Tag: Vatican

A TIME correspondent—and Catholic—examines his church’s criminalization of attempts to ordain women as priests

Suits name the Vatican as a respondent on grounds that it employed clergy suspected of abuse. Papal spokesmen say it is a sovereign entity and immune from the American court system.

In a sign of sharply rising tensions between the Vatican and Belgium, Pope Benedict XVI on Sunday criticized as “surprising and deplorable” a raid on church property last week by Belgian police investigating sex abuse by clerics.

The church expressed “shock” after clerics were detained as part of an inquiry into allegations of sexual abuse.

Sam Harris has launched an appeal to fund a legal bid to have the Pope arrested when he visits Britain.

The growing scandal about child abuse reaches the top of the Vatican.

The Russian Orthodox Church and the Vatican – which have been engaged in a power-struggle for centuries – are moving to form a strategic alliance under the banner of fighting secularism.

Randy Cohen discusses whether it’s ok to criticize the Vatican’s attempts to poach Anglicans who disagree with the Church of England’s acceptance of gay and women priests.  “If a secular institution, Wal-Mart or Microsoft, for example, made a similar offer — Tired of leadership positions being open to women and gay employees? Join us! — it would be slammed for appealing to bigotry.”

For many disillusioned by the Church of England’s liberal bent, the offer from Rome to include conservative parishes in the Roman Catholic fold is a godsend. Pope Benedict XVI’s stunning announcement this week of a new dispensation that would, in effect, give traditionally minded Anglicans their own niche within the Catholic Church seems almost too good an offer to pass up.

Another mordant indictment of religion from Penn & Teller, this time aimed at the Vatican, has predictably raised the ire of the Catholic Church.  Be sure to watch the great video.

The nation’s Roman Catholic bishops, looking to clarify their position on interfaith dialogue with Jews, have instead caused an uproar by issuing a recent statement that appears to endorse attempts to convert them. Jews are accusing American bishops of backtracking on a statement that explicitly directs Catholics to not attempt to convert Jews.

Pope Benedict XVI’s scientists have given their blessing to genetically modified crops as a possible solution to world hunger and poverty

New Archbishop gets rap from NSS for self-serving “faith school” comments

Cultural conservatives who were gearing up to use Obama’s first Supreme Court nomination as a fundraising opportunity will find Sonia Sotomayor a difficult sell.

Should the Catholic priesthood be restricted to single, celibate men? Do clergy restrictions based on gender, marital status or sexual orientation make sense these days?

Catholic leaders have attacked the film sequel to The Da Vinci Code for its gratuitously outlandish portrayal of the Church.

Despite YouTube, Pope Benedict is struggling with his message

String of sit-ins going on for more than four years at closed churches

An Oregon man who alleges he was molested in the 1960s by a priest can pursue a civil lawsuit against the Holy See, a federal appeals court says.

The Catholic order of priests is not specific about the behavior of Marcial Maciel, who was disciplined by the Vatican before he died. br/br/ A staunchly conservative religious order said Wednesday that its founder had committed misconduct.