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A judge in Baltimore this week ordered all proceedings, filings, and communications related to the release of a major attorney general’s report on clerical sexual abuse to be made confidential. Judge Anthony Vittoria of the Circuit Court for Baltimore City issued a confidentiality ruling December 2 in response to a request from an anonymous group of people named in the report but who were not accused of abuse, the Baltimore Sun reported. At issue is a 456-page report compiled by the office of Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh, consisting of information given by the Archdiocese of Baltimore along with information gathered from interviews that claims to identify more than 600 victims of clerical abuse in the archdiocese dating back eight decades. It is currently unclear whether the report will lead to any new criminal charges. The Archdiocese of Baltimore, which is paying the legal fees for the anonymous group of individuals, said it “does not and will not oppose the report’s release.”
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253002/baltimore-seals-documents-related-to-clerical-sexual-abuse-report
The Catholic population in the United States has grown by about 2 million people in 10 years. With nearly 62 million people, it continues to constitute the largest religious denomination in 36 U.S. states, according to the latest religion-focused survey of America’s religious congregations. Over the last decade, many Catholics, the survey found, have moved to the South. The U.S. Religion Census’ 2020 survey reported that there were 61.9 million Catholics in the U.S., about 18.7% of the population. While Protestants collectively outnumber Catholics in the U.S, the researchers of the U.S. Religion Census viewed various Protestant bodies as their own denominational groups, not collectively.
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/252998/us-catholic-population-shows-growth-trends-southward
A New Jersey prosecutor has dropped charges against Father Fidelis Moscinski, a Franciscan Friar of the Renewal, and three other pro-life advocates for trespassing at a Planned Parenthood center, according to the law firm defending the group.
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/252999/charges-dropped-against-red-rose-rescue-priest-who-counsels-women-against-abortion
More than a hundred Santos Soccer Club fans gathered Sunday in front of the hospital in Brazil where Pelé, one of the greatest soccer players of all time, is undergoing treatment, to pray for his recovery. Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better known as Pelé, has been hospitalized since November 29 at Albert Einstein Hospital on Sao Paulo’s south side to reevaluate a treatment for colon cancer, which was diagnosed in September 2021. The former soccer player’s health has deteriorated in recent years also due to other causes, such as spinal, hip, and knee problems, which have reduced his mobility and forced him to undergo surgery, in addition to suffering from serious kidney problems. “I have a lot of faith in God and every message of love I receive from you around the world keeps me energized,” Pele said.
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253001/hundreds-of-fans-of-soccer-legend-pele-pray-in-front-of-hospital-for-his-recovery
Today, the Church celebrates Saint Ambrose, the brilliant Bishop of Milan who influenced St. Augustine's conversion and was named a Doctor of the Church. Like Augustine himself, the older Ambrose, born around 340, was a highly educated man who sought to harmonize Greek and Roman intellectual culture with the Catholic faith.
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-ambrose-76