Synodal Declaration: Archbishop Listecki reveals his vision for the direction of the Catholic Church
MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- It was an historic Sunday for Milwaukee's Catholic community.
Two days of talks, no deal yet in Milwaukee archdiocese bankruptcy
MILWAUKEE (AP) — No deal has been reached after two days of mediation in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee's bankruptcy case.Attorneys for the archdiocese, victims of clergy sexual abuse and others involved in the case met Monday and Tuesday in Minneapolis to try to come up with a settlement.Archdiocese spokesman Jerry Topczewski said Wednesday no deal was reached but two more days of mediation are scheduled for Sept. 22 and 23.Topczewski says mediation is confidential and he can't discuss details but archdiocese officials remain optimistic.The archdiocese filed for bankruptcy in 2011, saying it wouldn't have the money to pay if it lost lawsuits filed by victims of clergy sexual abuse.
Mediation begins Monday in Archdiocese's bankruptcy case
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Mediation in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee's long and costly bankruptcy case begins Monday, September 8th, and legal experts say the time is right for at least a partial deal to help settle the matter and bring closure to hundreds of sexual abuse victims who have filed claims.A sticking point has been a $55 million trust fund that victims believe New York Cardinal and former Milwaukee Archbishop Timothy Dolan set up to shield money from them.
Milwaukee's Archbishop fields questions about Pope Francis, gay marriage
MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- Milwaukee Archbishop Jerome Listecki was a guest at the Milwaukee Press Club's Newsmaker Luncheon on Wednesday afternoon, September 3rd.Listecki was interviewed by a panel of three journalists including FOX6's Ted Perry.
Pope Francis will meet with clergy sex abuse victims...but at least one group is skeptical
MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- Pope Francis says he has "zero tolerance" for any clergy member who violates a child.
ONE-ON-ONE: Archbishop Listecki discusses issues facing the church
MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- The spiritual leader of around 700,000 Catholics in the Milwaukee area speaks one-on-one with FOX6 reporter Mike Lowe about a number of pressing issues facing the church.Listecki spoke about how the Pope Francis effect is impacting local churches, how the church plans to draft a blueprint for the future, and the meaning of Easter.The Archbishop leaves Milwaukee Monday, April 21st for a trip to the Vatican.
Victims object to Archdiocese of Milwaukee's bankruptcy plan
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Attorneys representing sexual abuse victims and other creditors in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee's bankruptcy case have filed an objection to the archdiocese's bankruptcy plan.The documents filed Friday in federal bankruptcy court dispute the archdiocese's claim that it made as much money as possible available to compensate victims of clergy sexual abuse.They also dispute the archdiocese's claim that it is not responsible for the actions of lay people or priests who worked in the archdiocese but were assigned to religious orders.
Pope Francis marks anniversary: "Please pray for me."
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis has marked his one-year anniversary with a simple tweet: "Please pray for me."Francis' appeal Thursday echoed his gesture on that rainy night one year ago when he came out onto the balcony of St.
Group calls mayor's invitation to Pope "grossly inappropriate"
GREEN BAY (WITI) -- A Madison-based group is calling out Green Bay's mayor for inviting the leader of the Catholic Church to visit Green Bay.
Green Bay mayor wants Pope Francis to visit shrine in Wis.
GREEN BAY (WITI) -- Green Bay's mayor has quite the proposal for the Pope!Jim Schmitt is hoping residents can help lure Pope Francis to the area during a possible visit to the United States next year.Schmitt wants Pope Francis to visit the Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help in Champion.In 2010, the Catholic Church validated an appearance by the Virgin Mary at the shrine back in the mid-1800s.The mayor is organizing a petition for people to show support for the Pope's potential visit."There's a group of people getting together and this will include a website that will include ways to get your friends to sign a petition.
Pope Francis kisses "mini Pope" in St. Peter's Square
VATICAN CITY (WITI) -- Pope Francis has a "Mini Me."19-month-old Daniele de Sanctis is now a star of Carnival.
Archdiocese to file Plan of Reorganization in Chapter 11 proceedings
MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- The Archdiocese of Milwaukee announced on Wednesday, February 12th that it is filing its Plan of Reorganization in its Chapter 11 proceedings."As an Archbishop, I can say immediately -- my profound sorrow, shame, hurt -- that this has ever occurred," said Milwaukee Archbishop Jerome Listecki.The plan will establish a $500,000 Lifetime Therapy Fund for abuse survivors. $4 million will also be available to provide financial settlements for abuse survivors with eligible claims.
Some victims not happy with Archdiocese reorganization plan
MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- The Archdiocese of Milwaukee announced on Wednesday, February 12th that it is filing its Plan of Reorganization in its Chapter 11 proceedings -- and some victims say they're not happy with the plan, nor how it was delivered.The plan will establish a $500,000 Lifetime Therapy Fund for abuse survivors. $4 million will also be available to provide financial settlements for abuse survivors with eligible claims.
Pope Francis' Harley-Davidson sells for $327,000
MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- A pre-owned Harley-Davidson motorcycle hits the auction block, selling for almost 20 times its estimated value, due to its previous owner, Pope Francis!
U.N. committee on sexual abuse grills Vatican officials
(CNN) -- A senior Vatican official acknowledged Thursday there is "no excuse" for child sex abuse, as he and others were grilled by a U.N. committee about the Catholic Church's handling of pedophile priests.It's the first time the Vatican has been forced to answer allegations so publicly that it enabled the sexual abuse of children by protecting such priests.The committee questioned a handful of Vatican officials -- including Monsignor Silvano Tomasi, permanent observer of the Holy See to the United Nations in Geneva, and Monsignor Charles Scicluna, the Vatican's former chief sex-crimes prosecutor -- for several hours Thursday in Switzerland.In his opening remarks, Tomasi said, "There is no excuse for any form of sexual violence or exploitation of children.
Pope Francis delivers "State of the World" address
VATICAN CITY (FOX) -- Pope Francis delivered his first "State of the World" address to a group of diplomats on Monday, January 13th.The pontiff focused his speech mostly on the Middle East.
Wis. native paints Pope for Time's "Person of the Year" edition
CHICAGO (WITI) -- An artist's goal is to be seen, and a Wisconsin native achieved that goal many times over in 2013.
Pope calls for big changes in the Roman Catholic Church
(CNN) -- Pope Francis on Tuesday called for big changes in the Roman Catholic Church -- including at the very top -- saying he knows it will be a messy business but he expects his flock to dive in feet first."I prefer a Church which is bruised, hurting and dirty because it has been out on the streets, rather than a Church which is unhealthy from being confined and from clinging to its own security," the Pope said in a major new statement."I do not want a Church concerned with being at the center and then ends by being caught up in a web of obsessions and procedures."The Pope's address, called an "apostolic exhortation," is basically a pep talk from the throne of St.
Italy mourns more than 100 migrants killed in Lampedusa shipwreck
LAMPEDUSA, Italy (CNN) -- "Today is a day of tears," Pope Francis said Friday of a shipwreck off the tiny Italian island of Lampedusa a day earlier, in which at least 111 people died.Italy's government declared Friday a day of national mourning in the wake of the shipwreck.Rescue efforts continued through the day, with divers at the site of the wreck, but rough waters complicated their task.Four children were among the dead, alongside 49 women and 58 men, coast guard spokesman Filippo Marini said.
Pope Francis: Church can't 'interfere' with gays
(CNN) -- Pope Francis said the church has the right to express its opinions but not to "interfere spiritually" in the lives of gays and lesbians, expanding on explosive comments he made in July about not judging homosexuals.In a wide-ranging interview published Thursday, the pope also said that women must play a key role in church decisions and brushed off critics who say he should be more vocal about fighting abortion and gay marriage.Moreover, if the church fails to find a "new balance" between its spiritual and political missions, the pope warned, its moral foundation will "fall like a house of cards."The interview, released by Jesuit magazines in several different languages and 16 countries on Thursday, offers perhaps the most expansive and in-depth view of Francis' vision for the Roman Catholic Church.The pope's comments don't break with Catholic doctrine or policy, but instead show a shift in approach, moving from censure to engagement.Elected in March with the expectation that he would try to reform the Vatican, an institution that many observers say is riven by corruption and turf wars, Francis said his first mission is to change the church's "attitude.""The church has sometimes locked itself up in small things," the pope said, "in small-minded rules.""The people of God want pastors," Francis continued, "not clergy acting like bureaucrats or government officials."MORE ON CNN: The pope said what?