Jesus taught us to help those in need, that we should live simply so others may simply live. He and his apostles shunned worldly possessions in favor of the spiritual wealth that comes with sacrificing for others. It is difficult to deny one of Jesus’s central lessons was to live humbly.

Despite this, the Catholic Church is one of the richest institutions on the planet. There are two aspects of Vatican wealth: its material possessions and its financial holdings.

{ Via K-State Collegian }

With the potential to give all Church’s a bad rap, a diverse group of Christian leaders joined together Nov. 20 to declare a commitment to defend the sanctity of human life, biblical marriage and religious liberty without compromise. One hundred and fifty evangelical, Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox signers said they were coming together to “embrace our obligation” to speak and act in support of the dignity of all human beings, marriage as the union of a man and a woman, and the freedom to express religious convictions. It is imperative that Church leaders and those of faith who disagree with this, not remain silent, but provide the backlash such hate deserves.

{Via LezGet Real }

Washington Archbishop Donald Wuerl

More than 150 Christian leaders, most of them conservative evangelicals and traditionalist Roman Catholics, issued a joint declaration Friday reaffirming their opposition to abortion and gay marriage and pledging to protect religious freedoms.

The 4,700-word document, called “The Manhattan Declaration: A Call of Christian Conscience,” sounds familiar themes from political and social debates over the health care overhaul and gay marriage battles.

Personally, I was never molested as a child by a gay priest… wasn’t I pretty enough?

{ Via Edge }

A Catholic priest who served churches in western Michigan has been sentenced to six months in jail for sexual misconduct.

The Rev. Johnson Jeyabel Pappusamy, former pastor of St. Mary Catholic Church in Custer and St. Jerome Catholic Church in Scottville, pleaded guilty Oct. 21 to fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct.

{ Via Chicago Tribune }

A Catholic priest has admitted in court that he groped a woman during a marriage counseling session.

The Rev. Richard Ordonez pleaded guilty Friday to forcible touching. He agreed to perform 500 hours of community service.

{ Via WCAX }

The Catholic Diocese of Wilmington says it is obligated to keep paying retirement benefits to six priests who church officials have confirmed are pedophiles.

{ Via the Associated Press }

A former Catholic priest who is accused in more than 20 lawsuits of molesting altar boys in Vermont is apologizing for his actions.

[ Via Boston Herald ]

Defrocked priest Daniel McCormack should be moved from prison to a secure mental health center for treatment when he completes his sentence for sexually abusing young boys, authorities said Wednesday.

[ Via Chicago Sun-Times ]

Also, more covereage on his release:

A Roman Catholic priest who sexually abused as many as 30 boys, many from Chicago’s suburbs, was freed from state custody Thursday morning and registered later in the day as a child sex offender in Forest Park, where he will live, officials said.

[ Via Chicago Tribune ]

A preacher and his church are facing sexual harassment and retaliation charges from the state’s Division on Civil Rights, authorities announced today.

According to state officials, Galilee Baptist Church of Trenton employee Minnie Davis was fired after reporting she was sexually harassed by Rev. John Harris Jr.

[ Via NJ.com ]

Last month Stanton suspended the Rev. William Warnky, citing financial regulators’ ruling that Warnky defrauded an ex-parishioner of $50,000. Warnky was already serving 10 years’ probation for contempt of court because he didn’t pay a similar amount of child support to one of his ex-wives.

[ Via Dallas Morning News: "Dallas Bishop Issues New Rules for Priests" ]