Timothy Dolan
Bones of contention: Catholic dioceses fight over Archbishop Sheen’s body
By David Gibson — September 4, 2014
(RNS) In an unusual public clash, Bishop Jenky of Peoria says Cardinal Dolan of New York reneged on a deal to send Sheen's body back to Illinois so he could be beatified.
Gay groups in St. Patrick’s parade all right with N.Y. Cardinal Dolan
By David Gibson — September 3, 2014
NEW YORK (RNS) After years of resistance, a group of gays and lesbians will be allowed to march in the St. Patrick's Day parade for the first time under their own banner, and Cardinal Timothy Dolan said he's OK with that.
Cardinal Dolan: Pope Francis opened door to gay civil unions debate
By David Gibson — March 10, 2014
NEW YORK (RNS) When asked if accepting civil unions would make him “uncomfortable,” New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan said it would because it could “water down” the traditional religious view of marriage.
COMMENTARY: It’s time to open the wartime pope’s records
By A. James Rudin — February 27, 2014
(RNS) According to a British newspaper, Pope Francis wants to release the Pius XII papers for study before determining whether to consider his controversial predecessor for sainthood. It's time he did.
Anti-abortion activist Frank Pavone is back in church’s good graces
By David Gibson — January 22, 2014
NEW YORK (RNS) After years of tensions with various bishops, Priests for Life founder Frank Pavone has complied with demands to straighten out the group’s finances and to become accountable to his home diocese in New York.
Students, alumni rally around fired gay teacher at Catholic school
By David Gibson — December 13, 2013
(RNS) The publicity over the firing of a gay teacher at a Catholic school is likely to complicate efforts by church leaders like New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan, who said this month that the bishops have been “outmarketed” on gay rights and “caricatured as being anti-gay.”
As the world mourns Nelson Mandela, abortion foes protest
By David Gibson — December 10, 2013
(RNS) As world leaders and ordinary citizens gathered to remember Nelson Mandela, abortion foes objected in blistering tones to his support for a sweeping abortion rights law they said negates any good the anti-apartheid leader achieved.
Catholic high school fires teacher who applied for gay marriage license
By David Gibson — December 9, 2013
(RNS) Michael Griffin says that at the suburban Philadelphia Catholic high school where he worked for more than a decade it was no secret that he is gay, but when he told administrators that he was going to marry his partner he was fired. The episode is the latest in a string of similar incidents, and it came just a week after New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan said the church is not “anti-gay” but has been “outmarketed” on the issue of gay marriage.
As Catholic bishops meet, the ‘Francis Effect’ changes everything
By David Gibson — November 5, 2013
(RNS) On issues from the U.S. bishops' campaign against the Obama administration’s contraception mandate to high-profile battles against gay marriage, Pope Francis’ new marching orders have scrambled what had been a fairly predictable routine.
Stephen Colbert on Pope Francis, Cardinal Dolan and (of course) Stephen Colbert
By David Gibson — October 18, 2013
NEW YORK (RNS) “If Pope Francis were throwing tonight’s party we wouldn’t be in white tie at the Waldorf. We’d be in sweat pants crammed into a corner booth at the IHOP.”
Could Pope Francis make women cardinals? A pipe dream, and an opening
By David Gibson — October 17, 2013
(RNS) There’s a saying in the Catholic Church that while only God can create the world, only a pope can create cardinals.
The 12 best Catholic quips from Stephen Colbert, the ‘pope of basic cable’
By David Gibson — October 9, 2013
NEW YORK (RNS) Comedy Central’s Stephen Colbert will headline the famed Al Smith Dinner to raise funds for Catholic charities. Colbert frequently riffs on his Catholic faith on his show, and here we collect his best Catholic quips.
Christians in Middle East: U.S. attack on Syria would be detrimental
By Sarah Pulliam Bailey — September 4, 2013
NEW YORK (RNS) “I couldn’t find a Christian leader at the conference who supported military intervention,” said Geoff Tunnicliffe, secretary general of the World Evangelical Alliance.
Catholic hospitals at odds with bishops over birth control mandate
By David Gibson — July 9, 2013
(RNS) The organization representing Catholic hospitals across the country says it no longer objects to the Obama administration’s mandate that all employees receive free birth control coverage. The decision by the Catholic Health Association puts the hospitals at odds with the Catholic hierarchy, which last week rejected the White House’s final regulations.
White House denies contraception exemption to private businesses
By Sarah Pulliam Bailey — June 28, 2013
(RNS) The new rules do not apply to private businesses whose owners have religious or moral obligations to contraception -- and that issue has already been a major battleground in federal courts.
