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News Briefs
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NEWS BRIEFS Dec-11-2009
By Catholic News Service
U.S.
Health reform, Pope Benedict named top story, newsmaker of 2009
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The debate over health care reform topped the religious news stories of 2009, and Pope Benedict XVI and President Barack Obama were again the top newsmakers, according to the annual poll conducted by Catholic News Service. The continued effects of the recession on the U.S. and global economy took second place among the 30 news stories on the ballot. The controversy over Obama's commencement address at the University of Notre Dame in May and the decision to award the president with an honorary degree came in third. Most first-place votes on the newsmakers list went to either Obama or Pope Benedict, although the pope was the clear winner this year. The late Sen. Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts was a distant third. The poll was the 48th annual survey conducted by CNS. When the editors' poll was first conducted in 1962, the overwhelming choice for top story was the opening of the Second Vatican Council. Last year, editors chose the election of the first African-American U.S. president and controversy surrounding the role of Catholic voters in the campaign as the top religious story of the year. Pope Benedict and Obama were the top newsmakers.
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Apostolic visitation of US women religious moves toward 2010 visits
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The apostolic visitation of U.S. religious communities of women continued to move forward as 2009 came to a close with plans being drawn up for visits to congregations by official representatives of the church to begin in the spring. The visits will mark the start of the third phase of the apostolic visitation initiated by Cardinal Franc Rode, prefect of the Vatican's Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. Announced Jan. 30 at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, the apostolic visitation process was opened "in order to look into the quality of life" of U.S. congregations of women religious. Mother Mary Clare Millea, a Connecticut native who is superior general of the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, is overseeing the study of 341 congregations as apostolic visitator. The study covers nearly all of the country's 67,000 sisters. Only those nuns who live in cloisters are exempt. A Web site, www.apostolicvisitation.org, provides basic information about the project and outlines the reasons the study is being undertaken. Once the study concludes in mid-2011, a confidential report will be sent to Cardinal Rode, but its findings will not be made public, according to Mother Clare.
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Policy changes, interaction with faith leaders mark Obama's first year
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- President Barack Obama's first year in office was packed with major news of interest to the world, but there was much to report about his interactions with faith leaders and on other topics of religious interest. The changes Obama brought to domestic and foreign policy, his ambitious work to pass a health care reform bill, his appointments to the Cabinet, the Supreme Court and ambassadorships, relations between the White House and the Vatican, and his commencement address at the University of Notre Dame were all significant religious news stories. One issue that concerned the Catholic bishops and other church leaders was how Obama dealt with abortion, including in health care legislation and in government policy for international family planning funds. Within days of his inauguration, he reversed the so-called Mexico City policy barring use of U.S. funds by international family planning programs, and in March he issued an executive order easing the Bush administration's limits on stem-cell research involving the destruction of human embryos. Like President George W. Bush's first year, Obama's also included a visit to the pope, a focus on government collaboration with faith-based organizations, and even a speech at Notre Dame, though the Catholic university was criticized for having Obama, a supporter of keeping abortion legal, as a speaker.
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Catholic influence seen in House health bill, but what about Senate?
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Although the ultimate fate of health reform legislation in the U.S. Congress remained up in the air as the end of 2009 neared, one thing is certain: With their unequivocal call to keep the legislation abortion-neutral, the U.S. bishops had a strong influence on the debate. The role of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in the debate over health care reform drew criticism and praise, depending primarily on where the commentators stood of the abortion issue. Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich., a Catholic who was the main sponsor of an amendment keeping the status quo on abortion funding in House health reform legislation, said the calls and letters to members of Congress from Catholic leaders and pro-life organizations were very helpful in persuading 64 Democrats to support his amendment. But Rep. Patrick Kennedy, a Catholic Democrat from Rhode Island who supports keeping abortion legal, sharply criticized the bishops for their stance, saying they were fanning "the flames of dissent and discord" by insisting that health reform not expand abortion funding beyond the current, extremely limited circumstances. There was widespread agreement with the often-repeated calls by the USCCB, Catholic Health Association, Catholic Charities USA and other Catholic groups for action this year to help the nation's estimated 46.3 million uninsured.
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Advocates for unemployed urge programs to help them avoid foreclosure
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Large numbers of homeowners are underwater with their mortgages, meaning they owe more than the house is now worth. The problem is worse when the homeowner is unemployed. The federal government has been pressuring banks, whose own assets were bailed out a year ago in a $700 billion package, to pick up the pace in helping homeowners, but banks have been slow to meet the challenge. However, there are state-run mortgage assistance programs which, if applied nationwide, could provide "significant but temporary assistance to the unemployed," according to Morris Davis, a professor of urban economics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Business and a former economist with the Federal Reserve Bank. "The unemployed simply don't have enough unemployment insurance benefits to make mortgage payments," Davis said during a Dec. 9 conference call sponsored by the PICO National Network, founded in 1972 by a Jesuit priest. PICO stands for People Improving Communities Through Organizing. Davis and John Dodds, director of the Philadelphia Unemployment Project, planned to meet Dec. 14 with members of the White House Economic Council to tout foreclosure-diversion programs that have worked at the state level.
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WORLD
Vatican says pope outraged by sex abuse in Ireland
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI shares "the outrage, betrayal and shame" felt by Irish Catholics over cases of clerical sexual abuse and the way abuse claims were handled by church leaders, and he plans to write a special pastoral letter to the Catholics of Ireland, the Vatican said. The letter "will clearly indicate the initiatives that are to be taken in response to the situation," said a statement issued by the Vatican Dec. 11. The statement was released after the pope and top Vatican officials spent 90 minutes meeting with Cardinal Sean Brady of Armagh, Northern Ireland, president of the Irish bishops' conference, and Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin. Cardinal Brady said the pope's letter, which is expected early in January, will outline several initiatives, including public services of repentance for Irish bishops and priests. "I asked him, in my opening remarks, to teach us, to help us be better shepherds of the people, to lead us on the way of repentance and so, therefore, there will be suggestions about celebrations of lament and repentance involving, first of all, us bishops and priests," the cardinal told reporters. Calling a papal pastoral letter to one nation's Catholics "quite a significant document," Archbishop Martin said it would be the beginning of a whole process aimed at "a very significant reorganization of the church in Ireland." Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman, said the statement summarizing the meeting was approved by Pope Benedict and "obviously reflects his style and tone" in discussing revelations about clerical sex abuse.
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Ecumenical allies? Orthodox, Catholics take aim at European secularism
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- For years, the Vatican has suggested that a promising area of ecumenical cooperation was a joint struggle by Christian churches against the moral and social challenges posed by a predominantly secular society. Now the Russian Orthodox Church has come forward to propose a strategic alliance with the Catholic Church aimed, in effect, at saving Europe's soul from "Western post-Christian humanism." The offer came in an introduction written by Russian Orthodox Archbishop Hilarion to a book of speeches by Pope Benedict XVI on Europe's spiritual crisis, published in Russian by the Orthodox Moscow Patriarchate. In an unusual move, the Vatican newspaper published almost the entire introduction in its Dec. 2 edition. Archbishop Hilarion, who is president of the Moscow Patriarchate's Department for External Church Relations, took a combative tone in his text. He denounced the "militant secularism" adopted by an increasingly united Europe, warned that religion was being closed off in the "ghetto" of private devotion, and urged Christians to confront their governments on issues like abortion, euthanasia and same-sex marriage -- even to the point of civil disobedience.
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German Catholic Church reports further decline in priestly vocations
WARSAW, Poland (CNS) -- Germany's Catholic Church has reported another decline in priestly vocations, despite a German pope, with 25 percent fewer seminarians than five years ago. "Vocations are affected by the same factors here as in other Western countries," said Matthias Kopp, spokesman for the German Bishops' Conference. "But we are also facing specific demographic changes, with an aging rural population and falling Catholic numbers," he told Catholic News Service Dec. 10 in a telephone interview. "This has created problems we've had to deal with by restructuring our parishes." The German conference of seminary directors Nov. 30 reported 842 seminarians enrolled compared with 1,122 in 2004. Kopp said several German dioceses had taken initiatives to encourage vocations during the current international Year for Priests, adding that the bishops' conference president, Archbishop Robert Zollitsch of Freiburg in Breisgau, had reported a doubling of admissions this fall in his archdiocese. Meanwhile, Msgr. Franz Joseph Baur, chairman of the Munster-based seminary directors' conference, said the enrollment figures paralleled a decline in church affiliations and Mass attendance and underlined the need for priests to delegate functions to lay Catholics.
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Papal preacher says church must acknowledge weakness of some priests
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Just a few hours before Pope Benedict XVI met with Irish bishops to discuss the clerical sex abuse crisis, the preacher of the papal household told him and other Vatican officials that as a matter of justice the church must publicly admit the weakness of some of its priests. But more is needed to renew the priesthood, said Capuchin Father Raniero Cantalamessa, giving his weekly Advent meditation Dec. 11. Father Cantalamessa said priests are called to be "the sweet perfume of Christ in the world," but -- as St. Paul said -- "We hold this treasure in earthen vessels," which can break easily. "From recent painful and humiliating experience, we know all too well what this means," the preacher said. The Capuchin spoke in the "Redemptorist Mater" Chapel of the Apostolic Palace less than three hours before the pope convened a meeting with Vatican officials, Cardinal Sean Brady of Armagh, Northern Ireland, and Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin. The pope called the meeting to discuss a Nov. 26 report detailing how church officials mishandled claims of clerical sexual abuse in the Archdiocese of Dublin and failed to assist the victims.
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Ugandan lawmaker defends bill expanding sanctions against homosexuals
KAMPALA, Uganda (CNS) -- A Ugandan lawmaker defended a bill that would impose the death penalty for certain types of homosexual behavior, saying such punishment would be invoked only in cases of abuse involving children or disabled people or when the accused is HIV-positive. David Bahati, a member of the Uganda's parliament, said the widespread furor that arose over his bill was the result of distorted media reports. In addition to the capital punishment provision, the bill calls for imprisoning people found guilty of engaging in or promoting homosexual activity. Family members and friends of homosexuals also could be jailed for not reporting homosexuals to authorities. The bill has evoked condemnation from church leaders in several nations, including the United States and England. Despite the bill's capital punishment clause, Catholic Church officials have not offered a response to the legislation, said Msgr. John Baptist Kauta, secretary-general of the Uganda Episcopal Conference. "We have not come up with a statement as yet," Msgr. Kauta said in a Dec. 9 telephone interview. He also expressed concern over the growing public display of homosexuality in Uganda. "The issue of homosexuality has been imported. It is not a traditional culture of Uganda," Msgr. Kauta said.
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Vatican official promotes prayer during Year for Priests
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Without a daily diet of personal prayer, Catholic priests risk falling spiritually ill and endangering the well-being of the communities they serve, a top Vatican official said. "Truly, without the vital food of prayer the priest becomes sick, the disciple does not find the strength to follow the Master, and thus dies of hunger. As a consequence his flock is scattered, and dies in its own turn," said Brazilian Cardinal Claudio Hummes, head of the Congregation for Clergy. His comments came in the latest in a series of periodic letters published by his congregation to mark the Vatican-sponsored Year for Priests, which began in June 2009 and concludes in June 2010. Cardinal Hummes encouraged priests to see themselves as shepherds who must always be strong to protect their flock. He began by quoting fourth-century theologian St. John Chrysostom, who wrote, "The devil attacks the shepherd. In fact, if by killing the sheep the flock is reduced, by instead eliminating the shepherd he will destroy the entire flock."
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US nun's convicted killer withdraws request for new trial
SAO PAULO, Brazil (CNS) -- The convicted killer of U.S. Sister Dorothy Stang withdrew his request for a new trial Dec. 9, hours before he was expected to appear before the courts in the northern city of Belem. In a courtroom filled with journalists, peasants and even Stang family members, Rayfran das Neves Sales said through his public defender that he was "unwilling to submit himself to yet another public trial, and he would accept the sentence handed down in 2005" of 27 years in jail for the 73-year-old nun's assassination. A member of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, Sister Dorothy was killed because of her project on the sustainable development of the Amazon region, which bothered many of the large landowners in the area.
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Israeli High Court denies Gaza student's appeal to finish studies
JERUSALEM (CNS)--The Israeli High Court ruled that a Bethlehem University student from Gaza will not be allowed to complete her final semester of studies after she was deported to Gaza in October. In a Dec. 9 decision, the court said that although Berlanty Azzam, a 21-year-old Christian student studying business administration, did not pose a security threat, she had been in breach of a 2005 travel permit. The document allowed her to cross between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank for religious purposes but not to study, the university said in a statement following the ruling. The court earlier had suggested the Israeli Defense Forces, which are responsible for issuing the permits, find a way to allow Azzam to return to the university to complete her studies. But the IDF did not follow through with the suggestion, according to the university. Azzam was detained and deported to Gaza Oct. 28 after being stopped at an Israel checkpoint in Palestinian territory. She had two months of school remaining to complete her degree when she was deported.
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PEOPLE
Transcript of pope-Gorbachev meeting in 1989 shows areas of agreement
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- During their historic meeting in late 1989, Pope John Paul II and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev expressed broad agreement on the need for greater religious freedom in the Soviet Union, for a renewal of ethical and moral values, and for improved Catholic-Orthodox relations. The two leaders also agreed that at a time of upheaval in Eastern Europe, the region should not be expected to simply import Western values wholesale. "It would be wrong for someone to claim that changes in Europe and the world should follow the Western model. This goes against my deep convictions," the late pope said. "Europe, as a participant in world history, should breathe with two lungs," the pope added, using one of his favorite metaphors for harmony between East and West on the continent. "That is a very appropriate image," Gorbachev replied. A partial transcript of the papal audience of Dec. 1, 1989, was made available online by the National Security Archive, an independent research institute located at George Washington University in Washington. The transcript was a translation of the Soviet record of the encounter, made available by the Gorbachev Foundation. The Vatican had no immediate comment on the content or accuracy of the transcript.
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Irish missionary priest killed during Kenya break-in
KERICHO, Kenya (CNS) -- An Irish missionary priest who has worked on development issues for 41 years in the Kericho Diocese was found murdered Dec. 11 in his St. Patrick Keongo Parish residence. Father Jeremiah Roche, a member of the St. Patrick Missionary Society, known as the Kiltegan Fathers, was killed during a robbery attempt, police said. Speaking with Catholic News Service at Father Roche's home, Bishop Emmanuel Okombo of Kericho in western Kenya said he was shocked to learn of the 68-year-old missionary's death. "How can they eliminate the priest?" Bishop Okombo said. "It is sad indeed that murderers can target God's servants." He challenged the government to boost security in order to prevent such random acts of violence. He cited other attacks on priests across Kenya in recent years as reasons for concern.
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For first time, Vietnamese president meets pope, top Vatican officials
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI's meeting with Vietnam President Nguyen Minh Triet marked an important step toward normalizing relations with the communist nation, said the Vatican. The encounter Dec. 11 was the first time a president of communist Vietnam met with the pope and high-ranking Vatican officials. Pope Benedict and President Triet spent 40 minutes in closed-door talks discussing "cooperation between church and state" and the current international situation, particularly "the commitment of Vietnam and the Holy See in the multilateral field," said a Vatican statement. The Vatican was pleased with the visit as it marked "a significant stage in the progress of bilateral relations with Vietnam," the statement said, adding that it hoped "outstanding questions may be resolved as soon as possible." The pope and president greeted each other very warmly at the outset of the meeting, and the atmosphere in the papal library was friendly and positive.
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Gregorian University offers first permanent contract to non-Catholic
ROME (CNS) -- For the first time in its 456-year history, the Pontifical Gregorian University has offered a permanent contract to a professor who is not Catholic. Adnane Mokrani, 43, taught courses in Islam at the Jesuit-run university in Rome for five years before being offered a contract as an adjunct lecturer. "For a Muslim theologian involved in dialogue, one who has studied Christianity, to be in this environment is to be in paradise," said Mokrani, a Tunisian who holds a doctorate in Islamic theology from Zitouna University in Tunis and a doctorate in Christian-Muslim relations from the Pontifical Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies in Rome. "It's a great gift of God; it's providential," said Mokrani, who teaches in the university's Institute for Interdisciplinary Studies on Religions and Culture. Until the university created the positions of adjunct lecturer and adjunct professor at the beginning of the academic year, it offered permanent contracts only to people with a Catholic baptismal certificate. Muslims and Jews, including rabbis, who have been teaching at the university for decades, were rehired each year and paid according to the number of courses they taught.
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