In a reminder that bad decisions on abusers aren’t limited to the Catholic Church or Penn State, Episcopal Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori said she ordained a former monk as an Episcopal priest even though he was booted from the abbey for improper contact with a minor.
KJS says the Rev. Bede Parry seemed to have “demonstrated repentance and amendment of life.”
Now, however, it looks like there are quite a few skeletons in Parry’s closet, and tongues are wagging that KJS either overlooked them, didn’t know or didn’t ask enough questions.
From the Dept. of Separate but Related, 3 in 4 Australians say the abuse of minors is their biggest stumbling block in their views of Christianity.
The California Supreme Court gave the OK for backers of Prop 8 to defend it in a federal appeals court after California’s governor and attorney general took a pass.
A new PRRI/RNS poll finds that barely 3 in 10 Americans say the Tea Party or Occupy Wall Street represents their values, and a hefty 4 in 10 Americans see both as largely irrelevant.
Speaking of California, looks like the famed Crystal Cathedral will become the new Roman Catholic cathedral for the Diocese of Orange for the sweet price of $57.5 million. Robert Schuller’s dwindling congregation will have three years to find a new home.
Oscar Ortega-Hernandez, the guy charged with trying to assassinate the president when he fired shots at the White House, also apparently thinks he’s Jesus.
Tim Goeglein, who was George W. Bush‘s point-man for evangelicals, talks about W.’s “grace and mercy” after Goeglein was caught in a plagiarism scandal.
The NYT looks into the Mormons’ ad campaign to combat what it calls a “perception problem.”
Gossip alert: Steven Spielberg apparently wants to make a Moses bio-pic.
B16 left today for a weekend trip to the west African nation of Benin, including a stop in the Voodoo capital of the world. Before he left, he met with new Italian PM Mario Monti.
The Occupiers who have taken up camp outside London‘s St. Paul’s Cathedral say they’re ignoring the eviction notices and not going anywhere.
Memo to the Egyptian female blogger who posted naked pics of herself online in a burst of self expression: liberal groups don’t have your back on this one.
Enjoy the weekend …
— Kevin Eckstrom
