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News Briefs
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NEWS BRIEFS Jun-14-2006
By Catholic News Service
U.S.
U.S. lawmakers condemn China's 'coerced ordination' of priests
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- U.S. lawmakers have passed a resolution condemning the Chinese government for interfering in the internal affairs of the Catholic Church in China. H.R. 804 criticized the actions of the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association "in their coerced ordination of priests Joseph Ma Yinglin and Joseph Liu Xinhong" as bishops. Two other resolutions were passed by the House June 12, including one that condemned China's increased religious persecution. The other resolution urged remembrance of the 1989 Tiananmen Square incident. However, China's Foreign Ministry said in a press conference June 13 that the House resolutions were based on "groundless accusations" that interfered with China's internal affairs "under the pretext of religious affairs and human rights." In testimony before the House, Rep. Tom Lantos, D-Calif., said: "Sometimes what is self-evident to civilized, democratic governments is sadly lost on the Chinese leadership in Beijing."
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Texas Catholics pray for just immigration reform at El Paso shrine
EL PASO, Texas (CNS) -- Nearly 1,000 members of 15 El Paso parishes joined in a pilgrimage to the shrine of Cristo Rey (Christ the King) on the U.S.-Mexican border June 10 to pray for just reform of U.S. immigration laws. El Paso Bishop Armando X. Ochoa led the pilgrims in praying the Stations of the Cross as they climbed the three-mile path to the shrine atop Mount Cristo Rey, whose base touches the states of New Mexico and Texas in the United States and the state of Chihuahua in Mexico. In his sermon during Mass at the shrine, Bishop Ochoa urged the pilgrims to learn more about the plight of immigrants in the United States and to let members of Congress know they support protection for the families of migrants and a pathway for people to achieve permanent residency and citizenship. "The church's voice on immigrants is certainly needed now more than ever before," the bishop said. The pilgrimage marked the start of the El Paso Diocese's participation in the Justice for Immigrants campaign sponsored by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
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Church must help youths escape U.S. moral ambiguity, bishop says
NOTRE DAME, Ind. (CNS) -- The church must help Hispanic youths "escape from the morally ambiguous environment" of U.S. society, said Auxiliary Bishop Jaime Soto of Orange, Calif. They want a solid religious education that allows them to live according to "human and Christian criteria," he said in Spanish June 10. Society's moral ambiguity is especially acute for young people who cross the border into the United States, he added. Bishop Soto, chairman of the U.S. bishops' Subcommittee on Youth and Young Adults, spoke during the June 8-11 National Encuentro for Hispanic Youth and Young Adult Ministry at the University of Notre Dame. The "encuentro," Spanish for "gathering," was the first national meeting of its kind. Its theme was "Weaving Together the Future."
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CARA report examines Catholic school closings over last five years
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- A decline in the number of Catholic schools in the United States during the past five years reflects a demographic shift of where Catholics live more than a decline in the demand for Catholic education, according to the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate in Washington. In a report released May 23, CARA researchers linked the closure of 339 Catholic schools in the last five years to the dynamic that "Catholic people move, schools don't." The National Catholic Educational Association commissioned CARA, an independent Catholic research agency based at Georgetown University, to research the status of U.S. Catholic elementary schools and look at both the long- and short-term trends that have brought about school closures. The results are outlined in "Primary Trends, Challenges and Outlook: A Special Report on U.S. Catholic Elementary Schools, 2000-2005."
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Recording of Father Peyton reciting the rosary goes digital
NORTH EASTON, Mass. (CNS) -- Holy Cross Father Patrick Peyton, often referred to as "the rosary priest," was always on the cutting edge of technology when it came to spreading the Gospel message. And so it continues nearly 14 years after his death. Family Theater Productions, founded by Father Peyton and part of Holy Cross Family Ministries in North Easton, has announced the production of a self-playing digital audio book that contains information on how to pray the mysteries of the rosary, including the luminous mysteries, which Pope John Paul II added to the traditional rosary prayers in 2002. In the audio book, titled "Pray the Rosary With Servant of God Father Patrick Peyton, CSC," the joyful, sorrowful and glorious mysteries are recited by the priest himself. Holy Cross Father William Melody, a cousin of Father Peyton, recites the luminous mysteries, also called the mysteries of light. The "Pray the Rosary" Playaway system is available from Holy Cross Family Ministries by phone at: (800) 299-7729, or online at: www.hcfmstore.org.
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On rural farmland outside Washington, monks follow ancient tradition
BERRYVILLE, Va. (CNS) -- Although Holy Cross Abbey, at the foot of Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains, is only an hour's drive from Washington, it could just as well be worlds away the differences between the two places are so vast. Adjacent to the Shenandoah River and surrounded by rolling hills and meadows dotted with ancient oak trees, its setting alone is otherworldly: serene, pastoral and exceptionally quiet. But there is more to this place than just its rural surroundings as witnessed at the back door in the 18th-century hunting lodge used by the monks when they meet visitors. Behind the "No Admittance" sign nailed to the door, 24 cloistered Trappist brothers and priests live out their days following simple routines of prayer and work removed from the hectic pace of modern life. These men have committed their lives to God and one another for the long haul, vowing to stay at the monastery for the rest of their lives, leaving only for medical appointments, occasional errands or family emergencies.
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Cloistered monks maintain spiritual connections with outside world
BERRYVILLE, Va. (CNS) -- At first glance, the Holy Cross Abbey in Berryville seems completely shut off from the world at large. For starters, its location is off the beaten path in the foothills of Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains. This is not a place that visitors accidentally stumble upon. And yet, the quiet pastoral setting is often inundated with visitors, those who come seeking solace or perhaps wanting to absorb some of the rich spiritual tradition on the monastery grounds. "The retreat house is always full," Trappist Father Robert Barnes, the abbot, said of the guest house that sleeps 16, either for weeklong or weekend retreats. He said people reserve their spot months in advance and plenty are "on standby" if anyone cancels. Visitors essentially set their own routine. They are welcome to attend any of the five times reserved for prayer in the chapel with the Trappist monks -- with the first prayers, the night Office of Vigils, at 3:30 a.m. and closing prayers, or compline, at 7:30 p.m. They may attend meals with other participants or receive spiritual counseling from one of the monks, but they are not required to do so.
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War meets peace: Monastery sits on site of Civil War battle
BERRYVILLE, Va. (CNS) -- Amid time devoted to prayer and manual labor on the hillside farmland of Holy Cross Abbey in Berryville, Trappist Brother James Sommers made some interesting discoveries with a common metal detector. The Trappist brother found dozens of artifacts from an 1864 Civil War battle. Today, these artifacts -- metal buckles, uniform buttons and mortar shells -- are on display in a glass-enclosed case in an 18th-century hunting lodge at the monastery that is open to the public. Indian arrowheads found on the property are also on display. The Civil War battle took place on the site, then named Cool Spring Plantation, July 18, 1864. The battle left 142 men dead, 601 wounded and 71 missing. The bodies of those who were killed are buried in the city of Winchester, about 20 miles west of the abbey. According to Trappist Father Robert Barnes, the monastery's abbot, the battle was not planned, but was one where the Confederate and Union troops "ran into each other."
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Christmas tradition keeps Benedictine monks busy all year
BERRYVILLE, Va. (CNS) -- Even though fruitcake is the butt of many jokes, it is no laughing matter to the Benedictine monks of Holy Cross Abbey in Berryville. The monks, who have been producing these cakes for more than 20 years and annually sell about 25,000 of them, know with almost blessed assurance that they will have a guaranteed market each year. On a recent spring morning well before dawn, and long before the Christmas rush, a few of them were already at work mixing the fruits, nuts and spices for the day's production at the small warehouse on their property in the foothills of Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains. Every Tuesday, a crew of about eight bakers gathers in the nondescript warehouse to combine ingredients and slowly bake the mixture for two hours. The entire process, including soaking the cakes in brandy and letting them age for three months before they are weighed, wrapped and placed into tins, seems to perfectly fit the monks because it is not fast-food production by any means. These cakes take time and patience and the monks have plenty of both.
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WORLD
Catholic, Orthodox have a relationship as sister churches, says pope
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Just as Sts. Peter and Andrew were brothers, the Catholic and Orthodox churches have a special relationship as true sister churches, Pope Benedict XVI said. After Christ's death and resurrection, St. Peter left Jerusalem for Rome in order to carry out the universal mission Jesus entrusted to him, the pope said during his June 14 weekly general audience. St. Andrew, fluent in Greek, went to the Greek world, he said, and became the "apostle of the Greeks." The Gospels show that in their life and death, Sts. Peter and Andrew were "true brothers" and that their brotherhood is expressed "symbolically in the special rapport between the sees of Rome and Constantinople, churches (that are) truly sisters," Pope Benedict said. Before a crowd of more than 35,000 pilgrims in St. Peter's Square, the pope continued a series of talks on the apostles by turning to St. Andrew, patron saint of the Ecumenical Orthodox Patriarchate of Constantinople.
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Conference: Priest facing east at Mass won't ensure focus on Jesus
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Having the priest face east, usually away from the people, when celebrating Mass is not a magic way to ensure that both the priest and the congregation focus on Jesus, said participants at a conference in northern Italy. Father Enzo Bianchi, prior of the Bose ecumenical community and host of the conference, summarized the discussion in the June 14 edition of L'Osservatore Romano, the Vatican newspaper. The conference brought together Catholic liturgists, theologians and church architects from Europe, North and South America and liturgical experts from Orthodox, Anglican and Protestant churches. The theme "Liturgical Space and Its Orientation" was chosen because of renewed research and debate about the placement of the altar in churches and the direction the priest and people face. Father Bianchi said participants agreed that something must be done to help celebrants and congregations focus more firmly on Jesus and recover dimensions of the liturgy that have weakened since the Second Vatican Council.
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Pope extends prayers for victims of recent Holy Land violence
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI extended his prayers to the victims of recent violence plaguing the Holy Land as well as people "held captive" by those who believe problems can be resolved through force. Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls said in a written statement June 14 that the Vatican was "following with great concern and anguish the episodes of escalating, mindless violence bloodying the Holy Land these days." He reported that the pope said his prayers were going out to "the innocent victims, their family members, and to the people of that land, held captive by those who delude themselves, thinking they can resolve the ever more dramatic problems of the region with force or unilaterally." The Vatican statement came the day after an Israeli air raid in Gaza left nine Palestinians, including two children, dead and at least 30 others injured.
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Croatian bishop: Church not involved in orphanage abuse conviction
OXFORD, England (CNS) -- A Croatian bishop said he was surprised that a worker in a church-run orphanage was convicted for raping and molesting a child, but that the allegations legally cannot touch the church. Auxiliary Bishop Valentin Pozaic of Zagreb, Croatia, said the church was "surprised, since three previous inspections found no evidence of any crime here. This ruling contradicts everything. "If this crime was committed, it deserves a heavy sentence," he told Catholic News Service in a telephone interview. "But we accepted the findings of the three police and government investigations, which failed to uncover any such wrongdoing. So we really don't know what is going on." In early June, the Zagreb County Court convicted Mario Barlovic of "forcible sexual intercourse with a disabled child in a particularly humiliating manner" while employed during 1998-1999 at the Caritas-run and Zagreb Archdiocese-owned orphanage in Brezovica. He received a six-and-a-half-year sentence. Barlovic has denied the charges. Bishop Pozaic predicted Barlovic would appeal.
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PEOPLE
Bishop Sullivan, retired head of Diocese of Fargo, N.D., dies
FARGO, N.D. (CNS) -- Retired Bishop James S. Sullivan of Fargo, N.D., died June 12 of complications from Alzheimer's disease. He was 76. A funeral was scheduled for June 17 at the Cathedral of St. Mary in Fargo. A vigil service was to be held June 16. The native of Kalamazoo, Mich., was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Lansing, Mich., June 4, 1955. Bishop Sullivan had been known nationally for his work with pro-life efforts and for his address at World Youth Day in Denver in 1993. He also served as episcopal liaison to the Cursillo movement and the Catholic Marketing Association, as president of the World Apostolate of Fatima and as a member of the advisory board for Catholics United for the Faith. In North Dakota, Bishop Sullivan was remembered as a down-to-earth, spiritual man. His successor, Bishop Samuel J. Aquila, said he was "a man of deep faith in God and commitment to the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist."
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Founder of Holy Cross order likely to be beatified in 2007
ROME (CNS) -- The beatification of Father Basil Anthony Moreau, founder of the Holy Cross priests, brothers and sisters, is finally in sight, 60 years after his sainthood cause was opened. Pope Benedict XVI approved the publication of the decree recognizing a miraculous healing attributed to Father Moreau's intercession. Brother Edward Dailey, general secretary of the Congregation of Holy Cross, said June 14 that the beatification ceremony is likely to be held in 2007. Beatification is a major step toward sainthood. The diocesan phase of the founder's cause opened in Le Mans, France, in 1946 and was presented to the Congregation for Saints' Causes in 1955. In 2003, Pope John Paul II approved the decree recognizing that Father Moreau heroically lived a life of Christian virtues.
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Media literacy leader seeks to pass torch on to new generation
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Sister Elizabeth Thoman, a member of the Congregation of the Humility of Mary, has toiled in the field of media literacy for nearly 30 years. In 1977, when she founded the Center for Media Literacy in Los Angeles, Betamax videocassettes were the big technological advance. Betamax was supplanted by VHS tapes, which in turn have been reduced to minority status by DVDs, which themselves are being crowded out by video-on-demand and Internet downloads into computers and cell phones. But Sister Thoman's stick-to-itiveness throughout a generation of technological change was recognized June 13 in Washington when she received a Cable's Leaders in Learning Award for creating and implementing innovative ways to educate students and for making a substantial contribution to the field of media literacy education. "I'm nearing retirement," said Sister Thoman, who was to turn 63 years old June 18. "You reach a certain point, thinking that you've got to pass it on to the next generation. In your 60s, you get generative: How do you give away what you've got so you can let it go on? I'm looking to develop new leadership and pass on the wisdom that I know."
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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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