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News Briefs
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NEWS BRIEFS Oct-26-2009
By Catholic News Service
U.S.
Cardinal says Israel's security barrier raises human rights concerns
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- While Israel has a right to protect its citizens, the security barrier separating Israel from the Palestinian territories and checkpoints along the barrier raise human rights concerns, said a U.S. cardinal. "The most tragic thing I have seen is the miles-long wall that separates Jerusalem from Bethlehem and separates families and keeps farmers from the land that has been in their families for generations. It is humiliating and distressing," Cardinal John P. Foley, grand master of the Knights of the Holy Sepulcher, told participants at the 11th international conference of the Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation Oct. 24. "I appreciate the Israeli government's concern for security" and respect it, he said. "But many of these measures raise serious human rights issues that they refuse to acknowledge and address." The wall the cardinal referenced is a series of barbed-wire fences, security roads and looming cement slabs that, if completed as planned, would stretch 400 miles through the West Bank and restrict the movement of 38 percent of the residents of the West Bank.
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Making pro-life centers name services not provided called 'harassment'
BALTIMORE (CNS) -- A proposal requiring Baltimore pregnancy support centers to post a disclaimer telling clients they do not provide abortion or contraceptive services is harassment of the pro-life centers, say Catholic leaders. Baltimore Archbishop Edwin F. O'Brien and other critics of the measure said abortion clinics are not being similarly required to list all the services they don't provide, such as infant clothes, formula and parenting classes. The president of the Baltimore City Council, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, and 10 other members are sponsoring the bill, which if passed would levy a fine of $500 per day on centers that do not comply with the requirement. In an Oct. 16 letter to Rawlings-Blake, Archbishop O'Brien said the bill targets nonprofit organizations whose mission is to help women carry pregnancies to term. He said it is "well-known" that pregnancy support centers are exclusively focused on assisting women in their choice for childbirth, and do not provide abortions or contraception. "To fine a center $500 for not posting a sign that states as much is nothing short of harassment," Archbishop O'Brien said, "especially when nothing in a pregnancy support center's Yellow-Page advertisements or Web pages would lead a woman to believe these centers provide abortions or abortion-related services."
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Pope elevates Connecticut church to status of minor basilica
STAMFORD, Conn. (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI has elevated St. John the Evangelist Church in downtown Stamford in the Bridgeport Diocese to the status of minor basilica. The designation was announced Oct. 17. Bishop William E. Lori of Bridgeport said in a statement he was grateful to the pope "for this great blessing on our diocese. As a minor basilica, St. John's now enjoys a special relationship with the Holy Father," he said. "It becomes the pope's church and a center for the promotion of the teachings of the Holy Father and the Catholic Church's magisterium, as well as a center for a deeper devotion to the pope as the successor of St. Peter." Founded in 1847 to meet the needs of a growing Catholic population, St. John is known as the "mother church of Stamford." Twenty-three churches and missions in Stamford, Greenwich, New Canaan and Darien trace their roots to St. John. The first wooden clapboard church was dedicated in 1851. The current church, completed in 1886, was the largest stone building in the state at the time.
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Late Catholic artist's work tells biblical history with brush strokes
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The late Karen Laub-Novak was fascinated by biblical history -- and visitors to the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center in Washington can see how the Catholic artist captured narrative from the Bible in her paintings, lithographs and sculptures. Laub-Novak has been recognized as an inspirational and world-class artist, and officials at the cultural center were eager to display her colorful, dark and often haunting paintings and sculptures, said Luis Peralta, exhibit associate. Knowing the 71-year-old artist was battling cancer, Peralta said he was hoping to open the exhibit during Laub-Novak's lifetime. Sadly, the opening came after her Aug. 12 death in her Washington home. "She left a legacy of work behind that we're all so fortunate to experience," Peralta said. "We can see her interpretation of the word of God." Visitors to the cultural center near The Catholic University of America campus in the Northeast section of Washington will be awestruck by the vivid images in the exhibit, which officially runs through Nov. 15, he said, adding that he hopes to extend the showing through December.
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WORLD
At synod closing Mass, pope urges stronger evangelization in Africa
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- At a Mass to close the Synod of Bishops for Africa, Pope Benedict XVI urged the church to be a model of unity and a force of reconciliation throughout the African continent. To accomplish this goal, Catholics must preach Christ as the one savior and, like him, walk the "path of service" toward the suffering populations in Africa, the pope said during the liturgy in St. Peter's Basilica Oct. 25. "The church is the family of God in which there can be no divisions based on ethnic, language or cultural groups," he said. "The reconciled church is the potent leaven of reconciliation in each country and in the whole African continent," the pope said. With the Holy Spirit, Catholics can help transform the hearts of "victims and persecutors" wherever social injustice occurs, he said. The Mass closing the three-week-long synod was concelebrated by more than 200 African bishops, and the liturgy combined Roman and African elements. A Nigerian choir, backed by a restrained drum and percussion section, sang a processional hymn in the Igbo language as the pope, dressed in gold vestments, entered the basilica.
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Synod proposals call for change of heart to meet Africa's challenges
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Meeting the challenges of Africa -- from protecting the environment to stopping the spread of AIDS -- requires an individual change of heart, better education and cooperation based on respect for African and Christian values, said Cardinal Peter Turkson of Cape Coast, Ghana. The cardinal, whom Pope Benedict XVI named as president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace Oct. 24, presented the 57 propositions formulated by the Synod of Bishops for Africa and offered as suggestions for a document the pope may write about the work of the church on the continent. Cardinal Turkson, 61, had served as recording secretary of the Oct. 4-25 synod. Presenting the propositions at a press conference, Cardinal Turkson said synod members had looked at Africa's challenges from the point of view of "the work that the church, as the family of God, has to do." While many of the problems involve bad government, ancient ethnic tensions, disease, exploitation by multinational companies or the cultural agenda of foreign aid organizations, he said, the bishops believe they cannot be resolved without "a spirituality that unleashes signs on a social, economic and political level in our countries."
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Vatican, traditionalist Catholics identify key questions for dialogue
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- In an atmosphere described as "cordial, respectful and constructive," Vatican officials opened a dialogue with representatives of the traditionalist Society of St. Pius X and scheduled twice-a-month meetings over the coming months. In a statement issued after the first meeting at the Vatican Oct. 26, the Pontifical Commission "Ecclesia Dei" said the process would focus on key doctrinal issues arising from the teachings of the Second Vatican Council. "The questions due to be examined concern the concept of tradition, the Missal of Paul VI (the post-Vatican II Roman Missal), the interpretation of Vatican Council II in continuity with Catholic doctrinal tradition, the themes of the unity of the church and the Catholic principles of ecumenism, the relationship between Christianity and non-Christian religions, and religious freedom," the statement said. Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman, said the meeting lasted about three hours and dealt primarily with setting an agenda and a schedule for the talks.
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Bishop asks synod for initiation ritual that respects girls' bodies
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- In condemning the practice of female genital mutilation, the Catholic Church must offer alternative rituals for helping girls mark the passage to womanhood, a bishop from Tanzania told the Synod of Bishops for Africa. The appeal from Bishop Michael Mabuga Msonganzila of Musoma came in a written submission to the synod and was published by the Vatican Oct. 23. A condemnation of female genital mutilation was included in the 57 propositions the synod presented to Pope Benedict XVI Oct. 24. Bishop Msonganzila had told the synod that the practice of female genital mutilation is widespread in his diocese. "Despite campaigns that have been carried out, this cultural practice for so long has been taken to be part of the initiation process to maturity and to a new state of womanhood," he said. The values of the family and clan are explained to the girls, they are prepared to take on greater responsibility and they are educated regarding their future roles as wives and mothers, he said. "This is good. However, should that process be done through the butchering of the most sensitive part of one's body?" he asked.
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Pope names Ghana's Cardinal Turkson head of justice, peace council
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- During a special synod dedicated to peace and justice in Africa, Pope Benedict XVI named African Cardinal Peter Turkson as head of the Vatican's justice and peace council. When the Vatican spokesman, Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, announced the appointment Oct. 24 at the start of a synod press conference, the 61-year-old cardinal smiled broadly and giggled as journalists applauded. The personable and enthusiastic cardinal told the press that he accepted the new post with humility and thanked the pope for giving him the opportunity to serve the church in this new role. The pope also announced the appointment later that day during a special luncheon with bishops attending the synod. The former archbishop of Cape Coast, Ghana, succeeds 76-year-old Cardinal Renato Martino, who has retired as president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. Cardinal Turkson, Ghana's first cardinal, enjoyed a high profile during the Oct. 4-25 second special Synod of Bishops for Africa. He served as the synod's recording secretary -- a key role many had already seen as a clear sign of papal favor.
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Rio archbishop says drug dealers use famous church as lookout
SAO PAULO, Brazil (CNS) -- A church and important tourist attraction in Rio de Janeiro, the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Penha, is being used by drug traffickers to monitor police actions in the region, said Archbishop Orani Tempesta of Rio de Janeiro. "This occurs not only in the church but in houses surrounding the church," the archbishop said in a radio interview Oct. 25. "Unfortunately it is all part of this urban war." Drug traffickers also invaded several church towers to use them as lookouts, he said. The church sits high up on a cliff ("penha" in Portuguese) that overlooks the northern part of the city. The view is one reason it becomes part of many tourists' agendas. In the week before the archbishop's remarks, violence between rival drug gangs and police left more than 45 people dead and hundreds injured. The Oct. 25 procession of Our Lady of Penha went through neighborhoods that had been rocked by the sound of machine guns and other heavy artillery. Residents said the violence kept many away from the festivities this year.
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Palestinians, Israelis trade accusations after Jerusalem violence
JERUSALEM (CNS) -- As violence again spilled into the streets of Jerusalem's Old City, Palestinians and Israelis accused each other of provocation surrounding the compound that houses the Temple Mount, sacred to Jews, and the al-Aqsa Mosque, sacred to Muslims. "The whole mood is (one) of provocations," Yusef Daher, executive secretary of the Jerusalem Interchurch Center, said Oct. 26, a day after violence broke out in the city. "The (Israelis) are allowing Jewish groups (who want to pray) into the al-Aqsa Mosque Plaza. This is escalating more and more with no response from the international community. We are heading for another cycle of violence if the leaders don't react soon." Palestinians clashed with police near the compound in early October. The renewed violence began early Oct. 25 after the compound was opened by Israeli police to tourists and non-Muslim visitors. According to news reports, Palestinians began throwing stones at the tourists and Israeli police. Palestinian youths and Israeli police also clashed in other East Jerusalem neighborhoods throughout the day.
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PEOPLE
Vatican Latinist adjusts to nursing home, but expects return to Rome
GREENFIELD, Wis. (CNS) -- Carmelite Father Reginald Foster is a popular figure wherever he goes -- from the halls of the Vatican to his temporary home at Clement Manor in Greenfield. For instance, on a recent Saturday afternoon he had a visit from a niece and grandniece whom he had not seen in 23 years; a chat with a couple he married 28 years ago; and quick greetings from a fellow priest who lives at the sprawling facility. "This has been an enriching experience," said Father Foster, who has been at the manor since April. Father Foster was raised in Milwaukee but now considers Rome to be his home, having lived there for the past 47 years. He serves in the Latin-language section of the Vatican's Secretariat of State and heads a Latin academy that aims to keep the language alive for seminarians, priests and laypeople. Currently, however, Father Foster is on hiatus (a word rooted in the Latin "hiare," to gape) while he recovers from a series of medical problems. This is the second stay in two years at Clement Manor for Father Foster, who turns 70 in November.
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St. Anthony Messenger Press names new directors in reorganization plan
CINCINNATI (CNS) -- St. Anthony Messenger Press, as part of an ongoing reorganization of its business operations first announced in June, has split its business functions into six divisions, each with a director reporting to Thomas Shumate, the chief operating officer. The sole new hire among the division directors is Barbara K. Baker, division director of marketing, sales and Internet, according to Franciscan Father Daniel Kroger, CEO and publisher at St. Anthony Messenger Press. The other division directors, named from existing staff, are: Mark Lombard, product development; Gary Herrmann, operations; Donna Wanstrath, human resources and accounting; and Tammy Manjaras, customer satisfaction. Father Kroger will act as interim division director of content creation and services. In June, Father Kroger said St. Anthony Messenger Press would be "redefining its strategy" and reducing staffing "to compete more effectively in the current culture and economy."
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Irish prelate in Nigeria withdraws from ministry after abuse charges
DUBLIN, Ireland (CNS) -- An Irish archbishop who serves in Nigeria has withdrawn from active ministry while the Vatican investigates allegations of sexual abuse. The St. Patrick's Missionary Society, known as the Kiltegan Fathers, said Oct. 25 that the allegations against Archbishop Richard Burke of Benin City, Nigeria, are being investigated by the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. The charges came from a Nigerian woman, Dolores Atwood, 40, who now lives in Canada, where she is married and has run for public office. Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman, refused to comment on the issue Oct. 26. The newspaper Irish Mail on Sunday reported Oct. 25 that Atwood claimed she had been attacked by Archbishop Burke when she was a 14-year-old hospital patient in Warri in 1983; he is said to have continued to have sexual relations with her until 2003. Atwood lodged a formal complaint against the archbishop last year, and Kiltegan Fathers Gary Howley and John Marren met with her in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in December. Afterward, in a summary of what was discussed, Father Marren wrote: "Her allegation was very credible and was supported by corroborative evidence. ... She is a very capable person."
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