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A new civil sex abuse lawsuit has been filed against former cardinal Theodore McCarrick. The lawsuit also named an Opus Dei priest who is currently a pastor in the Archdiocese of New York. Lawyers say Father Michael Barrett abused the plaintiff for several years, beginning when the plaintiff was twelve. The lawsuit was filed under New York’s Child Victims Act, a law which created a temporary window for new civil sex abuse lawsuits to be filed in old cases where the statute of limitations had already expired. The time window for civil lawsuits expires on Aug. 14.
A top publisher of hymns will stop publishing works by Catholic composer David Haas. GIA Publications has reportedly received additional allegations of sexual misconduct against Haas. Haas, a member of the laity, was a mainstay in the "contemporary liturgical music" movement that began in the 1970s. Among his more popular songs are, "Glory to God," "You are Mine," "We are Called," and "Blest are They,"
Some Catholic institutions are calling for conscience exemptions to COVID-19 vaccinations. New York City announced this week that it will require proof of vaccination for workers and patrons of some businesses. The local archdiocese has warned priests against granting religious vaccine exemptions for Catholics. The head of the National Catholic Bioethics Center has argued that well-founded conscientious objections are part of Catholic doctrine.
The Catholic archbishop of Dublin paid tribute this week to a local priest, who died saving the life of his parish secretary. The 72-year-old priest died on Tuesday, after reportedly pushing his secretary out of the way of an oncoming bus, in a village in County Cork. The bus driver also died. Local reports suggest he lost control of the bus after suffering a medical trauma.
Today is the feast of the second-century Saint Emygdius. He was a bishop who was martyred for his missionary work in Germany. He is a patron against earthquakes.