Cardinal Raymond Burke has been sent to the Pacific island of Guam to investigate abuse claims against its archbishop.
Cardinal Burke, a canon law expert and former head of the Vatican’s highest court, arrived in the US territory of Guam last week as the presiding judge in a Church trial investigating allegations against Archbishop Anthony Apuron of Agana.
Cardinal Burke told Italian television that the mission was not a “punishment” for his efforts to seek clarification of Amoris Laetitia and that he had been entrusted the task by officials at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
Three men have publicly accused Archbishop Apuron of sexually abusing them when they were altar boys in the 1970s. The mother of a fourth man, now dead, also accused the archbishop of abusing her son.
Archbishop Apuron had refused to resign, but in October Pope Francis named former Detroit Auxiliary Bishop Michael Byrnes as coadjutor archbishop of Agana and gave him full authority to lead the archdiocese.
In a separate interview last week Cardinal Burke rejected the allegation that he had ordered a senior official at the Order of Malta to resign – an act that provoked intervention from the Pope.
Fra’ Ludwig Hoffmann von Rumerstein, acting head of the order, said it was Cardinal Burke who had demanded the resignation of Grand Chancellor Albrecht von Boeselager, not Fra’ Matthew Festing, then Grand Master.
Cardinal Burke said such an accusation was “calumny” and that he had no authority to make such a demand.
US bishops call for ‘positive step’ on religious freedom
US Church leaders have said that they are encouraged that Donald Trump may be considering an executive order to protect religious freedom.
“As Christians, our goal is to live and serve others as the Gospel asks. President Trump can ensure that we are not forced from the public square,” said the statement from committee chairmen of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops.
A draft version of the executive order was leaked last month but no further mention of it has been made by the Trump administration.
The Church leaders said an executive order would “implement strong protections for religious freedom across the federal government in many of the areas where it has been eroded by the preceding administration, such as health coverage, adoption, accreditation, tax exemption, and government grants and contracts.
“We ourselves, as well as those we shepherd and serve, would be most grateful if the president would take this positive step toward allowing all Americans to be able to practise their faith without severe penalties from the federal government,” they said.
Special Olympics ‘a sign of hope’
Athletes of the Special Olympics show the world the value of every human life, Pope Francis has said ahead of the Special Olympics World Winter Games next month.
“You are a sign of hope for all who commit themselves to a more inclusive society,” the Pope said. “Every life is precious, every person is a gift, and inclusion enriches every community and society.
“This is your message for the world, for a world which excludes no one.”
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