News from around the Catholic world for the week ending 18 July.
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• Vatican Spokesman casts doubt on latest Pope Francis interview
• Catholic nuns brutally attacked at mission in Bangladesh
• Church of England allows ordination of female bishops
• Australian Senator to introduce new same-sex marriage bill
• Caritas thanks Australians for their $11 million contribution to Project Compassion.
TRANSCRIPT
BOBBIE: Vatican spokesperson Fr Federico Lombardi has cast doubt on the accuracy of an interview with Pope Francis published in the Italian La Repubblica newspaper last Sunday.
In a statement issued on Monday, Fr Lombardi called into question the reliability of an interview between Eugenio Scalfari and Pope Francis. Among more controversial quotes attributed to Pope Francis in the article include an estimate that 2% of Catholic priests worldwide are involved in sexual abuse, and that some cardinals may have committed acts of pedophilia.
While acknowledging that the publication captured the general themes of the conversation, Fr Lombardi cautioned readers against attributing alleged quotes within the article to Pope Francis.
Fr Lombardi said, “[the]words that Mr. Scalfari attributes to the Pope in quotations come from the expert journalist Scalfari’s own memory of what the Pope said and is not an exact transcription of a recording…”
Fr Lombardi continued, “We should not or must not speak in any way, shape or form of an interview in the normal use of the word, as if there had been a series of questions and answers that faithfully and exactly reflect the precise thoughts of the one being interviewed.”
Australia’s Truth, Justice & Healing Council Director Francis Sullivan has said, however, that the Council’s research has shown Australia’s historical rate of priests involved in child sexual abuse to be higher than the 2% reportedly estimated by Pope Francis.
In an interview with ABC’s Lateline television program, Mr Sullivan said that “four per cent of men who have been a priest in the Catholic Church at some point in Australia have been child sex abusers.”
However, Mr Sullivan noted that this number is not applicable to currently serving priests, saying “[Priests involved in child sexual abuse] wouldn’t be serving and they wouldn’t be anywhere near any ministry to do with children.”
More information on Fr Lombardi’s statement
Mr Sullivan on Lateline Transcript and Video
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A Catholic presbytery, convent and hospital have been brutally attacked in Bangladesh, according to a report released by Aid to the Church in Need earlier this week.
It was reported that at 2am on the 7th of July, up to 60 armed men forcefully entered the Boldipukur village mission located nearly 50 miles east of Dinajpur.
In an attack that lasted nearly an hour and a half, the convent of the Pontifical Institute of Foregin Missions nuns was broken into and the nuns inside were subjected to brutal beatings and attempted sexual assault.
Dinajpur’s Bishop Tudu said that this kind of attack was unprecedented due to the level of respect for nuns in the predominately Muslim country.
“The attack is obviously a targeted and planned attempt at intimidation,” Bishop Tudu said.
“Nuns and priests are being attacked because they stand up for the disadvantaged and minorities,” he said. Bishop Tudu added that there had been a previous attack on a seminary, and that Catholics in his diocese now lived in fear.
“The most recent attack is clearly a targeted response to Catholics’ commitment to the country’s poorest people,” he explained.
At present there are 45 priests and more than 100 nuns working in the diocese.
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The Anglican Church’s General Synod has approved legislation to allow women bishops on Monday after five hours of debate.
Monsignor Keith Newton of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham has said that the decision makes it harder for those in the Church of England who “still long for corporate unity with the Catholic and Orthodox Churches.”
It is reported that members of the Anglican Communion who see merit in the Catholic Church’s upholding of tradition remain divided and are expected to leave the Church.
The Catholic Bishops of England have issued a statement responding to the decision earlier this week, saying: “The Catholic Church remains fully committed to its dialogue with the Church of England and the Anglican Communion…
“The decision of the Church of England to [do this]sadly places a further obstacle on the path to this unity between us,” it said.
The decision follows other recent changes within the Church, including a decision to omit references to the Devil and sin from baptismal promises. Use of the amended wording, which is attributed to a need for greater ‘accessibility’, will be left to the discretion of priests.
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New South Wales Senator David Leyonhjelm announced on Monday that he will seek to introduce a new ‘same sex marriage’ bill into the Senate.
The Liberal Democrat, who is thought to have been voted in by those actually intending to vote for the Liberal Party, told media on Monday that he would be asking the Coalition to allow a conscience vote on the issue in return for his support in passing key budget measures. Senator Leyonhjelm claims his decision stems from his belief that the Government should not define or regulate marriage.
The Coalition currently has a party view that the Commonwealth’s definition of marriage should remain “a union between one man and one woman”. However, Prime Minister Tony Abbott said that, along with other issues, the Coalition view on marriage would be reviewed in the party room after the 2013 election.
South Australian Liberal Senator Simon Birmingham told Sky News that he believes the issue will be considered after the budget has been dealt with, and that he personally would seek a conscience vote on the issue and vote in favour.
Senator Leyonhjelm has said that he plans to introduce the bill, provided the Coalition allow a conscience vote, or that he can secure enough votes from Labor and the cross benches.
“Today, I challenge Mr Shorten and Labor party members to look Senator Wong in the eye and tell her she does not deserve equal rights,” Senator Leyonhjelm said.
“Today I challenge Mr Abbott and Liberal party members to do the same with Mr Abbott’s sister” he said.
Both Senator Wong and Mr Abbott’s sister are actively homosexual.
Mr Leyonhjelm is one of eight senators holding power over whether the Government can pass legislation – including controversial budget measures.
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Caritas Australia has announced that almost $11 million was raised in this year’s Project Compassion campaign.
In a statement released on Tuesday, Caritas announced that their 2014 Project Compassion campaign has raised at final tally almost $11 million, only 5 months after raising $6.2 million for their Typhoon Haiyan appeal.
Helen Forde, Head of Community Engagement for Caritas Australia, expressed her thanks for the continuing generosity of Australians.
Ms Forde said, “This amazing achievement will allow us to bring a brighter tomorrow to the world’s poor, and for that they – and we – are very grateful.”
São Paulo’s Maristely [Ma-ris-telly] – who was the face of this year’s Project Compassion campaign – thanked Australians for supporting her and her fellow youth in Brazil’s favelas.
Maristely said, “I would like to thank all [Australian supporters] most sincerely for their kindness and generosity. Their contribution is very important not only in money terms but also in their belief in all the young people of the favelas,” she said.
The Project Compassion campaign is held during Lent annually to support Caritas Australia’s long-term projects in Australia and over 30 countries around the world.
See Caritas Australia’s media release.
View statements from three of this year’s featured people
Music Credit: Waking Up by Dexter Britain.
