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News Briefs
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NEWS BRIEFS May-22-2006
By Catholic News Service
U.S.
Bishops urge Congress to assist more hurricane victims, Haitians
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The chairmen of two key bishops' committees urged special attention to the poor in Haiti and to U.S. hurricane victims in need of housing as a House-Senate conference committee began work on a supplemental appropriations bill. In a May 19 letter to the conference committee, Bishops Nicholas DiMarzio and Thomas G. Wenski urged support for those "two essential areas of funding" in the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense, the Global War on Terror and Hurricane Recovery 2006. Bishop DiMarzio, of Brooklyn, N.Y., heads the U.S. bishops' Committee on Domestic Policy, and Bishop Wenski, of Orlando, Fla., chairs the Committee on International Policy. The bishops said the reconciled appropriations bill should include at least $100 million for rental housing assistance for low-income households in the Gulf Coast region and $40 million "for the urgent needs of Haiti," the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.
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Vermont bishop places each parish in diocese under a charitable trust
BURLINGTON, Vt. (CNS) -- To protect Vermont's 128 parishes and missions from "unjust attack," Burlington Bishop Salvatore R. Matano has placed each under a charitable trust. That means the titles to all parishes, once in the name of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington Inc., are now in the name of the parishes with the bishop as trustee. "We are doing this to preserve parish assets as parish assets," said Father John McDermott, chancellor. "The bishop and the diocese have a guardian role for the assets and must assure that they are used for the intentions which were the very source of their establishment." In a letter to all parishioners in the diocese, Bishop Matano said the action was taken "to protect these parish facilities from unjust attack and to ensure that the parishes have the freedom to continue their ministries and that the monies raised to support these entities are not diverted to or transferred for other purposes inconsistent with the charitable mission of the parish and the diocese."
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Knights aim to expand project that helps immigrants become citizens
MIAMI (CNS) -- After a one-year trial period, Jeff Chenoweth has this to say about Knights in Action for Newcomers: "We've seen Knights become citizens and we've seen citizens become Knights." Chenoweth, director of national operations and support for the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, known as CLINIC, was referring to a one-year pilot project undertaken by the Knights of Columbus and CLINIC member agencies in Los Angeles, Dallas and Rockville Centre, N.Y. The project put the vast volunteer network of the Knights of Columbus at the service of immigrants who needed help in filling out the paperwork for becoming citizens. After one year, and in just three cities, the project has resulted in 1,500 new citizenship applications. "It's a crossroads of civic engagement between the foreign-born and the native-born," said Chenoweth during CLINIC's May 17-19 national meeting in Miami. "We're also introducing the immigrant population to the Knights."
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Church's voice being heard on immigration reform, advocate says
MIAMI (CNS) -- The church's voice is being heard in the current debate over immigration policy, according to the director of migration and refugee policy for the U.S. bishops. "They're starting to use our language," Kevin Appleby told more than 300 attorneys and paralegals gathered in Miami May 17-19 for the annual meeting of the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, or CLINIC. Appleby said President George W. Bush himself used the terms "earned path to citizenship," rather than amnesty, in a May 15 speech in which he urged Congress to pass a comprehensive immigration reform law. Appleby cited several events that he said have helped change the tone of the debate away from the punitive approach of the bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives in mid-December. One such event, Appleby said, was Los Angeles Cardinal Roger M. Mahony's pledge that church personnel would disobey any law that turned immigrants and those who ministered to them into felons. He said another event was Washington Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick's appearance at a huge immigration rally held in April in the nation's capital. He also pointed to the massive immigration marches that took place nationwide.
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Archdiocese fires nun; her lawyer disputes claim she misused funds
OMAHA, Neb. (CNS) -- In January the Omaha Archdiocese fired Notre Dame Sister Barbara Markey, internationally renowned for her pioneering work in marriage preparation, citing financial irregularities in the Family Life Office she headed. In late April the archdiocese said it had found more than $300,000 missing in 2004-05 and turned its findings over to police. In mid-May Sister Markey's lawyer said the matter at issue is a dispute between the nun and the archdiocese "about the proper ownership and priorities for use of revenues related to FOCCUS," a widely used marriage preparation program that Sister Markey, a clinical psychologist, developed. FOCCUS stands for Facilitating Open Couple Communication, Understanding and Study. The program, whose copyright is held by the archdiocese, is used in diocesan marriage preparation courses across the United States and in 13 other countries. The Catholic Voice, Omaha archdiocesan newspaper, said the program reaches about 500,000 couples a year. Father Joseph C. Taphorn, archdiocesan chancellor, told Catholic News Service May 22 that "in our mind, the revenues of FOCCUS should be used for ministry, and there is no agreement that the money can be used for anything other than marriage and family ministry."
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WORLD
Canada's declining birthrate shows pessimism, pope tells bishops
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Canada's declining birthrate is a sign of a lack of hope in the future, a pessimism that is fed by growing secularism, Pope Benedict XVI said. Meeting bishops from Canada's Atlantic region May 20, the pope said the "plummeting birthrate" in Eastern Canada is a "disturbing testimony to uncertainty and fear, even if not always conscious." The bishops from New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island were making their "ad limina" visits to the Vatican to report on the status of their dioceses. Nova Scotia Bishop Raymond J. Lahey of Antigonish, president of the regional bishops' conference, told the pope that lower birthrates and a population shift to large cities have meant most dioceses in the region are facing a serious need to reorganize or consolidate parishes. But an even bigger concern, he said, is the disappearance of local cultures and the traditional life of small towns, which included an active participation in church life.
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Church officials critical of plans to legalize abortion in Argentina
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (CNS) -- Catholic Church officials are critical of an Argentine proposal to legalize abortion under certain circumstances as part of a wide-ranging legal reform. The proposal was drawn up by a team of legal experts working on draft outlines for a revised penal code. Abortion is illegal in Argentina except in the case of the rape of a mentally disabled woman or when the mother's life is in danger, but human rights groups believe at least 500,000 illegal abortions are performed annually. The issue of legalizing abortion under specific circumstances remains highly divisive in Argentina, and government officials were quick to make it clear they were not officially endorsing these proposals. Media reports quoted church sources as saying a government official had called Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio of Buenos Aires, head of the Argentine bishops' conference, to assure him that the government was not planning any change to current abortion laws. The Justice Ministry has invited the public to submit comments on the penal code proposals on its Web site.
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Pope says media can be used to draw attention to people in need
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The Catholic Church is attentive to the media not only because they can be used to help spread the Gospel, but also because they can promote solidarity and draw people's attention to situations of serious need, said Pope Benedict XVI. Addressing pilgrims gathered at the Vatican May 21 for the midday recitation of the "Regina Coeli" prayer, the pope looked specifically at the media's ability to inform people about "the plague of hunger that still afflicts humanity." He praised participants in the May 21 Walk the World marathon sponsored by the World Food Program and, in connection with the event, spoke about the May 28 celebration of World Communications Day. The marathon, he said, is designed to raise awareness about the need for quick, concrete action "to guarantee everyone, particularly children, freedom from hunger."
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Mexican fans gather at basilica to pray for team headed to World Cup
MEXICO CITY (CNS) -- World Cup fever in Mexico spilled into the country's largest shrine as the national team prayed to Our Lady of Guadalupe for a successful run in the world's largest soccer tournament. Legions of fans -- some sporting game regalia like clown costumes and Mexican flag-capes -- packed the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City to attend a special Mass for the "Tri," as the team is affectionately called in Mexico. "As Mexicans we are joyful and supportive of our brothers who will be representing our country," Mexico City Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera said during the May 20 Mass. "They have come to the holy feet of Our Lady of Guadalupe," the cardinal said. The basilica houses Mexico's most holy relic, a cloak with an image of Mary that draws millions of pilgrims every year. Outside, children and adults ran through the streets toward the basilica to catch a glimpse of 21 members of the national squad.
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Pope says some religious order reforms threatened by modern culture
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Reforms undertaken by religious orders aimed at ensuring deeper fidelity to the Gospel, to the church and to the poor are threatened by too many adaptations to a modern, materialistic culture, Pope Benedict XVI said. The pope met May 22 with some 1,500 superiors of women's and men's religious orders representing hundreds of thousands of priests, nuns, brothers and consecrated virgins around the world. "To belong to the Lord: This is the mission of the men and women who have chosen to follow the chaste, poor and obedient Christ so that the world would believe and be saved," the pope told the superiors. Consecrated men and women, he said, are called to be a "credible and shining sign of the Gospel and its paradoxes," which encourage humility, self-giving and the renunciation of earthly goods for the sake of spiritual goods. "The Lord wants men and women who are free, not bound, able to abandon everything to follow him and who find everything only in him," the pope said.
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British aid agency urges company to mine Congo's gold ethically
LONDON (CNS) -- The international aid agency of the Bishops' Conference of England and Wales has urged a company planning to mine for gold in the Democratic Republic of Congo to ensure that projects help the local population. Since 2003, AngloGold Ashanti, an Africa-based gold mining multinational corporation, has been exploring the possibility of mining for gold around the town Mongbwalu in the northeastern Ituri region of Congo. The Catholic Agency for Overseas Development, or CAFOD, said in a mid-May report that it was vital for the people living in the region to have a say in how the gold is to be mined. "In the past, gold has been a source of conflict and suffering in Congo," said Anne Lindsay, private sector policy analyst for CAFOD, in a press statement. "For gold to be a blessing -- not a curse -- we have to make sure that the people of gold-rich developing countries can influence what happens to their own natural resources."
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Pope says Spanish church will continue to call for Christian values
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Despite some recent government policies, Spain is still a predominantly Catholic nation, and the church will continue to call for policies that respect Christian values, including the sanctity of life and of marriage, Pope Benedict XVI said. The pope met May 20 with Francisco Vazquez Vazquez, Spain's new ambassador to the Vatican, and told him that Spain's history and art are filled with witnesses to the Catholic faith of its people. Even if modern Spaniards try to ignore or silence the faith, the pope said, the works of art will continue to proclaim Spain's Catholic culture. Pope Benedict told the ambassador that the church recognizes the different roles church and state must play in modern democracies, but that does not mean the church or its members must be silent. In fact, he said, they have an obligation to promote and defend the good of the human person.
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PEOPLE
Pope sends Cardinal Sepe to Naples; Cardinal Dias goes to Vatican
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI named Italian Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe to be the new archbishop of Naples and named Indian Cardinal Ivan Dias of Mumbai to succeed him as prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples. The appointments were announced May 20 at the Vatican. Cardinal Dias, 70, is a former Vatican diplomat who has been archbishop of his hometown since 2001. Cardinal Sepe, who will turn 63 June 2, was named prefect of the congregation the same year. He was born in a rural village not far from Naples and told the Italian Catholic newspaper Avvenire May 21, "I feel like a son who, having left home many years ago, is returning with his heart filled with many experiences providence allowed me to have." Cardinal Sepe succeeds Cardinal Michele Giordano, 75, who retired for reasons of age.
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John Paul II center awards $23,000 in scholarships to essayists
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Blaise Blain of Albuquerque, N.M., took first place and a $10,000 college scholarship in a national essay contest sponsored by the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center in Washington. Blain's winning essay was titled "A Christian Response to Terrorism." This year's essay topic was "Terrorism, 9/11 and Pope John Paul II's Promotion of Peace." Kelsye Gould of Rapid City, S.D., won second place and a $5,000 scholarship for her essay, "Pope John Paul II: A Pope for Peace." Third-place winner Joseph Siddons of San Diego received a $3,000 college scholarship for his essay, "Just Another Day." Other finalists who each received $1,000 scholarships were: Adam Ernst, Hortonville, Wis.; John Gruenwald, Owensboro, Ky.; Samantha Miko, Monroe, Conn.; Nora Mulloy, Sugar Grove, Ill.; and Michael Plan II, Gardendale, Ala. The contest is sponsored annually by the center as part of its mission to continue the legacy of Pope John Paul II.
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The bishop and the DJ: Unusual partners in lobbying on immigration
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The quiet Filipino-born bishop and the normally flamboyant Spanish-speaking radio disc jockey were equally out of their element. Los Angeles Auxiliary Bishop Oscar A. Solis and radio personality Renan "El Cucuy" ("the Boogeyman") Almendarez Coello were a part of one delegation of mostly California residents paying calls on members of Congress and their staffers May 17, pushing for comprehensive immigration legislation. The bishop wore black, with a Roman collar and a pectoral cross. The DJ wore a navy suit pinstriped in orange, a shirt the color of tangerine sherbet and stylish wrap-around shades. Each was accompanied by assistants who guided them through the process. Passing congressional employees and tourists failed to recognize either one as key figures in the "unusual bedfellows" alliance that has energized millions of people to participate in rallies, prayer vigils, marches and postcard campaigns for immigration reform.
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Author, spiritual director Father Edward Farrell dies in Detroit
DETROIT (CNS) -- Cardinal Adam J. Maida celebrated a funeral Mass May 13 in the chapel of Detroit's Sacred Heart Major Seminary for Father Edward J. Farrell, a well-known author and spiritual director. Father Farrell, 75, died during an early afternoon nap May 9 at the Holy Trinity Oratory in Detroit. The author of 12 books on spirituality, Father Farrell was in demand as a retreat director, having conducted retreats in more than 70 countries. But many also sought him out for personal counseling. "There were just thousands who sought him out for guidance, or for a word of comfort, or for forgiveness or healing," said Sister Marcella Clancy, co-director with Father Farrell of the Holy Trinity Oratory. Father Farrell was active in work for evangelization, ecumenism, social justice and peace, and had a deep devotion to the Eucharist, Sister Clancy said. "The core of Father Ed's person and priesthood was Eucharist," she said. "He would no more consider not celebrating Eucharist each day than he would consider not breathing, not having his heart beat for a day. Eucharist was the breath and heart of his life."
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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