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News Briefs
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NEWS BRIEFS Feb-15-2006
By Catholic News Service
U.S.
'Be faithful to the vision' of helping poor, social conferees told
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- An evangelical Presbyterian minister told hundreds of Catholics in Washington Feb. 13 to "be faithful to the vision" of helping the nation's poor. There is not that much difference between the U.S. bishops' 2003 "Faithful Citizenship" statement and his own organization's "For the Health of the Nation: An Evangelical Call to Civic Responsibility," issued one year later, said the Rev. Richard Cizik, vice president for government affairs for the National Association of Evangelicals. In the section "We seek justice and compassion for the poor and vulnerable," "For the Health of the Nation" says, "God measures societies by how they treat people at the bottom," Rev. Cizik noted. "Too few politicians are concerned with the breadth and depth of evangelical theology on these issues," Rev. Cizik said. "But we're going to educate them," he added to applause from his audience at the Catholic Social Ministry Gathering, co-sponsored by five agencies of the U.S. bishops' conference and 12 national Catholic organizations.
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Wilmington Diocese begins study of future of priests' ministry
WILMINGTON, Del. (CNS) -- Faced with a declining number of priests and growing number of Catholics in the Diocese of Wilmington, a committee of priests will begin a yearlong study of the future of priestly ministry in Delaware and on Maryland's Eastern Shore. According to the diocese, the 10-member group, formed at a meeting of all diocesan priests in January, will define the role of the diocesan priest (create a job description, as one member put it); find ways that parishes located near one another might coordinate ministries; examine the distribution of priests and deacons in the diocese; seek ways to renew "priestly fraternity"; look at how to communicate more effectively; and find ways to promote priestly role models to encourage vocations. The committee expects to provide a report to diocesan priests at a special meeting in October and present its final recommendations to Wilmington Bishop Michael A. Saltarelli. Once approved, those recommendations are expected to be announced at the next annual clergy meeting in January 2007, marking the end of the committee's work.
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Speakers call human trafficking a global problem
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Trafficking in humans -- for slave labor or the sex industry -- is a global problem, speakers told a national conference of Catholic social ministry leaders Feb. 14. Mary DeLorey, a Catholic Relief Services policy and advocacy official, said that by conservative estimates victims of human trafficking number somewhere between 700,000 and 2 million people around the world and they are "primarily women and children." "It's a justice issue, it's a human rights issue. It's a mission that belongs to all of us," said Sister Mary Ellen Dougherty of the U.S. bishops' Migration and Refugee Services. A member of the School Sisters of Notre Dame, Sister Mary Ellen is manager for outreach, education and technical assistance in MRS' human trafficking program. Leading a workshop on the causes and impacts of human trafficking, the two women told the group that there is a need to raise people's awareness about the extent of human trafficking, its largely hidden nature and ways to combat it.
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'Winner-take-all' mentality fueling Haitian turmoil, say speakers
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Much of the post-election turmoil in Haiti stems from a "winner-take-all" mentality in which opposition political leaders do not understand the concept of working together, several speakers told Catholic social ministry officials. The Haitian bishops could help the situation by telling rivals "to avoid all-or-nothing politics," said Oblate Father Seamus Finn, director of the Oblate Justice, Peace and the Integrity of Creation Office. But bishops' statements so far have been general and not addressed this issue, he said. Jenny Russell, Catholic Relief Services consultor on Haiti, said that Haiti has a long history of dictatorships. "The concept of a presidential leader who shares power is not there," said Russell. "What we are seeing in the streets is a country without a democratic history," she said. The "paradox of the election" is that it shows the "winner-take-all" mentality and also a vibrant people who want to participate in political decision-making, said Russell.
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Win-win outcome for farmers, consumers sought for 2007 farm bill
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The next farm bill isn't due to be passed for another year, but some people are already strategizing various win-win scenarios for farmers, consumers, rural towns and the environment. Those elements would include utilizing farms as sources for renewable energy, limiting commodity payments and focusing on rural economic development beyond crop subsidies. The projected federal deficit, though, could alter federal farm policy, conferees were told Feb. 14 at the Catholic Social Ministry Gathering in Washington, co-sponsored by five agencies of the U.S. bishops and 12 national Catholic organizations. The 2002 farm bill, which added $73.5 billion in new federal funds over 10 years for rural communities, was written in a time of budget surpluses, said Mark Halverson, minority staff director and chief counsel for the Senate Agriculture Committee. William O'Connor, staff director for the Republicans on the House Agriculture Committee, was invited but unable to attend.
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Exhibit from Vatican makes last North American stop in Milwaukee
MILWAUKEE (CNS) -- With the exhibit "St. Peter and the Vatican: The Legacy of the Popes" at the Milwaukee Public Museum, Midwesterners have a rare opportunity to get a peek at objects that trace the Catholic faith over the past 2,000 years. "It is an extraordinary exhibition that will mesmerize visitors of all backgrounds," said Dan Finley, museum president. "The museum is delighted to provide the Milwaukee community and visitors to the region with this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see timeless works of art in such a meaningful context." The museum expects that the exhibit, which opened Feb. 4 and runs through May 7, will draw viewers from not only the Milwaukee area, but also surrounding states, as this is the tour's last North American stop and only Midwest venue. Msgr. Roberto Zagnoli, curator of the Vatican Museums, was at the Milwaukee Public Museum shortly before the opening for the uncrating of four of the objects to be showcased in the exhibit, including the Mandylion of Edessa, considered to be the oldest known representation of Christ. "The true meaning of this exhibit is the dialogue it will open up with people in all the world," Msgr. Zagnoli said.
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WORLD
Pope Benedict concludes series of audience talks begun by predecessor
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Concluding a series of audience talks begun by Pope John Paul II in 2001, Pope Benedict XVI said the psalms and canticles used for morning and evening prayer are a "flowering garden" of praise and contemplation. At his weekly general audience Feb. 15, the pope announced that with a brief meditation on Mary's Magnificat he was concluding the series begun "years ago by my beloved predecessor, the unforgettable Pope John Paul II." Because of the large number of visitors present, the pope actually held two audiences: one in St. Peter's Basilica and the other in the Vatican audience hall. Arriving in the basilica more than 20 minutes late, the pope still spent about 10 minutes shaking hands and blessing guests sitting next to the barricades around the main altar. The crowd included some 6,000 Italian grade school and high school students.
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In message, pope asks Cuban Catholics to remember God is with them
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI asked Catholics in Cuba to remember that even in the midst of difficulty, God is always with them and wants them to share his love with all their compatriots. "Yes, he walks with everyone who lives in the country -- believers and nonbelievers, those close and those far off, those who sow and those who scatter -- because all are called to the banquet of life that the Father gives us," the pope said. In a message to a Feb. 15 conference in Havana to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the first national meeting of Catholics in Cuba allowed after President Fidel Castro took power, the pope said a review of the past two decades must focus on identifying the presence and action of God. Time and history are marked by the presence of God, he said, and even in the midst of difficulty Christians are called to focus on the ways in which God has encouraged and strengthened them.
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Pope names Vatican's Muslim expert as nuncio to Egypt, Arab League
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI named the head of the Vatican's interreligious dialogue council, Archbishop Michael Fitzgerald, as the new ambassador to Egypt and the Arab League. The appointment, announced Feb. 15, placed the Vatican's most experienced Muslim expert in Cairo, where many of the Vatican's Islamic dialogue partners are located. At the same time, it raised questions about the future of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. No successor was named to head the council, and Vatican sources said the pope was considering combining its functions with another department in a restructuring move. Archbishop Fitzgerald told Catholic News Service that he knows Cairo well and expects to continue talks with Muslim leaders there "as much as a nuncio does." He said, "I would hope that as a nuncio I can encourage this."
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Church-backed report documents miseries of internally displaced
BOGOTA, Colombia (CNS) -- Every day, more than 800 Colombians leave behind their houses, jobs, belongings, friends, family and culture. They flee their homes seeking protection from death threats, massacres, mass arrests, economic blockades and other violence generated by the country's 40-year-old civil conflict. Half of them own at least a small plot of land. The majority have not finished grade school. Many of them are mothers raising their children alone. Half of them are younger than 15 years of age. Colombia's internally displaced people numbered 2.9 million between 1995 and 2005, according to a 10-year analysis prepared by the Colombian bishops' conference, Caritas Colombia and the local Consultancy for Human Rights and Displacement, known by its Spanish acronym, CODHES. Government figures put the 10-year displacement figures at 1.8 million. The analysis, "Challenges for Building a Nation, the Country in the Face of Displacement, Armed Conflict and Humanitarian Crisis, 1995-2005," documented the emergency situation facing Colombia's displaced population.
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PEOPLE
Prominent Israeli priest named new Melkite archbishop in Israel
JERUSALEM (CNS) -- For the first time, the Vatican and the Melkite Catholic Synod of Bishops have agreed on an Israeli citizen to be archbishop of Akko, Israel. Father Elias Chacour, parish priest of the northern Galilee village of Ibillin and founder and director of Mar Elias College there, said his appointment was submitted by the Vatican and endorsed by the Melkite Synod of Bishops in Lebanon Feb. 8. Normally, the bishops submit a list of names, and the pope appoints Eastern Catholic bishops. As of Feb. 15, the Vatican had not announced the appointment, but it was announced in Israel after the synod met. The archbishop-elect has been active in reconciliation and interfaith dialogue in Israel, both personally and through Mar Elias College, and was awarded the 2001 Niwano Peace Prize. He has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize three times.
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Strong faith in God, duct-taped Bible help Olympic speedskater
TURIN, Italy (CNS) -- An unswerving faith in God and a duct-taped Bible have pulled 2002 Olympic gold medalist speedskater Derek Parra through life's ups and downs. "When I have trouble, I flip through the Bible and pick a page at random," said Derek Parra, a 35-year-old native of San Bernardino, Calif. "I read a passage, try to understand it and see how it relates to what's happening in my life," he told Catholic News Service. Parra hit the Olympic ice in Turin after a year marked by injuries and personal difficulties. He was part of the three-man U.S. team eliminated in the quarterfinals of the men's team pursuit Feb. 15 and hoped to return to his record-setting stride in the 1,500-meter race Feb. 21.
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Priests swap lives for weekend to stress parishes' post-Katrina ties
BLOOMINGDALE, Ill. (CNS) -- As government officials continue to debate the response time for relief efforts after Hurricane Katrina and discuss reconstruction projects across the Gulf Coast, members of St. Isidore Parish in Bloomingdale are taking action. Father Tony Taschetta, pastor of St. Isidore, vowed while celebrating Mass Feb. 5 that his congregation would work with members of St. Peter the Apostle Parish in Pascagoula, Miss., to help them rebuild a place of worship that the Aug. 29 hurricane destroyed, along with many homes in the coastal town. The suburban pastor wasn't preaching in his Illinois church, however. He was celebrating Mass at Sacred Heart Parish in Pascagoula, about five miles away from the ruins of St. Peter the Apostle Church. "We want to share our lives" with the people of the Mississippi parish, he said in a Feb. 6 telephone interview with the Catholic Explorer, newspaper of the Diocese of Joliet. "We want to stand in solidarity with them. This is not about building buildings."
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Milwaukee auxiliary, Dutch Protestant discuss Christianity's future
PORTO ALEGRE, Brazil (CNS) -- The younger generation met the older generation at the World Council of Churches' gathering in Porto Alegre as a U.S. Catholic bishop sat on a stage in dialogue with a young female Protestant pastor from the Netherlands. The dialogue between Auxiliary Bishop Richard J. Sklba of Milwaukee and the Rev. Jantine Heuvelink, a chaplain at the University of the Hague, was featured in a "bate-papo," the Brazilian expression for chat. The chat sessions occurred in the mornings during the Ninth General Assembly of the World Council of Churches Feb. 14-23. During the "bate-papo" gatherings, young people challenged their elders to explain what they have done, or what they have not done, to create a better world. The topic for the Feb. 15 session was "Is There a Future for Christianity in the 21st Century?"
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Sports agent helps athletes prepare for life after Olympics
TURIN, Italy (CNS) -- Speedskaters spend many hours sharpening their blades to maximize their cutting power for when they make tight turns on slick ice. One Olympic luge hopeful, Patrick Quinn, is helping these athletes sharpen their marketable career skills so they are ready to make a living after the games. Patrick Quinn, who missed making his third Winter Olympics last December by a fraction of a second, is in Turin mentoring Olympic athletes and spinning their victories to the media and big-name sponsors. The 39-year-old Catholic from Chicago is an agent for about a dozen U.S. athletes competing at the games. "I'm like one-stop shopping" for interested sponsors, he told Catholic News Service. He said while athletes focus all their time and energy preparing and thinking about their next races "I'm thinking about what will set you up for the rest of your life," after the limelight and glory are gone. Quinn is the founder and head of Q Sports Marketing, an advertising and marketing company that promotes Olympians. He is a parishioner at Christ the King Catholic Church in Lombard, Ill.
END
Copyright (c) 2006 Catholic News Service/USCCB. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed.
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