The Lithuanian Bishops’ Conference will pursue an investigation into all crimes committed against minors and vulnerable adults within the Church since March 11, 1990, when the country became independent from the Soviet Union.
“The priority is the victim, not institutional reputation. To achieve this, it is necessary to establish how many such crimes have occurred in the past, since 11 March 1990,” the bishops said in a statement, according to a Sept. 28 Delfi report.
The investigation follows a case involving Father Tadas Švedavičius, a Catholic priest in the Archdiocese of Vilnius who was charged in connection with 34 criminal counts of child sexual abuse, possession of child pornography, and distributing alcohol to minors over the course of 20 years, the report said. The conference will consult the Holy See and Lithuanian law enforcement during the investigation.
Filipino bishops back calls to ban political dynasties
Catholic bishops in the Philippines have voiced their support for a nationwide signature campaign calling for the end of political dynasties in the country.
“Public office must never become a family inheritance. It is a public trust entrusted to the people,” Bishop Elias Ayuban Jr. of Cubao said at a launch event for the anti-dynasty initiative known as “Dapat Isa Lang” at the Obispado de Cubao in Quezon City, according to a Sept. 30 press release from the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).
The conference at large backed the initiative in a pastoral statement on Sept. 25, declaring: “As pastors of God’s people, we cannot remain indifferent to matters that touch the moral foundations of our society, the dignity of our people, justice, equality, and the common good. For these reasons, we support the call to enact a genuine, meaningful, and effective Anti-Political Dynasty Law that will faithfully give effect to the mandate of our Constitution.”
2 synod calls expose tensions in Syriac Catholic Church
A dispute over two proposed meetings of Syriac Catholic bishops has brought internal tensions in the Church into public view. Patriarch Ignatius Joseph III Younan called a synod for Nov. 17–20, while another invitation called bishops to meet Sept. 29–30.
The patriarchate said Church law gives Younan the first right to convene the synod and considers the separate September invitation unlawful. It has also rejected claims that the patriarch failed to call a synod in recent years, ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News, reported Sept. 30.
An unnamed source cited by ACI MENA disputed that account and questioned the timing of Younanʼs invitation. The disagreement comes amid wider tensions involving the patriarch and Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, prefect of the Vaticanʼs Dicastery for the Eastern Churches. Younan has publicly accused the cardinal of encouraging bishops to seek his removal, placing the synod dispute within a broader debate over leadership and authority in the Syriac Catholic Church.
Angolan bishop: Religious zeal must not come at expense of family responsibilities
Bishop Maurício Agostinho Camuto of Angola’s Diocese of Caxito has cautioned Catholics against religious practices that could lead them to neglect their family responsibilities.
“Jesus does not ask for spending more time in the Church than caring for the family,” Camuto said in his homily during Mass at St. Anne’s Cathedral on Sept. 27, ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, reported. “Religious involvement should not result in the abandonment of family responsibilities,” he said, citing situations in which “there are even wives whose husbands almost want to separate from them because they spend more time in the Church than at home, taking care of the family, taking care of the husband.”
The bishop further called for stronger formation and accompaniment of members of apostolic groups and movements, particularly through catechesis and participation in the sacramental life of the Church.
Japanese cardinal calls faithful to act on behalf of migrants and refugees
Cardinal Tarcisio Isao Kikuchi of Tokyo is encouraging Catholics to go beyond words and take action on behalf of migrants and refugees.
Kikuchi echoed calls from Pope Leo XIV to move from “merely managing migration” to “full and immediate protection of human rights” in a Sept. 27 reflection, according to UCA News.
The reflection came on World Day of Refugees, Migrants, and Displaced Persons on Sept. 27. Kikuchi further urged Catholics to reflect especially on the pope’s appeal for children and to ask themselves, “What can we ourselves do for ‘these little ones’?”
Protestant march in Catholic Northern Ireland town permitted; archbishops respond
The Northern Ireland Parades Commission has reversed a ruling previously prohibiting the Protestant Orange Order from marching through the Catholic majority town of Portadown for the first time in nearly three decades, according to a Sept. 30 America Magazine report.
The Sept. 27 march resulted in a clash between Protestant members of the Orange Order and protesters blocking their path from Drumcree Church, according to the report.
Addressing the tension, Archbishop Eamon Martin of the Archdiocese of Armagh and Archbishop John McDowell of the Church of Ireland in Armagh issued a joint statement following the Sept. 27 march.
“As our community faces the crisis in Drumcree today, in which so many sincere views, painful histories and important issues are at stake, we cannot think of any time in the last 30 years when this simple message needs to be more urgently heard. How can we be good neighbors to each other?” the archbishops said. “We call for the urgent creation of a constructive, inclusive and reconciling initiative to patiently find a way through this current crisis. Too much is at stake.”
Christian parliamentarian raises security concerns as coalition mission ends in Iraq
The end of the international coalitionʼs mission in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region has renewed security concerns among Christians, according to Ramy Noori Syawish, an elected Christian member of the Kurdistan Regional Parliament.
Syawish told ACI MENA Sept. 30 that the continuing threat from ISIS, armed groups outside state control, and uncontrolled weapons raises questions about the ability of Iraqi and Kurdish forces to respond to another major security crisis. He said smaller communities could be particularly vulnerable because of their declining numbers and dependence on the state for protection. He also pointed to economic hardship and irregular public-sector salaries as factors driving emigration. Syawish said the next Kurdistan Regional Government should prioritize services in Christian areas and address long-running disputes over land and property.
Religion in public life sparks debate over Syriaʼs direction
A series of incidents during the summer has fueled debate over the growing presence of religion in Syriaʼs public life.
The controversies have touched womenʼs dress, education, employment, entertainment, and the way public institutions are being run, according to a Sept. 29 report from ACI MENA. Other disputes followed a dress code directive for female government employees, the separation of male and female students at a Damascus school, and religious questions reportedly included on an employment form.
The debate has also reached the arts, while questions over some public appointments have raised concerns about whether professional qualifications or other considerations are shaping hiring decisions. Some allegations surrounding these cases remain disputed or unverified.