Pope Issues Apostolic Letter On Procedure For Removal of Bishops In Abuse Cases

In the Vatican on Saturday, Pope Francis issued motu proprio (i.e. on his own initiative) an Apostolic Letter (full text in Italian) establishing a procedure for the removal of Bishops (and those of equivalent Canon Law rank) who through their negligence have caused grave harm to others. The Letter titled Come una madre amorevole ("As a Loving Mother") clarifies that negligence in cases of sexual abuse against children or vulnerable adults are among the "grave causes" that justify removal.  Vatican Radio reports:

Father Lombardi [Director of the Holy See Press Office] drew attention especially to two points in the Apostolic Letter. First, the “lack of diligence” necessary for removal from office can exist even be “without grave moral fault” on the part of the Bishop.

Second, in cases concerning the abuse of minors “it is sufficient that the lack of diligence be ‘grave,’ while in other cases it is required that the lack of diligence be ‘very grave’.” This effectively lowers the standard necessary for a Bishop to be removed from office when there is negligence with regard to cases of sexual abuse.

In cases involving important decisions regarding Bishops, including those foreseen in the Apostolic Letter, the specific approval of the Holy Father is necessary. Father Lombardi noted that this is not a new disposition.

However, the Apostolic Letter does introduce a new “dedicated College of jurists” (It.: “apposito Collegio di giuristi"), which will assist the Holy Father before he makes a definitive decision. Father Lombardi said the College would be expected to be composed of Cardinals and Bishops.

[Thanks to Tom Rutledge for the lead.]

UPDATE: Victim advocates are skeptical of the new policy. (Statement by SNAP.)

Bernie Sanders Accepts Invitation To Conference In Vatican On Social Justice and the Environment

Democratic Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders announced yesterday that he has accepted an invitation from the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences to attend an April 15 conference in the Vatican on restoring social justice and environmental sustainability.  As reported by Time magazine, in a New York campaign stop today, Sanders said: "I must tell you that I am a very great fan of the role that Pope Francis has been playing in talking about inequality in this world." [Thanks to Scott Mange for the lead.]

Pope Francis Releases Historic Document on Family Life

As reported by Crux, the Vatican today released Pope Francis' much anticipated Apostolic Exhortation titled Amoris Laetitia (The Joy of Love). Here is the full text of 256-page document which grew out of meetings of Catholic bishops from around the world in 2014 and 2015 on issues of the family. The Vatican has also released a Summary of each of the document's nine chapters.  Of particular interest is Chapter 8 which deals with the Church's treatment of divorced Catholics. The Summary of that Chapter reads in part:

 As far as discernment with regard to “irregular” situations is concerned, the Pope states: “There is a need ‘to avoid judgements which do not take into account the complexity of various situations’ and ‘to be attentive, by necessity, to how people experience distress because of their condition’” (AL 296). And he continues: “It is a matter of reaching out to everyone, of needing to help each person find his or her proper way of participating in the ecclesial community, and thus to experience being touched by an ‘unmerited, unconditional and gratuitous’ mercy” (AL 297). And further: “The divorced who have entered a new union, for example, can find themselves in a variety of situations, which should not be pigeonholed or fit into overly rigid classifications leaving no room for a suitable personal and pastoral discernment” (AL 298).

... [T]he Pope states that “the baptized who are divorced and civilly remarried need to be more fully integrated into Christian communities in the variety of ways possible, while avoiding any occasion of scandal”. “Their participation can be expressed in different ecclesial services… Such persons need to feel not as excommunicated members of the Church, but instead as living members, able to live and grow in the Church… This integration is also needed in the care and Christian upbringing of their children” (AL 299).

In a more general vein, the Pope makes an extremely important statement ... :“If we consider the immense variety of concrete situations, … it is understandable that neither the Synod nor this Exhortation could be expected to provide a new set of general rules, canonical in nature and applicable to all cases. What is needed is simply a renewed encouragement to undertake a responsible personal and pastoral discernment of particular cases, one which would recognize that, since ‘the degree of responsibility is not equal in all cases’, the consequences or effects of a rule need not necessarily always be the same” (AL 300).... 

Crux has also posted an analysis of the document

First Ever Meeting of Heads of Catholic, Russian Orthodox Churches Scheduled In Cuba For Next Week

In a joint press release today, the Vatican and the Patriarchate of Moscow announced that Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill will meet on Feb. 12 in Cuba at the Havana airport.  The historic meeting, which will culminate in the signing of a joint declaration, is the first meeting ever between a Pope and the head of the Russian Orthodox church. AP reports on the religious and well as political implications of the historic meeting.

Iran's Rouhani Visits Italy; Religious Protocol Among Economic Talks

As reported by Al Jazeera, on Monday Iran's President Hassan Rouhani arrived in Italy to begin a four-day European trip that will also take him to France. The trip focuses mainly on renewing economic ties. International Business Times reports that some Italians are angered at their government's handling of Rouhani's tour of a famous Rome museum:

Rouhani toured the Musei Capitolini (Capitoline Museums) – which hosts a huge collection of artefacts from the ancient, medieval and renaissance periods – accompanied by Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi on 25 January.

However, the Iranian leader could not admire some of the museum's masterpieces, as all marbles depicting naked scenes had been carefully hid behind large white panels.

The vast censorship effort was reportedly implemented as a show of respect to the reformist president, out of fears that the exposed private parts of ancient Roman gods could offend Iranian sensitivity. Wine was also banned from official receptions.

VIS reports that Rouhani also met in the Vatican with Pope Francis:

During the cordial discussions, common spiritual values emerged and reference was made to the good state of relations between the Holy See and the Islamic Republic of Iran, the life of the Church in the country and the action of the Holy See to favour the promotion of the dignity of the human person and religious freedom.

Pope Speaks To Diplomatic Corps About Migration Crisis In Europe

On Monday, Pope Francis held the traditional exchange of New Year's greetings with members of the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See.  In his remarks (full text) the Pope focused on the "grave crisis of migration" affecting Europe. He said in part:

I wish, then, to reaffirm my conviction that Europe, aided by its great cultural and religious heritage, has the means to defend the centrality of the human person and to find the right balance between its twofold moral responsibility to protect the rights of its citizens and to ensure assistance and acceptance to migrants....

In facing the issue of migrations, one cannot overlook its cultural implications, beginning with those linked to religious affiliation. Extremism and fundamentalism find fertile soil not only in the exploitation of religion for purposes of power, but also in the vacuum of ideals and the loss of identity – including religious identity – which dramatically marks the so-called West. This vacuum gives rise to the fear which leads to seeing the other as a threat and an enemy.... The acceptance of migrants can thus prove a good opportunity for new understanding and broader horizons, both on the part of those accepted, who have the responsibility to respect the values, traditions and laws of the community which takes them in, and on the part of the latter, who are called to acknowledge the beneficial contribution which each immigrant can make to the whole community.

Two Popes Impact Delicate International Decisions

Pope Francis yesterday spoke in Narobi, Kenya to a group of  United Nations officials (full text of speech) urging action at two upcoming international conferences. Focusing on COP21, the meeting beginning Nov. 30 in Paris on climate change, the Pope said in part:

In a few days an important meeting on climate change will be held in Paris, where the international community as such will once again confront these issues.  It would be sad, and I dare say even catastrophic, were particular interests to prevail over the common good and lead to manipulating information in order to protect their own plans and projects....

I express my hope that COP21 will achieve a global and “transformational” agreement based on the principles of solidarity, justice, equality and participation; an agreement which targets three complex and interdependent goals: lessening the impact of climate change, fighting poverty and ensuring respect for human dignity.

The Pope also spoke about the upcoming 10th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization scheduled to meet in Narobi in a few days:

It is my hope that the deliberations of the forthcoming Nairobi Conference will not be a simple balancing of conflicting interests, but a genuine service to care of our common home and the integral development of persons, especially those in greatest need.  I would especially like to echo the concern of all those groups engaged in projects of development and health care – including those religious congregations which serve the poor and those most excluded – with regard to agreements on intellectual property and access to medicines and essential health care.  Regional free trade treaties dealing with the protection of intellectual property, particularly in the areas of pharmaceutics and biotechnology, should not only maintain intact the powers already granted to States by multilateral agreements, but should also be a means for ensuring a minimum of health care and access to basic treatment for all.

Meanwhile, Israeli and Arab sources differ on the political importance of a gesture by Egypt's Coptic Pope Tawadros II who yesterday left with a delegation of bishops for Jerusalem to take part in the funeral of Archbishop Anba Abraham, the Archbishop of Jerusalem.  This is the first visit of a Coptic pope to Jerusalem since 1832.  In 1979, the previous Coptic Pope barred Copts from traveling to Jerusalem, insisting they will only enter together with Muslims. The Jerusalem Post speculates that Tawadros' trip will make it increasingly difficult to maintain the ban on other Copts making a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Zvi Mazel, a former Israeli ambassador to Egypt said that Tawadros probably got approval from Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi who is maintaining close intelligence ties with Israel in the fight against ISIL in Sinai.

However, Gulf News quotes a Coptic Church spokesman who said that Tawadros' visit to Jerusalem, which the Church considers occupied territory, does not change the Church's position:

The Pope’s visit came as an exception. It is for offering condolences and nothing more.  Pope Tawadros II will not make any visits in the Holy Land, and he will return to Cairo immediately following the funeral prayers. Copts will only go to Jerusalem with their Muslim brethren.

Pope Francis Met With Kim Davis; Supports Conscientious Objection

In a press release issued yesterday, Liberty Counsel disclosed that Rowan County, Kentucky Clerk Kim Davis met with Pope Francis at the Vatican Embassy in Washington last Thursday. Davis' husband was also at the private meeting during which the Pope, speaking in English, thanked Davis for her courage and presented her with rosaries for her parents who are Catholic. Davis has refused to issue marriage licences to same-sex couples, and was jailed for contempt for several days as a result. (See prior posting.) In a press conference on his plane back to Rome (before the meeting with Davis was announced publicly), the Pope told reporters that conscientious objection is a human right. When asked whether that applies to government officials, the Pope responded: "It is a human right and if a government official is a human person, he has that right."

Pope Francis Addresses Clergy Sex Abuse and New Definitions of Marriage

As reported by Vatican Radio, Pope Francis today in Philadelphia held a private meeting with victims of clergy sexual abuse. He then addressed a meeting of bishops and departed from his prepared remarks to begin as follows:

I hold the stories and the suffering and the sorrow of children who were sexually abused by priests deep in my heart.  I remain overwhelmed with shame that men entrusted with the tender care of children violated these little ones and caused grievous harm.  I am profoundly sorry. God weeps.

The crimes and sins of the sexual abuse of children must no longer be held in secret.  I pledge the zealous vigilance of the Church to protect children and the promise of accountability for all.

They, the survivors of abuse, have become true heralds of hope and ministers of mercy. We humbly owe each one of them and their families our gratitude for their immense courage to shine the light of Christ on the evil of the sexual abuse of children.

I’m telling you this because I’ve just met with a group of sex abuse victims who are being helped and accompanied here in Philadelphia.

The remainder of his remarks to the bishops are also carried in the same Vatican Radio coverage. Those remarks included the following, which appears to be a reference to the legal recognition of same-sex marriage:

Needless to say, our understanding, shaped by the interplay of ecclesial faith and the conjugal experience of sacramental grace, must not lead us to disregard the unprecedented changes taking place in contemporary society, with their social, cultural – and now juridical – effects on family bonds.  These changes affect all of us, believers and non-believers alike.  Christians are not “immune” to the changes of their times.  This concrete world, with all its many problems and possibilities, is where we must live, believe and proclaim.

Until recently, we lived in a social context where the similarities between the civil institution of marriage and the Christian sacrament were considerable and shared.  The two were interrelated and mutually supportive.  This is no longer the case. 

Pope Francis Speaks On Religious Liberty At Independence Hall

Pope Francis today during his visit to Philadelphia, delivered an address in front of Independence Hall.  The talk (full text) billed as the Address of Pope Francis at the Meeting for Religious Liberty was delivered to an audience comprised of many representatives of the immigrant community in the United States.  The Pope said in part:

Religious freedom certainly means the right to worship God, individually and in community, as our consciences dictate.  But religious liberty, by its nature, transcends places of worship and the private sphere of individuals and families. 

Our various religious traditions serve society primarily by the message they proclaim.  They call individuals and communities to worship God, the source of all life, liberty and happiness.  They remind us of the transcendent dimension of human existence and our irreducible freedom in the face of every claim to absolute power.  We need but look at history, especially the history of the last century, to see the atrocities perpetrated by systems which claimed to build one or another “earthly paradise” by dominating peoples, subjecting them to apparently indisputable principles and denying them any kind of rights.... 

In a world where various forms of modern tyranny seek to suppress religious freedom, or try to reduce it to a subculture without right to a voice in the public square, or to use religion as a pretext for hatred and brutality, it is imperative that the followers of the various religions join their voices in calling for peace, tolerance and respect for the dignity and rights of others.

CNN reported on the Pope's remarks, pointing out that Francis made "no explicit references to any of the U.S. Catholic bishops' recent battles over religious rights."

At St. Patrick's, Pope Francis Talks of Muslims, Sex Abuse Scandal and Liberal Nuns

Arriving in New York City, the second leg of his trip to the United States, Pope Francis last night delivered a homily during vespers at St. Patrick's Cathedral. Speaking in Spanish, the Pope again dealt with topics that touched political chords in the United States. New York Times has the translation of his remarks in the form they were prepared for delivery. ABC News has a translation that includes a preliminary paragraph the Pope added extending greetings to "my Muslim brothers and sisters ... as they celebrate the feast of the sacrifice."  He also extended his "sentiments of closeness" to Muslims on the deaths of hundreds in the crush of Hajj crowds near Mecca yesterday. (See prior posting.)

In remarks that are likely to be criticized by victim advocates, the Pope gave support to American priests in the wake of Church sex abuse scandals:

I know that, as a presbyterate in the midst of God’s people, you suffered greatly in the not distant past by having to bear the shame of some of your brothers who harmed and scandalized the Church in the most vulnerable of her members… In the words of the Book of Revelation, I know well that you “have come forth from the great tribulation” (Rev 7:14). I accompany you at this time of pain and difficulty, and I thank God for your faithful service to his people.

During his remarks, the Pope also gave a particularly strong shout out to American nuns, who had been the subject of criticism during Pope Benedict XVI's tenure for their not hewing closely enough to conservative positions of the American bishops. (See prior posting.)  Pope Francis said:

In a special way I would like to express my esteem and gratitude to the religious women of the United States. What would the Church be without you? Women of strength, fighters, with that spirit of courage which puts you in the front lines in the proclamation of the Gospel. To you, religious women, sisters and mothers of this people, I wish to say “thank you”, a big thank you… and to tell you that I love you very much.

I know that many of you are in the front lines in meeting the challenges of adapting to an evolving pastoral landscape. Whatever difficulties and trials you face, I ask you, like Saint Peter, to be at peace and to respond to them as Christ did: he thanked the Father, took up his cross and looked forward!

USA Today reports that the Pope was twice interrupted by applause during his remarks praising American nuns.

Pope Francis Addresses Joint Session of Congress

Pope Francis this morning became the first Pope to address a joint session of Congress. He delivered an hour-long speech (full text) filled with appeals, often framed in subtle and sophisticated nuance, appealing to Congress and Americans to realize their own potential on a wide range of issues-- many of them politically charged.  Here are some of the more memorable quotes:

All of us are quite aware of, and deeply worried by, the disturbing social and political situation of the world today.  Our world is increasingly a place of violent conflict, hatred and brutal atrocities, committed even in the name of God and of religion.  We know that no religion is immune from forms of individual delusion or ideological extremism.  This means that we must be especially attentive to every type of fundamentalism, whether religious or of any other kind.  A delicate balance is required to combat violence perpetrated in the name of a religion, an ideology or an economic system, while also safeguarding religious freedom, intellectual freedom and individual freedoms.  But there is another temptation which we must especially guard against: the simplistic reductionism which sees only good or evil; or, if you will, the righteous and sinners.  The contemporary world, with its open wounds which affect so many of our brothers and sisters, demands that we confront every form of polarization which would divide it into these two camps.  We know that in the attempt to be freed of the enemy without, we can be tempted to feed the enemy within.  To imitate the hatred and violence of tyrants and murderers is the best way to take their place.  That is something which you, as a people, reject..... 

In recent centuries, millions of people came to this land to pursue their dream of building a future in freedom.  We, the people of this continent, are not fearful of foreigners, because most of us were once foreigners.  I say this to you as the son of immigrants, knowing that so many of you are also descended from immigrants.  Tragically, the rights of those who were here long before us were not always respected.  For those peoples and their nations, from the heart of American democracy, I wish to reaffirm my highest esteem and appreciation.  Those first contacts were often turbulent and violent, but it is difficult to judge the past by the criteria of the present.  Nonetheless, when the stranger in our midst appeals to us, we must not repeat the sins and the errors of the past.  We must resolve now to live as nobly and as justly as possible, as we educate new generations not to turn their back on our “neighbors” and everything around us.  Building a nation calls us to recognize that we must constantly relate to others, rejecting a mindset of hostility in order to adopt one of reciprocal subsidiarity, in a constant effort to do our best.  I am confident that we can do this.....

The fight against poverty and hunger must be fought constantly and on many fronts, especially in its causes.  I know that many Americans today, as in the past, are working to deal with this problem.

It goes without saying that part of this great effort is the creation and distribution of wealth.  The right use of natural resources, the proper application of technology and the harnessing of the spirit of enterprise are essential elements of an economy which seeks to be modern, inclusive and sustainable.  “Business is a noble vocation, directed to producing wealth and improving the world.  It can be a fruitful source of prosperity for the area in which it operates, especially if it sees the creation of jobs as an essential part of its service to the common good” (Laudato Si’, 129).  This common good also includes the earth, a central theme of the encyclical which I recently wrote in order to “enter into dialogue with all people about our common home” (ibid., 3).  “We need a conversation which includes everyone, since the environmental challenge we are undergoing, and its human roots, concern and affect us all” (ibid., 14).

 Washington Post has additional reporting on the speech.

In Unscheduled Stop, Pope Supports Challenge To ACA Contraceptive Mandate Accommodation

According to the Washington Post, Pope Francis as part of his visit to Washington yesterday made an unscheduled stop at the convent of the Little Sisters of the Poor.  The Little Sisters, who operate homes for the elderly in cities across the country, is involved in a high profile court case challenging the Obama Administration's accommodation for religious non-profits that object to making contraceptive coverage available to their employees. Vatican Radio reports today:

This is a sign, obviously of support for them [in their court case]” said Father Federico Lombardi, SJ, the head of the Holy See Press Office.

“In this sense it is connected also to the words that the Pope has said in support of the Bishops of the United States in the speech to President Obama,” Father Lombardi continued.

“This was a little addition to the programme, but I think it has an important meaning in this moment,” he said.

Presumably Father Lombardi's reference to the Pope's talk at the White House (see prior posting) were to this portion of the Pope's remarks:

[American Catholics are] concerned that efforts to build a just and wisely ordered society respect their deepest concerns and their right to religious liberty.  That freedom remains one of America’s most precious possessions.  And, as my brothers, the United States Bishops, have reminded us, all are called to be vigilant, precisely as good citizens, to preserve and defend that freedom from everything that would threaten or compromise it.

Little Sisters of the Poor have filed a petition for certiorari asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review the 10th Circuit's decision upholding the Obama Administration's contraceptive coverage accommodation for religious non-profits. (See prior posting.)

Pope Addresses Politically Sensitive Topics In First U.S. Speeches

In his first full day in the United States, Pope Francis today waded into the politically sensitive topics of immigration, climate change and the Church's sex abuse scandals.  He gave two major addresses one at the White House this morning (full text) and a second (full text) to the U.S. Catholic Bishops at a mass at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle, close to the White House. Here are some excerpts:

On immigration:

As the son of an immigrant family, I am happy to be a guest in this country, which was largely built by such families. (White House speech).

My second recommendation has to do with immigrants.  I ask you to excuse me if in some way I am pleading my own case.  The Church in the United States knows like few others the hopes present in the hearts of these “pilgrims”.  From the beginning you have learned their languages, promoted their cause, made their contributions your own, defended their rights, helped them to prosper, and kept alive the flame of their faith.  Even today, no American institution does more for immigrants than your Christian communities.  Now you are facing this stream of Latin immigration which affects many of your dioceses.  Not only as the Bishop of Rome, but also as a pastor from the South, I feel the need to thank and encourage you.  Perhaps it will not be easy for you to look into their soul; perhaps you will be challenged by their diversity.  But know that they also possess resources meant to be shared.  So do not be afraid to welcome them.  Offer them the warmth of the love of Christ and you will unlock the mystery of their heart.  I am certain that, as so often in the past, these people will enrich America and its Church. (Speech at St. Matthew's').

On Church sex abuse scandals:

I am also conscious of the courage with which you have faced difficult moments in the recent history of the Church in this country without fear of self-criticism and at the cost of mortification and great sacrifice.  Nor have you been afraid to divest whatever is unessential in order to regain the authority and trust which is demanded of ministers of Christ and rightly expected by the faithful.  I realize how much the pain of recent years has weighed upon you and I have supported your generous commitment to bring healing to victims – in the knowledge that in healing we too are healed – and to work to ensure that such crimes will never be repeated. (Speech at St. Matthew's)

On climate change:

Mr. President, I find it encouraging that you are proposing an initiative for reducing air pollution.  Accepting the urgency, it seems clear to me also that climate change is a problem which can no longer be left to a future generation.  When it comes to the care of our “common home”, we are living at a critical moment of history.  We still have time to make the changes needed to bring about “a sustainable and integral development, for we know that things can change” (Laudato Si’, 13).  Such change demands on our part a serious and responsible recognition not only of the kind of world we may be leaving to our children, but also to the millions of people living under a system which has overlooked them.  Our common home has been part of this group of the excluded which cries out to heaven and which today powerfully strikes our homes, our cities and our societies.  To use a telling phrase of the Reverend Martin Luther King, we can say that we have defaulted on a promissory note and now is the time to honor it. (Speech at White House).

Pope Francis Visit To U.S. Begins Today-- How To Follow The Events

The White House has posted a page on its website captioned Pope Francis Is Coming To Washington.  It sets out the Pope's schedule for his visits to D.C., New York and Philadelphia, and other basic information about the visit.  It also provides a form to sign up for e-mail alerts during the Pope's visit.  He arrives from Cuba at Andrews Air Force Base today at 4:00 p.m.  Coverage of the visit will be streamed live online by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops here.  EWTN is also providing live streaming of both the Cuba and U.S. portions of the visit. Of course, the Vatican News Portal also has extensive coverage.  A private Catholic evangelization website, Pope Francis Visit 2015, has extensive background material and coverage as well.  It even offers extensive Pope Francis merchandise and memorabilia for sale.

Pope Arrives In U.S. Tuesday; White House Guest List Already Raises Controversy

Pope Francis will arrive in the United States on Tuesday afternoon. Here is his official schedule. One event already creating controversy is the reception for the Pope on the South Lawn of the White House on Wednesday morning before his personal meeting with the President. According to Religion News Service today, while it is expected that nearly 15,000 people will attend the reception, conservative Catholics and at least one Vatican official are upset at invitations that have been extended to "a number of gay Catholics and LGBT advocates, an openly gay Episcopal bishop, and to a nun who is a prominent social justice activist." Other officials in the Vatican however apparently have no problem with the guest list.

Abuse Victims Will Press Pope For More Accountability

In an article posted yesterday, the New York Times reports that when Pope Francis visits the United States later this month, survivors of clergy sexual abuse will be pressing him to do more to deal with abusers:

Advocates and victims say that while the church has improved in preventing abuse, it is still resisting full accountability. It blocks efforts to overhaul statute of limitations laws that protect many priests from prosecution and the church from lawsuits that could lead to more payouts to victims, they say. Outside the United States, the church still does not require those who face accusations of abuse to be removed from active ministry. And the Vatican has never explicitly punished a bishop for shielding accused priests, instead quietly accepting a few resignations....

He could also direct archdioceses to release the names of credibly accused American priests, at least 2,400 of whom have never been identified, said Terence McKiernan, the president of BishopAccountability.org,

Pope Francis Reforms Church's Annulment Process

As reported by CNN and Vatican Radio, Pope Francis today issued two Apostolic  Letters motu proprio (by the Pope's own initiative) introducing major changes in the Church procedures for annulling marriages. One of the letters, Mitis Iudex Dominus Iesus (full text in Latin and Italian) reforms the Code of Canon Law of the Latin Church, while the other, Mitis et misericors Iesus (full text in Latin and Italian) reforms the Code of Canon Law for Oriental Churches. According to CNN, the documents make three major changes in the annulment process:  (1) they eliminate a second review by a cleric before a marriage can be nullified; (2) they give bishops the ability to fast-track and grant the annulments themselves in certain circumstances, for example when spousal abuse or an extramarital affair has occurred; and (3) they provide that the annulment process should be free, except for a nominal fee for administrative costs, and should be completed within 45 days.

Pope's Upcoming Visit To U.S. Generates Church-State Concerns

With Pope Francis' visit to the United States now less than a month away (see prior posting), church-state questions are beginning to surface as they have with all recent Papal visits to the U.S.  Americans United announced Monday that it had sent a letter (full text) to officials in the cities the Pope will be visiting--Philadelphia, New York and Washington, D.C.-- as well as to federal officials expressing Establishment Clause concerns.  Citing reported extensive hosting plans by Philadelphia, the letter cautions:

government bodies must not provide any aid to a Pope’s religious activities that goes beyond the provision of services — such as police, safety, and security — that are regularly given for comparable public events of a similar size. 

Pope In Bolivia Calls For Dramatic Economic and Social Reform

Yesterday, in a speech that CBS News called "one of the most significant ... of his papacy," Pope Francis called for dramatic economic and social change.  Addressing the 2nd World Meeting of Popular Movements (full text of remarks) in Bolivia, he said in part:

Do we realize that something is wrong in a world where there are so many farmworkers without land, so many families without a home, so many laborers without rights, so many persons whose dignity is not respected?

Do we realize that something is wrong where so many senseless wars are being fought and acts of fratricidal violence are taking place on our very doorstep? Do we realize something is wrong when the soil, water, air and living creatures of our world are under constant threat? 

So let’s not be afraid to say it: we need change; we want change. In your letters and in our meetings, you have mentioned the many forms of exclusion and injustice which you experience in the workplace, in neighborhoods and throughout the land..... Yet there is an invisible thread joining every one of those forms of exclusion: can we recognize it? These are not isolated issues. I wonder whether we can see that these destructive realities are part of a system which has become global. Do we realize that that system has imposed the mentality of profit at any price, with no concern for social exclusion or the destruction of nature?....

Time, my brothers and sisters, seems to be running out.... Today, the scientific community realizes what the poor have long told us: harm, perhaps irreversible harm, is being done to the ecosystem. The earth, entire peoples and individual persons are being brutally punished. And behind all this pain, death and destruction there is the stench of what [one of the first theologians of the Church,] Basil of Caesarea, called “the dung of the devil”. An unfettered pursuit of money rules.... The service of the common good is left behind. Once capital becomes an idol and guides people’s decisions, once greed for money presides over the entire socioeconomic system, it ruins society, it condemns and enslaves men and women, it destroys human fraternity, it sets people against one another and, as we clearly see, it even puts at risk our common home. [Sister and mother earth.]