Catholic News

http://www.myspiritfm.com/News?blogid=8838&view=post&articleid=275126&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0

ACI Prensa Staff, Apr 12, 2024 / 14:30 pm (CNA).

Bree Solstad, a young woman who previously produced and acted in the pornography industry, is among the adult converts who entered the Catholic Church this Easter, leaving behind her life of "countless sins" and embracing the Catholic faith.

Solstad told ChurchPop that prior to her conversion, she led a life full of promiscuity and self-obsession, which spiked when a "recruiter" reached out to her.

"I was drinking more heavily and started a blog about my hedonistic behavior. The blog caught the attention of a successful sex worker, who reached out to me and essentially recruited me," she said. "She showed me how to get set up and introduced me to some important people in the industry who could help me make as much money as possible. I had no moral compass and was all about myself anyway."

Solstad, who now goes by Miss B Converted on X and presents herself as "a repentant sinner who converted to Christ; former porn actress and producer," announced on Jan. 1, the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, her decision to "quit sex work. To repent of my countless sins. To give up my life of sin, wealth, vice, and vain self-obsession."

She shared with her followers that her decision came after a trip to Rome and Assisi in Italy, where touched by the beauty of the art she saw in the churches she visited and the theology it represented, she experienced "what can only be described as a life-altering conversion."

"This is a humbling experience and one that I know may be mocked or questioned by many. I am giving up all my income and turning my life over to Christ. I am leaving behind my life of rampant sin, vice, pride, debauchery, vanity, and lies to — with God's grace — live a life of truth, beauty, obedience to God's divine will, virtue, and humility," she wrote on X. 

Solstad, who had an account on various pornographic content platforms, said that she had been preparing for the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) for some time and that she planned to be confirmed and receive her first Communion during the Easter Vigil this Holy Week. She made her first confession on Spy Wednesday.

"Thank you, Jesus," she prayed on X, "for not giving up on such a wretched sinner. Thank you Blessed Mary, Mother of God, for your immense love and consolation."

The young convert added that "God's forgiveness and mercy is real. If someone as broken and sinful as me can be redeemed and converted, there is no doubt anyone reading this can also be saved by his divine mercy."

The Virgin Mary and St. Clare of Assisi

Solstad was baptized as a Lutheran when she was 8 years old and considered herself at least "nominally Christian," she explained April 5 to ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner.

However, during college she lived a life of "drunkenness, drugs, and promiscuity." Experiencing a tragedy in her life, she prayed hard but, she said, "I felt like God had turned his back on me and so I did the same to him," Solstad commented to ChurchPop.

In 2023 she traveled to Italy, where she always noticed the crucifixes in the churches she visited. However in Sorrento, she said, "I noticed the Virgin Mary on street corners all over the place. All of a sudden, I felt like Mary was calling me in the strangest way. Each time I entered a church, I felt compelled to seek her out."

At Assisi, she said, "I was impressed by St. Francis, but I was moved to tears by St. Clare. I knelt by her tomb and again asked for assistance. I felt like St. Clare was actually present with me and that she was going to take all the pain and anxiety from me and somehow give it to God," Solstad told ACI Prensa.

After that experience and returning home, "I quickly realized that I didn't like what my life was like," she said. "I hated my job. I felt disgusting and guilty for the work I had been doing for a decade. I couldn't stop thinking of all the things that I had done and all the lives I negatively affected through pornography. I felt grotesque."

Solstad soon looked for a priest and spoke with him and his secretary, who told her "God loves you," words that were like "a waterfall of light" and made her long "to be someone better. I wanted to be clean, I wanted to be happy and a great example of God's love."

While in RCIA, she said, she had to overcome some anti-Catholic prejudice she inherited from the Lutheran background, but she diligently researched everything "and I always came to the realization that what the Catholic Church was teaching was true."

"I have honestly fallen in love with the Catholic Church," she continued,  "There is such richness in the faith. The Holy Trinity, the Father, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, Mary the Mother of God, all the inspiring, heroic, and beautiful saints, the sacraments, the history, the tradition, everything! But what has touched me the most is the Eucharist … something so surprising for me with Jesus physically present."

Entry into Catholic Church, first Communion

On April 3, Solstad shared on her social media some photos of her first Communion at the Easter Vigil on March 30.

"These five seconds will forever be emblazoned in my heart, mind, and soul. This is the best moment of my life," the young woman wrote. 

"My life has changed for the better so much during these past several months, but it pales in comparison to how much this moment of receiving my first Eucharist permanently transformed me," she recounted.

"I will never be the same again and I thank God for this undeniable fact. I am so in love with you, Jesus. Never allow me to move even one inch from your most Sacred Heart," she wrote.

Solstad concluded her post with the first part of the Magnificat, the prayer the Virgin Mary exclaimed when she was pregnant with Jesus and met her cousin Elizabeth, who was pregnant with John the Baptist.

"My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden. For he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. And his mercy is on those who fear him from generation to generation," she wrote, quoting Mary's response to Elizabeth as recorded in Luke's Gospel. 

Solstad's sole source of income now is from her religious goods store, which can be found here.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA. Excerpts were also drawn from ChurchPop.

Full Article

http://www.myspiritfm.com/News?blogid=8838&view=post&articleid=275125&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Apr 12, 2024 / 15:00 pm (CNA).

Catholic bishops in Poland are asking the faithful to make Sunday a "day of prayer" for unborn children after the country's lawmakers advanced four pro-abortion bills in the heavily Catholic country on Friday.

"I warmly encourage you to make the coming Sunday a day of special prayer in defense of the unborn," Archbishop Tadeusz Wojda, the chair of the Polish Episcopal Conference, said in a statement.

"I ask that in all churches in Poland, at every holy Mass, we pray for this intention," Wojda said.

Lawmakers on Friday advanced four pro-abortion bills to be considered by a special committee in the Sejm, which is Poland's lower legislative body. This was the first major action on abortion taken by the new coalition government led by Prime Minister Donald Tusk after voters ousted the Law and Justice party from leadership of the country. 

Two of the bills would legalize abortion through the 12th week of pregnancy, which would be a sharp departure from the country's strong pro-life laws. Under current law, abortion is only legal when the mother's life is at risk or when the pregnancy occurred from illegal sexual activity, such as rape or incest.

A third bill would decriminalize abortion. Although women who procure abortions do not face criminal penalties under current law, anyone who assists a woman in carrying out an abortion could land up to three years in prison. The proposal would eliminate those criminal penalties for abortionists and other accomplices.

The fourth bill, which was proposed by the center-right Third Way party, would maintain most of the current abortion laws but expand legal abortion to instances in which the unborn child has a fetal abnormality.

In his call for a day of prayer, Wojda referenced his "Statement on Respect for Human Life in the Prenatal Phase," which he published on Thursday amid the ongoing abortion debate in Poland.

"Life is a gift of God and as such is an inalienable right of every human being; therefore, it must be protected and supported at every stage of its development," the archbishop said. "Respect for life, which belongs to the most important values, is one of the fundamental duties of every human being."

The annual March for Life in Poland is also scheduled to take place in Warsaw, the country's capital, on Sunday. The pro-life demonstration routinely draws thousands of people to the city.

A long abortion debate ahead

Several left-wing lawmakers in Poland cheered the result of the vote on Friday, but other members of Tusk's coalition government took a more nuanced approach, which suggests that it's still uncertain whether the proposals will make their way through the committee or whether they would pass the Sejm.

"We got it!!" Robert Biedron, a member of the Polish New Left, said in a post on X. 

"The Sejm voted on the abortion [proposals] prepared by the Left and referred them to a special committee in the Sejm," Biedron said. "This is good news, especially for Polish women who have been fighting for their rights for 30 years. We keep working!"

Sejm Marshal Szymon Holownia, a member of the center-right Third Way and chair of the legislative body, did not indicate that he would vote for the proposal. Rather, in a post on X, he said the chamber's decision to advance the bills was based on respect for the democratic process.

"We promised to stop arguing and we kept our word," Holownia said. 

"We believe that the greatest chance for change is provided by a referendum, but we voted for all the [proposals]," he added. "We did it out of respect for democracy and concern for the durability of the coalition. Now we leave the fate of these bills in the hands of the committee members."

Third Way has not formally endorsed the plan to legalize abortion through 12 weeks of pregnancy. Rather, the party's official position has been that the Polish people should decide the country's abortion laws via a national referendum. 

The country is governed by a three-prong coalition. The New Left and Tusk's centrist Civic Coalition have both endorsed the plan to legalize abortion through 12 weeks. Third Way, which is part of that coalition, has not formally endorsed the plan. The conservative Law and Justice and the Confederation Liberty parties, which are in the minority, are opposed to the proposals. 

Dariusz Matecki, a member of Law and Justice, handed out figurines of an unborn child that show the child's development by 10 weeks of pregnancy — a time in which the child could be aborted under the proposals. 

"This educational model raises awareness of what a 10-week-old unborn baby looks like," Matecki said in a post on X. "... Many [members of Parliament] from Tusk's coalition reacted with simple aggression and vulgarity."

Poland and Malta are the only two countries in the European Union that have strong pro-life protections for unborn children.

Full Article

http://www.myspiritfm.com/News?blogid=8838&view=post&articleid=275124&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0

CNA Staff, Apr 12, 2024 / 15:30 pm (CNA).

A Myanmar priest was shot this week while celebrating Mass in the state of Kachin, according to media reports, with the assault coming amid ongoing violent conflict between the military junta and resistance forces in the region. 

Masked assailants shot Father Paul Khwi Shane Aung as he celebrated Mass at St. Patrick's Church in the town of Mohnyin in the northern region of Myanmar.

The priest "was rushed to a hospital in Mohnyin and was later moved to a hospital in Myitkyina," according to UCA News.

The reason for the attack is unknown and the shooters are reportedly still at large. Aung is listed on the Myitkyina Catholic Diocese's website as a priest in the Mohnyin Zone. He was ordained in 2013. 

In February, the aid group Christian Solidarity International warned of a rise in violence against the persecuted Christian minority in Myanmar, with an advocate warning that ethnic-minority Christians there "are subjected to cruel ethnic-cleansing campaigns."

Since a military coup ousted Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021, Myanmar has for years been wracked by violent conflict.

Cardinal Charles Maung Bo, president of the Burmese bishops' conference, in 2021 urged Catholics in Myanmar to share God's mercy amid the suffering caused by the military coup there.

That year the prelate noted that Myitkyina had been the victim of a "great tragedy" of "killing the innocents in the streets." 

"We need the light of God's mercy in Myanmar," Bo said at the time. 

The shooting of Father Aung comes just weeks after the fatal shooting of a Baptist pastor, also in Kachin, while the pastor worked at his computer shop. 

Full Article

http://www.myspiritfm.com/News?blogid=8838&view=post&articleid=275115&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Apr 12, 2024 / 07:00 am (CNA).

Bishop Mark Seitz of the Diocese of El Paso criticized a Texas law that increases the state's role in deterring illegal immigration to the United States and denounced "anti-immigrant" rhetoric that he said is rising in the country's two major political parties.

Seitz, who chairs the Committee on Migration of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), commented on the Lone Star State's new law during an immigration conference jointly hosted by the Catholic University of America and the USCCB. The April 11 event was titled "Responding to Changing Realities at the U.S. Border and Beyond." 

SB 4, which Gov. Greg Abbot signed in December 2023, makes illegal border crossing a state crime and allows state police to arrest and subsequently remove people who enter the United States illegally through Texas. U.S. President Joe Biden's administration has sued the state over the law based on allegations that it usurps the federal government's authority to enforce laws related to immigration. 

"We're concerned that this leads to profiling — racial profiling as well," Seitz said. "It puts fear into every immigrant no matter what their immigration status may be."

The bishop questioned the constitutionality of the law and how it could be effective without the cooperation of Mexican authorities. He further argued that the law threatens the right to seek asylum by denying the "opportunity to be processed … to see if their claims to asylum are legitimate or not." 

"[We] hope and pray the courts will not cave to the political pressure," Seitz said.

During his discussion at the conference, the bishop was critical of "anti-immigrant" rhetoric and approaches to policy, which he said now exists in "both parties." He claimed the media has "misrepresented" the situation at the border, which he said has also stoked anti-immigrant sentiment.

"You're not going to see chaos [at the border]," Seitz said. "You're going to see lots of fences and wires and things like that."

The bishop, who works with migrants and hosts a shelter on his property in the diocese, spoke positively of the individuals with whom he has interacted. 

"I meet these people every day," Seitz said. "They're some of the most peaceful, patient family-oriented people I've ever met."

Speaking to CNA following his remarks at the conference, Seitz said the Catholic Church provides a "beautiful balance" for ensuring the dignity of migrants is respected and that countries can maintain their borders. 

"The Church says nations have a right to a border and they have a right and a responsibility to control their border," the bishops explained. "So we don't have a problem with that." 

Seitz said, however, that the answer cannot be "to close off the possibility of a legitimate flow across the border." 

"People have a right to migrate when there is a need," the bishop added. 

Other speakers at the conference echoed similar concerns about policy and rhetoric. 

Father David Hollenbach, a Jesuit priest and research professor at Georgetown University, cited messages in Scripture about welcoming strangers and argued that the United States has a moral obligation to assist migrants and refugees because the country has the capacity to help in a way that poorer countries do not. 

"These people are created in the image and likeness of God," Hollenbach said during a panel discussion. 

Another speaker, Sister Sharlet Ann Wagner, executive director of the Newcomer Network at the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., branch of Catholic Charities USA, said during a panel discussion that politicians are "using immigrants as political footballs." 

Although Wagner acknowledged that some local communities have "unanticipated costs" when dealing with the influx of migrants, she said most are of prime working age and desire to work. 

"This is an investment that will pay off," Wagner said.

Although the conference focused mostly on an obligation to assist migrants in coming to the country, some Catholics have expressed a more cautious approach to the influx of people who have entered the country between official ports of entry.

Chad Pecknold, a professor of systematic theology and theological politics at the Catholic University of America, who was not a part of the conference, told CNA that the writings of St. Thomas Aquinas on immigration provide "a sound and reasonable guide for these discussions." 

Referencing Aquinas in the "Summa Theologiae," Pecknold recalled that the doctor of the Church "teaches that while hospitality should be offered to the wayfarer passing through, political communities must ensure that those 'entering to remain' demonstrate a commitment to the customs, language, religion, and mores of their commonweal." 

"Every human being having dignity does not immediately and obviously supersede the sovereignty of nations," Pecknold added. "Statesmen have a sacred duty to safeguard the political common good of their country, and this will sometimes mean restricting who can legally enter and remain in their countries," he noted.

Full Article

http://www.myspiritfm.com/News?blogid=8838&view=post&articleid=275101&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0

CNA Staff, Apr 11, 2024 / 11:45 am (CNA).

Global aid organization Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is calling for an "immediate end" to violence in Gaza as workers struggle to bring critical aid to the population six months into the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

CRS is the official international Catholic relief and development agency of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

The aid agency has been a major presence in Gaza since the outset of the war in October 2023, when Hamas invaded Israel, killing 1,200 and kidnapping hundreds of hostages. Israel responded with a major invasion of Gaza. The conflict has reportedly claimed over 33,000 lives in Gaza. 

In a press release this week, the group said it was reissuing its call "for an immediate end to the violence" and "greater humanitarian access to ensure innocent civilians can access food, shelter, and medical attention." 

CRS also called on "protection for humanitarians and innocent civilians and the immediate release of all hostages and others unjustly detained."

Jason Knapp, the Holy Land representative for the U.S.-based Catholic group, told CNA last week that while CRS is "working hard to keep our team as safe as possible," it remains "committed to doing everything we can to address the significant humanitarian needs of civilians in Gaza."

Knapp told CNA that CRS is expanding its operations in the region. It has set up warehouses, guesthouses, and offices in Rafah and Deir al Balah and is "in the process of setting up additional distribution points throughout Rafah, Khan Younis, and Middle Area."

Knapp said in the release this week that many of its workers have been displaced and "have lost homes and family members" during the conflict. He said the crisis in the northern part of the territory is "especially dire."

"We prioritize people living in the most vulnerable situations, so our goal is to begin serving people living in the north as soon as possible," Knapp said. 

Sean Callahan, the president and CEO of CRS, told CNA in February that the situation in the region is "catastrophic." Yet he said that in a recent visit, his team witnessed considerable "resiliency" and "hope" from the local population. 

Callahan said workers in Gaza are providing "food commodities" and "hygiene kits," among other services, to those who live there. At the outset of the conflict, CRS said it was mobilizing "emergency food, water, and living supplies" and "safe and dignified shelter" for those caught in the conflict.

"I was actually very impressed, given the situation on the ground," Callahan said of his recent visit. "You heard explosions relatively frequently, and jets overhead, and drones. But our teams were still able to register people to get supplies out to them."

In this week's release, meanwhile, Nesma Naseem, the group's shelter field officer in Gaza, said the region is marked by "resilient individuals with dreams, aspirations, and the capacity to rebuild their lives." 

"Continued assistance and solidarity can make a meaningful difference in their journey toward recovery," Naseem said. "We hope this bad dream will end soon, and we can rebuild our souls and our lives again."

Full Article

http://www.myspiritfm.com/News?blogid=8838&view=post&articleid=275100&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0

National Catholic Register, Apr 11, 2024 / 13:00 pm (CNA).

On April 7, the cause for canonization of 13-year-old Filipina Niña Ruíz-Abad was officially opened at the Cathedral of St. William the Hermit in Laoag City, Philippines, coinciding with Divine Mercy Sunday.

The event marked the first step of a lengthy process of making Ruíz-Abad one of the youngest saints in history. 

Bishop Renato Mayugba of Laoag City headed the tribunal to hear witnesses testify to the life and holiness of the Servant of God, who has been described as "an inspiration of piety, mercy, evangelization, and fortitude to others."

"We are starting our investigation on the life of Niña to discern if indeed God has blessed us with a Servant of God who can be elevated to sainthood. … All holiness is, in fact, a work of God. God is the author of holiness, because all holiness is grace. Sanctity is ultimately the work of grace, the fruit of divine mercy," the bishop said.

A video reenactment of Ruíz-Abad's life was shown at the beginning of the session, offering attendees a short glimpse of the teen's life of deep piety and love for God from a very early age. She was shown as a young child to be always engrossed in praying before the Blessed Sacrament, with her arms extended toward God, and was fond of distributing prayer cards and religious images, especially of the "Santo Niño" ("the Child Jesus" in Filipino), to her teachers and schoolmates. The video showed an unfazed girl who, when faced with the diagnosis of incurable heart disease, told her aggrieved mother: "Don't worry, Mommy; it's okay — God will heal me!"

Father Dennis Ruíz, postulator of the cause, emphasized the importance of her example, especially for the youth of today, much like Blessed Carlo Acutis. 

"Many of the youth nowadays are preoccupied by technology, fashion, fun, pleasure, and desire for worldly material things, which sometimes draw their attention away from healthy relationships, especially [relationships] to God," he said. "With the presence of dysfunctional families and family disintegration in today's society, children are usually the most affected, which consequently makes them turn for solace and consolation to their environment. But having a good model of piety and fortitude for the youth, they can be saved from utter destruction. Knowing Niña's character and traits and her strong faith toward God will serve as a guide to the youth."

The official portrait of the Servant of God by Filipino painter Ariel Caratao was presented to the public during the session. 

Dressed in traditional Filipino attire, the Divine Mercy Children's Choir, composed of children from the Little Sparks of the Divine Mercy and Immaculate Heart Filipino community, performed four songs for the congregation: "Children's Entrustment to the Immaculate Heart of Mary," "The Unity Prayer," and "Jesus, I Trust in You," followed by the singing of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.

Ruíz-Abad's mother, Corazon Abad, and only sister, Mary Ann Abad, and other relatives were present at the event as well as officers and members of the God First Association — an association named after Ruíz-Abad's renowned slogan "God First" and headed by Eliza Samson, Ruíz-Abad's third grade teacher. A large number of laypeople, priests, sisters, and seminarians were also present during the event, filling the cathedral.

Right after the opening session, the tribunal of the Diocese of Laoag and the attendees of the session visited the Servant of God's tomb in the Church of St. Monica, Sarrat, Ilocos Norte.

The petition for Ruíz-Abad's beatification and canonization is part of the Church's wider effort to recognize modern-day saints, models for Catholics in the 21st century. The Catholic Church seeks to recognize saints who practiced their faith in the ordinariness of modern life.

As Bishop Mayugba encouraged: "May her life, though short, inspire all of us to put God first in our lives."

This story was first published by the National Catholic Register, CNA's sister news partner, and is reprinted here on CNA with permission.

Full Article

http://www.myspiritfm.com/News?blogid=8838&view=post&articleid=275099&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0

CNA Staff, Apr 11, 2024 / 13:35 pm (CNA).

When parents seek medical help for their gender-confused children, they are assured that puberty blockers are "reversible" treatment that pauses puberty, offering the "chance to explore gender identity." 

But a Mayo Clinic study published in late March found that boys who take puberty blockers may suffer "irreversible" harm.

The study, published on a website hosted by the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in Minnesota, found that adolescent boys who take puberty blockers may experience fertility problems and atrophied testes.

Eleven Mayo Clinic scientists based in Rochester, Minnesota, studied the effect of puberty blockers on testicular cells. The researchers discovered "unprecedented" evidence "revealing detrimental pediatric testicular sex gland responses to [puberty blockers]." 

While the Mayo Clinic website currently claims that puberty blockers simply "pause" puberty and "don't cause permanent physical changes," this recent study is just one of many that have sounded the alarm about the various harms of puberty blockers. In 2022, one study gained national attention after it found that putting children on puberty blockers causes irreversible harm to bone density. 

The March study suggested that "abnormalities" from the data "raise a potential concern regarding the complete 'reversibility' and reproductive fitness of [spermatogonial stem cells]" for youth taking puberty blockers. 

Researchers found that puberty blockers hurt the development of sperm production and could affect fertility when children grow up. They reported "mild-to-severe sex gland atrophy in puberty blocker-treated children."

The study, which has not been peer-reviewed yet, looked at testicular samples for 87 patients under the age of 18. The study included 87 children total, with 16 boys who identified as girls and nine of whom took puberty blockers. 

Two of the nine who were taking puberty blockers had abnormal features on their testicles that were observable from a physical examination. 

The Mayo Clinic researchers noted that they began the study in a context where "the consequences" of puberty blockers for "juvenile testicular development and reproductive fitness" are "poorly understood." 

"To the best of our knowledge, no rigorous study has been reported on extended puberty blockade in pediatric populations and its long-term consequences on reproductive fitness," the authors noted. 

Yet puberty blockers, originally developed to suppress hormones of minors who began puberty too early, are prescribed to children experiencing gender dysphoria. 

Meanwhile, European countries such as Finland, Holland, Norway, Sweden, and the U.K. have restrictions or bans on puberty blockers for children. England ended puberty blockers for kids just last month. 

"Puberty blockers … are not available to children and young people for gender incongruence or gender dysphoria because there is not enough evidence of safety and clinical effectiveness," the NHS England website's section on "treatment" for gender dysphoria read after the update. 

Full Article

http://www.myspiritfm.com/News?blogid=8838&view=post&articleid=275098&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0

ACI Prensa Staff, Apr 11, 2024 / 14:05 pm (CNA).

The Diocese of Dunkeld, Scotland, announced Wednesday that Bishop-elect Martin Chambers, who was scheduled to be consecrated as its new bishop on April 27, passed away at the age of 59.

"It is with deep regret and sadness that I have to inform you that our bishop-elect, Martin Chambers, died in his sleep last night," diocesan administrator Father Kevin Golden posted on the diocese's X account April 10. "May he rest in peace and may his family and loved ones find comfort in the risen Lord and in the love of family and friends."

The diocese did not give a cause of death. However, the bishop-elect had believed to be in good health, according to The Tablet in the U.K.

The diocesan administrator invited the faithful to join in prayer for the bishop-elect at a Mass this Friday at 1 p.m. in St. Andrew's Cathedral.

Chambers' sudden death was also mourned by neighboring dioceses.

"Father Chambers was due to be ordained bishop of Dunkeld on April 27. Last week he traveled to Lourdes to pray for his new diocese," the Archdiocese of Glasgow observed on its X account.

Chambers was born on June 8, 1964, and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Galloway on Aug. 25, 1989.

Pope Francis appointed him bishop of Dunkeld on Feb. 2, and his episcopal consecration was scheduled for April 27.

Upon learning of his appointment this past February, Chambers said: "As I undertake this new mission as bishop of Dunkeld, I promise to sit in prayer as a disciple at the feet of Jesus, listening to his voice calling me forward in faith."

"Together, with the strength and inspiration of Christ, we can all continue to build the kingdom in the Diocese of Dunkeld," he said.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

Full Article

http://www.myspiritfm.com/News?blogid=8838&view=post&articleid=275097&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0

CNA Staff, Apr 11, 2024 / 14:50 pm (CNA).

Bishop Oscar Cantú of San Jose recently praised a California district attorney for seeking to convert the death sentences of more than a dozen prisoners to life in prison without possibility of parole.

Jeff Rosen, the district attorney for Santa Clara County, announced last week that he had made a filing in state superior court to resentence 15 condemned men, saying he has "lost faith in capital punishment as a fair and effective crime deterrent." 

The prosecutor added that he views capital punishment as an "antiquated, racially biased, error-prone system that deters nothing and costs us millions of public dollars and our integrity as a community that cherishes justice."

Rosen pointed to the California law that took effect at the beginning of 2019 and allows district attorneys to resentence a person if they determine the sentence no longer serves justice.

"Judges and juries of the people should decide where an inmate dies. God should decide when," Rosen said, while acknowledging the "horrible" crimes committed by the inmates.

In an April 4 statement, Cantú, whose diocese includes Santa Clara County, praised Rosen's "prophetic and principled decision."

"Catholic social teaching urges us to recognize the dignity of every human being, especially the most vulnerable," Cantú said. 

"In alignment with these teachings, the Church advocates for a consistent ethic of life, encompassing the unborn, the poor, the migrant, the sick, and those in the criminal justice system."

"DA Rosen's decision aligns with these values, challenging us to seek alternatives to the death penalty that respect human life and dignity, promote rehabilitation, and foster a safer and more compassionate society," the bishop said. "It is a call to move away from punitive justice towards restorative justice that heals and rebuilds lives."

California technically has more prisoners on death row than any other state, but the state's death penalty has been under moratorium since 2019 and has not been applied since 2006. 

The Catechism of the Catholic Church, reflecting an update promulgated by Pope Francis in 2018, describes the death penalty as "inadmissible" and an "attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person" (No. 2267). 

The change reflects a development of Catholic doctrine in recent years. St. John Paul II, calling the death penalty "cruel and unnecessary," encouraged Christians to be "unconditionally pro-life" and said that "the dignity of human life must never be taken away, even in the case of someone who has done great evil.

The Vatican's top doctrinal office's new declaration on the theme of human dignity, released Monday, reiterated that the death penalty "violates the inalienable dignity of every person, regardless of the circumstances."

Full Article

http://www.myspiritfm.com/News?blogid=8838&view=post&articleid=275095&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0

CNA Newsroom, Apr 11, 2024 / 06:45 am (CNA).

At a hearing for a criminal trial in France, a priest of the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) who spent six years in the U.S. has admitted to sexual misconduct with French minors over a period of 15 years, local media reported Sunday. 

Speaking at the criminal court in the city of Gap in southeastern France, Father Arnaud Rostand on April 4 admitted to the accusations, according to La Provence newspaper, saying: "I ask for forgiveness from the victims and deeply regret everything I have done."

The 58-year-old is charged with misconduct against seven boys, often during church-related activities like scout camps in France, Spain, and Switzerland, the paper said, noting the abuse allegedly took place over a 15-year period between 2002 and 2018.

During that time, the priest held several roles, including that of a school principal in France, but also served as U.S. district superior from 2008 to 2014. In a "farewell letter" published in July 2014 but no longer linked on the current website, he announced his departure from that role, writing he had been assigned to manage communications for the society from its general house in Menzingen, Switzerland.

In a statement published April 5 on its website, the SSPX expressed deep regret over the abuse.

"The Society of St. Pius X cannot find strong enough words to condemn these acts, which have irreparable consequences. It wishes to express its profound compassion for the victims, whom it intends to support as much as possible."

The accused priest, according to the SSPX, had "been the subject of appropriate disciplinary supervision within the fraternity." 

Furthermore, the statement said, "when, in 2019, the fraternity's superiors learned of the existence of facts relevant to the tribunal, they reported them to the judicial authorities and strengthened the disciplinary framework."

In a critical response to the statement, the victim advocacy platform SSPX Victims Collective noted that Rostand held senior roles and positions of authority, and that at least two other priests had been accused.

"For the third time in nine months, a priest of the fraternity [of St. Pius X] finds himself before a French court for sexual assault or rape. Not to mention multiple proceedings abroad," the group said in a statement.

The sentence in the Rostand case is expected to be passed in early June.

The SSPX is a traditionalist group founded by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre in 1970 that has an irregular canonical status. The group is not overseen by the Catholic Church or any diocese within the Catholic Church.

In 2020, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation launched a multiyear investigation for alleged sex abuse by clergy, including SSPX members and four Catholic dioceses. The report, released in 2023, identified 188 suspects but did not result in charges.

Full Article