A college of seven cardinals and bishops, under the auspices of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, has been set up by Pope Francis to judge cases involving “sexual abuse of minors and certain serious abuses associated with the Sacrament of Penance,” according to a Vatican Radio report. The initiative is intended to hurry the investigation of and decision on such cases.

Nigerian bishop slams Boko Haram menace

Bishop Oliver Doeme of Maiduguri, Nigeria, has written a pastoral letter on the Islamist terrorist movement, Boko Haram.

His diocese has been “wounded, traumatised and devastated” by the terrorist acts of the group, which have been “a severe test of our faith”.

The bishop appealed to the people of his diocese to not to be discouraged. “Our faith should make us see beyond the immediate experience and look at the future, that is, after this temporal life with its pains and suffering, we shall share in the eternal glory of our Lord.”

Paraguay bishops denounce corruption

The bishops of Paraguay have denounced political corruption, which is often tied to the drug trade. The bishops lamented that “the exponential growth of narcotics trafficking (with terrible consequences for public health)” is corrupting the powers of government.

The bishops also called for land reform, praised family farming and unions, and called for tax reform to “permit the state to have the necessary resources to invest in the betterment of onditions of life of the most vulnerable sectors of society”.

Wrong about Pope

When Pope Francis was elected, Estela De Carlotto, founder of the Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo, was critical of his choice. The human rights activist said “Bergoglio belongs to that part of the Church which has cast a shadow over Argentina”. She believed Bergoglio had cooperated with the military regime and failed to oppose the brutal repression of dissidents.

But after meeting the Pope she admitted she was wrong about the part he played during the dictatorship. She said the then Jesuit provincial had quietly worked to secure the release of political prisoners.

Coptics appeal for common Easter date

Patriarch Tawadros II, head of the Coptic Orthodox Church, has once again asked for a common date among all Christians for the celebration of Easter. The reason why different Christian denominations celebrate Easter on different dates is because the Eastern churches generally use the Julian calendar in calculating the date of Easter, while the Roman rite makes use of the Gregorian calendar.

Pope removes Burke

Conservative US Cardinal Raymond Burke, 66, has been removed by the Pope from his position as head of the Apostolic Signature, which is the highest court in the Church. Burke has now been given a largely ceremonial post as cardinal patron of the Knights and Dames of Malta.

The move had been widely announced in the press even before the recent synod of bishops. Burke actively engaged against the position of Cardinal Walter Kasper. Many of his public statements showed him to be out of step with Pope Francis’s programme for the Church.

In December 2013, the Pope had not reappointed him on the Congregation for Bishops, which advises on episcopal appointments.

(Compiled by Fr Joe Borg)