The News You May Have Missed: September 2025

Knock Down, Drag Out

Bishop James Conley of Lincoln slammed a “drag Mass” performed by a University of Nebraska student, calling it an “offensive” display marked by “lies, evil, and ugliness” (Catholic News Agency, June 25). The LGBT-centric performance was hosted by a Lutheran church; its creator, Joseph Willette, a doctoral candidate in music, said it was meant to “bridge the gap between queerness and spirituality.” He described it as an “appropriation of the traditional Mass,” with imitations of the Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei. Conley called it a “blatant public display of faith-based discrimination” that “would not be tolerated if directed at other religions, so why is it tolerated if the target is the Catholic faith?” Willette said he felt “no need to defend myself or my work” and would not be “bullied” into “submission.” Conley called on the university “to do more than ignore such a vile display of hatred” and to “have the courage to stand up and declare your institution will not tolerate or reward such inappropriate behavior and take action against the faculty who encouraged it.”

Rainbow Refuser

A priest came under attack for rejecting the Church of Sweden’s new LGBT-friendly vestments designed to be a symbol of welcome. The rainbow-colored chasuble and stole “will not enter Markaryd’s church as long as I am vicar,” said Rev. Håkan Persson. Amid accusations of discrimination, the priest explained that vestments “follow the church year. We actually have rules for that.” Anything other than white, red, green, or purple, depending on the liturgical season, is inconsistent with the Church’s official guidelines, he said. The Church of Sweden has long been regarded as one of the most progressive churches in Europe; it began performing same-sex weddings in 2009. One of its biggest controversies arose when its first openly lesbian bishop, Eva Brunne, proposed removing crosses from the Seamen’s Church in Stockholm to make it more welcoming to visitors of all faiths, while marking the direction toward Mecca, the Islamic holy city (The European Conservative, July 21).

Collaring the Mules

Two Bulgarian men received short jail sentences and $3,500 fines for helping launder $67 million from a Catholic charitable organization in Luxembourg (The Pillar, July 18). Caritas Luxembourg lost the funds between February and July 2024. The two men opened bank accounts in Spain and made them available to the scheme’s leaders. The men’s attorney said they were vaguely aware their actions were illegal but did not know the full extent of the swindle. He argued they were simply “money mules,” along with seven other men also facing prosecution. Investigators are seeking the architects of the fraud and do not know whether they will be able to recover the stolen funds. Caritas Luxembourg’s former chief financial officer also faces charges, as she signed off on the illegal transfers. She claims she fell victim to “fake president fraud,” wherein someone impersonates a senior figure in a corporation and demands an urgent payment to an account he controls.