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Why is there sometimes limited mobilization against autocratization, particularly when it involves major human rights violations? Some scholars emphasize the loss of political space through repression as the major cause while others emphasize strategic considerations such as divisions and abandonment of moderate tactics. A third view stresses popular support for strongman rule. Viewed in this light, the weakness of pushback against Rodrigo Duterte, Philippine president from 2016 to 2022, presents a challenge to existing theories. Despite the bloody "war on drugs" during his presidency, there was no violent government crackdown on peaceful demonstrators, and centrists eventually coalesced with left-wing activists around moderate strategies. But public backing for Duterte does not explain how he was able to defuse popular outrage over drug war killings, particularly after the high-profile police murders of several minors. This paper offers a relational explanation utilizing competing framing analysis. This better elucidates how, with Catholic bishops and community organizations politically weakened and international organizations denounced for interfering in domestic politics, Duterte was able to tactically outmaneuver his opponents and "frame" human rights advocates as coddling criminals while he protected law-abiding Filipinos. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keywords: liturgy; ethics; worship; Aidan Kavanagh EN liturgy ethics worship Aidan Kavanagh 49 52 4 09/14/23 20230401 NES 230401 While studying for my Master of Divinity, one of the concepts that drew me to the field of liturgical studies was the idea that what we did in worship shaped our ethical lives. So, if our liturgies are to influence the ethical lives of our congregants positively, we must first try ever imperfectly to follow the Hippocratic oath and aspire to a liturgy whose words, symbols, and actions "do no harm." To me, the danger of an unethical liturgy seems heightened in traditions where the liturgy is understood as a realized eschatology, for it is difficult to critique or suggest revisions to a liturgy that has been equated with the kingdom of God. [Extracted from the article]

This paper explores the process of negotiation, lobbying and parliamentary debate that brought the Irish universities legislation into being in the early 1900s against a backdrop of political and religious conflict. The complex interaction between British ministers and Catholic bishops before and throughout the legislative process dictated the terms of the university settlement. The principal decisions on the legislation were taken by Augustine Birrell, the chief secretary, in conjunction with Dr William Walsh, the Catholic archbishop of Dublin. Contrary to the argument that the legislation was a product of successful obstructionism by Trinity College Dublin, the outcome was a triumph for Walsh and a pragmatic majority among the bishops, who accepted a university that was formally non-denominational but would be Catholic in its cultural and ideological orientation. The universities settlement was a limited but historic compromise between British political elites of differing ideological persuasions and a majority of Catholic bishops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keywords: Eucharist; eucharistic theology; online prayer; virtual communion; assembly EN Eucharist eucharistic theology online prayer virtual communion assembly 14 23 10 07/05/22 20220401 NES 220401 For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. In the parish I served early in the pandemic, a church council member "confessed" with some trepidation that she gathered with her husband and son at table with bread and wine before their Sunday meal, praying meal blessing prayers sent from church meant to connect the home table to that of the assembly. See also International Commission on English in the Liturgy, I Eucharistic Prayer for Masses for Various Needs and Occasions i (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1996), which includes sung settings of these prayers and their additional acclamations. And the shape of prayer after the pandemic remains unclear, from whether digitally mediated prayer will remain a permanent feature of church life to ihow and whether assemblies may resume sharing from a common loaf of actual bread and a common cup. [Extracted from the article]

The Synod of Catholic Bishop's 1971 document, "Justice in the World," articulates boldly that "action on behalf of justice is a constitutive dimension of the preaching of the Gospel." Fifty years old, it is timely to assess this document today especially as religious educators address the many forms of inequality in the world. Examining gaps in the church's approach to racial justice, this paper maintains that lessons learned from the past 50 years might guide future implementation of this important teaching. The paper proposes both activist and contemplative practices to recover the boldness and passion of "Justice in the World." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article argues that Roman Catholic bishops in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Zambia provide an arena for ordinary people to participate in politics and demand government accountability. The article analyses the bishops' engagement with the populace as well as with the state through two dimensions of democratic quality: participation and accountability. The research design for the article is qualitative, and it is based on a literature review and listed sources. The article is also informed by an examination of the sociopolitical activities of the Roman Catholic Church's faith-based organisation (FBO), the Conference of Catholic Bishops, as recorded in public pronouncements, communiques, and media reports. This FBO has long helped shape domestic politics in the DRC and Zambia. The article demonstrates various ways in which the Roman Catholic Church's FBO-based pursuit of justice and truth in the DRC and Zambia results in substantially strengthened democratic accountability and participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers some of the theological, legal, canonical and communication issues involved in the relationship between the civil law in Australia and Catholic Church law and practice regarding the seal of the confessional. It does so by comparing two different real life cases and their different outcomes. The different responses to the two scenarios, both politically and in the mass media, were influenced by certain preconceptions, stereotypes and misrepresentations of the Catholic Church's teaching and practice. The Australian Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse raised the question of what precisely is covered by the seal of confession. It recommended the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference to approach the Holy See for clarification. The Royal Commission recommended that the Australian States change the law to remove the seal of confession as an exception to mandatory reporting of child sexual abuse. The Holy See response did not accept that proposition. The study concludes with a brief discussion of how the conflict of duty between the demands of the secular civil law on the one hand, and preserving the seal of confession on the other, might be resolved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Is it coherent to defend nuclear deterrence from an ethical and just-war point of view, given the likely devastating effects of an actual nuclear exchange? This article holds that the salutary effects of successful deterrence are so substantial that, given the state of the world today, such deterrence does abide by the proportionality criterion of the just war tradition when considered against the direct political effects of deterrence, not the military effects of detonations. This article further explores why such salutary political effects are likely to remain viable in the twenty-first century, given both technical and political developments. The article also explores some of the main arguments against nuclear deterrence derived from the Cold War and considers to what extent they are relevant today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

'Blessed place, blessed church/In which the memory of Thomas flourishes!' Thus begins the antiphon Felix locus from the passion office of Thomas Becket (d. 1170), written around 1173. Performed annually on the anniversary of his martyrdom, the chant exemplifies the ways in which the Christ Church monks sought to keep Becket's memory alive at the place of his death through the institution of a liturgy that outlined the parameters of his sanctity. By instituting a framework of devotion at Canterbury, the monks also attempted to 're-experience' Becket's martyrdom through performance of the liturgy, especially in the newly constructed Trinity chapel, a 'virtual reliquary' for the saint's relics. These hagiographic narratives were expanded in 1220, fifty years after Becket's death, when Archbishop Stephen Langton (d. 1228) arranged for Becket's translation from the crypt into the Trinity chapel. This article will explore ways in which Canterbury Cathedral was cast as a permanent memorial to Becket, creating a conversation between chant, architecture, and performance, thereby underlining the cathedral's importance as the stage of Becket's martyrdom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thomas of Canterbury has very particular significance for the Venerable English College in Rome, the Roman Catholic Seminary originally founded in the 16th century in the properties of the medieval pilgrim hospice. The archbishop came to have physical, spiritual and political associations with the institution as a result of his exile from England and royally sanctioned murder, so much so that the English and Welsh national church in the papal city is now dedicated to him. In the context of the Protestant Reformation and the Dissolution of the Monasteries in Britain, students and exiled priests studying at the Roman college looked to Thomas's example of resistance to secular interference, reinforced by means of relics and depictions of Thomas in a highly charged pictorial scheme in the college church. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the English and Welsh Catholic Church's reaction to the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) attacks on London during the Northern Ireland 'Troubles'. English Catholic bishops vociferously condemned these attacks yet regularly faced criticism for their perceived inaction. Letters published in secular and religious newspapers, and also sent directly to English Catholic bishops, reveal a dismayed public who called for religious retribution in the form of excommunication. I argue IRA attacks on English soil fell into a 'grey area' of Church condemnation: a Catholic bishop would not comment on events outside his own nation. No Irish Catholic bishop had excommunicated an IRA member, so for an English bishop to do so would have been setting a precedent. However, the IRA's shift to a bombing campaign in England had allowed English bishops to comment on the conflict in Northern Ireland. Subsequently, statements and actions by English bishops would directly impact on how Irish bishops could mediate the conflict in Northern Ireland. Provisional IRA attacks on London specifically garnered international press attention and greater focus on the reactions of the Catholic Archbishop of Westminster, amplifying the English Catholic Church's response more broadly. This article highlights the evolving relationship between Irish and English bishops, from one of mutual anger to one of mutual understanding, through an examination of three attacks: the Old Bailey bombing (1973); the Harrods Bombing (1983); and the London Docklands Bombing (1996). Drawing on seldom discussed archival material, religious papers, and correspondence, this article elucidates the entangled relationship between English and Irish Churches, suggesting that such a complicated relationship, at times, hindered the Irish Catholic Church's ability to mediate the conflict and aide the peace process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The moral permissibility of possessing and employing nuclear weapons is something with which Christians have long wrestled. At least three distinct approaches exist to addressing the use of nuclear weapons within broader Christian thought. The three explored here are those of the United Methodist Council of Bishops, the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, and of extreme Christian Apocalypticists. Although these approaches are each rooted in Christian principles, each exhibits unique strengths and weaknesses and leads to a different conclusion. Instead, Prudential Christian Realism is suggested as an approach worthy of discussion given today's global security environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops created a curriculum for Catholic secondary schools that describes what adolescents should learn including the importance of developing a religious and moral identity, encounters through service, and a deeper understanding of interreligious dialogue. This study adds the how to the bishops' what by exploring Blasi's theory of the moral self as it relates to Kegan's constructive-developmental theory to enable religious educators to create a transformative curriculum of encounter in Catholic secondary schools that helps adolescents develop habits of dialogue and a mature pluralism towards a sense of shared moral responsibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Every year, there are thousands of Vatican-related news stories, and Pope Francis, in particular, has generated non-stop media attention. In this regard, the year 2017 was no different than the previous three years of this pontificate. Amid such a vast quantity of coverage, it can be difficult to pinpoint the truly salient stories, the ones that, in the long run, are going to make a difference for the Church and for culture. In order to sort through the reportage and find our bearings, we decided to ask a veteran reporter to comment on what he considers the most important stories of 2017. Francis X. Rocca has been The Wall Street Journal’s Vatican correspondent since 2015, and before that he was the Rome bureau chief of Catholic News Service, the news agency of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, for three years. Our conversation took place on 14 December 2017 in Rome. The following transcript has been edited for clarity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Responses from randomly sampled U.S. Catholic priests were analyzed to determine how they perceived their bishop’s use of his power and status as he related to subordinates. Respondents had a moderate concern for the misuse of power by their bishop. In a backward multiple regression analysis (adjustedR2 = .511,F = 48.08,p < .001) these perceptions were affected by three variables in the final model: (a) my bishop knows my personal worth, (b) most bishops are concerned about their power and status, and (c) the approachability of most bishops. Implications of these perceived beliefs are considered against research relating to destructive leadership and respectful leadership. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The appointment of Chinese bishops of the Catholic Church is generally considered as the biggest obstacle in the normalization of diplomatic relations between China and the Vatican. However, due to the special nature of the identity and status of Catholic bishops, there are continuous confrontations and gaming between the Vatican and the Chinese Government as well as its religious administrative department, manifested as confrontations between religious social groups and the administrative power, between the principle of Catholic hierarchy and the principle of independence and autonomy in the self-management of the Church. The root of these confrontations lies in the competition for the leadership and appointment of future Catholic Church leaders. Therefore, in this context, the state-society relationship is strained, as reflected by the interactions between the Catholic Church in China and the government. The Catholic Church is faced with a choice between God and Caesar. Such a situation, even if China and the Vatican could reach an agreement on the appointment of bishops, will not change and confrontations are likely to occur. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Randomly sampled Catholic priests in the United States were asked to consider how their specific bishop valued them as people and their unique ministerial abilities. Respondents rated bishops moderately in qualities associated with respectful leadership and approachability, and thought that their bishop placed moderate value on their worth. Further, they were unlikely to rate favorably the use of power and control by their bishop in particular and other bishops in general. In a backward multiple regression analysis (Adjusted R2 = .631, F = 40. 117, p < .001), six predictor variables were significant contributors to the model. These included my bishop’s use of power, ease of making an accusation against a priest, knowledge of professional boundaries, knowledge of situations which require notification of the chancery, most bishops engage in respectful leadership, and the concern of most bishops for power and control. The dependent variable “my bishop values priests” was negatively correlated with the independent variable “ease of making an accusation against a priest.” Implications for social workers and other mental health providers who may interact with Catholic priests are offered, and the need for future research in this area is suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An essay is presented on the role of the diocesan bishop, and the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA). It discusses the National Statutes for the Catechumenate issued by the Catholic bishops, which act as the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) that regulates the RCIA. The author mentions the teaching roles of the bishops through setting up programs implemented by catechists.

A yearly document produced by the Catholic Bishops in Argentina was compared to media coverage before and after its release. The document negatively correlated with media coverage in both time periods, with issues emphasized in the document appearing low on the media agenda. The top three issues in it, however, did receive more coverage after its release. The newspapers also displayed strong partisanship, with the newspaper most critical of the Church being the most negative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The overarching objective of this paper is to provide a political analysis cum critique of the 'Church of the Poor' (COP) discourse of the 1991 Second Plenary Council of the Philippines (PCP II). The entire discussion begins with two incontrovertible facts about the Philippines: first, the majority of its people are Catholic (at least nominally) and second, a significant fraction of its population are living below the poverty line. The convocation of PCP II that consequently pronounced the Philippine Church's preferential option for the poor was discerned by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) in the light of the impoverished condition among so many Filipinos. Has the Philippine hierarchy (CBCP), remained consistent in its thrust 20 years after PCP II? This is what the paper seeks to analyze and discuss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discuses the common core outcomes for Catholic religious education in the U.S. public schools. These outcomes include a multidimensional relationship with God, active participation as Church, and an appreciation of one's life as being oriented toward contributing in the reign of God. Also outlined is the common core curriculum developed by the nonprofit organization U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) in response to a decline in Catholic literacy.

TheChronica Polonorum, written by Bishop Vincentius of Cracow (c.1150–1223), influenced the way Polish history was written by presenting a specific memory of the participation of the Piast dynasty in wars against the Prussians. This article presents the three major references to these wars against heathen tribes of the North in 1147, 1166 and 1192. Vincentius' account gave meaning to the Piast expeditions as holy wars and influenced court tradition by establishing the image of individual Piasts as well as their dynasty as a whole. These accounts shaped how their participants were remembered in specific historical contexts and influenced the future participation of the Poles in crusading. The article reveals the use of the term ‘Saladinistas’, not found anywhere else in the surviving twelfth-century sources. The memory created by Vincentius became inseparable from the cultural heritage of the nation for whom he was the first native historian. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The mental health of subordinates is affected by supervisors. Using the qualities of respectful leadership developed by some researchers, randomly sampled Catholic priests in the US used an eight-point scale (0 = lowest, 7 = highest) to consider the qualities of respectful leadership used by their own bishop and bishops in general. Mean scores of respectful leadership qualities for bishops in general and respondents' specific bishops were moderate. Using paired-t-tests and adopting the Bonferroni technique for adjusting the level of significance (p≤ .002), there were significant differences in 16 of 28 of the respondents' ratings of bishops in general compared to their specific bishop. Overall, respondents offered slightly more favourable ratings for their own bishops. However, priest-respondents seemingly find their leaders with leadership, character, and moral flaws. Mental health implications are considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the history of the efforts of the Catholic bishops in the U.S. to defend religious freedom and their advocacy strategies for international religious freedom and human rights. It discusses the longstanding commitment of U.S. bishops to religious freedom that helped them enriched the development of the universal understanding of the freedom of religion. It says that the U.S. bishop have significant role in depending international freedom of religion.

The first Archbishop of New York City served his tenure at one of the classic political junctures in American history. By the 840s, the culture teemed with contending voices, as the spheres of politics, religion, and ethnicity articulated powerful imperatives against a backdrop of Jacksonian expansionism, the impending darkness of sectionalism, and other key crosscurrents in American public life. Growing threats to the security of the Union competed for attention with the onslaught of the Irish Famine influx in the major east coast cities, particularly in New York. Within the burgeoning metropolis, Irish-born John Joseph Hughes rose to prominence as a leader who forcefully engaged with issues of Church and state, religion and ethnicity, and status and power in the expanding urban milieu. That he achieved such prominent status by the 1840s is remarkable enough, in the first instance, but that he succeeded to national and international standing at a point when a slew of conflicting forces conspired against him rendered Hughes's trajectory all the more compelling. His distinctive persona eventually came to epitomise Catholic power in the city during the tumultuous 1840s and 1850s, despite intense opposition throughout. While scholarly works addressing his contributions to the contemporary religious and political world have referenced his complex and turbulent character, and although Hughes's impact in mid-century New York religious and political culture has received some attention in American and Irish-American history fields, several aspects of his life and public output remain virtually unexplored. One such focus centres on his role as a prime contributor to nineteenth-century Irish-American intellectual culture. As the first Irish-born leader to sustain national renown through critical decades in the mid-nineteenth century, the Irish-Catholic archbishop demonstrated atypical precociousness as an intellectual powerhouse. Deeply invested in resolving city education battles in his denominational favour, and committed to the rising national discourse on sectional loyalties and slavery, Hughes's keen, combative style marked him as an indefatigable spokesman during an era of heightened nativist antagonism and increasingly divisive political affiliations. This article aims to address current gaps in our understanding of Hughes as an unabashed ethnic leader who integrated faith-based political activism with an intellectual agenda elevating him to ethnic leadership, at a point when contemporary social and cultural constraints ought to have precluded his progression in these directions. As Martin L. Meenagh observed in 2004, 'Hughes was a fascinating personality and deserves to be integrated back into discussions of U.S. public culture and modernity, so great was his impact' (Martin L. Meenagh, 'Archbishop John Hughes and the New York Schools Controversy of 1840-43', American Nineteenth Century History 5, no. 1 (2004): 33). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interviews Howard Hubbard, Roman Catholic Bishop of Albany, New York, on faith communities and social justice. Views on the state of the criminal system in the United States; Revamp in the New York Catholic Conference's criminal justice statement in 2000; Reputation of Hubbard as a street priest; Involvement in the campaign to unite faith communities, labor communities and the schools.

Comments on the document released by the French Roman Catholic bishops that addressed the issues surrounding nuclear arms and deterrence. Method of reasoning; Use of nuclear weapons; Deterrence and disarmament; Pacifism and non-violence; World order.

Reports on the conflict between church and state in Mexico regarding the approval of the use of the morning-after pill as part of the revised family-planning policy of the government, as of March 2004. Factors that contributed to the approval of the pill; Criticisms from the Mexican Catholic Bishops' Conference against the promotion of the pill by the government; Impact of the issue on the relationship between Catholic bishops and the National Action Party.