|
|
|
|
News Briefs
|
NEWS BRIEFS Feb-27-2009
By Catholic News Service
U.S.
Jewish, Catholic leaders launch new group to tackle religious strife
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- U.S. Jewish and Catholic leaders Feb. 26 hashed out differences on issues ranging from the controversial sainthood cause of Pope Pius XII to Pope Benedict XVI's lifting of the excommunication of a British-born traditionalist bishop who claims the Holocaust was exaggerated. The gathering of the religious leaders at the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center in Washington was the start of what was being called a broad and permanent dialogue between the two religions. In announcing this standing dialogue, the leaders said it will involve a broad spectrum of Jewish and Catholic representatives who will meet regularly to deal with struggles as they arise. Though Jewish and Catholic groups have met frequently since the conclusion of the Second Vatican Council in 1965, this new dialogue is considered the first continuous and overarching panel between the two religions. It will be based at the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center, as requested by the Vatican.
- - -
Cardinal says many began Lenten journey when economic crisis began
LOS ANGELES (CNS) -- In his annual Lenten message, Los Angeles Cardinal Roger M. Mahony told Catholics that the country's economic downturn has caused many people to already experience the season of Lent. "Lent actually began in 2007 for thousands of families all across the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, and we have been in a long and protracted season of Lent ever since," he said in the message, released Feb. 25. The cardinal said the Lenten journey has already been a long one because of an economy that continues to spiral downward "day after day, with millions of jobs being eliminated, with people unable to make their house payments, thus losing their homes, and with so many fearful of what tomorrow might bring." He urged Catholics to embrace the current hardships and to offer prayers and sacrifices for those impacted by the economic crisis. Cardinal Mahony said he intends to pray each day of Lent for different groups of people impacted by today's economy -- such as those who are out of work, families who have lost homes, parents who struggle to make ends meet for their children, those who have lost health insurance and retirees whose pensions have been reduced.
- - -
Catholic official 'gravely concerned' by review of HHS regulation
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- A U.S. bishops' pro-life official said Feb. 27 she is "gravely concerned" about the Obama administration's move to review a proposal that would lift a regulation giving federal protection to the conscience rights of health care providers. Deirdre McQuade, assistant director for policy and communications in the U.S. bishops' Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities, was commenting on an announcement the same day by the Office of Management and Budget that it would review the proposal. After the review, it will be published in the Federal Register, opening a 30-day period for public comment. The regulation was issued by the Bush administration's Department of Health and Human Services and took effect two days before President Barack Obama's inauguration. It codifies several existing federal statutes prohibiting discrimination against health professionals who decline to participate in abortions or other medical procedures because of their religious or other moral objections.
- - -
State funding cuts hit Catholic Charities programs; more expected
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Kathy Toepel is wondering these days about where the safety of senior citizens in rural eastern California lies on the priority list of the state's public officials. Toepel fretted that the recent elimination of nearly $100,000 in state funds -- some 48 percent of her budget -- has nearly devastated the senior citizen ombudsman program she oversees for Catholic Charities in the Diocese of Stockton, Calif. "Our state wiped out our funding," Toepel told Catholic News Service. The cut, part of the $500 million Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger slashed from state spending in October to meet a budget shortfall, is small in comparison to others across the state. However, it's making a huge difference in the way Toepel and her staff are able to go about their jobs. Toepel is not alone. Catholic Charities and other programs operated by faith-based agencies across the country are seeing reductions in funding for contracted work as well as from private sources. A January survey of Catholic Charities agencies showed that about 20 percent of agencies had cut basic needs programs while 16 percent of agencies were forced to reduce housing assistance.
- - -
Journalists identify trends in national, church life
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The changing nature of the Catholic Church in both the United States and throughout the world and the changing nature of the U.S. electorate were brought into focus at the Catholic Social Ministry Gathering. John Allen, a senior correspondent for the National Catholic Reporter weekly newspaper, and television commentator Mark Shields, of PBS' "The NewsHour With Jim Lehrer," addressed challenges and opportunities on the political and ecclesial fronts during a Feb. 25 luncheon that marked the end of the annual gathering, which drew 550 participants to Washington. By the year 2030, "three-fourths of the Catholics will live in the global South," Allen said. "It's not just changing a couple of things; it is changing everything." Shields noted that the 2008 presidential election returns showed that Sen. John McCain, the Republican candidate, captured only his own age cohort -- those age 65 and up. President Barack Obama captured all other age groups. What may be more distressing to the GOP, Shields said, is the margin by which voters ages 18-30 are favoring the Democrats. In 2000, 2 percent of young voters preferred Democratic candidate Al Gore. In 2004, 12 percent favored Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass. Last year, 35 percent favored Obama over McCain.
- - -
Organization to distribute $1 million in grants to retired religious
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Support Our Aging Religious, a national organization working to help U.S. religious congregations finance the retirement of their elderly and infirm members, will distribute $1 million in grants to 58 religious congregations this year. Grants ranging from $2,000 to $25,000 are awarded to congregations in need in 24 states and Puerto Rico. The funds are used to help with basic building repairs and safety features needed in the care of the elderly and infirm religious. Funds are primarily used for installing fire alarms and security systems or for replacing boilers, elevators and windows, and renovating rooms for handicapped accessibility. Board members who reviewed the 2009 grant applications said they noticed more requests for help with basic needs. A February news release from SOAR noted that although the grants distributed this year are helpful in the short run, the needs of retired religious continue to escalate, in particular because of the recent loss of returns on investments.
- - -
Physicians take legal, educational steps to defend conscience rights
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- To combat what they see as threats to the conscience rights of health care professionals who oppose abortion, the Catholic Medical Association and other organizations are taking both legal and educational steps. The Philadelphia-based Catholic Medical Association, which has some 1,100 members nationwide, has joined with the Christian Medical Association and the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists in an effort to intervene legally against lawsuits filed by the attorneys general of eight states, Planned Parenthood of America and the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association. The suits seek to overturn a Department of Health and Human Services regulation that codifies several existing federal statutes prohibiting discrimination against health professionals who decline to participate in abortions or other medical procedures because of their religious or other moral objections. On Feb. 27, the Obama administration announced it was reviewing a proposal to rescind the regulation, which took effect two days before the inauguration of President Barack Obama. After the review by the Office of Management and Budget, the proposal is to be published in the Federal Register, opening a 30-day period for public comment.
- - -
Bishops in Hawaii, North Carolina speak out against same-sex marriage
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Catholic bishops in Hawaii and North Carolina -- where same-sex marriage initiatives were being considered by their respective state legislatures -- have spoken out in strong support of traditional marriages. In Hawaii, a state Senate committee vote was deadlocked Feb. 25 on a bill to allow same-sex civil unions. However, the committee vote was not expected to hinder the bill from going before the full Senate for a vote; it already was passed by the House. In North Carolina, the state's bishops were supporting the Defense of Marriage Act, which would ban same-sex unions. The measure has been introduced in the Senate and was to be introduced in the House soon. On Feb. 24 Bishops Michael F. Burbidge of Raleigh, N.C., and Peter J. Jugis of Charlotte, N.C., joined other religious leaders to call on the North Carolina General Assembly to support the Defense of Marriage Act. The measure calls for an amendment to the state constitution that would define marriage as a union only between a man and a woman. It would prohibit civil unions or domestic partnerships. It also would prohibit legal recognition of same-sex marriages performed in other states.
- - -
Washington voucher program in danger of losing funding
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program -- a federally funded voucher program in the District of Columbia -- faces an uncertain future. The uncertainty stems from recent language inserted in a provision in a 2009 spending bill that would require the scholarship program to be reauthorized by Congress and approved by the district government for it to receive any funding beyond the next school year. House Republicans and school choice advocates are warning that congressional Democrats -- many of whom are vocal opponents of vouchers -- will most likely not give the scholarship program the votes it needs. "There is a lack of clarity" about the program's continuation, Ronald Jackson, executive director of the District of Columbia Catholic Conference, told the Catholic Standard, Washington's diocesan newspaper. The scholarship program, launched as a pilot program five years ago, allocates $14 million annually in individual scholarships of up to $7,500 to more than 1,700 children from low-income families to attend private schools. About half of the scholarship recipients attend Catholic schools.
- - -
WORLD
Catholic-Muslim dialogue members urge improved teaching for peace
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Textbooks used in Catholic and Muslim schools and in predominantly Catholic or Muslim nations should be reviewed and revised to ensure a respectful, accurate portrayal of the history and beliefs of the other community, said members of a Catholic-Muslim dialogue. The annual dialogue between Vatican representatives and representatives of al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt -- a leading Muslim institution -- was held at the Vatican Feb. 24-25 and focused on the role of religions in teaching peace. Both Christianity and Islam consider peace to be a gift from God that requires human cooperation, said the final statement from the meeting. Religious leaders must work to ensure that "a culture of peace" permeates all their activities, particularly their educational efforts, said the statement. "Scholastic books should be revised in order not to contain material which may offend the religious sentiments of other believers" in the way their doctrines, moral teachings and history are presented, the leaders said.
- - -
African bishops hope papal visit encourages peace, justice in Africa
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- A group of Nigerian bishops expressed hope that Pope Benedict XVI's first visit to Africa will spur the troubled continent on a path toward peace, justice and reconciliation. Three bishops from Nigeria said they are looking at Pope Benedict's March 17-23 visit to Cameroon and Angola as an opportunity to show that the church wants to help heal divisions that continue to tear apart the continent. During his trip, the pope is set to present the working document for the October Synod of Bishops for Africa, which will be dedicated to finding ways Africa can overcome lingering conflicts and seek reconciliation, justice and peace. Bishops from Nigeria were at the Vatican Feb. 5-28 for their "ad limina" visits to report on the status of their dioceses. The visits gave Pope Benedict the chance to get a firsthand account about the situation on the ground.
- - -
Vatican says recent apologies from traditionalist bishop aren't enough
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The Vatican said Bishop Richard Williamson's statement of regret for denying the extent of the Holocaust does not meet the Vatican's demand that he publicly recant his position. "The declaration of the bishop does not seem to respect the conditions established in the note of the Secretariat of State of Feb. 4, 2009, where it says that he 'must distance himself in an absolutely unequivocal and public way from his positions regarding the Shoah,'" Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman, said Feb. 27. The Vatican had said Bishop Williamson would not be allowed to function as a bishop in the church unless he disavowed his remarks about the Holocaust and publicly apologized. He is one of four traditionalist bishops whose excommunication was lifted in January by Pope Benedict XVI. On Feb. 26, Bishop Williamson released a statement in London saying his superior, Bishop Bernard Fellay, and the pope "have requested that I reconsider the remarks I made on Swedish television four months ago because their consequences have been so heavy."
- - -
Church leaders explore ways to slow Christian exodus from Middle East
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The need to find ways to stop the slow, yet steady departure of Christians from the Middle East has come into greater focus recently. Pope Benedict XVI urged the dwindling Arab Christian minority to patiently persist in its struggle to survive and hold onto its religious and cultural identity when he met with bishops from Iraq, Iran and Turkey who were in Rome to report on their dioceses early this year. And he will have many public occasions to reach out and appeal directly to Christians with his proposed visit to the Holy Land May 8-15. The Christian exodus has become so severe that Iraqi bishops called on the pope to convene a regional synod to address the problem. In the meantime, conferences were held in Detroit, Lebanon and Rome in February to underline the important role Christians play in Muslim-majority nations. The Rome gathering organized by the Sant'Egidio Community brought together Christian and Muslim scholars and religious leaders from the Middle East to discuss the value and contribution of the Eastern Christian churches in Arab nations.
- - -
Congo's bishops welcome cease-fire but warn about country's future
KINSHASA, Congo (CNS) -- The Congolese bishops' conference welcomed a fragile cease-fire in northeastern Congo but warned that the future of the country still hangs in the balance. In a mid-February message titled "Be Vigilant," the bishops' permanent council called on the Congolese to "watch out for" and "uncover" any plan to divide the country or illegally exploit its abundant natural resources. The bishops also said reforming the Congolese army should be the top priority to bring peace and stability in the country. They said the Congolese people do not wish to see a renewal of the U.N. peacekeeping mission, known as MONUC, in their country. "We deplore the government's tardiness in establishing a national army that is capable of defending our populations and ensuring the integrity of our territory, to the extent that we have to rely on foreign armies," they said. "Many people are asking questions about the presence of the latter on our territory, their exact mandate, the nature and content of the accords that have allowed them into our country as well as their respect of the end of their mandate."
- - -
Denver archbishop warns against seeing US president as messiah
TORONTO (CNS) -- Americans elected U.S. President Barack Obama to fix the economy, not to change American society and culture, said Archbishop Charles J. Chaput of Denver. Americans, including Catholics, "gave nobody a mandate to retool American culture on the issues of marriage and the family, sexuality, bioethics, religion in public life and abortion," said Archbishop Chaput. "That retooling could easily happen ... but only if Catholics and other religious believers allow it." Saying he spoke as "an American, a Catholic and a bishop -- though not necessarily in that order," Archbishop Chaput addressed Catholics' responsibility to live out their faith in public life. He spoke Feb. 23 on the campus of the University of Toronto. Noting the strengths and intelligence of Obama, Archbishop Chaput said Catholics -- however enamored by the president's gifts -- must be honest with themselves about some of his policies, including his pro-choice stance. American Catholics need to remember that political leaders "draw their authority from God" as public servants and are not "messiahs."
- - -
Korean archdiocese says it has Vatican backing on alleged visionary
SEOUL, South Korea (CNS) -- The Kwangju Archdiocese said it has the backing of the Vatican for its decision that an alleged Marian visionary had been automatically excommunicated. In a Feb. 24 statement, the archdiocese quoted an April 2008 letter from the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith saying it respected the archdiocesan decision on the alleged visionary as the official position of the universal church. The statement was reported by the Asian church news agency UCA News. Father John Chrysostomus Kim Kye-hong, Kwangju archdiocesan chancellor, told UCA News Feb. 26 that the local church recently decided to disclose the Vatican letter. He said this was done in consultation with the apostolic nunciature in Korea because the alleged visionary's followers were "distorting" the "private" concerns of Cardinal Ivan Dias, prefect of the Vatican's Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, who had urged the Korean bishops to recognize Julia Youn, the alleged visionary. However, the archdiocesan statement reminded Catholics that the doctrinal congregation was the only authority competent to rule on the issue.
- - -
PEOPLE
Father Snyder defends his role on president's advisory council
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Despite receiving what he termed "hate mail" that questioned his involvement on the President's Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, the president of Catholic Charities USA said he welcomed the opportunity to bring the church's views on serving the poor and marginalized to national discussions aimed at solving deepening social problems. The correspondence raised doubts about his role and "why I would associate with a contemporary Hitler," Father Larry Snyder told more than 500 people who work in social ministry gathered Feb. 23 for breakfast during the annual Catholic Social Ministry Gathering in Washington. He said the notes he received "also told me that I would probably go to hell for accepting this appointment." Father Snyder was named to the council Feb. 5 along with two dozen other faith-based and community leaders. The comments about the priest's appointment apparently came because of President Barack Obama's promise to keep abortion safe and legal. He also has pledged to seek common ground to reduce the incidence of abortion.
- - -
Pope appoints Belem archbishop to Brazil's Rio de Janeiro Archdiocese
SAO PAULO, Brazil (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI named Belem Archbishop Orani Joao Tempesta as the new archbishop of Rio de Janeiro. Archbishop Tempesta will replace Cardinal Eusebio Scheid, who had presented his resignation to the pope in 2007 when he turned 75. The announcement was made in Rio de Janeiro and at the Vatican Feb. 27. "I receive (the appointment) with much confidence and hope in God who has asked us to serve, and I am certain that he gives us a mission and skills so that we may do the best job possible," Archbishop Tempesta said in a radio interview. Archbishop Tempesta was born in 1950 in Sao Jose do Rio Pardo. He was ordained a Cistercian priest in 1974. He was appointed bishop of Sao Jose do Rio Preto in 1997 and seven years later was named archbishop of Belem, in Brazil's Amazon region.
- - -
Man pleads guilty to setting fire that destroyed Indiana church
NEW CASTLE, Ind. (CNS) -- St. Anne parishioners in New Castle are thankful that William S. Abbott finally told the truth Feb. 19 about starting the late-night fire which gutted their historic Henry County church nearly two years ago. Abbott, a 34-year-old New Castle resident who has a history of criminal offenses, admitted to Henry County prosecutor Kit Crane and staff prosecutors that he broke into the church April 7, 2007, a day before Easter, and set the building on fire. He pleaded guilty to arson, a Class A felony, and will receive a reduced prison sentence as part of his plea agreement. The felony charge, which has a maximum 50-year prison term, will be reduced to 40 years. Other charges of burglary, theft and two additional counts of arson will be dismissed in the plea agreement. Fingerprints and other evidence collected by investigators at and near the fire scene led authorities to arrest Abbott on arson charges May 10, 2007.
END
Copyright (c) 2009 Catholic News Service/USCCB. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed.
CNS · 3211 Fourth St NE · Washington DC 20017 · 202.541.3250
|
|
|
|
