Pope Francis demands wealth ‘redistribution’
VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis called Friday for governments to redistribute wealth to the poor in a new spirit of generosity to help curb the “economy of exclusion” taking hold today.
Francis made the appeal during a speech to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the heads of major U.N. agencies who met in Rome this week.
Latin America’s first pope has frequently lashed out at the injustices of capitalism and the global economic system that excludes so much of humanity, though his predecessors have voiced similar concerns.
On Friday, Francis called for the U.N. to promote a “worldwide ethical mobilization” of solidarity with the poor in a new spirit of generosity.
He said a more equal form of economic progress can be had through “the legitimate redistribution of economic benefits by the state, as well as indispensable cooperation between the private sector and civil society.”
First openly gay bishop divorces his husband
CONCORD, N.H. – The first openly gay bishop in the Episcopal church and the global Anglican Communion has announced he is divorcing his husband.
Retired Bishop Gene Robinson announced he is divorcing Mark Andrew in an email to the Diocese of New Hampshire and an article for The Daily Beast.
The couple entered into a civil union in 2008 that converted to a marriage when New Hampshire legalized gay marriage in 2010.
Robinson’s election in 2003 as the first openly gay Anglican bishop created an international uproar and led conservative Episcopalians to break away from the main church in the United States.
He writes details of his divorce are private, and he can’t repay the debt he owes Andrew “for his standing by me through the challenges of the last decade.”
Robinson had previously been married to a woman and had two children before he and his wife divorced.
Vatican defrocked 848 priests for abuse
GENEVA – The Vatican has released comprehensive statistics for the first time on how it has disciplined priests accused of raping and molesting children: It says 848 priests have been defrocked and another 2,572 given lesser sanctions during the past decade.
The Vatican’s U.N. ambassador to Geneva, Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, revealed the figures during a second day of grilling Tuesday by a U.N. committee monitoring implementation of the U.N. treaty against torture.
Tomasi insisted the convention applied only inside the tiny Vatican City State.
He nevertheless released statistics about how the Holy See has adjudicated abuse cases globally – and acknowledged sexual abuse involving children “can be considered torture.”
Muslim college wrestler gets waiver, keeps beard
BUFFALO, N.Y. – A Muslim college wrestler in New York who chose to sit on the sidelines rather than shave his beard has been granted a waiver that will allow him to compete with the facial hair.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations praised the NCAA’s decision in the case of University at Buffalo wrestler Muhamed McBryde.
NCAA rules say wrestlers must be clean shaven. But McBryde says shaving his beard would compromise his faith.
He missed nearly a whole season of competition because of the conflict.
In April, the NCAA Wrestling Rules Committee said McBryde could compete with a beard during the 2014-15 season, as long as he wears a face mask and chin strap to cover it.
Associated Press
