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KERICHO, Kenya – A hearing for nine suspects in the murder of an Irish missionary priest was postponed when the magistrate said he was being transferred to another court.

Catholic leaders oftentimes decry the negative portrayal of the church by the media. “Vatican norms on abuse to be reviewed” (CR, July 15) may provide some insight, albeit unintended, as to the source of the media’s cynicism. The article describes the church’s updating of its 2001 decision that made the sexual abuse of a minor by a priest a more grave crime (i.e., “delicta graviora”) against church law.

FAISALABAD, Pakistan – Two Christians have been killed, a church ransacked and shops burned as Muslim-Christian tensions erupted into five hours of violence in Faisalabad July 19.

The samples of the changes proposed for the Roman Missal (CR, July 8 and 15) are disturbing. Just look at proposed changes for the Collect Prayer, Ninth Sunday, Ordinary time. The 1970 text reads “Father, your love never fails.” The proposed text reads “Oh, God, whose providence never fails … ”

Parade magazine (June 27) included an article about closing churches in Cleveland. It prompted me to inquire whether indulgences or points will be awarded to those Catholics who follow Christ’s teaching to “Love thy neighbor as thyself” and remain in their neighborhood parish churches? Obviously, the exodus is due in large measure by the influx of a neighbor, followed by more new neighbors.

George Weigel (CR, July 1) wants us to believe that he has all the answers and is qualified to make statements that mistakes of Vatican II have contributed to a “crisis of fidelity that was at the root of clerical sexual abuse and episcopal misgovernance.” I think that Vatican II was awesome in what it has accomplished. It has made us better Catholics, as well as kept many Catholics in the church. What Weigel proposes will reduce our ranks even more so. His separation into “real” Catholics is also very divisive.

The recent columns by Kenneth L. Woodward (CR, May 27 and June 10) complaining about the coverage of the sex abuse scandals by the New York Times is illustrative of the continuing attitude to blame others for this scandal. Who cares about the New York Times? I don’t read it. Who cares what Kenneth Woodward thinks? When will we get beyond blaming others for this self-inflicted wound?