Pope to World Economic Forum: AI must promote and never violate human dignity

"Human dignity must never be violated for the sake of efficiency."

Pope Francis offered this reminder in his message to the Chairman of the 2025 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

The Holy Father began by observing that the theme of this year’s Forum is “Collaboration for the Intelligent Age,” which, he suggested, provides a good opportunity to reflect on artificial intelligence as a tool "not only for cooperation," "but also to bring peoples together."

The gift of intelligence

The Pope remembered that Christian tradition regards the gift of intelligence as an essential aspect of the human person created “in the image of God.” 

At the same time, Pope Francis highlighted, the Catholic Church has always been a protagonist and a supporter of the advancement of science, technology, the arts, and other forms of human endeavours, "considering them to be areas of 'collaboration of man and woman with God in perfecting the visible creation.'”

Unforeseen situations create risk

Since AI is intended to imitate the human intelligence that designed it, Pope Francis suggested this poses a unique set of questions and challenges, especially since this technology is designed to learn and make certain choices autonomously, and can provide answers not foreseen by its programmers.

For this very reason, the Pope said, AI raises "fundamental questions about ethical responsibility, human safety, and the broader implications of these developments for society."

Assisting human person

"When used correctly," the Pope commended, "AI assists the human person in fulfilling his or her vocation, in freedom and responsibility."

As with all other human activity and technological development, he reminded, AI must be ordered to the human person and become part of efforts to achieve “greater justice, more extensive fraternity and a more humane order of social relations.”

Achieving this, the Pope reiterated, is “more valuable than advances in the technical field.” 

The Holy Father warned against the risk that AI will be used to advance the “technocratic paradigm”, which perceives all the world’s problems as solvable through technological means alone. "Within this paradigm," he explained, "human dignity and fraternity are frequently subordinated in the pursuit of efficiency, as though reality, goodness, and truth inherently emanate from technological and economic power."

"Yet human dignity," he underscored, "must never be violated for the sake of efficiency." 

Cannot worsen inequalities or conflicts

In this context, the Pope stressed that technological developments that "do not improve life for everyone, but instead create or worsen inequalities and conflicts, cannot be called true progress."

“Technological developments that do not improve life for everyone, but instead create or worsen inequalities and conflicts, cannot be called true progress”

For this reason, he said AI should be placed at the service of a healthier, more human, more social and more integral development.

Diligence and vigilance

"Progress marked by the dawn of AI," he insisted, "calls for a rediscovery of the importance of community and a renewed commitment to care for the common home entrusted to us by God."

"To navigate the complexities of AI," the Pope said, "governments and businesses must exercise due diligence and vigilance."  In this regard, he urged them to "critically evaluate the individual applications of AI in particular contexts in order to determine whether its use promotes human dignity, the vocation of the human person, and the common good." 

"As with many technologies," the Holy Father who has spoken in various contexts about the pros and cons of AI cautioned, "the effects of the various uses of AI may not always be predictable from their inception." 

AI directed toward the good of all

"As the application of AI and its social impact become clearer over time," the Pope stressed, "appropriate responses should be made at all levels of society," which, he illustrated, requires "individual users, families, civil society, corporations, institutions, governments, and international organizations working at their proper levels to ensure that AI is directed to the good of all." 

“Individual users, families, civil society, corporations, institutions, governments, and international organizations must work at their proper levels to ensure that AI is directed to the good of all”

Pope Francis concluded by offering his prayerful good wishes for the deliberations of the Forum and invoking divine blessings upon all its participants.

Exiled Bishop Álvarez ‘close’ to fellow priests outside Nicaragua

The Nicaraguan Bishop Rolando Álvarez Lagos of Matagalpa said his “main pastoral priority” was closeness to his priests, in his first public interview since his exile to Rome last January.

Bishop Álvarez told the Spanish outlet La Gaceta de Albacete that the Nicaraguan clergy he was visiting around Europe were “my sons, my brothers, my friends, my closest partners in the apostolic mission to evangelise the Lord has entrusted to me”.

“Without my priests, I could not work,” he said, during a visit to Spain’s Diocese of Albacete on 12 January. “That’s why I’m spending all the time necessary on them and the seminarians who represent the future of the clergy.”

The diocese, in the eastern Spanish region of Valencia, is twinned with Álvarez’s Diocese of Matagalpa, a predominantly rural diocese in central Nicaragua comprising 28 parishes spread across an area of 2,500sqmi, where 75 per cent of the 600,000 inhabitants are Catholics.

Álvarez’s visit marked the centenary of the canonical foundation of his diocese. He said: “Albacete welcomes priests of my dioceses so they can study in the Catholic university of Valencia. I feel very at home here because I find a domestic church that reminds me greatly of my own diocese.”

He said since arriving in Europe he had imparted spiritual exercises to cloistered Dominican nuns in Greece before visiting three Matagalpa seminarians in Toledo and two seminarians and two priests of his diocese in Seville, “to find out how they are and how they feel”. He also visited two other Nicaraguan priests in Valencia and another three in Albacete.

Álvarez arrived in Rome on 14 January 2024 after serving 500 days of a 26-year-prison sentence in Nicaragua on charges of treason, undermining national integrity and spreading false news. Placed under house arrest in August 2022, he had been transferred to prison the following February, just 24 hours after refusing exile to the United States alongside 222 detained opponents of Nicaragua’s President Daniel Ortega.

Earlier this month, Ortega’s government revoked the legal status of the Foundation of Contemplative Dominican Nuns, the latest in a series of legal cancellations which have affected more than 5,400 religious groups and charities in Nicaragua. These include the Jesuits and the Missionaries of Charity, while at least 74 Catholic-sponsored organisations including universities, Caritas branches and charitable projects have been closed.

Asked how the Church endured challenges, Álvarez spoke of the “loving” letter Pope Francis had written to the Nicaraguan people on 2 December 2024: “We remember this with gratitude,” he said.

“The Pope is encouraging us saying, ‘Do not forget the loving providence of the Lord who accompanies us and is our only sure guide. It is just in the most difficult times when on a human level it seems impossible to understand what God wants of us that we are called to trust without doubt in his care and mercy.’”

He added that the Pope had invited Nicaraguans to “fix” their gaze on “Mary most Immaculate,” as a “shining witness” to trust in God. Francis wrote that Nicaraguans had “experienced her as a maternal refuge” in all their needs, expressing their gratitude to Mary in a “rich, beautiful” spirituality.

Álvarez added: “That is why we are always open to Mary, the Immaculate conception. She is the patron of Nicaragua.”

He said that all he wanted for 2025 was “to do the Lord’s will”. “That is where we find our peace and hope,” he said. “I’m only asking the Holy Spirit to help me discern the voice of God inside me, in the signs of the times, in historical events and every time I encounter another person.”

Asked for a message for young people, Álvarez said he would encourage them to contemplate the Holy Family, drawing inspiration from the “yes” to God given by Jesus, Mary and Joseph.

“I’d ask them to be brave, creative and innovative, that they should not be afraid and keep the energy needed to transform the world into a place that is better for other people.”

Bishop Doran talks about Elphin and Achonry’s joining

“Decisions that you make locally are far more important.” Bishop of Elphin Kevin Doran said, in his homily during Mass in the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Curry, Co. Sligo on January 19 that, even though a surprise to many, the joining of the Dioceses of Elphin and Achonry “is not really going to make a big difference in the day-to-day life of the parish of Curry.”

Bishop Doran was appointed Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Achonry in April 2024. 

This “process of closer cooperation and consultation…is intended to lead eventually to the merging of our two neighbouring dioceses,” he said in a pastoral message in November 2024. 

And continued: “

My own appointment as Apostolic Administrator of Achonry took me by surprise.”

Change challenges us and, as we saw in the case of the Wedding in Cana, Jesus has a habit of asking us to look at things in a new way,

Bishop Doran said in the homily.

Will you continue to gather faithfully for the Eucharist? Will you allow your lives to be formed by the spirit of the Gospel? Will you renew your commitment to share faith with your children?

“Will you make yourselves available for mission and ministry, including of course those whom God is calling to serve him as priests for the future. 

Meanwhile, like the people of Corinth, the people of Achonry and Elphin all have gifts to share and we are being invited to share them in a new way.

Canadian Catholic school board upholds ban on flying LGBT ‘pride’ flag

 A Canadian Catholic School board voted in near-unanimous fashion against a motion calling upon it to reverse a ban that prohibits the flying of any flags other than the national or provincial flag atop its buildings, including the pro-LGBT “pride” flag. 

At a January 21 board meeting, trustees from the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board (DPCDSB) in Ontario voted 10-1 against trustee Brea Corbet’s motion to reverse the ban on flying non-governmental flags, such as the pro-LGBT “pride” flag, at or atop district schools. 

This was not the first time Corbet had tried to get the ban on flying non-governmental flags overturned, with a similar motion from Corbet being voted down in June of 2024. 

The original DPCDSB ban on non-governmental flags went into effect on May 15, 2024.

As a result of the motion being voted down, only the Canadian flag and Ontario flag will be permitted to be flown. 

While there were many in attendance at the meeting who were in favor of allowing the flying of the “Pride” flag, there were also a sizable number of Catholics in attendance expressing their support for Church teaching, which rejects gender ideology as gravely sinful.

Among them was Matthew Wojciechowski, who serves as the vice president of Campaign Life Coalition.

A father of two children who attend the school board, Wojciechowski spoke on behalf of CLC at the meeting in regard to the motion. 

After the meeting, he noted that the “victory was truly remarkable and nothing short of God answering our many, many prayers.” 

‘Faithful Catholics showed up’ to convince the board to vote against motion 

Speaking to LifeSiteNews, Wojciechowski noted how it was parents and other faithful Catholics who showed up to urge trustees to “say no to the motion” that secured the victory.

“They also turned out in great numbers for the meeting on Tuesday night. Many, with rosaries in hand, prayed for divine intervention. What a beautiful witness of faith!” Wojciechowski celebrated.

Wojciechowski said there were a handful of delegates at the meeting who “spoke in support of upholding Church teaching in Catholic schools,” many of whom “pointed to the Cross as the true symbol of inclusion, compassion, and love had a significant impact on the trustees.” 

“It’s easy for Catholics to sit back and complain about the state of Catholic schools in Ontario. That won’t change anything. Every time, the unions and LGBT activists try to impose their woke ideology on our schools, concerned parents, teachers and clergy need to show up and push back,” Wojciechowski told LifeSiteNews. 

Another “deciding factor” in getting the school board to vote against the motion was the involvement of the Archdiocese of Toronto. 

Wojciechowski relayed that the head of the archdiocese, Cardinal Francis Leo, was contacted by trustee Paula Dametto-Giovannozzi, and that Leo’s endorsement of a May 2021 statement against “pride” flags was integral to having the motion defeated. 

“A simple re-affirmation by the Archdiocese of the Cardinal’s views on the issue, showed the type of moral authority and leadership that is necessary to protect Catholic education,” Wojciechowski told LifeSiteNews.

“It was great to see all but one trustee (Brea Corbet) vote in line with the Cardinal’s wishes. In moments like these, Trustees need to fulfill the commitments they made when becoming a Catholic Trustee – To keep Catholic schools Catholic,” added Wojciechowski.

Despite the flag ban, some DPCDSB schools have been caught displaying “pride” flags, including one example of such a flag being blasphemously affixed to an image of Christ.

Francis continues to have art by ex-Jesuit Rupnik in his flat

A work of art by ex-Jesuit Marko Rupnik, who is suspected of abuse, continues to hang in the Pope's flat in the Vatican guest house Santa Marta. 

This can be seen in a video published by Vatican media on Wednesday, in which Francis talks to the Catholic community in Gaza on the phone.

The work by the controversial Slovenian priest shows Joseph sleeping with an angel. 

According to katholisch.de, the painting is a detail of a larger work of art for the chapel of the bishop on the Croatian island of Hvar, Ranko Vidović. Rupnik personally completed the work on the chapel in 2023 - despite the travel and work ban imposed on him before his expulsion from the Jesuit order.

Rupnik art in the Vatican

The Vatican is also holding on to Rupnik's art despite the allegations of abuse. 

The head of the Vatican's communications department, Paolo Ruffini, emphasised at a media conference last year that it was never a good decision to remove, delete or destroy works of art. 

As long as the process has not been finalised, it is not his place to anticipate a decision.

The then President of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Children, Cardinal Sean O'Malley, criticised this and called on the Vatican and its institutions to respect the presumption of innocence while the process is ongoing, but at the same time to show "wise pastoral prudence and compassion" for those who have been harmed by clerical sexual abuse.

Rupnik has been accused of various forms of abuse for years. 

Among other things, several women have accused the Slovenian of making them sexually submissive by exploiting his authority. 

Investigations by the Jesuit order under the direction of the Vatican Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith ended with the finding that Rupnik's alleged misdemeanours were time-barred. 

Finally, the Jesuit order banned Rupnik from publicly exercising his priesthood in 2022.

Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith investigates allegations

The expulsion from the Jesuit order followed in mid-2023 after the Slovenian had repeatedly ignored the requirements. 

As katholisch.de learnt in October, he was incardinated into the Slovenian diocese of Koper. 

Shortly afterwards, the Vatican announced that Pope Francis had instructed the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith to investigate the allegations against Rupnik and to lift the statute of limitations.

Nothing is yet known about the status of the proceedings. 

Rupnik is one of the most important mosaic artists of our time. 

One of his most famous works is the "Redemptoris Mater" chapel in the papal palace in the Vatican, which was completed in 1999. 

He has also designed sacred spaces in Fatima, Lourdes, Krakow and Washington D.C. 

His art is the subject of worldwide debate, most recently in the French pilgrimage site of Lourdes.

Naked man mutilates himself in church – police shoot him dead

In the south-west of France, a naked man mutilated himself in a church. 

When he was confronted by the police, he attacked the officers with his knife and was shot, according to French media reports citing the public prosecutor's office. 

He succumbed to his gunshot wounds. 

The incident reportedly took place in a church in the small town of Brive-la-Gaillarde in the rural department of Corrèze. 

The man began to mutilate himself with the knife, naked and screaming, until the police intervened. 

The public prosecutor's office is investigating whether the use of the firearm was appropriate.

Expert on religious rights does not expect obligation to delete baptismal records

Religious law expert Sophie van Bijsterveld does not expect the European Court of Justice to oblige churches to delete entries from baptismal registers on request. 

In an interview with the Dutch Katholiek Nieuwsblad (Wednesday) the Professor of Religion, Law and Society at the University of Nijmegen referred to decisions by supervisory authorities and courts in other EU member states, which, unlike the Belgian data protection authority, have always allowed churches to keep baptismal register entries permanently, even against the will of the baptised. 

"Taking into account religious freedom and a reasonable interpretation of EU law, I think the Court should conclude that there is no right to be removed from the baptismal register upon request," the legal scholar stated.

Van Bijsterveld sees the upcoming ECJ ruling as a landmark decision not only for Belgium, but for all religious communities in the EU: "In this case, the Belgian court has asked the Court of Justice how this EU law should be interpreted in light of the Ghent question. With this answer in hand, the Belgian court then moves on to deciding the specific case," says the legal scholar. 

"The ECJ's answers therefore have an impact on all member states." 

This is also the intention of such proceedings before the ECJ: "a uniform interpretation of EU law for all member states", the professor continued.

Dispute in the diocese of Ghent comes before the ECJ

The background to the case is a dispute between a man in the Belgian diocese of Ghent who had been baptised but had left the church over data protection deletion claims. 

The complainant had demanded that his parish not only add a note to his baptismal entry stating that he had left the church, but also remove it completely. 

The diocese of Ghent and the parishes concerned rejected this, referring to the fact that baptism cannot be lost and the theological need to document baptism securely and permanently.

The Belgian data protection supervisory authority had upheld the complaint of the persons concerned and ordered the church to delete the data. 

The diocese of Ghent appealed against this decision to the competent administrative court, the Brussels Market Court. 

In December, the court referred the question of whether an exception to the right to erasure for baptismal records is compatible with EU data protection law to the European Court of Justice, to the European Court of Justice for clarification.

Documentation on abuse caused resignation figures to rise

The diocese of Ghent reacted cautiously to an enquiry from katholisch.de in December. They had taken note of the decision and read it carefully. 

"The crucial point is that the decision confirms that different views on the fundamental issues are possible," said the diocese spokesperson.

In Belgium, the number of people leaving the church rose following the broadcast of a TV documentary about abuse in the church in autumn 2023. 

In the course of the nationwide discussion, the how the church deals with people leaving the church. 

In particular, the refusal to delete baptismal records when people leave the church was met with massive criticism. 

The decision by the Belgian data protection authority is the first in which a right to erasure has been confirmed. 

In September 2023, the Irish data protection authority published a comprehensive decision in which it came to the opposite conclusion and rejected a complaint against the Archdiocese of Dublin. 

Courts in France and Slovenia have also already rejected requests for the erasure of baptismal records.

Italy's bishops plan study on clerical abuse

Italy's bishops are planning a pilot study on sexual abuse by priests between 2001 and 2021, following a test phase involving a number of dioceses in recent months, as the Italian Bishops' Conference announced at the end of its plenary meeting in Rome on Wednesday. 

The Istituto degli Innocenti in Florence and the Centre for Victim Research and Security in Bologna are responsible for the scientific investigation. 

They are recognised as independent institutions.

The initiative is based on the Church's guidelines on dealing with abuse from 2019 and the action plan from 2022, which also provide for the strengthening of local networks, the establishment of contact points for those affected and cooperation with public institutions. 

The bishops also renewed their commitment to take all steps to ensure the safety of minors and vulnerable adults.

First abuse study in Italian diocese

On Monday, the diocese of Bolzano-Bressanone was the first of over 200 Italian dioceses to present a study on sexual abuse by priests. 

The investigation, carried out by the Munich law firm Westpfahl-Spilker-Wastl, began with the reform of the diocesan boundaries in 1964 and ended in 2023.

The examination of around 1,000 files identified 67 cases of abuse and 59 victims between the ages of 8 and 14. 

Of the 41 accused priests, the allegations were proven with a high degree of probability or certainty in 29 cases; in the case of 12 clerics, they could not be sufficiently assessed.

Indonesian archbishop opposes plans to build geothermal power plant

A Catholic archbishop in Indonesia is opposing plans to build a geothermal power plant in his diocese.

Archbishop Paul Boedhie Kleden of Ende spoke about his concerns in a video message, marking the first time an Indonesian Church leader has openly rejected a mining initiative over its potential ecological and social impact.

Ende is located on Flores, an island with nearly 2 million people, most of them Catholic – a rarity in the mostly-Muslim nation.

Since 2017, Flores Island has been officially declared by the Indonesian government as a potential site for establishing geothermal plants, with over 15 projects being looked at.

“After listening to the people’s concerning voices and other parties, I am morally expected to voice my strong rejection against any geothermal site projects in some regencies within our Ende pastoral territory,” Kleden said in the one-minute video.

The archbishop emphasized that his opposition was informed by extensive consultations with affected communities and clergy.

“As soon as I have listened to scores of people on the ground from Sokoria and Mataloko as well as my intensive deliberations with scores of local priests, I have no doubt at all to declare my personal opinion (as church’s local leader) to reject any geothermal site projects in scores of already-pinpointed areas within three of our pastoral territories,” he said.

Local reports to the archbishop have detailed significant environmental degradation and adverse effects on public health and livelihood.

Residents in Mataloko have reported declining agricultural yields, including crops such as coffee, cacao, vanilla, and corn.

Additionally, structural damage to homes and diminishing soil fertility have further compounded the challenges.

Kleden told Crux he made the statement “to voice the complaints of the victims on the concern about the environment.”

“In Mataloko there is already a geothermal power plant built many years back, but didn’t function, leaving a lot of problems for the people around,” the archbishop said.

“Now there is another plant being constructed very close to the failed one, using water that is taken from a place where water is very much needed for rice plantation. In another place in our diocese, Sokoria, a plant has been operating, yet there are many problems for people, such as not being able to harvest their coffee plantation and vegetables,” Keden told Crux.

“The water quality is affected. Despite these two situations, there is a plan to start soon in five or six other places on geothermal power plants. In our diocese, most of the people are farmers, and there is very limited area for farming,” the archbishop said.

Peruvian prosecutor recommends archival of case against Vatican envoy

A year and a half after two private citizens filed a criminal complaint against a Vatican official investigating a scandal-plagued lay group in Peru, prosecutors for the second time are poised to drop the complaint on grounds of diplomatic immunity.

In July 2023, Pope Francis tapped Maltese Archbishop Charles Scicluna and Spanish Monsignor Jordi Bertomeu with leading a Special Mission investigating allegations of sexual abuse and financial corruption within the Peru-based Sodalitium Christianae Vitae (SCV).

The pair, both officials of the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, are Pope Francis’s most trusted investigators, and have held diplomatic passports for the Holy See since 2018, when the pope sent them on a similar special mission to investigate clerical abuse scandals in Chile.

After conducting initial interviews at the Vatican’s nunciature in Lima at the beginning of their inquiry, two individuals who gave testimony filed a criminal complaint against Bertomeu “and those who are responsible” for an alleged breach of professional secrecy.

A decree dated Jan. 13, sent to the Apostolic Nunciature in Lima and which repeatedly notes that the Special Mission investigating the SCV was sent at the pope’s personal order and frequently cites Bertomeu’s status as a papal official with diplomatic standing, recommends the definitive archival of the complaint.

The decree, which Crux has seen, states that, “there is no reason for formalize or continue the preliminary investigation against Rev. Jordi Bertomeu Farnos and those who are responsible, for the alleged commission of the crime against freedom – violation of the professional secret.”

It ordered “the definitive archiving of this complaint, once this provision has been approved or confirmed.”

The decision, according to the decree, was made considering that the alleged crime took place in Bertomeu’s capacity as an official envoy traveling with a diplomatic passport, conducting a papally mandated investigation into the SCV.

It recognized that the apostolic nunciature in Lima, where Scicluna and Bertomeu conducted their interviews, “is equivalent to an embassy; that is, it is a first-class diplomatic mission,” and that Bertomeu “formed part of the Special Vatican Mission.”

The decree was signed by Sandro Ruiz Herrera, a provincial prosecutor who initially accepted their complaint but last October recused himself and referred the case to the Peruvian Attorney General’s office on the grounds that Bertomeu, as a Vatican official and an envoy of the pope, holds diplomatic privileges.

A preliminary investigation was then opened after Caccia and Blanco appealed the decision, stating that Bertomeu was not a nuncio and was simply a monsignor without the rank of a bishop, but upon further examination, it appears that Herrera reached the same conclusion.

The individuals who filed the complaint are Peruvian laywoman Giuliana Caccia Arana and Peruvian layman Sebastian Blanco, two individuals with close ties to the SCV who asked to be interviewed by Scicluna and Bertomeu as victims.

They were granted audiences by the nunciature, but ultimately only met with Bertomeu, as Scicluna had missed his flight.

When details of their conversation became public, they filed a criminal complaint against Bertomeu “and those who are responsible,” presuming he must have disclosed the information.

However, participants in the process have said that the identities of Caccia and Blanco were discovered by photographers outside the nunciature, and that the contents of their statements, but not their names, were relayed to other witnesses in the investigation by Scicluna and Bertomeu in order to assess their veracity. As a result, these participants say, the information in question did not have to come from Bertomeu.

The Jan. 13 decree acknowledges this version of events, stating that Bertomeu and Scicluna sought to verify Caccia and Blanco’s testimonies by contrasting them with other witnesses, and that the pair were later identified by journalists waiting outside the Vatican nunciature.

The recommendation to definitively archive the case means it will likely soon be closed, however, Caccia and Blanco have the right to what is called a recurso de queja, which is essentially an extraordinary form of appeal which allows the aggrieved party to challenge the denial of a previous appeal or the refusal of its processing by a judge or court.

If Caccia and Blanco proceed with the recurso de queja, the case could still linger on for a time, but would ultimately likely reach the same conclusion.

‘Sins of the flesh’ may lack ‘angelicality’ but they are hurting the Vatican

One of the more interesting passages in Pope Francis’s television interview on Sunday was his statement that sins of the flesh are less damaging than “angelic” sins, such as lying or committing fraud.

Speaking to Italian journalist Fabio Fazio on the show Che Tempo Che Fa, Francis said the “most serious sins” are those of which angels are capable.

“Sins of the flesh have less ‘angelicality.’ Sins of gluttony, sexual sins have less ‘angelicality.’ Instead, not taking care of dad and mom, lies, fraud … these have so much ‘angelicality.’ We must be respectful and not put everything in the sins of the flesh,” the pope told Fazio.

“It disgusts me when some people always look for that in confession. Sins of the flesh have less ‘angelicality,’ but don’t forget the others. It is so wrong not to take care of dad and mom, so wrong. They have more ‘angelicality.’ This is the key to understanding a serious sin,” Francis said.

Of course, the pope later stated that sexual abuse is different from other “sins of the flesh,” saying it was “a very great evil.”

“Consider that more or less 40 percent [of abuse cases] are in the family, in the neighborhood. Boys and girls are always at risk of being abused. And we have to fight for this,” he said.

Since Vatican II, there has been a common refrain from Church officials and the theologians who say too much attention is paid to “below the belt” issues, especially after Pope Paul VI issued the encyclical Humanae Vitae in 1968, which confirmed Catholic teachings against birth control, sterilization, and abortion.

Yet, the most famous line of Pope Francis was when he said, “Who am I to judge?” after being asked about a gay priest appointed to an important Vatican post.

The case that prompted his “Who am I to judge?” remark, however, points to the problems with viewing “below the belt” issues as unimportant. 

Monsignor Battista Ricca – the priest Francis was questioned about – was accused, among other things, of being found trapped in an elevator in Uruguay with a young male prostitute. 

Putting aside the truth of the claim, the fact is that “young male prostitutes” are not really consenting adults – they are most often victims of some sort of modern slavery and under the control of pimps.

And this has been a constant issue within the present pontificate (and previous ones, as well) – strong policies are issued, but, at the same time, an attitude of “boys will be boys” is often displayed.

More charitably, Francis has often seemed to favor the protests of accused clergy – who, after all, have more face-to-face meetings with the pope – over the accusations of their victims.

In Chile in 2018, the pope strongly resisted accusations against Bishop Juan Barros, who was said to have witnessed abuse committed by Father Fernando Karadima – a powerful and popular Chilean celebrity priest – who was later punished for serial sexual abuse.

Francis said the accusations against the bishop were “calumny.”

“There is not one single piece of proof against him. It is all slander. Is that clear?” the pope said.

The pontiff later apologized for his remarks, and ordered an investigation of abuse accusations in Chile.

Bishop Gustavo Óscar Zanchetta of Argentina was one of the first raised to the episcopate by Francis after his election. 

In the summer of 2017, he stepped aside citing “a health problem.” Later that year, he was appointed assessor of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See (APSA), the Vatican’s “central bank.”

However, it turns out allegations of sexual impropriety had been made against Zanchetta several times, beginning some two years before his resignation ostensibly for reasons of ill health, and several years before formal accusations reached the Vatican no later than early January, 2019.

On May 28, 2019, Francis told the Mexican television station Televisa that Zanchetta had defended himself against the earlier allegations by saying his cell phone had been hacked.

“So, in the face of evidence and a good defense, the doubt remains, but in doubt, for the accused,” he said.

The most notorious example is that of ex-priest and ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, who was accused of several sexual crimes. Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò in 2018 claimed he told the pope about the allegations in 2013.

“I don’t remember if [Viganò] spoke to me about this,” Francis said in the same Televisa interview.

“If it is true or not, I have no idea! But you know that I didn’t know anything about McCarrick; otherwise, I would not have stayed quiet,” the pope added.

Viganò has since made further accusations against the pope – many of them quite strange – and was excommunicated by the Vatican last year for schism. When Viganò says he first brought accusations against McCarrick, however, Viganò was serving as the Apostolic Nuncio to the United States.

These sorts of a strong benefit of the doubt towards clerics with connections to the pope continue to happen.

Father Marko Rupnik, a former Jesuit, has been accused by numerous women of sexual abuse.

Rupnik is an artist whose mosaics decorate churches and basilicas around the world, including the Vatican. He was excommunicated in 2020 for a confession-related crime, but quickly reinstated, although this is often done quickly after a person repents.

He was kicked out of the Jesuits for disobedience – not directly for the “credible accusations” of sexual abuse by adult women lodged against him – but was then welcomed to serve as a priest of the Diocese of Koper in his native Slovenia. He is still a priest in good standing, and still residing in Rome.

Rupnik’s artwork is still all over the Vatican, and even features on the Vatican’s official news website.

When asked about this in the United States last year, the head of the Vatican Communications office, Dr. Paolo Ruffini, said, “Who am I to judge the Rupnik stories?”

Sound familiar?

The pooh-poohing of “below the belt” issues often leads to ignoring the real pain they cause (often to the point of being crimes), especially among the victims.

The hurt and mental damage that surround the “sins of the flesh” are why the angels – both the good ones and the bad ones – might show interest.

Sodality of Christian Life reports it made reparations to 83 victims of abuse

The Sodality of Christian Life has reported that between May 2016 and December 2024 it provided reparations to 83 people who were victims of sexual, psychological, and power abuse through out-of-court settlements.

According to the report published Tuesday on its website, of the total number of cases given reparations, 15 were for the sexual abuse of minors between ages 11 and 17, 18 were for the sexual abuse of adults, and 50 were for other types of abuse.

The document was initially presented on Jan. 15 to the members of the general assembly of the apostolate held in Aparecida, Brazil.

The text indicates that the greatest number of cases that were given reparations were for abuse committed in the 1990s and 2000s, with 39 cases in the first period and 29 in the second.

The report also indicates that the reparations to which the victims agreed consist of academic and therapeutic support and financial compensation, and that the total amount is $5,348,000.

Of this amount, $336,000 was used for therapy and $5,012,000 for compensation.

In its report, the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae (SCV, by its Latin acronym) reiterates its request for forgiveness and affirms that “it is an institutional duty to take concrete actions to repair the damage caused, beyond what civil or canonical justice may determine.”

“Reparation aims to be an act of justice that seeks to contribute to the person who has experienced some type of abuse by a member or former member of the Sodalitium being able to heal the wound that his or her dignity suffered,” the report states.

On Monday, the SCV confirmed that it was dissolved by the decision of Pope Francis.

According to the Infovaticana portal, the dissolution decree “refers to the immorality of the founder, Luis Fernando Figari, as an indication of the nonexistence of a founding charism and, therefore, the lack of ecclesial legitimacy for the permanence of the institution.”

Figari was expelled from the SCV by Pope Francis in August 2024. The Holy See had already sanctioned him in 2017 and prohibited him from having contact with any member of this society after it was proven that he committed sexual and power abuse.

The full text of the dissolution decree is not yet known.

US Bishops say some of Trump’s Executive Orders are ‘deeply troubling'

Archbishop Timothy Broglio, the President of the US Bishops’ conference, has responded to the slew of Executive Orders signed by US President Donald Trump in his first few days in office.

In a statement, Archbishop Broglio said that some provisions contained in the Executive Orders were “deeply troubling” and would “have negative consequences”, while others “can be seen in a more positive light”.

The areas singled out for criticism by Archbishop Broglio were “those focused on the treatment of immigrants and refugees, foreign aid, expansion of the death penalty, and the environment”.

On the other hand, he praised the measures for “recognizing the truth about each human person as male or female”.

Sharing the US' 'many gifts'

Archbishop Broglio added that the Catholic Church "is not aligned with any political party”, and “no matter who occupies the White House or holds the majority on Capitol Hill, the Church’s teachings remain unchanged”.

“It is our hope,” Broglio stressed, “that the leadership of our Country will reconsider those actions which disregard not only the human dignity of a few, but of us all”.

The Archbishop brought his statement to a close by saying that he would pray that, “as a Nation blessed with many gifts”, the US’ actions might “demonstrate a genuine care for our most vulnerable sisters and brothers, including the unborn, the poor, the elderly and infirm, and migrants and refugees.”

Migration orders ‘an affront to God’

In a separate statement, Bishop Mark J. Seitz of El Paso, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Migration, also addressed the Executive Orders.

“National self-interest does not justify policies with consequences that are contrary to the moral law,” Bishop Seitz said. “The use of sweeping generalizations to denigrate any group, such as describing all undocumented immigrants as ‘criminals' or ‘invaders,’ to deprive them of protection under the law, is an affront to God, who has created each of us in his own image.”

The Bishop also noted that several of the Executive Orders are “specifically intended to eviscerate humanitarian protections enshrined in federal law”, and emphasised that a proposed change to birthright law “sets a dangerous precedent, contradicting the Supreme Court’s longstanding interpretation.”

Bishop Seitz brought his statement to an end with an appeal to President Trump to work “in good faith” with members of Congress to “achieve meaningful, bipartisan immigration reform that furthers the common good”.

“My brother bishops and I will support this in any way we can,” wrote Seitz, adding that they would “continu[e] to accompany our immigrant brothers and sisters in accordance with the Gospel of Life.”

Bishop Joseph Cai Bingrui transferred from the diocese of Xiamen to the episcopal see of Fuzhou

The episcopal see of Fuzhou has a new bishop: Joseph Cai Bingrui, currently Bishop of the diocese of Xiamen. 

Pope Francis - reports the Daily Bulletin of the Holy See Press Office - having approved his candidature in the framework of the Provisional Agreement between the Holy See and the People’s Republic of China, appointed on 15 January 2025, Bishop Joseph Cai Bingrui of Fuzhou, "transferring him from the diocese of Xiamen".  

Both dioceses are located in the coastal province of Fujian.

The canonical taking of possession of the new Bishop took place on Thursday 23 January, in Fuzhou, during an official ceremony attended by about 500 people, including 116 priests and about 50 nuns. 

During the ceremony, presided over by Vincent Zhan Silu, Bishop of Mindong, it was stated that the transfer takes place with the consent of the Bishop of Rome, and the letter of acceptance of the transfer prepared by the "college of Chinese Bishops" was read. 

Other bishops took part in the ceremony. Among them, the Bishop of Shaowu (Minbei) Peter Wu Yishun and the Bishop of Hangzhou Joseph Yang Yongqiang.

In his speech, Bishop Cai referred to his love for his homeland, committing himself to doing everything necessary to promote reconciliation in the diocese and unity among priests, also following the criteria of inculturation and "sinicization". 

Bishop Cai recalled that the Church lives to spread the Gospel, adapting its mission to the local social and political context.

The journey of the new Bishop

Joseph Cai Bingrui was born on September 15, 1966 into a family with a long Catholic tradition. After completing his philosophical and theological studies from 1985 to 1992 at the Sheshan Seminary (Shanghai), he was ordained a priest on August 15, 1992. 

In 1993, he was elected Diocesan Administrator of the Diocese of Xiamen, which remained vacant following the death of Bishop Joseph Huang Ziyu on April 8, 1991. 

Since the very beginning, Joseph Cai showed himself capable of leading the diocese with pastoral wisdom. 

On November 19, 2007, he was appointed Bishop of the same circumscription. His episcopal ordination as Bishop of Xiamen took place two and a half years later, on May 8, 2010, in the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary, with the approval of the Chinese political authorities. 

The liturgical celebration of the ordination of the new Bishop - who was then 44 years old - was presided over by John Fang Xingyao, Bishop of Linyi. 

The liturgy was concelebrated by five other Bishops, including Joseph Cheng Tsai-fa, then Archbishop Emeritus of Taipei, who came especially from Taiwan together with a group of lay people and priests.

As Bishop of Xiamen, Joseph Cai promoted initiatives aimed at accompanying all the baptized in their journey and witness, recalling the faith of the Apostles as the source of all missionary zeal.  

On May 1, 2023, in the diocese of Xiamen, Bishop Cai inaugurated the Special Year dedicated to the Catechism. 

That day, as reported by Fides, all the participants in the inaugural Mass celebrated in the Cathedral received as a gift a Chinese edition of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the great and rich official exposition of all catechesis and Catholic doctrine, compiled under the supervision of then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger and approved by John Paul II in the 1990s. 

During the year, all the parishes, priests, nuns and lay people participated intensely in the activities of the program prepared by the diocesan Commission for Pastoral Care and Evangelization. 

Among other things, about sixty catechists from different parishes and nuns from different congregations participated in the first formation course at the Catholic Provincial Formation Center located in the Maria Rosa Mystica Sanctuary of Changle.

The participants in the Course, held in July 2023, deepened their study of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, sharing their experiences and suggestions on the paths to follow to help all the baptized to also communicate the beauty of the contents of Christian doctrine, taking into account the signs of the times, the current social context and traditional Chinese culture.

The Diocese of Fuzhou

The journey of the diocese of Fuzhou has been marked in recent decades by suffering and pressure that have also fueled divisions. The Episcopal See of Fuzhou had been vacant since April 14, 2023, the day Bishop Peter Lin Jiashan passed away at the age of 88. 

Arrested and taken to labor camps at the time of the Cultural Revolution, Lin had only managed to become a priest in 1981, at the age of 46. In 1984, Peter Lin was again deprived of his freedom for 10 years. In 1997, he received episcopal ordination by John Yang Shudao, bishop of Fuzhou, who was not recognized by the government.

In 1991, a bishop had also been ordained in Fuzhou according to the procedures imposed by the government's religious policy: Joseph Zheng Changcheng, born in 1912 into a family of carpenters. After Zheng's death in 2006, no new "official" bishop, recognized by the government, was appointed in Fuzhou.

On June 9, 2020, the Chinese political authorities officially recognized the episcopal ministry of Peter Lin Jiashan. 

Prior to the official installation act, Archbishop Lin had sent a letter to priests and consecrated women in which, among other things, he reported that he had accepted the recognition of the bodies accountable to the government because his intent was to "seek unity" in the diocese, and after the China-Holy See agreement of 2018 and the "pastoral guidelines" published by the Vatican Dicasteries in 2019, the "conditions" for moving forward on the path of reconciliation were fully realized. 

Bishop Lin assured that the act of publicly formalizing his episcopal ministry was fully in accordance with the faith confessed by the "one, holy, Catholic and apostolic" Church. 

Bishop Lin also asked all the baptized to "live in a spirit of unity and communion, following the path of reconciliation through mutual acceptance and forbearance, avoiding attacks and judgments that fuel discord, in order to be one in Jesus Christ".

Most bishops in America wouldn't have had the courage to speak to Trump like that — but one did : Fr Tony Flannery

I FOUND THE past few days, watching and listening to the events in Washington, depressing. As a priest, even if not particularly in good standing with my own Church, I was especially upset by Trump’s references to religion and God.

His notion of himself as a messianic figure, sent and rescued by God to make America Great was, in my view, a travesty of the message of Jesus, you could even say a defamation. 

In so many ways what he is proposing is the opposite of what should be expected from someone who claims to have God on his side, to even to be a special messenger of God.

So when I listened to Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde, of the Washington Episcopal Church, speak at the ceremony on the morning after Donald Trump was inaugurated, it was for me the first sign of light in the darkness of the preceding days.

Speaking up

She addressed the President directly, clearly speaking on behalf of the poor and underprivileged in America. She did not in any way deviate from the fundamentals of the Christian Gospel. She was in no way disrespectful or arrogant. Rather, she spoke in a gentle, but very clear, voice.

Her message was challenging and had to be uncomfortable for President Trump to hear, and you could see that she was speaking out of the depth of her own faith and her own experience of the Divine presence in her life. It took a lot of courage to do what she did.

I was immensely impressed by her. But clearly, Trump wasn’t. Branding her a ‘so-called bishop’, nasty, a hater and boring was, perhaps, to be expected from someone who denigrated his female opponent. Bishop Mariann was the opposite of those adjectives, She clearly spoke out of love, and I was riveted both by what she said and the way she said it. It made me yet again realise what we in the Catholic Church are missing by excluding women from the ordained ministry.

The deep political divide in the United States is mirrored in the religious divide that now besets that country. President Trump has many religious supporters, particularly those of the more fundamentalist churches, but sadly, a majority of catholics voted for him on this occasion. The Catholic Church in the States is also split down the middle, between those who are of a Trumpian mentality and those who follow Pope Francis.

A great many of the bishops would appear to be opponents of Francis and as such lean more towards the President. I can think of only maybe three or four who might have the courage to speak like Bishop Budde. I could mention Bishop Cupich in Chicago, Bishop McElroy, soon to take over in Washington, Bishop Tobin in Newark, and maybe one or two more. I am hoping they will come out strongly and publicly in support of Mariann, so that she will not feel isolated.

Having courage

I know from my own experience that if you stand outside the system, or say or do something disapproved of by those in power, the doors can quickly be closed against you, and you can be left on your own and alone. Luckily, Pope Francis has already given the American bishops a headline when, prior to the inauguration, on hearing the incoming President speak about his plans around migrants and emigrants, he said that if he followed through on his intentions it would be a disgrace.

If the majority of the leadership of the United States Catholic Church follow along with the President and with his actions and attitudes and his treatment of people, they will lose all credibility and the Catholic Church in that country will die, or what will be left of it will have little or no relationship to the Gospel. 

The Church itself is, of course, an institution, one of the most ancient in the world. The sole reason for its existence is to preserve and spread the message of Jesus. His message is both inspiring and demanding. 

But as an institution it is led by humans, and is subject to, and has demonstrated down through the centuries, many forms of corruption, abuse of power, and everything else that goes with human nature.

Truth to power

It has also in many instances loved power more than Gospel, and cosied up to the civil powers. But it also has produced people who were inspired by Jesus, and who spoke out against both church and state, and sadly found that both institutions turned against them.

There are many examples of this, but I can think of an American priest named Roy Bourgeois, a Maryknoll priest. He worked in South America and saw at first hand the struggles and poverty of so many people there. Back in the part of the US where he had come from there was the School of the Americas, a military establishment, where at the time they were reputed to be training soldiers to foment revolution in countries led by left-leaning governments.

He began to protest, and of course, drew the state on him and his followers. He was sent to jail on a number of occasions. This radicalised him even more, and he also began to challenge the Church over its exclusion of women. He ended up being dismissed from the priesthood and his religious congregation. Happily, he is still going strong, challenging both systems.

This is just one example of many cases I have witnessed and known personally. Institutions of their nature, religious or lay, do not like it when someone stands out from the crowd and challenges the system, and they have their ways of dealing with them. My impression of Mariann Budde is that she would be no pushover. I hope her own Episcopalian Church stands by her, and that she can continue to be a voice for goodness and love against a prevailing system that is seemingly going to operate by very different methods.

*  Fr Tony Flannery is a Redemptorist priest who was forbidden to practice by his superiors in Rome in 2012 for speaking up on many issues. This continues to this day. More at TonyFlannery.com.

Bishop who angered Trump with call for mercy says she will not apologize

The bishop at the National Cathedral prayer service in Washington on Tuesday who urged Donald Trump to “have mercy upon” immigrants and LGBTQ+ people, has defended her remarks and said that she will not apologize.

The Right Rev Mariann Edgar Budde’s sermon on Tuesday garnered national attention when she made a direct plea to Trump to show mercy and compassion toward scared individuals, including “gay, lesbian and transgender children in Democratic, Republican and independent families”, as well as immigrants, and those fleeing war and persecution.

Following the sermon, the president attacked Budde online, labelling her a “Radical Left hard line Trump hater” in a lengthy social media post early on Wednesday. He argued that she had “brought her church into the World of politics in a very ungracious way” and described her tone as “nasty”.

Trump characterized the service as “boring” and “uninspiring”, and asserted that Budde and her church “owe the public an apology”.

His allies quickly joined the criticism, with one Republican representative suggesting that Budde “should be added to the deportation list”.

In the past few days, Budde has given interviews about her sermon and the backlash it sparked. She told reporters she would not apologize for her remarks, despite the criticism from the president and his allies.

“I don’t hate the president, and I pray for him,” Budde told NPR. “I don’t feel there’s a need to apologize for a request for mercy.

“I regret that it was something that has caused the kind of response that it has, in the sense that it actually confirmed the very thing that I was speaking of earlier, which is our tendency to jump to outrage and not speak to one another with respect. But no, I won’t apologize for what I said.”

When asked by MSNBC about the hostility she had faced following her sermon, Budde emphasized her desire to “to encourage a different kind of conversation”.

“You can certainly disagree with me,” Budde said. “But could we, as Americans and fellow children of God, speak to one another with respect? I would offer the same to you.”

Budde told MSNBC that she took the tone she did during the sermon because she believed we are currently in a “particularly harsh moment” when it comes to talking about immigrant populations.

“I wanted to make a plea, a request that he broaden his characterization of the people that are frightened now and are at risk of losing everything, and I thought that that would be the more respectful way to say it,” Budde said, adding that her appeal was to both the president and anyone who might be listening.

Budde said an interview with the New York Times that she felt her sermon offered a “perspective that wasn’t getting a lot of airtime right now” and a perspective of Christianity “that has been kind of muted in the public arena”.

“To plea for mercy is actually a very humbling thing to do,” she said.

“I wasn’t demanding anything of him. I was pleading with him, like, can you see the humanity of these people? Can you acknowledge that there are people in this country are scared? … If not him, if not the president, could others?”

Budde thought her plea would be “taken differently”, she said, believing that it was an “acknowledgment” of Trump’s “position, his power now, and the millions of people who put him there”.

Budde told Time Magazine that she was “saddened by the level of vitriol” her sermon had “evoked in others” noting that “the intensity of it has been disheartening”.

“I’m perfectly happy to be in conversation with people who disagree with me,” Budde stated, adding: “The level of attack has been sobering and disheartening.”

Ultimately, Budde hoped her intended call for “dignity, respecting dignity, honesty, humility and kindness” was “resonating with people” and said that amid the backlash, she had heard from many who say they are grateful for her remarks.

Budde said she did her best to “present an alternative to the culture of contempt, and to say that we can bring multiple perspectives into a common space and do so with dignity and respect”.

“And that we need that,” she continued, as “the culture of contempt is threatening to destroy us. And I’m getting a little bit of a taste of that this week.”

As of Thursday morning, more than 30,000 people had signed a petition supporting her sermon.

The petition describes Budde’s sermon as “courageous” and “faith-filled” says it represents “the prophetic voice we desperately need right now”.

'You are a monster': Former Catholic priest pleads guilty to sexually assaulting Nunavut children

A former Catholic priest who sexually abused children in Nunavut has pleaded guilty to all of the charges against him.

Eric Dejaeger, 77, entered his guilty pleas in an Iqaluit courtroom Thursday morning before Justice Faiyaz Alibhai.

Dejaeger originally faced eight historical charges for sexual assaults that happened between 1978 and 1982 in Igloolik. 

Two of the charges were withdrawn by the Crown, as they pertain to having sex outside marriage, which is no longer part of the Criminal Code.

"I plead guilty," he said of the remaining six charges. "To all of them."

A woman was drumming outside of the courtroom on Thursday as people entered.

Crown lawyer Emma Baasch read the facts of the charges into the record, detailing each assault.

Most of Dejaeger's victims were between six and nine years old, and some were as young as four, the court heard.

Two of them are now deceased, Baasch said.

The court heard Dejaeger would tell children to come to the Catholic church in Igloolik, offering them candy if they did, before sexually assaulting them.

Several victims remembered Dejaeger telling them they would "go to hell" if they told anyone about the abuse.

Victims told the court details of the abuse they endured. Some said they were injured or passed out from the pain during the assaults.

Some people cried out and sobbed in the courtroom, while another person yelled at Dejaeger, who appeared to have no reaction on his face.

All of the vicitims' identities are protected under a publication ban.

Dejaeger was originally scheduled to be on trial in Iqaluit this week, but that was halted earlier this week when his lawyer said his client would now be pleading guilty.

'I wanted revenge for the little girl he hurt'

Victim impact statements also started to be read Thursday morning, before court broke for lunch.

"His victims ... are in so much pain. You can see it in their eyes," one person said.

"I wanted revenge for the little girl he hurt," the same victim said through tears. "I'm not a little girl anymore and I'm not scared anymore."

Many of them said they also don't feel safe going to church.

"I hate the smell of the church," one victim said. "I hate seeing new priests come to our community."

"You are a monster. I hope you rot in hell," another said.

Many parts of the church in Igloolik where Dejaeger worked, which still stands, remain the same, one victim said.

"It's a horrible reminder it's still the same," she said.

Another victim, who said she was five years old when Dejaeger abused her, showed the court a photo of herself at that age.

"Look," she yelled. "I hope you recognize her."

Dejaeger was previously sentenced to 19 years in prison in 2015 after a court found him guilty of 32 counts of child sexual abuse during his time as a priest in Igloolik. He was released on parole in May 2022.