Articles by JD Flynn
Bridgeport bishop says lifelong 'path of beauty' began with his parents
Oct 14, 2018 / 10:52 am“Other than faith,” Bishop Frank Caggiano reminisced, “the gifts of how I was raised and who I was raised by are the greatest gifts I have ever received in my life.”
Analysis: Will bishops push for clarity on the synod’s procedural rules?
Oct 13, 2018 / 17:13 pmRecent changes to canon law have left some bishops attending the 2018 Synod of Bishops uncertain about the meeting’s procedural rules. Unanswered questions about the synod’s norms could have significant effect on how the meeting’s final documents are regarded in the Church, and by the synod fathers themselves.
Napier: Parishes should learn from youth synod, and synod should hear African voices
Oct 13, 2018 / 11:04 amA prominent South African cardinal said Saturday that the 2018 Synod of Bishops on young people, the faith, and vocational discernment can be a model for the way that Church leaders engage with youth in parishes and dioceses around the world.
Analysis: Do Vatican officials see abuse crisis as a referendum on the pope?
Oct 8, 2018 / 12:59 pmArchbishop Charles Scicluna of Malta told reporters Monday that Catholics should “trust Pope Francis that there is going to be a solution” to the Church’s clerical sexual abuse crisis. The support of bishops from around the world, Scicluna said, means that the pope is now “empowered” to do what he wants for the Church, namely, “to make the church a safer place.”
Church's youngest cardinal points youth synod to God's word
Oct 6, 2018 / 09:10 amThe Church’s youngest cardinal said Saturday that the Word of God must be the central point of the Church’s message to young people.
Pope Francis orders review of Vatican McCarrick files
Oct 6, 2018 / 07:09 amThe Vatican announced Saturday that it would review its files pertaining to allegations of sexual misconduct on the part of Archbishop Theodore McCarrick, who has been accused in recent months of serially sexually abusing two teenage boys, and of sexually coercing and assaulting priests and seminarians during decades of ministry as a bishop.
Francis calls for youth synod creativity- How will U.S. bishops answer the call?
Oct 3, 2018 / 13:59 pmAs the synod begins, it’s worth noting what some bishops from the U.S. delegation might bring to the table.
CNA Explainer: What rights does a pastor have?
Sep 29, 2018 / 08:30 amChicago rainbow flag burning raises questions about a pastor's canoical rights
Alleged abuse victim searches for justice in the Diocese of Crookston
Sep 26, 2018 / 03:00 amIn 1971, when Ron Vasek was 16 years old, a priest invited him to take a trip. The priest, Fr. Roger Grundhaus, was a family friend, and Ron’s parents supported the idea.
Commentary: Getting to forgiveness
Sep 19, 2018 / 16:00 pmI have spent most of this summer angry with Christ’s Church.
Priest faces trial after alleged assault of San Diego seminarian
Sep 18, 2018 / 12:58 pmA California priest has been charged with sexual battery, after he is alleged to have sexually assaulted a San Diego seminarian.
What do Church abuse policies mean by 'vulnerable adult'?
Sep 12, 2018 / 12:00 pmA Vatican summit this February will gather the presidents of bishops’ conferences from around the world. While a Sept. 12 statement from the Vatican said the gathering’s theme would be the “protection of minors,” a Vatican spokesperson clarified that the meeting would discuss “prevention of abuse of minors and vulnerable adults.”
Wuerl to meet with Pope Francis to discuss resignation
Sep 11, 2018 / 16:19 pmThe Archbishop of Washington told priests Tuesday that he intends to meet with Pope Francis soon to discuss his resignation from office.
Benedict, Viganò, Francis, and McCarrick: Where things stand on nuncio’s allegations
Sep 3, 2018 / 06:00 amOn its face, the arc of Archbishop Viganò’s story is straightforward.
Wuerl denies he was informed of Vatican restrictions on McCarrick
Aug 25, 2018 / 21:01 pmCardinal Donald Wuerl of Washington has denied a report that he was informed about restrictions apparently placed by the Vatican upon his predecessor, Archbishop Theodore McCarrick.
Who might follow Cardinal Wuerl in DC?
Aug 24, 2018 / 15:56 pmIn the ten days since the publication of an Aug. 14 Pennsylvania grand jury report on clerical sexual abuse, newspapers around the country have run op-eds calling for Cardinal Donald Wuerl to resign as Archbishop of Washington.
After grand jury report, new allegations raised in Pennsylvania
Aug 22, 2018 / 11:46 amThe Diocese of Pittsburgh has received about 50 new allegations of abuse, and a state abuse hotline has received more than 500 calls after the Aug. 14 release a Pennsylvania grand jury report detailing an investigation of sexual abuse in six dioceses, including Pittsburgh.
‘What do you want to know?’ The Catholic reaction to bishops and sexual abuse
Aug 16, 2018 / 11:08 amAmong the sexual abusers mentioned in the Aug. 14 Pennsylvania grand jury report, one priest merits particular attention.
What might happen for McCarrick, and for the Church in the US
Jul 31, 2018 / 11:01 amThe 2014 movie “Calvary” is a reflection on mercy, sacrifice, and the difficulties that the sexual abuse crises of recent years have caused for those priests and bishops who have nothing to hide, but are now viewed with suspicion.
McCarrick, the bishops, and unanswered questions
Jul 23, 2018 / 16:10 pmA new allegation of child sexual abuse was leveled against Cardinal Theodore McCarrick last Thursday, one month after the June announcement that he had been suspended from priestly ministry following an investigation into a different charge of sexual abuse on the part of the cardinal.