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Miami Herald
4 days ago
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Pope Leo Faces First Major Test Over ‘Morally Corrupt' Bishop
Pope Leo XIV is set to face one of his first major tests with a petition addressed to him calling for the removal of Cologne Archbishop Rainer Maria Woelki over concerns about his handling of sexual abuse allegations. Newsweek has contacted the Vatican via email, for comment. As the newly elected pope, people will be watching how Leo handles concerns about sex abuse in the church. How the Vatican responds to the petition, which has more than 60,000 signatures, could set the tone for Pope Leo's leadership style and his stance on episcopal accountability worldwide. Woelki has long been a divisive figure in the church amid criticism of his handling of sexual abuse cases in the archdiocese of Cologne. In September 2021, Pope Francis decided to leave Woelki in office despite massive criticism over his handling of the sexual abuse cases. The pontiff instead gave the cardinal a "spiritual timeout" of several months after he made "major errors" of communication. Woelki had infuriated many local Catholics by citing legal concerns to keep under wraps a report on how local church officials reacted when priests were accused of sexual abuse. He commissioned a second report, and a German law firm produced an 800-page investigation. The report he commissioned absolved Woelki himself of any neglect of his legal duties with respect to abuse victims. He subsequently said he made mistakes in past cases involving sexual abuse allegations but made clear he had no intention of resigning. The Cologne public prosecutor's office had been investigating Cardinal Woelki since autumn 2022 for possible false testimony regarding his knowledge of abuse allegations, according to the Catholic News Agency. In summer 2023, his apartment and offices were searched. However, at the beginning of May 2025, investigations of the cardinal were ended after the payment of a 26,000-euro (about $29,700) fine. The Archdiocese of Cologne told Newsweek: "As is well known, the presumption of innocence public prosecutor's office has expressly confirmed that Cardinal Woelki did not make a deliberately false statement and therefore did not commit perjury." Munich priest Wolfgang F. Rothe, who started the petition on May 26, wrote that "in dealing with allegations of sexual abuse, (Woelki) gravely violated his duty of care. "Against this backdrop, Cardinal Woelki is completely morally corrupt. He has lost all credibility, both in public and within the Archdiocese of Cologne and the Catholic Church in Germany," Rothe said. "Leaders in politics and society do not want to be seen with him, parishes are not visited by him, and confirmation candidates are not confirmed by him." "His behavior is a severe slap in the face to the many victims of sexual abuse and undermines efforts to address sexual abuse in other German dioceses and in the universal Church," Rothe added. In March 2022, after Francis ordered an official review of Woelki's archdiocese, the Vatican found no evidence of unlawful conduct-although it said major errors of communication had been made. It also praised Woelki's willingness to be investigated, the Catholic News Agency reported. Munich priest Wolfgang F. Rothe wrote in his petition: "Cardinal Woelki is largely isolated both within the Archdiocese of Cologne and within the Catholic Church in Germany. He is a shepherd without a flock. And the Archdiocese of Cologne is a flock without a shepherd." Riccardo Wagner, Head of the Media School at Fresenius University of Applied Sciences Cologne, was critical of the petition in an interview with the Catholic newspaper Die Tagespost. He said: "The platform and the petition act as if sacramental offices could be legitimized or delegitimized by digital public opinion – this fundamentally contradicts the nature of the Church, which is why this approach and means must be clearly rejected." The Archdiocese of Cologne told Newsweek: "For Cardinal Woelki, the end of the proceedings marks the end. He now wants to devote all his energy to the future of the Archdiocese of Cologne together with the faithful." It is yet to be seen how Leo will respond to this petition and what the impact of his decision will be. Related Articles Donald Trump Wants Pope Leo's Brother To Visit Him at White HouseJD Vance Has 'Exchange of Views' With Archbishop After Pope Leo MeetingPope Leo Offers Vatican to Putin, Zelensky for TalksPope Leo Issues Five-Word Message to the US 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Int'l Business Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- Int'l Business Times
Pope Francis' Popemobile Prevented From Entering Gaza to Deliver Aid Despite Palestinians Facing 'Risk of Famine'
A modified Popemobile carrying humanitarian aid into Gaza was blocked from entering the war-torn enclave, even as the United Nations warns the entire population faces the threat of famine. As the humanitarian crisis in Gaza worsens, international aid groups and religious leaders have ramped up efforts to deliver food and medical supplies. Before his death, Pope Francis, who repeatedly called for peace and aid access in Gaza, authorized the donation of a Popemobile-turned-ambulance to transport relief through the border. The Popemobile ambulance, bearing Vatican insignia and loaded with essential supplies, was recently denied entry at the Rafah border crossing, the Catholic News Agency reported. Israeli authorities reportedly blocked the vehicle despite widespread reports of starvation and critical shortages in Gaza. The aid group traveling with the Popemobile emphasized the mission was intended purely for humanitarian purposes and expressed frustration over the roadblock. The denial comes amid mounting international criticism over restricted aid flows into Gaza. UN officials have warned that every one of Gaza's 2.2 million residents is now facing acute food insecurity, with children particularly at risk of dying from malnutrition. The initiative aimed to offer symbolic and material support to Palestinians trapped in a region increasingly described as the "hungriest place on Earth," according to The Guardian . Jens Laerke, a spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said the area was "a country or defined territory within a country – where you have the entire population at risk of famine. One hundred percent of the population at risk of famine." Harout Bedrossian, press officer for Caritas Jerusalem, told CNA that they remain "working in coordination with government agencies to ensure the popemobile enters Gaza." However, Bedrossin believes that "it will not be possible in the near future" due to intense permit requirements implemented by the Israeli government. Getting sufficient aid distribution in Gaza has been an issue the area has faced since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. Over the past week, more than 600 people have been injured or killed while trying to receive aid at U.S.-backed distribution sites. Originally published on Latin Times
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Vatican Hints at Pope Disagreeing With Vance During First Sit-Down
Vice President JD Vance finally got a sit-down with Pope Leo XIV a day after the pontiff met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky instead. Vance was in Rome on Sunday for Leo's inaugural Mass in St. Peter's Square. Although Leo offered the vice president a quick greeting afterward and shook the vice president's hand, he only held private meetings with Zelensky and Peruvian President Dina Ercilia Boluarte Zegarra. The White House did not respond to a request for comment Sunday on whether Vance had sought a longer meeting with the new pope after their initial exchange lasted about 17 seconds. But on Monday, Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Leo for 'cordial talks' about bilateral relations, religious freedom, and international affairs, the Vatican's press office said in a statement. The statement said there had been an 'exchange of views on some current international issues,' which the Catholic News Agency took to be a reference to disagreements. 'I was humbled and honored to meet Pope Leo XIV and lead the presidential delegation to Rome for his inaugural mass,' Vance said of the meeting Monday on X. 'We had a great conversation, and I know he is a true servant of God. I hope all Americans will join me in praying for the new pope as he begins his ministry.' The Daily Beast has reached out to Vance's team for comment. According to the news outlet, the 45-minute audience—which was closed to reporters—began with a one-on-one between Vance and Leo, with Rubio joining afterward. Vance's wife Usha, Rubio's wife, Jeanette, and a larger U.S. delegation then joined for the customary exchange of gifts. Photos posted on Instagram by the official Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano show they brought the first North American pontiff—who grew up in Chicago—a Chicago Bears jersey emblazoned with 'Pope Leo XIV' and a copy of a tome by St. Augustine, The Washington Post reported. Leo is a member of the Augustinian religious order, while Vance has written that St. Augustine inspired him to convert to Catholicism in 2019. After receiving Vance, Rubio and their wives Monday, Leo met with the president of Colombia, the prime minister of Australia, the president of Georgia, and various religious leaders from around the world, according to the Vatican. Since being chosen as Pope Francis' successor on May 8, Leo has taken a number of stances that contrast with President Donald Trump's administration policies, including calling for governments to build bridges and respect migrants, protect the environment and care for the poor. Before he became pope, then-Cardinal Robert Prevost shared multiple social media posts criticizing the Trump administration's immigration policies. One linked to a National Catholic Reporter op-ed headlined 'JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn't ask us to rank our love for others,' while another took aim at the administration for deporting Venezuelan and Salvadoran migrants to a mega prison in El Salvador. American officials have tried to paint the administration as aligned with Leo's stated goals of using the papacy as a force for peace and help ending the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, according to the Post. But unlike Trump and his officials—who have repeated Kremlin talking points and even berated Zelensky in the Oval Office—Leo appears to be firmly on the side of Ukraine. On Sunday, his secretary of state Cardinal Pietro Parolin said Leo had offered to use the Vatican for peace talks after Russian President Vladimir Putin blew off a planned summit in Istanbul, La Stampa reported. Vance also posted a smiling picture with Zelensky from a meeting Sunday. According to the Post, it will also be difficult for Trump and Vance to portray themselves as peacemakers as the administration authorizes billions of dollars in weapons sales to Israel, which has voted to capture all of Gaza and occupy the territory indefinitely. Last week, NBC News reported that the U.S. was working on a plan to permanently relocate up to 1 million Palestinians from Gaza to Libya. The State Department denied the report, but Trump himself has said he wants to turn Gaza into the 'Riviera of the Middle East.'
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Pope Leo's personal trainer reveals shock at learning client became next pontiff
An Italian personal trainer has spoken of his shock after learning his client for two years had been elected to lead the world's 1.4 billion Catholics as Pope. 'Here in the gym, no one knew that Robert, now Leo XIV, was a cardinal, least of all me who trained him,' Valerio Masella, 26, told the Italian newspaper Il Messaggero. The Pope, then Cardinal Robert Prevost, trained regularly in the gym near the Vatican, Il Messaggero reported, often working out multiple times a week. Masella had suspected the reserved 'Robert' from the gym was a professor or an academic. The clergyman certainly wasn't turning up for a session dressed in his cardinal cassock, the trainer explained. 'He came in informal clothes. However, he was always kind, never nervous or irritated. A truly serene and balanced person,' Masella said. It wasn't until Prevost stepped out on the balcony of Basilica as Pope Leo XIV that the penny dropped. 'Seeing him on TV, I recognized him immediately. I couldn't believe it,' Masella said. 'Basically, I trained the future pontiff: it's incredible, but for me, he was a client like any other, and he behaved like all the clients of this gym,' he added. As for his physical condition? 'For a man of his age…exceptional,' Masella told the Italian paper. 'Typical of someone who has never stopped playing sports, with an excellent ratio of muscle mass, bone mass, and fat mass.' The gym's president and founder, Alessandro Tamburlani, described his excitement upon discovering he already knew the new pontiff, in a separate interview with the Catholic News Agency. 'My joy was doubled or tripled. Joy to finally have a new Holy Father after the obligatory period of mourning we went through. And joy also to know that he's a good person and, moreover, someone we all already knew here at the gym,' Tamburlani, founder of the Omega Fitness Club in central Rome said. The gym founder added that Pope Leo's healthy lifestyle sets a good example for all, and praised his ability to combine 'spirituality and sports training.' A known lover of tennis, Pope Leo XIV met with the world No. 1 Jannik Sinner earlier this week. The Italian tennis star gifted the pontiff a racket, which he might put to use on the Vatican's own tennis court. The Chicago native is also a proud supporter of the White Sox baseball team, the Pope's brother John Prevost revealed in an interview with CNN.
Miami Herald
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
What Pope Leo XIV Has Said About Abortion, Gun Control
The newly named Pope Leo XIV has previously condemned abortion and called for gun control. Cardinal Robert Prevost, who was elected on Thursday, is the first pope from the United States, and his papacy begins at a time of political tensions in the country. He now leads more than 1 billion Catholics worldwide, including about 53 million Catholics in the U.S. Leo XIV has repeatedly criticized abortion in his homilies, often tying the issue of abortion to euthanasia. In a recent address, he said, "God's mercy calls us to protect every life, especially those society overlooks-the child yet to be born and the elderly nearing their journey's end-because each bears Christ's face." In a 2019 homily, he said, "We cannot build a just society if we discard the weakest-whether the child in the womb or the elderly in their frailty-for they are both gifts from God." In 2023, he said, "The Church must walk with all people, especially the most vulnerable, ensuring their dignity is upheld from the womb to the end of life, as this is the heart of Christ's mission." He also expressed his stance on abortion during a 2012 address to the Synod of Bishops. "Western mass media is extraordinarily effective in fostering within the general public enormous sympathy for beliefs and practices that are at odds with the Gospel-for example abortion, homosexual lifestyle, euthanasia," he said, according to The Guardian. In the aftermath of the 2016 presidential election, he reposted an article from the Catholic News Agency on X, formerly Twitter, with the headline "Clinton ignored pro-lifers at her own peril, Democrats say." He has also reposted other articles from the Catholic News Agency about abortion, including one from January 2017 about then-Vice President Mike Pence's views. The headline said, "Pence to pro-lifers: Win hearts with compassion and love." In the wake of the 2017 mass shooting in Las Vegas, the new pope reposted a statement from Cardinal Blase Cupich that called for "increased access to mental health care and stronger, sensible gun control laws." That day, he also reposted a statement from Senator Chris Murphy, a Democrat from Connecticut who wrote on X: "To my colleagues: Your cowardice to act cannot be whitewashed by thoughts and prayers. None of this ends unless we do something to stop it." President Donald Trumpwrote on Truth Social: "Congratulations to Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who was just named Pope. It is such an honor to realize that he is the first American Pope. What excitement, and what a Great Honor for our Country. I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV. It will be a very meaningful moment!" Anti-abortion activist Lila Rose wrote on X: "We have a new pope! And for the first time in history-he's American. … He's boldly spoken on behalf of the most vulnerable-including the unborn-he's not afraid to speak truth in love." Students for Life of America wrote on X: "Pope Leo XIV-Cardinal Prevost has consistently opposed abortion, calling it 'a form of murder' and affirming the Church's teaching that Life begins at conception. May God bless our new Pope." Chris Wimbush, the interim president of Catholics for Choice, an abortion-rights advocacy group, said in a statement: "Catholics for Choice represents people who are understandably concerned by the church's regressive views on gender and sexuality. Women, people who have had abortions or used contraception, and LGBTQIA+ people are underrepresented where church decisions are made-including in the conclave. We know Pope Leo disagrees with nine in 10 U.S. Catholics on abortion. Catholics for Choice's work is more important than ever. That's why we collected stories from the faithful Pope Leo now serves, who disagree with church teaching. We will be sending them to Pope Leo in the hope he will open his heart to listen. The future of our church depends on greater inclusion and nuance on reproductive health decisions like abortion, contraception, and IVF." Leo XIV's authority began immediately upon his selection as the new pope. Like his predecessor, he will have the ability to reshape the church's approach to a range of social and political issues. Related Articles What Pope Leo XIV Has Said About Climate ChangeIs Robert Prevost a Republican? What We KnowRobert Prevost's Posts on Social Media Question Trump's Immigration Policy 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
