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BEIJING (AP) -- Growing Chinese anger at South Korea over a U.S. anti-missile defense system bodes ill for everything from pop star appearances to United Nations action against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats....
JANESVILLE, Wis. (AP) -- House Speaker Paul Ryan rejected the idea that his easy win Tuesday over a longshot Republican primary challenger praised by Donald Trump spells danger for Trump's presidential prospects in the swing state of Wisconsin....
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Philadelphia, Pa., Aug 9, 2016 / 04:45 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- There will be drama in Philadelphia.A landmark case involving Catholic officials’ response to sex abuse is planned for retrial May 1 of next year. The accused is a monsignor who was the first Catholic official convicted for his supervisory actions regarding a priest accused of abusing children.But claims of new exonerating evidence and a court’s decision to throw out the monsignor’s previous sentence make the situation more complex.Monsignor William J. Lynn, 65, was released from Pennsylvania state prison Aug. 2 on $250,000 bail. He had served 33 months in prison on a conviction that was overturned in late 2015.The monsignor was sentenced to three to six years in prison after a 2012 trial.Msgr. Lynn himself was not accused of sexually abusing children. However, he was convicted on one felony count of child endangerment for failing to protect children from a priest with a known history of abuse.The monsigno...
Philadelphia, Pa., Aug 9, 2016 / 04:45 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- There will be drama in Philadelphia.
A landmark case involving Catholic officials’ response to sex abuse is planned for retrial May 1 of next year. The accused is a monsignor who was the first Catholic official convicted for his supervisory actions regarding a priest accused of abusing children.
But claims of new exonerating evidence and a court’s decision to throw out the monsignor’s previous sentence make the situation more complex.
Monsignor William J. Lynn, 65, was released from Pennsylvania state prison Aug. 2 on $250,000 bail. He had served 33 months in prison on a conviction that was overturned in late 2015.
The monsignor was sentenced to three to six years in prison after a 2012 trial.
Msgr. Lynn himself was not accused of sexually abusing children. However, he was convicted on one felony count of child endangerment for failing to protect children from a priest with a known history of abuse.
The monsignor’s defense lawyer Thomas A. Bergstrom said the case against his client was “over the top, inaccurate and dishonest,” the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. He said the monsignor had served almost the minimum sentence under the vacated conviction, in addition to 18 months’ house arrest.
However, Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams said he had no doubts about re-trying the case. He charged that the monsignor “helped create a playbook for handling someone who alleges that an archdiocesan priest is a pedophile.” He said he thought there was sufficient evidence for a retrial and he would not bring the case if he was not sure he could secure a conviction.
Msgr. Lynn had served as the Philadelphia archdiocese’s Secretary for Clergy from 1992 to 2004. As such, he was responsible for investigating priests accused of abuse.
His first trial included 13 weeks of testimony. Most of the testimony reviewed Archdiocese of Philadelphia records about its investigations into two dozen priests dating to 1940, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. Prosecutors said the history showed the priest was part of a dominant culture in the archdiocese.
In December 2015 a Superior Court panel, by a vote of 2-1, ordered a new trial for Msgr. Lynn. It agreed with his lawyers that the prosecutors had wrongly tainted the jury’s judgement in its use of historical evidence of the Church’s handling of sex abuse, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
The priest’s lawyers said the evidence was prejudicial and inflammatory and drove the jury toward a guilty verdict. Bergstrom has argued that Msgr. Lynn was a scapegoat.
Assistant District Attorney Brian Zarallo said that prosecutors will re-use some of the historical evidence in the re-trial, but this is dependent on agreements in pre-trial hearings.
The case for which the monsignor was convicted involved an accusation from a man who said that two priests and a parochial school teacher sexually abused him when he was a 10-year-old altar boy. The accuser, known in court records under the pseudonym “Billy Doe,” alleged abuse that took place in the 1998-1999 school years.
Msgr. Lynn had allowed one of the accused priests, Fr. Edward V. Avery, to live at the rectory of Philadelphia’s St. Jerome Catholic Church despite a history of sexually abusing children. Avery, now 73, pled guilty to the charges involving Doe in March 2012 and is still serving his prison sentence. He was laicized in 2006.
The other priest accused of abuse was the late Father Charles Engelhardt, who died in prison in 2014 at the age of 67. He was still appealing his prison sentence of six to 12 years.
The other man accused was parochial school teacher Bernard Shero, now 53, who is serving a sentence of eight to 16 years.
In January 2013, Avery was a witness at Englehardt’s and Shero’s trial. But he recanted his plea and said he pled guilty only to avoid a longer prison term. He denied knowing his accuser, Englehardt, and Shero.
The alleged victim who accused the three men is now 28. At the trial defense attorneys strongly questioned his history of drug use, lies, crimes, and discrepancies between his trial testimony and his initial statements to police and church investigators.
The accuser rejected claims he had made false accusations and said his drug and emotional problems were due to the abuse he suffered.
Both prosecutors and defense attorneys will have to decide how to use the new revelations and claims.
Bergstrom said he has since acquired previously unavailable reports from investigators and forensic psychiatrists that cast doubt on the credibility of the accuser’s allegations.
Rieti, Italy, Aug 9, 2016 / 05:06 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- In keeping with his spontaneous personality, Pope Francis made a surprise visit Tuesday to two convents north of Rome.The Pope visited the province of Rieti the morning of Aug. 9, stopping by the monastery of the Franciscan Sisters of Saint Philippa Mareri in Borgo San Pietro.He also visited the convent of the Benedictine Sisters of Reparation of the Holy Face of Our Lord Jesus Christ in Carsoli, which is just outside the province.He was accompanied by Bishop Domenico Pompili of Rieti and by the bishop’s assistant, Sister Angela Severino.Pope Francis has made a surprise visit to Rieti before. On Jan. 4 he met with the local Franciscan community and venerated the shrine in Greccio, where it is believed that Saint Francis set up the first Nativity Scene.He also visited with Bishop Pompili on that occasion, and met a group of about 70 youth taking part in a pilgrimage to the shrine.Founded by Father Ildebrando Gregori, the Be...
Rieti, Italy, Aug 9, 2016 / 05:06 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- In keeping with his spontaneous personality, Pope Francis made a surprise visit Tuesday to two convents north of Rome.
The Pope visited the province of Rieti the morning of Aug. 9, stopping by the monastery of the Franciscan Sisters of Saint Philippa Mareri in Borgo San Pietro.
He also visited the convent of the Benedictine Sisters of Reparation of the Holy Face of Our Lord Jesus Christ in Carsoli, which is just outside the province.
He was accompanied by Bishop Domenico Pompili of Rieti and by the bishop’s assistant, Sister Angela Severino.
Pope Francis has made a surprise visit to Rieti before. On Jan. 4 he met with the local Franciscan community and venerated the shrine in Greccio, where it is believed that Saint Francis set up the first Nativity Scene.
He also visited with Bishop Pompili on that occasion, and met a group of about 70 youth taking part in a pilgrimage to the shrine.
Founded by Father Ildebrando Gregori, the Benedictine Sisters of Reparation now has congregations in Italy, Poland, and India. The monastery of the Franciscan Sisters in Borgo San Pietro is the motherhouse of the congregation, although they have several other locations throughout Italy, and one in Albania.
According to the Italian newspaper Il Messaggero, the Vatican press office said that it was “a private visit” and had no public nature.
IMAGE: CNS photo/Piyal Adhikary, EPABy Saadia AzimKOLKATA, India (CNS) -- A group of young independentphotographers are busy clicking away, taking photos of the "City ofJoy."Their photos, part of the crowdsourced "SainthoodProject," will be displayed in several locations in Rome in earlySeptember, to coincide with the canonization of Blessed Teresa of Kolkata. Thephotographers are volunteers, trying to highlight aspects of the young MotherTeresa, who founded the Missionaries of Charity to serve the "poorest ofthe poor" in India. The young people are funding their own travel to Rometo participate in the ceremony and exhibit the photographs in open-air galleries."This is our tribute to Mother,"said Srijita Deb Burman, 25, a business professional. "These images willdepict the inspiration that must have attracted Mother to this city."Although the Sept. 4 canonization is at theVatican, Kolkata is making preparations. Scholars, priests, students and artistsare continuously holding seminar...
IMAGE: CNS photo/Piyal Adhikary, EPA
By Saadia Azim
KOLKATA, India (CNS) -- A group of young independent photographers are busy clicking away, taking photos of the "City of Joy."
Their photos, part of the crowdsourced "Sainthood Project," will be displayed in several locations in Rome in early September, to coincide with the canonization of Blessed Teresa of Kolkata. The photographers are volunteers, trying to highlight aspects of the young Mother Teresa, who founded the Missionaries of Charity to serve the "poorest of the poor" in India. The young people are funding their own travel to Rome to participate in the ceremony and exhibit the photographs in open-air galleries.
"This is our tribute to Mother," said Srijita Deb Burman, 25, a business professional. "These images will depict the inspiration that must have attracted Mother to this city."
Although the Sept. 4 canonization is at the Vatican, Kolkata is making preparations. Scholars, priests, students and artists are continuously holding seminars, exhibitions and prayer meetings every day across the city to propagate "Mother Teresa's philosophy towards humanity."
"I have made several new paintings depicting her ideology that will be exhibited at the arts exhibition at St. Xavier's School in Kolkata until her canonization," said noted artist Sunita Kumar, a Sikh who volunteers for the Missionaries of Charity.
Park Street, Kolkata's vibrant street and a prominent hangout for young people, has already been renamed Mother Teresa Sarani. Special festivities will continue in that area until Christmas.
At Mother Teresa's home, the headquarters of the Missionaries of Charity, the doors are open for all, and followers and admirers come every day, visiting and praying in her tomb. Many say they have been doing so for a long time and vouch that their prayers have been heard. Some people drop in to be counseled by the sisters, asking for solace; others come looking for medicine or other daily items.
"Mother Teresa has always been the icon for the confluence of faiths, and that's why I have such devotion for her saintly powers," said Aarti Kumari, a Hindu and a regular visitor who comes for counseling from the nuns on family issues.
Mother's home is already a place of worship, where novices and ordinary people can be seen carrying their books to the tomb seeking blessings.
"It was her influence that I joined the order at 18," recalled Sister Ruth from Andhra Pradesh state.
Sisters Laisa and Ansavio stood near Mother Teresa's statue, distributing small packets of medicine to a few local visitors who had come seeking help.
"I came volunteering for Mother's home at her call, and I feel so fulfilled," said a woman who identified herself only as Federica from Rome; she will return to Rome just before the canonization.
Mother Teresa's relics have been placed near her tomb on the ground floor of the motherhouse, but very soon the place will be dedicated for worship to the saint. Representatives of the Missionaries of Charity say they have plans for regular special Masses and prayer meetings.
A thanksgiving mass will be held Aug. 26, Mother Teresa's birthday, ahead of the canonization. On Sept. 4, nuns, novices and followers will participate in the canonization in St. Peter's Square through a live viewing party.
"We, too, will witness the live ceremony here. This is a blessing and no one is going to miss it here," said Sister Blacila.
About 30 members of the Missionaries of Charity will travel to the Vatican for the canonization. German-born Sister Mary Prema, superior general, is already in Rome to facilitate the process and accommodate the guests.
Later in September, a series of festivities have been planned across the city, where many believe Mother Teresa's work had already made her a saint.
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