Italian priest accused of abusing a minor claims he was performing a "purification rite"

A 69-year-old priest from the Italian diocese of Ugento-Santa Maria di Leuca has been placed under house arrest, accused of allegedly abusing a minor on several occasions inside his parish. 

The incidents under investigation are said to have taken place between November and May and, according to the prosecution, occurred during confessions and spiritual direction meetings.

According to the Italian newspaper Il Giornale, the precautionary measure was ordered by the investigating judge of Lecce, Francesco Valente, at the request of the Public Prosecutor’s Office, which is investigating three alleged episodes that reportedly occurred inside the church where the priest served.

The judicial ruling also includes the obligation to wear an electronic monitoring device while the investigations continue.

The complaint came from the minor’s mother

The investigation began after a complaint filed by the mother of the alleged victim.

According to reports published in Italy, the minor reportedly told his mother about a series of inappropriate behaviors by the priest during confession. 

Following that testimony, investigators opened proceedings that led to the adoption of precautionary measures against the clergyman.

The facts under investigation are said to have always occurred in the context of pastoral encounters or during the celebration of the sacrament of penance.

The Public Prosecutor’s Office of Lecce considers that there are sufficiently serious indications to justify the measure adopted while the case continues.

The priest denies the accusations

During his appearance before the judge, the priest denied having committed abuse and rejected the version of events presented by the prosecution.

According to his statement, the contacts under investigation were part of what he described as an alleged “purification rite” requested by the minor himself.

The clergyman claimed that the young man had told him he felt “possessed by the devil” and that the actions taken responded to that spiritual context.

This explanation has been included in the investigation, although it is now up to the magistrates to determine its credibility and clarify what actually happened during the encounters between the two.

The investigation remains open

The Public Prosecutor’s Office of Lecce continues to gather evidence to accurately reconstruct the reported facts.

Investigators are analyzing the statements of the alleged victim and the documentation collected in recent months. 

The possibility of taking statements from other individuals who could provide relevant information for clarifying the case has not been ruled out.

New contradictions surrounding the complaint against Father Omar revive the controversy in the Ugaz-Bertomeu case

The controversy surrounding the complaint made public against Peruvian priest Omar Sánchez has added a new chapter following the release of a statement by the program Gatos por Liebre, from Origen Xtream.

The statement comes just days after the interview given by Nicolás Arosemena and the information released by Epicentro TV and journalist Paola Ugaz regarding an alleged canonical complaint against the priest. 

Far from clarifying the situation, the latest statements have brought to light a series of contradictions affecting the very core of the accusation.

Does a complaint exist or not in the Holy See?

The main contradiction pointed out by Gatos por Liebre concerns the very existence of a complaint before the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.

According to the statement, Jordi Bertomeu would have publicly stated in an interview given to Rosa María Palacios that there is no complaint against Omar Sánchez in that dicastery. 

However, Epicentro TV maintains that there is currently an ongoing complaint in the Holy See.

The apparent incompatibility between both versions has fueled new doubts about the actual status of the case. 

If the complaint is being processed, it is difficult to reconcile that situation with the claim that there is no case in the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith. 

If, on the other hand, there is no complaint at all, one of the main elements on which the controversy of recent weeks has been built would be called into question.

Was the complaint withdrawn or is it still under review?

Another point of conflict revolves around the very existence and status of the complaint.

According to the outlet, in various public statements journalist Paola Ugaz would have maintained that the complaint filed against Omar Sánchez had been withdrawn. 

However, Epicentro TV later claimed that there is currently an ongoing complaint before the Holy See.

The discrepancy has led to a question that remains without a clear answer: whether the complaint was indeed withdrawn or whether it continues to be processed by ecclesiastical authorities.

The issue is not minor, as it directly affects the foundation of the information released in recent weeks and the credibility of the various versions offered publicly.

The controversy over the identity of the alleged complainant

Another element that has generated new doubts concerns the documentation shown during the report.

Origen Xtream maintains that one of the signatures partially displayed on screen would have been recognized by Nicolás Arosemena Spitzer — alleged victim of Father Omar - as that of his own mother. 

According to that version, Arosemena would have publicly denied that she filed any complaint against Father Omar Sánchez.

Based on that circumstance, the program’s producers have called for the full signature of the displayed document to be shown in order to definitively clarify the identity of the person named in the complaint.

Omar Sánchez claims he has not been notified

According to the information released, Omar Sánchez has reiterated that he will continue to follow the instructions of his ecclesiastical authorities and that, to date, he has not received any official notification from any dicastery of the Holy See regarding a complaint against him.

This statement adds a new element of uncertainty to the case, especially amid the conflicting versions regarding the existence and status of a possible canonical proceeding.

A case that goes beyond the specific complaint

Beyond the specific complaint against Omar Sánchez, the episode has ultimately opened a broader debate on the methods used in certain ecclesiastical investigations, the media treatment of accusations, and the need to rigorously verify the documentation presented before spreading accusations of enormous gravity.

For now, far from being clarified, the situation appears to have entered a new phase marked by opposing versions, questioned documents, and a growing demand for transparency regarding the origin and authenticity of the complaints that have fueled the controversy.

French bishops denounce a law that threatens the secrecy of confession and the freedom of Catholic education

The French Episcopal Conference has raised its voice against a bill that will be debated this Monday, June 1, in the National Assembly and which, according to the bishops, could endanger both the secrecy of confession and the autonomy of Catholic education. 

The initiative, promoted by the parliamentary group of former Prime Minister Gabriel Attal under the argument of strengthening the protection of minors against violence in the school environment, has provoked a public reaction from the French episcopate.

According to Le Figaro, the bishops express their “great concern” over several provisions of the text, considering that they affect fundamental freedoms such as freedom of worship, freedom of conscience, and freedom of education. 

Although the French Church supports efforts to prevent abuse and protect minors, it warns that some articles go far beyond that objective.

The secrecy of confession in the spotlight

The bishops’ main concern centers on Article 9 of the proposed legislation. 

The text aims to require ministers of religion to report any case of violence against minors that comes to their knowledge, even when that information has been received in the exercise of their priestly ministry.

The proposal expressly states that no appeal to the secrecy of confession could override this obligation to report.

This issue affects one of the fundamental pillars of the sacrament of reconciliation. 

Sacramental secrecy is considered absolutely inviolable, and its violation carries the gravest canonical sanctions for a priest.

The bishops also recall that French law has historically recognized the protection of the professional secrecy of ministers of religion. 

In this regard, they refer to the case of Bishop Pierre Pican of Bayeux and Lisieux, whose situation was examined by French justice at the beginning of the century. 

The jurisprudence at that time confirmed the obligation of religious ministers to keep secret what they learned in the exercise of their ministry.

The Church insists that this defense of sacramental secrecy does not imply covering up crimes or obstructing the course of justice. 

In fact, it recalls that ecclesiastical norms require reporting and acting against abuses known outside the context of sacramental confession, a line that was reinforced during the pontificate of Francis.

New controls on Catholic education

The second major concern of the episcopate relates to education. 

The bill significantly expands the State’s supervisory powers over state-subsidized private schools, including Catholic schools.

Until now, inspections focused mainly on verifying compliance with official academic programs. 

The new regulations would allow these inspections to extend to all areas of school life, including their so-called “specific character,” that is, those elements that express their particular identity.

In practice, the measure could affect issues related to moral formation, affective-sexual education, or the transmission of Christian anthropology—areas in which Catholic schools maintain their own criteria inspired by Church teaching.

According to the bishops, the tightening of control mechanisms could even lead to administrative sanctions or the closure of schools.

Fear of greater state oversight

The proposal also includes the creation of an Academic Council for Private Education aimed at strengthening the State’s supervisory capacity over these institutions.

Various Catholic education officials interpret this measure as a further step toward increasing state oversight of state-subsidized schools, progressively reducing the margin of autonomy they have historically maintained within the French educational system.

For this reason, the French Episcopal Conference has decided to intervene publicly before the parliamentary debate to warn of what it considers a simultaneous threat to religious freedom and educational freedom.

Although the bishops acknowledge the need to combat any form of violence against minors, they maintain that the protection of children cannot become an argument for weakening fundamental rights that form part of the French democratic framework and the Republic’s own legal tradition.

Acquitted by the Supreme Court, expelled by the Vatican: who is Luis Bazalar, the "confessor" of a Peruvian presidential candidate

The emergence of Luis Alejandro Bazalar García as confessor and spiritual guide to Peruvian presidential candidate Roberto Sánchez has once again brought into the spotlight a case that, ten years ago, pitted the conclusions of civil and canonical justice against each other. 

The recent disclosure of his role within the candidate’s closest circle from Juntos por el Perú prompted the Archdiocese of Ayacucho to publicly recall the ecclesiastical sanction still in force against the former priest.

Bazalar is part of Roberto Sánchez’s innermost circle; the candidate of Juntos por el Perú will contest the presidential runoff on 7 June. 

A television report identified him as one of the presidential hopeful’s trusted collaborators, while he presents himself as Sánchez’s spiritual director and confessor.

The communiqué from the Archdiocese of Ayacucho

The controversy was reignited on 27 May when the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Ayacucho issued a statement signed by Archbishop Salvador Piñeiro.

The document recalls that the then-Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith issued a decree on 10 July 2015 dismissing Luis Bazalar from the clerical state. 

According to the text, the Vatican body concluded there was “sufficient moral certainty” regarding the facts investigated in the canonical procedure.

The archdiocese further clarified that the sanction entails the loss of the rights and obligations proper to the clerical state and the prohibition of exercising priestly ministry, except for the exceptions provided by canon law in situations of danger of death.

The conviction and subsequent acquittal

The case received wide coverage in Peru between 2015 and 2016.

In the first instance, the Superior Court of Justice of Ayacucho sentenced Bazalar to eight years in prison for crimes against sexual freedom in the form of the seduction of a 17-year-old seminarian. 

The sentence also included other charges related to injuries.

Months later, the Supreme Court of Justice annulled the conviction and acquitted the priest of all charges. 

The court held that there was insufficient evidence to rebut the presumption of innocence and ordered the definitive closure of the case.

The ruling also ordered the cancellation of the criminal, judicial and police records arising from the case. 

Among the arguments set out in the acquittal were the contradictions observed in the complainant’s statements and the assessment that Bazalar had acted in his capacity as the young man’s spiritual guide.

The canonical process followed a different path

The judicial acquittal did not alter the decision taken by the Holy See.

While the civil jurisdiction closed the case, the canonical sanction remained in force. 

In the years that followed, Bazalar undertook various initiatives to persuade Rome to review the file.

In interviews and public writings he maintained that he had been acquitted by the Peruvian courts and called for that circumstance to be taken into account by ecclesiastical authorities. 

He also claimed to have travelled to Rome on several occasions to submit documentation and request the reopening of his case.

In a 2016 letter addressed to the Pope, the former priest stated that he had proved his innocence before the civil courts and asked to be allowed to return to priestly ministry. 

However, the decision adopted by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith was not modified.

From ecclesiastical conflict to political activity

Over the years, Bazalar’s public presence ceased to focus exclusively on defending his canonical situation.

During Peru’s 2023 political crisis he took an active part in demonstrations against the government of Dina Boluarte and gave interviews in which he expressed increasingly defined political positions. 

In them he defended the convening of a Constituent Assembly, expressed admiration for Hugo Chávez, showed support for then-Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and even raised the possibility of entering Peruvian politics directly if social movements and indigenous communities so requested.

In those same statements he maintained that he had evolved ideologically over the years and linked his personal experience to the need to promote profound changes in the country’s political structure.

From the lay state to the presidential campaign

A decade after leaving the priesthood, Bazalar has returned to the public eye through the presidential campaign.

In addition to presenting himself as Roberto Sánchez’s spiritual director, he has taken part in events linked to the candidacy and has been identified by Peruvian media as one of the members of Sánchez’s inner circle. 

He also delivered the blessing at one of the candidate’s campaign events and has appeared in media outlets close to his political environment.

Pope Leo XIV interrupts the general audience to assist a priest

A spontaneous gesture by Pope Leo XIV during the general audience on Wednesday in St. Peter’s Square became one of the most talked-about moments of the day. 

The Pontiff interrupted his greeting to the faithful to personally assist a priest who had just fainted among the attendees.

The episode occurred at the end of the audience, when participants were approaching the area near the atrium to greet the Holy Father. 

Among them was Fr. Diego Semeraro, an Italian priest from the diocese of Taranto, who had traveled to Rome accompanied by his brother, Fr. Franco Semeraro.

After several hours of waiting under the sun, the priest felt unwell and collapsed to the ground, to the surprise of those nearby.

“Your Holiness, is it really you?”

Upon noticing what had happened, Leo XIV abandoned the planned route and immediately went to where the priest was.

According to Fr. Franco Semeraro’s later account to Vatican media, the Pope was the first person to come to his brother’s aid.

Footage released by the Vatican shows the Pontiff bending down beside the priest as medical services arrived. 

Leo XIV then personally handed him a rosary and remained by his side for a few moments, inquiring about his condition.

The reaction surprised the priest himself, who, still dazed by the incident, asked the Pope: “Your Holiness, is it really you?”.

No serious consequences

After receiving medical assistance, Fr. Diego Semeraro was taken to the Vatican’s medical services for various tests.

The examinations ruled out any serious complications, and the priest was able to continue his day as normal. 

According to his brother, he even celebrated Mass after lunch.

Fr. Diego will turn 82 next month and has a long pastoral career in the Italian region of Apulia.

A pastoral visit or a gala of official Spain?

As more details emerge about the visit of Leo XIV to Spain, it becomes increasingly difficult to ignore the uncomfortable feeling of witnessing the preparation of a major institutional, media and cultural event in which the specifically religious dimension is relegated to the background. 

Not because the Pope has ceased to be the Successor of Peter, but because those who organize, present and frame the events seem determined to turn his presence into a cross-cutting event suitable for all audiences, carefully integrated into the codes of official Spain.

The choice of journalists Carlos Franganillo and Lara Siscar to host the meeting that will bring the Pontiff together with representatives of culture, education, business and sport would not be particularly significant if it were an isolated decision. 

However, it adds to a long list of names that point in a very specific direction. Alongside them will appear Antonio Banderas, Rozalén, Sara Baras, Carolina Marín, Teresa Perales, the leaders of UGT and CCOO, representatives of employers’ associations and various figures regularly seen in Spain’s media and institutional ecosystem. 

The result seems less like a pastoral visit than a grand staging of social consensus around the figure of the Pope.

No one disputes that the Pontiff should engage with the worlds of culture, business, sport or politics. In fact, the Church has always sought to be present wherever human life unfolds. 

What is striking is that, when one looks at the overall programming and the profiles selected to headline the most visible events, a very particular image of Spain emerges: the televisual, institutional and culturally standardized Spain, the same one that usually occupies talk shows, major forums and spaces of public representation.

The problem is not the presence of these names. 

The problem is the absence of others. 

It is hard to find in the main showcase of the visit any visible references to the realities that sustain the daily life of the Church: families, apostolic movements, pro-life associations, religious communities, Catholic educators or the many evangelizing initiatives that work quietly away from the spotlight. 

It gives the impression that, in order to present the Pope to Spanish society, it has been considered more important to surround him with recognizable celebrities than to show the concrete face of living Catholicism.

This trend cannot be separated from the political context in which the visit is taking place. 

For years, Pedro Sánchez’s government has demonstrated a notable ability to integrate into its institutional narrative symbols and figures that, in principle, do not form part of its own ideological project. 

The Crown, the Armed Forces or certain religious traditions have been used at different moments as elements of legitimization and public normalization. 

The figure of the Pope carries even greater value: it represents a global moral authority whose image conveys respectability, moderation and international prestige.

And it is evident that some political, media and cultural sectors are not seeing in Leo XIV an extraordinary opportunity to project an image of harmony that hardly corresponds to reality. 

Because while grand stages of dialogue and understanding are being prepared, policies remain fully in force that clash head-on with fundamental principles of Catholic doctrine on issues such as life, family, education or the very conception of the human person.

The question is not whether the Pope should meet with representatives of civil society. 

The question is what message is conveyed when an apostolic visit ends up wrapped in an aesthetic that resembles more a festival or a ceremony of institutional prestige than a call to conversion, to truth and to an encounter with Christ. 

There is a substantial difference between engaging with the world and allowing oneself to be absorbed by its categories.

The Church does not need to turn every papal visit into a spectacle to prove its relevance. Nor does it need validation from talk shows or cultural elites to justify its presence in society. 

Its strength has always resided in something much deeper: the capacity to proclaim the Gospel even when it proves uncomfortable for the powerful, for the media and for prevailing fashions.

When Leo XIV arrives in Spain, millions of Catholics will not be expecting a gala. They will be expecting to hear the voice of the Successor of Peter. 

And it would be a pity if, amid so many spotlights, presenters, celebrities and carefully designed stage sets, that were precisely the voice heard the least.

Pope Leo XIV encourages charismatics to serve the Church without seeking power or prominence

Pope Leo XIV received the members of CHARIS this Saturday, May 30, in the Paul VI Hall, the body that coordinates the Catholic Charismatic Renewal worldwide. 

In his first audience with this movement since the beginning of his pontificate, the Holy Father expressed his desire to strengthen the bonds between the Holy See and the charismatic family, which his predecessors defined as a gift for the entire Church.

During his address, the Pontiff highlighted some of the elements he considers essential in the experience of the Charismatic Renewal: baptism in the Spirit, the prayer of praise, love for Sacred Scripture, ecclesial communion, and charity. Leo XIV recalled the teachings of Paul VI, Saint John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis on this movement, emphasizing its contribution to evangelization and the spiritual renewal of numerous faithful around the world.

The Pope also invited the charismatics to place themselves at the service of dioceses and parishes, to collaborate closely with their pastors, and to cultivate unity among the various communities. 

In the final part of his speech, he exhorted them to avoid any form of self-promotion, pursuit of power, or personal prestige, and encouraged them to keep alive their commitment to the poor and those who suffer, recalling that charity is an essential manifestation of the action of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Church.

Below, we provide the full address delivered by Leo XIV to the members of CHARIS:

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Peace be with you!

Your Eminence, Excellencies, dear brothers and sisters, good morning and welcome. Good morning!

I am pleased to have my first meeting with the Catholic Charismatic Renewal and to greet all those present, as well as the communities, groups, and schools of prayer and evangelization that you represent. God has truly blessed your communities with many gifts, including spiritual vitality. I also greet the leaders of the National and International Services of Communion of the International Service of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal (CHARIS), who have organized this meeting.

For the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, the years following the Second Vatican Council were a time of great expansion and growth, of integration into the life of the Church, and of consolidation of its structures of service.

My venerable predecessors recognized this development as a great gift to the Church. Indeed, Saint Paul VI stated that nothing is more necessary for an increasingly secularized world than the witness of this spiritual renewal that the Holy Spirit raises up in the most diverse regions and communities.

Highlighting your characteristic focus on evangelization, Saint John Paul II said: “It is the Spirit himself who impels you to bear witness.” 

And he added: “How can anyone who has tasted the goodness of Christ remain silent and inactive? Christ is our Savior. How can we not evangelize? Continue to communicate this zeal for the Gospel to those around you.”

For his part, Benedict XVI referred to the specific contribution you offer to the Church. 

He said: “One of the elements and positive aspects of the community of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal is precisely its emphasis on the charisms or gifts of the Holy Spirit, and its merit lies in having recalled their relevance in the Church.”

Like Cardinal Suenens in the early days of the movement, Pope Francis often spoke of you as a “current of grace,” which is “for the whole Church, not only for some.” 

In summary, he described your path as “evangelization, spiritual ecumenism, attention to the poor and needy, and welcome of the marginalized,” and added: “All of this is based on adoration! The foundation of renewal is to worship God!”

I too wish to foster the relationship of mutual respect, closeness, and support between the See of Peter and the great family of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal. 

In this regard, I would like to reflect on some key aspects of your spiritual experience: baptism in the Spirit, the prayer of praise, the Word of God, communion, and charity.

First, baptism in the Spirit. Your common journey of faith has its source in the personal experience of the Holy Spirit, who has made the grace of Baptism effective in each of you, leading you to a clear awareness of God’s love. 

This is the first powerful experience of grace that Saint Augustine himself had after his conversion and which he described with these heartfelt words: “O Christ Jesus, ‘my help and my redeemer’; suddenly it became sweet to me to be without the sweetness of folly. What I once feared to lose was now a joy to abandon. You cast them out and entered in their place, more delightful than any pleasure.”

The Holy Spirit has also enabled you to taste the sweetness of Christ. For you too, life changed from that moment. God ceased to be a mere idea and became the real and definitive expression of fatherhood. 

His Spirit has brought inner reconciliation, peace, and freedom from worldly attachments and the oppression of sin. 

It has also made possible a new outlook, marked by openness and hope toward others and toward the future, with the certainty that nothing will ever be able to separate us from the love of Christ. 

From this experience of the Holy Spirit is born the inner desire to be witnesses and heralds of his love, bringing his consolation to those oppressed by emptiness and loneliness.

The prayer of praise. Precisely from this captivating experience of the Holy Spirit was born a new life of prayer, which took the form of a new capacity for spontaneous and sincere dialogue with God, and a new openness to praise, adoration, and thanksgiving. 

Adoration and praise, so characteristic of your gatherings, are essential aspects of Christian prayer, and you have contributed to their rediscovery and renewed prominence in recent years.

The Word of God. The renewed outpouring of the Spirit has also led you to a living encounter with Sacred Scripture. 

The Holy Spirit inspired the revealed Word of God and is also the one who keeps it ever alive and active in the Church, making it resound in the hearts of believers, especially in the liturgy. 

That is why Scripture has become for you a wonderful source of spiritual nourishment that enlightens and consoles. 

It is also a source of discernment to guide your daily decisions and gives substance to communal prayer, allowing you to address the Lord with words inspired by God himself.

Communion. The Holy Spirit is the source of communion. 

In various documents, Pope Leo XIII encouraged Catholics to pray each year a novena to the Holy Spirit between the feasts of the Ascension and Pentecost, especially for the intention of Christian unity. You clearly appreciate the meaning of this invitation, for you have seen that unity in the Church is the fruit of the Spirit, because, as Saint Augustine affirms, the Holy Spirit “is a certain ineffable communion of the Father and the Son.” 

It is the Spirit who creates harmony among the various charisms and components of the Charismatic Renewal, as well as with our brothers and sisters of other Christian confessions.

And finally, charity. Saint Augustine wrote that the Holy Spirit, “who is love itself, has been given to man and inflames him in the love of God and neighbor. For man cannot have love for God unless it is given to him by God.” This is what you too have experienced. 

The renewed presence of the Spirit has awakened in you a new capacity to love, inspired by the same divine charity. This love is directed toward God and toward your brothers and sisters, and inspires closeness and compassion, especially toward those who suffer. 

Many works of charity for those in need, both in spirit and in body, have been born from the Catholic Charismatic Renewal. I therefore invite you to keep this love for the poor alive, which reveals the true face of God.

Dear friends, I thank you for your commitment and encourage you to continue your mission. Place yourselves at the service of dioceses and parishes, offering your experience and your methods of evangelization. 

Continue to follow faithfully the guidance of your priests; and, in your communal discernment, listen to the voice of wise persons, even if they do not belong to your groups. 

Cultivate harmony and cooperation among the communities to which you belong, taking care never to yield to the desire for self-promotion, nor to the pursuit of power or personal prestige. 

May the Holy Spirit always be light and a source of strength on your personal and communal journey, and may the Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, protect you. 

And now, with these sincere sentiments, I gladly impart to you my apostolic blessing.

Thank you.

The Four from Écône: (4) : Father Michel Poinsinet de Sivry

The Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X (FSSPX) announced this week the names of the four priests who will receive episcopal consecration on July 1 in Écône. 

The decision is part of the succession plan presented by the fraternity to ensure the continuity of its apostolate and priestly formation in the coming decades.

Among the chosen priests is this 42-year-old Frenchman with a background in education, who currently heads the Benelux district, one of the FSSPX’s most important jurisdictions in Europe.

From teaching to leading the Benelux district

Michel Poinsinet de Sivry was born in France into a Catholic family of seven children. 

He completed his priestly studies first at the seminary in Flavigny and later in Écône, where he was ordained a priest in 2008.

His early years of ministry were spent in education. He began working at the Saint-Joseph-des-Carmes school in southern France before taking over as head of the Saint-Louis primary school in Paris in 2011. 

During that period he combined his academic responsibilities with pastoral care of a chapel in Seine-Saint-Denis and collaboration in the apostolate of the Parisian church of Saint-Nicolas-du-Chardonnet.

He later directed for six years the Saint-Jean-Baptiste-de-La-Salle college-high school in Camblain-l’Abbé, near Arras, one of the educational centers linked to the fraternity in France.

In 2022 he was appointed superior of the Benelux district, a position he continues to hold. 

In addition to French, he speaks English and continues to study German and Dutch.

A priest marked by formation and apostolate

Michel Poinsinet de Sivry’s public interventions reflect a constant concern for the transmission of the faith and the formation of new generations. 

Much of his priestly ministry has been linked to education, an area he considers inseparable from the Church’s evangelizing mission.

For the French priest, the Catholic school is not merely a place of academic instruction, but a tool intended to form minds capable of knowing the truth and living in accordance with it.

“The Catholic school does not produce scholars; it forms reflective men.”

His vision of education also places central importance on discipline, a sense of duty, responsibility, and the spirit of sacrifice - elements he considers essential for the integral formation of the person.

Interior life, perseverance, and the transmission of tradition

Alongside his dedication to education, Poinsinet de Sivry has repeatedly stressed the need to unite apostolic action with a solid spiritual life. 

He highlights prayer, the Mass, the Rosary, and the sacraments as the foundation of all authentic apostolate, making clear that external activity loses its effectiveness when it is not sustained by a deep interior life.

The importance of perseverance and fidelity to the tradition received. 

The figure of Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre serves as a reference of doctrinal continuity and strength in the face of the difficulties the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X has faced since its foundation.

Another characteristic feature of his thought is the importance he places on perseverance and fidelity in the transmission of the faith. 

In this context, the figure of Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre occupies a prominent place as a reference of doctrinal continuity and firmness in the face of the difficulties the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X has confronted since its foundation.

After more than a decade dedicated to teaching and the formation of young people, and after assuming governance responsibilities within the Fraternity, Michel Poinsinet de Sivry is now preparing to take the next step within the FSSPX with the episcopal consecrations scheduled for next July in Écône.

The Four from Écône: (3) : Father Marc Hanappier

The Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X (FSSPX) announced that Father Marc Hanappier will be one of the four priests to receive episcopal consecration on July 1 in Écône. 

At just 35 years old, he is the youngest of the candidates chosen to join the episcopate of the fraternity founded by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre.

He currently carries out his ministry at Saint Thomas Aquinas Seminary in Dillwyn, Virginia (United States), where he forms future priests and teaches some of the fundamental subjects of Catholic theology.

A family marked by religious vocations

Of French nationality, Marc Hanappier was born in 1990 into a Catholic family of ten children. 

Several vocations emerged from that same household: one of his brothers is a priest of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X, another belongs to the Capuchins of Morgon, and one of his sisters is a Dominican religious teaching at Saint-Pré.

He completed his priestly studies at the seminaries of Flavigny and Écône, where he received priestly ordination in 2013.

His first assignments were linked to the educational field. He carried out teaching duties at the school of l’Étoile-du-Matin, near Bitche, and later at Saint-Michel school, near Châteauroux.

In 2020 he was assigned to Saint Thomas Aquinas Seminary in Virginia. Before fully taking up his new duties, he spent a year in Scotland perfecting his English while also collaborating in parish apostolate.

He currently teaches mainly metaphysics and dogmatic theology, while also attending to various chapels on weekends. He speaks French and English fluently and has knowledge of German and Spanish.

Grace as the foundation of the Christian life

Hanappier’s homilies and conferences reflect a constant concern for the great doctrinal questions of the spiritual life. Among them, the role of divine grace in the sanctification of man stands out in particular.

In his preaching he insists that the entire Christian life is born of God’s initiative, yet at the same time requires a free response on the part of man. 

From this perspective, holiness is neither the exclusive fruit of human effort nor a passive reality, but the result of constant cooperation with grace.

This vision appears repeatedly in his interventions, where he emphasizes that God’s action must translate into a concrete transformation of life through growth in the virtues and daily fidelity to the divine will.

A spirituality centered on everyday holiness

Drawing inspiration from Saint Francis de Sales, Hanappier recalls that Christian perfection is not reserved for extraordinary circumstances or particular states of life, but can be attained in the faithful fulfillment of ordinary duties.

For him, the path of holiness consists in accepting one’s own vocation and seeking God’s will in the concrete circumstances of each person, avoiding the temptation to imagine that sanctification would be easier under other conditions of life.

This spirituality combines ascetic rigor and realism. In his homilies he insists that difficulties, falls, and personal limitations should not lead to discouragement, but rather to renewed confidence in God’s mercy and constant perseverance in the spiritual combat.

Marian devotion and the supernatural life

The figure of the Virgin Mary also occupies a prominent place.

Hanappier presents Our Lady as the perfect model of cooperation with grace and of total surrender to the divine will. In his reflections on Mary’s divine motherhood and virginity, he especially highlights her purity, her humility, and her absolute availability to God’s plan.

As he explains, the greatness of the Virgin cannot be separated from the perfection of her charity and her faithful response to the grace received. 

From this perspective, he proposes Mary as an example for every Christian called to grow in the supernatural life.

A theology professor for the new generation of priests

Unlike other candidates whose responsibilities have been linked mainly to the governance of districts or the direction of educational works, Marc Hanappier has developed a large part of his ministry in the intellectual and doctrinal formation of future priests.

His work at the Fraternity’s American seminary places him in direct contact with the new generations of traditionalist clergy. 

There he combines the teaching of philosophical and theological disciplines with ordinary pastoral care, an experience that has shaped the profile of the man now preparing to assume a new responsibility within the episcopal structure of the FSSPX.

Zornoza case is closed, but it could be reopened by decision of Leo XIV

The Archbishop of Seville, José Ángel Saiz Meneses, has confirmed that the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith has closed the investigation into the emeritus Bishop of Cádiz, Rafael Zornoza, after it was not possible to prove that the alleged victim was a minor at the time of the reported incidents. 

However, the case is not definitively closed and could be reopened by decision of Pope Leo XIV.

Saiz Meneses stated that the Archdiocese of Seville submitted all the documentation requested by the Holy See and acted in accordance with the Church’s current regulations. 

The archbishop added that, for the time being, there have been no further communications from Rome beyond the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith’s decision to declare itself incompetent to continue the procedure.

Doctrine of the Faith closes the procedure

The case reached the Vatican following a complaint of alleged sexual abuse attributed to Rafael Zornoza in the 1990s. 

The investigation was placed in the hands of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, the body responsible for examining crimes committed against minors by members of the clergy.

Nevertheless, the lack of conclusive evidence regarding the alleged victim’s minority at the time of the incidents led the dicastery to close the procedure.

Saiz Meneses defended the actions of the Archdiocese of Seville and stated that the protocols established by the Church for this type of complaint were diligently followed.

The case remains open in other areas

Despite the closure ordered by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, experts in canon law maintain that Zornoza’s situation may not have reached its conclusion.

Furthermore, there is a relevant precedent: a report prepared within the Tribunal of the Roman Rota reportedly recommended opening a canonical penal process after analyzing the complaint filed against the emeritus Bishop of Cádiz.

Since the case involves a bishop, any subsequent action would depend directly on the Pope, who is his immediate hierarchical superior within the Church.

Leo XIV’s three options

There are three possible courses of action for the Pontiff. 

The first would involve personally adopting disciplinary measures without the need to open a formal judicial procedure, as occurred in the past with Scottish Cardinal Keith O’Brien.

The second option would be to instruct the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith to reopen the case and examine the facts regardless of the question of the alleged victim’s age, following a similar approach to that used in other recent cases.

The third possibility would involve referring the matter to the Dicastery for Bishops, which could consider disciplinary sanctions if the credibility of the reported facts were deemed established.

Civil claims could also be made

At the same time, the alleged victim could still resort to existing redress mechanisms in Spain.

Among the possibilities mentioned are the Comprehensive Reparation Plan for Victims of Church Abuse promoted by the Spanish Episcopal Conference or the avenues opened by the Ombudsman for cases that can no longer be pursued by ordinary justice due to the statute of limitations on the offenses.

Although the closure agreed by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith represents a turning point in the case, the existence of other possible canonical and civil actions means that Rafael Zornoza’s situation remains open and pending future decisions from Rome.

Bishop and co-prince of Andorra remodels the government structure of Urgell

The Bishop of Urgell and co-prince of Andorra, Josep-Lluís Serrano, has approved a broad reorganization of the diocese affecting the curia, several Andorran parishes, and various pastoral territories in Catalonia. 

The changes, which will take effect on September 1, represent one of the first major restructurings since his arrival at one of Europe’s most distinctive episcopal sees.

According to La Veu Lliure, the appointments were published to coincide with the feast of Sant Just d’Urgell and respond to the desire to adapt the pastoral structure to the territory’s new needs and to strengthen coordination among communities.

A reorganization that goes beyond parish changes

Although the changes affect important parishes in the Principality of Andorra, the restructuring has a broader scope. 

The diocese has reordered key areas of governance and pastoral coordination, beginning with the appointment of a new vicar general, a central figure in the diocese’s day-to-day management.

The decision also involves modifications to the general secretariat and the chancery of the curia, as well as various priestly transfers across several pastoral zones of the diocese.

The diocese’s stated goal is to improve internal coordination and respond to the demographic and social changes affecting both Andorra and the Catalan territories under the jurisdiction of Urgell.

Serrano’s first governing team

One of the most significant appointments is that of Antoni Elvira as the new vicar general. 

In this role, he will assume coordination of the diocesan curia and a prominent function in the diocese’s pastoral governance.

Also noteworthy is the growing prominence of David Codina, who will combine the rectorship of Sant Pere Màrtir in Escaldes-Engordany with his duties as diocesan treasurer. 

The changes likewise affect Sant Julià de Lòria and other parishes of the diocese.

Beyond the specific names, the reorganization offers a glimpse of the team with which Serrano intends to face this new stage at the helm of Urgell.

A diocese with a unique responsibility in Europe

The significance of these moves extends beyond the strictly pastoral sphere. 

Unlike most bishops worldwide, the holder of the see of Urgell also serves as co-prince of Andorra, sharing the head of state with the President of the French Republic.

This singularity makes any reorganization of the diocese an event followed with special attention in the Principality, where the bishop’s figure maintains an institutional dimension that transcends ordinary ecclesial life.

Although the announced appointments directly affect the diocese’s pastoral operations, they also reflect how Serrano is beginning to imprint his own style of governance after succeeding Joan-Enric Vives.

Twelve new ordinations of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter in the United States

The Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter (FSSP) celebrated the priestly ordinations of twelve new priests yesterday morning at the Cathedral of Saint Cecilia in Omaha, Nebraska.

The ceremony was presided over by His Excellency Bishop Thomas Wenski, Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Miami, who conferred the ordinations according to the traditional liturgy proper to the Fraternity. 

The North American Province of the FSSP announced the news through its social media channels, sharing images of the twelve new priests accompanied by the prelate and the assisting clergy. 

The institution asked the faithful to keep the newly ordained in their prayers.

These ordinations in North America form part of the same ordination cycle that reflects the Fraternity’s international reach. 

On May 2, coinciding with the feast of Our Lady, patroness of Bavaria, another twelve new deacons were ordained at the Ottobeuren Abbey Basilica, one of the great Baroque churches of southern Germany. 

The ceremony was conferred by Bishop Wolfgang Haas, Archbishop Emeritus of Vaduz, and among the ordinands were three of Spanish origin and one Mexican, a sign of an emerging Hispanic presence within the Fraternity.

The most striking figure is the FSSP’s vocational rate, which maintains one of the highest ratios of vocations in the contemporary Catholic clergy. 

According to the most recent data published by the institution itself, the Fraternity has nearly 580 members, including around 380 priests, about thirty deacons, and more than 160 seminarians in formation, distributed mainly between its seminaries in Wigratzbad (Bavaria) and Denton (United States). 

The FSSP also maintains a consolidated presence in more than 150 dioceses worldwide. 

These figures contrast with the general decline in vocations in much of the Western Church and are interpreted by its supporters as evidence of the vitality of the traditional liturgy.

Founded in 1988, the FSSP is dedicated to celebrating the Mass and the sacraments according to the 1962 liturgical books, and its sustained growth strengthens its presence in Europe, North America, and other continents.

Justice investigates an LGBT version of the Virgin of Covadonga exhibited in Asturias

The exhibition of the so-called «Santina Queer» during the March 8 demonstration held this year in Villaviciosa has once again placed the Virgin of Covadonga at the center of a judicial controversy. 

The Investigating Court of the Asturian town has opened preliminary proceedings to investigate a possible crime against religious feelings for the use of an altered representation of the patron saint of Asturias during the feminist march.

The investigation adds to a complaint filed before the Hate Prosecutor’s Office of the Superior Court of Justice of Asturias by the Brotherhood of the Students of Oviedo, which considers that the use of the image amounted to a mockery of one of the most important religious symbols of the Principality.

A representation of the Santina in the middle of the feminist demonstration

The controversy revolves around a figure inspired by the Virgin of Covadonga that paraded during the demonstration accompanied by trans symbolism, rainbow flags and other elements linked to the claims of the LGTBI movement. 

The image, carried by members of Asamblea Moza d’Asturies (AMA), also evoked the aesthetics of a religious procession.

The complainants maintain that the representation recognizably reproduced the image of the Santina and that its use in that context constituted a lack of respect for the beliefs of Catholics. 

The Virgin of Covadonga occupies a singular place in the religious and cultural history of Asturias, where she is venerated as the patron saint of the Principality.

The court finds grounds to investigate the facts

The judge has ordered various proceedings to clarify what happened, including the identification of those responsible for the organization, the taking of statements from witnesses and the summons of representatives of the group involved.

The judicial ruling points to the existence of indications that justify the opening of an investigation for a possible crime of religious mockery. 

However, the proceedings are still in the investigation phase and must determine whether the facts have criminal relevance.

The organizers defend the initiative

From Asamblea Moza d’Asturies they reject that the action was offensive and maintain that the so-called «Santina Queer» was intended to express values related to feminism, antifascism and the defense of the rights of LGTBI people.

Their spokespersons have publicly defended that the initiative sought to claim a certain vision of society and Asturian identity, denying that there was any intention to attack the religious beliefs of Catholics.

A controversy that had already occurred

This is not the first time that this representation has generated controversy. 

The so-called «Santina Queer» had already been exhibited during the March 8 demonstration held last year in Gijón, giving rise then to complaints and judicial actions that also sparked an intense debate on the limits of freedom of expression and the respect due to religious symbols.

The new investigation thus reopens a discussion on the blasphemous use of Christian images and references in acts of a political and ideological nature, especially when they affect symbols deeply rooted in popular devotion and in the identity of a Catholic community.

Italian scouts remove sexual orientation as a criterion for selecting educators

The Italian Catholic Guides and Scouts Association (Agesci), the country’s largest Catholic scouting organization, has approved a historic change in its internal rules by establishing that sexual orientation and gender identity may not be used as exclusion criteria for those seeking to hold educational roles within the association.

According to La Repubblica, the decision marks a break with a practice maintained for more than fifty years. 

Although homosexual individuals could be members of Agesci, access to educational leadership positions had for decades been marked by restrictions, controversies, and internal conflicts related to the compatibility between certain behaviors or personal situations and the formative mission of an organization that defines itself as Catholic.

A change that ends half a century of restrictions

The new policy was set out in a document approved by Agesci’s General Council after three years of internal consultations and debates. 

The text states that sexual orientation and gender identity may not be considered exclusionary factors in the discernment process by which scout communities select their educators.

The organization’s own leaders acknowledge the significance of the decision. 

“It took us time, but we could no longer pretend the problem did not exist,” they stated when presenting the document.

From recommended silence to full acceptance

The decision contrasts with some positions the organization held in the past. 

In 2012, internal guidelines sparked controversy by indicating that homosexual scout leaders should not make their sexual orientation public in order to avoid influencing or conditioning young people.

For years, various members reported situations of marginalization, exclusions, or difficulties in assuming responsibilities within the association’s educational structure. 

Current leaders consider that those decisions responded to the cultural and ecclesial context of the time, while today they claim to have reached a different understanding of the issue.

Training on gender identity and sexual orientation

The approved document does not merely modify the criteria for access to educational positions. 

It also recommends that scout leaders receive specific training on gender identity and sexual orientation, as well as the use of language considered respectful and free of stereotypes.

The association maintains that these measures aim to strengthen the welcome of all people within scout groups and to create educational environments that respond to the new sensitivities present in society.

An open debate on the Catholic educational mission

For decades Agesci considered that certain personal circumstances could influence the suitability of those exercising formative responsibilities; it now holds that sexual orientation and gender identity should play no role in that discernment.

The change marks one of the most significant shifts in the history of Italy’s main Catholic scouting organization and will likely continue to fuel debate on how Catholic institutions should address issues related to Christian anthropology, the education of young people, and the growing influence of gender-identity categories within the ecclesial sphere.

Holy See and Italy renewable energy agreement enters into force

After the initial signing in July 2025, the agreement between the Holy See and Italy to build an agrivoltaic plant in the Vatican’s Santa Maria di Galeria area enters into force. The project aims to provide the Vatican City State with renewable energy.

A statement released on Thursday, May 28, announced that the agreement signed by Italy and the Holy See last year to build an agrivoltaic plant in the Vatican’s Santa Maria di Galeria area, just outside of Rome, has entered into force.

This initiative aims to provide the Vatican City State with renewable energy while preserving agricultural use of the land. The Vatican’s extraterritorial area of Santa Maria di Galeria has hosted Vatican Radio’s transmission facilities since 1957.

The inspiration for the project is rooted in Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato si’, particularly in the observation that in a world where there is still a “minimal access to clean and renewable energy,” there remains “a need to develop adequate energy storage technologies.”

The Holy See and the Italian Republic have signed an agreement to build an agrivoltaic plant in the Vatican’s Santa Maria di Galeria area just outside of Rome, aiming to supply ...

The stages of the project

Pope Francis himself launched the initiative with the motu proprio Fratello Sole on June 26, 2024, instructing the presidents of the Governorate and the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See (APSA) to carry out the necessary acts in order to build the system.

Subsequently, on July 31, 2025, at the Italian Embassy to the Holy See, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations, and the Italian Ambassador, Francesco Di Nitto, signed the agreement.

The agreement formally entered into force on Wednesday, May 27, following the completion of the “procedures provided for under Article 5 of the Agreement itself,” the Holy See’s statement said.

Pope Leo: the plant is an example for the world

Less than a year ago, on June 19, 2025, during a visit to the Santa Maria di Galeria area, Pope Leo XIV had the opportunity to inspect the space designated for the plant, saying it represented “a wonderful opportunity” and a clear “commitment from the Church” to provide “an example to the world — one that is very important.” 

He emphasized then that we are all aware of the effects of climate change, and we must truly care for the entire world, for all of creation, “as Pope Francis has taught so clearly.”

At the end of his visit to the Santa Maria di Galeria Transmission Center, Pope Leo XIV emphasizes in an interview with Italy's Tg1 news the vital role Vatican Radio continues to ...

“The greatest possible respect for the land”

From a technical and structural standpoint, the statement released in July of last year on the occasion of the signing ceremony emphasized that the renewable energy plant aims to implement those “solutions which, according to the current state of science and technology, will ensure the greatest possible respect for the land, best reconciling the objectives of preserving the agricultural use of the soil, maintaining the hydrogeological balance of the area, minimizing environmental impact as much as possible, and guaranteeing the protection of the cultural, archaeological, and landscape heritage.”

Safe access zone case against campaigner dismissed

A case against pro-life campaigner Claire Brennan under Northern Ireland’s abortion safe access zone law has been dismissed, with Ms Brennan saying she is “ecstatic” that the case is over.

Ms Brennan, who has been supported by Christian Concern, had been accused of breaching the law outside Causeway Hospital in Coleraine. 

The dismissal comes amid wider concern over Northern Ireland’s safe access zone law, days after retired Pastor Clive Johnston was fined for preaching during an open-air service near Causeway Hospital.

Ms Brennan said the case had brought her through “some very tough stressful times”, but had also strengthened her faith.

“I’m in awe of God and I’m falling more and more in love with him as I go through this incredible faith journey,” she said. “I have learned so much about myself. I have learned that I am stronger than I ever thought I was.”

Ms Brennan said the case had weighed heavily on her because of what she described as being “falsely accused of harassment by reaching out in love”.

“I suppose you could say that love has made me a criminal,” she said. “I have seen and witnessed heart-wrenching sorrows of girls regretting their abortions. This is my driving force. I am even willing to undergo this personal persecution to fight for these women.”

Ms Brennan said she had faced “backlash” on social media and that the stress of the case had caused her “many sleepless nights”, but it was the support of her prayer group, St Michael’s Warriors, that helped carry her through “some incredible dark days”.

“I had complete faith I would win this case and trusted Jesus in the storm no matter how bad things looked for me,” she said.

Following the dismissal of the case, Ms Brennan said: “I am ecstatic this is over. I can now focus on how I can move forward in this fight against our freedoms of speech and freedom of religion. I will continue to be a voice for the voiceless.”

A separate case involving Ms Brennan under the same safe access zone legislation remains ongoing.

Supreme Court declines to intervene in Peter’s Pence fraud lawsuit against US bishops

The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected a petition from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) allowing a lawsuit to move forward that alleges the bishops misled Catholics into believing their millions of dollars in donations to the papal charity, Peter’s Pence, would be used to help the poor.

The suit was filed in January 2020 in U.S. District Court in Rhode Island on behalf of David O’Connell, a parishioner at Sacred Heart Church in East Providence. It claims the American bishops “actively” misled Catholics into believing their millions of dollars in donations to the collection would be used to help “victims of war, oppression, natural disaster, or disease,” when in fact much of the money was funneled into private investments, such as Hollywood’s sexually explicit Elton John biopic Rocketman, “luxury condominium developments,” and “hefty, multi-million dollar commissions” to fund managers. 

O’Connell sued the USCCB, seeking discovery into the donors to, uses of, and internal deliberations about Peter’s Pence. He also requested a refund for himself and sought to initiate a class action suit on behalf of millions of donors nationwide.

“USCCB must come clean and give back the money it took from well-intentioned people who thought they were giving urgently-needed funds to help the destitute around the world,” said lead attorney Marc Stanley in 2020, when the lawsuit was launched.

“It’s regrettable and tragic that such a trusted and well-respected organization has been taking advantage of the generosity of Catholic donors.”

The complaint cited a December 2019 Wall Street Journal report stating that for “at least the past five years, only about 10 percent of the money collected – more than €50 million was raised in 2018 – has gone to the sort of charitable causes featured in advertising for the collection.”

When the bishops moved to dismiss under the Religion Clauses’ church autonomy doctrine, both the district court and the D.C. Circuit refused.  

In their petition to the Supreme Court, attorneys for the USCCB argued that “the state interference required to adjudicate this lawsuit – which involves demands for lists of papal donors, accounting for the Pope’s use of Peter’s Pence, and disclosure of the bishops’ internal communications with the Holy See about Peter’s Pence – would violate the church autonomy doctrine.”

The Supreme Court’s decision means that the suit will continue to progress through lower courts.   

O’Connell’s suit came after a series of bombshell reports found that, far from being used by the Holy Father as a means to provide emergency assistance to those in need because of natural disaster, war, oppression, and disease, the vast majority of the donated funds were funneled into investments and to “defray Vatican administrative expenses.”

In October 2019, the Italian newspaper L’Espresso reported that “secret internal Vatican investigative reports” showed most of Peter’s Pence funds had been “diverted into ‘reckless speculative operations,’ with 77 percent of the collections” – “roughly $560 million” – channeled to the Swiss investment company Credit Suisse, the complaint detailed.

The newspaper also reported that a high-ranking Vatican official asked Italian financier Raffaele Mincione to invest $200 million of the collection, and that Mincione used the money to buy real estate in London “for a luxury apartment development” through a fund he managed, stated the complaint.

When the investment didn’t yield the expected returns, the Vatican pulled out of the fund and bought the property, and Mincione made $170 million on the deal, according to sources cited in the document.

Pope Francis responded a few weeks later, stating that the fact that the Vatican invests the money shouldn’t bother anyone, according to Catholic News Service (CNS), the complaint stated.

“The sum of Peter’s Pence arrives and what do I do? Put it in a drawer? No, that’s bad administration. I try to make an investment,” CNS quoted the late pope as saying.

That was followed by a further bombshell report in December when Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera broke the news that $1 million of Peter’s Pence donations had been invested in the Elton John biopic, Rocketman, and more than $3.6 million in the movie Men in Black: International, the complaint stated.

Moreover, Corriere della Sera reported that “millions of dollars” had been sunk into the Malta-based investment company Centurion Global Fund run by Italian financier Enrico Crasso, “who received ‘millions of euros in commissions’ while losing 4.61 percent of the fund (approximately two million euros) by the end of 2018.”

Nonetheless, a lot is at stake not only for the U.S. Catholic bishops, but for other religious groups as well, including Protestants, Orthodox Christians, Jews, and Muslims who filed amicus briefs in support of the USCCB.

“Scrutinizing such practices in this way undercuts religious organizations’ ability to decide for themselves matters that the First Amendment commits to their authority. If civil courts are permitted to subject the USCCB to the burdens of litigation in this case to adjudicate the inherently religious message on which it is based, the religious liberty shared by all faith groups is threatened,” a coalition of religious groups claimed in their brief.

“If the Catholic Mass is not safe from government intrusion, courts next may make themselves superintendents of the Jewish Tefillah, the Adventist Sabbath, the Orthodox Divine Liturgy, the Muslim Jum’ah, and all other faiths’ worship services,” the brief asserted.

A brief filed on behalf of the bishops by a group of major religious organizations stated, “Intrusion into a religious organization’s finances invades the sacred inner core of that organization’s ability to carry out its religious mission, both now and in perpetuity.”

The U.S. bishop’s attorneys previously warned that “allowing the case to go forward would threaten virtually every faith tradition in the nation with class action lawsuits whenever members are unhappy about how the church explained or spent their offerings.” 

“If parishioners can claw back a religious offering they voluntarily gave, every religious offering to a house of worship, and every decision made by a faith-based charity, is in jeopardy.”

Swiss bishops ‘strongly reject’ conversion therapy for homosexual, ‘transgender’ individuals

The Swiss Bishops’ Conference (SBK) announced Tuesday that it is “strongly” opposed to conversion measures which seek to align one’s sexual inclination or “gender identity” with one’s God-given sex.

The Swiss bishops issued their statement in support of a conversion measure ban for children and young adults that has been proposed in the Swiss Parliament. 

As the bill explains, conversion measures, which are “also known as so-called ‘conversion therapy’ or ‘homo healing’ — aim to ‘repolar’ the homosexual predisposition of a person into a heterosexual one or to change the gender identity of affected persons.”

“The SBK strongly rejects conversion measures,” the bishops declared in their Tuesday statement. “They are not compatible with a pastoral mandate based on acceptance, veracity and protection of the person. In the religious context, such practices can become spiritual abuse when people are shamed, threatened, or manipulated in the name of God.”

“Practices that aim to change or suppress sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression contradict the dignity of the person as the image of God and can cause significant harm,” said the SBK. 

The Swiss bishops thus suggest that the homosexual orientation and “transgender” identities are not intrinsically disordered but are even good, in contradiction to Catholic doctrine, which declares that the homosexual inclination is “objectively disordered.” 

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states: “Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity, tradition has always declared that ‘homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered.’” Pretending or believing that one is a member of the opposite sex is also disordered and was long widely recognized as a mental illness or a fetish.

The Swiss bishops’ statement could even suggest that the homosexual orientation and confused “gender identities” are preferable to the natural sexual orientation and identity. If homosexuality and heterosexuality were merely morally equal, neutral alternatives, there is no reason one should be opposed to someone’s free choice to seek out one of the alternatives.

Moreover, both homosexual relationships and transgender interventions inflict physical violence, by surgical mutilation, for example. Conversion therapy, by contrast, aside from being freely chosen, largely consists of counseling to overcome unwanted homosexual feelings or find acceptance with one’s true sex, the effectiveness of which is backed by studies as well as testimony from those who have benefited.

The Swiss bishops thus are logically inconsistent, besides radically contradicting Catholic teaching. The Swiss bill itself is explicitly open to “medically indicated measures for gender realignment,” demonstrating a double standard in favor of measures that oppose one’s own natural sex.

If passed, the law would ban for minors and young adults “all measures that are aimed at a change (‘polarity change’) or suppression of sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression (SOGIE).”

The justification given for the Swiss Parliament’s proposed conversion ban for minors is that it “views homosexuality and transidentity as ‘diseases’” and allegedly “can demonstrably lead to great suffering, psychological damage up to suicidality for those affected and have no therapeutic benefit.”

Opponents of “conversion” or “reparative” therapy commonly elicit opposition to the practice by invoking fringe and long-since-outdated practices such as electric shock and other forms of physically harmful interventions which are no longer practiced today.

Moreover, homosexuals and those with gender dysphoria have significantly higher baseline levels of psychological problems, including depression and anxiety, which may obscure the outcomes of any intervention they are involved in.

Malta, Germany, France, and Greece already have national conversion therapy bans, and similar draft laws are being prepared in Belgium, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, and Spain.

In the U.S., while more than 20 states have enacted conversion therapy bans, the March 2026 Supreme Court opinion Chiles v. Salazar ruled against Colorado’s ban, citing First Amendment rights violations. The decision may affect the enforcement of the other states’ conversion therapy bans.