Bishop José Ignacio Munilla Spanish bishop dismisses Joe Biden’s claim that Pope said he can receive Communion
Bishop José Ignacio Munilla of San Sebastián, Spain, strongly criticised US President Joe Biden’s claim that Pope Francis personally encouraged him to continue receiving Communion despite his open support for abortion.
“These incredible statements reveal the moral character of those who are capable of compromising and manipulating the Pope with the intention of washing their conscience stained by the blood of so many innocent lives unjustly eliminated,” Bishop Munilla said.
Bishop Munilla’s statement comes after the Pope received the US President in the Vatican for 75 minutes and according to Mr Biden Pope Francis told him “to keep receiving Communion”.
Bolivian lay council condemns attacks on Catholic Church
The Jurisdictional Council of Laity of the Archdiocese of Santa Cruz de la Sierra in Bolivia, condemned the recent attacks on church buildings in the country and called on the authorities to restore order and civility.
“The Jurisdictional Council of Laity of Santa Cruz, emphatically repudiates the acts of intolerance that have resulted in violence against our Holy Catholic Church,” the council’s statement read.
The vandalism occurred after the Church was falsely accused of intervening to prevent a pregnant 11-year-old rape victim from obtaining a legal abortion.
In recent weeks, a group of female activists have “interrupted the Eucharistic celebration” in the Basilica of San Francisco in La Paz which was aggravated by “damaging the infrastructure of the church”, according to the council.
Suspect who vandalised church in US is identified
Denver Police in Colorado announced that the individual who allegedly vandalised the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception earlier in October is Madeline Ann Cramer, who supports abortion rights.
Ms Cramer used red spray paint to vandalise Denver’s Cathedral with anti-Catholic slogans.
Photos shared by local news reporters showed slogans such as “Satan Lives Here,” “White Supremacists,” and “Child Rapists, LOL”, as well as swastikas, written in bright red spray paint on the outside of the cathedral building, sidewalks, and on the base of a statue of St John Paul II.
The graffiti has since been cleaned off with the help of parishioners and other volunteers. It has also been reported that Ms Cramer referred to herself as a satanist when speaking to a deacon of another Catholic church she attempted to vandalise amid an ongoing Mass.
Twelve bishops under investigation by Church in Mexico for covering up sexual abuse
Archbishop Franco Coppola, the apostolic nuncio to Mexico, said that to date there are 12 bishops being investigated by the Catholic Church for allegedly covering up cases of the sexual abuse of minors and vulnerable adults in the country, but that nothing has been determined so far.
The investigations, carried out on the basis of the principles established by Pope Francis in his motus proprios “Come una madre amorevole” and “Vos estis lux mundi” are in various phases. While some cases are still being studied in Mexico, others have already been referred to the Vatican.
In the wake of these revelations, Archbishop Coppola said that “sensitivity, care and efforts to prevent these crimes from being repeated has increased a lot”.