In this week’s edition:

• Ruffini's Rupnik Response Ruffles Feathers

• +Vigano charged with schism

• Democrats go after Comstock Act

• New York State Senate seeks to legislate private schools’ policies

• and more!

Catholics call for cessation of use of Rupnik’s art; Ruffini asks “Who am I to judge?”

Summary: In a statement to Catholic journalists during a synod on synodality briefing, Dicastery for Communication prefect Paolo Ruffini said that calls to remove the artwork of Fr. Marko Rupnik - who has been accused of multiple forms and counts of abuse - is “not the Christian response.”

Details:

• We’ve talked about the Rupnik accusations before, but you can find a refresher here

• The dicastery has continued to use Rupnik’s artwork in its published material, much to the disgust, chagrin, and confusion of many Catholics

• When asked about the continued use, Ruffini said the following:

  • “Who am I to judge?”

  • “I don’t think we have to throw stones, thinking it is the way of healing someone.”

  • “This is not the way to be close to the victims, to…pull away a photo of art from my website…”

  • “Removing, deleting, destroying art does not ever mean a good choice. This is not a Christian response.”

Why we care: Ruffini had an incredible opportunity to make people feel like the Vatican cares about abuse victims, that it takes these accusation seriously, and that it actively tries to distance itself from abusive clergy - and he absolutely blew it. The principles of “casting the first stone”, “judge not lest ye be judged”, etc. have their place, yet we fail to see how they apply here. It’s not like these are some baseless accusations and we’re waiting for more evidence - even the Jesuits saw enough evidence to expel him from the order. Our hope remains that the Vatican can correct course and manage this situation better, though admittedly with each faux pas our hope wanes.

Former papal nuncio and outspoken “insider” charged with schism

Summary: The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith has charged Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò with schism. Vigano called the citation a “badge of honor”.

Details:

• +Viganò is the former papal nuncio to the United States

• The archbishop has been openly critical of Pope Francis and Vatican II and is a vocal supporter of Vladimir Putin

• Notably, Vigano refers to the Holy Father as “Jose Mario Bergoglio” and has called Moscow the “Third Rome”

• Viganò was issued a citation with resulted from shortened extrajudicial proceedings, and was ordered to responded to the charges by June 20

• In his response to the citation, Viganò wrote: “It is no coincidence that the accusation against me concerns the questioning of the legitimacy of [Pope Francis] Jorge Mario Bergoglio and the rejection of Vatican [Council] II: the Council represents the ideological, theological, moral and liturgical cancer of which the Bergoglian ‘synodal church’ is necessary metastasis.”

Why we care: It’s sad to see any member of the Church fall out of communion with Rome, but there’s something extraordinarily painful about it when it’s a former high-ranking member of the clergy and in with such strong language. We’re not sure what’s going on, but let us pray for his repentance and reconciliation with the Church. After all, “every city or house divided against itself will not stand.”

To protect abortion-by-mail, Senate Democrat seeks to repeal the Comstock Act

Summary: Worried that a Trump administration would begin to again enforce the Comstock Act, a Democratic senator has introduced a bill to repeal the act.

Details:

• The Comstock Act of 1873 criminalizes the involvement of the USPS in transporting “obscene matter, crime-inciting matter, or certain abortion-related matter”

• Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) has introduced a bill to repeal what she calls a “zombie law”

• The abortion portion of the act has not been enforced “…at least since 1973…” when Roe v. Wade was decided

• The FDA has allowed abortion pills to be sent by mail since April 2021

Why we care: It’s like the bill won’t go anywhere, but it’s good to know thine enemy and be reminded what we’re up against in the pro-life community. These so-called “pro-choice” activists will stop at nothing to ensure that it’s as easy and convenient as possible for women to kill their unborn children. It’s vile and we hope to see the evil of abortion wiped from the face of the earth. At the least we hope the next Republican administration does re-enforce the law. Meanwhile we ought to pray for the conversion of these folks who are so misguided that they likely think they are doing the right thing by “giving women options”.

New “pronouns” act in New York could expose Catholic schools to lawsuits

Summary: The New York State Senate “Nonpublic Dignity for All Students Act” could force Catholic private schools to comply with the State’s notion of “gender identities” rather than adhering to Catholic moral teaching.

Details:

• The act would amend the State’s education law, removing exemptions for private/religious/denominational schools

• The “Dignity for All Students Act” is aimed at combating bullying, but in doing so it forbids gender- or sexual orientation-based discrimination

• DASA defines gender as “actual or perceived sex and shall include a person’s gender identity or expression”

• Cardinal Timothy Dolan has expressed his concerns with the law, stating it would “force us to deny the inherent difference between boys and girls” and “This bill is essentially a solution in search of a problem.”

• Over 14,000 Catholics have emailed lawmakers to express their concern, and an ecumenical conference also voiced its opposition.

Why we care: Another week, another law going after religious freedom. While we’d like to believe that the senators are operating from a place of good intentions, it’s concerning how nonchalantly they are willing to walk all over religious liberty to achieve their goal. We agree that bully is intolerable, but as Cardinal Dolan said: “tolerance for bullying is a complete anathema….” Why try to cram down a policy which the schools are already trying to enact on a moral level, unless the goal is not just eradication of bullying but compliance with a secular worldview? We’re trusting and praying that this bill won’t make it very far.

Other stories

• A Tennessee priest accused of sexual abuse faces add’l charges

• Diocese of Rome advances canonization cause for wife & mother Chiara Petrillo

• EEOC ordered to pause implementation of abortion rule in LA and MO

• Investment manager files human rights complaints against the Vatican with the UN

Saint of the Week

Sts. Peter & Paul

Feast Day: June 29

St. Peter: Patron of fishermen, net makers, and ship builders

St. Paul: Patron of missions, theologians, and Gentile Christians

What’s going on:

• Notable Feast Days