Jeanie Hannaman

By Fr. Jerry Pokorsky, Catholic Culture - Jesus promises, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” (Mk. 13:30-31) The promise is astonishing. Only God could make such an assertion. Jesus is indeed the Son of God, true God. But He is also true man. And He uses our humanity to fulfill His divine guarantee... As we prepare to stand before God for our particular judgment at the end of our earthly lives, will we have confidence in the saving words of Jesus? In these tumultuous times—when even authentic Catholic teaching seems up for grabs—we ask, with Saint Peter, “Lord, to whom shall we go?

By Daniel Payne, Catholic News Agency - The Diocese of Oakland, California, has announced that it will pay up to $200 million to settle hundreds of abuse claims filed against it... The diocese said in a Friday update on its website that it had filed a proposal in bankruptcy court that would create a survivors’ trust “to provide compensation of between approximately $160 million and $198 million or more for approximately 345 claims.”... Just over $100 million will be provided by the diocese directly, the announcement said, while up to $81 million would come from property in the diocesan real estate portfolio.

By Kevin Schmiesing, Catholic World Report - Given the history, the norms of canon law, and the character of civil law, the Church in the United States is caught on the horns of a dilemma... In what is now a decades-long trend, reports of American Catholic dioceses declaring bankruptcy continue to filter into the news... To a large extent, this financial retreat is fallout from the ongoing clergy sexual abuse scandal and the legal liabilities it has carried. But it is also the latest chapter in a long history of struggle, as the Catholic Church has sought to secure and defend its property rights within the context of American civil law.