CNA Staff, Aug 25, 2020 / 10:37 am (CNA).- The woman who yelled at a lector and punched her twice during Mass at the Philadelphia cathedral is not mentally fit to be prosecuted, a local journalist reported Monday.
Joe Holden, an anchor and reporter fo… […]
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 25, 2020 / 09:30 am (CNA).- A Catholic publisher has apologized for using a Mormon image on the cover of two of its 2021 publications. Oregon Catholic Press said the use of the image of the Mormon figure of Moroni was a mistake, and the company believed it to be a general image of an angel. The artist – a Catholic who abandoned the faith for Mormonism – had listed the image as of Moroni on his own social media account.
Oregon Catholic Press issued a statement after the painting “Angel VIII” by Latter-Day Saint artist Jorge Cocco Santangelo, placed on the cover of the publications “Today’s Missal Music Issue 2021” and “Respond & Acclaim,” drew criticism this week.
OCP, please, please recall these books! This is an image of the “angel” Moroni, which comes from Mormonism. This is not compatible with Catholicism in any way, and is highly inappropriate for a Catholic publisher to place in Catholic parishes. Recall these books immediately! pic.twitter.com/qgLm3XCX6O
— Father Cory Sticha (@FrCorySticha) August 24, 2020
The painting uses Santangelo’s distinct style of “sacrocubism” and depicts an angel standing on a golden sphere, blowing a horn and holding a box or book of gold. These are staples of images of the figure Moroni, a character in the Mormon religion, statues of whom feature on the spires of Mormon temples.
In a statement published to their Facebook page Aug. 24, Oregon Catholic Press explained that “Great care goes into choosing the art for our missals.”
“The sounding of the trumpet at the last is a strong traditional Christian image. We chose this angel because he’s holding a trumpet and what looks like the book that will be opened at the last,” said Oregon Catholic Press.
The publishing company stated that the artist, Santangeo, “did not offer us images that were assigned to a specific angel” and that he was aware Oregon Catholic Press was a Catholic company.
“At the same time, it is reasonable that those who hold the Mormon faith might see this same image as the casket containing the golden tablets of their faith,” they said.
On his own website and social media accounts, Santangelo has identified the image as of Moroni.
“We, of course, apologize for any misunderstanding that this may have caused,” said the statement.
“We saw a beautiful image of an angel, and nothing more. We commit to redoubling our efforts in vetting missal art in the future, and hope that this explanation helps our partners in ministry better understand why we chose this particular art piece for the 2021 Music Issue cover.”
Cocco Santangelo, the painter of the cover art, was raised Catholic in Argentina. He, along with his wife, underwent Mormon initiation rites in 1962. The pair were among the first Mormons in Argentina.
Although Oregon Catholic Press said Santangelo’s image was not of any specific angelic figure, “Angel VIII,” which was painted in 2017, is virtually identical to a 2018 painting titled “Angel Moroni.” Additionally, the 12th entry in Santangelo’s 2017 “Angel” collection, which is a series of paintings of an angel with a horn and box, is labeled on his website as “Angel M XII.”
The image of “Angel VIII” was posted on Cocco Santangelo’s Instagram account on April 3, 2020 under the title “Angel Moroni.”
“Most of the angels in this collection are in fact different versions of the angel known as Moroni, who lived in the American continent hundreds of years ago as the last prophet that wrote and kept the sacred records of the Nephite nation,” said the Instagram caption.
“He is the angel that appeared to Joseph Smith and directed him to the golden plates that were translated and we know now as The Book of Mormon.”
OCP’s use of the image on the cover of “Respond & Acclaim” was first posted online on Aug. 10, but the unusual choice of cover art for a Catholic worship aid did not draw widespread attention until Monday, Aug. 24.
OCP did not respond to requests for comment by CNA.
Fr. Robert Badger, a priest of the Diocese of Gallup, who was raised as a Mormon before converting to Catholicism in 1993 at the age of 19, was one of the first to note that the image on the missals strongly resembles depictions of Angel Moroni.
The cover art, said Badger, “offers me an excellent reason to sever our relationships with Oregon Catholic Press.”
After OCP posted their statement to Facebook, Badger, whose family includes the original members of the LDS Church, tweeted that he “did not buy” the explanation.
Badger said on Monday evening “I am descended from Mormon pioneers and grew up in the Mormon church. It’s definitely the angel Moroni, the same one that adorns most of the Mormon temples around the world.”
The LDS Church teaches that the Angel Moroni first appeared to Joseph Smith on September 21, 1823, and informed him that there was an “ancient record engraved on plates” that was buried near his house. Over the next six years, per LDS doctine, Moroni repeatedly appeared to Smith and assisted with the location and translation of these plates. The contents of the plates would become the Book of Mormon, the LDS Church teaches.
A statue of the Angel Moroni is featured on the spire of many LDS temples as a tribute to his status as the “messenger of the restoration.” The LDS Church teaches that the Angel Moroni was the key figure in “restoring” the true gospel.
The controversy over the use of a Mormon image for two of its publications comes a week after a federal court ruled an antitrust lawsuit against OCP could continue.
On Aug. 18, a federal judge in Indiana refused to dismiss a suit against OCP, brought by several smaller Catholic publishers, accusing OCP of monopolistic practices aimed at driving them out of business.
U.S. District Judge Robert L. Miller Jr. issued an order denying a motion to dismiss by OCP, ruling that the suit can continue.
According to the legal news website Law360, several Catholic publishers, including Lamb Publications LLC and International Liturgy Publications, allege OCP imposes anti-competitive licencing terms on smaller competitors, and has illegal market allocation agreements in place with rivals.
Lawyer for the claimants Donald J. Schmid, told Law360 last week that OCP has used its position to try to drive other Catholic music publishers out of business and reduce competition, calling the publisher “a monopolist.”
The suit includes allegations that OCP deliberately instructed its composers to use the same song titles as its rivals’ best-selling works in an effort to confuse customers.
OCP has argued that the suit, filed in August 2019, is part of a decade-long attempt by rivals “to gain unfettered access” to its back catalogue.
Per Oregon Catholic Press’ website, “Respond & Acclaim” is an “annual collection of psalms and Gospel Acclamations from Owen Alstott,” “Today’s Missal,” which is published three times per year, texts of Sunday and weekday liturgies together with music published by OCP.
CNA Staff, Aug 25, 2020 / 09:15 am (CNA).- A Catholic safe house for women in London has helped to secure jail sentences for two sex traffickers.
Caritas Bakhita House, which is owned by the Catholic Diocese of Westminster, enabled a victim… […]
CNA Staff, Aug 25, 2020 / 09:15 am (CNA).- The first night of the 2020 Republican National Convention in Charlotte featured prayers from a cardinal, appeals to religious freedom and school choice, and condemnations of abortion and assisted suicide.
Ca… […]
CNA Staff, Aug 25, 2020 / 04:30 am (CNA).- Archaeologists excavating a lost medieval sacristy at Westminster Abbey in London have uncovered what they believe are the remains of Catholic monks.
They made the discovery while working on an area of the ab… […]
Editor’s note: The following homily was preached by the Reverend Peter M. J. Stravinskas, Ph.D., S.T.D., on the liturgical memorial of St. Louis, August 25, 2020, at the Church of the Holy Innocents in New […]
CNA Staff, Aug 25, 2020 / 02:52 am (CNA).- Evidence suggests that church services following public health guidelines do not present a greater risk of spreading the novel coronavirus than other similar activities, doctors said last week.
Washing hands,… […]
Denver Newsroom, Aug 24, 2020 / 05:24 pm (CNA).- Last week, the news broke that Father Matthew Hood of the Archdiocese of Detroit had this summer learned that he was not validly baptized— despite believing […]
Denver Newsroom, Aug 24, 2020 / 07:19 pm (CNA).- Two weeks after a major storm system caused massive damage in the Midwest, residents of Iowa and other affected states are working to rebuild.
For fourteen hours over an 800-mile stretch, the Aug. 10 storm caused major damage and killed several people, with Iowa and northern Illinois the worst hit. The storm began in eastern Nebraska, and also hit Wisconsin and Indiana.
Its winds gusted to the strength of a strong tornado or weak hurricane, reaching speeds of over 100 miles per hour. The phenomenon, known as a derecho, is a chain of intense thunderstorms.
Kent Ferris, Director of Social Action and Catholic Charities at the Diocese of Davenport, told CNA Aug. 24 that “Though people in our diocese have endured days without power, (and) dealt with wind damage to crops and trees, they also have responded generously to people in need in the diocese with food, water and monetary donations,” Ferris said.
“Our terrain may have been battered by Derecho’s winds, but the Holy Spirit blows stronger to prompt heartfelt concern for all our neighbors,” he told CNA.
The storm left hundreds of thousands without power or access to phone and internet. Homes and cars were damaged by high winds, falling trees, and flying debris,
At least 10 million acres of crops were destroyed in Iowa, and many harvested crops in storage were destroyed. Damage to grain storage bins could top $300 million. Sixteen Iowa counties have been declared federal disaster zones, while 25 counties have been declared disaster areas by the State of Iowa.
In Iowa, nearly 8,300 homes were heavily damaged or destroyed.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds’ request for federal assistance said the storm damage totaled nearly $4 billion.
While damage is still being assessed, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Dubuque has set up a relief fund for those affected, giving priority to those not eligible for state and federal aid.
The Catholic Charities affiliate said on its website, “we do know that the individuals and families most severely affected are the poor, and those struggling with the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic. And we know that the recovery process will be lengthy and costly.”
Some church buildings also were damaged.
In the eastern Iowa city of Grand Mound, the storm tore a hole in the roof of Ss. Philip and James Parish, allowing water to enter and soak the roof insulation and the floor. The wood in the ceiling is saturated, Peter Whitman, building committee chair at the parish, told the Diocese of Davenport’s newspaper The Catholic Messenger.
Würzburg, Germany, Aug 24, 2020 / 06:01 pm (CNA).- The German Bishops’ Conference has said it will accept the Vatican’s invitation to discuss the new instruction on parishes at a meeting in Rome, suggesting that it will be accompanied by laymen representing the “Synodal Process” under way in Germany.
At the conclusion of their meeting in the Bavarian town of Würzburg Aug. 24, the permanent council, comprising the diocesan bishops of the 27 Catholic dioceses in Germany, announced the decision that Bishop Georg Bätzing of Limburg would “accept the offer of conversation made by the Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy, Cardinal Beniamino Stella”.
Furthermore, as CNA Deutsch, CNA’s German news partner, reported, the German Bishops’ Conference announced that Bätzing “will suggest to the Congregation that the conversation be conducted with the Presidium of the Synodal Way, since bishops, priests, deacons and laity are equally addressed in the instruction”.
If and when the meeting is scheduled to take place is still unclear.
Cardinal Beniamino Stella, prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy, said July 29 that he would be happy to receive the bishops in order to “remove doubts and perplexity” voiced by German prelates.
Stella said that the meeting could take place “in due course” if the bishops wished to present their objections to the instruction, issued by his congregation July 20. He reportedly declined to respond to specific criticisms ahead of the potential meeting.
He made the comments after several German bishops sharply criticized the document, which underlined that according to canon law only priests can direct the pastoral care of parishes.
CNA Deutsch reported that some commentators saw the instruction as a response to plans drastically to reduce the number of parishes in German dioceses.
The Vatican recently blocked a plan by the Diocese of Trier to turn 800 parishes into 35. Meanwhile, the Archdiocese of Freiburg has said that it will press ahead with plans to reduce its 1,000 parishes to 40.
In a July 28 interview with the Italian newspaper La Stampa, Stella said that “care must be taken not to reduce the parish to the rank of ‘branch’ of a ‘company’ — in this case, the diocese — with the consequence that it can be ‘directed’ by anyone, perhaps even by groups of ‘officials’ with different skills.” He added that the instruction encouraged parishes to see themselves above all as a “missionary community.”
The document provoked a mixed reaction in Germany. While Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki of Cologne and Bishop Gregor Maria Hanke of Eichstätt expressed their gratitude for the text, Bishop Franz-Josef Bode of Osnabrück, vice-president of the German bishops’ conference, described the instruction as a “strong brake on the motivation and appreciation of the services of lay people.”
Bode said he feared that the text indicated a “conversion to clericalization” because it emphasized the priest’s role in directing parishes.
Cardinal Walter Kasper, meanwhile, defended the Vatican intervention, saying: “The German criticism completely misses the actual concern of the instruction: the pastoral conversion to a missionary footing. But precisely this basic concern of Pope Francis would be highly topical in view of the disturbing recently published numbers of departures from the Church.”
He was referring to statistics issued last month which showed that a record number of Catholics left the Church in Germany in 2019.
© Catholic World Report