Roger Stone, an adviser to former President Donald Trump, confesses that he has ceased attending a Catholic church over opposition to the parish’s COVID restrictions. “I was politely told that I was no longer welcome in church,” Stone said. Meanwhile, another Catholic scandal is unfolding under Pope Francis and shocking the world: A Belgian bishop has now been stripped of his status and position — laicized — after admitting that he abused his own nephew. The decision to laicize Bishop Roger Vangheluwe came after repeated calls by the Belgian bishops for intervention in the abuse case from the Vatican. Has […]
The authors of the survey note that while their findings reflect an older societal trend of increased secularization, COVID seems to have exacerbated a decline in religious attendance.
The supposed 'Francis effect' has failed to materialize, First Things editor Matthew Schmitz observes in New York Times, concurred with by blunt, additional comments by Catholic World Report editor Olsen.