President Joe Biden waves as he departs Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Washington April 10, 2021. (CNS photo/Erin Scott, Reuters)
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 12, 2021 / 10:53 am (CNA).
The U.S. Catholic bishops’ pro-life chairman is expressing disappointment with President Biden as his administration reverses a Trump-era rule that restricted funding over abortion.
“It’s really sad,” Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City, who heads the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Committee on Pro-Life Activities, told EWTN News Nightly on Oct. 8. The Biden administration, he added, is “in the control of abortion extremists.”
The archbishop reacted to the administration’s reversal of the “Protect Life Rule,” which barred tax dollars from Title X recipients that provide or promote abortion and required Title X clinics to be physically separate from abortion clinics. A federal program, Title X subsidizes family planning services, including contraceptives, for low-income communities.
The archbishop challenged President Biden – the second Catholic president in U.S. history – to defend and cherish human life.
“He likes to call himself a devout Catholic. I would urge him to begin to act like one, especially on the life issues,” Archbishop Joseph Naumann said. “And to let his faith really inform his conscience and the decisions that he’s making, not the platform of his party.”
President Biden has repeatedly demonstrated support for abortion. After decades of backing the Hyde Amendment, which barrs taxpayer funding from going toward abortion, he switched his position while running for president. More recently, in the wake of Texas’ new abortion law, he confirmed that his administration is “deeply committed” to abortion as a constitutional right. According to White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, the president “believes that it’s up to a woman to make those decisions and up to a woman to make those decisions with her doctor.”
Right now, the archbishop said, the Biden administration is “looking for every opportunity to expand abortion,” and this latest reversal is “just one more casualty along that train.”
In an Oct. 7 statement, Archbishop Naumann stressed that Title X was “intended and authorized to be a program entirely separate from abortion.” Abortion, he concluded, is not family planning. Instead, it wounds women and “takes the life of an already-conceived and growing child.”
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New cardinal Timothy Michael Dolan (L), Archbishop of New York, receives the biretta cap from Pope Benedict XVI in Saint Peter’s Basilica on February 18, 2012 in Vatican City, Vatican. / Franco Origlia/Getty Images
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jan 1, 2023 / 11:33 am (CNA).
Since the death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, members of the College of Cardinals from the United States have offered tributes to the late pope who they remember as a “scholar” and “true disciple.”
Here is a round-up of statements from the U.S. cardinals:
Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archdiocese of New York
Cardinal Timothy Dolan called Benedict XVI “a good shepherd and Holy Father.” In an interview with Newsmax Dolan shared that he met Benedict XVI “innumerable times” and was “always impressed with his ability to listen,” adding that “he knew the biblical, that before you can be a teacher you’ve got to be a listener.”
Dolan compared Benedict’s passing to losing a grandparent or elderly parent, saying “we knew it was coming,” but that “it’s still a shock when it comes.”
In a statement, Dolan said, “The human family grieves the passing of this erudite, wise, and holy man, who spoke the truth with love.”
Dolan called to mind Benedict XVI’s pastoral visit to the Archdiocese of New York in 2008 and shared his personal sense of loss at the former pope’s death, saying, “he was so encouraging, and appointed me Archbishop of New York and nominated me a Cardinal.”
Dolan said Benedict’s legacy will be that of “faith and reason” and called for every parish in his archdiocese to offer a Mass for Benedict’s soul, concluding, “may the angels lead him into paradise!”
Cardinal Blase Cupich stated that “Pope Benedict XVI taught us that belief in God means completely placing our trust in Divine Providence.”
“Throughout his life as a scholar and as a churchman, he showed us what it means to fulfill the ancient command to love God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind,” said Cupich.
“I think he will be remembered as a man who was single-focused on serving others and serving God,” Cupich told ABC 7.
Today we join Pope Francis and Catholics across the world in mourning the death of Pope Benedict XVI who has gone home to the God he served faithfully. pic.twitter.com/LAmDSyW3IA
Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston
Cardinal Daniel DiNardo said that “it is with deep sadness and hope in the Resurrection that we mourn the death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI.”
DiNardo called Benedict a “true pastor of souls and son of the Church,” saying the former pope “shepherded the Church with great love.”
“His keen intellect invigorated the New Evangelization,” said DiNardo, and inspired “countless men and women to spread the Gospel by the example of their lives.”
“May the Lord now welcome this faithful servant into the heavenly liturgy of the Wedding Feast of the Lamb,” DiNardo said.
“Today, a loving God called Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI home to his eternal reward for a lifetime of dedicated service to the Church,” said Cardinal Sean O’Malley.
“Perhaps the most moving experience for me was accompanying survivors of clergy sexual abuse to a meeting with the Holy Father in Washington, D.C. during his 2008 pastoral visit to the United States,” O’Malley said. “Pope Benedict XVI recognized the pain experienced by survivors and all persons impacted by the abuse crisis.”
“I will miss Pope Benedict,” said O’Malley. “His fidelity to maintaining the truth and clarity of the Catholic faith, cultivating ecumenical and interfaith dialogue and reaching out to inspire the next generation of Catholics have been great gifts to us all.”
Cardinal Joseph Tobin shared his prayer for the former pope, saying, “May the Angels lead you into paradise; may the martyrs greet you at your arrival and lead you into the holy city, Jerusalem. May the choir of Angels greet you and like Lazarus, who once was poor, may you have eternal rest” (In Paradism). May he rest in the peace of Christ.”
“May the Angels lead you into paradise; may the martyrs greet you at your arrival and lead you into the holy city, Jerusalem. May the choir of Angels greet you and like Lazarus, who once was poor, may you have eternal rest” (In Paradism). May he rest in the peace of Christ. pic.twitter.com/du3HzSr0QN
“The death of Pope Benedict is a moment of both sadness and gratitude,” said Cardinal Robert McElroy, who was appointed a cardinal just this May.
McElroy called Benedict a “theologian of immense depth” as well as a “caring pastor” and a “prayerful servant who unswervingly sought to follow the pathway to which God was calling him.”
“In faith we know that he goes to the loving embrace of the God whom he had served with sacrifice and courage, brilliance and wisdom, humility and kindness for his entire life,” said McElroy.
“It was my honor to serve him as Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura,” said Cardinal Raymond Burke, prefect emeritus of the Apostolic Signatura and archbishop emeritus of the Archdiocese of St. Louis. “In my meetings with him, while he was still Roman Pontiff and after his abdication, I was always impressed by his extraordinary intelligence and knowledge, coupled with Christ-like meekness.”
Burke said that Benedict’s teaching regarding the sacred liturgy will remain “a lasting and living heritage.”
“He was an especially gifted teacher of the Catholic Faith with a particular appreciation of the highest and most perfect expression of the Faith: Sacred Worship,” said Burke.
Burke called the former pope’s passing “sad,” saying that Benedict had “continued to be a source of many graces for the Church, especially by the offering of his prayers and sufferings for so many needs of the Church in our time.”
“I had the privilege of knowing Pope Benedict for many years, going back to his time as a cardinal of the Church — Cardinal Ratzinger,” said Cardinal Justin Rigali, archbishop emeritus of Philadelphia.
Rigali recalled his participation in the election of Benedict XVI, saying, “it was a privilege to participate in the election of Pope Benedict. I can remember when I went up to the pope and knelt before him to show my respect and offer to him my pledge to be faithful and obedient, the first thing that Pope Benedict said to me was, ‘Happy Birthday, your eminence.’ It was my 70th birthday. Pope Benedict remembered that, and that is a memory I will always carry with me.”
Cardinal James Stafford, who participated in the former pope’s election, called Benedict XVI “a true disciple,” Denver Catholic reported.
“Pope Benedict XVI was dedicated to the mystery of Jesus of Nazareth,” said Stafford, archbishop emeritus of the Archdiocese of Denver.
Stafford shared, “In afternoon walks in the Vatican Gardens I sometimes encountered Pope Benedict. I thought that here was a true disciple ‘who walks with Jesus and is thus caught up with Him into communion with God.’” Concluding, “May he rest in peace!”
Bishop William Byrne of the Diocese of Springfield, Massachusetts, gives the keynote address at the 2024 National Catholic Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C., Feb. 8, 2024. / Credit: EWTN
Father J.J. Mech, rector of the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Detroit, stands next to the life-sized statues of the apostles that have now been installed in the cathedral’s worship space, along with first-class relics of each apostle. The “Journey with the Saints” pilgrimage, which will be dedicated Feb. 8, 2024, in a special ceremony with Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron, is part of the cathedral’s ongoing transformation into an “apostolic center for the arts and culture.” / Credit: Photo courtesy of the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament and Detroit Catholic
Detroit, Mich., Jan 29, 2024 / 06:00 am (CNA).
At the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Detroit, the band is getting back together. The band of Christ’s 12 apostles, that is.
On Feb. 8, Detroit’s mother church will publicly unveil its long-awaited “Journey with the Saints” project, a permanent installation of 14 “larger than life” statues accompanied by first-class relics of each apostle, the latest accomplishment in the cathedral’s ongoing mission to turn itself into an apostolic center in the city of Detroit.
Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron will join Father J.J. Mech, rector of the cathedral, to dedicate the new installation during a special event at 7 p.m.
From its central perch on Woodward Avenue, the looming gothic cathedral of the Archdiocese of Detroit stands out in its neighborhood. Following Vigneron’s instruction to turn the church into a “cathedral of the arts,” Mech has spent the last several years converting the cathedral into a hub of missionary activity and beauty, drawing people to the faith via “shallow entry points.”
“Our goal is that we are going to be more accessible to people off of Woodward,” Mech told Detroit Catholic. “We want this to be a flexible public space, maybe even a community hub for not only spiritual enrichment but cultural enrichment, and it will be a safe place, and we will have security and all of that.”
St. Simon, St. Thomas, and St. Matthias are pictured in their permanent fixtures atop the pillars inside the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament. The statues and relics of the apostles will be officially unveiled Feb. 8, 2024, as part of a permanent pilgrimage experience at the cathedral, “Journey with the Saints.” Credit: Photo courtesy of Detroit Catholic
The name “Cathedral of the Arts,” Mech explained, is a reminder that the proof of God is beauty — a principle that guides each of the new initiatives he and his team have undertaken on the cathedral’s campus.
The latest project, the installation of the seven-and-a-half-foot-tall statues and relics encircling the cathedral’s interior worship space, is the crowning jewel of those efforts, transforming the cathedral into a permanent pilgrimage site, guided by the men who knew Christ most intimately during his time on earth.
Complete with first-class relics, the new installation is among the first of its kind in North America bringing together all 12 of Christ’s apostles for veneration, and the only exhibit in the world with the relics accessible in this way.
The 14 statues — including two eight-foot angels — each were carved from a single tree trunk in St. Ulrich Groeden, in modern-day Italy, in 1927. The statues were rescued from St. Benedict Church in Highland Park, which closed in 2014. After undergoing extensive restoration, the statues were installed in the cathedral’s nave in December.
The statue of St. Andrew. Each of the statues were carved from a single tree trunk and rescued from St. Benedict Church in Highland Park, which closed in 2014. After undergoing extensive restoration, the statues were installed in the cathedral’s nave in December 2023. Credit: Photo courtesy of Detroit Catholic
The statues include two angels, 10 of the original 12 apostles, St. Paul, and St. Matthias, the apostle who replaced Judas. Mech discovered that he had relics corresponding to the 12 saints, part of a collection of nearly 200 relics owned by the cathedral, all of which he hopes to be able to one day put on display.
The relics and the signage were installed beneath each statue beginning on Jan. 8, in time for the dedication and blessing of the new reliquary pilgrimage on Feb. 8.
“I am so excited about the transformation that is happening,” Mech said. “When you come in, there will be three main signs that tell you how to go on a pilgrimage, what the goal of a pilgrimage is, and how to interact with these relics. [Pilgrims] are going to walk away transformed, different, and they are going to enter through prayer.”
“Journey with the Saints” is much more than a museum of Church history, Mech said, but a rare opportunity to invoke the help of Catholicism’s greatest saints.
“It’s not just about looking at a pretty statue and touching some bones. [Pilgrims] are going to have a purpose when they walk away,” Mech said. “People can decide what they want intercession for, what they are hoping for when they pray to a particular saint, and when they walk away, they’ll keep praying for that.”
Keith Calleja began installation of relics on Jan. 8, 2024, starting with the relic of St. Philip. Credit: Photo courtesy of Detroit Catholic
Mech said those whose prayers have been answered through the intercession of the saints will be invited to return to the cathedral and contribute a tile to a mosaic art piece that will be installed to show how God is answering prayers through the project.
While the saints and relics are the culmination of a long-sought project, it’s all part of a greater vision for Detroit’s cathedral, Mech said.
Another piece of the puzzle will be dedicated on May 12, when Archbishop Vigneron will unveil a new outdoor grotto at the cathedral in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
During the height of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, as the archbishop emotionally addressed the faithful during a livestreamed Mass from the cathedral, he entrusted the archdiocese to the protection of Our Lady of Lourdes and pledged to build the grotto “as a perpetual reminder” of her care and in memory of the lives lost to COVID-19.
Under the guidance of the archbishop, the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament finished a majority of the work on the grotto this fall, including statues of St. Bernadette Soubirous and Our Lady, whose face will reflect the one St. Bernadette saw in Lourdes, France, in 1858.
The first-class relics are among nearly 200 relics currently housed in the cathedral, which Father Mech hopes to find a way to display. The gold reliquaries are installed beneath each of the apostles’ statues. January 2024. Courtesy of Detroit Catholic
“People are already presently coming to pray [at] the grotto with the Blessed Mother,” Mech said. “We put some beautiful landscaping in this fall so people would feel welcomed, and in fact, we have used the site in a couple of ways for prayer services already.”
The grotto will also connect seamlessly with a garden walk that is being created around the cathedral’s plaza lawn, which will include art, benches, solar charging stations, a dog park, a bird sanctuary and pollination habitat.
Working alongside the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the cathedral’s co-director of family ministries, Christine Broses, is spearheading the transformation of two previously empty lots on the corner of Trowbridge and John R Streets into green space for wildlife to thrive.
“We learned that the city of Detroit is a north, south, east, and west crossing for bird migration,” Broses said. “So a lot of birds fly over the city of Detroit, but they don’t have anywhere to stop and rest because there isn’t a lot of green space. Creating green space is really important for the city and for wildlife in general, and research shows hearing birds and having green space in neighborhoods helps improve people’s mental health.”
Last spring, Broses oversaw the planting of native flowers in the area, and the next step is to let the space grow wild, which will inevitably attract birds and bees over the coming years. Broses said the final step will be to add educational plaques and pathways to make the spot accessible to schools and families.
Mech wants the garden spaces and pathways to be welcoming and intends to build benches — something the neighborhood is currently lacking.
The statues, pictured in their final fixed locations above the cathedral’s pillars, are just one piece of an ever-developing project to turn the cathedral into a true apostolic center in the heart of Detroit, Father J.J. Mech said. Credit: Photo courtesy of Detroit Catholic
“We did a study of our neighborhood and found there is not a single park bench in any of the parks in our area,” Mech said. “We want to have park benches so people can come and rest and enjoy themselves. This will be a place where community can be built, and people will realize that the cathedral is not a fortress; we are actually unleashing the Gospel.”
And there is more.
In June, construction began on the Cathedral Arts Apartments, which will include four stories and 53 two-bedroom housing units for low-income Detroiters. The $19.7 million project is the joint effort of the Archdiocese of Detroit; MHT Housing, Inc.; and the city of Detroit and will include a community space and workforce training center.
At the end of the day, the vision of a “Cathedral of the Arts” — like the cathedrals of old — is about listening to the Holy Spirit and making a difference from the very small to the large scale, so that everyone who steps onto the property is transformed, Mech said.
“When we get people onto the campus, they start to see what we are doing, and they get involved,” he said. “Then, the Holy Spirit does the rest and helps them to get to know Our Lord in new and wonderful ways.”
“He likes to call himself a devout catholic. I would urge him (Biden) to begin acting like one, especially on the life issues,” Archbishop Joseph Naumann said. “And to let his faith really inform his conscience and the decisions he is making, not the platform of his party.”
Well, that should do it. Based on this admonition I expect that Biden will now become the most pro-life president we have ever had.
Does anyone believe that Biden will change his spots based on this statement. Is the Archbishop, and are other bishops, making statements like this in the belief that gullible Catholics think that something worthwhile is being done?
I think the upcoming bishops meeting and the proposed document on the Eucharist will tell us much. If nothing is addressed at the scandal that prominent pro-abortion catholic politicians are causing, we will know that their talk is empty.
And a statement, with no names, and seemingly addressed to a nameless bipartisan group of politicians, will not fly.
The Biden administration is not “in the control of abortion extremists.”
The Biden administration ARE the abortion extremists, and all-abortion-all-the-time is their defining issue, their driving force, their litmus test, their animating principle, their end-all and their be-all.
The Democrats’ commitment to abortion is second only to their absolute, unwavering, monomaniacal thirst for power.
Only an extremely foolish man, who does not fear God would boast to the world about how holy and righteous he is, all the while publically and privately commiting evil deeds and endorsing the works of Satan. It’s truly sad not just for a career politician like Biden but for our entire beloved nation.
Bishop Naumann is being what the pope calls “pastoral” in calling out Chairman Joe for the split personality of his soul; that is, personally (supposedly) being against abortion but not inflicting his belief on others. Jesus didn’t tell the Apostles, “Here’s the Gospel, but keep it to yourselves.” I don’t see that this pope has what it takes to be truly “pastoral,” in teaching what it takes to attain eternal life. He’s busy sucking up to Nancy Pelosi and leaving the impression that she’s doing okay. He will do the same when he sees Chairman Joe later this month. Pastoral requires intestinal fortitude. Pope Francis has yet to show any.
The 7 Gifts of the Holy Spirit are what all wayward bishops and priests and deacons need to have a good retreat upon and then all will know what it means to be pastoral toward the family members of the Lords’ church.
The Devils Workshop has to add another shift with Biden/Obama,and Pelosi,Soros,Jarrett,
and the Clinton’s behind the “Curtains” pulling the levers and strings.That make their
consistency dance and sing. We even see how a certain percentage of RINOS love to get on the floor, and clapping their hands join the Devils Dance down to the River Styx.Where Charon waits to welcome them aboard !
I’M GOING TO MAKE A COMMENT NOW AND ITS GOING TO BE BRUTALLY HONEST. I JUST HOPE & PRAY THAT ITS TAKEN IN THAT SPIRIT. SO HERE GOES: I’M SICK TO DEATH OF HEARING JUST HOW ‘DEVOUT’ ALLEGED ‘PRESIDENT’ BIDEN IS. (THINK ‘STOP THE STEAL’) ALSO, BESIDES HIS VERY OBVIOUS SPOTTY RECORD IN DEFENDING HIS “WIN,” THERE’S ALSO HIS HORRIFYING RECORD OF BEING POSSIBLY THE WORST EVER PRESIDENT IN PUSHING ABORTION ON DEMAND NATIONALLY & INTERNATIONALLY. YE GODS, THE MAN NEVER STOPS, THE DEMONIC GIFT JUST KEEPS GIVING. ‘NUFF SAID, THAT’S MY STAND. MAY GOD BLESS ALL.
It’s pretty late now for Bishops to condemn Biden. They should have confronted him before the election and he might not have won. I am not a fan of Trump but Biden and his administration are a disaster.
It is so easy to put down and criticize the behavior of others, but my remember that only God knows the truth of our hearts and the state of our souls. Perhaps my faith is too “simplistic.”
“He likes to call himself a devout catholic. I would urge him (Biden) to begin acting like one, especially on the life issues,” Archbishop Joseph Naumann said. “And to let his faith really inform his conscience and the decisions he is making, not the platform of his party.”
Well, that should do it. Based on this admonition I expect that Biden will now become the most pro-life president we have ever had.
Does anyone believe that Biden will change his spots based on this statement. Is the Archbishop, and are other bishops, making statements like this in the belief that gullible Catholics think that something worthwhile is being done?
I think the upcoming bishops meeting and the proposed document on the Eucharist will tell us much. If nothing is addressed at the scandal that prominent pro-abortion catholic politicians are causing, we will know that their talk is empty.
And a statement, with no names, and seemingly addressed to a nameless bipartisan group of politicians, will not fly.
I strongly differ with Archbishop Naumann.
The Biden administration is not “in the control of abortion extremists.”
The Biden administration ARE the abortion extremists, and all-abortion-all-the-time is their defining issue, their driving force, their litmus test, their animating principle, their end-all and their be-all.
The Democrats’ commitment to abortion is second only to their absolute, unwavering, monomaniacal thirst for power.
And it’s a very close second.
Only an extremely foolish man, who does not fear God would boast to the world about how holy and righteous he is, all the while publically and privately commiting evil deeds and endorsing the works of Satan. It’s truly sad not just for a career politician like Biden but for our entire beloved nation.
I salute you for the courage to state that — “all the while publically and privately committing evil deeds and endorsing the works of Satan.”
Sadly, most of our Bishops fear CNN more than they fear God.
Given that the House Speaker met the Pope and received no admonishment, there is no reason not to expect the same for Joe at Halloween.
Bishop Naumann is being what the pope calls “pastoral” in calling out Chairman Joe for the split personality of his soul; that is, personally (supposedly) being against abortion but not inflicting his belief on others. Jesus didn’t tell the Apostles, “Here’s the Gospel, but keep it to yourselves.” I don’t see that this pope has what it takes to be truly “pastoral,” in teaching what it takes to attain eternal life. He’s busy sucking up to Nancy Pelosi and leaving the impression that she’s doing okay. He will do the same when he sees Chairman Joe later this month. Pastoral requires intestinal fortitude. Pope Francis has yet to show any.
The 7 Gifts of the Holy Spirit are what all wayward bishops and priests and deacons need to have a good retreat upon and then all will know what it means to be pastoral toward the family members of the Lords’ church.
Biden needs to go back to the basics; his head is messed up
May God have mercy on his soul. May God have mercy on our country. Come, Lord Jesus Christ!
The Devils Workshop has to add another shift with Biden/Obama,and Pelosi,Soros,Jarrett,
and the Clinton’s behind the “Curtains” pulling the levers and strings.That make their
consistency dance and sing. We even see how a certain percentage of RINOS love to get on the floor, and clapping their hands join the Devils Dance down to the River Styx.Where Charon waits to welcome them aboard !
I’M GOING TO MAKE A COMMENT NOW AND ITS GOING TO BE BRUTALLY HONEST. I JUST HOPE & PRAY THAT ITS TAKEN IN THAT SPIRIT. SO HERE GOES: I’M SICK TO DEATH OF HEARING JUST HOW ‘DEVOUT’ ALLEGED ‘PRESIDENT’ BIDEN IS. (THINK ‘STOP THE STEAL’) ALSO, BESIDES HIS VERY OBVIOUS SPOTTY RECORD IN DEFENDING HIS “WIN,” THERE’S ALSO HIS HORRIFYING RECORD OF BEING POSSIBLY THE WORST EVER PRESIDENT IN PUSHING ABORTION ON DEMAND NATIONALLY & INTERNATIONALLY. YE GODS, THE MAN NEVER STOPS, THE DEMONIC GIFT JUST KEEPS GIVING. ‘NUFF SAID, THAT’S MY STAND. MAY GOD BLESS ALL.
Finally someone from the USCCB is standing up on two righteous and apostolic feet!
It’s pretty late now for Bishops to condemn Biden. They should have confronted him before the election and he might not have won. I am not a fan of Trump but Biden and his administration are a disaster.
It is so easy to put down and criticize the behavior of others, but my remember that only God knows the truth of our hearts and the state of our souls. Perhaps my faith is too “simplistic.”