Archbishop of Canterbury offers to stand down, as England OKs gay-union blessings

In England, proclaiming God’s blessing on same-sex relationships has become the new orthodoxy for clergy with established ties to the powers that be.

But not in Nigeria and the Global South, where Anglican leaders have urged the Church of England to consider the impact of its actions on believers facing conflict with Jihadi terrorists.

“I am genuinely torn by this,” said Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, about an appeal for General Synod leaders to consult with Anglican primates around the world before proceeding. “It isn’t just about listening to the rest of the world – it’s caring. Let’s just be clear on that. It’s about people who will die, women who will be raped, children who will be tortured.

“So, when we vote, we need to think of that. It’s not just about what people will say – it is about what they will suffer.”

But after years of tense dialogues and visiting war zones, Welby told the synod to proceed. Thus, the General Synod bishops, clergy and laity voted 250-181 to offer blessing rites for same-sex couples married by the state – while retaining church doctrine that marriage is between a man and a woman.

“For the first time, the Church of England will publicly, unreservedly and joyfully welcome same-sex couples in church,” said Welby and Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell, in their Feb. 9 statement. Anglicans have “deep differences on these questions which go to the heart of our human identity.”

This move angered LGBTQ activists who said mere “blessings” were not enough, while leaders of giant Anglican churches in Africa and Asia also rejected the compromise.

Welby said he had little or no choice, when addressing a Feb. 12 meeting of the Anglican Consultative Council in Accra, Ghana.

After the synod vote, he said, “I was summoned twice to Parliament and threatened with parliamentary action to force same-sex marriage on us, called in England ‘equal marriage.'”

As always, the question was whether changes in the Church of England, the Episcopal Church in America, the Anglican Church of Canada and other shrinking – but often wealthy – First World churches could change the shape of the 42-province Anglican Communion.

In Ghana, Welby said the institutions that guide the communion “must change with the times.” While the “role of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the See of Canterbury, is an historic one,” he said, “I will not cling to place or position. I hold it very lightly, provided that the other Instruments of Communion choose the new shape, that we are not dictated to by people, blackmailed, bribed to do what others want us to do, but that we act in good conscience before God seeking a judge that is not for our power, but exists for the new world with its extraordinary and terrifying threats.”

The next day, 12 leaders of the Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches – representing about 75% Anglicans who attend worship rites – agreed with part of Welby’s blunt assessment of the crisis.

While seeking to “keep the unity of the visible Church and the fabric of the Anglican Communion” the Global South leaders released a document stating that they could not share Holy Communion with “provinces that have departed from the historic faith and taken the path of false teaching.” Also, the fellowship said it would no longer recognize Welby as the “first among equals” among national-church Anglican leaders.

“With the Church of England and the Archbishop of Canterbury forfeiting their leadership role,” they said, Anglicanism’s “orthodox” primates across the global communion will meet to “work out the shape and nature of our common life together” because “for us, and perhaps by his own reported self-exclusion, the present Archbishop of Canterbury is no longer the … Chair of the Primates’ Meeting by virtue of his position.”

Uganda Archbishop Stephen Samuel Kaziimba Mugalu stressed that there will be no Anglican compromise this time around.

“The only significant difference between a wedding and a service of ‘blessing’ is the terminology used,” he said, in a public statement. “The Church of England insists it is not changing its doctrine of marriage. But, in practice, they are doing precisely that. …

“But, what I want you to know is that if it looks like a wedding, and sounds like a wedding … it IS a wedding.”

Complete Article ↪HERE↩!

March 5, 2023March 5, 2023

There’s little accountability for clergy abuse in Philippines

— Priests charged or convicted of child sexual abuse are still active in dioceses under the protection of bishops

Members of Ending Clergy Abuse (ECA), a global organization of prominent survivors and activists in Rome for a papal summit, display photos of Barbara Blaine, the late founder and president of Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), during a protest of abuse victims on Piazza del Popolo in Rome on Feb. 23, 2019.

Some of the best and well written-child protection laws are in the Philippines. However, it is enforcement that is lacking. There are few convictions of child abusers. Without the rule of law being enforced, there will never be an end to child sexual abuse. Right now, the Philippines is like “a fun house of sexual abuse” with international connections through online abuse.

At a recent meeting with five judges in Cebu, the Preda Foundation’s president, Francis Bermido Jr., and Executive Director Emmanuel Drewery were earnestly requested to open a therapeutic healing center/home for girl victims of sexual abuse and exploitation in the city.

The Preda Foundation with German partner Aktionsgruppe already manages a successful home for boys in Liloan, Cebu. That project rescues teenagers from horrible subhuman conditions in government detention cells and empowers them to start a new positive life based on spiritual values and education.

The five judges explained that young girl victims of abuse do not show up to testify. It is likely that they have been threatened by the family of the accused. Without the testimony of the child, the case has to be dismissed.

“There is no justice without protection and testimony of the victim,” they rightly said.

The judges know the significant track record of the children empowered and healed at a Preda home in Zambales, winning no less than a stunning 21 convictions of their 17 abusers and three traffickers in court cases.

These convictions ensure that these perpetrators go to jail and can no longer pose a threat to any children. Most abusers convicted received life sentences. The judges want the same victories for child victims in Cebu.

According to the official Preda published report: “The legal complaints were filed by a total of 32 child victim-survivors (29 females, 3 males). Of these 32 victims, 17 are children-victims of human trafficking, 14 are victims of sexual abuse/rape and one is a victim of physical abuse.”

The pending arrest and jailing without the possibility of bail of Catholic priest Karole Reward Ubiña Israel, 29, assistant parish priest in Solana, Cagayan, has shaken up the Catholic Church in the Philippines. Judge Dennis Mendoza of the Regional Trial Court Branch 4, Tuguegarao City issued an arrest warrant against the priest on multiple rape and sexual assault charges of a 15-year-old church volunteer “Angelica” (not real name) who is being supported by the Preda Foundation.

The child with her parents rejected an offer by another priest of the diocese of free education to college if she dropped the charges. She and her parents refused and demanded justice. Such attempts to cover up the crimes of priests are illegal according to Church law as the pope said in his apostolic letter Vos estis lux mundi.

The many good priests and bishops defending human rights and child victims will welcome the possibility of justice for Angelica as Jesus of Nazareth said children are the most important in the world and abusers should receive penance as a millstone tied around their necks and be thrown into the sea (Matthew 18:1-7).

Youth and child victims of clerical abuse and their supporting parents can take heart in reporting abuse. They are supported by Pope Francis and the Vatican committee on the protection of children, and the Preda Foundation.

In June 2021, the Vatican published a new code of Canon law dealing with child abuse in the Church. It is clear and specific in directing that bishops must take immediate action to investigate abuse by a cleric when a complaint is made. Otherwise, they can be charged with cover-up and be removed from their position of authority.

In Vos estis lux mundi, the pope states that Church authorities must follow civil law and report child sexual abuse to “the competent civil authorities.”

The historical papal instruction says that “actions or omissions intended to interfere with or avoid civil investigations or canonical [Church] investigations, whether administrative or penal, against a cleric or a religious” for sexual abuse are forbidden under penalty.

When I personally met Pope Francis in 2015 at the Vatican as a consultant on child protection, he was adamant to end child abuse in the church and the world. His apostolic letter which has become part of Canon Law warns anyone in the Church or parish that tries to harass or interfere with the family of a child victim in a complaint against a priest. Anyone who does can be charged with attempted obstruction of justice and harassment.

Bishops warned about pedophile priests must take action to protect potential victims. There are priests protected by bishops working in Philippine dioceses who have been charged or convicted of child sexual abuse and some are named in the report “Clergy Misconduct among Priests in the Philippines: Key Cases.” This was published on the website of SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests) at www.snapnetwork.org.

There are only 12 named and all deny the allegations. It includes six priests who are wanted by US authorities accused of child sexual abuse in the USA. More arrests are possible. One of the 12 is Father JS, a priest in the Diocese of Bohol who is on a diocesan committee. He was convicted of abusing a 15-year-old boy in Michigan in 1988. He is still allegedly working with children.

Another Father, AD, is active in the Diocese of Sorsogon. He is accused of sexual abuse of a teenager in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, which he denies. When it surfaced that Father AD was in a diocese in the Philippines, Archbishop Cardinal Roger Mahoney wrote to the Vatican saying Father AD should not be in a ministry involving young people.

The report also mentions a Father M “B” M, a Benedictine, who is teaching at a school in Manila but who fled from the United States after three child victims’ families accepted financial out-of-court settlements. He is wanted for questioning by police. He denied all allegations.

Another active parish priest, Father A. ”J” M, an Augustinian, allegedly admitted to sexually molesting three boys in Cebu City but was never brought to accountability. The list goes on.

Anne Barrett Doyle, the co-director of bishopsaccountability.org, said that Pope Francis “can help prevent and stop the dangerous practices of Filipino bishops that surely are enabling the sexual abuse of children and young people.”

Whatever the outcome of the trial of Father Israel, it will show that the judicial system is strong and unafraid of clerical influence and is working in defending the rights of abused children.

Complete Article ↪HERE↩!

March 4, 2023March 4, 2023

Ex-Cardinal McCarrick denies abuse of NJ man as criminal case hangs in balance

Theodore McCarrick outside Dedham District Court, Friday, Sept. 4, 2021.

BY Deena Yellin

Former Roman Catholic Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, who was defrocked after years of sexual abuse allegations, said in an exclusive interview that he did not assault a New Jersey man he is charged with abusing, though he did acknowledge knowing his accuser.

Once one of the most high-profile Catholic leaders in America, McCarrick, the former archbishop of Newark and bishop of Metuchen, has been reclusive in the four years since he was expelled from the clergy by Pope Francis. As of 2021, he was living in a Missouri rehabilitation center for troubled priests, court documents say.

McCarrick, also the former archbishop of Washington, D.C., was a prominent voice and prodigious fundraiser for the Vatican for decades. But he fell from grace amid multiple sexual abuse allegations, including one from a Bergen County native, James Grein, that has prompted a criminal prosecution in Massachusetts.

Grein, who now lives in Virginia, has filed a pair of lawsuits against McCarrick. But his role in the criminal case has been unreported until now. Prosecutors in Massachusetts say McCarrick assaulted Grein, then a teenager, during a 1974 wedding at Wellesley College.

On Monday, the former cardinal’s lawyers filed a filed a motion in the case arguing that McCarrick, now 92, isn’t competent to stand trial because of what they called irreversible dementia.

A brief interview

A day after the filing, a reporter for NorthJersey.com and the USA Today Network New Jersey reached McCarrick on his private phone line. The conversation was brief, lasting less than 10 minutes. The former prelate sounded calm and composed throughout.

“Do you remember James Grein?” the reporter asked. “Yes. I remember him,” McCarrick answered.

He denied the accusations, which involve 20 years of abuse that allegedly started when Grein was 11 years old.

“It is not true,” McCarrick said. “The things he said about me are not true.”

“If you want more information about it, you can talk to my lawyers,” he added.

According to Grein, who grew up in Tenafly and now lives in Virginia, McCarrick was a close family friend who baptized him but then went on to abuse him for years, starting when he was 11 years old. In a separate interview this week, Grein, now 64, said McCarrick would attend the family’s gatherings and vacations and was so close that he was given the nickname “Uncle Ted.”

“He sexually and spiritually abused me,” said Grein, who alleges that the abuse took place in his home, in hotels around the country and during confession.

In this 2019 file photo, James Grein, 61, speaks at his house in Sterling, Va. Grein says Cardinal Theodore McCarrick's exalted place in the family over three generations created pressure on him to visit with McCarrick during weekends away from boarding school and visits when he would be molested. “If I didn't go to see Theodore I was always going to be asked by my brothers and sisters or my dad, 'Why didn't you go see him?'" — In this 2019 file photo, James Grein, 61, speaks at his house in Sterling, Va. Grein says Cardinal Theodore McCarrick’s exalted place in the family over three generations created pressure on him to visit with McCarrick during weekends away from boarding school and visits when he would be molested. “If I didn’t go to see Theodore I was always going to be asked by my brothers and sisters or my dad, ‘Why didn’t you go see him?'”

The conversation with McCarrick on Tuesday came after several unanswered calls to his phone. Eventually, he returned the calls.

After asking about McCarrick’s well-being, this reporter identified herself as a journalist and made it clear she was asking about his accuser.

McCarrick said he was home in Missouri. He said he was “feeling well, considering that I am 92 years old. It’s not like I’m 40 or 50 anymore.”

‘I don’t want to speak of these things’

McCarrick answered questions about Grein politely but made it clear he didn’t want to discuss the case.

“I don’t want to speak of these things,” he said. “You can speak to my lawyer.”

“I hope you will not do a snow job on me,” he added, before hanging up.

McCarrick is charged with three counts of indecent assault and battery on a person over the age of 14. He faces up to five years in prison for each charge, according to Mitch Garabedian, Grein’s attorney. His client has also filed lawsuits against McCarrick in New York and New Jersey.

McCarrick pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges in 2021. In Monday’s filing, his lawyers cited a report by a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine that said McCarrick has “a severe cognitive disorder” and “everyday functional disability” that classifies as dementia, most likely due to Alzheimer’s disease.

Massachusetts prosecutors said they will bring in their own experts in April to assess McCarrick’s competency to stand trial.

Garabedian said McCarrick’s motion to dismiss the case also concedes that the former cardinal can still be “intelligent and articulate.” The dementia claim was “conveniently deceptive,” he said.

He said it could take months for the court to rule on McCarrick’s competency.

McCarrick’s attorney, Barry Coburn, declined to comment.

Complete Article ↪HERE↩!

March 3, 2023March 2, 2023

Sacramento Catholic Diocese facing insolvency due to ‘staggering number’ of sex abuse claims

The inside of Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament Monday, April 29, 2019 in Sacramento. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Sacramento will release a list this week naming priests and deacons determined to have been credibly accused of sexual abuse of minors, Bishop Jaime Soto said in a letter Sunday.

By Mathew Miranda

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Sacramento is facing insolvency following more than 200 lawsuits alleging the sexual abuse of minors.

Bishop Jaime Soto said in a letter Sunday night addressing the civil claims and acknowledging the possible financial impact. The majority of the lawsuits predate the 1990s as state law extends the statute of limitations on these cases.

“A vital aspect of owning and atoning for the sins of the past is resolving claims brought forward by victim-survivors in a fair and responsible manner,” Soto wrote. “I have committed to this principle and attempt to live it in every case.”

The bishop admitted that in the face of a “staggering number” of claims, the “financial challenge is unlike anything we have faced before.

“I must consider what options are available to us, should the diocese become insolvent,” Soto said.

The civil claims are being managed by an Alameda County judge. Soto said the diocese has begun early discussions with the court for a “workable claims resolution process.” The claims were made possible under Assembly Bill 218, the 2019 California law that gave victims a look-back window to file claims through the end of 2022.

“I am committed to resolving all claims as fairly as possible. Given the number of claims that have been presented, however, resolving them may overwhelm the diocese’s finances available to satisfy such claims.” Soto said.

Soto did not name bankruptcy as an option, but said he “must consider what options are available to us, should the diocese become insolvent.”

The list of dioceses that have filed for bankruptcy protection is long and growing. Santa Rosa’s diocese filed for Chapter 11 in December as its bishop, Robert Vasa, calling the move “the inevitable result of an insurmountable number of claims.”

That came after dioceses in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and Rochester, New York, settled their Chapter 11 cases late last year. Both dioceses set aside millions for abuse survivors.

The dioceses in Stockton and San Diego have also previously sought federal protection in the face of claims.

In all, the Catholic Church in the U.S. has paid out more than $2 billion in legal expenses, according to the Bay Area News Group.

The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests responded to Soto in a statement Tuesday morning. The organization criticized the diocese and said for many years it “ignored cases of clergy sexually abusing and raping children.”

SNAP also asked that the judge demand three items before allowing the diocese to file for bankruptcy: audited financial statements with a 20-year history, a balance sheet that has been audited and includes the current values of the company’s stocks, bonds, annuities and ownership interests and secret files on abusers.

“Sacramento has tremendous cash flows in the form of weekly and monthly donations, all of it tax-free. It owns hundreds, if not thousands, of parcels of property,” SNAP wrote. “Whether or not it segregated those assets into separate holdings, as sophisticated corporations do, should not fool a bankruptcy judge. It all is controlled by the bishop. He alone decides what gets sold and what does not. Not one single transaction in a diocese can go forward without his stamp of approval.”

The list of accused priests and deacons who worked in Sacramento can be viewed at scd.org/clergyabuse/list.

The diocese encourages anyone who may be a victim of clergy sexual abuse, or who knows someone, to report it to law enforcement. The Diocese’s Pastoral Care Coordinator may be reached through a toll-free number at 866-777-9133.

Complete Article ↪HERE↩!

March 2, 2023March 1, 2023

LGBT+ History Month

— Navigating faith as a gay man

Numair Masud found it “impossible” to express his sexuality growing up in Pakistan

By Liz Clements

“I spent a great deal of my time in the shadows, hiding. That is not a happy existence for anyone.”

Dr Numair Masud from Cardiff used to practise Islam but left his faith as he felt he could not express his sexuality but instead had to hide it.

But for David Williamson and Matthew Dicken, from Cwmbran their experience couldn’t be more different – they are looking forward to receiving a church blessing when they get married in May.

“Being same sex attracted and being a Christian are not mutually exclusive. They can co-exist,” according to David.

During LGBT+ History Month three gay men share their views on their respective faiths – a relationship that is historically complicated with views varying from person to person in diverse religions across the world.

‘You can be persecuted by law’

Raised in a Muslim family in Pakistan, Dr Masud found it “impossible” to express his sexuality there.

“It was an upbringing of repression and oppression,” said the 32-year-old.

“By virtue of being in love with the same sex, you can be persecuted by law. There was fear because you don’t want the truth to come out because it can harm you.”

Mosque in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan — In Pakistan, where Dr Masud was born, homosexuality is illegal

In Pakistan homosexuality is illegal and punishable by possible life imprisonment.

Numair moved to the UK to start a degree in zoology in Bristol and then moved to Cardiff to study for his PhD.

Navigating his identity as a gay man he became critical of his relationship with Islam and decided to leave the faith.

When he fell in love with another man, Numair realised he could not and would not return to Pakistan.

In 2017 he claimed and was granted asylum in the UK and now lives in Cardiff working as a research scientist at Cardiff University.

“Perhaps the most important freedom of all that I discovered, was the freedom to be able to help others through learning from my own trials and tribulations, to be able to help others discover their own voice”, he said.

Numair is now an LGBTQ+ activist, helping others who struggle to reconcile their sexuality and religion.

Dr Numair Masud — Dr Masud is a research scientist in Cardiff

He worries that there is a danger when faith informs potentially harmful views.

“You have a right to believe in what you want, but the moment your belief when acted upon harms me or anyone else or any other community, that is unacceptable”, he said.

He acknowledges his experiences are personal and there are LGBTQ+ Muslims who are able to continue practising their faith.

While some attitudes are changing towards LGBTQ+ people in Muslim communities he personally was unable to do this.

“It feels bittersweet, because I’ve had to give up a lot in my life to be where I am today. Saying goodbye to the people you love is not easy,” he reflects.

“The sweet element, the sense of joy comes from realising that I have the freedom to be myself and find love, to love and be loved without too much judgement here in Wales… I’m so thankful and grateful for that.”

While Numair struggled, for David and Matthew, their religion is at the heart of their relationship.

‘Celebrate our love’

In just under three months, Matthew, 34 and David, 46 will tie the knot in Cardiff’s City Hall.

But what the couple, who are members of the Church in Wales, are most excited for is a blessing at Llandaff Cathedral, Cardiff.

It will be the first blessing of its kind at the 12th Century cathedral.

“People have worshipped on this site for over 1,000 years, so there’s something special about that and to be able to celebrate our love there,” headteacher Matthew said.

The couple who live in Cwmbran have been together for two years but met years earlier.

Matthew and David’s individual journeys with sexuality have been different and complicated at times.

“Growing up, I always knew I was same-sex attracted but that was something to keep hidden or not talk about,” said David, who now works as executive assistant to the Bishop of Llandaff.

“It took me until my 30s to accept that for myself, and then a journey to actually see I’m still a person of faith, and my relationship with God is fundamentally intrinsic to who I am,” he added.

“I’d love to be able to say that everyone’s accepting but that’s not my full experience,” said Matt.

‘Difficult conversations’

“People have quoted little bits of scripture from out of context and that has happened to us.

“We’re not going to pretend it’s easy, but our understanding is based on the fundamental thing of love,” he said.

“Being same sex attracted and being a Christian are not mutually exclusive. They can co-exist,” David added.

The couple said there are “ways to conduct debate carefully”, and despite difficult conversations or upsetting remarks, they believe things are progressing.

“I think the Church in Wales are really trying to be inclusive, and that’s so important. Communities of faith are on their own journey as well,” Matt said.

“It’s difficult to try and forge a way forward and accepting and blessing something that’s different from what has been, for however many centuries.”

‘Celebrate love in all its variety’

In September 2021, the Church in Wales’ governing body voted in favour of offering blessings to gay marriages or civil partnerships. In theological terms, a blessing is God’s approval.

The first same-sex blessing was in November that year.

The blessing is currently being used experimentally for five years, but individual clergy can decide whether to bless partnerships.

Earlier this month, the Church of England backed proposals to allow same-sex blessings there, as is already granted in Wales, but the topic proved divisive.

An amendment to force a vote on changing the Church’s teaching and allowing gay couples to marry in Church was rejected during the eight-hour debate in the Church of England’s national assembly.

In Wales the law prohibits same-sex marriages by the Church in Wales.

Andy John, Archbishop of Wales — In 2021, the Archbishop of Wales, The Most Rev Andrew John said same-sex weddings could be held in churches in Wales in five years

In 2021, the Archbishop of Wales, The Most Rev Andrew John said same-sex weddings could be held in churches in Wales in five years and should “welcome people, where they are, who they are”.

Matthew agrees changing the rules on same-sex marriage in churches in Wales could mean inclusion for more people.

“It needs to move forward I believe to be more accepting and to celebrate love in all its variety. I think there is a sense of urgency, because you lose people, not only to a church building or congregation, you lose people to faith,” he said.

For now though, both Matthew and David cannot wait for their special day.

“To celebrate our love for each other and our love for God and wanting to seek God’s blessing on our relationship and to be able to do that publicly in a place of worship is just more than we ever thought would be possible.”

Complete Article ↪HERE↩!