Catholic News 2
CAIRO (AP) -- An EgyptAir flight from Paris to Cairo with 66 passengers and crew on board crashed in the Mediterranean Sea early Thursday morning, Egyptian aviation officials said....
Boston, Mass., May 18, 2016 / 06:11 pm (CNA).- Former parishioners occupying the long-closed St. Frances X. Cabrini Church in Scituate, Massachusetts say they plan to end their continuous 24-hour vigil after the Supreme Court refused to hear their case, May 16.A statement issued by the group Friends of St. Frances X. Cabrini notes that they will vacate the premises after holding a meeting "to finalize their transition," and a celebration on May 29.Jon Rogers, a spokesperson for the group, said, "We are proud that we have brought these important issues to the U.S. Supreme Court and are confident that other parishes in similar closure situations will build on our shoulders to carry these matters forward to a successful decision in the Court.""From inception of this journey we promised two things: to exhaust every level of recourse, be it canonical or civil, and that we have done. The second promise was that the Friends of St. Frances X. Cabrini will remain tog...
Boston, Mass., May 18, 2016 / 06:11 pm (CNA).- Former parishioners occupying the long-closed St. Frances X. Cabrini Church in Scituate, Massachusetts say they plan to end their continuous 24-hour vigil after the Supreme Court refused to hear their case, May 16.
A statement issued by the group Friends of St. Frances X. Cabrini notes that they will vacate the premises after holding a meeting "to finalize their transition," and a celebration on May 29.
Jon Rogers, a spokesperson for the group, said, "We are proud that we have brought these important issues to the U.S. Supreme Court and are confident that other parishes in similar closure situations will build on our shoulders to carry these matters forward to a successful decision in the Court."
"From inception of this journey we promised two things: to exhaust every level of recourse, be it canonical or civil, and that we have done. The second promise was that the Friends of St. Frances X. Cabrini will remain together as a faithful Catholic worship community and go on with or without the Archdiocese of Boston. The next phase of this faith journey will be a transition into an independent Catholic community -- without the archdiocese," he continued.
The former church was closed as part of the archdiocese's 2004 Parish Reconfiguration process. At that time, the archdiocese "suppressed," or legally dissolved, 70 parishes and subsequently closed most of their church buildings. In response, former parishioners at 11 parishes filed appeals with the Vatican and some occupied church buildings to keep them from closing. St. Frances X. Cabrini is the last former church with an ongoing vigil.
In March, the group asked the Supreme Court to take up their case, which had argued that the former parishioners held an "equitable interest" in the property -- claiming that the archdiocese held the property in trust.
Previously, in October 2015, the Massachusetts Appeals Court affirmed a judge's ruling that the property belongs to the archdiocese and the former parishioners are trespassing. On Dec. 3, Massachusetts' Supreme Judicial Court denied any further review of the case.
The group took their case to civil court after losing numerous challenges to the closure under canon law. The canonical process ended in June 2014 when the Church's highest court, the Apostolic Signatura, ruled against the former parishioners, rejecting their final canonical appeal.
In reaction to Supreme Court's decision the archdiocesan spokesman Terrence Donilon said, "We appreciate the Court's review of this matter. Given the denial of the Friends of St. Frances Cabrini's petition, we ask them to end their vigil and leave the property within 14 days in accordance with the agreement filed with the Superior Court. The parishes of the archdiocese welcome and invite those involved with the vigil to participate and join in the fullness of parish life."
Gregory L. Tracy contributed to this report.
This article was originally published in the Boston Pilot. Republished with permission.
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- Stephen Curry scored 15 straight points in less than 2 minutes during one dazzling third-quarter stretch, and the Golden State Warriors beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 118-91 on Wednesday night to even the Western Conference final at one game apiece....
FRESNO, Calif. (AP) -- California decided Wednesday to allow hundreds of local water districts to set their own conservation goals after a wet winter eased the five-year drought in some parts of the state....
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Earth's heat is stuck on high....
TORONTO (AP) -- Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau apologized "unreservedly" for making physical contact with a female opposition member of Parliament who said Trudeau elbowed her in the chest as he waded through a group of opposition lawmakers....
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Republican-led House voted convincingly Wednesday to approve a $602 billion defense policy bill after rejecting attempts by Democrats to close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and to repeal the war powers President Barack Obama relies on to fight the Islamic State....
JERSEY CITY, N.J. (AP) -- Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump used the word "rape" on Wednesday when discussing past allegations of sexual misconduct involving former President Bill Clinton, further escalating his rhetoric on the subject....
CAIRO (AP) -- An EgyptAir plane from Paris to Cairo carrying 59 passengers and 10 crew disappeared from radar early Thursday morning, the airline said....
Chicago, Ill., May 18, 2016 / 04:01 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- With the conviction that pro-family policies are critical for a healthy Church, the Archdiocese of Chicago will soon start offering its employees 12 weeks of paid parental leave.The policy, which will go into effect June 1, was announced in the archdiocesan newspaper, the Catholic New World.It will cover both mothers and fathers working at least 26 hours per week who have just had a child or adopted a child.Previously, women at the archdiocese were able to pay for maternity leave through sick time and vacation days. Employees were allow to accrue sick time, and after about three years generally had enough time accumulated for six weeks of leave.Even this policy was more generous than that offered by many companies which have a use-it-or-lose-it approach to sick leave and do not allow it to build up year after year.But the new policy far surpasses the previous one and brings the archdiocese to the forefront of family-friendly p...
Chicago, Ill., May 18, 2016 / 04:01 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- With the conviction that pro-family policies are critical for a healthy Church, the Archdiocese of Chicago will soon start offering its employees 12 weeks of paid parental leave.
The policy, which will go into effect June 1, was announced in the archdiocesan newspaper, the Catholic New World.
It will cover both mothers and fathers working at least 26 hours per week who have just had a child or adopted a child.
Previously, women at the archdiocese were able to pay for maternity leave through sick time and vacation days. Employees were allow to accrue sick time, and after about three years generally had enough time accumulated for six weeks of leave.
Even this policy was more generous than that offered by many companies which have a use-it-or-lose-it approach to sick leave and do not allow it to build up year after year.
But the new policy far surpasses the previous one and brings the archdiocese to the forefront of family-friendly policies across the nation – not only within the Church but among the population as a whole. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, only 12 percent of U.S. private sector workers have any amount paid family leave through their employers.
Betsy Bohlen, chief operating officer for the archdiocese, told the Catholic New World that Chicago Archbishop Blase Cupich supported the policy as a reflection of Church teaching.
“Obviously we do want to be a voice for pro-life, family friendly kinds of policies,” she said, adding that the archdiocese also believes the policy is “an attractive feature” in attracting strong talent.
Father Peter Wojcik, co-director of parish life and formation for the archdiocese, cited both Pope Francis’ writings on the family and the recent Vatican Synod on the Family – in which Archbishop Cupich participated – as part of the inspiration for the change in policy.
“I think it’s a practical way of saying yes, the families are at the center of the church, the church is built on the families and families need time to be with each other and accompany each other,” he told the Catholic New World.
The archdiocesan paper reported that the new policy originated from the human resources committee and was approved by the finance council and then Archbishop Cupich. The policy could cost the archdiocese as much as $1 million per year, and covers some 200 employees.
