Category Archives: Clergy Issues

Did Benedict XVI Cover Up Clerical Sexual Abuse?

Q: Can you please explain why in Germany they are attacking the Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, claiming that he covered up child sexual abuse by priests when he was Archbishop of Munich?  Can this be true?  I cannot believe it … Continue reading

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Is it a Sacrilege to Hit a Priest?

Q: When I was a child, I learned that it would be a sacrilege to strike a Catholic priest.  He is a man of God and over the centuries the Church has considered him to be sacrosanct, or so we … Continue reading

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Founding New Religious Institutes: Pope Francis Changes the Law (Episcopal Authority, Part II)

Q: A group of us Catholics in our diocese have a lawfully erected lay institute that’s now almost 15 years old … [and] from the beginning it was our understanding that if it prospers, it might later be formed into … Continue reading

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Can a Catholic Sue the Church in Civil Court?

Q: Does a person have the right, both moral and legal, under canon law, to sue a Church Institution and/or the individuals in authority over the institutions in civil court, whether they be bishops or lay persons?  In particular, I’m … Continue reading

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Can Church Officials Require Us to Get Vaccinated?

Q1: My daughter attends [a Catholic university whose president is a Catholic priest] and he announced that all students are required to get vaccinated against covid. We are stunned. Does a Catholic school, which I assume is governed by canon … Continue reading

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