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San Antonio, Texas, Mar 15, 2016 / 02:31 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller of San Antonio has released a statement mourning the death of one of his priests, Father Virgilio Elizondo, who was found dead on Monday of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound.

“I join the priests of the Archdiocese of San Antonio as we are deeply saddened and stunned by the news of the death of Father Virgilio Elizondo on March 14,” Archbishop Garcia-Siller stated. “This is an occasion for great sorrow, as his death was sudden and unexpected.”

Fr. Elizondo, a leader among Hispanic Catholics well-known for his promotion of liberation theology in the United States, was a professor of pastoral and Hispanic theology at the University of Notre Dame. He was found dead at the age of 80 in San Antonio.

A lawsuit had been filed against Fr. Elizondo in May 2015 accusing him of sexually abusing a boy in the 1980s. The priest had denied the allegation and reportedly intended to fight it in court.

Archbishop Garcia-Siller noted that “at this devastatingly sad time for Father Virgil’s family – especially his sister – as well as his brother clergy, co-workers and friends, we offer our most profound sympathies. Our thoughts and prayers are with them all. I pray for all those who mourn Father Virgil and for the repose of his soul.”

“In this Year of Mercy, we now commend him to the saving mercy of our God, who is compassionate and full of mercy and love. This is most fitting and proper.”

Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angeles, who was Archbishop of San Antonio from 2004 to 2010, stated that "I am very sad to hear the news of Father Virgilio’s passing. He was a good friend and a brother priest and I will miss him."

He expressed his gratitude to Fr. Elizondo, saying, "he was generous and kind to me from the time I was a young priest and throughout my years as a bishop. My experience was not unique. Father Virgilio was a scholar with a pastor’s heart and he served as a father figure for an entire generation of young Latinos who were trying to make their way in theology and pastoral ministry in the Church."

"His death is a deep loss for the Church," Archbishop Gomez said. "I am praying for him and his family. May the Virgin of Guadalupe, whom he loved so much, embrace him in her maternal compassion."

Fr. Elizondo graduated from St. Mary's University in 1957 with a bachelor's degree in chemistry, and was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of San Antonio in 1963. In 1969 he received an M.A. in pastoral studies from Manila's Ateneo University, and in 1978 a doctorate in theology from the Institut Catholique in Paris.

He helped to found the Mexican American Cultural Center, now the Mexican American Catholic College, in 1972, and was rector of San Antonio's cathedral from 1983 – 1995. He was on the editorial board of the journal Concilium from 1979 to 1999, and he had taught at Notre Dame since 1999.

Fr. Elizondo was awarded the John Courtney Murray Award from the Catholic Theological Society of America, the Johannes Quasten Award from the Catholic University of America, and the Laetare Medal from the University of Notre Dame. The Academy of Catholic Hispanic Theologians of the United States have established a prize in his name.

His faculty page at Notre Dame notes that he “has been very instrumental in TV work and video productions and is considered the leading interpreter of U.S. Latino religion by the national and international media.”

Among his numerous books were Galilean Journey: The Mexican-American Promise, The Future is Mestizo: Life Where Cultures Meet, and Guadalupe: Mother of the New Creation. A collection of his essays, Beyond Borders: Writings of Virgilio Elizondo and Friends, includes a foreword by Fr. Gustavo Gutierrez, widely regarded as the father of liberation theology.

The abuse allegation against Fr. Elizondo was made by a man who says he was molested by Jesus Armando Dominguez from 1980-83 while he lived at an orphanage. Dominguez was then a seminarian. The man claims he told Fr. Elizondo about the abuse, and the priest himself then molested him in turn.

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New Haven, Conn., Mar 15, 2016 / 03:22 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- The Catholic news website Crux has announced a partnership with the Knights of Columbus, following the Boston Globe dropping its financial backing of the outlet.

Under the new partnership, Crux will remain an independent news site, headed by veteran Vatican analyst John Allen and reporter Inés San Martín.

“We are thrilled with this partnership with the Knights of Columbus,” Allen said in a statement. “The Knights are one of the most dynamic and effective Catholic organizations in the world, and their generosity will help ensure that Crux can continue telling the broad Catholic story.”

“Crux is an important voice and key source of news for Catholics and about Catholic issues, and we are very pleased to be able to keep this important voice speaking to the Church and to the world,” said Supreme Knight Carl Anderson.

The announcement comes four days after Crux announced that the Boston Globe would no longer be running the Catholic site, as of April 1. The Globe cited financial reasons for the decision, pointing to a lack of Catholic advertisers.

Crux was launched in September 2014. It aspired to cover “all things Catholic” with content to appeal to active Catholics, “casual” Catholics who may not be regular Mass attendees, and general readers interested in Pope Francis, religion and spirituality.

At the time of the news site’s launch, Allen told CNA that the Catholic Church’s global presence and rich traditions justify focused news coverage. “(T)he Catholic Church matters and needs to be taken seriously by mainstream news outlets,” he said.

The new partnership will unite Crux with Catholic Pulse, a news and commentary website operated by the Knights of Columbus. In addition to reporting and analysis by Allen and San Martín, the site will feature pieces by guest contributors.

Crux will maintain its editorial freedom, said a statement from the Knights, voicing trust that the website will “present news and commentary in a way that serves the good of the Church.”

The statement also noted that while the Knights will be the “main sponsor and partner,” Crux will “continue to solicit advertising and may allow some level of additional co-sponsorship,” particularly for covering topics of joint interest to the two.

Crux will now feature the tagline, “Keeping its finger on the Catholic Pulse.”

“We are very pleased to know that the Knights of Columbus will be sponsoring Crux going forward. The original launch of this innovative forum for reporting news and sharing conversations concerning the Catholic Church was a great encouragement,” said Boston Cardinal Sean O’Malley.

Established in 1882, the Knights of Columbus is the world’s largest Catholic fraternal organization with almost 1.9 million members across the globe. In 2014, the group raised more than $173.5 million for charity and spent more than 71.5 million hours volunteering.

 

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South Bend, Ind., Mar 15, 2016 / 05:04 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Vice President Joe Biden's “gravely irresponsible” rejection of Catholic teaching on abortion and marriage should disqualify him from Notre Dame's Laetare Medal, the local bishop has said.

“We should seek to honor those who act to protect human life and dignity from conception to natural death, who respect true marriage and the family, who promote peace, justice, religious freedom, solidarity, the integral development of the poor, the just treatment of immigrants, and care for creation,” Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades of Fort Wayne-South Bend said March 14.

“We should not honor those who may be exemplary in one area but gravely irresponsible in another.”

The bishop’s diocese encompasses the University of Notre Dame. The Catholic school announced March 5 that it would award its prestigious Laetare Medal to Vice-President Biden and former Speaker of the House John Boehner. The award will be presented during the university’s May 15 commencement ceremony.

The Laetare Medal dates back to 1883. It has been awarded annually to a Catholic “whose genius has ennobled the arts and sciences, illustrated the ideals of the Church and enriched the heritage of humanity,” the university said.

Previous honorees include President John F. Kennedy, Catholic Worker founder Dorothy Day, novelist Walker Percy, Cardinal Joseph Bernardin, Speaker of the House Tip O’Neil, actor Martin Sheen and Jazz composer Dave Brubeck.

Bishop Rhoades objected to the vice president’s support for legal abortion.

“I believe it is wrong for Notre Dame to honor any ‘pro-choice’ public official with the Laetare Medal, even if he or she has other positive accomplishments in public service, since direct abortion is gravely contrary to the natural law and violates a very fundamental principle of Catholic moral and social teaching: the inalienable right to life of every innocent human being from the moment of conception,” the bishop said.

“I also question the propriety of honoring a public official who was a major spokesman for the redefinition of marriage.”

The bishop said that several months previously the university’s president, Father John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., had discussed with him the decision to give the Laetare Medal to both Biden and Boehner. Father Jenkins said the move was intended to honor their public service, not to endorse their political positions.

Bishop Rhoades reflected on the decision.

“I know that this honor is also an attempt to recognize two Catholics from different political parties at a time when our national politics is often mired in acrimonious partisanship,” the bishop said March 14.

However, he added that public officials, especially Catholics, have the “grave and clear obligation” to oppose laws that support or facilitate abortion or that undermines “the authentic meaning of marriage.”

“I disagree with awarding someone for ‘outstanding service to the Church and society’ who has not been faithful to this obligation,” he said.

For Bishop Rhoades, the university’s efforts to distinguish the conferral of the Laetare Medal from honorees’ public policy decisions is “not realistically possible or intellectually coherent.” He suggested the two honorees should have been invited to speak at Notre Dame rather than to receive an honor.

The bishop said that honors can give the impression that it is possible to be a good Catholic while advocating “positions that contradict our fundamental moral and social principles and teachings.” He encouraged further reflection on the nature of such honors from Catholic institutions.

The university cited Biden’s service on the Senate Judiciary Committee and Senate Foreign Relations Committee, his work against domestic violence, and his oversight as vice president of a multi-billion dollar stimulus bill. The university cited Boehner’s service in the House of Representatives and his work on pension and school choice programs.

In the 1970s Biden had been critical of legal abortion, and still professes to personally oppose abortion. However, he changed his position in the 1980s to support legalized abortion. As vice president, he voiced support for gay marriage in a May 2012 television appearance that led to President Barack Obama announcing his own public support for redefining marriage.

Father Jenkins in the medal announcement decried “a toxic political environment where poisonous invective and partisan gamesmanship pass for political leadership.”

“It is a good time to remind ourselves what lives dedicated to genuine public service in politics look like,” he said. “We find it in the lives of Vice President Biden and Speaker Boehner.”

Father Jenkins said the recognition does not mean the university is endorsing either politician’s policy positions. Rather, it is “celebrating two lives dedicated to keeping our democratic institutions working for the common good through dialogue focused on the issues and responsible compromise.”

In 2009, the University of Notre Dame invited President Barack Obama to give its commencement speech and receive an honorary degree. The move drew strong criticism from pro-life advocates due to the president’s strong pro-abortion rights stand. Several dozen Catholic bishops objected to the decision.

Bishop John M. D'Arcy, who headed the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend at the time of the controversy, declined to attend the school’s 2009 commencement. He cited a 2004 U.S. bishops' statement on Catholics in political life that calls on Catholic institutions not to honor those who counter Catholic beliefs.

In April 2009, former U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See Mary Ann Glendon declined the Laetare Medal. In her view, the honorary degree disregarded the U.S. bishops in order to honor “a prominent and uncompromising opponent of the Church’s position on issues involving fundamental principles of justice.”

Several dozen pro-life advocates protested on the university campus the day of the president’s 2009 commencement speech and were arrested for trespassing.

In 2012, the Obama administration announced a Department of Health and Human Services mandate requiring Catholic institutions like the University of Notre Dame to provide health insurance coverage for drugs and procedures proscribed by Catholic ethics. The university filed a lawsuit against the mandate. Its request for a preliminary injunction against the mandate was denied in May 2015.

Photo credit: www.shutterstock.com.

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IMAGE: CNS/Reuters

By Junno Arocho Esteves

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The secretary of the Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See testified in a Vatican court that he felt he was being threatened and had little choice but to give confidential documents to two Italian reporters.

Under questioning by his co-defendants' lawyers, Spanish Msgr. Lucio Vallejo Balda cited a Whatsapp conversation in which Francesca Chaouqui told him: "I will destroy you in all the newspapers and you know that I can do it."

"If that isn't a concrete threat, (I don't know what is)," Msgr. Vallejo Balda told the court March 15, his second day of testimony. The day before, he had admitted leaking confidential Vatican documents.

Msgr. Vallejo Balda is on trial with Chaouqui, a member of the former Pontifical Commission for Reference on the Organization of the Economic-Administrative Structure of the Holy See; Nicola Maio, the monsignor's former assistant; and the journalists Gianluigi Nuzzi, author of "Merchants in the Temple," and Emiliano Fittipaldi, author of "Avarice."

The monsignor, Chaouqui and Maio were accused of "committing several illegal acts of divulging news and documents concerning fundamental interests of the Holy See and (Vatican City) State." Nuzzi and Fittipaldi were accused of "soliciting and exercising pressure, especially on (Msgr.) Vallejo Balda, in order to obtain confidential documents and news."

In his testimony, Msgr. Vallejo Balda said he knew that Chaouqui and Nuzzi knew each other well and so he gave documents to Nuzzi in order to win his trust and stave off any threat Chaouqui posed to him. "For me, giving those documents was a way to pay for my freedom," he said.

The monsignor also told the court that Maio, his personal assistant, resigned in December 2014, six months before he passed along the documents; the assistant, he said, was unaware of the leak.

The day's court session ended with Fittipaldi being called to the stand. The Italian journalist testified that by the time Msgr. Vallejo Balda gave him the documents, he had nearly completed writing his book and that he used only two of the leaked documents: a semi-official budget of the Institute for the Works of Religion, commonly known as the Vatican bank, and a letter signed by Cardinal George Pell, prefect of the Vatican Secretariat for the Economy.

The other documents, he said, "were of little journalistic value."

On the trial's first day of testimony, March 14, Msgr. Vallejo Balda testified he passed along several documents to both Nuzzi and Fittipaldi. He also admitted to giving Nuzzi five pages containing passwords to private emails and password-protected documents.

The monsignor had told the court he grew increasingly suspicious of Chaouqui, saying she told him she was "the number two in the Italian secret service" and testified that he suspected she had ties with the Mafia.

During a break in the trial March 15, Fittipaldi told journalists Msgr. Vallejo Balda contradicted his own testimony the previous day that he was pressured to leak the documents.

Although the Vatican prosecution's case asserts the confidential documents were illegally obtained, both journalists defended their right to freedom of the press. Fittipaldi told journalists they were being tried "for simply asking questions."

"In America, the journalists of the Boston Globe asked questions and were awarded a Pulitzer Prize for uncovering important information on pedophilia (in the church) in the Spotlight case and their story becomes an Oscar-winning movie," he said. "In Italy, journalists who ask questions, who investigate very important questions on an economic structure riddled with corruption end up being tried and risk four to eight years in prison. For the simple fact of asking questions."

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Follow Arocho on Twitter: @arochoju.

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