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In video clips verified by The New York Times, scores of Palestinian bodies were filmed strewn across the courtyard of the Ahli Arab Hospital, some bloodied, charred, mangled or in pieces. The explosion at the hospital came a day after Iran warned that “other multiple fronts will open” if Israeli attacks continued to kill civilians in Gaza. Hundreds of families had fled to the hospital in search of refuge after 11 days of Israeli strikes elsewhere in Gaza. Image Two Palestinian children injured in the explosion at Ahli Arab Hospital were taken to another hospital in Gaza, Al-Shifa, for treatment. The Health Ministry in Gaza said that Ahli Arab Hospital was also struck on Sunday.

Persons: ”, Ali Jadallah, Israel, Biden’s, King Abdullah II of Jordan, Mahmoud Abbas, Abbas, Jordan, Biden, Jadallah, Mr, Ghassan Abu, Dr, Abu, Sitta, Abed Khaled, Ahmed Hijazi, “ I’ve, Hijazi, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Abu Bakr Bashir, Haley Willis, Euan Ward, Yousur, Abu Hweila Organizations: Israel Defense Forces, The New York Times, Ahli Arab Hospital, Anadolu Agency, Shifa, Lebanese, Palestinian, Islamic, Palestinian Authority, Israel, ”, West Bank, West Bank . Video, The Times, Arab Hospital, Episcopal, Health Ministry, World Health Organization, Twitter Locations: Gaza City, Palestinian, Ahli, Al, Israel, Lebanon, Iran, Gaza, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Saudi, Egypt, Zeitoun, Jerusalem, ”, Canterbury, London, Berkeley, Calif, Beirut, Cairo

☆ What We Know About the Explosion at the Hospital in Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( The New York Times | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +8 min

Here is what we know so far about the explosion at the Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City. The Israeli military said Wednesday morning that the number of casualties was inflated. On Wednesday, Archbishop Naoum said that the Israeli military had called and texted the hospital managers at least three times in recent days, asking its patients and staff to leave the hospital compound. Archbishop Naoum said the warnings were particular to the hospital, and not part of Israel’s wider push to encourage civilians to leave northern Gaza for the territory’s south. Lt. Col. Amnon Shefler, an Israeli military spokesman, said the calls to the hospital were part of a wider campaign to urge civilians to leave northern Gaza ahead of an expected Israeli invasion.

Persons: Biden, Mohammad Abu Selim, Archbishop Hosam Naoum, Gazans, Adrienne Watson, Israel, ”, Watson, “, Musab Al, Israel —, Daniel Hagari, Admiral Hagari, Yousef Abu al, Naoum, Col, Amnon Shefler, Shefler, Emma Bubola, Iyad Abuheweila, Aaron Boxerman, Patrick Kingsley, Christoph Koettl, Haley Willis, Yousur Al, Peter Baker Organizations: Hamas, Defense Department, New York Times, Ahli Arab Hospital, The New York Times, Anglican, National Security Council, Al, Hospital, Palestinian, senior Defense Department, Times, The Times Locations: Gaza, Palestinian, Israel, Ahli, Gaza City, Shifa, United States, Israeli, “

Several Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Iraq issued statements condemning Israel and accusing its military of bombing the hospital. People gather in Tahrir Square to protest the Gaza hospital blast in Baghdad, Iraq, on October 17. One group made an attempt to “reach it,” but a security source told CNN that security forces dealt with them and pushed them away. Jordanian security forces also used tear gas to disperse the protesters, according to two activists and videos posted to social media. TAP said “mass protests were held on Tuesday night,” in several areas “in solidarity with the Palestinian people” and against Israeli bombardment of Gaza.

Persons: Israel, Jihad, Murtadha, CNN’s Ben Wedeman, Protesters, Zohra Bensemra, Tayyip Erdogan, Joe Biden, Ayman Safadi, Safadi, “ can’t Organizations: CNN, Al, Ahli Baptist Hospital, Israel Defense Forces, Palestinian Islamic, United Arab, West, Anadolu Agency, US State Department, Security, Reuters, TAP, Palestinian Authority, West Bank, Jordan’s Foreign Affairs, IDF, UN, Episcopal, Al Ahli Baptist Hospital Locations: Israel, East, North Africa, Gaza City, Ahli, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Lebanon, Kuwait, Tunisia, West Bank, Ramallah, Gaza, Tahrir, Baghdad, Amman , Jordan, Jordanian, Beirut, Iran, Tehran, France, England, America, Esfahan, Qom ., Tunis, Istanbul, Turkish, ”, Jerusalem, Al Ahli, Al

☆ Death toll in Mexican church collapse during mass rises to 10
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Rescue team work near the church, after the roof collapsed, in Ciudad Madero, in Tamaulipas state, Mexico, October 1, 2023. Five women, two men and three children were among those killed at the church in the Gulf Coast city of Ciudad Madero in Tamaulipas state, state governor Americo Villarreal said. Footage posted on social media showed the moment the church roof caved in, puffs of gray smoke billowing into the air, followed by the toppling of yellow brick outer walls. Mexican media reported that several children were baptized during the Sunday Mass at the church. Bishop Jose Armando Alvarez from the Roman Catholic Diocese of nearby Tampico said the church roof crumbled as worshippers were receiving communion and asked others to pray for survivors.

Persons: El Citadino, Americo Villarreal, Villarreal, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Bishop Jose Armando Alvarez, Nestor Javier Lopez, Kylie Madry, Raul Cortes, Laura Gottesdiener, David Gregorio Our Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Roman Catholic Diocese, Reforma, Thomson Locations: Ciudad Madero, Tamaulipas, Mexico, El, Rights MONTERREY, Gulf Coast, Tampico, Mexico City, Monterrey

☆ Mexican church roof collapses during Sunday mass killing 9, about 30 others missing
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MEXICO CITY, Oct 1 (Reuters) - A church roof collapsed during Sunday mass in a northern Mexican city killing at least nine people and injuring 40, authorities said, as rescuers worked into the night, desperately looking for another 30 people believed to be trapped under the rubble. Footage on social media showed the moment the church roof caved in, puffs of gray smoke billowing into the air, followed by the toppling of yellow brick outer walls. Speaking on Foro TV news channel, Cuéllar thanked local businessmen for bringing equipment to help remove rubble and aid rescue efforts. Bishop Jose Armando Alvarez from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tampico said the church roof crumbled as worshippers were receiving communion and asked others to pray for the survivors. Writing by Drazen Jorgic; Editing by Tom Hogue & Simon Cameron-MooreOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Jorge Cuéllar, Cuéllar, Bishop Jose Armando Alvarez, Bishop Armando, Drazen Jorgic, Tom Hogue, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: MEXICO CITY, Security Ministry, Foro, Roman Catholic, Thomson Locations: MEXICO, Mexican, Ciudad Madero, Tampico, Tamaulipas, Texas

☆ Mexico church roof collapses, killing at least nine people
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Reuters —A church roof collapsed during Sunday mass in a northern Mexican city killing at least nine people and injuring 40, authorities said, as rescuers worked into the night, desperately looking for another 30 people believed to be trapped under the rubble. Footage on social media showed the moment the church roof caved in, puffs of gray smoke billowing into the air, followed by the toppling of yellow brick outer walls. Speaking on Foro TV news channel, Cuéllar thanked local businessmen for bringing equipment to help remove rubble and aid rescue efforts. Bishop Jose Armando Alvarez from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tampico said the church roof crumbled as worshipers were receiving communion and asked others to pray for the survivors. “In this moment the necessary work is being carried out to pull out the people who are still under the rumble,” Bishop Armando said in a recorded message shared on social media.

Persons: Jose Luis Tapia, El Sol, Jorge Cuéllar, Cuéllar, Bishop Jose Armando Alvarez, ” Bishop Armando Organizations: Reuters, AP, Security Ministry, Foro, Roman Catholic Locations: Mexican, Ciudad Madero, Tampico, Tamaulipas, Texas

☆ Death Toll in Mexican Church Collapse During Mass Rises to 10
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

MONTERREY, Mexico (Reuters) - The death toll caused by the collapse of a church roof during a Sunday Mass in northern Mexico has risen to 10, and another 60 people were injured, officials said on Monday, as local authorities began wrapping up search and rescue efforts. Five women, two men and three children were among those killed at the church in the Gulf Coast city of Ciudad Madero in Tamaulipas state, state governor Americo Villarreal said. Footage posted on social media showed the moment the church roof caved in, puffs of gray smoke billowing into the air, followed by the toppling of yellow brick outer walls. Mexican media reported that several children were baptized during the Sunday Mass at the church. Bishop Jose Armando Alvarez from the Roman Catholic Diocese of nearby Tampico said the church roof crumbled as worshippers were receiving communion and asked others to pray for survivors.

Persons: Americo Villarreal, Villarreal, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Bishop Jose Armando Alvarez, Nestor Javier Lopez, Kylie Madry, Raul Cortes, Laura Gottesdiener, David Gregorio Organizations: Roman Catholic Diocese, Reforma Locations: MONTERREY, Mexico, Gulf Coast, Ciudad Madero, Tamaulipas, Tampico, Mexico City, Monterrey

MEXICO CITY (AP) — The roof of a church collapsed in northern Mexico during a Mass on Sunday, and rescue teams rushed to begin searching for about 30 people believed to be trapped in the rubble, authorities said. The Tamaulipas state police said that about 100 people were in the church at the time of the collapse and that about 30 were still inside. Tamaulipas state police said units of the National Guard, the state police and state civil defense office and the Red Cross were at the scene seeking to rescue any victims. Photos published by local media showed what appeared to be a concrete and brick structure, with parts of the roof fallen almost to the ground. Political Cartoons View All 1190 ImagesThe roof appeared to be made of poured concrete, and photos distributed by state authorities showed the massive roof resting on the top of pews in some parts of the church.

Persons: Bishop José Armando Alvarez, ” Alvarez, Ciudad Organizations: MEXICO CITY, Roman Catholic, Ciudad Madero, National Guard, National Seismological Service, Madero Locations: MEXICO, Mexico, Tamaulipas, Tampico, Santa Cruz, Gulf, Ciudad, Brownsville , Texas, Veracruz

☆ Baltimore Archdiocese files for US bankruptcy to address sex abuse lawsuits
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( Dietrich Knauth | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Maryland's attorney general has said that there are more than six hundred known survivors of clergy abuse in the state, numbers that the Archdiocese said it could not verify. The Archdiocese of Baltimore is the oldest Catholic diocese in the United States, serving over 485,000 in several Maryland counties. Sex abuse lawsuits have driven several other Catholic dioceses into bankruptcy. Previous Catholic bankruptcies have led to large settlements for abuse claims, such as a $121.5 million 2022 settlement in the bankruptcy of the Santa Fe Archdiocese. Many of the dioceses that filed for Chapter 11 after recent changes in state law remain in bankruptcy without finalized settlements.

Persons: William Lori, Lori, David Lorenz, Lorenz, Dietrich Knauth, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Archdiocese, U.S, Survivors Network, Bankruptcy, San Francisco, Thomson Locations: Baltimore, Maryland, Church, Archdiocese, United States, New York, California, Oakland, Santa Barbara, San, Santa Fe Archdiocese

☆ Two mainland China bishops to attend big Vatican meeting after tensions
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Vatican Media/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsVATICAN CITY, Sept 21 (Reuters) - Two bishops from mainland China are due to attend a major Vatican meeting next month, officials said on Thursday, a positive sign after recent tensions between the Holy See and Beijing. The two bishops were chosen by their brother bishops in China, meaning they likely had approval from the Communist government, which holds great sway over the Chinese Catholic Church. Two other Chinese bishops were allowed by the government to attend another synod for the first time in 2018 but did not stay for the entire meeting. A landmark 2018 agreement between the Vatican and China on the appointment of bishops has been tenuous at best, with the Vatican complaining that Beijing has violated it several times. Two months ago the Vatican chided Beijing for not consulting over the transfer of two bishops from one diocese to another.

Persons: Pope Francis, Anthony Yao Shun, Jining, Joseph Yang Yongqiang, Francis, Philip Pullella, Alex Richardson Organizations: Vatican, Handout, REUTERS, CITY, Communist, Catholic Church, Communist Party, Catholic, Churches, Thomson Locations: China, Beijing, Zhoucun, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Vatican, Mongolia

The sheriff who oversees Bernalillo County and the police chief in Albuquerque said they won’t enforce the governor's order because it violates constitutional rights. Lujan Grisham defended her order as necessary, and rebuffed any calls for impeachment. Some critics have said it’s concerning that only those who want to curb gun rights have the Democratic governor’s ear. Top law enforcement officials and prosecutors have said they weren’t consulted before Lujan Grisham sprung on them an order that even she admits will be ignored by criminals. The Catholic Church was among the few who joined longtime gun-control advocates on Monday in support of the order.

Persons: Mark Abramson's, Abramson, ”, “ It's, Michelle Lujan Grisham, Amber Archuleta, Ray Wilson, Mike Leathers, Lujan Grisham, “, weren’t, Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen, ” Allen, Archuleta's, Lujan Grisham's, ” Joshua Archuleta, John C, Terry Tang, Scott Sonner, Morgan Lee Organizations: —, State Police, New, Twitter, Bernalillo County Sheriff, Catholic Church, Associated Press Locations: ALBUQUERQUE, N.M, Albuquerque, Taos County, U.S, Bernalillo County, Albuquerque's Old, Wester, Santa Fe, Phoenix, Reno , Nevada, Santa Fe , New Mexico

☆ San Francisco Archdiocese files for bankruptcy as it faces more than 500 sexual abuse lawsuits
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Jamiel Lynch | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The Archdiocese of San Francisco has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy as it faces more than 500 lawsuits alleging child sexual abuse. “We seriously doubt that the Archdiocese of San Francisco does not have the assets to settle these lawsuits,” the Survivors Network of Abuse by Priests said in a statement. The San Francisco filing comes after the Catholic Diocese of Oakland similarly filed for bankruptcy protection in May after it received more than 330 claims of sexual abuse. The Catholic Church as a whole has faced intense criticism over its response to multiple reports detailing decades of sexual abuse, systemic failures and cover-ups across multiple countries. The San Francisco Archdiocese serves more than 440,000 Catholics across the counties of San Francisco, San Mateo and Marin, according to its website.

Persons: Salvatore Cordileone, “, Priests, Cordileone, Pope Francis Organizations: CNN, Archdiocese, Survivors Network, Catholic Diocese of, Catholic, San, SNAP, San Francisco Archdiocese Locations: Archdiocese, San Francisco, California, Francisco, Catholic Diocese of Oakland, CNN Portugal, San Francisco Archdiocese, San Mateo, Marin

☆ Fact Check-Video does not prove damage to Odesa cathedral was staged
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Damage to an Orthodox cathedral in Odesa, Ukraine, which was filmed for a news report after Russia attacked the city, was not staged, contrary to viral social media posts claiming otherwise. The Spaso-Preobrazhenskyi Cathedral, or Transfiguration Cathedral, was damaged during a Russian missile strike on July 23, 2023. The social media users all point to two women seen in the video carrying stacks of rubble. They suggest the women are carrying “heavy stones” too effortlessly for the stacks to be real. The clip shows locals carrying blocks of lightweight polystyrene during cleanup work, not staged scenes with props.

Persons: “, Read Organizations: Sky News, Twitter, Facebook, Rudaw Media, Reuters, Church Locations: Odesa, Ukraine, Russia, Preobrazhenskyi, Russian, Ukrainian, “

☆ Bishop Accused of Abuse Gets Married After Bid to Quit Church Is Denied
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Ed Shanahan | More About Ed Shanahan | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

As the leader of a diocese with its headquarters in New York’s capital, Bishop Hubbard was a political as well as a religious figure. In 2004, he was accused of having sexual relationships with several men and a street hustler decades earlier. An outside investigation he requested subsequently cleared him of sexual misconduct. He was informed in March that the Vatican had denied his request, he wrote on Tuesday. “I was encouraged to wait patiently and prayerfully and to continue to abstain from public ministry until seven civil lawsuits against me alleging sexual misconduct had been adjudicated,” he said.

Persons: Bishop Hubbard, “, ”, Vatican Locations: New York’s

☆ Opinion | Oklahoma’s Religious Public Charter School Would Be an Affront to Taxpayers Everywhere
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Rachel Laser | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

In June, Oklahoma’s Statewide Virtual Charter School Board approved the nation’s first religious public charter school. The Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and the Diocese of Tulsa were given permission to open St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School in August 2024. That’s right, a religious public school, funded by the state’s taxpayers. Proponents hope this model will spread to the dozens of other states that allow charter schools. Seven percent of public school students in the country attended charter schools as of the fall of 2021, and that number continues to grow.

Persons: Isidore of Organizations: Charter School Board, Oklahoma City, Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School Locations: Oklahoma, Archdiocese, Tulsa, St, Isidore of Seville, . Texas, Idaho, Kentucky, Missouri, Louisiana, West Virginia, United States

☆ Pope approves Shanghai bishop as Vatican chides China for lack of consultation
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-15 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

VATICAN CITY, July 15 (Reuters) - Pope Francis has approved a new bishop of Shanghai as the Vatican chided China for transferring him there without consultation, in violation of bi-lateral accords. A Vatican statement on Saturday said the pope had named Bishop Joseph Shen Bin to head the vacant Shanghai diocese position. It is the latest dispute between the Vatican and China over the transfer of a bishop. In November, the Vatican accused Chinese authorities of violating the 2018 pact by installing a bishop in a diocese not recognised by the Holy See. For the first time since the 1950s, both sides recognised the pope as supreme leader of the Catholic Church.

Persons: Pope Francis, Bishop Joseph Shen Bin, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Shen, Parolin, Philip Pullella, Frank Jack Daniel, Mike Harrison Organizations: CITY, State, Conservative, Catholic Church, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, Vatican, China, Haimen, Jiangsu province

☆ Insight: Catholic clergy report surveillance, beatings amid Nicaragua's crackdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( David Alire Garcia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega's five-year campaign against the Catholic church has intensified since February, according to interviews with five priests inside and outside the country. This week's brief release of Nicaraguan Bishop Rolando Alvarez raised hopes for a turning point. The priests describe heavy surveillance of church services by police or civilian members of government-sponsored community councils, especially since Easter. His latest restrictions seem aimed at silencing priests, Erick Diaz, 33, a Nicaraguan priest in exile in Chicago, said. Nine church leaders inside and outside Nicaragua did not respond to interview requests for this story.

Persons: Daniel Ortega's, Nicaraguan Bishop Rolando Alvarez, Mexican Bishop Ramon Castro, Pope Francis, Nicaragua's, Ortega, Rosario Murillo, Bishop Alvarez, Alvarez, Cardinal Leopoldo Brenes, Brenes, Martha Patricia Molina, Molina, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Erick Diaz, David Alire Garcia, Philip Pullella, Ismael Lopez, Suzanne Goldenberg Organizations: MEXICO CITY, Sunday, Nicaraguan, Catholic, Vatican, Reuters, Organization of American, Thomson Locations: MEXICO, Nicaraguan, Managua, Nicaragua, Mexican, Eastern Europe, Matagalpa, Texas, Leon, Vatican, Chicago, Rome, San Jose

☆ Ancient Roman Pantheon to start charging entry from Monday
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] People queue to enter Pantheon, one of the ancient world's best preserved monuments which from July will start charging visitors an entry fee in Rome, Italy, June 30, 2023. REUTERS/Guglielmo MangiapaneROME, June 30 (Reuters) - Visitors to Rome's Pantheon, one of the ancient world's best preserved monuments, will have to pay a 5 euro ($5.45) entrance fee from Monday, Italy's tourism ministry has said. It remains the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome and has a circular skylight at its crown. The building survived the Barbarian attacks on Rome and was transformed into a Christian church in 609. ($1 = 0.9168 euros)Reporting by Cristiano Corvino; Editing by Crispian Balmer and Angus MacSwanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Guglielmo Mangiapane ROME, Emperor Hadrian, Karsten Kohler, Cristiano Corvino, Crispian Balmer, Angus MacSwan Organizations: REUTERS, UNESCO, Thomson Locations: Rome, Italy

☆ Police search Cologne archdiocese in abuse perjury investigation
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] The doorbell of Cologne's Archbishop Rainer Maria Woelki is pictured in Cologne, Germany June 27, 2023. REUTERS/Andreas KranzBERLIN, June 27 (Reuters) - German police searched properties belonging to the Archdiocese of Cologne on Tuesday as part of a perjury investigation against Cologne Archbishop Rainer Maria Woelki linked to his handling of historic abuse cases, prosecutors said. The archbisopric said at the time the attempt to accuse Woelki of perjury was unfounded. Prosecutors in Cologne said some 30 police officers were involved in searches in six locations, four of which were in Cologne and included rooms in the archbishop's residence. The allegations concern abuse by priest Winfried Pilz who had run a Catholic children's charity and died in 2019.

Persons: Rainer Maria Woelki, Andreas Kranz BERLIN, perjured, Woelki, Cardinal Woelki, Ralf Hoecker, Winfried Pilz, Pope, Friederike Heine, Madeline Chambers, Maria Sheahan, Ed Osmond, Alison Williams Organizations: REUTERS, Archdiocese, Cologne, Germany's Catholic, Catholic Church, Prosecutors, Catholic, WDR, Reuters Television, Thomson Locations: Cologne, Germany, Germany's, Rome

☆ A restaurant must pay workers $140,000 after allegedly hiring a fake priest to extract confessions of workers’ ‘sins’
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

The Catholic Diocese of Sacramento confirmed that they found “no evidence of any connection” between the fake priest and their diocese. Garibaldi and three other restaurant owners and operators were ordered to pay $140,000 in back wages and damages to 35 employees. The restaurant will also have to pay $5,000 in civil penalties. Investigators also found that the restaurant denied employees overtime pay, managers were paid bonuses from the employee tip pool and some employees faced “adverse immigration consequences” for cooperating with investigators. “This employer’s despicable attempts to retaliate against employees were intended to silence workers, obstruct an investigation and prevent the recovery of unpaid wages,” Pilotin said.

Persons: Che Garibaldi, Taqueria Garibaldi, “, ”, Labor Marc Pilotin, Garibaldi, ” Pilotin Organizations: New, New York CNN, US Department of Labor, Labor, Catholic, Catholic News Agency Locations: New York, California, Taqueria, Sacramento, “, ”

☆ Pope Francis orders ex-aide of Pope Benedict to leave Vatican
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

VATICAN CITY, June 15 (Reuters) - Pope Francis has ordered Archbishop Georg Gaenswein, the private secretary and long-time aide of the late Pope Benedict, to return to his native Germany by the end of the month without any new assignment, the Vatican said on Thursday. A Vatican statement put an end speculation about what role Gaenswein, a powerful figure in the Vatican for more than a decade before Francis sidelined him after a personal falling out, would have in the Church. Former Pope Benedict died on Dec. 31, nearly a decade after he resigned in 2013, the first pontiff to do so in 600 years. The two-line statement said Francis "had disposed" that the 66-year-old Gaenswein return to his diocese of Freiburg "for the time being". He was Benedict's personal secretary from 2003, when Benedict was still Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, and remained at his side for nearly 20 years, nearly 10 of them after Benedict resigned.

Persons: Pope Francis, Georg Gaenswein, Pope Benedict, Francis, Gaenswein, Benedict, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Benedict XVI, Pope Benedict's, Philip Pullella, John Stonestreet, Toby Chopra Organizations: CITY, Church, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Germany, Freiburg, Gaenswein

June 6 (Reuters) - The state of Florida on Tuesday acknowledged a role in sending two flights of migrants to California, saying all of them traveled voluntarily. California officials have reported two such flights arriving without warning in the capital Sacramento in recent days, and said the migrants carried documents indicating their transportation involved the state of Florida. The migrants apparently never passed through Florida, but were moved from Texas to New Mexico and then flown to Sacramento. Advocates who aided the migrants in California said the first group was dropped at the doorstep of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sacramento. They also said the migrants reported being unaware of where they were being taken and had been promised jobs.

Persons: Ron DeSantis, DeSantis, Florida's, Alecia Collins, Gavin Newsom, Rob Bonta, Collins, Daniel Trotta, Kristina Cooke, Mary Milliken, Richard Chang Organizations: Sacramento ., Martha's Vineyard, Democratic, U.S, Florida's state's, Emergency, Reuters . California, Catholic Charities, Advocates, Roman Catholic Diocese of, Thomson Locations: Florida, California, Sacramento, Texas, New Mexico, Massachusetts, Martha's, El Paso , Texas, Denver , Colorado, United States, Roman Catholic Diocese of Sacramento

☆ Oklahoma Approves First Religious Charter School in the U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Sarah Mervosh | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Oklahoma approved what would be the nation’s first religious charter school on Monday, handing a victory to Christian conservatives but opening the door to a constitutional battle over whether taxpayer dollars can directly fund religious schools. The online school, St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School, is to be run by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and the Diocese of Tulsa, with religious teachings embedded in the curriculum. But as a charter school — a type of public school that is independently managed — it would be funded by taxpayer dollars. After a nearly three-hour meeting, and despite concerns raised by its legal counsel, the Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Board approved the school in a 3-to-2 vote, including a yes vote from a member who was appointed on Friday. Kevin Stitt, a Republican who supports religious charter schools, and leaders of the Republican-controlled State Legislature.

Persons: Isidore of, Kevin Stitt Organizations: Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Statewide, Charter School Board, Gov, Republican, Legislature Locations: Isidore of Seville, Tulsa

☆ California probing whether Florida sent migrant flight to Sacramento
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

June 4 (Reuters) - California's attorney general is investigating whether the government of the state of Florida played any role in sending more than a dozen migrants to the California capital of Sacramento without advance notice. Representatives of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis did not immediately respond on Sunday to a request for comment. They had initially been taken by bus from Texas to New Mexico and then flown by private jet to Sacramento, California Governor Gavin Newsom said in a statement issued on Saturday. Initial findings revealed the migrants possessed documentation "purporting to be from the government of the State of Florida," Bonta said. Florida paid $615,000 to an aviation company as part of a "relocation program of unauthorized aliens," Florida state data showed.

Persons: Ron DeSantis, DeSantis, Gavin Newsom, Rob Bonta, Bonta, Daniel Trotta, Christopher Cushing Organizations: Martha's Vineyard, Democratic, Roman Catholic Diocese, Los Angeles Times, of, Thomson Locations: Florida, California, Sacramento, Massachusetts, Martha's, Texas, Venezuela, Colombia, New Mexico, Sacramento , California, of Florida

☆ Nicaragua accuses Catholic Church of money laundering, freezes accounts
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

May 27 (Reuters) - Nicaraguan police said on Saturday they are investigating several dioceses of the Catholic Church for money laundering, a day after local media reported that the bank accounts of parishes in the Central American country had been frozen. Investigations "confirmed the unlawful removal of resources from bank accounts that had been ordered by law to be frozen," the police said in a statement. Ortega's government has intensified attacks against the Catholic Church in the wake of 2018 anti-government protests in which some 360 people died after what human rights groups call police repression. The police statement said the bank accounts were linked to religious figures convicted of treason and other crimes, and that the investigations confirmed the funds entered the country irregularly. "People have their bank accounts here, this is how they carried out their work," Cardinal Leopoldo Brenes said in an article posted on news website despacho505.com.

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