Four days after Vice President Joe Biden posted on social media a photo of himself officiating at a same-sex wedding, three U.S. bishops criticized “a prominent Catholic politician” for sowing confusion about Catholic teaching on marriage “and the corresponding moral obligations.”
On Monday, Biden, a Catholic, posted to his Twitter account a photo of himself presiding at the wedding ceremony of Brian Mosteller and Joe Mashie, two longtime White House staff members and friends of the vice president.

On Friday afternoon a short post titled “Faithful Witness to Marriage” appeared on the website of the U.S. bishops’ conference blog that did not mention Biden by name but said:

“When a prominent Catholic politician publicly and voluntarily officiates at a ceremony to solemnize the relationship of two people of the same-sex, confusion arises regarding Catholic teaching on marriage and the corresponding moral obligations of Catholics. What we see is a counter witness, instead of a faithful one founded in the truth.”
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The blog was written by Louisville, Ky., Archbishop Joseph Kurtz, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops; Buffalo, N.Y., Bishop Richard Malone*, chair of the Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth; and Miami Archbishop Thomas Wenski, chair of the Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development.

They continued: “Pope Francis has been very clear in affirming the truth and constant teaching of the Church that same-sex relationships cannot be considered ‘in any way similar or even remotely analogous to God’s plan for marriage and family.’ Laws that redefine marriage to deny its essential meaning are among those that Catholics must oppose, including in their application after they are passed. Such witness is always for the sake of the common good.”

Referencing Francis’ address to Congress last September, the bishops then quoted from their voter teaching guide “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship” that “Catholic politicians in particular are called to ‘a heroic commitment’ on behalf of the common good and to ‘recognize their grave responsibility in society to support laws shaped by these fundamental human values and oppose laws and policies that violate [them].’”

They concluded by asking for prayers of Catholic leaders in public life, that they gracefully fulfill their responsibilities and “offer a faithful witness that will bring much needed light to the world.”

The U.S. bishops have been front and center in the country’s marriage debate in recent years as first state legislatures and then court decisions began overturning existing state laws that defined marriage as between one man and one woman. Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court in a 5-4 decision ruled that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marriage.

According to the Pew Research Center on Religion and Public Life, 58 percent of U.S. Catholics support same-sex marriage — up 15 percent since 2008 and behind only white mainline Protestants among religious communities. Overall, 55 percent of Americans support same-sex marriage, while 37 percent oppose it.

Before the wedding Monday, Biden had never officiated at a wedding. NBC News Washington reported that Mosteller and Mashie asked Biden to officiate their wedding, and the vice president agreed and obtained temporary certification from the District of Columbia. The ceremony was held at the Naval Observatory, the official residence of the vice president.

Biden first made public his support of same-sex marriage in 2012.

The tweet, which as of Friday had garnered 49,000 retweets and 160,000 likes, particularly sparked uproar among pro-life Catholics. On Thursday the Lepanto Institute circulated an open letter it and leaders of other pro-life groups wrote to Washington Cardinal Donald Wuerl, asking whether the vice president excommunicated himself through his participation in the wedding.

On his blog Wednesday, canonist Edward Peters wrote that canon law does not include any rules that would excommunicate someone for officiating a same-sex wedding, but suggested canons exist that could be used to block the vice president from receiving the Eucharist.

Full article: https://www.ncronline.org/blogs/ncr-today/not-naming-names-bishops-denounce-biden-role-same-sex-wedding

The archbishop of Guam told church investigators to contact those who say they were sexually abused by clergy after learning this week that another former altar boy accused a priest of molesting him decades ago.

Leo B. Tudela, 73, gave emotional testimony about the abuse he says occurred in the mid-1950s during a hearing Monday at the Guam Legislature. He urged senators to support legislation that would lift the statute of limitations for lawsuits against those who sexually abused children. It’s now two years.

It comes after three former altar boys and the mother of another filed a $2 million libel and slander lawsuit against former Archbishop Anthony S. Apuron and the archdiocese, saying they were called liars when they raised allegations that Apuron sexually abused boys in the 1970s.

He has denied the abuse and not been charged with any crime. The Vatican appointed Archbishop Savio Hon Tai-Fai as a temporary administrator after the allegations surfaced.

The legislation introduced by Guam Sen. Frank Aguon would allow people to file civil actions against those they say abused them regardless of when it occurred.

After Tudela’s public testimony, the Catholic Church issued a statement saying Hon directed church investigators to speak with Tudela and others who have raised allegations of sexual abuse.

Hon also has revised the local church’s policies on sexual misconduct and included steps to take when allegations are made against an archbishop.

Tudela, who lives in Hawaii, told lawmakers that his parents sent him from Saipan to a Catholic school in Guam and that he was abused twice.

He said the first time was in 1956 when he was 13. He said he was woken up at the monastery late one night and molested by an unordained man belonging to a religious community.

After reporting it, Tudela was transferred to a rectory in a different village to stay. There, he said a priest who also taught at the Catholic school he attended molested him late one night.

Tudela said in an email to The Associated Press on Friday that he has not heard from church officials and directed further questions to his lawyer.

The Associated Press does not typically name people who say they are victims of sex abuse, but Tudela gave his testimony at a public hearing.

Full article with links: http://www.philly.com/philly/news/nation_world/20160805_ap_1877a0eb5c744bcd991e8f51ef3704b6.html

Archbishop Charles Chaput issued a letter July 14 updating the faithful of the Philadelphia Archdiocese on the status of a bill that proposes to lift the statutes of limitation on civil lawsuits of child sexual abuse in Pennsylvania.

The letter in English and Spanish was dated for this weekend, July 16-17, and sent to all priests and deacons in the archdiocese via email along with several supporting documents showing the long-term effects of child sexual abuse for adult survivors and numerous resources to which abuse victims in Philadelphia, its four suburban counties and statewide may turn for help.

Another document (in English and Spanish) in the package detailed the church’s assistance to victims of clergy sexual abuse, both in implemented policies and financial assistance of some $18 million over recent years.

Also included was information to help the clergymen offer pastoral care to survivors of child sexual abuse in their parish.

The archbishop’s letter describes House Bill 1947’s “potential to devastate our parishes, schools, and charitable ministries” because of civil lawsuits that could be filed against private institutions such as Catholic parishes and dioceses in the state if the bill were to become law. The House bill was approved in April.

The Senate approved an amended version of the bill last month that “stripped retroactive provisions of the bill pertaining to the civil statute of limitations covering sexual abuse” because the Senate Judiciary Committee had determined such provisions were unconstitutional, according to the letter.

The Senate bill will be considered in the House of Representatives, which “we expect will take place in the fall,” the archbishop wrote.

He invited parishioners and clergy to “join in praying for all of our elected officials who work hard to serve our communities each day.”

The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference, the public policy arm of the bishops of Pennsylvania, this week also provided its own detailed update on the status of HB 1947.