I suppose we need one of these.

Edit (20-02-2014): maybe a more positive title will make some difference?

Going back a long way for apologies from Rome considering modern times and even a cardinal in jail over in Australia!

Catholicism in New York is out of business.

If you'd read past the headline:

In Rockville Centre, Bishop Barres said the Chapter 11 filing would not immediately affect the operations of parishes and schools, because they are separate legal entities, although the diocese as a result would have less money to share with them.

"The financial burden of the litigation has been severe and only compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic," Bishop Barres said. "Our goal is to make sure that all clergy sexual abuse survivors, and not just a few who were the first to file lawsuits, are afforded just and equitable compensation."

Barres assured parishioners that their church offerings would not be used in any lawsuit settlements.

Child protection remains a priority for the church, he said.

"Our diocese underwent extensive reforms in 2003, with the creation of our Office for the Protection of Children and Young People. We will continue to be vigilant in our commitment to child protection," Barres said.
(at this point, you can read "the rest of the story" as it were... )

How about this?

t seems that Mexico got a president who is clearly a historical ignorant and an idiot. It happens frequently with Republics.

Hard to get good help nowadays.

New Orleans archbishop: Priest's desecration of altar 'demonic'

The Archbishop of New Orleans said Friday that a priest's filming of a pornographic videotape atop a church's altar was demonic, and that the priest will never again serve in Catholic ministry.
Fr. Travis Clark's "obscene behavior was deplorable," Aymond said in a statement released by the Archdiocese Oct. 9.
"His desecration of the altar in Church was demonic. I am infuriated by his actions. When the details became clear, we had the altar removed and burned. I will consecrate a new altar tomorrow," Aymond said.

The RC Church has held onto clergy not permitted to marry and for centuries not some dashed recent modernism a hard fact that it has been a corrupt as could be for centuries. It once included Popes as well as senior and junior clergy so as obvious as possible that priestly corruption a permanent thing.  Even that famous German priest Martin Luther was very shocked at Rome when he visited. If the ill-based Vatican had seen sense when set up moral corruption would hot be a nuilt in permanent corrupt status. The Russian Orthodox Church for all it's formal procedures encourages marriage and having families amongst their clergy. Years ago we had a bishop in their denomination here in Scotland but eventually turned out to be second fancy woman. A dozen or so years ago I was on a ferry across the Irish Sea from Scotland to Ulster and met a clergyman from England whom I had a passing deep chat with as he told me he was a priest and then introduced me to his wife!Claimed he had been a clergyman in the Church of England?!

Moral sexual corruption in the Roman corner has been a disgrace and they do sod all about it. From me a strong Protestant I would advise that lot to follow the Orthodox who has always had married clergy and families! 

Better yet, RJ: No more human priests! AI is the way to go. What's the worst that could happen?

(I remember an old SciFi short-short where the world's most advance computer was built. The first question put to it was "Is there a God?" The machine promptly replied "There is now!")

Even better, no more rjhowie's mumbo jumbo.   

I also remember an old Sci-Fi short story, by Arthur C. Clarke, The Nine Billion Names of God.

Plot summary
In a Tibetan lamasery, the monks seek to list all of the names of God. They believe the Universe was created for this purpose, and that once this naming is completed, God will bring the Universe to an end. Three centuries ago, the monks created an alphabet in which they calculated they could encode all the possible names of God, numbering about 9,000,000,000 ("nine billion") and each having no more than nine characters. Writing the names out by hand, as they had been doing, even after eliminating various nonsense combinations, would take another 15,000 years; the monks wish to use modern technology to finish this task more quickly.

They rent a computer capable of printing all the possible permutations, and they hire two Westerners to install and program the machine. The computer operators are skeptical but play along. After three months, as the job nears completion, they fear that the monks will blame the computer, and by extension its operators, when nothing happens. The Westerners delay the operation of the computer so that it will complete its final print run just after their scheduled departure. After their successful departure on ponies, they pause on the mountain path on their way back to the airfield, where a plane is waiting to take them back to civilization. Under a clear night sky they estimate that it must be just about the time that the monks are pasting the final printed names into their holy books. Then they notice that "overhead, without any fuss, the stars were going out."

Well how about this OakdaleFTL.

As a very strong Protestant and spoke at including rallies during a long time in my city education department as a school liason officer for a state RC secondary school for ten years. One of the teachers was a young nun just turned 30 and we got on well so when she was moving to another school arranged to take her out to a nearby posh restaurant. She was in a smart grey jacket and skirt and a small modest wee hat.  During the pleasant meal she smiled and said she had never had a date with an Orangeman before and I laughed ans said same for me with a nun!

The Church of Scotland gave up running Prot schools towards the end of the 19th century saying was the State's job of giving education but I have never agreed with the State running RC ones. I also got on well with that school's chaplain who fully knew my corner and we got on well even though different corners. Lucky priest knowing me! 

Better yet, RJ: No more human priests! AI is the way to go. What's the worst that could happen?

(I remember an old SciFi short-short where the world's most advance computer was built. The first question put to it was "Is there a God?" The machine promptly replied "There is now!")

Dwan Ev ceremoniously soldered the final connection with gold. The eyes of a dozen television cameras watched him and the subether bore throughout the universe a dozen pictures of what he was doing.  He straightened and nodded to Dwar Reyn, then moved to a position beside the switch that would complete the contact when he threw it. The switch that would connect, all at once, all of the monster computing machines of all the populated planets in the universe -- ninety-six billion planets -- into the supercircuit that would connect them all into one supercalculator, one cybernetics machine that would combine all the knowledge of all the galaxies. Dwar Reyn spoke briefly to the watching and listening trillions.

Then after a moment's silence he said, "Now, Dwar Ev." Dwar Ev threw the switch. There was a mighty hum, the surge of power from ninety-six billion planets.  Lights flashed and quieted along the miles-long panel. Dwar Ev stepped back and drew a deep breath.

"The honor of asking the first question is yours, Dwar Reyn."
"Thank you," said Dwar Reyn. "It shall be a question which no single cybernetics machine has been able to answer."
He turned to face the machine. "Is there a God?"
The mighty voice answered without hesitation, without the clicking of a single relay. "Yes, now there is a God."
Sudden fear flashed on the face of Dwar Ev. He leaped to grab the switch. A bolt of lightning from the cloudless sky struck him down and fused the switch shut.

--Fredric Brown, Answer

Thanks jax! That's the one. Brown was a prolific cynic...

What little respect I had for Evangelical Christians was washed away the past 4 years with the way they have elevated Trump to the level of, or just below, YHWH.

There is currently a trending post on Facebook from that bunch saying "It took Jesus 3 days to perform a miracle too 🇺🇸 🇺🇸 🇺🇸  "

Seems very sacrilegious to me. But then again, these same ppl are voting for Trump regardless of the fact he paid for his mistresses to have abortions (that topic is #1 in Mississippi) the 3-5 rape allegations, emoluments clause violations, etc, etc.

Eyes wide shut.

Unfortunately evangelical traditions over the pond are rather different and as a strong Prot where orange y favourite colour (!) a bit f a sigh.