Archbishop Luigi Ventura, the papal nuncio to France, meets with Pope Francis (CNS photo/Vatican Media)/OSVnews.com French nuncio steps down amid misconduct allegation
Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Archbishop Luigi Ventura, the nuncio to France, who has been under investigation for sexual misconduct in France and in Canada.
Announcing the archbishop’s retirement on December 17, the Vatican provided no reason why he stepped down.
A statement released by the nunciature in Paris said Pope Francis accepted the resignation “for reasons of age”. Archbishop Ventura turned 75, the age at which bishops must offer their resignations, on December 9.
A French judicial official confirmed in February that the prosecutor’s office in Paris had opened an investigation into an allegation of “sexual aggression” by Archbishop Ventura.
Religious must be vocal about life issues – cardinal
A priest must say clearly to a person opting for assisted suicide or voluntary euthanasia that he is committing a grave sin, a Dutch cardinal has said.
For the same reason, a priest cannot be present when voluntary euthanasia or assisted suicide is performed. This might imply that the priest has no problems with the decision or even that “these morally illicit acts are not such in some circumstances according to the teaching of the Church”, Cardinal Willelm Eijk, Archbishop of Utrecht and an expert on euthanasia issues, said.
A medical doctor before his vocation, Eijk dedicated his doctorate dissertation in the mid-1980s to the euthanasia laws. He leads a flock located in one of the countries with the most liberal euthanasia bill in the world.
Catholic campaigners voice concerns over stunted talks
Catholic campaigners have voiced frustration over a lack of progress at United Nations climate talks in Spain, but vowed to step up demands for firmer international action.
“It’s disappointing there’s still a huge gap between what people on the streets are demanding and how governments are acting,” said Chiara Martinelli, senior adviser to CIDSE, a network of 17 Catholic development agencies in Europe and North America.
“We all arrived here with such hope and energy, encouraged by the great youth mobilisation in recent months, but found everyone was just negotiating for their own interests. It’s not encouraging to see the obstacles presented by big players such as the U.S., China, Australia and Japan.”
Aid agencies struggling to support Venezuelan refugees
While reports indicate that the migration of Venezuelan refugees into Brazil and Colombia has eased since the first half of 2019, aid workers in border communities said the influx of people has not slowed appreciably.
“Approximately 500 Venezuelans cross the border on a daily basis,” said Heli Mansur, who oversees six shelters in Brazil’s northern Roraima state for AVSI, an international aid and development agency.
US prelates praise new farm workforce bill
The US bishops have praised the passage of the Farm Workforce Modernisation Act of 2019, which creates a new status for migrant agricultural workers and enacts changes to the temporary worker program.
The bill passed the House of Representatives with bipartisan support. The bill now moves to the Senate.
“The Farm Workforce Modernisation Act was written in an effort to make a better system for both the farmer and the farmworkers and to create a more effective and humane agriculture industry,” said Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City in a statement.
“The Catholic Church has long recognised the dignity of work of both citizen and immigrant farmworkers and growers alike and welcomes changes in the law to help ensure greater protections,” he added.