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News Briefs
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NEWS BRIEFS Dec-12-2005
By Catholic News Service
U.S.
Arizona bishops urge perspective, prayer on immigration issues
PHOENIX (CNS) -- Noting that their communities are increasingly divided as a result of immigration-related issues, the bishops of Arizona issued a pastoral letter calling for immigration reform and asking Catholics to respond to the mounting crisis with compassion, education, hospitality and prayer. "We ... are deeply saddened by the death and suffering we see on our border," said the letter, issued Dec. 12. "We are aware that our communities have become increasingly divided as a result of the immigration in our state. We have seen mounting expressions of hostility and opposition to undocumented immigrants. We are concerned about the image that some may have of Arizona as a state which is hostile to immigrants. We do not believe this to be true." The 4,000-word document, "You Welcomed Me," is an assessment of current public discourse, federal immigration policy, and immigration's cultural and economic impact on the state. In addition, it offers a history of the church's position on the right to migrate, explaining how it affects Arizona's Catholics today.
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Bioethics debate must tie human dignity to other values, says expert
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The concept of human dignity needs to be tied to other moral values such as justice if it is to influence social behavior and public policy, said Paul Weithman, philosophy department chairman at the University of Notre Dame. A person's rights and his dignity are not always the same or weighed equally, he said Dec. 9 at a meeting in Washington of the President's Council on Bioethics. He was invited to speak on "human dignity as a bioethical concept." The council advises President George W. Bush on bioethical issues. Dr. Edmund Pellegrino, a physician and longtime leader in developing bioethical standards based on Catholic values, is chairman of the council. "Human dignity resonates with many of the moral traditions that shape us," Weithman said, but noted that people differ in how they apply the concept. Both sides in the physician-assisted suicide debate cite human dignity as a reason for their position, said Weithman, who has written articles opposing the legalization of assisted suicide.
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Students grapple with faith questions raised after catastrophes hit
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- In the aftermath of natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina, the questions that remain long after the cleanup are often related to faith. Franciscan Sister Meg Guider, an associate professor of missiology at the Weston Jesuit School of Theology in Cambridge, Mass., anticipates these types of questions and trains those in pastoral ministry to be ready to answer them. This year she taught a new course she designed to specifically address the impact of disasters. The course, "Evil and Deliverance: Christian Responses to Social Catastrophe," got started in late September, just as Hurricane Rita was bearing down on the Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast, followed closely by an earthquake in Pakistan, northern India and Afghanistan, and Hurricane Stan's damage to Central America. Within the semester, she hoped to help her students, all training for work in pastoral ministry, to hone in on spiritual responses to terrorism, natural disasters and evil. She never imagined the class would have so much day-to-day material on the natural disaster side from which it could draw.
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Delaware sixth-graders learn techniques for resolving disputes
WILMINGTON, Del. (CNS) -- The eight students lined up, four on one side, four on the other. One group stepped forward and pushed the others. Would a fight begin? That was the question confronting sixth-graders at Nativity Preparatory School in Wilmington one afternoon this fall. As part of Pacem in Vita (Peace in Life), a 10-week class in conflict resolution, the students were learning different responses to situations in which they might find themselves. Conflicts do not necessarily involve fighting and violence, instructor Jack Sol-Church said. As one student offered by way of personal experience, a conflict could be a dispute over which sibling gets the TV's remote control. Sol-Church teaches tai chi, a martial art that uses breathing and movement to reduce stress and increase concentration. Taking a breath, he told the boys, "increases the gap" between action and response, "which allows us more opportunity to choose a better response." Nativity is a Catholic middle school that offers a free education to boys from economically disadvantaged backgrounds in grades five through eight.
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Knights of Columbus campaign to 'keep Christ in Christmas'
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (CNS) -- Local councils of the Knights of Columbus kicked off the Christmas season in early December by participating in "Light Up for Christ" programs, organized by the fraternal organization to increase awareness of the true meaning of Christmas. Councils were encouraged to hold a Christmas tree or Nativity scene lighting ceremony on the first Tuesday of December to commemorate Christ's birth. In addition, the Knights of Columbus provides public service announcements to radio and television stations nationwide urging people to keep Christ in Christmas. This year, radio spots encouraging people to help the less fortunate in keeping with the spirit of Christmas were produced in English and for the first time in Spanish. A television public service announcement -- which first ran last year -- is being sent to TV networks and hundreds of local broadcast stations and cable television systems.
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WORLD
Pope laments 'great loss of life' after Nigerian airliner crash
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI lamented "the great loss of life" after a Nigerian airliner crashed, killing almost all passengers on board, many of them schoolchildren heading home for the Christmas holidays. In a telegram, the pope expressed his "heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims" and wished "strength and peace upon all those who mourn and upon all engaged" in rescue and relief operations. The Vatican released a copy of the telegram Dec. 12. At least 107 of the 110 passengers and crew members died after a passenger jet crashed and burst into flames Dec. 10 as it was trying to land at the southern oil town of Port Harcourt during an electrical storm. Seventy-one of the 110 people on board were students at Loyola Jesuit College boarding school near the Nigerian capital of Abuja; the students were between ages of 11 and 18.
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Pope says Christmas season being spoiled by 'commercial pollution'
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI said the contemporary Christmas season is being spoiled by "commercial pollution" that obscures the true meaning of Christ's humble birth. People need to remember that Christ was born in a manger, in a sign of poverty, the pope said Dec. 11 as he greeted pilgrims from his apartment window. Later, keeping up a tradition of Pope John Paul II, he blessed Nativity creche figurines of baby Jesus held up by thousands of Italian children in St. Peter's Square. The custom of putting up Nativity scenes in the home is a simple and effective way of bringing back the real meaning of Christmas, the pope said. "In modern society, this time of year unfortunately suffers a type of commercial 'pollution' that risks altering its authentic spirit, which is characterized by reflection, solemnity and a joy that is not external but personal," he said.
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Religious freedom means an obligation to seek truth, speakers say
ROME (CNS) -- The religious freedom espoused by the Second Vatican Council reflects a feeling that everyone has an obligation to seek the truth, said speakers at a Rome conference. Kevin Hasson, founder of the U.S.-based Becket Fund for Religious Liberty and organizer of the Dec. 10 conference at Rome's Gregorian University, said that 40 years ago it was controversial for a Catholic to say a right to religious liberty existed. "Now the controversy is not over whether it exists but over 'why' it exists," he said. "Many people say it is because you cannot know the truth or because nobody has the truth. Relativism is the reigning reason for religious liberty today." The Second Vatican Council's document on religious freedom, "Dignitatis Humanae," says truth exists and people have an obligation to seek it, he said.
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Two Brazilians convicted, sentenced for killing of U.S. nun
SAO PAULO, Brazil (CNS) -- Two men accused of the February killing of a U.S. nun were convicted and sentenced by a Brazilian court. Rayfran das Neves Sales and Clodoaldo Carlos Batista received prison terms of 27 years and 17 years, respectively, Dec. 10 for killing Sister Dorothy Stang, a member of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur and an outspoken advocate for Brazilian peasants. The convicted killers, however, did not receive the maximum sentence allowed by law. The public defender's office said it would appeal the decision. Sister Dorothy's brother, David Stang, and her sister, Marguerithe Stang Holm, were in Belem, Brazil, for the trial. These were the first convictions for Sister Dorothy's assassination. Three other suspects, accused of being the ones who gave the orders to kill the nun, remain in jail awaiting trial.
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Russian Orthodox leader criticizes U.S. report on religious freedom
MOSCOW (CNS) -- A Russian Orthodox leader has criticized a U.S. government report that discussed religious freedom in his country, rejecting claims that his church sought official status and was hostile to Catholics. "The Russian Orthodox Church is completely separate from the state apparatus, and our clergy does not participate in the work of the state organs or political parties and movements," said Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, head of external and ecumenical relations for the Russian Orthodox Church. "The report devotes much attention to relations between the Russian Orthodox Church and Roman Catholic Church. I am convinced the difficulties which, alas, sometimes arise in our relations are a clear testimony to the genuine freedom enjoyed by religious associations in Russia -- each is free to act as they see fit," he said. Metropolitan Kirill was reacting to the U.S. State Department's 2005 annual report on international religious freedom, which said the Orthodox Church gained state privileges at the cost of minority faiths.
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Bishops' conference president sees 'new frontier' for U.S. church
LEUVEN, Belgium (CNS) -- The Catholic Church in the United States is facing a new frontier that will demand collaboration, prayer and sacrifice, Bishop William S. Skylstad of Spokane, Wash., said Dec. 5 in a lecture at the American College, the U.S. national seminary at the Catholic University of Louvain. Bishop Skylstad, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, cited the story of the rich young man in the Gospel who obeys the commandments but balks when Jesus tells him he must do one more thing -- give what he has to the poor and become Jesus' disciple. "There are very few moments when the church is not facing a new frontier," asked to respond anew when Christ wants "one more thing," he said. In terms of material resources, he noted the generosity of U.S. Catholics responding for decades to the needs of the church in Latin America, then more recently to the revived church in Central and Eastern Europe and then to the growing needs in Africa as well. "At home we heard the Lord say, 'One more thing is needed,' in the wake of Hurricane Katrina," he said. "Within the church itself, the crisis of sexual abuse has been an experience painful beyond description for all of us. ... No description of a new frontier for the church can ignore the continuing effect of this crisis," he said.
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Members of Los Angeles choir moved by performing in Bach's town
LEIPZIG, Germany (CNS) -- They were only 20 minutes into their first rehearsal at St. Thomas Church in Leipzig -- where Johann Sebastian Bach is buried and composed his finest sacred choral works -- when the members of Our Lady of the Angels Cathedral Choir began to fully comprehend the significance of the moment. "Many of us had a 'Look where were are!' moment of realization," said choir member Peggy Cribbs. "We were moved to be singing Bach's music in Bach's church." In November, the Cathedral Choir was one of four select choirs invited to participate in the inaugural "Soli Deo Gloria" Bach Choral Festival, along with ensembles from England, Japan and Korea. This was the first tour for the ethnically and age diverse Cathedral Choir, which sings Sundays at 10 a.m. Under music director Frank Brownstead, they prepared months to master Bach's complex music in German.
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PEOPLE
Eugene McCarthy, former senator and presidential candidate, dies
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Eugene J. McCarthy, the scholarly U.S. senator from Minnesota whose 1968 run for the presidency fueled the anti-Vietnam War movement across the nation, died Dec. 10 at the Georgetown Retirement Residence in Washington. McCarthy, 89, had Parkinson's disease. He was to be buried Dec. 14 in a private service in Woodville, Va., where he spent most of his retirement years. St. John's Abbey and University in Collegeville, Minn., where McCarthy studied, taught and briefly entered monastic life, plans to celebrate a memorial service with his family at a time to be announced. McCarthy, a Catholic, taught at St. John's and later at the College (now University) of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn., where he was head of the sociology department when he entered politics. He wrote poetry, books on politics and political philosophy and numerous articles in a wide range of publications, including the Catholic periodicals Commonweal and National Catholic Reporter. Often described as more of a philosopher than a politician, in his speeches and writings he often reflected a deep familiarity with Catholic social teachings and the ethical demands of politics.
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In message to Nobel winner, pope says nuclear threat continues
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- In a message congratulating the winner of this year's Nobel Peace Prize, Pope Benedict XVI warned that the world continues to be threatened by the spread of nuclear weapons. The pope's comments came in a telegram Dec. 10 to Mohamed ElBaradei, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency and the chief U.N. nuclear inspector, who accepted the peace prize the same day at a ceremony in Oslo, Norway. "Even today, 60 years after the devastating attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, it is clear that the peace of the world continues to be at risk from the spread of nuclear weapons," the pope said. He praised ElBaradei's service to the world in promoting nuclear nonproliferation and promoting nuclear disarmament. "I pray that God will continue to guide the efforts of all who work for peace, and especially those who seek to prevent any further use of weapons of mass destruction," the pope said.
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Nuncio to Indonesia named to No. 2 spot at worship congregation
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- A Sri Lankan archbishop who studied theology and sacred Scripture and has diplomatic experience in Asia was named to the No. 2 post of the Vatican's worship and sacraments congregation. Archbishop Albert Malcolm Ranjith Patabendige Don, apostolic nuncio to Indonesia, was named by Pope Benedict XVI to be secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments. The papal appointment was announced Dec. 10 by the Vatican and fills a post made vacant after the previous secretary, Italian Archbishop Domenico Sorrentino, was appointed archbishop of Assisi. Archbishop Ranjith told Catholic News Service that his appointment was "an invitation of the Lord" and a reflection of the pope's trust in his abilities. "I'm happy about the Holy Father's trust (in me); it gives me a lot of confidence," he said by phone Dec. 12 from the apostolic nunciature in Jakarta, Indonesia.
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Camden, N.J., priest named rector of U.S. seminary in Rome
ROME (CNS) -- Msgr. James F. Checchio, a priest of the Diocese of Camden, N.J., has been named rector of the North American College, the U.S. seminary in Rome. Msgr. Checchio, 39, has been vice rector for administration at the seminary since 2003. He will succeed Msgr. Kevin C. McCoy, who will move to Washington to direct the college's $25 million capital campaign after more than four years as rector. The appointments, announced Dec. 12, were made by the college's board of governors, and Msgr. Checchio's nomination as rector was approved by the Vatican Congregation for Catholic Education. The rector oversees the formation of 170 seminarians. Also under his care are the 71 U.S. priests living at the college's Casa Santa Maria while pursuing graduate degrees in Rome and the 60 priests enrolled in the college's institute for continuing formation. Msgr. Checchio is an alumnus of the North American College.
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Miracle ties Syracuse woman forever to Blessed Marianne Cope
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (CNS) -- The life of Katherine "Kate" Mahoney, 27, will forever be entwined with that of Blessed Marianne Cope, who died in 1918 after spending 35 years ministering to leprosy patients on the Hawaiian island of Molokai. The young Syracuse woman's recovery from multiple organ failure and cardiac arrest 12 years ago was judged miraculous by the Catholic Church and attributed to the intercession of Mother Marianne, who was beatified last May. But Mahoney wants to be sure people understand that she herself is no miracle. She was the vehicle for Mother Marianne's miracle. It is Mother Marianne's story that she wants to share. Mahoney, members of her family, her health care providers and members of Mother Marianne's religious order, the Sisters of St. Francis, recently told the story of the miracle in interviews with the Catholic Sun, Syracuse diocesan newspaper.
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