Enoch Burke will not be prosecuted for criminal contempt, Attorney General tells High Court

Jailed teacher Enoch Burke will not for now be prosecuted for criminal contempt over his repeated disruption of court proceedings, Attorney General Rossa Fanning told the High Court today.

The Attorney General said some regard had to be given to the likely outcome and benefit of criminal contempt proceedings.

He noted that Mr Burke was already in prison for contempt over continuing to trespass on Wilson’s Hospital School.

He also referenced the amount of court time taken up with this case, the cost in legal representation to the taxpayer and the alternative remedies such as removal from court and the power of gardaí to prosecute for disruptive behaviour.

Mr Burke has been imprisoned for more than 500 days for his refusal to comply with a court order restraining his attendance at Wilson’s Hospital School.

Mr Fanning said contempt proceedings “may reinforce an unfounded sense of martyrdom but are unlikely to provoke any Damascene conversion” in light of the history of the engagement with Mr Burke, even if they led to “relatively modest” fines or imprisonment given that the proceedings were summary in nature.

Mr Burke’s family members will also not face prosecution for criminal contempt.

Mr Fanning made a rare personal appearance in the courts because this was a matter of public interest and in response to Mr Justice Brian Cregan’s request that criminal contempt be considered by the Attorney General against Enoch Burke, his siblings Isaac and Ammi and their mother Martina.

Mr Fanning said he had carefully considered the transcripts and a number of High Court judgments on this matter and come to the conclusion that he should not at this time initiate criminal contempt proceedings.

This case had raised “troubling questions about the adherence to the rule of law” and that court orders must be obeyed, and disruption by lay litigants or anyone else is to be condemned, he said.

In response, Mr Justice Cregan thanked Mr Fanning, but said he did not believe the transcripts had reflected the tone and tenor of what had happened before his court in recent months.

He said he would reflect on the attorney’s comments over Christmas and the court could still, of its own volition, consider bringing such proceedings.

The court also heard that a disciplinary appeals panel heard Mr Burke’s appeal against his dismissal on Saturday and will give its decision within 10 school days, which means it could be after Christmas.

The judge said the case would be adjourned to early January for an update on the appeals panel outcome.

Mr Burke, speaking via video from Mountjoy Prison in Dublin, said people should not think that just because the appeals panel will make a decision that this would be all over. He also refused to give an undertaking not to trespass on the school if released.

Silent shepherds: Church leaders are ignoring our immigrant neighbors (Opinion)

When voices meant to guide us fall silent in the face of cruelty, the Gospel itself seems to whisper rather than proclaim.

Like many Americans, I have been heartbroken seeing so many migrant family separations taking place across our country, on Long Island, and even within my own community of Westbury.

What’s been even more heartbreaking is the apparent indifference on the part of so many of Long Island’s Catholic clergy, who, in my view, should be speaking out boldly against this injustice.

The Gospels make it clear that following Jesus means committing to justice and standing up to oppression. His ministry was rooted in compassion, righteous anger in the face of injustice and a deep concern for the dignity and protection of the most vulnerable. But too many of our religious leaders are overlooking the very essence of Catholicism: the principle of human dignity, which demands an unconditional welcome of the vulnerable stranger.

I have been a lifelong Roman Catholic, receiving the sacraments of baptism as an infant, first Communion in childhood and confirmation at age 12. My faith was nurtured in Catholic schools from grades 1 through 12. I raised my children in the faith, passing on the values instilled in me. It is from this foundation that I am heartbroken by how church leaders seem to be ignoring our immigrant neighbors: The Gospel reminds us, "I was a stranger and you welcomed me" (Matthew 25:35), a call to treat everyone with dignity and compassion.

I shouldn’t be surprised. Ever since the 2024 campaign and election, the silence of Catholic leaders on social issues has been deafening. When a candidate dismissed places such as Haiti and other nations using a vulgar expletive and falsely claimed that immigrants eat cats and dogs, few local Catholic voices publicly defended the dignity that the Gospel demands for all. Now, as families are being torn apart and our hard-working immigrant community is being treated as unwelcome invaders, the story is the same: silence from the clergy.

I have been outspoken about my feelings on this issue. In essays and letters to editors in Long Island newspapers, I have often urged our Catholic leaders to speak out on social justice issues in the light of the Gospel, but I often wonder if any of them actually read what I have to say.

Recently, with encouragement from a Jesuit priest, I decided to go one step further. I emailed, snail-mailed, or hand-delivered a cover letter and one of my recently published letters to all 133 pastors in the Diocese of Rockville Centre, to our bishop and to the sisters of St. Joseph and St. Dominic. My letter condemns the U.S. policy of family separation as a moral atrocity, urging Catholic clergy to join the nuns and priests already standing with immigrant families by speaking out against this injustice. It stresses that silence in the face of such cruelty amounts to complicity. I asked the clergy to take a moment to prayerfully reflect on the letter and to please respond.

My outreach took a measure of effort. Because the diocese removed its clergy email directory following the child abuse scandal, gathering contact information meant searching parish bulletins and websites, making it a more time-consuming task than I had anticipated. I completed all mailings this summer, and to date the responses, or lack thereof, have been very disappointing.

While both orders of sisters replied promptly with compassion, fewer than 20% of pastors responded, and of those, all responses were from pastors of poor parishes already assisting the immigrant families. None of the pastors from wealthier parishes responded, nor did the bishop of Rockville Centre.

I recognize that our clergy carry heavy burdens: spiritual, pastoral and administrative. But I wonder why there is such disinterest in an issue often mentioned in Scripture. Are clergy capitulating out of fear of the current administration in the same manner law firms, media outlets, universities, etc. have? If so, how does that square with the Gospel they proclaim?

I am not asking for responses in the spirit of the Berrigan brothers, the Catholic peace activists from the 1960s. I am asking for something simpler: moral courage to speak, to act and to lead. Voices supporting justice can offer hope to families in fear, and guide a church seeking to live its mission.

Church beatifies 50 French Catholics killed ‘in hatred of the faith’ by German Nazis

Fifty French Catholics killed under German Nazism were beatified Dec. 13, 2025, during a Mass at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris — an event that recognized their witness of faith during World War II.

Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich of Luxembourg presided over beatification Mass in the presence of numerous priests, religious and bishops, including representatives of the German bishops’ conference.

The 50 martyrs “did not fear to offer their own lives to the point of shedding their blood to bear witness to the consolation and comfort of the Gospel,” and “shall henceforth be called Blessed,” read Pope Leo XIV’s apostolic letter that formalized the proclamation of the blesseds and also set their liturgical memorial on May 5.

In his homily, Cardinal Hollerich recalled that “All of them, without exception, made their lives, their activities, their imprisonment and their martyrdom a service, and what a service! They followed Jesus as true disciples, following in the footsteps of their Master.”

“Martyrs of the apostolate” beatified Dec. 13

Father Raymond Cayré, a diocesan priest, Franciscan Father Gérard-Martin Cendrier, seminarian Roger Vallée, and layman Jean Mestre, were beatified along with 46 companions. They were part of the “Young Christian Workers” movement of the Catholic Action, with 14 beatified being members of the French scouts. The oldest was 47 and the youngest was 20. 

For French Father Bernard Ardura, former president of the Pontifical Committee for Historical Sciences, and postulator of their cause in Rome since 2018, these men are “martyrs of the apostolate.” “They went to Germany voluntarily, as Christians, and it was as Christians that they were arrested and died,” he told OSV News.

During World War II, France was under German occupation. In February 1943, the Nazi rulers set up the Compulsory Work Service (STO), through which 600,000 to 650,000 young French people were sent to Germany to replace German soldiers who had gone to the front in the factories. 

“Young men from middle-class families could get themselves exempted, but not workers, who knew about iron and metallurgy,” retired Bishop Maurice de Germiny of Blois in the Valley of Loire told OSV News. He worked on the cause at the request of the Archdiocese of Paris, which played an important role in the martyrs’ story. “These young people who left to work in Germany had no protection and found themselves in a spiritual desert,” he emphasized.

Faced with this, Cardinal Emmanuel Suhard of Paris decided that those workers could not be left without help. “He appealed to the bishops and religious superiors of France, asking them if priests and lay Christians would agree to volunteer to go to Germany to be ‘apostles’ to their fellow workers and bring them help and comfort,” Bishop de Germiny recounted. “He received a great amount of responses.” 

Thousands committed to supporting faith of fellow workers during WWII

The 50 beatified “are those for whom we managed to gather the necessary documentation, but there were many others” that could be candidates to sainthood, he said.

Thousands of young people, priests, religious, seminarians, members of Catholic Action, and scouts thus committed themselves as workers. “They found themselves scattered across industrial areas for work, and they devoted themselves to supporting the young French people who were with them, through the sacraments and faith-related activities,” Father Ardura added. 

“It was called the St. Paul Mission, which was clandestine, but large in scope,” he said.

“In studying the lives of these boys, I was amazed by their behavior and by the self-sacrifice they showed,” Bishop de Germiny emphasized. “What sustained them was being able to get together, pray together, receive the sacrament of reconciliation, and communion, as they had done before the war, as much as possible. They did a lot to restore the joy of living to the workers around them.”     

“Their generosity was extraordinary,” Father Ardura added. “Each of their stories is very moving. One of them, Claude Lebeau, wrote: ‘I did not come to work for Nazi Germany, but I came to bring my brothers the help of faith in Jesus Christ.’ They knew clearly that they were going to face danger. One of the priests, Father Pierre de Porcaro, responded to Cardinal Suhard’s invitation by writing: ‘I accept with all possible generosity, everything, including dying in a foreign land, far from everything and everyone.'”

Nazi decree targeted priests, seminarians, Catholic Action members for their spiritual resistance

“For them, the terrible turning point was the Nazi Kaltenbrunner decree, issued on Dec. 3, 1943, which explicitly threatened to eliminate those who carried out religious activities among young French civilian workers,” Father Ardura explained. “It was the starting point for a wave of severe repression. They were sent under appalling conditions to the concentration and extermination camps of Buchenwald, Mauthausen, Dachau and Neuengamme, where many died of typhus, scarlet fever and exhaustion. Some were tortured, shot or beheaded, while some died in the ‘death marches’ when the camps were evacuated.”

The youngest was a layman, Jean Mestre. “He could have avoided going to Germany,” Bishop de Germiny recounted. “But he told his mother, when he was 19 years old: ‘I love you with all my heart, but I love Jesus Christ even more than you, and I feel that he is calling me to be with my comrades who are going through difficult times.’ He died when he was 20.” 

Another, Joël Anglès d’Auriac, had set up a clandestine Catholic scout movement in Germany. He was beheaded in Dresden on Dec. 6, 1944, at the age of 22. “We know that after going to confession, he received Communion and prayed the rosary,” Father Ardura said. “Then he said, ‘I am very calm, because I am going to (meet) Jesus Christ.'”

The oldest was Jesuit Father Victor Dillar, who was an intellectual, expert in international finance, passionate about youth education. Arrested by the notorious German police Gestapo, he died on Jan. 12, 1945, in the Dachau camp. 

“Before he died, he said he was offering his life for the church and for the working class,” Bishop de Germiny recounted.

For Father Ardura, all of them died “in hatred of the faith.” “The 1943 decree explicitly targeted priests, seminarians, and members of Catholic Action for their spiritual resistance,” he said. “Catholicism was considered a saboteur of Nazi ideology, and Nazism could not tolerate that,” Bishop de Germiny added. “This is what emerges from their trials.”

Church altar featuring homeless man goes on display a stone's throw from his grave at the Vatican

In 2018, German artist Michael Triegel asked a homeless man in Rome to pose for a drawing, thinking that he would make an ideal model for St. Peter if he ever needed to paint the first pope.

Seven years on, the man’s likeness has gone on display in the Vatican, a reunion of sorts that came about by improbable chance.

This is a story both big and small, of art and faith and a human tragedy that caught the attention of Pope Francis: homeless German man Burkhard Scheffler died from the cold in 2022 on the edge of St. Peter’s Square.

The saga began in Germany, where Triegel in 2019 won a commission from the Protestant cathedral in the city of Naumburg to create a new central panel for its altar by Renaissance master Lucas Cranach the Elder. The panel would replace an original that was destroyed in 1541 during the Reformation, the upheavals that convulsed parts of Europe as Protestantism emerged in the 16th century.

Cranach’s two side panels survived. Triegel, a Catholic convert, leapt at the prospect of a “collaboration with Cranach.”

“They had the idea of completing this altar again, in what I find a beautiful gesture — not to undo these wounds from the 16th century but to mitigate them, to heal them,” he said in an interview in his studio in Leipzig.

Triegel planned out his painting and drew on that encounter he had in 2018 with the homeless man in Rome.

The man took his place as St. Peter among the saints gathered around Mary and the infant Jesus. Triegel said it was important that his subjects not be idealized archetypes but figures the viewer would feel were people “who could have something to do with me in the here and now, who are not just historic.”

St. Paul was based on a rabbi Triegel drew in Jerusalem, while Mary was modeled on the artist’s daughter. In the back was Protestant pastor and theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer, an opponent of the Nazis who was executed in 1945.

Triegel’s St. Peter is bearded, wears a red baseball cap and holds a small key — a reference to the biblical keys of heaven that are often associated with the saint.

The artist found his saint sitting at the entrance of a Roman church begging. As he was about to give the man money, Triegel recalled, “he looked at me and at that moment I had the feeling, if you ever need a Peter for a picture, he would be your Peter — that flowing beard and those alert eyes.”

Triegel asked the man in Italian whether he could draw and photograph him, and the man just nodded — “so I had no idea what nation he was from.”

Unbeknownst to Triegel, his St. Peter had a rough time after their 2018 encounter.

The man, Burkhard Scheffler, had suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic. Under Italy's harsh lockdowns, fewer and fewer people ventured out to provide handouts and food to those in need.

Scheffler was arrested in May 2020 after he apparently threatened someone with a knife for refusing to give him change. He was sentenced to three years in prison and released in late 2022.

Known to many in the Vatican, Scheffler had grown weak in prison. “His hands, which were always warm, had grown cold,” a Vatican journalist, Gudrun Sailer, would later recall.

On the night of Nov. 25, 2022, Scheffler died from the cold.

His death caught the attention of Francis, who had made a priority of caring for the homeless people around the Vatican. Under Francis' watch, the Vatican installed showers, a barber shop and clinic in the colonnade of St. Peter’s. Francis' almsgiver went out on cold nights to distribute sleeping bags.

Hours after Scheffler died, the Vatican spokesperson issued a statement saying he had been cared for by the Vatican’s charity office but “unfortunately, the rain and cold last night contributed to aggravate his fragile condition.” The spokesperson said Francis remembered in his prayer that day “Burkhard and all those who are forced to live without a home, in Rome and the world.”

Shortly after, Francis said in his weekly Sunday prayer: “I remember Burkhard Scheffler, who died three days ago under the colonnade of St. Peter’s Square: died of cold.”

And the pope returned to the theme in his Palm Sunday homily in April 2023. “I think of the German so-called street person, who died under the colonnade, alone and abandoned. He is Jesus for each of us. So many need our closeness, so many are abandoned.”

Francis asked that Scheffler be buried at the Teutonic cemetery on the grounds of the Vatican, alongside many German-speaking priests, pilgrims and notables. His simple tomb is in the small pilgrim section, in the shadow of St. Peter's Basilica and just a few yards from the tomb of the real St. Peter.

Back in Germany, Triegel spent three years working on the altar for the Naumburg Cathedral, but a problem arose.

There were concerns that the Triegel-Cranach altar could cost the building its place on the UNESCO World Heritage List. UNESCO experts felt that it hindered the overall view of the west chapel, including famous statues. In July, regional authorities said the verdict was that the altar could stay — but would have to be shown elsewhere in the cathedral.

While that discussion played out, the idea arose of lending the altar to the Catholic chapel of the Teutonic pontifical college at the Vatican, a residence for German-speaking priests adjacent to the cemetery. The chapel has an altar of its own from the period of Cranach’s original.

And it was then in the Teutonic chapel that a Vatican-affiliated art expert recognized Triegel's St. Peter as none other than Scheffler.

“Someone said, 'This guy with the red cap, we know him because he was living here at St. Peter’s Square,” said Monsignor Peter Klasvogt, rector of the Campo Santo Teutonico, as the complex is known. “That was a moment you never forget.”

The altar is now on a two-year loan to the chapel, a stone's throw from Scheffler's grave, itself just steps from the tomb of St. Peter.

When Triegel learned that his altar might end up next to Scheffler's grave, he recalled thinking, “there can't be so many coincidences.”

With the arrival of the painting, “the story gets another outcome and another exit, and this is so wonderful to see,” Klasvogt said. “We honor him with the altar, we honor him with his grave and we pray here in the church for him.”

After the argument about the altar’s placement in Germany, the coincidence also appeals to the artist.

“If this whole dispute was necessary for this picture to go to Rome and for this man to be seen again, for him to get a name, for ... people to take notice of him and remember him, then this whole Naumburg project was really worth it for me,” Triegel said.

Burkina Faso has become a ‘Church on the move,’ says Catholic priest

In the Sahel region of Africa, the sound of church bells has fallen silent in towns like Sebba and Gorgadji in Burkina Faso.

Forced to abandon their buildings under the threat of violence, Catholic communities are learning what it means to be a “Church on the move.”

In an interview with Crux, Father Patrickmary Afamefuna Dike, a priest on the ground in the Diocese of Dori in Burkina Faso, offers a stark and insightful perspective on a crisis that is far more complex than simple religious persecution.

He describes a landscape where armed groups control vast territories, where state authority has collapsed, and where the Church’s very mission is challenged by an environment of fear and control.

Yet, amid the generalized insecurity and displacement, Dike paints a picture not of defeat, but of profound resilience. The Church, he insists, is adapting its strategies—from radio broadcasts to lay leadership, all in order to sustain faith and hope, emphasizing solidarity with suffering Muslims and Christians alike, and holding onto the belief that one day, the bells will ring again.

Following are excerpts of that interview…

Crux: To what extent do you view the attacks on Churches such as Sebba and Gorgadji as a direct consequence of an anti-Christian extremist ideology?

Father Dike:  From my experience on the ground, the closure of parishes like Sebba and Gorgadji is both a consequence of generalized insecurity and, in some contexts, the influence of violent extremist ideologies that are hostile to organized religious and social structures, including the Church.

Not every attack explicitly targets Christianity alone. However, churches, presbyteries, schools, and catechetical centers are highly visible symbols of community life, moral authority, and education, and these are precisely what extremist groups seek to dismantle. In Sebba and Gorgadji, repeated threats and attacks made it impossible to maintain a stable pastoral presence. The forced abandonment of the church buildings was not accidental; it reflected an environment where the Church’s peaceful mission became incompatible with the militants’ logic of fear and control.

That said, the Church is careful not to interpret the crisis purely as religious persecution. The suffering affects Muslims and Christians alike. What we witness is a rejection of coexistence and human dignity, which inevitably impacts Christian communities.

Could you elaborate on the primary security threats currently facing the Sahel region, and how these have evolved over the past decade?

Over the past decade, the Sahel has seen a gradual but dramatic transformation of insecurity. What began as isolated incidents of armed violence has evolved into widespread territorial instability, especially in rural areas.

In the Diocese of Dori, this evolution is very clear. Ten years ago, priests could travel freely between parishes and outstations. Today, entire zones are inaccessible. Armed groups now control or terrorize large stretches of land, making civilian life and pastoral ministry extremely dangerous.

The primary threats include armed extremist groups, banditry and kidnappings, attacks on civilians and community leaders, and the collapse of state authority in rural areas,

This has turned insecurity into a prolonged humanitarian, social, and pastoral crisis, rather than a temporary emergency.

What factors have contributed to this deterioration?

Several interconnected factors have contributed to the worsening situation in the Sahel: weak or absent state presence in remote areas, extreme poverty and lack of opportunities, especially for young people, porous borders, allowing armed groups to move easily ,environmental pressures, such as desertification and competition over land; as well as the breakdown of traditional social and conflict-resolution structures. From a pastoral perspective, this crisis is not only political or military. It is also moral and social. The erosion of trust, dialogue, and shared values has made communities more vulnerable to violence and manipulation.

What role do religious tensions play in the broader security dynamics of the Sahel, and how does the Church navigate these interfaith relationships?

Religion is often instrumentalized by violent groups, but it is not the root cause of the crisis. In Burkina Faso, including in the Diocese of Dori, Christians and Muslims have historically lived together in peace, often within the same families and villages. The Church is very conscious of this history and works deliberately to avoid religious polarization. Even in displacement camps, Catholics and Muslims share the same suffering and often support one another.

Our pastoral response emphasizes: Interreligious dialogue, respect and solidarity across faith lines, prayer for peace, including for those who cause suffering. There is no bitterness in our prayer—only trust. The Church seeks to remain a bridge, not a dividing line, in an already fragile context.

What are the most effective strategies the Church has employed to protect its members and continue its work?

Faced with insecurity, the Church has had to adapt without abandoning its mission. Some of the most effective strategies include relocating pastoral activity to safer towns like Dori, strengthening Caritas and humanitarian outreach to displaced persons, encouraging lay leadership, especially catechists, to sustain prayer life, organizing Rosary prayers and Sunday gatherings when Mass is impossible, using radio broadcasts and small-scale pastoral contact.

The crisis has reminded us that the Church is not limited to buildings. Even when churches are closed, faith continues to live in families, camps, and simple gatherings under trees.

How do international security initiatives and local government responses impact the Church’s ability to operate?

Security initiatives and government responses directly affect the Church’s freedom of movement and access to communities. When security improves, even slightly, priests can attempt brief pastoral visits. When it deteriorates, all activity becomes concentrated in displacement zones.

The Church does not engage politically, but it consistently advocates for peace, protection of civilians, and humanitarian access. International partners and Church-based organizations have been crucial in supporting displaced populations with food, medical care, and pastoral presence.

However, the ongoing instability continues to limit long-term planning and the possibility of returning to abandoned parishes.

Looking ahead, what do you see as the most critical security challenges for the Sahel in the next 5–10 years, and how should the Church prepare?

Looking ahead, some of the most serious challenges include prolonged displacement becoming permanent, trauma and loss affecting entire generations, radicalization fueled by despair and exclusion, and fatigue among humanitarian and pastoral workers.

The Church must prepare by investing in trauma healing and reconciliation, strengthening the formation of lay leaders and catechists, deepening interfaith collaboration, remaining a visible sign of hope, compassion, and moral conscience.

We have become a “Church on the move,” much like the Holy Family in exile. We believe that one day, peace will return, the bells will ring again, and our communities will be rebuilt. Until then, we continue to walk with our people, trusting in God’s mercy.

Spanish government clashes publicly with Church hierarchy

The Spanish government and the Catholic hierarchy have clashed publicly following comments by Archbishop Luis Argüello of Valladolid, president of the Spanish Episcopal Conference (CEE), calling for an election due to gridlock in parliament.

In an interview with newspaper La Vanguardia published Sunday, Argüello repeated his comments from this summer that the lack of support for Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s government in parliament means that nothing can get done.

“The situation is even more deadlocked than in July, with a legislature without a budget. So I reiterate what I said in July: a vote of confidence, a motion of no confidence, or giving the people a voice. In other words, what the Constitution provides for,” the archbishop said.

The gridlock exists because the summer 2023 elections were inconclusive, and despite his Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) finishing second to the conservative Popular Party (PP), Sánchez formed a precarious coalition reliant on a cross-party selection of regionalist groups, not all of which are left-leaning.

Sánchez responded to Argüello’s comments at a rally Sunday evening, dismissing the prelate’s intervention as unwelcome meddling.

“The time when bishops interfered in politics ended when democracy began in this country,” Sánchez stated.

Referring to the three choices that the archbishop proposed in his interview, Sánchez suggested that there was a fourth available. “Respect the election results, even if you don’t like them,” he said.

“It is certainly curious, because when the right wing governs they do not call for early elections, nor for a motion of censure or a motion of confidence; on the contrary, what they want is for the four years mandated by the Constitution for the duration of a legislature to be respected,” the socialist leader added.

Sánchez finished his comments with a broadside against Archbishop Argüello, telling him he should run for election.

“I encourage the president of the Episcopal Conference to do the following: if he wants to run in an election, there’s the far-right association Christian Lawyers, let him run and see what result he gets,” he told his supporters.

Other ministers join the criticism

Sánchez was not alone in his criticism of Argüello, with Deputy Prime Minister María Jesús Montero also weighing in.

“As a woman of the progressive Church, I ask the president of the Episcopal Conference to renounce the ‘let him who can do, do’ mentality,” she said.

Félix Bolaños García, minister of the presidency, justice and relations with the Cortes, had already written a letter over the summer to the archbishop, stating his displeasure at his comments at that time.

“The time when bishops intervened in the politics of our country ended with the dictatorship. We ask the Episcopal Conference for political neutrality and that they tone down a bit their fondness for PP–Vox,” Bolaños wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

He also wrote an open letter to the president of the CEE, in which he asked the archbishop “to refrain from breaking your neutrality and to act with respect toward democracy and the government.”

The Church responds

The archbishop Joan Planellas of Tarragona offered muted support for Archbishop Argüello, agreeing with his analysis that there was a deadlock that needed to be addressed.

But he said “we in the Church must be very careful about saying that new elections are necessary” saying that, following the teachings of Gaudium et Spes and the Second Vatican Council, “the Church cannot identify itself with any specific political option and is not bound to any political system.”

“It is perfectly legitimate for a Christian to say what Archbishop Argüello has said, but I would be very prudent in making these statements in the name of the Church or in the name of the various pastors of the Church,” he added.

Argüello responded to the comments from Sánchez and ministers from PSOE, writing on X that on certain political matters he will not stay neutral.

“In the face of respect for life and its dignity, the understanding and support for the family in housing and education, the welcoming of immigrants, service to the poor, religious and conscientious freedom, and respect for the basic rules of the rule of law, I am not neutral,” he wrote.

The X account of the CEE also responded to the storm.

“The very fact that the media ask the Church for its opinion on current events disproves that the Church should be an absent agent from public life and social opinion. Being a member of the Church does not prevent one from opining on public life nor from giving interviews,” the account said.

Separately, Sánchez’s government has been under pressure amid corruption investigations and sexual harassment complaints against party members, including cases that have led to the resignation of senior party officials.

Garda probe as donations meant for homeless people stolen from Limerick church

GARDAI have launched an investigation after donations meant for homeless people at Christmas were stolen from city centre church in Limerick city centre.

In an incident described as “sad” and “disappointing,” the theft took place at St Joseph’s Parish Church in O’Connell Avenue.

The church community had teamed up with homelessness charity Novas to encourage people to buy and donate items like sleeping bags, toiletries, towels, hats, scarves and gloves.

Families have been dropping in items, with Novas set to distribute the items to the homeless this week.

But CCTV footage seen by Limerick Live reveals two women entering the church and taking two bags of gifts left in the donation box away with them.

It’s understood the pair removed a bin from outside the church, emptied the contents of the bin-bag and used it to also steal festive decorations from the church.

“It’s just disappointing, because it’s very obvious who the gifts are for, and the people who came in. I don’t know if they needed them. They just took them because they could,” said Canon Derek Leonard, the Parish Priest of St Joseph’s.

Officers at Henry Street garda station were handed the footage from the incident, which took place on Friday, December 5, at approximately 4:30pm.

A garda spokesperson has confirmed an investigation is under way.

In the wake of this, volunteers have stepped up patrols of the church, and become more vigilant.

Donations into the basket are now removed much more quickly and put under lock and key.

Canon Leonard says despite the theft, they will not be deterred.

“It’s not going to stop us campaigning and looking to donate gifts to the homeless. We have a lot of people coming in and out of the church, and it’s quite safe. But if they are here, they should keep an eye out, and if there is anything happening that should not be happening, they should let us know,” he said.

As news of the theft has spread through the community, people have actually redoubled their efforts to donate to the cause, something praised by Canon Leonard.

He noted families and children in particular dropping in donations.

He said he decided to start the homeless appeal, because of the number of people waiting outside the church seeking money, especially at Mass time.

“I’m conscious we do not know where this money goes. So I wanted to do something constructive for homeless people. I was in touch with Novas and asked for a list of items they need not just at Christmas, but during the year, and could we contribute to it,” he told Limerick Live.

Texas church depicts Holy Family in cage wrapped in barbed wire in nativity display

A church in Texas is sparking debate after erecting a nativity scene that depicts Mary, Joseph and Jesus as modern-day immigrants locked in a metal cage wrapped in barbed wire.

Oak Lawn United Methodist Church in Dallas set up the display on its front steps, which are painted in rainbow colors.

The display features silhouettes of the Holy Family standing behind a chain-link fence, with signs reading "Holy is the refugee" and "Holy are the profiled and patrolled."

Inside the church, a second installation features empty chairs, protest-style signs and a manger beneath a wooden board painted with "ICE WAS HERE." Additional signs inside ask, "Where is Mary?," "Where is Joseph?" and "Where is Jesus?"

The church announced the launch of the display on Dec. 8, insisting it was sending a provocative and moral message to the community.

"Our nativity isn’t a photo-op. It’s a prayer in the shape of a family," the church wrote on Facebook.

"This year, we set the Holy Family inside the kind of space too many folks sleep in right now — tarps, fencing, harsh wire. Not for shock, but for truth."

The church framed the scene as an ethical message about migrants and the unhoused. Church leaders said the display is meant to push congregants to reflect on who is being left out this Christmas season.

"If love came into the world through a family with no room to stay, then every unhoused neighbor matters. Every migrant matters. Every family seeking safety matters," the post reads.

Passers-by were receptive to the depiction and its messaging. 

"I think it is a really good commentary on the political issues at hand right now at the border and immigrants being arrested without due process," said Sean Garman, who lives nearby.

"I think it is a modern interpretation of what the gospel says. Jesus was an immigrant and a migrant," added Sarah Perkins, who also lives in the area.

Associate Pastor Isabel Marquez said the message behind the nativity was intentional.

"This topic is sending a message to everyone," Marquez told Fox 4 Dallas. "It is a way to say what is a reality happening here for many people."

A Dallas church created this immigration-themed nativity scene with signs asking "Where is Mary?" and "Where is Joseph?" as part of its holiday display. (Fox 4 Dallas)

"We are called to be able to walk the journey together as human beings. It’s not saying do more or do less, just treat others as you want to be treated," Marquez said.

It’s not the first time the church has weighed in on political and social issues.

In October, the church painted its steps in the rainbow colors in an act of solidarity with the LGBTQ community after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ordered all rainbow-decorated crosswalks across the state to be removed within 30 days or risk losing essential funding from the state’s transportation department, per the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), a left-wing media monitoring organization

In 2022, the church defied a bishop and appointed two openly gay pastors.

Why Are Greek Media Erasing the Murder of a Greek Priest from the Barghouti Coverage?

Father Germanos, born Georgios Tsibouktzakis in Greece, was a Greek Orthodox monk-priest who moved to Israel in the early 1990s to serve at the St. George Monastery in the Judean Desert. 

He was widely respected and known for maintaining warm relations with the local community.

On June 12, 2001, while returning to the monastery from Jerusalem, Father Germanos was ambushed and murdered by Palestinian terrorists. 

The attack was carried out by Fatah-affiliated gunmen, making him one of more than 1,000 Israelis and foreign nationals killed in Palestinian terror attacks during the Second Intifada.

In 2004, arch-terrorist Marwan Barghouti was convicted in a Tel Aviv court and sentenced to five life sentences for orchestrating a series of attacks that killed five civilians, including Father Germanos.

Since 2004, calls for Marwan Barghouti’s release have become a cause célèbre among those willing to overlook terrorism and murder, clinging to the idea that he could somehow emerge as a unifying figure in Palestinian politics or even a partner for peace with Israel.

Support for Barghouti has ebbed and flowed over the past two decades, but the past few months have seen a marked resurgence in articles, commentary, and sympathetic profiles of the Palestinian terror leader. 

His release was floated in the lead-up to the most recent ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, and more recently, 200 artists and celebrities publicly endorsed freeing him.

This renewed wave of attention has not been limited to English-language media. Coverage of Barghouti has been widespread, appearing in news outlets across the world.

The Greek media has been no exception to the renewed global interest in Marwan Barghouti. Over the past few months, several Greek outlets have published pieces spotlighting the imprisoned Palestinian leader.

Yet one striking omission appears across these articles: none of them mention Father Germanos. 

The last time a mainstream Greek news outlet referenced his murder in connection with Barghouti was in November 2023.

A review of recent Greek-language coverage shows that these articles devote minimal attention to the actual reasons for Barghouti’s imprisonment. Instead, they focus largely on the arguments being advanced for his release, while entirely overlooking Father Germanos and the other victims whose deaths led to Barghouti’s conviction.

These Barghouti-centered pieces have appeared in numerous major publications, including Business Daily, Kathimerini, ERT News, ProtoThema, Naftemporiki, Skai, and Ethnos.

Instead of highlighting Barghouti’s responsibility for the murder of one of their own countrymen, these Greek news outlets dedicated only a few brief paragraphs to Barghouti’s record of terrorism and violence. 

Their coverage focused largely on the campaign to free him.

By omitting Father Germanos from recent reporting on Marwan Barghouti, Greek-language media organizations are doing a disservice to their audiences. 

They present Barghouti’s potential release as an issue confined to the Middle East, rather than one that also carries profound resonance for Greece. 

What is lost in this coverage is the simple truth that this story is not distant at all, and it is tied directly to the murder of a Greek citizen whose name deserves not to be forgotten.

Archbishop: Fr. Luis Camacho to appeal ruling that would strip him of priest status

Father Luis Camacho can and will appeal a ruling from the Vatican that found him guilty of sexual misconduct with a minor and would see him stripped of his title as priest.

That’s according to a pastoral letter issued Monday by Archbishop Ryan Jimenez. 

The archbishop said he “acted in haste” last week in a letter that announced Camacho would be “laicized,” or no longer recognized as a priest, effective immediately.

Camacho has 60 days from Dec. 2 to appeal the ruling, Jimenez clarified Monday.

“The right of appeal has not expired, and Rev. Camacho fully intends to exercise his right to appeal to the Collegium of the Doctrine of the Faith,” he said.

Camacho left Guam in 2015, under canonical investigation, after being arrested and charged with custodial interference for allegedly taking a minor from school and engaging in a sexual act with her.

It came shortly after Camacho’s ordination as a priest on Nov. 9, 2013.

Camacho returned to Guam nine years later, in May 2024, but the archdiocese at the time said his priestly faculties were still restricted.

In a message last week, Jimenez indicated that the Congresso of the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith completed its review of the case involving Camacho, and confirmed that he was found guilty of “delicate graviora cum minor” on Sept. 19.

The archbishop has stated he received authorization from the Dicastery on Nov. 5, 2024, to initiate an administrative penal process.

After a canonical investigation, a penal decree was issued finding Camacho guilty of delicate “contra sextum.” That means violations of the Sixth Commandment, or sexual misconduct, with a minor, the archbishop has stated.

That means “grave offenses involving of a person under the age of 18.”

But with the right of appeal still available, Camacho “is not dismissed from the clerical state while recourse is ongoing,” Jimenez stated Monday.

"I acted in haste and that my actions were not intended to cause any harm or scandal to Rev. Camacho, to his family or to the Archdiocese of Agana,” Jimenez said. “Meanwhile, we must wait in prayer for Rev. Camacho and for all of us that, after all the requirements of canon law are met, we accept the Holy Will of God.”

2015 arrest

According to archdiocesan records, Camacho was arrested on March 17, 2015, on Guam for custodial interference.

He resigned as pastor of San Dimas, Malesso’ and San Dionisio, Humåtak.

At the time, he was prohibited from hearing confession and restricted from celebrating Mass publicly. He was only able to celebrate Mass privately.

After Camacho’s 2015 arrest, then Archbishop Anthony S. Apuron sent him off-island to a priestly renewal program.

A year later, Apuron himself left Guam, after former altar boys started publicly accusing him of raping and sexually molesting them when they were minors. The Vatican had likewise opened a canonical investigation on Apuron.

A Vatican tribunal would find Apuron guilty of abusing multiple minors and after losing his appeal, he was stripped of his title and banned from returning to Guam.

It took until 2019, three years after accusers first stepped forward, for Apuron’s conviction and appeal to conclude.

KCK archbishop reinstates suspended priest after investigation — but with limits

The leader of the Catholic Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas has reinstated a priest who was temporarily removed in August, saying investigations found that he violated no civil or church laws.

But along with the reinstatement, Archbishop Shawn McKnight placed some restrictions on the Rev. Jerry Arano-Ponce’s activities involving minors.

McKnight announced the decision to parishioners of Queen of the Holy Rosary Catholic Church in a three-page letter dated Dec. 13. An announcement also was posted Monday on the archdiocese’s website.

“I am blessed to be able to deliver the good news that your pastor, Father Jerry Arano-Ponce, is returning to serve your parish, effective December 15, 2025,” McKnight wrote. “With the conclusion of the civil and canonical investigations determining no civil or church laws were broken, it is possible for me to reinstate him, with several requirements which are intended to strengthen your parish’s bonds of fraternal care for one another and others.”

The requirements, according to McKnight:

-No minors will be allowed in any part of the rectory (the priest’s residence), which means the parish may no longer use the rectory for youth gatherings or other parish activities.

-The pastor must not provide gifts of any kind to individual children.

-Arano-Ponce may not take any pictures of minors.

A message on Queen of the Holy Rosary’s website celebrated the priest’s reinstatement.

“Rejoicing!” it said. “The parishioners at masses this weekend were given the wonderful news by Archbishop Shawn McKnight, that Father Jerry is back. Exuberant applause met the news — our parish’s shepherd returns!”

Details of allegations

McKnight temporarily suspended Arano-Ponce in August while he said investigations were being conducted into allegations of questionable behavior.

The archbishop provided details of the concerns in his Dec. 13 letter.

Less than five months ago, McKnight said, he was made aware “of serious concerns regarding Father Jerry’s ability to uphold good boundaries, according to our policies, best practices and training.”

“Our training teaches us that when serious boundaries are crossed, a suspicion of grooming or abuse follows,” McKnight said. He said the concerns raised about Arano-Ponce included:

-perceived favoritism of certain minors and families

-use of the rectory to meet with minors without other adults present

-giving substantial gifts (primarily money) to children

-failing to follow normal procedures for awarding scholarships; and

-taking pictures of minors without permission or knowledge of their parents

“Father Jerry has maintained his innocence throughout the situation,” McKnight said. “Perhaps some of you question whether this kind of behavior warranted my response. I can assure you it was necessary.”

Because the concerns involved minors, McKnight said, the archdiocese was required by law to report them to law enforcement.

“The seriousness of these concerns led to the initiation of an investigation by local authorities,” he said. “Furthermore, for justice to be realized, law enforcement must be able to conduct an investigation without any interference.

“That meant the civil investigation had to conclude before we could begin investigating if any actions were against Church law, which required considering the spiritual and moral implications of the behavior.”

McKnight said he asked experts from the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis to assist those in the KCK archdiocese’s Office for Protection and Care to help expedite the process. The investigation, he said, found issues at Queen of the Holy Rosary that needed to be addressed.

Queen of the Holy Rosary-Wea Parish is at 22779 Metcalf Road and has a Bucyrus address. Arano-Ponce has previously served at St. Agnes Catholic Church in Roeland Park and Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Topeka.

McKnight, former bishop of the Diocese of Jefferson City, was installed May 27 as the 12th bishop and fifth archbishop of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas after being appointed by Pope Francis to replace retiring Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann.

His temporary suspension of Arano-Ponce in August marked the second time in just over a week that the archdiocese had publicly addressed allegations of misconduct involving leaders in its community.

On Aug. 6, the board of trustees at Bishop Miege High School in Roeland Park fired its president, Phil Baniewicz, amid an investigation into allegations of inappropriate behavior with a minor.

The board chair said an independent, professional firm had been hired to conduct an investigation and that more information would be shared as it became available.

And in September, parishioners of Cure of Ars Catholic Church in Leawood were stunned when the archdiocese announced that the Rev. Richard Storey had resigned amid a criminal investigation by Prairie Village police. No details were provided about the investigation, and it remains ongoing.

Process has been painful, archbishop said

In his Dec. 13 letter telling parishioners about Arano-Ponce, McKnight said that “Father Jerry has many gifts.”

“I appreciate his deep care and concern for you and your families,” the archbishop wrote. “Many of you have expressed how you have missed your spiritual father. Thank you for sharing your affection for Father Jerry.”

McKnight asked that people speak up when they see something that concerns them. And when issues are raised, he said, he has a responsibility to address them.

“That responsibility includes fairness to the subject of the issues raised, care for those who come forward, and due diligence for the good of the whole Church,” he wrote. “In the past, our Church has been criticized harshly, rightfully, and to the detriment of our communal bonds, for not addressing such concerns adequately.”

McKnight said the process had been difficult.

“It certainly pains me to see a brother priest undergo such a trial, as well as to witness the uncertainty, confusion, and hardship it can place upon a community,” he said. “In moments like these, it is essential we remain united as a true sanctuary of mercy, committed to listening carefully and responding with charity.”

McKnight said he was “profoundly grateful” to those who participated in the process.

“Even though it has been painful, I believe God can use this pain to foster a renewal in your parish if we choose to listen to each other,” he said. “In listening with the heart, we will realize that all of us have the same goal: To be a safe haven for all and a place where we bring our community closer to one another and to Christ.”

Confirmed: Joliet's Bishop Hicks to NYC

Pope Leo XIV is expected to appoint Bishop Ronald Hicks of Joliet as the next Archbishop of New York, The Pillar has confirmed, with an announcement expected as early as Dec. 18.

Rumors about the prospect of a Hicks move to New York began circulating Monday, following a report forecasting the move at the Spanish Religión Digital website. 

Chicago media figures fueled speculation online about an imminent appointment, with rumors continuing to circulate among ecclesiastical figures and Church-watchers.

Sources close to the Dicastery for Bishops in Rome confirmed the appointment to The Pillar Dec. 16, indicating that the move is likely to be announced Thursday.

Hicks will succeed Cardinal Timothy Dolan, 75, who has served in New York since 2009. The bishop’s appointment will bring to an end months of speculation about Dolan’s successor, with several candidates speculated for the position.

The task of leading the New York archdiocese is not likely to be easy.

Dolan announced last week that the archdiocese is selling off real estate to put aside some $300 million, into a fund meant for the compensation of sexual abuse survivors. Real estate sold off for the fund includes the $100 million sale last year of the archdiocesan headquarters at 1011 First Avenue, after which chancery operations were moved to a former Catholic high school.

The archdiocese has engaged a retired judge to serve as mediator for negotiations toward a global settlement for abuse survivors. Meanwhile, Dolan explained that the archdiocese continues in litigation with Chubb Insurance, a long time archdiocesan liability insurer, which Dolan said has “steadfastly refused to honor the policies it issued.”

The New York archdiocese has also struggled in recent years to encourage priestly vocations, with only two men applying to diocesan formation in 2024, and the number of priests declining by 51% between 1970 and 2020. In June, the archdiocese said it had 18 men in priestly formation, for a Catholic population of 2.5 million, with some 300 parishes.

According to the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate, religious practice has fallen markedly across the archdiocese in the last five decades, even while its Catholic population has increased by more than 50%.

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Bishop Hicks, 58, has significant experience in administration, and spent five years of priestly ministry in Central America.

Hicks was born in Harvey, Illinois on Aug. 4, 1967. He attended a local Catholic grade school, then studied philosophy at Niles College of Loyola University, graduating in 1989. He later went on to earn a master of divinity degree and doctor of ministry degree from University of St. Mary of the Lake in Mundelein.

He was ordained a priest in 1994 and served at several parishes in the Archdiocese of Chicago over the next five years. In 1999, he was appointed dean of formation at St. Joseph College Seminary.

In 2005, Hicks moved to El Salvador, where he spent the next five years as regional director of an orphanage that operates throughout Latin America.

Upon his return to Chicago in 2010, Hicks became dean of formation at Mundelein Seminary and was named archdiocesan vicar general in 2015.

Sources close to the bishop say he was close to the late Cardinal Francis George, who led the archdiocese from 1997 until 2014.

In 2018, Hicks was ordained an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Chicago. In 2020, he was appointed as Bishop of Joliet.

Hicks is chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life, and Vocations.

While there has been speculation about how Hicks was nominated to New York, the bishop has had at least some personal connection directly with Pope Leo.

In May, Hicks told WGN News that he met Pope Leo XIV, then Cardinal Robert Prevost, when the cardinal gave a 2024 talk at an Illinois parish.

“I walked away [from the talk] saying ‘I learned something tonight. I learned something about our faith. I learned something about our Church.’”

“And [Prevost] did so in a way that was clear, concise, creative, and — finally — humble,” Hicks said.

Of their brief meeting, Hicks said the men chatted after the 2024 lecture for about 20 minutes, with Hicks concluding that Prevost “takes more time to listen than to talk.”

Hicks also praised that Leo “doesn’t back away or shy away” from tough issues, and that he would lead “with the heart of a shepherd.”

The bishop said that he saw similarities between himself and Prevost, with the two having grown up nearby one another, having “played in the same parks, went swimming in the same pools, liked the same pizza places.”

But Hicks said that unlike the pontiff, he is a “die-hard” Chicago Cubs fan, and that his father wanted him and his siblings to “stay Catholic and stay Cub fans.”

Catholic Diocese says priest with animal abuse charges will not be considered for area position

A Catholic priest who pleaded guilty to animal abuse and was supposed to be reassigned to Shreveport will no longer be taking the position. 

The priest, Charles Thessing, who pleaded guilty to animal abuse charges, was set to be assigned to Shreveport’s diocese.

Thessing’s charges originated in West Memphis, Ark. earlier in 2025. 

His sentencing agreement shows he was ordered to pay more than $2,000 to the West Memphis Animal Shelter, along with a fine and court costs.

In response, the Catholic Diocese of Shreveport has put out a statement from the Bishop’s office.

As previously announced, Father Thessing was scheduled to begin a new assignment in the Diocese of Shreveport on January 1, 2026. 

Father Thessing has since requested not to be considered for this assignment and has conveyed his decision to Bishop Malone.

Bishop Malone respects Father Thessing’s decision, and accordingly, Father Thessing will not be assigned to the Diocese of Shreveport.

Bishop Malone, Catholic Shreveport Diocese.

Georgian priest backing protests suspended from ministry

Archimandrite Dorote Kurashvili of the Georgian Orthodox Church, who has spoken out in support of anti-government protests, has been temporarily suspended from ministry. The decision was signed by Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II.

A statement issued by the Patriarchate says the archimandrite had, “despite warnings, repeatedly violated the norms of church canonical ethics.” The suspension is based on Canon 55 of the Apostolic Canons, which stipulates that a clergyman who insults a bishop is subject to excommunication.

Formally, the case concerns church discipline and canonical order. In practice, however, it represents a striking example of the church being used as a political instrument.

Priest who spoke out against the regime

Archimandrite Dorote Kurashvili was one of the few clergy members to openly and publicly support pro-European, anti-government protests in Georgia.

He stood alongside demonstrators from the very first days of the rallies. When legislation was tightened and public gatherings were restricted, he proposed holding a public prayer outside the parliament building, reasoning that people who came to pray would not be arrested.

Dorote Kurashvili has made outspoken anti-government statements in the media, openly saying that Georgia is ruled by a pro-Russian and anti-Western government that is “dragging the country toward the abyss.”

He has publicly condemned violence against peaceful demonstrators—something many other clergy members have refrained from doing. Kurashvili has described those detained during the protests as prisoners of conscience, a stance that sharply contrasts with the official rhetoric of both the government and the church.

He also persuaded a group of protesters to end a hunger strike outside the parliament building.

Persecution leading up to the decision

Several weeks before he was suspended from ministry, the archimandrite was demoted. On 29 October, he was reassigned as a priest at the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Tbilisi.

At the time, the diocesan commission said Kurashvili’s actions involved “disciplinary and moral violations.”

At a meeting of the diocesan commission on 16 December, which the archimandrite did not attend, he was issued a “stern warning.”

The Patriarchate continues to insist that the decision regarding Kurashvili is not politically motivated.

However, the sequence of events suggests otherwise.

‘The Church is dying, our country is dying’

After his suspension, Archimandrite Dorote Kurashvili said that “the Church is dying, the country is dying, and priests are staying silent.”

He said the decision would not stop him from speaking out—not as a priest, but as a citizen. At the same time, he did not rule out that it could give the authorities a free hand and even lead to his imprisonment.

Kurashvili also said he intends to appeal to the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Constantinople, asking for help in what he described as saving Orthodoxy in Georgia.

He said he had spent years trying to raise concerns about problems within the Church from the inside and had defended its hierarchical structure. Now, he added, he is forced to voice his position outside the Church. In particular, he criticised what he called a non-canonical institution of the priesthood and called for structural changes in the governance of the Church.

Statements from clergy and theologians

Religious expert Beki Mindiašvili believes that the Patriarchate not only failed to protect Dorote Kurashvili from political pressure but also became an instrument in his persecution. According to Mindiašvili, the punishment of clergy members is intended to intimidate those who are critical of the Church hierarchy.

Mindiašvili argues that Kurashvili’s suspension actually underscores his spiritual correctness and that supporting Archimandrite Dorote is a responsibility not only for believers but for all patriotic citizens.

Levan Sutidze, editor-in-chief of Tabula and a journalist covering religious issues, writes that the Patriarchate’s attempts to separate Kurashvili’s suspension from politics appear unconvincing, as the Church seeks to portray itself as neutral while its rhetoric aligns with the government’s position.

Sutidze also notes that Patriarchal decisions are never reviewed by the Holy Synod, leaving clergy who fall out of favour with no option but to appeal to the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Constantinople—a move that could set an important precedent for overcoming selective justice within the Church.

Georgian priest Konstantin Paichadze, who lives in the United States, also believes that Kurashvili’s suspension is linked to his active political engagement and reflects systemic problems within the Church.

According to Paichadze, while church canons provide the right to appeal unfair decisions, in practice there is no independent ecclesiastical court.