pope francis

• Opinion

Don't blame clerical power for Catholic Church shortcomings

Problems in Catholic Church can't be a product of increased clerical authority given that it's actually been diminishing.

• Maryland

Catholic bishops pass proposal to create nationwide system to report sexual abuse complaints

America's top Catholic clerics have approved a system for reporting sexual misconduct by bishops.

By Jonathan M. Pitts

Jun 12, 2019

• Maryland

Catholic bishops return to Baltimore amid pressure to show accountability on sex-abuse matters

Their goal is to complete a task they were unable to finish six months ago: establish standards to hold themselves accountable for sex abuse allegations.

By Jonathan M. Pitts

Jun 11, 2019

• Maryland

Sex abuse crisis the focus as US Catholic bishops convene in Baltimore

As the Roman Catholic church's sex abuse scandal grows ever wider in scope in the U.S., bishops convene for a national meeting in Baltimore on Tuesday,

• Maryland

Archdiocese of Baltimore discloses the names of 23 deceased clergy accused of child sexual abuse

The Archdiocese of Baltimore is adding the names of 23 deceased priests and brothers to an online list of those credibly accused of child sexual abuse, signalling a loosening of standards regarding the treatment of such clergy who are no longer living.

By Jonathan M. Pitts

Apr 24, 2019

• From the Community:

Author C. S. Farrelly, the bestselling author of break out thriller The Shepherd's Calculus, has weaved a tale that takes readers on a wild and thrilling ride through the dark world of politics.

C. S. Farrelly, the bestselling author of break out thriller The Shepherd's Calculus, has weaved a tale that takes readers on a wild and thrilling ride through the dark world of politics. As the election draws closer and the stakes get higher, each choice becomes a calculation...What do you choose? Your faith, or your church? Your principles, or your candidate? The person you most respect, or the truth that could destroy their legacy? When the line between right and wrong is blurred, how do you act, and whom do you save? When journalist Peter Merrick is asked to write a ...

• Opinion

Power reimagined in the Catholic Church

As more sisters, priests, laity and others challenge ecclesial culture, the Catholic Church’s internal decision-making structures, safeguarded by those whose unbridled power is at stake, must be reimagined.

• Opinion

Catholic church all talk on sexual abuse scandal

The Catholic Church did little during a four-day summit at the Vatican to address sexual abuse by priests.

• Opinion

Vatican still not adequately addressing sex abuse by priests

The Vatican is talking about sex abuse by priests, but not doing anything to adequately address it.

• Opinion

Pope Francis dodges sex abuse scandal — again

The pope expresses thoughts about sex abuse but doesn't say or do much that is meaningful.

• Opinion

Can Baltimore's archbishop bring accountability to West Virginia's Catholic Church?

Pope Francis in late August appointed Baltimore Archbishop William E. Lori to lead an investigation into the alleged “sexual harassment of adults” by a former Catholic bishop in W.Va. But Archbishop Lori’s own record and actions seem to demonstrate a church “protectionism.”

• Opinion

The Catholic church is in crisis, and its leaders are making it worse

The failure of America's Catholic bishops to adopt any meaningful reforms in the wake of the latest revelations in the priest sex abuse scandal will drive more worshipers from the pews.

• Maryland

At insistence of Vatican, U.S. bishops meeting in Baltimore won't vote on actions to address sex abuse crisis

The president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops opened the organization’s most closely scrutinized meeting in years by announcing that the nation’s bishops will not vote in Baltimore on a series of action plans meant to address a new sex abuse scandal that has engulfed the church.

By Jonathan M. Pitts

Nov 12, 2018

• Maryland

Vatican asks US bishops not to vote on their proposals to tackle sexual abuse during Baltimore meeting

In the opening minutes of their meeting, the bishops heard a surprising report: Pope Francis had asked them not to vote on any of their proposals.

• Opinion

How to prevent another child abuse scandal

Here are the steps to take to spare the Catholic Church from more incidents of abuse.

• Maryland

Baltimore Archbishop Lori aims to bring 'truth and justice' to West Virginia Catholics rocked by scandal

Before presenting the homily at a Mass in Wheeling Saturday night, Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore said he hopes to lead a "fair, thorough" and "healing" investigation into the actions of ousted West Virginia bishop Michael J. Bransfield.

By Jonathan M. Pitts

Sep 15, 2018

• Opinion

Baltimore's archbishop says revelations of church sex abuse demand action. Here's what that should mean.

Baltimore's archdiocese needs to take stronger action than it has in response to continued reports of sex abuse by priests.

• Maryland

'My staying is saying I'm OK with this': Scandal-weary Maryland Catholics reach turning point with church

The Pennsylvania churches' child sex abuse scandal has some Maryland Catholics wanting major reforms that they say the hierarchy has been slow to make.

By Jean Marbella

Aug 23, 2018

• Maryland

Baltimore archbishop praises pope's actions against former Washington archbishop accused of sexual abuse

After Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick, a former Washington archbishop accused of sexual abuse, Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore on Monday praised the pope's decision and said it was an effort to "eliminate the evil of sexual abuse in our church."

• Opinion

Maryland Catholic Conference needs to a take a position on clean energy

I serve as liaison to the Maryland Catholic Conference (MCC), the lobbying organization in Annapolis that represents Maryland Catholics. Naturally I looked there to see what MCC had done to push for clean energy legislation since Pope Francis released Laudato Si’. The answer: not much.

• Maryland

Baltimore's Franciscan Center to farm land in Howard County to help feed the city's poor

The Franciscan Center will begin farming land in Howard County to provide produce for their dining hall and food pantry.

By Yvonne Wenger

Apr 24, 2018

• Maryland

Dize: Whether we're among the '100 Most Spritually Influental,' we're all role models

Each of us plays a very special part in the world's spiritual evolution, though we may not be in the first 100. We are role models in every aspect of our lives. What we believe and the actions we take, teach our families, friends and observers. That could be a negative teaching or a positive.

• Maryland

Peters: Seek truth in all things; spreading false information causes great public, private harm

Whether a symptom of moral relativism or the desires of the ambitious, distorting the truth in any way to create controversy is far from appropriate. Far too often, true journalism is replaced by clickbait.

• Maryland

At St. Alphonsus Ligouri in Baltimore, believers find new inspiration in old Latin Mass

The National Shrine of St. Alphonsus Ligouri in Baltimore reaffirms Latin-rite devotion in celebration of Advent season.

By Jonathan M. Pitts

Dec 14, 2017

• Baltimore County

Sister Dolora Taylor is the 'heart and history' of Immaculate Conception School

"I love that little nun." That's how Immaculate Conception School principal Madeline Meaney describes her affection for Sister Dolora Taylor, of the Sisters of St. Francis Philadelphia. Taylor, who is 84 years old and four-feet ten-inches tall, recently celebrated her 20th year working as a record keeper at the Catholic school in downtown Towson.

By Rachael Pacella

Mar 15, 2017

• William E. Lori

Archbishop Lori: Pope's appointment of two auxiliary bishops for Baltimore 'an early Christmas gift'

Archbishop William E. Lori thanked Pope Francis for "an early Christmas gift" Monday as he introduced the two men the pontiff has appointed auxiliary bishops for the Archdiocese of Baltimore.

By Jonathan M. Pitts

Dec 5, 2016

• Opinion

Roughly Speaking podcast: Reflecting on Francis in the time of Donald (episode 182)

Mark Shriver, a nephew of the country's first Catholic president, goes on a fact-finding mission to learn about the life of Pope Francis.

By Dan Rodricks

Dec 2, 2016

• Elections

Catholic bishops, in Baltimore, elect advocates for immigrants to top jobs

The nation's Catholic bishops embraced both tradition and change Tuesday when they elected as their top officials a pair of prelates who lead two of the most diverse — and most heavily Hispanic — archdioceses in the United States.

By Jonathan M. Pitts

Nov 15, 2016

• Maryland

Nation's Catholic bishops, in Baltimore, to choose their own new president in wake of divisive U.S. election

The nation's Catholic bishops return to Baltimore next week for their annual fall assembly — their first such gathering since a presidential election that split the church as it divided the nation.

By Jonathan M. Pitts

Nov 12, 2016

• Baltimore County

St. Pius X in Towson to dedicate rainwater garden Nov. 6

Over the past six weeks, a construction crew has removed 3 feet of soil from a 1,007-square-foot area on the grounds of St. Pius X Church and School in Towson, filled in the hole with sand, then added a layer of mulch to help filter out pollutants from the rainwater which falls on the property.

By Rachael Pacella

Nov 3, 2016

• Opinion

Archdiocese abandons its mission with school closures

Closing Baltimore Catholic schools is hardly in line with Pope Francis' message.

• Maryland

Critics of Saint Teresa miss what makes her a blessing

Almost no contemporary canonization was met with such heightened expectation and fanfare as that of Saint Teresa of Calcutta.

• Maryland

For Catholic women, pope's panel on female deacons 'could open up some interesting opportunities'

Barbara Anderson is hopeful that a new commission appointed by Pope Francis to study women deacons could open up new opportunities for females in the Catholic Church. But more important, she says, is the new perspective that ordained women could bring to the church.

By Jonathan M. Pitts

Aug 2, 2016

• Opinion

Baltimore archbishop: Addressing climate change is a 'moral imperative'

Baltimore archbishop: A year after the Pope's encyclical, I hope that we may hear Pope Francis' message anew and take inspiration from the individual and local actions that Catholics and other people of faith are already taking to fight climate change.

• Maryland

Don't overreact about papal changes that aren't really there

When Pope Francis released his much-anticipated exhortation "Amoris Laetitia," there was a great uproar across the internet. Conservatives accused the pope of threatening the foundation of the church, while liberals complained of betrayal. Quotes and misquotes were quickly spread, and writers focused more on their own views than those of the Catholic Church.

• Maryland

Pope Francis eases the return for divorced Catholics while reiterating objections to abortion, birth control, gay marriage

Pope Francis, who has declared 2016 a Holy Year of Mercy, published a much-anticipated exhortation on love and marriage Friday that eases the way for divorced and remarried Catholics to rejoin the faith, but reiterates limits on gay unions and the ban on contraception and abortion.

• Opinion

Nuns' principles in Supreme Court's hands

Baltimore Archbishop William Lori: It is simply unreasonable for the government to demand that the Little Sisters of the Poor, an order of Catholic nuns, violate their consciences by facilitating access to abortion-inducing drugs, contraceptives and sterilization.

• Features

How Devin Allen's photo made it to Pope Francis' hands

Pope Francis is now familiar with Devin Allen's work.

By Wesley Case

Feb 26, 2016

• Opinion

Donald Trump's greatest faith has always been in Donald Trump

Leonard Pitts Jr: Donald Trump's anger seems to matter more to evangelical voters than his questionable faith.

• Maryland

Archbishop William E. Lori meets Pope Francis in Rome, talks Freddie Gray; pontiff prays for Baltimore

Baltimore Archbishop William E. Lori told Pope Francis of the challenges confronting Baltimore during a meeting Thursday at the Vatican, talked about Freddie Gray, and asked the pontiff to pray for the city.

By Jonathan M. Pitts

Dec 17, 2015

• Maryland

In Advent, Catholics turning focus to Christ's mercy

Traditionally, Advent marks the beginning of the Catholic Liturgical Year, and Pope Francis has declared an Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy for 2016. Starting on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception on Dec. 8, Catholics are called to embrace Christ's mercy throughout their lives.

• Maryland

Media response to Catholic synod unsettling

• Maryland

Carroll church joins Md. congregations in push for climate legislation

Carroll church joins Md. congregations in push for climate legislation

• Maryland

Carroll County residents recently joined a pilgrimage to see the Pope on his visit to America

A group of Carroll County Catholics joined a pilgrimage walking 108 miles from Baltimore to Philadelphia to attend mass with the Supreme Pontiff, Pope Francis.

• Maryland

Pope's stances in line with Christian message

As a product of the developing world, Pope Francis is understandably concerned about climate change and its impact on the biodiversity of creation and on the world's poor. Included within this calculus is also his fretfulness about sustainable development, income inequality and the tendency of capitalism to focus more on profits than job creation. These issues are a natural outgrowth of the core Christian message and run counter to the "me first" philosophy of objectivism so dear to the

• William E. Lori

Effort to salute Archbishop Lori symbolizes Jewish-Catholic links

A leading Jewish advocacy group is planning a ceremonial dinner this week to salute a man they say reflects some of the highest ideals of their faith: the leader of the area's half-million Catholics.

By Jonathan M. Pitts

Oct 6, 2015

• Opinion

The Pope's American message

Pope Francis' address to Congress was an inspirational one, but one carefully crafted to preserve surface comity, while leaving a wide breach between the Obama administration policy and the pope's church on this central issue.

By Jules Witcover

Sep 28, 2015

• Maryland

Marylanders join throngs to see pope, in person or on screen

The five friends from the Church of the Nativity in Lutherville made an impromptu pew with their folding chairs on an intersection, facing not the actual Pope Francis, but a live stream of the Mass he was celebrating before the lucky million or so who got in.

By Jean Marbella

Sep 27, 2015

• Maryland

Catholics hope to build on pope's U.S. visit

As the pope's first U.S. visit comes to an end, church leaders, lay members and Francis fans plan ways of harnessing its goodwill and making its lessons last.

By Jonathan M. Pitts

Sep 26, 2015

• Opinion

What should our political leaders take away from Pope Francis' visit?

Pope Francis may speak to the political issues of the day, but his conclusions of faith cannot be substituted for secular conclusions of law.