finn had offered his resignation under the code of canon law that allows bishops to resign early for illness or some “grave” reason that makes them unfit for office.
Finn, who leads the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph in Missouri, waited six months before notifying police about the Rev. Shawn Ratigan, whose computer contained hundreds of lewd photos of young girls taken in and around churches where he worked.
Ratigan was sentenced to 50 years in prison after pleading guilty to child pornography charges.
Sound:
205-a-07-(Archie George, Catholic from St. Joseph, Missouri, in AP interview)-“ourself to Christ”-Archie George, a Catholic from St. Joseph, Missouri, says this has been a difficult time for the diocese. (21 Apr 2015)
< 206-a-04-(Archie George, Catholic from St. Joseph, Missouri, in AP interview)-“going to continue”-Archie George, a Catholic from St. Joseph, Missouri, says the church will survive this scandal. (21 Apr 2015) < 208-a-05-(Thomas Nicks, Catholic from Shawnee Mission, Kan., in AP interview)-“he steps aside”-Thomas Nicks, a Catholic from Shawnee Mission, Kansas, says Bishop Finn should have responded more quickly to accusations of abuse. (21 Apr 2015) < 207-a-04-(Thomas Nicks, Catholic from Shawnee Mission, Kansas, in AP interview)-“a clean slate”-Thomas Nicks, a Catholic from Shawnee Mission, Kansas, says Bishop Finn’s resignation can help the diocese heal. (21 Apr 2015) < 155-c-19-(Nicole Winfield, AP correspondent)-“be urgently addressed”-AP correspondent Nicole Winfield reports Pope Francis’ top sex abuse adviser, Cardinal Sean O’Malley, has been pressing the pontiff to remove Bishop Finn. (21 Apr 2015) < 154-c-18-(Nicole Winfield, AP correspondent)-“unfit for office”-AP correspondent Nicole Winfield reports there is no acknowledgement on the part of the Vatican that Bishop Finn of Kansas City resigned because of the conviction. (21 Apr 2015) < 153-c-21-(Nicole Winfield, AP correspondent)-“he be removed”-AP correspondent Nicole Winfield reports Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Bishop Robert Finn of Kansas City, Missouri for not reporting abuse. (21 Apr 2015) < CHILE-BISHOP-SEXUAL ABUSE Anger simmers in southern Chile over bishop appointment SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) β Catholics in southern Chile are gathering wherever their new bishop appears to protest his appointment by Pope Francis. Bishop Juan Barros is denounced by his opponents as having shielded Chile’s most notorious pedophile priest. Barros denies those accusations, but since his appointment, more than 1,300 church members, 30 diocesan priests and nearly half of Chile’s Parliament have sent letters urging the pope to reconsider. They may be emboldened after Francis on Tuesday accepted the resignation of a U.S. bishop, Robert Finn, who was convicted of failing to report a suspected abuser, answering calls by victims to hold priests accountable and ensure that children are protected. POPE-PHILADELPHIA-VIETNAMESE Vietnamese Catholics in Philadelphia prepare for pope’s visit PHILADELPHIA (AP) β Vietnamese Catholics in Philadelphia are looking to show their gratitude to the church when Pope Francis visits the city in September. They say the Catholic Church has nurtured and sustained them since arriving in Philadelphia, first as refugees following the fall of Saigon 40 years ago and later to join family members who came earlier. Today there are 10,000 Vietnamese Catholics in Philadelphia and eight weekly Masses in Vietnamese. Community members are raising funds to help those still in Southeast Asia get to Philadelphia. They’re offering their homes to friends and strangers. And they’re working on a plan to fix up an underutilized convent to house nuns from Vietnam. Pope Francis will be celebrating an outdoor Mass in Philadelphia after stops in Washington and New York. Sound: 285-w-32-(Kathy Matheson, AP correspondent, with the Rev. Joseph Trinh, pastor of St. Helena Catholic Church)–Vietnamese Catholics in Philadelphia are looking forward to Pope Francis’s visit in September. AP correspondent Kathy Matheson reports. (21 Apr 2015) < 287-a-07-(The Reverend Joseph Trinh, pastor of St. Helena Catholic Church, in AP interview)-“all of us”-The Reverend Joseph Trinh, pastor of St. Helena Catholic Church, says it would be wonderful if Pope Francis could visit his parish. (21 Apr 2015) < 286-a-10-(The Reverend Joseph Trinh, pastor of St. Helena Catholic Church, in AP interview)-“like a stranger”-The Reverend Joseph Trinh, pastor of St. Helena Catholic Church, says the Catholic church has welcomed Vietnamese immigrants to the U.S. ((longer version of cut used in wrap)) (21 Apr 2015) < PRIEST-FRAUD CHARGES California priest charged with federal fraud, tax evasion SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) β A California Catholic priest has been charged with federal fraud and tax evasion for allegedly diverting thousands of dollars in donations from parishioners into his personal bank account during a three-year period. An indictment made public Monday shows San Jose priest Hien Minh Nguyen (win) was charged with 14 counts of bank fraud and failing to report hundreds of thousands of dollars in income. The indictment alleges that between 2005 and 2008 Nguyen asked parishioners to write checks to the Vietnamese Catholic Center but instead diverted the donations to his personal bank account. The San Jose Mercury News reports that the 55-year-old priest was arrested Saturday in Florida. Nguyen has been a priest since 1994, holding various positions with the Diocese of San Jose. Bishop Patrick McGrath says Nguyen has been on personal leave from his position since December 2013. SUPREME COURT-GAY MARRIAGE-OPPONENTS Same-sex marriage opponents urge Supreme Court to go slow WASHINGTON (AP) β Same-sex marriage opponents say the Supreme Court should let states limit marriage to a man and a woman for the sake of children. The idea that same-sex marriage might not be good for children is strongly contested by those who will urge the court next week to declare that same-sex couples have a right to marry in all 50 states. But the Rev. D. Paul Sullins, a Catholic University sociology professor, has analyzed data in government surveys and concluded that children brought up by two parents of the same sex have a higher rate of emotional problems than their peers raised by heterosexual parents. Another argument opponents make is that a ruling in favor of same-sex marriage could lead to opening marriage to three or more people. The Rev. Russell Moore, president of the Southern Baptist Convention’ Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, says “Expanding the definition of marriage away from the way cultures and civilization have always defined it can only lead to further confusion.” ARMING PARISHIONERS Priest in Michigan urges parishioners to arm themselves ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) β A Catholic priest in Michigan is urging his parishioners to arm themselves and earn a concealed pistol license. The Detroit Free Press reports that the Rev. Edward Fride cited recent crime in the area in a letter to parishioners at Christ the King Church in Ann Arbor. During Mass last month, Fride announced a concealed pistol license class at the church. The letter was titled “We’re not in Mayberry Anymore, Toto,” references to “The Andy Griffith Show” and the dog from “The Wizard of Oz.” He wrote: “How to balance faith, reality, prudence, and trust is one of those critical questions that we struggle with all our lives.” The Diocese of Lansing oversees the parish and bans weapons in church. It says a concealed pistol class is inappropriate for church property. JERUSALEM-CARPET CONTROVERSY Replacing carpet at Jerusalem shrine reveals religious rift JERUSALEM (AP) β Muslim authorities in Jerusalem have aroused controversy by replacing an old carpet worn thin by masses of worshippers at the Dome of the Rock. The Islamic shrine is on the hilltop where the biblical Jewish temples once stood. Israeli archaeological authorities say the repairs were carried out behind their backs, and an Israeli government minister urged an immediate halt to the work, claiming it might cause irreparable damage. Frustrated Israeli researchers say previously undocumented ancient floor designs were discovered when the old carpets were peeled off, but they didn’t get a chance to document the designs before workmen covered them up with the new carpet. And some researchers claim the Bible’s deepest secrets may lie beneath some of the newly exposed floor designs. Muslim officials who administer the Al Aqsa Mosque compound, which includes the Dome of the Rock, reject the Israeli accusations. Sound: 288-a-13-(Gabriel Barkay, Israeli archaeologist, in AP interview)-“archaeological supervision whatsoever”-Israeli archaeologist Gabriel Barkay says Muslim officials at the Dome of the Rock may have damaged ancient features while replacing its carpets. (21 Apr 2015) < 289-a-08-(Gabriel Barkay, Israeli archaeologist, in AP interview)-“to the floor”-Israeli archaeologist Gabriel Barkay says the floor beneath the carpets may have been damaged. (21 Apr 2015) < RELIGIOUS DIVORCE-COERCION Rabbi in forced-divorces case convicted of kidnap conspiracy TRENTON, N.J. (AP) β An Orthodox rabbi who was accused of using brutal tactics to force unwilling Jewish men to divorce their wives has been convicted of conspiracy to commit kidnapping. But the federal jury in Rabbi Mendel Epstein’s case rendered a mixed verdict, acquitting him of attempted kidnapping. Epstein’s son was acquitted of conspiracy and kidnapping counts. Two other rabbis were convicted of conspiracy to commit kidnapping and attempted kidnapping. Prosecutors said the rabbi’s team used brutal methods and tools, including handcuffs and electric cattle prods, to torture the men into granting divorces, known as gets. Epstein and the other two rabbis, Jay Goldstein and Binyamin Stimler, both of New York, could face life terms when they are sentenced in July. Lawyers for the rabbis said they planned to appeal the convictions. SUSPECTED BOTULISM-OHIO Suspected botulism cases linked to church picnic LANCASTER, Ohio (AP) β A central Ohio hospital says one person has died and at least 18 others have been sickened with suspected food-borne botulism from a church picnic. The Fairfield Medical Center in Lancaster said in a release that three people were in intensive care Tuesday, 10 had been taken to other hospitals and five were being treated in the hospital’s emergency department. One death has been confirmed. The release said the hospital believes all the patients were among about 50 to 60 people who attended a church potluck picnic at Cross Pointe Free Will Baptist Church on Sunday. A state health official says botulism is a rare but serious paralytic illness caused by a nerve toxin that is produced by a certain kind of bacteria. Symptoms include blurred or double vision, drooping eyelids, difficulty swallowing and shortness of breath. It is not contagious.
