Welcome to the Weekend Roundup! – News & Views – 6/27/20

• Petition calls on Knights of Columbus to address racist past
• Statue of Junípero Serra removed

As part of the ongoing Black Lives Matter protests, we’re seeing the statues of slave-owning political leaders and Confederate military heroes being vandalized, torn down, or removed. Some Roman Catholic institutions and memorials are also coming under scrutiny. The Knights of Columbus, a Catholic men’s fraternal organization is on the hot seat, first for its name (Christopher Columbus  enslaved and exploited Native Americans) and for historically “blackballing” African Americans from membership. Barred from the K of C, Black Catholic men started their own fraternal, the Knights of Peter Claver. Statues of Junipero Serra are also being targeted by Californian protesters. Serra led the Franciscan missionary effort in California, which was marked by mistreatment and abuse of Native Americans by the authoritarian friars. Putting it in a spiritual perspective, the Roman Catholic church has enslaved billions of souls over the centuries with it’s false gospel of salvation by sacramental grace and merit.

• Catholic Diocese of St. Cloud, MN Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy
• Catholic Diocese of Syracuse, NY Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

This past month, the Roman Catholic dioceses of St. Cloud, Minnesota and Syracuse, New York became the 21st and 22nd dioceses respectively in the United States to file for bankruptcy. Bankruptcy is used by dioceses to shield financial assets from survivors of priest sexual abuse.

• New leader of German Catholic bishops signals no retreat from progressive line

Bishop Georg Bätzing has replaced retired, uber-progressive, cardinal Reinhard Marx, as head of the German Catholic bishops, but Bätzing has vowed to continue Marx’s agenda, including the demands for married priests and the ordination of women. German Catholicism’s current “synodal path” initiative will present its “conclusions” (not recommendations) to the Vatican in 2021.

• Catholic priests, parishes share Viganò’s letter to Trump

In the previous two weekend roundups, we examined 1) President Trump’s staged photo op in front of the John Paul II statue at the John Paul II National Shrine in Washington, D.C., and 2) the contrasting reactions to the photo op from the liberal and conservative Catholic camps. Must notable were the pro-Trump sentiments of archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, a vocal opponent of pope Francis. The controversy continued this past week with some conservative priests publishing Viganò’s remarks in their parish website bulletins.

• Pope Francis adds “Comfort of Migrants” to Mary’s titles

The Catholic church has conferred a myriad of official titles on Mary. It would take a dedicated researcher to list them all (see here). Pope Francis has added to the catalog by conferring three new titles, including “Comfort of Migrants,” reflecting his own progressive agenda.

• Vatican urges Catholics to drop investments in fossil fuels, arms

The Vatican Bank was involved in many dubious investments in the past, including shares in Istituto Farmacologico Serono, a pharmaceutical company that made birth control pills, and Udine, a military weapons manufacturer, along with possible investments in firearms manufacturer, Beretta, as well as in companies with activities in gambling and pornography (see here). The Vatican Bank is quite famous for its corruption.

• Tabernacle reported stolen from St. Elizabeth Catholic Church

Catholic authorities are wringing their hands over the theft of this altar tabernacle, which contained many consecrated Jesus wafers at the time it was stolen. The Roman church teaches that its priests change bread wafers into Jesus Christ during its masses, which are then consumed by communicants in order to allegedly receive graces. Excess Jesus wafers are stored in the altar tabernacle, to be administered later to shut-ins or to be recycled at the next mass. Catholics believe any mishandling or misappropriation of Jesus wafers, such as this theft, to be an unconscionable desecration.