Panelists at the National Catholic Conference on Restorative Justice say that great strides have been made in some areas by the church to ensure widespread abuse and cover-up do not happen again, but failures continue to arise.
In normal times, pastors say, churches would be places for grieving or even organizing in response to events like George Floyd's death. But in these times, local Catholic communities are finding other ways to show solidarity.
We say: So much has been said in recent months about the rending of the fabric of the nation. The images on our screens are devastating. But where are the U.S. bishops?
Distinctly Catholic: Religious exercise in Minnesota is not threatened by a Democratic governor but by a nonpartisan virus. And the bishops there need a reminder about what the church actually teaches about religious liberty.
It is a bit early to assess the effect of Pope Francis' new global system for how the Catholic Church evaluates reports of clergy sexual abuse or cover-up by individual bishops, say canon lawyers.
With its cathedral parking lot Masses, the Las Cruces Diocese is one of the outliers. Even in states where governors have loosened restrictions, many Catholic dioceses are holding back on large-scale gatherings.
A roundup of political and religious commentary: Missouri unions attract 46,000 new members; Looking ahead to New Hampshire; Carville tells it like it is; former judge to investigate Crookston bishop
Roman Catholic Church leaders in Rome authorized more investigation into claims that a northern Minnesota bishop interfered with past investigations into clerical sexual misconduct with children, the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis announced Feb. 4.
Prosecutors announced Tuesday that they have ended four years of oversight of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis as part of settlement designed to protect children from clergy sex abuse.