Auteur/autrice : Mathilde Daniel

Listening is a key word at the synod, but it’s also a way to « shift the feeling that the truth resides at the top of the hierarchy » in any church structure, said Sr. Patricia Murray, just before the start of the first session of the Synod of Bishops on Oct. 4.

Murray, a leader of the Rome-based umbrella group representing Catholic sisters across the world and one of about 40 sisters taking part in the Synod, said: « We’re saying the truth resides in the body [of the church]. We listen to the body. »

« Now, those who have responsibility in the church and in religious congregations, having listened, then are better informed to take a decision in the Holy Spirit, » Murray, executive secretary of the International Union of Superiors General, or UISG, told Global Sisters Report.

Don’t count on the synod’s monthlong focus on listening as a one-time event or one that will stay in Rome, said Murray, adding that the process may become « a new way of life, a new way of leading » the church and its organizations.

« When we’re discussing things or looking at important issues, we often we leap right into the business, if you like, without listening to one another, listening to the word of God, » said Murray, a member of the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary also known as the Loreto Sisters. « However, this is a way of really going a bit deeper, much deeper, as a Christian community gathered, and to listen to what’s moving in the hearts of people. »

UISG already has started a process trying to inculcate that « new way » to follow among religious communities that the organization serves globally, she said, with introductory sessions in multiple languages via Zoom before the synod that will continue for the next three years. 

« What does it look like? It will look like formation, understanding what synodality means, because there’s a lot of confusion about the term, » Murray told GSR. « It’s a way of really deep listening to God’s Spirit in leading us, whether at a personal level or at group level. »

If the first day of the synod is any indication, it involves some reflection, a little bit of music, some quiet time, prayer, silence and listening — to oneself and others. And it offers a glimpse at what synod members like Murray are experiencing this month.

« We’re searching for guidance of the Holy Spirit, so in a sense, often we begin a meeting and we pray for guidance to the Holy Spirit. However, this is a way of really going a bit deeper, much deeper, as the Christian community gathered, and to listen to what’s moving in the hearts of people, » she told GSR. 

Murray is one of five UISG members participating in the synod, which includes the organization’s newly appointed president, Sr. Mary Barron, of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Apostles; Mercy Sr. Elizabeth Mary Davis; Sr. Elysée Izerimana, of the Working Sisters of the Holy House of Nazareth, and; Sr. Maria Nirmalini, a member of the Sisters of the Apostolic Carmel.

While listening and praying already are prevalent in religious communities, the synod’s process offers a slightly different style, one similar to the process of discernment posed by St. Ignatius of Loyola, Murray said. 

« There are other spiritualities that have other ways of discerning, but one way is to name what is moving within you? Where do you feel God is calling? Where is the Spirit calling me personally at this time? We share around the circle, » she said. 

« Then in the second round, we say: ‘What have I heard my brothers and sisters saying that really has struck me or touched me, moved me?’ Then we share that again without discussing. It’s deep listening. It’s listening to God speaking to each one of us, because that’s what we’re saying, it’s our baptismal authority, that God speaks to each person. The task is to listen. »

Following that step, there is a « third round, » she said. 

« We begin to say, ‘Now, what’s been said to us here?’ It’s a much more free-flowing, open discussion, but having listened deeply. So often, we get into a … debating mode in meetings, whereas this is inviting us to a deeper way of listening. »

And it’s a process that can be implemented at any level in the universal church, Murray said, but for the purpose of UISG’s members, it means introducing leadership in religious congregations and those leading provinces to a new path. 

« It’s learning to be much more attentive. It’s a practice, it’s a spiritual practice, » she said. 

Advocates say getting rid of the statute of limitations for victims of child sexual abuse is a matter of moral justice, but the Archdiocese of Boston says the move will hurt its own efforts to help sexual abuse victims.

The Massachusetts Legislature is considering eliminating the civil statute of limitations for adult victims of child sexual abuse. The current law allows victims to file civil lawsuits up to 35 years after the abuse.

The state lawmaker behind the effort, Democratic Sen. Joan Lovely of Salem, said victims still need more time to reckon with the trauma they suffered as children.

Lovely, who says she is a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, told WGBH’s « Greater Boston » news show that many victims are unable to come forward until well into adulthood.

« We want to make sure people have the opportunity to bring action when they are ready to do so, » Lovely told WGBH.

Lovely did not respond to OSV News’ requests for comment.

Terrence Donilon, secretary for communications and public affairs for the Boston Archdiocese, which is led by Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley, provided a statement from the archdiocese opposing Lovely’s bill. According to the statement, removing the statute of limitations for civil lawsuits would put at risk the archdiocesan aid program for sexual abuse victims.

« The legislative changes currently proposed and under consideration would jeopardize our ability to continue to (assist victims) and would make it difficult to sustain the many works of mercy the church is committed to through social justice and support for the neediest, » the statement said.

But Mitchell Garabedian, an attorney for numerous clergy sexual abuse victims, including some in Boston, said lifting the statute of limitations is imperative.

« Not passing such legislation sends a message to the victims that he or she does not matter, and also allows the sexual abuser, negligent supervisor and entities to escape accountability, » Garabedian said.

David Vicinanzo, a New England attorney who has represented both sexual abuse victims and Catholic institutions throughout his career, called completely lifting the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse victims « almost an incontrovertible good policy. »

« From a moral perspective it’s not a close call, it’s the right thing to do, » Vicinanzo said.

A former federal prosecutor as well as a practicing Catholic, Vicinanzo represented neighboring New Hampshire’s Catholic Church in the 2000s after the Boston sexual abuse scandal broke. He helped the Manchester Diocese set up its settlement system to make it easy for victims to seek damages. Currently, he is one of the lead attorneys for more than 1,200 victims suing the state of New Hampshire after they were abused as children while detained in the Sununu Youth Development Center.

Vicinanzo has seen adult victims come forward after living with their abuse for decades, and many state legislatures have or are now considering removing their state’s limits.

« It’s something that legislatures are becoming enlightened to, the fact that childhood abuse often takes many years to recognize or even report because of the unique traumatic effects it has on a juvenile brain, » Vicinanzo said.

Statute of limitation laws can stop victims from being able to seek some form of justice when they are finally ready to come forward. In cases where the alleged abuser is dead and cannot be criminally charged, it is the only justice for which these victims can hope, he said.

Making it easier for victims to seek justice also creates accountability for large institutions, like the church or a state government. Such accountability and scrutiny means abusers will be named and the public protected, Vicinanzo said.

« If you don’t make it easy for people to report abuse, it allows the abusers to continue. Until people report it, until people know about it, it continues to happen and more kids get harmed, » Vicinanzo said.

O’Malley is the Vatican’s point man on dealing with clergy sex abuse. He was appointed president of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors in 2014. O’Malley also is a member of the international Council of Cardinals, the body instituted by Pope Francis to assist in governing the Catholic Church and institute reforms to the Vatican bureaucracy.

Clergy sexual abuse survivors on  unveiled a proposed new church law calling for the permanent removal of abusive priests and superiors who covered for them, as they stepped up their outrage over Pope Francis’ choice to head the Vatican office that investigates sex crimes.

The global advocacy group End Clergy Abuse unveiled the draft law at a press conference following days of protests around the Vatican, and before taking their complaints to the U.N. in Geneva. They are seeking to draw attention to the ongoing scandal in the Catholic Church and the failure of Francis and the hierarchy to make good on years of pledges of « zero tolerance » for abuse.

Specifically, the survivors have expressed astonishment at Francis’ nomination of an old friend and theologian, Cardinal Victor Fernández, to take over as prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, given Fernández’s record handling cases as bishop in his native Argentina.

When Fernández was bishop of La Plata, Argentina, he refused to promptly remove one of his priests, Eduardo Lorenzo, who was repeatedly accused of abusing teens. Ten years after a victim first came forward, and hours after learning that an Argentine judge had ordered his arrest, Lorenzo was found dead in 2019 in what was ruled a suicide. Fernández had stood by Lorenzo and officiated at his funeral.

The Vatican office that Fernández now heads has processed priest abuse cases globally since 2001, meting out church punishments that are never more severe than being defrocked, or « reduced » back to being a layman. After bullish years under the late Pope Benedict XVI, who defrocked nearly 850 priests in a decade, the office in recent years appears to have taken a more lenient approach as cases poured in from around the globe.

Francis himself had a big learning curve on abuse, arriving at the Vatican in 2013 claiming to have never handled a case and then botching a big scandal in Chile in 2018. He did an about-face, vowed « zero tolerance » for abuse and marshalled through a new church law holding bishops accountable when they cover up cases.

But recently, the momentum appears to have waned, transparency has remained elusive and victims have sensed a backsliding — perhaps none more so than in Francis’ nomination of Fernández to head the Vatican’s sex abuse office.

« We easily went back 10 years on this issue this week, » said Peter Isely, a founding member of both End Clergy Abuse (ECA) now and its U.S. partner organization, SNAP.

One of Lorenzo’s victims, Diego Perez, was in Rome this week and said he couldn’t believe Fernández was now in charge of the office that processes abuse cases globally.

« Surely he shouldn’t be in this position, » Perez told reporters.

Fernández acknowledged in an interview with The Associated Press earlier this year that he made mistakes in the Lorenzo case, saying he should have removed him from ministry earlier and treated his victims better. He blamed his own inexperience and what he said were unclear church procedures.

The online resource BishopAccountability.org has documented two other cases that it said showed Fernández stood by his priests rather than their alleged victims.

Francis made Fernández a cardinal on Sept. 30, after telling him in his letter of appointment that he wouldn’t have to handle abuse cases personally in his new Vatican job. Francis said the office’s small discipline section, headed by an Irish priest, would handle the dossier, even though the scale of the problem has long cried out for authoritative, high-ranking leadership in a hierarchy still resistant to removing abusers.

The proposed new church law that ECA unveiled on Oct. 2 calls for any priest who commits a sexual offense against a minor or « vulnerable adult » to be dismissed from the clerical state. Any bishop or religious superior who fails to report sex crimes to law enforcement would also be removed.

Janet Aguti, an ECA member from Uganda, said the cover-up of clergy abuse cases in Africa is even worse than elsewhere because of the stigma of sexual crimes and the exalted status that priests have in African communities. That makes it hard for victims to come forward, much less find justice from the state or church authorities, who typically respond by moving abusers to new dioceses, she said.

« They (priests) have helped us to build schools, they have helped us to build hospitals. And you don’t want to be the first to come out and point fingers at them because then the community is going to turn against you, » she said.

Organizers said they have tried in various ways to get the text of the proposed « zero tolerance » law into Francis’ hands, including via a high-profile cardinal helping to run the Vatican’s big meeting of bishops this month, Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich.

Hollerich told organizers he’d give Francis a copy in December.

On the eve of a three-day spiritual retreat for participants in the assembly of the Synod of Bishops, Pope Francis prayed that members of the church may embrace silence to listen to the voice of God and one another.

« Silence, in the ecclesial community, makes fraternal communication possible, where the Holy Spirit draws together points of view, » the pope said to members of the synod, Christian leaders and young people in St. Peter’s Square Sept. 30. « To be synodal is to welcome one another like this, in the knowledge that we all have something to share and to learn, gathering together to listen to the spirit of truth in order to know what the Lord is saying to the churches. »

Synod participants were scheduled to spend three days together at a spiritual retreat outside Rome before the synod assembly formally opens Oct. 4.

Seated before the San Damiano cross, in front of which St. Francis of Assisi said he heard Jesus tell him to « rebuild my church, » Pope Francis prayed that « the synod be a ‘kairos’ (moment) of fraternity, a place where the Holy Spirit will purify the church from gossip, ideologies and polarization. »

Alongside Pope Francis were the leaders of 12 Christian churches and communities, including Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, Anglican Archbishop Justin Welby of Canterbury, Syriac Orthodox Patriarch Ignatius Aphrem II and the Rev. Anne Burghardt, general secretary of the Lutheran World Federation. Some 4,700 young people from 51 countries and belonging to different Christian traditions also were present in the square, according the ecumenical Taizé Community which organized the event. The Vatican said some 18,000 in total were present.

Many of the young participants in the prayer vigil completed a pilgrimage through Rome, walking to St. Peter’s Square after a time of praise and worship at the Basilica of St. John Lateran, the cathedral of the Diocese of Rome, on the other side of the city.

Pope Francis told the group that just as silence is necessary to listen to the different perspectives that exist within the Catholic Church, « silence is essential for the journey of Christian unity. »

Silence « is fundamental to prayer, and ecumenism begins with prayer and is sterile without it, » he said. « The more we turn together to the Lord in prayer, the more we feel that it is he who purifies us and unites us beyond our differences. »

To put the vigil’s message into action, eight minutes of silence was observed in the ornate square which was decorated with Dutch flowers. Earlier in the day, Pope Francis had created 21 new cardinals at a consistory in the square.

The pope noted that the silence that fell upon the square was « not an empty silence, but a moment filled with faith, expectation and readiness. »

« In a world full of noise, we are no longer accustomed to silence; indeed sometimes we struggle with it, because silence forces us to face God and ourselves, » he said. « Yet it lies at the foundation of the word and of life. » 

Before the vigil, young people from Lebanon, Indonesia and Slovenia shared their experiences of participating in the Catholic Church’s synodal journey. Tilen from Slovenia shared that he was struck by how a single question could start an « all-night series of listening, disagreeing, growing, and seeing how taking the time to listen to each other helped us to go deeper. »

Ukrainian children dressed in traditional outfits and Nigerian musicians performed before for the vigil, which was accompanied by music from the Taizé Community.

Joined at the center of the stage by the other church leaders, Pope Francis closed the prayer vigil by praying that the Holy Spirit would fill the synod participants with « wisdom and courage in order to be servants of communion and bold witnesses of your forgiveness in today’s world. » 

Pope Francis on Sept. 30 elevated 21 Catholic prelates from around the world — including the Vatican’s U.S. ambassador — to the rank of cardinal, telling the men who will one day elect his successor that they should resemble a symphony orchestra: diverse and with varied contributions, but always working toward harmony. 

« A symphony thrives on the skillful composition of the timbres of different instruments: each one makes its contribution, sometimes alone, sometimes united with someone else, sometimes with the whole ensemble, » said the pope in a pomp-filled ceremony in St. Peter’s Square. « Diversity is necessary; it is indispensable. However, each sound must contribute to the common design. »

The pope had announced on July 9 that he would create new cardinals. The formal Sept. 30 ceremony, known as a consistory, comes on the eve of the Oct. 4 opening of the Synod of Bishops, during which some 450 bishops and lay leaders will meet at the Vatican for the synod on synodality, a high-stakes summit on the future of the church. 

In many ways, the monthlong synod assembly will mark a stark juxtaposition from the Sept. 30 Vatican ceremony. 

While the consistory of new cardinals spotlights so-called « princes of the church, » who receive gold rings and new scarlet vestments, the synod is expected to discuss how the church’s institutions and ministries might be reformed to include greater participation of all its members, and for the first time ever, will grant lay Catholics a right to vote in its proceedings. 

Under a sun-drenched, though somewhat sparsely crowded St. Peter’s Square, the pope tasked the new cardinals — his new orchestra members — to represent « the harmony and the synodality of the church. » 

« This is why mutual listening is essential, » he said. « Each musician must listen to the others. If one listens only to himself, however sublime his sound may be, it will not benefit the symphony; and the same would be the case if one section of the orchestra did not listen to the others, but played as if it were alone, as if it were the whole. » 

Reflecting on his own role, Francis said that the orchestra’s conductor must listen more than anyone else.

« His job is to help each person and the whole orchestra develop the greatest creative fidelity: fidelity to the work being performed, but also creative, able to give a soul to the score, to make it resonate in the here and now in a unique way. orchestra, in order to learn to be an ever more symphonic and synodal church. »

Today’s Vatican ceremony is the ninth — and largest — consistory of Francis’ decade-long papacy, where he has continued to leave his imprint on the elite body of men who both serve as his closest collaborators and will one day decide who succeeds him. 

18 of the newly created cardinals are under age 80 and thus eligible to participate in a future conclave. Three are over 80, and being recognized for their service to the Vatican or wider church.

Meditating in his Sept. 30 homily on a scripture passage from the Acts of the Apostles and the first Pentecost — sometimes referred to as the « birthday of the church » — the pope said that those gathered in Jerusalem were « ‘from every nation under heaven,’ just like the bishops and cardinals of our time. »

This consistory — which includes individuals from countries that include Malaysia, South Sudan and Tanzania — continues the pope’s efforts to make the College of Cardinals more diverse and less European. Under his watch, the pope has given the cardinal’s red hat to men from 27 countries that have never before been represented in the college.

According to an analysis from the Pew Research Center, since Francis’ election in 2013, the percentage of European cardinals has dropped from 52% in 2013 to 39% in 2023. Consequently, there have been increases in Asia Pacific representation from 9% to 18%; sub-Saharan African from 9% to 13%; and in Latin American from 16% to 18%. 

As of Sept. 30, there are now 136 members of the College of College under age 80. Of those, Francis has named 99 members, or nearly 73% of the voting age cardinals, along with 29 created by Pope Benedict XVI and nine created by Pope John Paul II. 

(This figure does not include Italian Cardinal Angelo Becciu, who remains a cardinal in title but renounced « the rights connected to the cardinalate » in September 2020 due to a series of financial scandals for which he is now on trial at the Vatican. Becciu has maintained his innocence.)

The creation of 18 new cardinal electors by the 86-year-old Francis now puts the total number of cardinal electors well above the limit of 120 set by Pope Paul VI in 1975, though, by the end of 2024, 19 cardinals will reach age 80 and lose their right to vote in a conclave. Both Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI also exceeded that number at various points during their papacies.

Included in this new crop of cardinals are the Vatican’s ambassador to the U.S., Archbishop Christophe Pierre, who hails from France and has represented the Holy See in postings throughout the globe; American-born Archbishop Robert Prevost, who oversees the appointments of Catholic bishops worldwide; and the new head of the Vatican’s doctrinal office, Archbishop Victor Manuel Fernández, a fellow Argentine and longtime theological adviser to Francis. 

The pope also bestowed the red hat to several cardinals in delicate geopolitical hotspots, including Bishop Stephen Chow of Hong Kong, where at the moment the Vatican’s tense relationship with mainland China looms large; the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Pierbattista Pizzaballa, who is tasked with navigating longstanding tensions between Israelis and Palestinians; and Archbishop Stephen Ameyu Martin Mulla of war-torn Juba, South Sudan, the world’s youngest country. 

In an interview with NCR on the eve of the consistory, Pierre echoed the pope’s call for unity in the church, while at the same time acknowledging the sometimes slow reception of Francis’ pastoral agenda among U.S. church leaders. 

« The pope is not an idea. Some people say ‘I am with the pope, but not with this one.’ And they are mistaken, » Pierre said on Sept. 29, later adding: « If the pope says something, don’t criticize him. Make an examination of conscience. »

Speaking to the new cardinals on Sept. 30, Francis encouraged them not to be defined by past traditions, saying that the church must not « live off of an archeological patrimony, however precious and noble. » 

« The church, and every baptized member, lives the today of God, through the action of the Holy Spirit, » said Francis. 

Here is the full list of the 18 new cardinal electors:

• Robert Prevost, prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops;
• Claudio Gugerotti, prefect of the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches; 
• Víctor Fernández, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith;
• Emil Tscherrig, a retired career Vatican diplomat;
• Christophe Pierre, Vatican ambassador to the United States;
• Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem;
• Stephen Brislin, Archbishop of Cape Town, South Africa; 
• Ángel Sixto, Archbishop of Córdoba, Argentina;
• Luis José Rueda Aparicio, Archbishop of Bogotá, Colombia; 
• Grzegorz Ryś, Archbishop of Łódź, Poland;
• Stephen Ameyu Martin Mulla, Archbishop of Juba, South Sudan;
• José Cobo Cano, Archbishop of Madrid;
• Protase Rugambwa, coadjutor Archbishop of Tabora, Tanzania; 
• Sebastian Francis, Bishop of Penang, Malaysia; 
• Stephen Chow, Bishop of Hong Kong; 
• François-Xavier Bustillo, Bishop of Ajaccio, France; 
• Américo Manuel Alves Aguiar, Auxiliary Bishop of Lisbon, Portugal; 
• Ángel Fernández Artime, Superior General of the Salesians of Don Bosco.

The new cardinals over 80 are:

• Agostino Marchetto, a retired Vatican diplomat and noted historian of the Second Vatican Council; 
• Diego Rafael Padrón Sánchez, retired Archbishop of Cumaná, Venezuela; 
• Luis Pascual, a Capuchin confessor of the Shrine of Our Lady of Pompeii in Buenos Aires, Argentina. (Pascual, who is 96, was unable to travel to Rome for the ceremony).

The Archdiocese of Baltimore on Friday filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization days before a new state law goes into effect removing the statute of limitations on child sex abuse claims and allowing victims to sue their abusers decades after the fact.

The step will allow the oldest diocese in the United States « to equitably compensate victim-survivors of child sexual abuse » while the local Catholic church continues its mission and ministries, Archbishop William Lori said in a statement posted on the archdiocese website.

But attorneys and advocates said the church is simply trying to protect its assets and silence abuse victims by halting all civil claims against the archdiocese and shifting the process to bankruptcy court, a less transparent forum.

Michael McDonnell, interim executive director of the national group Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, said the Baltimore archdiocese is following in the footsteps of other jurisdictions across the country that have similarly sought bankruptcy protection to offset settlement costs and avoid further scrutiny.

« Catholic bishops are employing the same deception from coast to coast, » he said. « Cover up child sex offenses while maintaining the ministry of the abusers. Next, oppose any modifications to the statute of limitations that might make those offenses more visible. Finally, go to federal bankruptcy courts and act as though you have run out of money when secular laws offer a window to justice. When will church officials make true amends? »

While the archdiocese itself can’t be sued now, other entities such as Catholic schools and individual parishes still can under the new state law, which goes into effect Sunday (Oct. 1).

Maryland lawmakers passed the law in April, weeks after the state attorney general released a nearly 500-page investigative report detailing the scope of child sexual abuse and cover-up within the nation’s oldest Catholic diocese. The report lists more than 150 clergy who were credibly accused of abusing over 600 victims dating back several decades. It paints a damning picture of the archdiocese.

Rob Jenner, a Baltimore attorney representing abuse victims, said the bankruptcy decision deals them yet another blow. The fact that church leaders waited until the last minute adds insult to injury because victims spent months getting their hopes up, meeting with lawyers and reliving the abuse, he said.

« It’s just a further locking of the file cabinet doors to keep victims from seeing the full weight and scope of wrongdoing, » he told The Associated Press. « It’s so defeating. »

Jenner held a press conference earlier Friday to preview some of the lawsuits he plans to file.

One of the plaintiffs, Kimberly Mills-Bonham, will see her case relegated to bankruptcy court because the school where her alleged abuse occurred has since closed. Mills-Bonham alleges abuse at the hands of Fr. Joseph Maskell, one of the most notorious abusers named in the attorney general’s report, starting when she was 9. Maskell is featured in the Netflix docuseries « The Keepers » about child sexual abuse and coverup in the Baltimore Archdiocese.

Mills-Bonham was crushed when she received the bankruptcy news, Jenner said.

« She saw it as yet another form of abuse, » he said. « She does not understand how they can get away with this. »

David Lorenz, Maryland state director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, said the Chapter 11 filing effectively waters down the rights afforded to victims under the new law. He said once the bankruptcy proceeding ends, the judge will divide a settlement among people who file claims, closing the window for victims to continue coming forward.

« There are a bunch of things about this that are really wrong, » Lorenz said. « It shows a level of moral bankruptcy. »

But Lori argued the move is the best way to compensate survivors since the archdiocese’s resources would have otherwise been exhausted on litigation, perhaps after only a small number of cases had been decided.

« Staggering legal fees and large settlements or jury awards for a few victim-survivors would have depleted our financial resources, leaving the vast majority of victim-survivors without compensation, while ending ministries that families across Maryland rely on for material and spiritual support, » he said.

On Sunday, Maryland will end the state’s statute of limitations for when civil lawsuits for child sexual abuse can be filed against institutions, though the archdiocese will now be exempt during the bankruptcy proceedings.

Many victims are already poised to file lawsuits. Lawmakers included a provision in the law that would put claims on hold until the Supreme Court of Maryland can decide on the law’s constitutionality, if it’s challenged on legal grounds. So the cases will likely be delayed.

Earlier in the week, Maryland’s attorney general released some previously redacted names in its investigative report, but the names of five Catholic Church leaders remained redacted amid ongoing appeals, prompting criticism of the church by victims’ advocates.

Joanne Suder, another Baltimore attorney who represents victims, said she expected the archdiocese’s bankruptcy filing.

« I’m not surprised, » she told The Associated Press. « I think part of that is to continue trying to keep facts from coming forward in the public. »

Lori said the financial reorganization is expected to take two to three years and involve several steps. He said the bankruptcy court will begin accepting claims from victims who wish to enter into negotiations « with the hope of agreeing to a plan that includes a trust fund to provide compensation. » He said he hopes the process will bring victims solace.

Their attorneys, meanwhile, pledged to continue fighting the archdiocese in court.

« Little does the Archdiocese of Baltimore know the strength and resilience of the survivors who have come forward, » said Jeff Anderson, an attorney specializing in child sex abuse cases whose firm has offices across the country. « We will continue to stand by them and vigorously advocate for them in the bankruptcy process. »

Denise Lavoie reported from Richmond, Virginia; Sarah Brumfield reported from Silver Spring, Maryland; Tiffany Stanley reported from Washington, D.C.; John Raby reported from Charleston, West Virginia, and Ben Filney reported from Norfolk, Virginia.

President Joe Biden went to the General Motors parts distribution warehouse in Van Buren Township, Michigan, where he joined the United Auto Workers’ picket line. 

« The fact of the matter is that you guys, the UAW, you saved the automobile industry back in 2008 … you made a lot of sacrifices, » Biden said. « You gave up a lot. And the companies were in trouble. Now they’re doing incredibly well and guess what? You should be doing incredibly well. » 

Biden was the first sitting president to join a picket line. In fact, there have not been a lot of major strikes in recent years, certainly not when compared to the postwar era. We think of the late 1940s and 1950s as times of social cohesion and even conformity, but they were times of frequent strikes. Almost 5% of the entire workforce was on strike at some point during the year 1952! Those years also witnessed the most widespread prosperity in U.S. history, with a growing middle class, relatively low income inequality, and substantial wage growth. We could do with some more conformity like that! 

The UAW strike is not the only example of much-needed labor activism. According to Politico, the Union of Southern Service Workers is attempting to organize low-wage service workers throughout the South. The International Association of Machinists just scored two organizing victories in New Jersey and Massachusetts. Screenwriters reached a tentative deal in Hollywood, but actors are still in negotiations. On the other hand, efforts to extend last year’s first-ever organizing win at Amazon have stalled, as The Guardian reports.

In 2012, Jordan Weissmann published a famous article in The Atlantic entitled « 60 Years of American Economic History, Told in 1 Graph. » It showed how the lowest quintile did best in the ’50s and ’60s and how, starting in the ’70s, the decrease in the percentage of the workforce in unions combined with the rise of the financial sector to flip the economic rewards of growth. The top quintile started doing best in the 1980s and that trend has not changed.

The economic disenfranchisement of the middle and working classes was the most critical component, though not the only one, in the societal alienation that Donald Trump has figured out how to harness into the most dangerous political movement in American history. 

Trump also went to Michigan this week, but he just can’t break his cocoon of narcissism long enough to demonstrate anything like genuine solidarity with workers. As The Washington Post reported, « Trump offered his support to striking members of the United Auto Workers but demanded the union’s official endorsement or else warned of their imminent extinction. » Good luck getting between the UAW rank-and-file and union president Shawn Fain at any time, but especially in the middle of a strike. The only person who would think it possible to cause such a breach would be a real estate guy with a track record of treating workers shabbily, someone like Trump.

While inflation has been the most visible economic reality of the past few years, the fact is that low wage workers have done better in the past three years than other workers, partly because of the shape of the post-COVID economy, and partly because of Biden’s economic policies. 

If those gains are to be consolidated, we will need to exercise solidarity with workers. Wednesday, I was at a hotel in New York which had no restaurant or even coffee service in the morning. Finding workers in traditionally low wage service jobs has become very hard, pushing up wages in most places and, in others, forcing businesses to adapt. I asked the manager where I could grab a cup of coffee at 6:30 in the morning and he said there was a Starbucks next door. « Is it union? » I asked. « I don’t think so, » he replied. I went to a bodega a few blocks away. The coffee might not have been as tasty, but if enough people start seeking alternatives to Starbucks, the corporate bigwigs will notice. 

If you are planning a meeting, do you make sure it is booked at a union hotel? The Fair Hotel guide, sponsored by Unite Here, which represents hotel workers, is an exceedingly easy way to make sure the hotel you are planning to use is not in a labor dispute, or at risk of such a dispute. 

Catholics need to stand with the working people of this country — and of other countries. Trade deals like NAFTA managed to harm workers both in the developed world and in the underdeveloped world. Trade pacts usually have language that seemingly protects workers in underdeveloped countries, but when you read the fine print, labor disputes must be resolved in U.S. courts and there are not a lot of workers in Malaysia or Vietnam or El Salvador who can afford a New York law firm. 

Starting with Rerum Novarum in 1891, the magisterium has taught that workers have a right to organize. That teaching has been reaffirmed by Popes Pius XI, John XXIII, Paul VI, John Paul II, Benedict XVI and Francis. That is a lot of popes. Some bishops in the U.S. understand that unions are schools of solidarity. Most don’t. Cardinal Blase Cupich, whose talk this week (Sept. 26) at Fordham University focused on creating an « integral ethic of solidarity, » is the exception. He should be the rule.

Seeing the second Catholic president stand with the workers outside the GM distribution center was a reminder of the once vibrant alliance between the Catholic Church and organized labor. That alliance was both a herald to and an epitomization of a healthy society in which solidarity was understood to be more important than profit. However disappointed Catholics are in Biden’s immigration and abortion policies, when it comes to unions, he does the teachings of his church proud.

The synod on synodality should dedicate substantial discussion to addressing sexual abuse in the church and include the voices of survivors, the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors said.

« We ask that sexual abuse in the church permeate your discussions as they address teaching, ministry, formation and governance, » the commission said in a written « Call to Action » released Sept. 27.

« While at times it may seem like a daunting set of questions to face, please rise to the challenge so that you may address, in a comprehensive way, the threat posed by sexual abuse to (the) church’s credibility in announcing the Gospel, » it added.

The 19-member international papal commission, led by Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley of Boston, released the call to action on occasion of the upcoming assembly of the Synod of Bishops Oct. 4-29 at the Vatican and the consistory for the creation of new cardinals Sept. 30.

The three top priorities, the commission said, were: greater « solidarity with victims and survivors in light of ongoing revelations of abuse »; increased commitment and resources by church leaders to promote safeguarding everywhere; and giving safeguarding a more prominent place in discussions at the synod on synodality.

« The reality of sexual abuse in our church goes to the heart of the synod’s agenda, » it said. « It permeates discussions on leadership models, ministry roles, professional standards of behavior and of being in right relationship with one another and all of creation. »

« We urge you to dedicate meaningful time and space to integrate the testimony of victim/survivors into your work, » it said, as well as the experience synod participants have had in « confronting or dealing with sexual abuse in the church. »

The church and its members must aim for a number of « long-overdue goals, » it said, including:

— Being a place of welcome, empathy and reconciliation for those impacted by abuse and a strong advocate « against the endemic complacency of those in the church and society that silence these testimonies, minimize their significance and stifle hope for renewal. »

— Taking « full account and full responsibility for the wrongs done to so many in its care. »

— Protecting all children with « appropriate safety policies and procedures, ones that are known and verified. »

— Having well-run, « transparent and accessible systems of redress for wrongdoing by the church’s ministers. »

— Implementing and taking responsibility for « robust safeguarding » in dioceses, parishes, schools, hospitals, retreat centers, houses of formation and everywhere the church is present and active.

The commission urged synod participants to work toward these goals, « not just for one or two days during your gathering, but to consider them throughout the entire synod process. »

« Their achievement will be a singular sign of the synod’s success, a sign that we are walking with the wounded and the forgotten as disciples of the one Lord, in search of a better way, » it said.

The commission also said that « recent publicly reported cases point to tragically harmful deficiencies in the norms intended to punish abusers and hold accountable those whose duty is to address wrongdoing. »

« We are long overdue in fixing the flaws in procedures that leave victims wounded and in the dark both during and after cases have been decided, » it said, adding that the commission will continue to study what is not working and to press for necessary changes.

It also called for conversion among all church leaders as « deep frustrations remain, especially among those seeking justice for the wrongs done to them. »

« No one should have to beg for justice in the church. The unacceptable resistance that remains points to a scandalous lack of resolve by many in the church that is often compounded by a serious lack of resources. »

As the College of Cardinals gathers for the Sept. 30 consistory, it said, « we call upon all those in the sacred college to remember victims and their families and to include as part of their oath of fidelity a commitment to remain steadfast in honoring those impacted by sexual abuse by uniting with them in the common pursuit of truth and justice. All bishops and religious superiors should echo this commitment. »

« Together with all those who are worn down by abuse and its consequences, we say, ‘Enough!’  » the commission’s statement said.

Pope Francis said the title of his new letter on the environment will be « Laudate Deum, » (Praise God), a frequent refrain in several psalms, including Psalm 148, which tells the heavens and the angels and the sun and moon to praise the Lord.

The new document, expected to be released Oct. 4, is what the pope has described as a follow-up to his 2015 encyclical « Laudato Si’, On Care for Our Common Home. »

Pope Francis revealed the title of the new document during a meeting Sept. 21 at the Vatican with rectors of Catholic and public universities from throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. He did not have a prepared text for the audience, but instead responded to questions. Vatican News in Spanish published a summary of his responses late Sept. 25.

The new document, he said, is « a look at what has happened » since 2015 and a look at what still « needs to be done. »

The world is facing « a process of environmental degradation, » he said, but it is a problem that impacts much more than nature. It « leads down to the bottom of the ravine: Degradation of living conditions, degradation of the values that justify these living conditions, because they go together, » with some people believing they are entitled to exploit natural resources and completely ignore the impact on the poor and Indigenous people.

The extraction industry, for example, has players who have moved into « extractivism, » that is, the hoarding of natural resources.

But it is never just a « geological extractivist model, » he said. Those who think they have a right to remove whatever they find in the ground also follow a « human extractivist model » where the dignity of the local people « is extracted, they are slaves. »

The « throwaway culture » and the « culture of abandonment » are tied, he said. « The discarded, the outcasts, are men and women, whole peoples who we leave on the street like garbage, are they not? We have to be aware that we use the wealth of nature only for small groups through socio-economic theories that do not integrate nature, the discarded. »