Articles by Daniel Payne
Judge says Wisconsin trial against McCarrick will remain suspended until his death
Dec 30, 2024 / 15:05 pmThe criminal case against McCarrick in Wisconsin was suspended in January after a psychologist hired by the court found that he was not competent to stand trial.
UPDATE: Oakland Diocese denies it used diocesan fund to hide money from abuse victims
Dec 30, 2024 / 11:25 amThe filing claims the diocese “perpetrated a fraudulent scheme to funnel substantial assets away from what would soon become its bankruptcy estate.”
Louisiana priest Lawrence Hecker dies in prison after life sentence over rape of teenager
Dec 30, 2024 / 10:55 amLawrence Hecker was indicted in September 2023 on felony charges related to allegations that he raped an underage teenage boy in the 1970s.
Canadian group that led push to legalize euthanasia warns of abuse of system
Dec 27, 2024 / 12:10 pmThe British Columbia Civil Liberties Association, which pushed to legalize euthanasia in Canada, is now warning that additional government safeguards are needed.
‘An incredible thing’: Catholic groups collect Christmas toys for children in need
Dec 25, 2024 / 06:00 amMultiple Catholic groups and organizations this year have collected and distributed Christmas presents to children and families in need.
Becoming the mother of God: Did Mary have a choice?
Dec 24, 2024 / 07:00 amDid Mary have free will, or did she have to consent to being Jesus’ mother? Two theologians weigh in.
Papal preacher urges ‘littleness’ ahead of Christmas
Dec 23, 2024 / 13:30 pmFather Roberto Pasolini told members of the Roman Curia on Dec. 20 that God “sees littleness not as a limitation but as a precious resource.
Biden commutes death row sentences of 37 federal prisoners
Dec 23, 2024 / 09:40 amThe White House announced the clemencies on Monday morning, stating that the president was “commuting the sentences of 37 individuals on federal death row.”
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.