The First Thursday lecture series continues virtually on Thursday. Callie Zake, financial aid director at Lourdes University, presents Student Loans – Their Challenge and Vulnerability.
First Thursday, a monthly luncheon series typically held at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, is organized by the church in partnership with a coalition of peace and justice advocates.
Ms. Zake presents via Zoom at 12:30 p.m. Thursday; go to bit.ly/2WVs5wf or email firstthursdaytoledo@gmail.com for a video-conferencing link. There is no cost to participate, but anyone wishing to donate to defray the cost of the series may send a check to St. Paul's Lutheran Church, 428 N. Erie St., Toledo, OH 43604; write “First Thursday” in the memo line.
First Thursday continues next month with Reem Subei, of Advocates for Basic Legal Equality, accompanied by Toni Shoola, speaking on prison reform.
■ Humanists respond
The Secular Humanists of Western Lake Erie, or SHoWLE, are “extremely disappointed” after Attorney General Dave Yost this week became involved in a federal lawsuit brought by three area religious schools, the group said in a statement on Tuesday.
Mr. Yost filed an amicus brief with the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday, supporting the school's bid to return to in-person instruction despite health orders. The plaintiffs are arguing that the Toledo-Lucas County Board of Health violated their rights in an order prohibiting in-person instruction for most students through Jan. 11.
“It appears that Attorney General Yost has decided, after claiming he would defend state public health orders, and against the facts of the case, that preferential treatment for religious schools is in the state’s best interests,” SHoWLE writes in the statement. “We strongly disagree with his decision to insert the state in this case with his brief to the court.”
— Nicki Gorny
■ Archbishop resigns
ROME — Pope Francis this week accepted the resignation of Dublin Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, who worked to rebuild the Roman Catholic Church’s credibility in Ireland after it was shattered by decades of clergy sexual abuse and cover-up.
Archbishop Martin turned 75 earlier this year, the mandatory retirement age for bishops. Pope Francis named Bishop Dermot Farrell, 66, the head of the Ossory diocese in eastern Ireland, as Archbisohp Martin’s replacement.
Deeply Catholic Ireland has had one of the world’s worst records of clergy sex abuse, crimes that were revealed to its 4.8 million people over the past decade by a series of government-mandated inquiries. The reviews concluded that thousands of children were raped and molested by priests or physically abused in church-run schools while bishops worked to protect the predators and the Irish church’s reputation.
The Rev. Martin, who was named archbishop of Dublin in 2004, worked to change that culture and rebuild the church, forcefully speaking out on behalf of victims.
“In this he led by example, confronting the past, engaging in regular outreach to survivors and their families, and modelling best practice in transparency and accountability – thereby setting the template for other Church leaders both here, and across the world,” Archbishop Eamon Martin, president of the Irish bishops’ conference, said.
— ASSOCIATED PRESS
First Published January 2, 2021, 7:00 p.m.
