On Friday, a Kansas City county grand jury indicted St. Joseph Catholic Diocese and its bishop, Robert Finn, for failing to report suspected child abuse by a priest in possession of child pornography. Bishop Finn is accused of covering up the abusive behavior of Reverend Shawn Ratigan, who was arrested in May on charges of […]
Welcome to the third #HERVotes Blog Carnival! This time, the focus is on women and health care. The blog posts below share personal stories and details about the new benefits from the health care reform law, while also offering original insights on what’s at stake for women and health care. You’ll also find personal stories […]
In California, volunteers for the Stop SB48 campaign have begun to collect signatures for a ballot referendum to repeal the Fair, Accurate, Inclusive, and Respectful (FAIR) Education law, which will require that school curricula and textbooks include information about gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Americans. In order for the referendum to appear on the ballot, […]
On Saturday, the Vatican issued a 24 page statement denying accusations made in an Irish government-mandated investigation, the Cloyn report, that the Vatican had thwarted the efforts of Irish bishops to protect children from sexual abuse. The Cloyn report states that the Vatican “effectively gave individual Irish bishops the freedom to ignore the procedures which […]
Hundreds of Roman Catholic priests from all over the world are challenging the Vatican to rethink all-male celibate priesthood and ordain women priests. In the United States, 157 Roman Catholic priests signed a statement in support Roy Bourgeois, a member of the Maryknoll religious order and priest who faces dismissal for taking part in a […]
Pope Benedict XVI has accepted the resignation of Cardinal Justin Rigali, archbishop of the Philadelphia diocese, which has been the center of a major sex abuse scandal. Rigali handed in his resignation on his 75th as is customary in the Catholic Church. It is not clear whether the abuse allegations played a role in Pope […]
Bishop Leonard Blair of Toledo announced that priests, parochial school administrators, and parishes in the Catholic diocese may no longer hold fundraising events for the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Bishop Blair expressed his concerns that although the breast cancer awareness group does not currently fund embryonic stem-cell research, it might in the future. Bishop Blair […]
A group of nuns based in Boston are suing their archbishop after years of trying to withdraw from the Archdiocese pension plan to start their own, which they claim would provide a better standard of living in retirement. The nuns say they have also not been given their own portion of the fund, despite several […]
Cardinal Justin Rigali, the archbishop of Philadelphia, announced yesterday that he will suspend 21 priests accused of sexually abusing minors. The suspension follows the release of a grand jury report last month that alleged that the archdiocese was involved in an extensive cover-up of the sexual misconduct of as many as 37 priests. According to […]
Reverend Martin P. O’Loghlen, a priest accused in 1999 of having a sexual relationship with a teenage girl, has recently been removed from his parish in Los Angeles. The vicar of clergy, Msgr. Michael Myers, also announced his resignation. After having been contacted multiple times by Reverend O’Loghlen, Julie Malcolm filed a lawsuit against the […]
United States District Court Judge Marvin Garbis ruled yesterday that a Baltimore ordinance requiring that “limited-service pregnancy centers” display signs in both English and Spanish indicating that they do not provide or make referrals for abortions or comprehensive birth control services was unconstitutional. Judge Garbis stated that the ordinance violated the Freedom of Speech Clause […]
Tens of thousands anti-abortion rights supporters gathered yesterday on the National Mall and marched to the Supreme Court for the annual March for Life to commemorate the 38th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion in the US. Pro-abortion rights supporters, including activists from the Feminist Majority Foundation, the National […]
Roman Catholic priests and anti-abortion rights advocates gathered this morning for a Mass at the Verizon Center in Washington DC before participating in the annual March for Life. Operation Rescue, based in Wichita, Kansas, is also holding a series of anti-abortion protests in Germantown, Maryland today against Dr. Lee Carhart, who works at the clinic […]
Yesterday, the Arizona State Legislature passed legislation to ban protestors from coming within 300 feet of the funeral services of the victims of the Tucson shootings. Governor Jan Brewer signed the bill that day. The bill was proposed in response to the Westboro Baptist Church’s announcement of its plans to picket the funeral of nine-year-old […]
On Saturday, Pope Benedict XVI diverged from the Roman Catholic Church’s traditional stance against condoms and indicated to a German journalist that condom use might be acceptable in certain circumstances. Pope Benedict stated that although he still opposes condoms as form of contraception, he acknowledged their importance in disease prevention. The example he gave was […]
Pope Benedict XVI ardently expressed his anti-abortion stance and defended the traditional family structure during his visit to the Spanish pilgrimage site, Santiago de Compostela late last week. Pope Benedict denounced what he perceived to be Spain’s growing secularization and spoke out against its laws that permit gay marriage and access to abortions. Pope Benedict […]
Leading Polish activists held a civil hearing at the Polish parliament yesterday on the rising number of Polish women who are traveling abroad to obtain access to abortion. Doctors from Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, and Britain who regularly treat Polish women also attended the meeting. A doctor’s written notice authorizing an abortion procedure is required […]
Mexico’s Supreme Court ruled 9 to 2 today to uphold a Mexico City law that allows same-sex couples to adopt. Mexico City is now the first Latin American capital to legalize both same-sex marriage, which the Mexican Supreme Court upheld earlier this month, and same-sex couples’ adoption rights, according to Reuters. The Mexican federal Attorney […]
US District Judge Marvin Garbis heard arguments yesterday from the City of Baltimore to dismiss a suit filed by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore against a recent city law requiring truth in advertising by crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs) regarding their services. The suit was filed in March. The law requires CPCs to post signs […]
Spain’s lower house of parliament will debate a proposal that would ban burqas in public this week. The proposed ban is based on the argument that the burqa is demeaning to women. The legislation, which was introduced by Spain’s leading opposition party, the Popular Party, is largely supported by the ruling Socialist Party, according to […]
