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News Briefs
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NEWS BRIEFS Mar-20-2008
By Catholic News Service
U.S.
CHA official outlines organization's health care reform principles
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Health care reform has to compete for attention from Congress along with the economic recession and the ongoing war in Iraq, said a Catholic Health Association official. "It will be a battle" to keep health care needs for all Americans on the front burner, said Jeff Tieman, director of CHA's "Covering a Nation" initiative. Tieman spoke March 13 to a group of editors of U.S. and Canadian Catholic publications at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops headquarters in Washington. He said CHA's efforts to reform the health care system in the United States are defined in its newly released reform initiative, "Our Vision for U.S. Health Care." The document establishes principles for reform and proposes that a reformed system should be "available and accessible to everyone" and pay "special attention to the poor and vulnerable"; be oriented toward health and prevention "with the goal of enhancing the health status of communities"; be "sufficiently and fairly financed"; allocate resources in ways that are "transparent and consensus-driven"; put patients at the center of care, addressing "health needs at all stages of life from conception to natural death"; and deliver care safely and effectively and with the "greatest possible quality."
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Belleville priests issue statement calling for bishop to resign
BELLEVILLE, Ill. (CNS) -- More than half of the active priests of the Diocese of Belleville have signed a public statement calling for Bishop Edward K. Braxton to resign, citing frustration with his leadership and their conclusion that "he has lost his moral authority." "Because of the bishop's lack of cooperation, consultation, accountability and transparency, it is the judgment of a great number of the presbyterate that he has lost his moral authority to lead and govern our diocese," said the March 14 statement. "Therefore, it is requested that Bishop Braxton resign from his office as bishop of the Diocese of Belleville for his own good, for the good of the diocese and for the good of the presbyterate," it said. Forty-six priests signed the statement, which was sent to local news media, who posted it on the Internet. The Official Catholic Directory lists the Belleville Diocese as having 77 active diocesan priests, with three serving outside the diocese and 48 listed as retired, sick or absent. Seven of the signers are retired, local newspapers reported. Bishop Braxton did not respond to a request from Catholic News Service for comment.
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People will have chance to see pope as he travels from site to site
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Washingtonians and visitors to the nation's capital will have opportunities to greet Pope Benedict XVI during his April 15-17 visit to Washington. "An important part of the pope's demanding itinerary includes opportunities for the public to see the pope as he travels to some events," according to a March 19 news release from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The release said details of the pope's travel routes were still being finalized, but that there will be several opportunities for the general public to welcome the pope as he travels in the popemobile. Created for his predecessor, Pope John Paul II, the customized, bullet-proof vehicle allows for as much visual contact as possible between the pontiff and members of the public who gather to get a glimpse of him. The pontiff is expected to arrive at 4 p.m. April 15 at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland just outside Washington on an Alitalia flight dubbed "Shepherd One." Several Vatican officials and more than 60 members of the Vatican press corps will be on the same plane. President George W. Bush and first lady Laura Bush will be there to greet the pope, as will several church officials, according to the USCCB.
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Leavitt says ethics opinion violates physicians' conscience rights
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt has expressed concern that an ethics opinion from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists would infringe on the right of physicians to refuse to perform procedures they find objectionable, including abortion. Deirdre McQuade, director of planning and information for the Office of Pro-Life Activities at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, praised Leavitt "for defending federal laws protecting the conscience rights of physicians." The opinion, issued in November, states in part that physicians "have a duty to refer patients in a timely manner to other providers if they do not feel they can in conscience provide the standard reproductive services that patients request." Leavitt urged the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology, which certifies physicians, to reject it.
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WORLD
Pope at Holy Thursday Mass calls for hatred to be washed away
ROME (CNS) -- One's feelings of hatred must be washed away with forgiveness and humble service toward others -- they should never be left to linger long enough to poison the soul, Pope Benedict XVI said. During his March 20 celebration of the Mass of the Lord's Supper, which commemorated Jesus' institution of the Eucharist, the pope reflected on the symbolic meaning of the ritual of the washing of the feet. While the ritual symbolizes the call to imitate Christ by serving one another, it also means people must always and continually offer forgiveness, he said. Through his passion and death on the cross, Jesus died for sins that are "infinitely greater than all the debts others may have with us," the pope said in his homily at Rome's Basilica of St. John Lateran. Jesus' parable of the unforgiving servant urges everyone "to not let rancor toward others become, deep down, a poison of the soul."
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At chrism Mass, Pope says priests must be honest, courageous
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- A priest must be honest, righteous, courageous in the face of evil and at the humble service of God and humanity, Pope Benedict XVI said. The pope made his comments March 20 at a chrism Mass in St. Peter's Basilica where he led more than 1,500 priests and bishops in a renewal of their ordination promises. The pope, presiding over the first of two Holy Thursday liturgies, blessed the oils which will be used in the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, ordination and the anointing of the sick. Deacons carried the oils in large silver urns to the main altar while catechumens, youths preparing for confirmation, the sick and deacons about to be ordained in the Diocese of Rome wheeled small tables carrying large, artistic urns called "anfore," which also contained the sacramental oils. In his homily, the pope reminded his audience of the vows many of them made when they embraced the priesthood: to stand before God and serve him.
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Vatican dismisses bin Laden's charges of pope's anti-Islam campaign
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The Vatican spokesman dismissed Osama bin Laden's accusations of an anti-Islam campaign by Pope Benedict XVI, noting the pope's efforts at dialogue with Muslims. Bin Laden, citing the controversy over cartoons ridiculing the prophet Mohammed, said the pope was part of a "new crusade" against Islam. "The content of the accusations makes no sense," Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman, told Catholic News Service March 20. "But these kinds of allegations are not new," Father Lombardi added. The Vatican responded to similar accusations by al-Qaida's deputy leader, Ayman al-Zawahri, last December. The Vatican spokesman said it was not surprising for bin Laden to name the pope among his many "perceived enemies," but said the more moderate Muslim world knows the pope's commitment to good interreligious relations.
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Council of Europe report calls for total legalization of abortions
LONDON (CNS) -- The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe has called for an end to all restrictions on abortions in every country in Europe. It urged the predominantly Catholic countries of Andorra, Malta, Ireland and Poland -- where abortion is either illegal or severely restricted -- to grant women access to the controversial procedure. The demands were in a March 18 report by the council's Committee on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men. The report was approved March 11 by a large majority of the equal opportunities committee. Although the Council of Europe cannot pass laws, it does pass resolutions which may have significant influence on the laws of its 47 member states. It will be discussed during a plenary session April 14-18.
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Pax Christi officials discuss Canadian involvement in Afghanistan
TORONTO (CNS) -- U.S. and Canadian Pax Christi officials said Canada needs a policy that will promote peace in Afghanistan after Canadian lawmakers extended Canada's military mission in Afghanistan. Johnny Zokovitch, spokesman for Pax Christi USA, said extending Canada's military mission in Afghanistan "is not going to solve anything." Pax Christi USA is the national affiliate of the international Catholic peace movement. "That country has been brutalized for the better part of half a century. To continue to militarize the situation there, and to increase and keep looking for military solutions in a country that's been looking for military solutions for 50 years -- it's counterproductive," he said. U.S. President George W. Bush's war on terror shows "there are not military solutions to the kind of problems they're (Bush administration) chasing -- whether it's in Afghanistan or in Iraq," said Zokovitch.
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Bolivian bishops hope Holy Week would bring spirit of reconciliation
LA PAZ, Bolivia (CNS) -- Amid political tension and uncertainty, Bolivian bishops said they hoped Holy Week would bring a spirit of dialogue and reconciliation to the country. Bishop Gonzalo del Castillo Crespo, head of Bolivia's military diocese, was forthright, saying in his Palm Sunday homily, "We are living through difficult times in our country." He called for "understanding in both the East and the West" and an "encounter with brothers and sisters." He said that even "in the political sphere" there must be love for one's neighbor, "from the president to the last Bolivian." Bolivia has been gripped by a political crisis since mid-2007, when it became clear that Bolivian President Evo Morales' governing party, which is backed strongly by indigenous people and peasant farmers in the Western highlands, and the opposition party, which is rooted in the Eastern lowlands, were not going to agree on the text of a new constitution. The dispute underscored the deep racial, class and geographic divides that persist in the Andean nation.
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PEOPLE
In U.S., pope likely to address provocative, fundamental themes
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- People speculating on what Pope Benedict XVI will say in the United States in April would do well to look at what he said at the Vatican on Palm Sunday. In a sermon that lasted less than 15 minutes, the pope touched on several important themes of his pontificate -- themes that are likely to form the core of his pastoral message in the United States. Naturally, the pope will tailor his U.S. talks to specific audiences, including educators, priests and seminarians, young people and bishops. But rather than a laundry list of specific problems and solutions, his listeners in Washington and New York are apt to hear carefully reasoned arguments about the foundational values of Christianity. On Palm Sunday, the pope posed a blunt question, one that caught people's attention: "Is our faith pure and open enough?" More questions quickly followed: Is the faith of today's Christians pure enough to attract other spiritual seekers? Do modern Christians recognize that "greed is idolatry," and is this awareness reflected in their lifestyles? Are Christians willing to let their own lives be radically shaped by Christ?
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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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