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News Briefs
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NEWS BRIEFS Aug-28-2009
By Catholic News Service
U.S.
New Catholic pharmacy schools seen helping ease national shortage
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- With a projected national shortage of pharmacists, two U.S. Catholic colleges just inaugurated new pharmacy schools to help fill the gap in meeting the country's pharmaceutical needs. Seventy students at the College of Notre Dame of Maryland in Baltimore began their first day of classes Aug. 24 at the Catholic institution's new School of Pharmacy, the first one to be opened at an all-women's college. Like the other graduate programs at College of Notre Dame, the new pharmacy school is open to both men and women, and 29 of them are men. Jesuit-run Regis University in Denver also began classes Aug. 24 for the 50 students in its new School of Pharmacy. Graduates at both schools will earn a doctor of pharmacy degree. These are two of four new U.S. pharmacy schools to open this fall semester nationwide, at a time when the nation has a shortage of pharmacists. By 2020 the country is expected to be short about 157,000 pharmacists to meet society's needs, according to Anne Lin, dean of the new pharmacy school at the College of Notre Dame, which is sponsored by the School Sisters of Notre Dame.
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Archbishop calls bomber's release 'a sad and perplexing mistake'
NEW YORK (CNS) -- Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan of New York termed Scotland's decision to release Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi, the only man convicted of the Dec. 21, 1988, bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, "a sad and perplexing mistake." The archbishop's remarks came in a statement released Aug 25. Scottish officials freed Megrahi from his life sentence on compassionate grounds Aug. 20, saying he was dying from prostate cancer and had only three months to live. He then flew home to Libya and a hero's welcome from thousands of flag-waving supporters. "While as a follower of Jesus Christ I believe in mercy, I also believe that mercy must be tempered with justice," Archbishop Dolan said. "Mercy can be demonstrated in ways other than by releasing a man responsible for so much pain, suffering and death. Those who lost loved ones also deserve mercy and justice. Finally we must consider that the release of this man could encourage others to engage in similar acts of terrorism in the future which would be a tragic result," he added. The midair bombing killed all 259 people on board the plane and 11 others on the ground.
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Civilians urged to help military archdiocese by praying for vocations
OSTERVILLE, Mass. (CNS) -- The civilian population can help the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services by "keeping us in your prayers for more vocations to the chaplaincy," said Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, who heads the archdiocese. He pointed out that there are currently 285 active duty Catholic chaplains, a number that does not begin to meet the needs across the globe. These chaplains bring the church's presence to each of the five branches of the service, and not just to the enlisted men and women, but also to their family members. Archbishop Broglio made the comments at a fundraising luncheon in Osterville in the Diocese of Fall River. Sponsored by the Knights of Malta, the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher and others, the event raised more than $12,000 for the military archdiocese. "Many people think the military archdiocese is funded by the U.S. government," he said. "But that's not the case," he said, noting that the separation of church and state doesn't allow for that and adding that the military archdiocese is "funded through the generosity of others."
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Miami Archdiocese announces parish mergers for Oct. 1
MIAMI (CNS) -- Catholic parishioners at eight parishes, five missions and one apostolate of the Archdiocese of Miami recently heard the news that their spiritual homes would be merged with other parishes by Oct. 1. Miami Archbishop John C. Favalora announced that after much prayer and personal reflection -- as well as consultations with the council of priests, the archdiocese's finance council, the pastors' committee, and the pastors and some parishioners of all merging parishes -- the archdiocese has decided to move forward with the parish mergers first proposed in June of this year. "I know that this decision is a disappointment to the parishioners of merging parishes. It also is a very difficult decision for me," the archbishop stated in a letter to each of the affected parishes. Archbishop Favalora assured parishioners that the same pastoral and spiritual care that was given to them at their parishes will be given to them at their new spiritual homes. "The teaching of the Catholic faith, the preaching of the Gospel, the celebration of the sacraments and the life of charity are yours at your new parishes," the archbishop said. The pastors of the merging parishes will meet with the members of the parish pastoral council and finance council as well as other parish leaders to ensure a smooth and effective transition.
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Bishop of Tulsa restores practice of celebrating Mass facing altar
TULSA, Okla. (CNS) -- When he celebrates Mass at Tulsa's Holy Family Cathedral, Bishop Edward J. Slattery of Tulsa now faces the crucifix on the altar with his back to the congregation. He has restored the liturgical practice, called "ad orientem," because he said it reflects "a more authentic Catholic worship." The bishop, writing in the September issue of Tulsa's monthly diocesan magazine, Eastern Oklahoma Catholic, said the liturgical practice, largely abandoned in the 1960s, demonstrates how the priest and the congregation share in the act of worship. "In the past 40 years," he wrote, "this shared orientation was lost; now the priest and the people have become accustomed to facing in opposite directions. The priest faces the people while the people face the priest, even though the eucharistic prayer is directed to the Father and not to the people." The bishop began using this restored liturgical practice during Masses last December. The bishop, who celebrates the Mass in English, said the "ad orientem" practice better represents what the Mass is all about, showing that the people and the priest are united in a single action. They offer one sacrifice, he explained, but in their proper roles: The people joined to Christ as his body and the priest configured to Christ as the head of the body."
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Little Rock Scripture Study hopes guide on Gospels has wide appeal
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (CNS) -- The Little Rock Scripture Study, known worldwide for its group Bible studies, has developed a study guide titled "The Four Gospels." The Gospels are "the core preaching of the church, the Gospel of Jesus Christ," said Cackie Upchurch, director of the ministry. The Little Rock Scripture Study, created by the Little Rock Diocese, develops and distributes Bible study materials to parishes and small faith communities. But it has ventured into other projects in the past few years, such as "A Year of Sundays," a reflection on the Sunday Gospels, and "What the Bible Says About ...," a free study series available on its Web site at www.littlerockscripture.org. "The Four Gospels" ($24.95) also can be ordered from the site, as well as from www.amazon.com. The ministry will eventually produce a study edition of the entire Bible. "'The Four Gospels' is really our first major offering for personal use as well as for groups," Upchurch told the Arkansas Catholic, Little Rock's diocesan newspaper. "Our hope is that people who may never join a study group will still benefit a great deal from the study tips and tools that are scattered throughout the text itself."
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WORLD
Top Vatican official dismisses talk of rollback on Vatican II
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, has dismissed fears that Pope Benedict XVI plans to roll back major ecclesial changes introduced by the Second Vatican Council. On the contrary, the German pontiff has demonstrated his commitment to the council during his more than four years as pope, Cardinal Bertone told the Vatican newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano, in an interview published Aug. 27. In the wake of recent reports about a planned move to reverse liturgical changes made since Vatican II, Cardinal Bertone said reporters and observers should stick to the actual actions undertaken by the pope since his election. "The other ruminations and whispers about presumed documents of reversal are pure invention, following a standard and stubbornly re-proposed formula," he said. A week earlier, an Italian newspaper reported that the Vatican's worship congregation had given the pope a document with proposed liturgical modifications, including a curb on the practice of receiving Communion in the hand. A Vatican spokesman later said that, at present, there were "no institutional proposals for a modification of the liturgical books." Cardinal Bertone pointed to several areas in which he said Pope Benedict had promoted the teaching of Vatican II "with intelligence and depth of thought," including relations with Eastern and Orthodox churches and dialogue with Judaism and Islam.
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War and remembrance: Vatican highlights Pope Pius XII's peace efforts
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Like much of Europe and the world, the Vatican was marking the 70th anniversary of the start of World War II with an act of remembrance. In the Vatican's case, though, the remembering has focused largely on the dramatic and unheeded warnings issued by Pope Pius XII to world leaders in the weeks and days leading up to the war's outbreak. The late pope's sense of alarm came through loud and clear in the radio message he delivered Aug. 24, 1939, as German troops were massing on the Polish border. His voice full of urgency, the pontiff told the world's powerful that "empires not founded on justice are not blessed by God." "Today, when the tension of spirits has reached a level that makes the unleashing of the tremendous whirlwind of war appear imminent, in a spirit of paternity we make a new and heartfelt appeal to governments and peoples," the pope said. "To governments so that, laying aside accusations, threats and the reasons for reciprocal mistrust, they try to resolve present differences through the only suitable means, that is, sincere joint agreements; and to peoples so that in calm and serenity, and without unbecoming agitation, they will encourage efforts for peace on the part of their leaders," he said. The pope added, "Along with us, the whole of humanity hopes for justice, bread and freedom, not the iron that kills and destroys." Parts of the audio recording were replayed in late August on Vatican Radio, which called the message "a milestone in the church's service to peace."
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Vatican dossier highlights tragedy of infant mortality
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Efforts to reduce infant mortality around the world are showing positive results, but maternal death rates remain very high in many developing nations, according to a report by the Vatican news agency Fides. In addition, the number of neonatal deaths -- babies who die within 28 days of birth -- is improving but at a very slow rate, the report said. The document demonstrated the huge gulf that continues between industrialized and poorer countries in maternal, neonatal and pediatric care. Fides, the news agency of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, issued a dossier Aug. 27 that summarized statistics from international organizations, including UNICEF, the World Health Organization and the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization. Infant mortality, defined as child deaths before they reach the age of 5, claimed an estimated 9.2 million lives in 2007, the dossier said. That number is a significant improvement from 1990 when death claimed some 13 million children under 5. The hardest-hit areas remain sub-Saharan Africa and southern Asia, while the greatest improvement came in Southeast Asia and North Africa.
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PEOPLE
New WCC leader says cooperation with Catholic Church important
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The newly elected general secretary of the World Council of Churches said he believes it is important to maintain and develop cooperation with the Catholic Church. "The contribution of the Roman Catholic Church to theological work, and also in regard to many social and ethical problems, is very important," the Rev. Olav Fykse Tveit, a Norwegian theologian and pastor, told Vatican Radio Aug. 28, a day after his election. "The Roman Catholic Church is a universal church, and the World Council of Churches for its part is a global institution, and this opens the road to many exchanges of experience and to a shared evaluation of current challenges," said Rev. Tveit, 48, a member of the (Lutheran) Church of Norway. He said he hoped to meet with Pope Benedict XVI, "although not immediately." "I would like to speak with him about our common challenges, but also about our common faith," Rev. Tveit told Vatican Radio. "I have heard him speak and I have read his works, and he is a very important figure for mutual understanding between Christians. I think we have much to discuss together." The Roman Catholic Church is not a member of the World Council of Churches, although for 40 years a Vatican-WCC joint working group has promoted cooperation and collaboration.
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Military chaplain describes bringing faith to troops on front lines
TRENTON, N.J. (CNS) -- Celebrating Mass, offering the sacraments and providing spiritual guidance are common activities for most Catholic priests. But for a select few, being a priest can also include time on the grenade range or participating in field exercises with men and women of the U.S. military. Although it is not an easy life, Father Paul Halladay, a Catholic chaplain recruiter stationed in Fort Meade, Md., called it a vocation filled with blessings and rewards. As a military chaplain, a priest must face numerous challenges not often encountered by a parish priest, such as working in all possible weather conditions and putting in long, grueling hours of service. But Father Halladay, a priest of the Archdiocese of Mobile, Ala., said such conditions also lead to a much deeper bond between a priest and the people he serves. "Oftentimes you find yourself out in the field, right next to guys who are doing their military training," the priest said. "It is not just a relationship where they come to Mass on Sundays or they have their children in the school and they run into you in the school parking lot; they are working shoulder to shoulder with you every single day."
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