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News Briefs
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NEWS BRIEFS Aug-17-2012
By Catholic News Service
U.S.
Renewal of CCHD leads to stronger emphasis on Catholic teaching
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- A little self-reflection every now and then never hurts. Some call it prayer; others a retreat. Peter Maurin and Dorothy Day, co-founders of the Catholic Worker, called it "clarification of thought." No matter how it's pegged, something worthy usually emerges. Stephanie Gyldendan, head organizer for ESTHER, a faith-based organization addressing social justice concerns in Neenah, Wis., finds such reflection a good thing. Members of the organization, a recipient of funding through the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, have begun to reflect more deeply on their work at the behest of the campaign, the U.S. bishops' domestic anti-poverty campaign. And they liked what they saw, Gyldendan told Catholic News Service. "It really brought in a rich discussion on why our faith traditions call us to engage in the community and work for justice," Gyldendan said. Under revised guidelines developed in 2010 as CCHD underwent its own "review and renewal" after a period of reflection, organizations seeking church funding for anti-poverty work are being asked to consider how work on affordable housing, immigrant rights, police protection and school reform enhances Catholic moral and social teaching. ESTHER, which stands for Empowerment Solidarity Truth Home Reform, is an interfaith organization that includes seven Catholic parishes as partners. Gyldendan said CCHD's new guidelines provide "room for conversation" to better understand how faith motivates action. CCHD-funded organizations are finding that the revised guidelines leave no doubt that Catholic teaching must be upheld in all activities and affiliations.
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Prayer, dialogue is sisters' 'gift' to church, says LCWR leader
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The way 900 women religious "went about the decision" of responding to the Vatican's doctrinal assessment of their organization was almost as "historic and important as the decision itself," said Dominican Sister Mary Hughes, a former president of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious. Sister Hughes, addressing an Aug. 16 luncheon at the National Press Club in Washington, said that although the sisters devoted a significant amount of time to the assessment during their Aug. 7-10 meeting in St. Louis, they did not have "fiery speeches" or discourse but instead primarily engaged in contemplative silence, listening and prayer. At the close of the four-day assembly, LCWR leaders, speaking on behalf of the entire group, said they would pursue "open and honest dialogue" with church officials about the assessment by the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. The assessment, issued April 18, said a reform of LCWR was needed to ensure its fidelity to Catholic teaching in areas including abortion, euthanasia, women's ordination and homosexuality. Seattle Archbishop J. Peter Sartain, charged with overseeing the group's reform, met with LCWR's national board Aug. 11. He said in a statement after the meeting that he is "truly hopeful that we will work together without compromising church teaching or the important role of the LCWR." The sisters' decision to seek dialogue could be their "gift to the church," said Sister Hughes, stressing the importance of listening to one another, which she said is so often missing in today's polarized society.
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WORLD
Russian Orthodox, Polish Catholic leader sign appeal for reconciliation
WARSAW, Poland (CNS) -- The head of the Russian Orthodox Church and the president of the Polish Catholic bishops' conference signed a joint message Aug. 17 urging Poles and Russians to set aside centuries of anger and prejudice and work together to maintain their countries' Christian identities. The signing of the reconciliation "Message to the Nations of Poland and Russia" was the key moment of the first-ever visit of a Russian Orthodox patriarch to modern Poland. "We enter a path of honest dialogue in the hope that it will heal the wounds of the past, facilitate our overcoming mutual prejudice and misunderstanding and strengthen us in our pursuit of reconciliation," said the message signed by Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and Archbishop Jozef Michalik of Przemysl, president of the Polish bishops' conference. The signing ceremony was broadcast live on Polish television. Polish Catholic and Russian Orthodox officials had been preparing the statement for more than two years in an effort to overcome historical grudges between the two nations and long-standing tensions between the faithful of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Polish Catholic Church. A long history of battles over territory became more complicated during World War II when Poland was invaded by both Germany and Russia. After the war, Poland came under the influence of the Soviet Union. Under communism, the Catholic and Orthodox churches were subject to government pressure, with the minority Orthodox in Poland and minority Catholics in Russia suffering particularly harsh treatment. The reconciliation message said, "Sin, which is the principal source of all divisions, human frailty, individual and collective egoism as well as political pressure, led to mutual alienation, overt hostility and even struggle between our nations.
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Statistically speaking: Vatican numbers hint at fading faith practice
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The percentage of Catholics practicing their faith is declining almost everywhere around the globe. Almost all bishops report it, but it's difficult to prove statistically. Each year, the Vatican's own statisticians compile mountains of data about the number of Catholics, baptisms, priests and religious, weddings and annulments in each diocese and country. The numbers illustrate trends over time, but many factors lead to the variations, said Enrico Nenna, the chief statistician in the Vatican's Central Office for Church Statistics. "It's very difficult to quantify Catholic practice, although many have tried with many different formulas," he said. "The only way to get an accurate picture of religious practice would be to carefully choose a cross section of the population, do a census, and then conduct interviews repeated over time." He said in his parish "over the last five years there has been an amazing increased heterogeneity" with young and old, married and single, Italian and immigrant worshippers. However, one cannot say his parish is the average Rome parish any more than the parish in the historic center of the city where, he said, "the 5 p.m. Mass is known as the 'widows' Mass.' In that neighborhood, the population is elderly, and women live longer than men." The number of baptisms and Catholic weddings reported around the world also are influenced by too many factors to be unquestionable indications of Catholic practice, Nenna said.
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South African bishops call for inquiry into mine violence
CAPE TOWN, South Africa (CNS) -- South Africa's bishops condemned the killings at a platinum mine in Marikana and called for a judicial inquiry into the circumstances that led to the violence. Thirty-four people died and 78 were injured Aug. 16 when police opened fire on striking miners who, armed with machetes and homemade spears, were gathered on a rocky outcrop at the mine, 60 miles northwest of Johannesburg. Another 10 people, including two policemen, had already been killed in violence at the mine since the start of an illegal strike Aug. 10. "The senseless loss of life, especially through wanton violence, is always a tragedy and needs to be condemned in the strongest terms," the Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference said in an Aug. 17 statement. "There are a lot of questions and not many answers," Bishop Kevin Dowling of Rustenburg said in an Aug. 17 telephone interview. The mine is located in his diocese. He and other church leaders were aware of the standoff between two trade unions over recognition agreements at the mine and "hoped that it would be resolved in the negotiations during the week," Bishop Dowling said. The miners were also demanding higher wages. The actions of the trade unions, the London-based Lonmin mining company and the police "need to be investigated" by an inquiry that also looks at "the living and working conditions at this mining operation," the bishops said.
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Lagos archbishop criticizes Nigeria's handling of security
LAGOS, Nigeria (CNS) -- Archbishop Alfred Adewale Martins of Lagos criticized the Nigerian government for its handling of the nation's security challenges and warned against allowing an extremist sect to destabilize the country. The archbishop cautioned Christians against participating in violence but expressed his support for the call by the Christian Association of Nigeria that Christians should defend themselves whenever they come under any attack. "The human life is sacred and must be regarded as such by anybody," he told journalists during an Aug. 16 briefing at the Church of the Assumption. The Islamist militant group Boko Haram has taken credit for a series of attacks on places of worship in northern and central Nigeria; in some cases, Christians have retaliated. Since 2010, Boko Haram has been blamed for more than 1,400 deaths. Archbishop Martins told journalists the government must deal quickly and decisively with any acts of aggression against Nigerians. He also said he supported dialogue, if necessary, between warring parties. "War has never brought about lasting peace in the history of humanity," he said. The archbishop, who served as bishop of Abeokuta until being installed to head the Lagos Archdiocese Aug. 4, also criticized the government for "not doing enough to deal with corruption. It needs to do much more than it is doing so far.
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PEOPLE
Pope mourns passing of Ethiopian Orthodox patriarch, Abune Paulos
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, a strong voice for peace and development in Africa, died Aug. 17 in Addis Ababa at the age of 76. Abune Paulos, as he was known, was also a leader in the worldwide ecumenical movement. Offering his prayers and condolences to the 40 million members of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, Pope Benedict XVI recalled the patriarch's visits to the Vatican and, especially, "the important observations he made" when he addressed the special Synod of Bishops for Africa at the Vatican in 2009. Pope Benedict had invited the patriarch to be one of the first speakers at the synod. The patriarch called for all of the continent's religious leaders to work together "for peace and to protect the natural resources God gave us and defend our children." He had said Christianity requires social action, including responding to the HIV pandemic, alleviating poverty and hunger, and stopping violence and the destruction of the environment. "Social work is the meaning of apostleship. Apostleship is the root of a real and compassionate social work," the patriarch told the synod. In his condolence message to the bishops of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, Pope Benedict also expressed gratitude for the patriarch's "firm commitment" to promoting Christian unity and closer ties with the Catholic Church.
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Mitchell heir leaves millions, literary rights to Atlanta Archdiocese
ATLANTA (CNS) -- The Archdiocese of Atlanta has received a substantial gift from the estate of Margaret Mitchell's nephew, Joseph, including a 50 percent share of the trademark and literary rights to "Gone With the Wind." The estate of Joseph Mitchell included a multimillion-dollar bequest to the archdiocese and the donation of his home in Atlanta. One of two sons of Margaret Mitchell's brother, Stephens, Joseph Mitchell died in October 2011. He was a member of the Cathedral of Christ the King and asked that, if possible, his donation assist the cathedral in a particular way. "It is a magnificent gift," said Deacon Steve Swope, who has been overseeing the transition of the bequest on behalf of Atlanta Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory. The inheritance passed on to the archdiocese includes a collection of signed "Gone With the Wind" first editions published in various languages in countries around the world and an unpublished history of the Mitchell family, handwritten by Margaret's father, Eugene Muse Mitchell. Some of Margaret Mitchell's personal effects, including her wallet with her press card and library card, and furniture from her apartment have been given to the archdiocese. A library of books includes histories and signed first editions of the late Georgia Catholic author Flannery O'Connor's novels and short stories.
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Henry Herx, past chief film critic for US bishops, dies at 79
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Henry Herx, who spent 35 years of his working life reviewing movies and television for the Catholic Church, died Aug. 15 at his home in the Newark, N.J., suburb of Ramsey of complications from liver cancer. He was 79. In addition to reviewing thousands of films and TV shows, Herx also taught classes in film at DePaul University in Chicago and Fordham University in New York. Herx also edited several editions of "The Family Guide to Movies and Videos," the last edition of which was published in 1999, the year he retired from a career in cinematic criticism. His one-sentence paragraphs pulled few punches in informing readers not only of the moral quality of a film, but whether it was worth seeing by any audience. Herx may have been one of the last living links to the old Legion of Decency, which reviewed and rated movies based on their moral content. Beginning in 1964, Herx reviewed movies for the Legion of Decency for five years in Chicago before its film department was merged into the National Catholic Office for Motion Pictures, which later changed to the Office for Film and Broadcasting of the U.S. bishops' conference. Following the job from Chicago to New York, Herx estimated that by the time he retired at the end of 1999, he had seen 10,000 of the 12,000 movies in the office's databank. Herx's daughters remembered their father fondly. "He was very kind and generous," said Katherine Herx, who recalled how much her father "liked movies from the 1930s and the silents. It used to drive me crazy, but he loved them."
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Mitchell bequest gives church revenue stream, role in protecting legacy
ATLANTA (CNS) -- Because of a generous bequest from Joseph Mitchell, the late nephew of celebrated author Margaret Mitchell, the Atlanta Archdiocese now owns 50 percent of the literary rights to her Pulitzer prize-winning, best-selling novel, "Gone With the Wind." But what does this mean for the Archdiocese of Atlanta? The short answer: continuing revenue from sales of books and merchandise and participation in protecting the copyright of Margaret Mitchell's legacy. Deacon Steve Swope, who has been instrumental in making arrangements for the bequest, said the archdiocese will be diligent in continuing to honor Mitchell's opus, following in the footsteps of her late brother, prominent Atlanta attorney Stephens Mitchell. He said, "His mission was to protect the dignity of the work, and we are going to carry that on. We are going to fiercely protect it from infringement. We have an obligation to do that." First published in 1936 by Macmillan, the book sold 176,000 copies at its original release and was a runaway success. According to Publishers Weekly, by the end of 1938 more than a million copies had sold, and that number doubled after the release of the movie in 1939. Today, an estimated 30 million copies have sold worldwide. Simon and Schuster now publishes the book, which sells an estimated 75,000 copies every year in hardcover and other formats. According to "Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind: A Bestseller's Odyssey From Atlanta to Hollywood," by Ellen F. Brown and John Wiley Jr., the publisher expects a "profitable future for the remainder of the copyright term," which ends in the U.S. in 2031, some 95 years after the first publication.
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Thomas Horkan, founding director of Florida Catholic Conference, dies
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (CNS) -- Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski of Miami was to celebrate a funeral Mass Aug. 21 at Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Tallahassee for Thomas A. Horkan Jr., founding director of the Florida Catholic Conference. Horkan, 84, died Aug. 15 at the Allegro Senior Living Community in Tallahassee, where he had lived in retirement. No cause of death was made public. D. Michael McCarron, who succeeded Horkan as executive director of the Florida Catholic Conference, described him as "a great lay servant of the Catholic Church in Florida" and said he was "prominent among national Catholic lay leaders involved in public policy since the late 1960s into this century. His work at the conference was marked by his dedication to the church he loved and served so well," McCarron added. "Among his most important contributions was establishing a reputable and professional presence for the church in the public policy arena of Florida's Capitol." Born Nov. 10, 1927, in Miami, Horkan earned his bachelor's and law degrees from the University of Miami and worked as a private practice attorney for 18 years before helping to establish the Florida Catholic Conference in 1969. He served as its executive director for 26 years and was its general counsel for a decade more. As an attorney he was admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court, the Florida Supreme Court and U.S. district courts for the northern and southern districts of Florida.
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Copyright (c) 2012 Catholic News Service/USCCB. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed.
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