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News Briefs
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NEWS BRIEFS Feb-1-2011
By Catholic News Service
U.S.
Developers of new app say it could bring Catholics back to confession
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (CNS) -- Can modern technology help strengthen our faith? Some techno-savvy Catholics from South Bend think so. In his message for the 2011 World Communications Day, Pope Benedict XVI said it's not enough to just "proclaim the Gospel through the new media," but one must also "witness consistently." The developers of "Confession: A Roman Catholic App" for Apple's iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch think their product helps people do both. Brothers Patrick and Chip Leinen and their friend Ryan Kreager said feedback has been positive. The app, reportedly the only one with an imprimatur, is designed to help people make a better confession. Given in this case by Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades of Fort Wayne-South Bend, an imprimatur is an official declaration by a church authority that a book or other printed work may be published. It declares the published work contains nothing offensive to Catholic teaching on faith and morals. "The app is really built for two kinds of people," Kreager explained. "For Catholics who go to confession regularly, it gives the user information. They enter their name, age, their sex, their vocation and their last confession date, and it generates an examination of conscience based on that information." Centered on the Ten Commandments, the examination would be different for a young mother than for a teenage boy, for example. The examinations were provided by two different priests, the app developers said. In addition to helping Catholics who already make use of the sacrament of reconciliation, Kreager said the confession app is helping another group of people. "It's also for people who've been away from the church and want the opportunity to go to confession," he told Today's Catholic, newspaper of the Fort Wayne-South Bend Diocese. "You go to the examination of conscience and it literally walks you through, step by step, your confessions as you're in the confessional."
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US judge rules law making pregnancy center post sign unconstitutional
BALTIMORE (CNS) -- U.S. District Court Judge Marvin J. Garbis ruled Jan. 28 in Baltimore that it is unconstitutional to require pro-life pregnancy centers to post signs with language mandated by the government. The ruling was a major victory for the Archdiocese of Baltimore, which had challenged a Baltimore City law passed in 2009 requiring the posting of signs at pro-life pregnancy centers stating that they do not provide abortion and birth control. The archdiocese argued that such signs were a violation of First Amendment rights and that the law unfairly targeted pro-life pregnancy centers while no such signs were required of other centers indicating which services they don't provide. "The court holds that the ordinance violates the freedom of speech clause of Article I of the Constitution of the United States and is unenforceable," Garbis wrote. "Whether a provider of pregnancy-related services is 'pro-life' or 'pro-choice,' it is for the provider -- not the government -- to decide when and how to discuss abortion and birth-control methods." Garbis said the government cannot, consistent with the First Amendment, "require a 'pro-life' pregnancy-related service center to post a sign as would be required by the ordinance." Baltimore Archbishop Edwin F. O'Brien, who had actively campaigned against the law when it was being considered by the Baltimore City Council, called the ruling a "clear victory both for pregnant women in need of assistance and for First Amendment principles we treasure in a free society." In a written statement following the ruling, the archbishop said crisis pregnancy centers were an "integral part" of the archdiocese's efforts to assist women who are looking for help to carry their babies to term.
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Revised Bible provides 'more clarity, more detail' for today's Catholic
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The revised New American Bible that will be released on Ash Wednesday, March 9, may seem most notably different to casual readers for its efforts at providing context and clarity in how the passages fit together, according to the coordinator of its publication. "It will be like going from regular TV to high-definition," said Mary Elizabeth Sperry, associate director of New American Bible utilization for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. "You'll have the same programs but more clarity, more detail." What is being called the New American Bible Revised Edition, or NABRE, will include the first revised translation since 1970 of the Old Testament. The New Testament translation is the same as in 1986's Second Edition of the New American Bible. The NABRE also will include the updated Book of Psalms, which was revised in three phases between 1991 and 2010 and has been included in Third Edition versions of the New American Bible published since 1991. The new Bible will be available in an assortment of print, audio and electronic formats, from a variety of publishers. Individual publishers will roll out their versions on their own schedules. For instance, Oxford University Press announced its line of compact NABRE editions will be available by Easter, April 24, and its study Bibles will be on the market for fall 2011 courses. The NABRE's publication will not affect what Scripture texts are used for Mass. The Lectionary translation has already been updated recently. Sperry explained that some of the updating in the Old Testament resulted from developments in biblical scholarship since the last time it was translated. For instance, recent archaeological discoveries have provided better texts, which affected scholarly views on how certain passages should be translated, she said. The goal of retranslating the Old Testament was to "get it closer to the original language," Sperry said. Scholars start with the original Hebrew or Greek text, for instance, rather than simply working from the 1970 New American Bible version, or from translations used in other Bible editions.
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Church's programs offer healing after abortion for both women and men
ST. LOUIS (CNS) -- Maria Thompson was a teenager when she became pregnant. The 18-year-old was living in Mexico City. The father, 11 years older than her, didn't want anything to do with the baby. Her parents, as she recalled, "would not tolerate any deviation." So when they found out she was pregnant, "I had no place to go." The year was 1973. Abortion was legal in Mexico, and the father of her child sent her to have an abortion. At that time, abortions were performed in the home of the doctor, Thompson recalled. For the first several months after the abortion, Thompson said it was "very difficult for me to see a baby." She supported a woman's choice to have an abortion, noting "it was the thing to do." It wasn't until later that she realized "it was nothing but to cover the pain and anguish" of her own abortion. She also considered suicide. Years later, Thompson married and had a child. She later became pregnant again, but lost that child through a miscarriage, an experience she said was sent to her by God. "The child I lost in a miscarriage was the same age of the aborted child," she recalled in an interview with The Review, newspaper of the St. Louis Archdiocese. "That's when life really became worse for me. I realized what had been bothering me." Thompson, who had strayed from her Catholic upbringing, returned to the church. She sought forgiveness through the sacrament of reconciliation and attended a retreat through Project Rachel, the church's ministry to those who have experienced an abortion. Today, the member of St. Ferdinand Parish in Florissant helps organize the semi-annual 40 Days for Life campaign, an effort which calls on people of all faith backgrounds to pray and fast for an end to abortion. Among their duties, participants take turns keeping a prayer vigil outside of the local Planned Parenthood abortion facility during the 40 days of the campaign.
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WORLD
Haitian clinics battle cholera while facing overwhelming challenges
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (CNS) -- Despite its numerous corrugated steel and cinder-block shacks, the impoverished, crowded and crime-ridden Cite Soleil area of Port-au-Prince was spared some of the worst effects of the 2010 earthquake. Not so during Haiti's cholera epidemic, said Sister Marcella Catozza, an Italian Franciscan who has worked in the Wharf Jeremie area of Cite Soleil for five years. "I spent my holiday time with cholera," she said of the epidemic that began in October and has affected more than 200,000 people nationwide. Sister Marcella, 48, does not like to dwell on the particular horrors of the victims. But she does recall what was probably the worst moment. Early in the epidemic, she arrived at the health clinic she oversees and found two people barely alive at the front door. Within 10 minutes, they were dead. The Franciscan's pragmatic manner betrays no hint of exhaustion or frustration with having to deal with one more chronic problem in what had already been a difficult year. Not only has she dealt with the human suffering after the January 2010 earthquake, Sister Marcella also has had to rebuild her damaged clinic and has struggled to provide health care in a part of Port-au-Prince where many nongovernmental groups refuse to work because of the Cite Soleil's notorious reputation. In the densely populated area surrounding the clinic, cholera has taken a serious toll. In November, Sister Marcella's clinic became a cholera treatment center. Staff treated 80 patients a day in a facility with half as many beds. Overall, about 2,000 cholera patients have been treated at the clinic. Seventeen died. Haiti's Ministry of Health and Population reported that as of Jan. 24, 209,034 Haitians had contracted the water-borne disease, with 4,030 dying.
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Commission to listen to victims of Legionaries of Christ founder
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The cardinal serving as papal delegate for the Legionaries of Christ has set up a five-man commission to listen to victims of the Legionaries' founder and present their claims to the order. Members of the "Outreach Commission" will "listen to the people who are requesting a response from the Legionaries of Christ because of Father Marcial Maciel (Degollado) or in relation to him," said a notice published Feb. 1 on the Legionaries' website. The commission will "deal only with cases having a direct relation to the person of Father Maciel. It will not intervene in cases awaiting decisions from civil or ecclesiastical courts," the notice said. Pope Benedict XVI named Cardinal Velasio De Paolis papal delegate of the Legionaries after it became clear that Father Maciel, who died in 2008, had fathered children and sexually abused seminarians. Under Pope Benedict's orders and Cardinal De Paolis' guidance, the Legionaries of Christ have begun a process of reform and the rewriting of their constitutions. In October, Cardinal De Paolis said he was forming a commission to rewrite the constitutions, another to handle financial matters and a third "to approach those who in some way put forward claims against the Legion."
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World needs witnesses of God's love, pope says
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The world needs God, which means it needs people who will dedicate their lives to serving him and serving others in God's name, Pope Benedict XVI said. "God is generous and all the local churches must be equally generous in their commitment to the pastoral work of vocations promotion," the pope wrote in a message to the Latin-American Continental Congress on Vocations. The meeting, sponsored by the Latin American bishops' council, was being held Jan. 31-Feb. 5 in Cartago, Costa Rica. Pope Benedict said studies have shown that well organized and constantly supported vocations programs bear fruit, but it's also true that a vocation is not a response to some kind of publicity campaign or job fair. "In its deepest reality it is a gift of God, a mysterious and ineffable initiative of the Lord, who enters the life of a person enthralled by the beauty of his love and consequently giving rise to a total and definitive response to divine love," the pope wrote.
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Iraqi archdiocese plans construction of university, hospital
ROME (CNS) -- The Archdiocese of Arbil in northern Iraq has announced plans for the construction of a university and hospital. Both projects come in response to the increasing number of Christians moving into the area, including skilled professionals trained in education and medicine. On Jan. 31, the regional government guaranteed the local archdiocese a gift of two pieces of land for the projects. The university and hospital will be run by the church and owned by the archdiocese but will be open to all people regardless of their religious or political preferences. Archbishop Bashar Warda of Arbil said construction of the university and hospital would provide jobs, training and other opportunities to thousands of Christians in the area. "We do not want Christians to leave Iraq," Archbishop Warda told Aid to the Church in Need, an organization providing support for persecuted Christians. "It is clear that our society needs schools, universities and hospitals and this provides us with an opportunity to encourage the Christians to build a future for themselves here."
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Pakistan's bishops seek curbs on extremism to protect freedoms
LAHORE, Pakistan (CNS) -- Church commissions and human rights organizations in Pakistan have called on the government to allow "freedom of conscience and expression" by curbing increasing extremism in the country. "We strongly condemn target killings and judicial ruling on journalists, especially in cases against political workers," said the Pakistan Catholic Bishops' Conference's National Commission for Justice and Peace. "We support the political process without any armed or religious interference. It is imperative to separate religion from state matters." The commission sponsored a program in Lahore Jan. 31 to discuss concerns about the country's crippled economy, increasing extremism and a lack of direction to address social ills, reported the Asian church news agency UCA News. Organizers said 500 people attended the event, with most speakers being politicians. "The prevalent mindset is a major concern for us," said Hina Jilani, Punjab chairwoman of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. "Religious parties are using street power for political gains. Instigative fatwas (decrees) are being issued without any check, and TV anchors are highlighting opinions of banned religious outfits." Christians nationwide observed a day of prayer, fasting and penance Jan. 30 after the Pakistani bishops issued a call for peace and unity.
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PEOPLE
Head of pontifical science academy wins 'Science for Peace' prize
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Four Nobel Peace Prize winners, including the new president of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, received the Erice "Science for Peace" award. Each year, members of the Switzerland-based World Federation of Scientists select noted scientists and world leaders who have promoted the use of science and technology for peace. The 2011 awards ceremony was Jan. 29 at the headquarters of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences at the Vatican and was presided over by Antonio Zichichi, president of the World Federation of Scientists and member of the pontifical academy. Among the award recipients was Nobel laureate Werner Arber, an 81-year-old Swiss microbiologist who was appointed president of the science academy in January.
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Book, movie on exorcisms was last thing on author's mind
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Flash back to 2004. American journalist Matt Baglio is living in Rome. He's never written a book before. But he meets a U.S. priest who came to Rome to learn how to conduct exorcisms. "I didn't tend to be interested in the topic. I'm not a big horror fan," Baglio told Catholic News Service in a Jan. 14 telephone interview from Rome. "If you were to ask me six years ago, seven years (ago), if I would be an expert on demonic possession. I would laugh." He hasn't even seen "'The Exorcist' all the way through." But one book, interviews with 17 exorcists and being a witness to 30 exorcisms later, Baglio knows much more about exorcisms than the typical Catholic layman. And now that book, "The Rite: The Making of a Modern Exorcist," has been turned into a movie -- "The Rite," which premiered Jan. 28. "I didn't know the priest. I had no idea that I was going to write the book. I didn't have a concept. I just heard that I was going to a seminar," he recalled.
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Packers' chaplain expects record Super Bowl crowd -- at pre-game Mass
ALLOUEZ, Wis. (CNS) -- If the Super Bowl is anything like the National Football Conference championship game, Norbertine Father Jim Baraniak said he expected an overflow crowd. The Packers' Catholic chaplain wasn't referring to the attendance at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, but rather the Mass to be celebrated before the big game Feb. 6. In Chicago, before the Packers beat the Bears Jan. 23, "everybody showed up. We maxed out the room," said Father Baraniak. "It was just unbelievable," he added. "The Mass was full of energy. I felt nervous during the homily." Father Baraniak, now in his 14th year with the team, has enjoyed an up-close view throughout the regular season and the playoff run. When the Packers play on the road, he watches the action from the visiting owner's box before making his way onto the field for the fourth quarter. In addition to his ministerial duties, he assists in the locker room. Father Baraniak, pastor at St. Norbert College Parish in De Pere, is responsible for returning players' valuables from safekeeping after the game. The job was tougher this season with all of the injuries. "Even at the end of the season, I had a hard time with all the new faces," he told The Compass, newspaper of the Green Bay Diocese. "Usually, after the preseason, by the first game, I know everyone. It was a guessing game at times this year. At the college, at the prison, in all the apostolates of which I'm involved, I take pride in getting to know people's names, so it's been difficult."
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Copyright (c) 2011 Catholic News Service/USCCB. All rights reserved.
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