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Stories for May 2021

Ordered from most to least recent.

Released Monday, May. 31

 Secretariat of State stonewalling Pope’s orders on investment funds: report
 Kenyan bishops protest lockdown of churches
 Indonesia: police thwart would-be church bombers
 China, facing demographic pressure, eases birth-control policy
 Pope lauds team sports at audience with basketball federation
 Prime Minister Boris Johnson married in Catholic ceremony in Westminster Cathedral
 In Malawi, Catholic parish given 21 days to vacate ‘Muslim territory’
 Archbishop Cordileone supports Archbishop Aquila’s call for repentance for German synodal path
 Mali’s bishops condemn military coup
 Church in India remembers sacrifice of priests and nuns who died from Covid
 Papal tribute to late Armenian Catholic Patriarch
 Despite challenging headwinds, Vatican Radio retains its relevance and reach
 Peruvian bishops condemn mass killing by the Shining Path
 Nuncio to Mexico says sex abuse cases were ‘covered up’
 +Cardinal Cornelius Sim, 69
 Pope to hold crisis summit with Lebanon Christian heads
 Lay volunteer nurses beatified as martyrs in Spain
 Pope Francis reflects on the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity

Released Friday, May. 28

 Vatican launches probe of how Cologne archdiocese handled abuse complaints
 Another 14-month sentence for Hong Kong activist Jimmy Lai
 Chilean Jesuits recognize 64 cases of sexual abuse
 Louisiana priest appears in court after arrest on child pornography charges
 NY archdiocesan official sees ‘stealth threats from the administrative state’
 Come home to Mass in person, Philadelphia archbishop implores Catholics
 +Sister Margherita Marchione, 99
 Swiss bishop appoints lay representatives in place of episcopal vicars
 Bishops from Vatican, US, Central America to hold emergency meeting to discuss immigration
 Fire damages Illinois parish
 Artillery attack on another Catholic church in conflict-torn eastern Myanmar
 In Orissa, Hindu fundamentalists destroy church under construction
 US bishops condemn recent rise in anti-Semitic incidents
 Florida State settles with Catholic student who was removed as student senate head
 In Nigeria, bishop seeks release of 75-year-old kidnapped priest
 Bulgarian, North Macedonian leaders meet with Pontiff

Released Thursday, May. 27

 Archbishop Gomez defends discussion on Eucharist
 Archbishop Aquila responds to German bishops’ ‘radical’ plans
 Archbishop Roche named to lead Vatican’s liturgical congregation
 Vatican issues a street art stamp without artist’s permission, ends up getting sued
 2 more bishops lift general dispensation from Sunday Mass obligation
 Former Ohio Catholic school student sues school, coach over alleged same-sex harassment
 Archbishop Sample backs Archbishops Gomez, Cordileone on abortion and Communion
 Many Boy Scouts victims find little comfort as bankruptcy nears end
 Journalist offers overview of David Daleiden case
 CRS: Ask Congress to increase funding for international hunger assistance
 Homeless people, refugees meet with Pope after film screening
 Pope kisses Auschwitz death camp tattoo on survivor’s arm
 +Mother Marie-Catherine Kingbo, 68
 Census shows decline of Pakistan’s Christian population
 Philippine bishops renew willingness to open church facilities as vaccination sites
 Mosul Muslim family rescued elderly Christian women from ISIS, Patriarchate reveals
 Bishop Bätzing, Cardinal Woelki offer differing assessments of Germany’s ‘synodal path’
 Minnesota archbishop begins yearlong diocesan synod
 Syriac Catholic Patriarch says situation in Syria ‘humanly unbearable’
 ‘This thing’s going to blow up on us’: the religious extremism fueling violence in Nigeria

Released Wednesday, May. 26

 Theft of rosary belonging to Mary Queen of Scots
 Archbishop Cordileone ‘deeply grieved’ by bid to quash USCCB discussion on Eucharist
 Myanmar: cardinal decries assault on unarmed civilians in church
 Vatican message to world’s Buddhist for major feast
 ‘The certainty of being heard’: Pope Francis continues reflections on prayer
 Niagara Catholic school board apologizes for prayer asking God to protect Israel’s people
 Armenian Catholic Patriarch dead at 86
 Ottawa Catholic board to fly gay pride flag over its schools
 Dispensation from Mass obligation lifted for Las Cruces Catholics
 Oakland bishop says he was robbed at gunpoint
 Unite forces and strategies, Chaldean Patriarch urges Iraq’s Christian politicians
 Philippine seminarians rip nation’s president
 Nigerians are losing confidence in the government, bishops say
 Pakistani archbishop declares solidarity with Palestine
 In Gojra, Muslims kill Christian who was trying to protect sister
 All are precious, worthy, welcome, and beautiful, Pope tells Lazarus Association
 USCCB committee chairmen welcome Biden administration’s TPS redesignation for Haiti
 UK Minister of State praises strong dialogue with Vatican
 Papal condolences following Italian cable-car crash
 Pope Francis: It is the time for proclaiming the Gospel, rather than lamenting secularization

Released Tuesday, May. 25

 60 prelates seek to block US bishops’ discussion on abortion and Communion
 Vatican launches ‘action plan’ to promote Laudato Si’
 Troubled seminary to move off Vatican grounds
 Street artist sues Vatican for unauthorized use of image on Easter stamp
 Chicago archdiocese reinstates Father Pfleger after investigating abuse allegations
 Nearly 50 years after the crime, Massachusetts DA says teen was murdered by priest
 Wisconsin priest who preached against Covid vaccine ordered to step down
 Benedict XVI to minor seminary: What has withered in Germany still blossoms in Poland
 Key Spanish archdiocese to combine parishes amid falling numbers
 Island peoples face environmental, human, and social deterioration, Pope warns in letter to conference
 Pope urges students to interact with head, hands, and heart
 Seminaries, ecclesiastical courts, and synods: Pope opens Italian bishops’ meeting
 Jerusalem’s Latin Patriarch calls for peace and forgiveness in the holy city
 CELAM commits fully to synodality
 Pope Francis pays tribute to St. Dominic and the Dominican charism
 Colombian bishops renew call for political dialogue
 Syrian bishop denies that churches are excessively submissive to Assad regime
 Indonesian priest sparks same-sex marriage storm
 Father Swamy refuses hospital: ‘I can die in prison’
 Covid has killed 168 priests, 143 nuns in India

Released Monday, May. 24

 Government artillery hits Catholic churches in Myanmar
 Nigerian Catholic lawyers call for summit to ensure Christian security
 Chinese bishop, priests arrested in latest crackdown
 Cardinal Pell worried by Vatican financial scandal
 Pope visits dicastery for Communications
  ‘A ticking time bomb’: Timor-Leste begins to reckon with alleged clerical abuse
 Pentecost in Jerusalem: Patriarch prays for peace in Holy Land as cease-fire takes effect
 European Commission president, Pontiff underscore good relations
 7 beatification causes advance
 The Holy Spirit changes us so we can change the world: papal message to charismatic prayer vigil
 Pope Francis: Let us pray for the Catholics in China, ‘whom I hold deep in my heart’
 Like the Holy Spirit, become paracletes and comforters: papal homily for Pentecost Sunday
 The Holy Spirit ‘makes us new beings’ and ‘unites differences,’ Pope tells pilgrims
 ‘Keep listening to the cry of the earth and of the poor,’ Pope urges
 Papal appeal for dialogue in Colombia
 May the Ignatian Year help us see all things new in Christ: papal message
 Cardinal Tagle leads Laudato Si’ week closing ceremony
 ‘Let us be heroic’: Indian bishop writes letter on pandemic

Released Friday, May. 21

 Pope plans lengthy consultation for Synod of Bishops
 Pontiff welcomes new ambassadors, calls for ‘culture of care’
 Nigeria: one priest killed, another kidnapped
 Egypt pledges help to rebuild Gaza
 Anonymous Vatican employees protest pay cuts
 Faith institutions divest from fossil fuels ahead of G7, COP26
 ‘Miracle’ in Indonesia: sacristan prevents suicide bombers from entering cathedral
 Texas governor signs ‘heartbeat’ bill into law
 US seminaries begin committing to voluntary sexual misconduct policy benchmarks
 Polyglot priest beatified after miraculous healing of unborn baby
 New Jersey bishops reinstate general obligation to attend Mass
 In India, Church’s help desk a lifeline for those affected by Covid
 New York Times highlights work of ‘memento mori’ sister
 Bishop Wall responds to Bishop McElroy on Holy Communion and politicians
 US bishops’ chairman for international justice and peace calls for prayers for Church and peoples of China
 Papal tribute to La Civiltà Cattolica
 A nation at war is not morally sound, Pope tells Scholas Occurentes
 Caritas Jerusalem: Situation in Gaza ‘desperate’ and ‘terrifying’
 Chaldean Patriarch speaks out against the political use of religion

Released Thursday, May. 20

 Supreme Court dismisses Title X abortion cases
 In England, Muslim prosecutor to lead Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency
 Australian bishop will not be prosecuted for sexual misconduct allegations
 Glasgow parishes subjected to anti-Catholic vandalism after soccer game
 High Court orders jailed Indian Jesuit to hospital for evaluation
 Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem: Internal tensions, more than war, are a sign of deep crisis
 In Vermont, immigration issues force major clergy, parish realignments
 Researchers find no ‘smoking gun’ in Pius XII archives
 Woman, in lawsuit, alleges former Newark archbishop abused her when she was 5
 New Jersey priest admits to stealing $516K from parish
 In Mozambique, fear of new terrorist attacks causes ‘total panic’
 Members of Congress call for boycott of 2022 Olympics in Beijing
 Revised canon law on crimes, penalties almost ready for publication
 Latin American bishops meet, discuss renewal process
 Jesuits begin Ignatian Year
 China’s demographic crisis hastens need to end population control

Released Wednesday, May. 19

 High bail set for financier involved in Vatican real-estate scandal
 Syrian patriarchs see “unsustainable geopolitical pressures” on nation
 Moral questions arise about revision of ‘brain-death’ standards
 Pope reflects on distractions, aridity, and sloth in prayer
 How did abortion become legal in majority-Catholic Argentina?
 Atrocities still occurring in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, says priest
 Pennsylvania diocese pays $16.6M to victims; total costs: $31.35M
 Washington cardinal leads worldwide Rosary for end to pandemic
 Ukraine Catholics fear threat of Russian invasion, conflicts with Orthodox
 Indian court favors nun’s petition to ban offensive movie
 Jews in US are far less religious than Christians and Americans overall
 Muslim mob attacks Pakistani Christian village; houses looted, men and women beaten and injured
 Uyghur journalist: ‘The Chinese government sees any religion as a threat to its rule’
 Young people and religious freedom are the priorities of Hong Kong’s new bishop
 Hungary prepares for Pope’s arrival at International Eucharistic Congress
 ‘Ruin and death’: Vatican Secretary of State appeals for Israeli-Palestinian cease-fire

Released Tuesday, May. 18

 Caritas International issues appeal for Gaza humanitarian aid
 Vatican issues guide for diocesan celebrations of World Youth Day
 Former Steubenville vicar general sentenced for embezzling $289,000
 Supreme Court agrees to hear case on late-term abortion ban
 Scottish First Minister condemns ‘vile’ anti-Catholicism of soccer fans
 Catholics and Protestants share Communion at German ecumenical convention
 New Hong Kong bishop says Church will ‘passively cooperate’ in city politics
 160 Indian priests have died of Covid
 Statue of Jesus decapitated at Brooklyn diocesan office
 Archdiocese of Baltimore relaxes social distancing for Masses
 DR Congo bishop warns of violent large-scale Islamization
 Convicted of blasphemy, Christian couple endures death row misery in Pakistan
 Erdogan urges Pope to help end Israel’s ‘massacre’
 Walking, discernment, prayer: papal message to Spanish religious
 Iran’s foreign minister hails Pope’s stances on Palestine, sanctions

Released Monday, May. 17

 Myanmar: priest arrested
 Scottish bishops to establish ‘Care of Creation’ office
 Maronite Patriarch: keep Lebanon out of Israel-Palestine conflict
 Israel, Palestine must recognize each other’s rights to exist, says Jerusalem Patriarch
 New bishop for Hong Kong
 Archbishop Cordileone replies to Pelosi challenge
 Gaza parish priest describes a ‘very bad’ situation, endless violence and open conflict
 In China, illegitimate priestly ordinations for a ‘diocese’ that does not exist for the Holy See
 Catholic schools are losing students at record rates, and hundreds are closing
 Historic Catholic church in Louisville vandalized
 Charlotte diocese ends general dispensation from Sunday Mass obligation
 Be dynamic Christians, Pope tells French scouts
 Pope: Child abuse is a kind of ‘psychological murder’
 Papal support for the Italian Charismatic Consultation
 US climate envoy Kerry meets with Pope on climate crisis
 ‘All of us are responsible for the communications we make’: Pope recalls World Communications Day
 Christ’s Ascension brings us joy, Pope tells pilgrims
 Keep the faith, keep unity, keep the truth: papal Mass for Myanmar Catholics
 ‘Stop the clamor of arms!’: papal appeal to Israeli, Palestinian leaders
 Papal call for participation in Laudato Si’ Week

Released Friday, May. 14

 China shuts down Catholic radio network’s social-media account
 Christians suffer in Gaza, Israeli strikes disproportionate, bishop says
 Australian diocese backs off support for gender ideology in schools
 Former US ambassador says Vatican should push China on religious freedom
 Vatican conference features liberal speakers on ‘restart’
 Pelosi ‘pleased’ with Vatican statement on Communion and abortion
 Pope urges Italians to welcome life, reverse demographic decline
 Following alleged coup plot, Nigerian bishops urge federal government to shun propaganda against religious leaders
 Police arrest man who made threats to Catholic high school
 ATF rules Philadelphia church fire was arson
 Jewish, Catholic, Muslim leaders respond to Israeli-Palestinian conflict
 As Catholic school district promotes Pride flag, Toronto archdiocese says cross the best symbol of inclusion
 Diocese of Pittsburgh churches open to full seating capacity May 31; masks still required
 Ohio bishops end general dispensation from Sunday Mass obligation
 Catholic climate activists take stock of Laudato Si’ Year
 State Dept. releases annual religious freedom report
 CCD grants $128K to biblical literacy, interpretation projects
 Archaeologist wins Pontifical Academies Award
 German foreign minister talks to Pope about child sex abuse
 Months after Argentina legalizes abortion, nation’s president meets with Pontiff

Released Thursday, May. 13

 CWN closed for Ascension Thursday

Released Wednesday, May. 12

 Torzi, key figure in Vatican real-estate scandal, detained in London
 Young American Jews trend toward Orthodox
 Pope Francis recalls assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II
 Polish bishop ousted after Vos Estis investigation
 ‘Stop your tax dollars from paying for abortion’: USCCB issues action alert
 San Francisco archbishop to high-profile Catholics: ‘Please stop the killing’
 Florida governor signs expanded school choice legislation
 At ecumenical congress, leading German bishop rules out general ‘cross-denominational’ Communion
 Cardinal Tobin speaks on ‘synodality and the long game of Pope Francis,’ takes swipe at former President Trump
 In New Zealand, victim testifies that boys’ home residents were prostituted to clergy
 Catholic victims of 1971 Northern Ireland massacre ‘entirely innocent’
 Amid political crisis, Salvadoran bishops call for ‘authentic democracy’
 Pope Francis, at general audience, reflects on the spiritual combat of prayer
 British bishops express ‘strong opposition’ to aspects of government’s immigration plan
 Leading Ukrainian prelate criticizes idea of state church
 Cardinal Gracias discusses Church’s efforts to ease pandemic crisis
 With only 12 million newborns in 2020, China’s economic future is at risk
 Latin Patriarchate laments Jerusalem violence

Released Tuesday, May. 11

 Pope formally institutes ministry of catechist
 Connecticut bishops end general dispensation from Sunday Mass obligation
 Religious orders must come clean about abusive clergy, newspaper editorializes
 Patriarchs, heads of Jerusalem churches concerned about recent violence
 Indiana trial court dismisses Catholic school teacher’s suit against archdiocese
 Indian archbishop: ‘The ideology of the Modi government at the root of the Covid disaster’
 2 years after it was issued, leaders say ‘Vos Estis’ is a step in the right direction
 Cardinal Stella discusses work of Congregation for Clergy
 New Vatican working group aims to excommunicate mafia members
 In Australia, charities fear free speech at risk
 California bill could bar university health system from affiliating with Catholic hospitals that limit abortions
 Madison bishop welcomes Archbishop Cordileone’s pastoral letter
 Nigeria’s bishops call for summit on devolution of power from federal to local level
 Latvia’s president meets with Pontiff

Released Monday, May. 10

 Lutherans elect first transgender bishop
 Top Vatican official cautions US bishops on denial of Communion
 Scores of German Catholic churches join in blessing same-sex unions
 Biden strips doctors’ conscience-rights protection on abortion, sex-changes
 Pope writes preface to new ‘flashcard’ book on Spiritual Exercises
 Chinese bishop creates tensions with unapproved ordinations
 Gunfire disrupts bishop’s anniversary Mass in Cameroon
 Ontario Catholic school district to ‘raise awareness around Pride Month’
 Saudi prince hints at more moderate Islam
 Erdogan hosts Ecumenical Patriarch, other religious leaders at iftar dinner
 Moscow Patriarch evokes St. George as Russia commemorates V-E Day
 Cardinal Mahony weighs in on voter suppression
 Milwaukee archdiocese sues over pandemic prison ministry prohibition
 Nigerian priest apologizes to bishop after followers desecrate cathedral
 ‘We need paths of healing and salvation’: papal message to vaccine concert
 Body, mind, soul: Pope encourages interdisciplinary research
 Caritas appeals for full humanitarian access to eastern Ukraine
 EU bishops, other Christian leaders applaud conference on Europe’s future
 Italian judge killed by Mafia is beatified in Sicily
 Pope decries terrorist attack on Kabul girls’ school
 Papal appeal for peace in Jerusalem amid ongoing clashes
 Abide in Jesus’ love, Pope tells pilgrims

Released Friday, May. 7

 German diocese prepares for same-sex blessings
 Bishop Olmsted backs Archbishop Cordileone on withholding Communion
 Vatican cardinal: each bishop—not conference—decides on denial of Communion
 Palestinian foreign minister: ‘you cannot talk about the Holy Land without Christians’
 Catholic college’s report sparks calls for accountability from survivors of alleged abuse by David Haas
 USCCB highlights ‘fruitful work of lay ecclesial ministers’
 Federal court rules insurance company must pay for teenager’s puberty-delaying hormones, mastectomy
 Central African Republic cardinal: 75% of country is now under government control
 Maronite bishops concerned about political crisis and ‘disintegration’ of Lebanese institutions
 Historic Barcelona church hosts iftar meals during Ramadan
 Archbishop Cordileone after downtown stabbings: ‘We must stop hating one another’
 Vatican offices provide few details regarding funding of controversial conferences
 Iowa bishops back state constitutional amendment on abortion
 In Canada, bishops set up new confidential reporting system to report abuse
 Council of Cardinals reflects on life of Church in pandemic
 Nigerian priest’s followers desecrate cathedral altar, vandalize bishop’s residence
 Swiss president meets with Pontiff

Released Thursday, May. 6

 Papal message for World Day of Migrants: all in the same boat
 Religious groups differ widely in poll on Biden’s performance
 Fauci headlines Vatican conference on health
 Vatican ‘security expert’ says she compiled damaging files on prelates
 Pope sends sympathies to India during Covid crisis
 Papal message to Argentina for Marian feast
 Pope meets with new Swiss Guard recruits
 Bishop McElroy opposes call to deny Communion to Biden
 Human-rights groups join in call for arms embargo on Myanmar
 US fertility reaches all-time low
 Alabama governor signs transgender athlete bill
 Knoxville bishop accepted deacon accused of misconduct; priests criticize ‘pattern’ of leadership
 Investigations of bishops rise as McCarrick scandal reforms kick in
 Nuns on trial in Argentina over abuse of deaf children
 ‘Pray the rosary for the end of Islamist violence,’ Nigerian bishop urges faithful
 President Biden pays tribute to prayer
 Blood of St. Januarius liquefies in Naples
 Population growth does not cause food shortages, Vatican diplomat emphasizes
 Mozambique: bishops warn of flight of 500,000 people following jihadist attack on city
 Catholic colleges, universities debate Covid vaccine requirements
 Pope to institute formal ‘ministry of catechist’

Released Wednesday, May. 5

 Mexico City archdiocese rebuts government warning on election interference
 Religious should combat resistance to Covid vaccine, says head of Vatican task force
 Haitian bishops call for end to kidnapping
 Missionaries’ car exploded by land mine in Central African Republic
 German bishops risk schism, Cardinal Ruini warns
 Pope confirms new auditor general for Vatican
 Pope Francis, at general audience, reflects on contemplative prayer
 Australian Catholics petition Vatican to remove their bishop over his stance on homosexuality
 Man charged with setting fire to historic San Gabriel Mission
 Polygamy: Canadian judge orders 3 parents listed on child’s birth certificate
 Washington State lawmakers pass transgender insurance mandate
 Illinois bishops oppose governor’s proposed change to scholarship tax credits
 President Biden issues statement for Orthodox Easter
 US bishops’ migration chairman welcomes revised refugee admissions cap
 Bishop Paprocki weighs in against mandatory vaccination at Notre Dame
 Maronite Patriarch thanks Saudi Arabia, again calls for ‘international solution’ to Lebanese crisis
 Patriarch Tawadros speaks out on massive Ethiopian dam
 Papal prayer intention for May: the world of finance
 South Sudan: from a hospital bed, Bishop-elect calls for new beginnings
 USCCB, Southern Baptist Convention speak out against Title X funding of abortion

Released Tuesday, May. 4

 Cardinal Parolin backs new inquiry into 1998 Swiss Guard murders
 Lutheran pastor voices concern about German bishops’ ‘synodal path’
 Big legislative initiatives may be crowding out passage of Equality Act
 Texas bishops oppose ‘permitless carry’ bill
 Vatican diplomat: Defend the rights of the indigenous to their lands
 Maronite Patriarch, Greek Orthodox metropolitan criticize Lebanon’s political class
 Biden administration appeals to keep transgender mandate in place
 Biden admininstration grants ‘blanket authorization’ to fly Pride flag at embassies
 Kolata archdiocese closes all churches
 Baton Rouge bishop: ‘Wear your mask and return to Mass!’
 Cardinal Burke, 7 others rise in rank in College of Cardinals
 ‘Offer your hands, thoughts and time to Jesus’: papal message to Portuguese altar servers
 Iraq’s foreign minister meets with Pope
 ‘Build and strengthen the common good,’ Pope urges reporters
 Vatican Museums reopen to public after 3rd lockdown closure
 The hidden life of Somalia’s Christians

Released Monday, May. 3

 Vatican cardinal: priests deserve vaccine for ‘socially useful service’
 Canonization approved for Charles de Foucauld, six others
 Vatican diplomat laments human rights violations in the Amazon region
 Federal court upholds NJ Catholic school’s right to fire teacher
 ‘When the Holy Father touches Ukrainian soil, the war will come to an end,’ leading prelate says
 Vatican adds 7 invocations to Litany of St. Joseph
 ‘Remain firm in your convictions and in your faith,’ Pope tells Chemin Neuf
 ‘Listen’ to people’s suffering, Pope tells Italy’s Catholic Action
 Papal message as new cathedral blessed in Madagascar
 Remaining kidnapped nuns, priests freed in Haiti
 Pope opens marathon of prayer with Rosary in St. Peter’s Basilica
 Archbishop Cordileone issues pastoral letter on dignity of the unborn, Holy Communion, and Catholic politicians
 Pope Francis asks for prayers for peace in Myanmar
 Papal Easter greetings to Eastern churches
 Abide in Christ: papal reflection on Sunday Gospel

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