Christians, Wake Up to Nigeria (USCCB, 8/31/18)

Non datur libertas sine veritate. Vol. IV, No. 7

Dear sisters and brothers, May the peace of our Lord, Jesus Christ, be with you!

Many of you serve Christ and work hard to promote religious freedom in an increasingly secularized world. Bearing witness to the gospel is a challenge now, and I recognize that we bishops have made it a bigger challenge. I feel embarrassed and angry about the news of Archbishop Theodore McCarrick, and I am deeply grieved by the grand jury report out of Pennsylvania, which paints a disturbing picture of bishops who failed to act. Please know that I, like you, am devasted by these revelations, and I am committed to working with you and my brother bishops to bring needed reform to our Church. Let us be resolved to work together for renewal in our Church, so that we might give glory to our Almighty God. Thank you for your service to the Church! With prayerful best wishes, I am                                                               Sincerely yours in the Lord,                                                               Most Reverend Joseph Kurtz                                                               Archbishop of Louisville                                                               Chair, Committee for Religious Liberty  USCCB president seeks papal audience, answers to former nuncio's questions (CNS photo/Bob Roller) "The president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops said he was 'eager for an audience' with Pope Francis to gain his support for the bishops' plan to respond to the clergy sexual abuse crisis." Read more. After 95 years, NY rules end Catholic adoption and foster services in Buffalo Adoption and foster services through Catholic Charities of Buffalo are ending because state rules do not allow the agency to maintain its practice of only placing children in homes with a mother and a father.  Read more. God's Servant First Blog: Christians, Wake Up to Nigeria! By Daniel Philpott Over the past four years, the  Under Caesar's Sword project has carried out a systematic global investigation of how Christians respond to persecution.  Watching the results come in, I was floored again and again to hear of persecution whose existence or extent I had not known of.  Places that don't make major headlines in the West, yet where killings, attacks, the burning of churches, and the displacement of Christians occur on the scale of many thousands.  Read more. (Note: this links to Part 1 of a 2-part series) Follow us on Twitter! For up-to-date religious freedom news, follow @USCCBFreedom today!

www.usccb.org/freedom