Articles by Daniel Payne
Pope Francis appoints Bishop Gregory Kelly as new bishop of Tyler, Texas
Dec 20, 2024 / 12:45 pmPope Francis relieved Bishop Joseph Strickland from the Tyler bishopric last November after an apostolic visitation concluded it was “not feasible” for Strickland to remain.
Louisiana priest sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to rape of teenage boy
Dec 19, 2024 / 11:25 amLawrence Hecker had pleaded guilty earlier this month to the kidnapping and raping of his teenage victim in the 1970s.
Canada launches ‘national consultation’ on ‘advance requests’ for euthanasia
Dec 19, 2024 / 04:44 amThe Canadian government is actively soliciting citizen input for a proposal to legalize “advance requests” in which citizens can prearrange to be euthanized.
Michigan attorney general releases fourth report on alleged abuse in state dioceses
Dec 17, 2024 / 17:40 pmThe attorney general’s report, released on Monday, looks at reported abuse in the Diocese of Lansing.
‘Reverently awe-inspiring’: The story behind twin Catholic parishes in Virginia, Maryland
Dec 15, 2024 / 07:00 amSt. Benedict Church in Baltimore and St. Benedict Church in Richmond were both constructed by Father Michael McInerney, a monk who lived from 1877–1963.
Father Gus Taylor, co-founder of Black Catholic Clergy Caucus, dies at 84
Dec 13, 2024 / 13:20 pmFather Gus Taylor died in Los Angeles from unspecified causes on Nov. 5, the Black Catholic Messenger reported on Thursday.
Euthanasia in Canada jumped nearly 16% last year with more than 15,000 deaths
Dec 12, 2024 / 12:45 pmHealth Canada’s fifth annual medical assistance in dying report reveals that MAID accounted for nearly 1 in 20 deaths in the country last year.
Wisconsin parishioners launch GoFundMe to appeal to Vatican to save 150-year-old church
Dec 11, 2024 / 15:05 pmAdvocates for St. Boniface Church in Manitowoc are hoping to raise $8,000 to bankroll an appeal at the Vatican to stop its diocese from shuttering the church.
Quebec bishops ‘deeply concerned’ after premier says he wants to end prayer in public
Dec 11, 2024 / 12:40 pmBishop Martin Laliberté said the bishops there were “deeply concerned about the erasure of people and believing communities from Quebec’s public space.”
Vatican: Former choir director, manager convicted of embezzlement, abuse of office
Dec 10, 2024 / 15:45 pmTwo Vatican officials and one of their wives have been found guilty of embezzlement as part of an investigation into financial irregularities at the Sistine Chapel Choir.
Alberta government considers new euthanasia regulations
Dec 9, 2024 / 13:10 pmIn the face of growing popularity of euthanasia throughout Canada, the province of Alberta is seeking citizen input on “oversight of medical assistance in dying.”
White House backs off enforcing underage contraceptive rule in Texas
Dec 6, 2024 / 15:00 pmIn July, the Texas attorney general sued the HHS over the change to Title X that eliminated parental consent requirements for minors accessing birth control.
Court approves New York diocese’s record $323 million abuse settlement
Dec 5, 2024 / 13:30 pmThe New York diocese announced in September that it had reached the massive settlement for abuse victims after a four-year-long process.
Judge says New Jersey county can’t exclude churches from historic preservation grant
Dec 4, 2024 / 16:40 pmThe parishes were supported in their lawsuit by the First Liberty Institute and the University of Notre Dame School of Law’s Religious Liberty Clinic.
New Orleans priest pleads guilty to 1970s kidnapping, rape of teenager
Dec 4, 2024 / 14:00 pmFather Lawrence Hecker’s trial was repeatedly delayed this year amid Hecker’s ill health and uncertainty over his mental competency to stand trial.
The Jesuit priest who captured the last photos of the Titanic afloat
Dec 1, 2024 / 06:43 amFather Francis Browne’s most famous contributions to world photography are his photographs of the Titanic.
Wisconsin Catholic school leaders fired over violations of child protection policies
Nov 26, 2024 / 13:07 pmThe terminations came after the Diocese of Green Bay Office of Safe Environment received “a complaint.”
Christ the King: Pope Pius XI’s hope for ‘lasting peace among the nations’
Nov 24, 2024 / 04:00 amThe feast of Christ the King is a relatively recent addition to the Church’s liturgical calendar but a powerful reminder to the modern world that Jesus reigns.
Data show abortions dropped by nearly 40% in Iowa after six-week ban
Nov 22, 2024 / 14:05 pmThe Iowa figures reflect similar drops in abortion seen around the country in the wake of shifting abortion laws.
Police search for thief who stole 9/11 memorial gold rose from New York Catholic church
Nov 22, 2024 / 13:35 pmPolice said an individual entered the Church of St. Francis of Assisi on West 31st Street and “removed a gold-plated metal rose from the 9/11 memorial inside.”