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News Briefs
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NEWS BRIEFS Jan-7-2008
By Catholic News Service
U.S.
Dispassionate court considers lethal injection as execution method
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- In the Supreme Court's first look in more than a century at the constitutionality of a method of execution, several justices Jan. 7 seemed inclined to pass on deciding whether lethal injection constitutes cruel and unusual punishment. The oral arguments dealt dispassionately with the clinical details of how lethal injection works and how it can sometimes go wrong, rather than addressing the morality of capital punishment itself. Even Justice John Paul Stevens, generally an opponent of capital punishment, said that if the main legal question the court faces is whether Kentucky properly follows protocols intended to avoid unnecessary pain and preserve dignity then the state would probably win the case. But by not getting at the legal question of whether the procedure can cause excruciating pain, Stevens said, the case "leaves open a whole area of litigation." Since the court agreed to take the case in September, there has been an effective nationwide moratorium on executions, as lower courts and state governments put executions on hold because they use the same three-drug combination for lethal injections as the method challenged in Kentucky. The federal government and all but one of the 36 states that have capital punishment use the combination as their primary method of execution.
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Prayer service at historic German church part of pope's New York stop
NEW YORK (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI will lead an ecumenical prayer service for national and local Christian leaders April 18 at St. Joseph's Church, a historic German parish in the Yorkville section of Manhattan. The German-born pope will conduct the late afternoon service at St. Joseph's on the first day of his April 18-20 visit to the archdiocese, after a speech at the United Nations in the morning. The pope also will celebrate a morning Mass in St. Patrick's Cathedral April 19 for priests, deacons and religious, becoming the first pope to celebrate a Mass in St. Patrick's. In New York, the pope also will celebrate a Mass at Yankee Stadium April 20, after a morning visit to ground zero where he will attend a ceremony with responders to the 2001 terrorist attack and victims' family members. On April 19 he will meet with disabled children in the chapel of St. Joseph's Seminary, Dunwoodie, then he will address a large gathering of young people and seminarians on the seminary grounds.
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Southern Catholic leaders called helpful in ending segregation
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- More than 50 years ago, Catholics were a distinct minority in the South's religious landscape. Still, there were some Catholic leaders who used their moral authority to help another minority -- African-Americans -- overcome the burdens of Jim Crow and make desegregation possible. Speaking Jan. 4 during a panel presentation at the American Catholic Historical Association's meeting in Washington, Cecilia Moore pointed to a North Carolina bishop and a convent in Danville, Va., as two leading lights in the fight against segregation. Moore, a professor at the Marianist-run University of Dayton, in Ohio, identified Bishop Vincent Waters of Raleigh, N.C., and the Society of Christ Our King, which had a convent in Danville, in her presentation, "Living With Jim Crow in Virginia and North Carolina: Black and White Catholic Experiences of Racial Segregation." The two-hour panel focused on race, religion and gender issues in the South in the 35 years following World War II.
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Merger of seven Dominican women's congregations approved by Vatican
COLUMBUS, Ohio (CNS) -- The merger of seven congregations of Dominican women religious has been approved by the Vatican, according to a news release from the Dominican Cluster in Columbus. The official date for the foundation of the new congregation, which has not yet been named, is Easter 2009. The location of the new congregation's headquarters and other ministerial departments also has not been decided. The congregations uniting are: the Dominican Sisters, St. Mary of the Springs in Columbus; the Sisters of St. Dominic of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Akron; the Congregation of St. Rose of Lima in Oxford, Mich.; the Dominican Sisters, Congregation of St. Mary, and the Eucharistic Missionaries of St. Dominic, both in New Orleans; the Dominican Sisters of Great Bend, Kan.; and the Congregation of St. Catharine of Siena in St. Catharine, Ky. The seven communities currently have 730 sisters and about 500 men and women associates who partner with the sisters in mission in 36 states and in Puerto Rico, France, Honduras, Peru and Nigeria.
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WORLD
Pope appeals for immediate end to ethnic violence in Kenya
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI appealed for an immediate end to ethnic violence in Kenya and called on political leaders to resolve the conflict there through "dialogue and democratic debate." "Violence is futile as a means of resolving problems; it only exacerbates them and leads to unprecedented suffering," said a telegram sent Jan. 5 in the pope's name to Cardinal John Njue of Nairobi, president of the Kenya Episcopal Conference. The telegram, signed by Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Vatican secretary of state, said the pope has followed the recent flare-up of violence in Kenya with deep sorrow and concern. He is praying for a speedy end to this "great tragedy," it said. "The pope is close in spirit to all the victims of this violence: the many persons who have lost their lives, often atrociously, the grieving members of their families, the wounded, those who are dispossessed or had to abandon their homes, and all those who are threatened and living in fear," the telegram said.
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Before St. Ignatius' tomb, Jesuits pray for guidance with election
ROME (CNS) -- Before the tomb of their founder, St. Ignatius of Loyola, 225 Jesuits prayed that God would be present with them as they elect a new superior general and that he would make his will known to them. The Jesuits' General Congregation opened Jan. 7 with Mass in Rome's Church of the Gesu, which houses the tomb of St. Ignatius. At the end of the Mass, the current superior, Father Peter-Hans Kolvenbach, 79, lighted an oil lamp before the founder's tomb and led his confreres in reciting St. Ignatius' "Suscipe" prayer: "Take, Lord, and receive, all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my entire will, all that I have and possess; you have given it all to me, I now give it back to you, O Lord. All of it is yours now, dispose of it according to your will; give me only your love and your grace, that is enough for me." Father Kolvenbach convoked the General Congregation to consider his request to retire, to elect a new superior and to discuss major issues facing the Society of Jesus and its more than 19,000 members.
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Pope warns diplomats that conflicts threaten global stability
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Addressing diplomats from around the world, Pope Benedict XVI warned that numerous armed conflicts and social disorders have left global stability in a fragile situation. In Iraq, the pope said Jan. 7, the latest attack on Christian churches reflects a continuing climate of terrorism and violence in the country and illustrates the need for constitutional reform to safeguard the rights of minorities. On nuclear weapons, he urged the international community to undertake a joint effort to prevent terrorists from gaining access to weapons of mass destruction. The pope also condemned "continually perpetrated attacks" against human life, in areas ranging from the death penalty to biotechnology, and criticized efforts to weaken the traditional family and the institution of marriage. The world's problems illustrate that real solutions must be "solidly anchored in natural law, given by the Creator," he said. "This is another reason why God can never be excluded from the horizon of man or of history. God's name is a name of justice; it represents an urgent appeal for peace," he said.
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Vatican official proposes plans for reparation for priestly abuse
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- A leading Vatican official has proposed a worldwide program of eucharistic adoration to seek spiritual reparation for the damage caused by the sexual abuse of children by priests. Cardinal Claudio Hummes, prefect of the Congregation for Clergy, said the initiative would involve dioceses, parishes, monasteries, convents and seminaries in a prayer movement to support priestly holiness. In a particular way, the initiative will ask reparation "for the victims of grave situations of moral and sexual conduct of a very small percentage of clergy," Cardinal Hummes said in an interview Jan. 4 with the Vatican newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano. "We are asking everyone to participate in eucharistic adoration to repair before God the damage that was done and to uphold once again the dignity of the victims," the cardinal said. "Yes, we wanted to think of the victims so that they feel that we are close to them. We are concerned above all with them, and it's important to say so," he said. The cardinal said that only a small minority of priests has been involved in sexual abuse cases.
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Pope says living in moderation brings about just global development
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The only way to bring about just and sustainable development in the world is to live in moderation and fix the vast inequities in the distribution of wealth, Pope Benedict XVI said. "One cannot say that globalization is synonymous with world order; it's anything but" that, he said. "Conflicts for economic supremacy and the hoarding of energy and water resources and raw materials make it all the more difficult for those who strive on every level to build a just and supportive world," Pope Benedict said. The pope made the remarks at a Mass in St. Peter's Basilica Jan. 6 on the feast of the Epiphany, which marks the manifestation of Jesus as savior to the world. In his homily, the pope said people need hope in something greater than themselves, which would also lead them to "prefer the common good of all people (as opposed) to abundance for the few and misery for many." This great hope only can be in God who showed his human face with the birth of Christ, he said.
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U.S. diplomat: Pope's support boosts U.S. efforts for Mideast peace
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Outgoing U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican Francis Rooney said Pope Benedict XVI's support of a Middle East peace conference boosts the United States' continued efforts to bring peace to the region. In a Jan. 7 speech to diplomats from around the world, the pope praised the recent U.S.-sponsored meeting in Annapolis, Md., for favoring "a global approach respectful of the rights and legitimate interests of all the peoples of the region" rather than focusing on unilateral interests. Rooney, who was one of more than 100 Vatican diplomats who attended the papal audience at the Vatican, said the papal message came just as U.S. President George W. Bush was set to leave for a weeklong trip in the Middle East to press for an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal. The ambassador told Catholic News Service Jan. 7 that the pope's support of this multilateral approach has given the Annapolis initiative "that tail wind needed to push it along."
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Churches demand access to help victims in India's Orissa state
BHUBANESWAR, India (CNS) -- Churches in India have demanded access to the troubled Kandhamal region to distribute relief and visit the families affected by the recent violence in eastern Orissa state. "We demand that credible national organizations such as the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India and (the) National Council of Churches should be permitted to send their team of people to meet with the affected people to express solidarity and provide relief materials for all people, irrespective of caste and creed," said the churches in an appeal. Representatives of various denominations read the appeal at a Jan. 7 news conference at the archbishop's house in Bhubaneswar, the capital of Orissa state. The Kandhamal district is about 210 miles southwest of Bhubaneswar. "The hapless (Christian) victims of violence had to take shelter in forests for many days without proper food and sanitation. As of now, few have turned either to relief camps or to their relatives, but the situation is far from satisfactory," the churches said in the statement.
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Cuban cardinal says officials have created expectations for change
HAVANA (CNS) -- Statements by top Cuban officials in 2007 acknowledging the "need for changes" in the country were a "promising step that has created expectations," said Cardinal Jaime Ortega Alamino of Havana. Cardinal Ortega said that throughout the country there was "a cloud of criticism, complaints and hopeful proposals based on the need for changes, even structural changes, in the way national life is organized and lived." The prelate noted that Cuban authorities "have sought broad-based opinions about all issues of concern" in society and that "this has been a promising step." Cardinal Ortega spoke in the Havana cathedral at his first Mass of the new year to mark World Peace Day Jan. 1. Cubans will head to the polls for parliamentary elections Jan. 20. In a July speech Raul Castro, Cuba's acting leader and the brother of ailing President Fidel Castro, who has ruled the country for nearly five decades, acknowledged the need for "structural reforms." This was the topic of discussion groups involving more than 5 million Cubans in September and October. During those discussions, participants voiced more than 1.3 million proposals and complaints about problems such as shortcomings in the health care and educational systems, insufficient wages and high food prices.
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Mexican church leaders express concern over NAFTA changes
MEXICO CITY (CNS) -- The Mexico City Archdiocese urged the Mexican federal government to better protect some of the country's poorest and most vulnerable residents as concern grows that a flood of duty-free agricultural imports from highly subsidized U.S. producers could force many small-scale farmers to abandon rural areas and head to the United States. Hugo Valdemar, archdiocesan spokesman, expressed concern about the North American Free Trade Agreement's impact on Mexican farmers after the Jan. 1 removal of duties on four basic products: white corn, beans, sugar cane and powdered milk. The tariff removals were mandated by the 14-year-old agreement. "The church is deeply concerned about the ushering in of this phase of the free trade agreement," Valdemar told reporters Jan. 6. He added that the changes could lead to an "increase in poverty" and "more immigration to the United States."
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PEOPLE
Alaskan Catholic tries to make sure no one dies alone
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (CNS) -- Ed Iwata, a member of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Anchorage, marked his 60th birthday with eight different celebrations. He considers himself very much alive. When the AIDS crisis began in the 1980s, Iwata began to think about death and why people, including him, were so afraid of it. He said AIDS sufferers were "treated like the lepers of Christ's time," which made him wonder how he could comfort them. At the time, he lived in the Washington area and faced his fears by getting involved in AIDS education. Now retired and living in Alaska with his wife, he has become involved in another ministry to the dying -- participating in No One Dies Alone, a national program with a local chapter in Anchorage sponsored by Providence Alaska Medical Center. The program ensures that no one at Providence's four facilities dies without someone at their bedside. For Iwata, a volunteer with the organization since it began in Anchorage in 2006, being present to death is being present to the sacred.
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Spokesman says care of environment common theme for Pope Benedict
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The obligation to care for the environment and protect the earth as the "common home" of all humanity is a theme that increasingly is found in the teaching of Pope Benedict XVI, his spokesman said. Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi told Vatican Radio that ecology "is an argument which comes up with more frequency in the words of the pope, mirroring the growing ecological concerns of humanity." Father Lombardi spoke to the radio Jan. 5, explaining why concern for the environment was one of the major themes in Pope Benedict's message for the Jan. 1 celebration of World Peace Day. Father Lombardi told the radio, "Until recently, the theme of the environment seemed like a concern of the rich rather than the poor, of developed countries rather than developing nations for whom economic growth is an absolute priority. To regulate and limit this growth seemed like a luxury, a way of keeping the weak subjugated." Now, however, people are realizing that ecological exploitation and destruction worsens the effects of natural disasters and mortgages the future of the poorest countries, he said.
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Two authors get top book awards from Catholic historical association
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Two books about the exploits of Jesuits in very different times and places took the top awards during the American Catholic Historical Association's annual meeting in Washington. Liam Matthew Brockey, an assistant professor of history at Princeton University in New Jersey, received the John Gilmary Shea Prize and $750 for his book, "Journey to the East: The Jesuit Mission to China, 1579-1724," judged the best work on the history of the Catholic Church published in the 12-month period that ended June 30. Jesuit Father Gerald McKevitt, professor of Jesuit studies at Santa Clara University in California, won the Howard R. Marraro Prize and $500 for "Brokers of Culture: Italian Jesuits in the American West, 1848-1919."
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African saint turns Oregon death-row inmate's life upside down
PORTLAND, Ore. (CNS) -- From a windowless cell at the Oregon State Penitentiary, a Catholic death-row inmate evangelizes across the world. A former white supremacist, Jeff Tiner is now inspired by a humble Sudanese saint. He resists publicity for himself, saying he wants only to spread far and wide the story of St. Josephine Bakhita. He uses most of this time and resources to support the Canossian Sisters, the religious community St. Bakhita joined more than a century ago. At one time, Tiner had other priorities. In 1993 in Springfield, Ore., according to court records, he shot a man and disposed of his body in a remote area of the Cascade Range. He had been in trouble with the law before and bore tattoos of a swastika and the words "White Pride." But, after reading about St. Bakhita's life, the condemned man felt hope. "I came to understand that I, too, could come back to life, spiritually," he wrote in a 2006 article for the Canossian Sisters' magazine. "I could be rescued from slavery to sin and find redemption and joy in the arms of Jesus and Mary." More information is available on the Web site www.sainteds.com, by clicking on "The Bakhita Project" in "featured pages."
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Copyright (c) 2008 Catholic News Service/USCCB. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed.
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