Search

In this column, I'm going to address the concept of fake or overused consensus in decision‐making. Leaders in the United States often default to seeking consensus, seeing it as the holy grail of group decision‐making, believing that this is the only way or a good way to ensure buy‐in to the decision. There are several problems with this choice of decision‐making style, including but not limited to: [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this month's column, I am turning to the issue of fake or overused consensus in decision‐making. Leaders, in the United States, often default to seeking consensus, seeing it as the holy grail of group decision‐making, believing that this is the only or a good way to ensure buy‐in to the decision. There are several problems with this choice of decision‐making style, including but not limited to the following: [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the beatification of Pope John Paul II and the history of his failure to deal with continued allegations of clergy abuse. It states that John Paul is considered a catalyst in the fall of Soviet Communism and was a champion of human rights but failed on multiple occasions to take decisive action concerning the sexual abuse of thousands of youngsters by Catholic priests. It mentions that a U.S. District Court ordered church officials in Rome to turn over documents concerning complicit bishops concealing sex offending priests and that the Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal for dismissal by the Holy See based on a claim of sovereign immunity. It talks about the use of bribes by Father Marcial Maciel Degollado to insulate himself from punishment by the Vatican.

The article focuses on the relation between the U.S. and the Vatican. The Pope's prestige is deeply involved in the future of Vatican-American diplomatic relations not only because he is the head of the church but also because he is a life-long professional diplomat who still holds, nominally at least, the office of Secretary of State. Political diplomacy has become increasingly important in the Catholic system of power in recent years. Although the Vatican's Office of the Secretariat of State does not have the full status of a Congregation, two factors have united to give it more weight . Those factors are the onward march of communism, and the rapid development of Catholic political parties in Italy, Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands.

The article presents information related to the United States politics and government. All are agreed that they ought not to go over to the Democrats. Nobody in the Republican ranks looks for anything good in politics from Democratic hands, or doubts that a Democratic Administration would introduce fearful confusion by reopening questions which should never be reopened, and trying experiments which should never be tried. The greatest difficulties of the Papacy are, and promise to be, religious rather than political, and, so far from dying out, seem to increase, and bid fair at present to lead to an extensive if not formidable revolt against Papal authority.

Reports on the 40th anniversary of "Sacrosanctum Concilium," the first significant document to emerge from the bishops' deliberations by the Second Vatican Council. Issuance of the council's "Pastoral Constitution on the Chuch in Modern World" on December 4, 1963; Comment from American Catholics on the Catholic Church; Engagement of the papacy in liturgical reform.

Profiles Lindy Boggs, United States ambassador to the Vatican. Why she accepted the post from President Bill Clinton; The impression she has made at the American Embassy at the Holy See; Her popularity and influence in Washington D.C.'s political circles; Her duties as ambassador; Her political interests, including Preservation, the National Archives, and the Holocaust museum.

Offers a look at the papacy of Pope John Paul II. Role of John Paul in condemning exploitation, violence, globalization, war and the death penalty; Criticism of John Paul's views on women and gays; Way in which John Paul dealt with the liberation theology movement in Latin America; Role of the Catholic Church in the development of the American welfare state; Discussion of the opposition of the U.S. Catholic Church to Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry.

This article focuses on issues that will confront the next Pope. Last spring, two prominent Americans met with an ailing Pope John Paul II in Rome. President Bush's visit sparked massive protests and earned him both a public scolding from the Pope for the U.S. invasion of Iraq and thanks for his leadership on abortion. A second visitor, arriving a few days earlier, was less conspicuous, but no less significant. Chicago's Cardinal Francis George came to Rome for a routine Vatican meeting and used the occasion to tell the Pope about the plight of the American Church. While the next Pope will undoubtedly have to wrestle with many other issues--such as confrontation and dialogue with Islam and the future of increasingly Catholic Africa--addressing the plight of the American Church will occupy an important place on his to-do list. The primary task for the next Pope and the next generation of American Catholic leaders will be to manage the transition from a Catholic culture to a Catholic creed.

The article focuses on the attitude of the Holy See toward the foreign policy of, the United States Government, and also toward the personal role of the U.S. President Harry S. Truman in world affairs. The cordiality which had developed steadily during World War II, the result in no small measure of the excellent relations established by former U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt with the Pope, has been gradually replaced by coolness. The relations between the Holy See and the U.S. Government have become more distant than at any time. And there may be historical irony in the fact that the deterioration came, in the first place, from an event which, at the time, seemed the posthumously crowning achievement of Roosevelt's policy of close co-operation with the Pope. That was the common front established by the State Department and the officials who run the Holy See's political affairs, to defeat the Italian Communists in the election of April 18, 1948.

The article discusses a court case wherein the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit reaffirms to dismiss many counts of class action against the state of Holy See for failure to enact the alleged sexual abuse by a Roman Catholic clergy. The Kentucky district court has applied the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act's (FSIA) which says that the Holy See as a foreign state is entitled for immunity of suit. Information on the class actions are also presented.

This article discusses U.S. legal actions taken against the sovereign immunity of the papacy of the Catholic Church, with mention of an April, 2010 case in Wisconsin related to private church files on sex offenders and a possible U.S. Supreme Court case that would review sovereign immunity.

Forecasts the attitude of Catholics in the United States (US) in the twenty-first century. Views on the capabilities of the Holy Father; Trends of interest on the status of Catholicism in the US.

The article focuses on the incident in which Spain's Dictator Francisco Franco 's Foreign Minister, Martin Artajo, and the Vatican's Deputy Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Monsigrior Tarchni, affixed their signatures to a new concordat between Spain and the Holy See. Franco hopes that the agreement will include a promise of ultimate membership in NATO. It was expected that the United States Ambassador will sign a bilateral treaty giving Spain hundreds of millions of dollars in exchange for air and naval bases. The United States and the Vatican came to the Dictator's rescue even his army was becoming restive. Franco was anti catholic and this harmony between rivals has one goal of exterminating Communism.

The article reports that diplomatic emissaries are assigned to the pope. It reports that with the arrival of Henry Cabot Lodge in Rome, Italy, the U.S. resumed it official relations with the papacy. According to Presidential Press Secretary Ron Ziegler, Lodge is U.S. President Richard Nixon's personal representative to the Holy See.

The article focuses on the renewed recognitio granted by the Holy See for the National Directory for the Formation, Ministry and Life of Permanent Deacons in the U.S. A background on the renewed permanent diaconate is provided together with the five conferences requesting authority to ordain permanent deacons. The five reasons for renewing permanent diaconate in the country include the completion of the hierarchy of sacred orders and enlistment of a new group of devout and competent men in the active ministry of the Church.

The article focuses on the issues concerning the upcoming apostolic visitation of Reverend Mother Mary Clare Millea in the U.S. Some of the religious women have expressed their feelings and views that the Holy See would have the audacity to interfere in their business. It states that the visit which will evaluate and improve the eligious institutions in the U.S. has been opposed by the National Coalition of American Nuns (NCAN) which is suspicious on the reason behind the visitation.

The author discusses the approach provided by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Child in response to the sexual abuse of clergy in the Catholic Church in the U.S. Topics discussed include the recommendations introduced by the Commission in the Catholic Church of the country, the appointment of Boston's Cardinal Seán O'Malley by Pope Francis to lead a move in sharing best practices throughout the Church, and the influence of Holy See on dioceses throughout the world.

The article discusses the possible impact of the selection of Argentine Jorge Mario Bergoglio as Pope Francis on the future of Catholicism. The author talks about the decline in the number of Catholic Church members in the U.S. due to the inability to address the issues they are facing. The issues that Bergoglio's papacy is facing include sexual abuse among clergy and the teachings on contraception and homosexuality.

The article reports that Pope Benedict XVI, decided to resign from the position of papacy due to health reasons in the U.S. According to Kenneth Pennington, professor, the pope who take his place will take the precedent. It offers information on the resignation of Pope Gregory XII in 1415 to solve the schism in the church.

The author discusses the reasons for vigilance against the perceived arrogance, lack of pastoral sensitivity and personal accountability of U.S. Catholic bishops. He claims that the hierarchy continues to protect the institution from issues such as child sexual abuse and the ordination of women. He maintains that Catholics must be vigilant for the preservation of the Eucharist. The author also asks for support for the reform of the papacy, a campaign started by retired Archbishop John R. Quinn.

The article focuses on diplomatic relationship issue between the Vatican and the U.S. It mentions that the said relationship was started during the term of former-President Ronald Reagan through exchange of ambassadors with the Holy See. However, it notes the move of the Americans United for Separation of Church and State against the said relationship through lawsuit. Moreover, the statehood of the Vatican is also mentioned.

The article presents the text of a speech by Mary Ann Glendon, a former U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See and recipient of the Proudly Pro-Life Award from the National Right to Life Educational Trust Fund, delivered at the Pro-Life Awards Dinner conducted by the National Right to Life Committee in the U.S. in October 2009, in which she discussed her involvement in pro-life activities, the emergence of partial-birth abortion, and the impact of abortion policies on the country's moral ecology.

The article reports that the Vatican has refused U.S. President Barack Obama's three candidates for U.S. ambassador to the Papacy. An article of "The Washington Times," states that any country is free to nominate ambassadors however, the pope may reject proposed envoy, if he sees that the candidate cannot improve relations with the Catholic city-state. Furthermore, the Americans United stresses that U.S. government-Vatican relations clearly violates church and state division.

Reports on the confirmation of Francis Rooney as U.S. ambassador to the Holy See by the U.S. Senate, as of October 2005. Career background; Affiliations.

Focuses on the expectations of Hispanic American Catholics on the papacy of Pope Benedict XVI. Views of Hispanic Catholics on the election of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger as the successor of the late Pope John Paul II; Latin American cardinals who were nominated in the conclave; Opinion of Puerto Rican Maggie Neville on the role of Pope Benedict in the Latino community.

Reports the statement of a Vatican official regarding the request of Cardinal Angelo Sodano from U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to intervene in a lawsuit against the Vatican. Information on a lawsuit filed by Attorney William McMurray against the Holy See; Discussion held between the cardinal and Rice about the issue; Responsibility of the Holy See over a priest under church law.

Reports that the United States Congress has introduced nonbinding resolutions that praise, support and endorse the work of the Roman Catholic Church in the United Nations (UN). Overview on the attack to the Church of pro-abortion groups in the UN; Views of the House and the Senate on the role of the Holy See to international peace and human rights.