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News Briefs
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NEWS BRIEFS Jun-3-2009
By Catholic News Service
U.S.
Detroit pastors share message of faith, hope in light of auto crisis
DETROIT (CNS) -- General Motors Corp.'s bankruptcy filing June 1 is one more dramatic and harsh reality to Detroit-area residents still reeling from plant closings, downsizing, job losses and house foreclosures. With the headquarters for the "Big 3" -- General Motors, Chrysler LLC and Ford Motor Co. -- all within the Archdiocese of Detroit, the impact of the auto crisis has been personal on a number of levels. "Just what GM represents, not just to us, but to the country," said Father Thomas Slowinski, pastor at St. Andrew Parish in the suburb of Rochester. "This giant has fallen and when it gets up it will be a lot smaller." Father Slowinski's parish is just miles from the Chrysler headquarters and a number of auto plants. He and other parish priests across the archdiocese planned to address the current situation during the June 6-7 weekend as they gathered for the celebration of the feast of the Holy Trinity. Father Christopher Maus, pastor of St. Daniel Parish in suburban Clarkston, said: "We've been struggling with this for a year, even through the bankruptcy just happened. We've been dealing with foreclosures, trying to balance budgets, trying to balance the church budget and people trying to balance their own budgets."
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Catholic schools' reputation draws students in school-choice programs
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- A program that lets low-income parents in the District of Columbia choose a private, often Catholic school for their children faces an uncertain future. But similar programs in other cities are stable. Faith-based schools made up 56 percent of schools participating in the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program, which provided $12.7 million in federal money for about 1,700 students in the 2008-09 school year, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Parents chose one of the 22 participating Catholic schools 59 percent of the time. This can be attributed to the reputation and low cost of Catholic schools, said Marie Powell, executive director of Catholic education at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. "Particularly in inner cities, Catholic schools have a wonderful reputation for providing students at risk with a chance to graduate from high school," Powell told Catholic News Service. A U.S. Department of Education evaluation of the program found that the vouchers had a positive impact on reading test scores -- but not on math scores -- and a positive impact on parents' reports of school satisfaction and safety.
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Pro-life leaders, groups condemn murder of Kansas abortion doctor
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Pro-life advocates universally condemned the May 31 murder of a Kansas abortion doctor, with officials from several U.S. right-to-life groups saying such extreme acts only hurt the pro-life cause. "We condemn this lawless act of violence," said Charmaine Yoest, president of Americans United for Life. "The foundational right to life that our work is dedicated to extends to everyone. Whoever is responsible for this reprehensible violence must be brought to justice under the law." Dr. George Tiller, 67, of Wichita, Kan., was fatally shot while serving as an usher at the city's Reformation Lutheran Church during morning services, according to The Associated Press. The suspect arrested in the shooting, identified as Scott Roeder, 51, was officially charged June 2 with one count of first-degree murder, according to AP. The news service also reported that criminal justice officials have accused him of threatening two people at the church and additionally charged him with aggravated assault. Speaking on behalf of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Cardinal Justin Rigali of Philadelphia, chairman of the bishops' Committee on Pro-Life Activities, expressed profound regret upon learning of Tiller's shooting death.
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CNS wins 23 awards in CPA's annual journalism contest
ANAHEIM, Calif. (CNS) -- Catholic News Service won 23 awards in the Catholic Press Association's' annual journalism contest. CNS staffers, columnists and free-lancers received first-, second-, or third-place awards for entries in news writing, photos and graphics. The awards were announced May 29 during the closing dinner of the Catholic Media Convention, held in Anaheim. The May 27-29 convention was a joint gathering of the CPA and the Catholic Academy for Communication Arts Professionals. A full list of all the CPA winners -- chosen from more than 2,500 entries in 237 subcategories -- has been posted at www.catholicpress.org under the link "2009 Press Awards."
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WORLD
Pope grants congregation power to more easily laicize some priests
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI has granted the Congregation for Clergy new powers to dismiss from the priesthood and release from the obligation of celibacy priests who are living with women, who have abandoned their ministry for more than five years or who have engaged in seriously scandalous behavior. The new powers do not apply to cases involving the sexual abuse of minors by a priest; those cases continue to be subject to special rules and procedures overseen by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. The new faculties were announced by Cardinal Claudio Hummes, prefect of the clergy congregation, in an April 18 letter to the world's bishops. Catholic News Service obtained a copy of the letter in early June. Cardinal Hummes told CNS June 3 that the new, quicker administrative procedure for dismissing priests was prompted by "many situations where canon law did not seem adequate for meeting new problems." As an example, the cardinal said the 1983 Code of Canon Law made no provision for a bishop to initiate a process to laicize a priest who had abandoned his ministry.
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British court: Church adoption agency must include same-sex couples
LONDON (CNS) -- The Catholic Church in England and Wales has lost a legal battle to retain its few remaining adoption agencies. The government's Charity Tribunal ruled June 1 that the Catholic Care social services agency of the Diocese of Leeds, England, could not continue as an adoption agency unless it assessed same-sex couples as potential adopters and foster parents. A Leeds diocesan spokesman said in a June 2 statement that "it seems likely that the charities will need to close their adoption services and a flagship service will be lost." "We are concerned about the possible impact this will have on potential adoptive parents and children," the spokesman added. The agency, which finds new families for about 20 children each year, wanted to continue to serve the church as a diocesan charity. In 2008 it had applied to the Charity Commission, the organization that regulates charities in England and Wales, to change its constitution so it could appeal for an exemption under Regulation 18 of the Sexual Orientation Regulations that ban discrimination against homosexuals in the provision of goods and services.
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Families, friends gather at Paris cathedral to pray for crash victims
PARIS (CNS) -- Families and friends of the 228 victims of Air France Flight 447 processed into Notre Dame Cathedral carrying candles in memory of those who lost their lives in the Atlantic Ocean. Paris Cardinal Andre Vingt-Trois led an interfaith gathering that included Orthodox, Protestant, Jewish and Muslim officials. The June 3 service was organized by the Archdiocese of Paris and Air France. Among those in attendance were French President Nicolas Sarkozy and former President Jacques Chirac. A day earlier, Pope Benedict XVI sent his condolences and apostolic blessing to the families of passengers and all those affected when the flight, en route from Rio de Janeiro to Paris, disappeared from the radar between the Brazilian island of Fernando de Noronha and Cape Verde Islands, off the African coast. The plane was carrying 216 passengers and 12 crew members from 32 countries when Brazilian air traffic controllers lost contact with the plane at 10:30 p.m. May 31.
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Busy days or vacations must never distract people from God, says pope
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Fun-filled vacations or hectic workweeks must never distract people from dedicating a little time each day and, especially every Sunday, to God, Pope Benedict XVI said. "We must set aside time in life for God, to open our life to God with a thought, a meditation, a small prayer and to not forget Sunday is the day of the Lord," he said. During his weekly general audience June 3 in St. Peter's Square, the pope used the example of Blessed Rabanus Maurus, a Benedictine monk and bishop, to show how a person can live a busy life without sacrificing spiritual study, meditation and prayer. With an estimated 17,000 people gathered in the square, Pope Benedict continued his audience talks on important figures in the early church. When Rabanus Maurus, who lived in the Frankish Empire during the Middle Ages, became archbishop of Mainz in 847, he did not give up his studies and dedication to the Scriptures, the pope said. His life demonstrates how one can be completely at the service of others "without depriving oneself of spending a proper amount of time in reflection, study and meditation," said Pope Benedict.
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PEOPLE
Archbishop Curtiss of Omaha retires; Illinois bishop named successor
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI has accepted the resignation of Archbishop Elden F. Curtiss of Omaha, Neb., 76, and has named as his successor Bishop George J. Lucas, 59, of Springfield, Ill. The changes were announced June 3 in Washington by Archbishop Pietro Sambi, apostolic nuncio to the United States. Archbishop Lucas will be installed July 22 at St. Cecilia's Cathedral in Omaha. Archbishop Curtiss has been appointed to serve as apostolic administrator until the installation. "It is humbling to be given such responsibility by the vicar of Christ, and I thank the Holy Father for this privilege," the new archbishop said during a press conference in Omaha. "I look forward to learning about all of the ways in which the Gospel is preached and lived in the Archdiocese of Omaha. I have a great deal to learn, and you all have much to teach me." In a message to priests and employees of the Springfield Diocese, which he has headed for almost 10 years, he said, "The joy of being able to say yes to the pope without hesitation is tempered by the sadness I feel at the prospect of leaving this diocese and all of you."
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Indian Catholic women hail election of dalit woman as speaker
NEW DELHI (CNS) -- Christian women in India hailed the elevation of a dalit woman as speaker of the lower house of India's Parliament. Meira Kumar, 64, was elected unopposed June 3 as speaker of the Lok Sabha, the lower house of Parliament. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and opposition leader L.K. Advani led her to the chair, reported the Asian church news agency UCA News. Sister Lilly Francis, a member of the Sisters Minor of the Mary Immaculate and secretary of the Indian bishops' commission on women, said Kumar's election shows there is gradual and steady growth in gender sensitivity in the country. People now respect women's participation in all fields, Sister Lilly said. While congratulating Kumar, Singh noted she had made history by becoming the first woman and second dalit to occupy the prestigious post in India's 62 years of independence. Dalit means "broken open" in Sanskrit and denotes people formerly known as untouchables in India's multitiered caste system. Kumar comes from a community of cobblers.
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