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U.S.
Arizona pastors worry about how immigration laws affect churchgoers
PHOENIX (CNS) -- After seeing a recent television news program, 9-year-old Jesus Arreola asked his mother if he and his family were really "delinquents." "I told him that we might be delinquents according to the law of man, but not according to the law of God," said his mother, Adela. "We are all children of God." The Arreolas, a family of five who came to the United States illegally, are not sure if they'll move to another state, move back to Mexico or stay in Arizona. Feliciano, the father of the family and a carpenter by trade, said he lost his construction job, due in part to a recent law that punishes employers for hiring illegal immigrants. "If there's no work, then we have to move," Feliciano said. "Others have already moved to another state because you can't get work here." A weak economy, a growing anti-immigrant sentiment and tougher immigration laws are making it difficult for illegal immigrants like Feliciano to stay in Arizona. "I hear lots of concern from our people," said Carmelite Father Peter Liuzzi, the Arreolas' pastor at St. Agnes Parish. "They're worried about paying their rent. They're worried about losing their jobs."
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Catholic couple, archdiocese build family communication network
PHILADELPHIA (CNS) -- A Guatemalan woman in the United States converses with her mother half a continent away. Their hands fly with gestures, forming words of news, of love, of distance temporarily bridged. The conversation is possible only because they are visible to one another on-screen in a videoconference. The gift of technology makes possible what was once impossible, at least for those with the financial means and access to the technology. And now, thanks to the vision and commitment of a Catholic couple from St. John Vianney Parish in Gladwyne, Jim and Jacki Delaney, and the archdiocesan Office of the Vicar for Hispanic Catholics, access to technology in the form of videoconferencing will be available to all who might not otherwise be able to afford it. "It is the church reaching out," said Jim Delaney during a demonstration of the technology at the Catholic Institute for Evangelization in Philadelphia. Delaney, a retired business executive, is a member of the Papal Foundation and a trustee of St. Charles Borromeo Seminary.
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Archbishop Naumann: Kansas governor should stop receiving Communion
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City, Kan., said Gov. Kathleen Sebelius should stop receiving Communion until she publicly repudiates her support of abortion and makes a "worthy sacramental confession" related to her stance. Writing May 9 in The Leaven, the archdiocesan newspaper, Archbishop Naumann said the Catholic governor of Kansas has had a long record of supporting and advocating for legalized abortion and that her public stances have "grave spiritual and moral consequences." The column comes after the archbishop said he learned that Sebelius recently received Communion in a Kansas parish. He said he had previously met with Sebelius and discussed his concerns about her position on abortion and her vetoes of legislation to limit abortion in the state. Archbishop Naumann told Catholic News Service May 12 that he sent a letter in August to the governor requesting that she refrain from receiving Communion because of her actions in support of abortion. Sebelius is planning to send a written response to the archbishop, said spokeswoman Brittany Stiffler. "The governor is reviewing the archbishop's letter," she told CNS. "She's not providing any comments at this time."
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New Jersey diocese honors firefighters at annual Mass
METUCHEN, N.J. (CNS) -- For 53 years, Nancy Ritz has made sure her husband, Robert, doesn't answer a serious call from South Old Bridge Fire Department without asking God to protect him. "It's scary sometimes," Ritz said. "It's a pretty tense moment when the call comes in." The Ritzes, parishioners of St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Old Bridge, could also represent every family that has a member either working to protect the public or waiting anxiously for them to return home. Those sacrifices were the focus of the diocese's annual firefighters' Mass April 26 at St. Francis of Assisi Cathedral. Metuchen Bishop Paul G. Bootkoski presided at the Mass, which was established to honor active, retired and deceased firefighters of all faith traditions within the diocese. In his homily, Bishop Bootkoski talked about how the death of New York City firefighter James Riches Jr., who died at the World Trade Center Sept. 11, 2001, symbolizes the selflessness and courage exhibited by all the men and women who risk their lives on a daily basis.
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Washington Theological Union offers new doctor of ministry program
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Washington Theological Union has introduced a new doctor of ministry in Christian spirituality program that integrates theological development and pastoral practice for full-time ministers. The degree focuses on the study of classical spirituality, its relevancy for contemporary forms of ministry, and its transformative role and the potential for influencing the minister's life. Students can fulfill most of the degree's requirements through online courses with brief onsite periods in Washington. With the online offerings, the program is available to students nationwide, school officials said. More information is available by calling: (202) 541-5247, or e-mailing: mclaughlin@wtu.edu.
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WORLD
Pope authorizes granting of indulgences for Pauline year events
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Catholics who participate in events connected with the 2008-2009 jubilee year of St. Paul can receive a special indulgence, the Vatican said. Pope Benedict XVI authorized the granting of a plenary, or full, indulgence in order to highlight the Pauline year and open the way to the "interior purification" of the faithful during its celebration, a May 10 Vatican decree said. The decree was signed by U.S. Cardinal J. Francis Stafford, head of the Vatican tribunal that deals with indulgences and with matters related to the sacrament of penance. An indulgence is a remission of the temporal punishment a person is due for sins that have been forgiven. Pope Benedict established the Pauline year to run from June 28, 2008, to June 29, 2009, to mark the approximately 2,000th anniversary of the saint's birth. The plenary indulgence is being offered to pilgrims who come to Rome, to Catholics who participate in local events connected to the jubilee year, and to those who may be too ill or otherwise prevented from physical participation.
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Pope calls for end to fighting in Lebanon, prays to Mary for peace
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI urged an end to fighting in Lebanon and a return to serious negotiations, saying a reasonable compromise was the only way to lasting peace in the country. The pope's remarks at a Sunday blessing May 11 followed several days of fighting in Beirut and other cities between forces of the Western-backed Lebanese government and opposition militias. More than 80 people were reported killed, and thousands fled their homes. "I have followed with deep concern the situation in Lebanon in recent days," the pope said from his apartment window above St. Peter's Square. He said he had watched as verbal violence turned to armed clashes, with a rising number of dead and wounded. "I feel a duty today to urge the Lebanese to abandon all logic of aggressive opposition, which would lead their dear country toward the irreparable," he said.
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Pope says Pentecost renews duty to spread reconciliation, peace
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Having received Christ's gift of peace, the church has a responsibility to bring peace and reconciliation to the world, Pope Benedict XVI said. Celebrating Pentecost with a May 11 Mass in St. Peter's Basilica, Pope Benedict said that it is only by remaining open to the Holy Spirit and faithful to the Gospel that the church can share with the world the peace Christ promised. When the risen Christ appeared to the disciples and said "Peace be with you," the pope said it was more than a greeting; it was the gift of the peace "promised and won by Christ." Pentecost is a day to "renew our awareness of the responsibility connected to this gift: the responsibility of the church constitutionally to be a sign and instrument of God's peace for all people," he said. Pope Benedict said he was acting out of that responsibility when he spoke to the United Nations in April, but high-level meetings do not exhaust the church's obligations.
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Myanmar cyclone victims try to survive amid devastating losses
LEIEINTAN, Myanmar (CNS) -- Pascal Than Hlaing is just one of many who are grieving in Leieintan, a village where only one house is left standing and the Baptist and Catholic churches had their roofs torn open. Than Hlaing mourns the death of two of his three children. "One of my sons was swept away when the water level was up to his neck," the 31-year-old Catholic father told the Asian church news agency UCA News May 9, referring to his 6-year-old boy. Cyclone Nargis hammered the Irrawaddy delta region early May 3 as it blew in from the Bay of Bengal, sending a wall of seawater inland for miles. Several days later, Than Hlaing's 3-year-old son "passed away after he caught a cold." Now he and his wife are left with their remaining son; they are being sheltered in the Baptist church because their home was destroyed. A small Catholic Church volunteer group from the Yangon Archdiocese that arrived within days of the cyclone began assisting Than Hlaing and the rest of the 3,000 residents of the village about 75 miles southwest of Yangon. Leieintan was accessible only by boat, given the trees, downed electricity pylons and other cyclone debris blocking the roads.
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Pope defends church's teaching on artificial birth control
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI defended the church's teaching against artificial birth control and said its wisdom has become clearer in light of new scientific discoveries and social trends. In an age in which sexual activity can become like a drug, people need to be reminded that married love should always involve the whole person and be open to new life, he said May 10. The pope made his comments as the church prepared to mark the 40th anniversary of the encyclical "Humanae Vitae." Issued by Pope Paul VI July 25, 1968, it affirmed the church's teaching on married love and said use of artificial contraception was morally wrong. Addressing participants of a church-sponsored conference on "Humanae Vitae," Pope Benedict said the encyclical was a "gesture of courage." He acknowledged that its teachings have been controversial and difficult for Catholics, but he said the text expressed the true design of human procreation. "What was true yesterday remains true also today. The truth expressed in 'Humanae Vitae' does not change; in fact, in light of new scientific discoveries, its teaching is becoming more current and is provoking reflection," he said.
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Pope urges Christians to stay in Israel as force for peace, stability
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Welcoming Israel's new ambassador to the Vatican, Pope Benedict XVI urged Israel to help its Christian citizens remain in the country where they could be a force for peace and understanding. "Christians are not alone in suffering the effects of insecurity and violence as a result of the various conflicts in the region, but in many respects they are particularly vulnerable at the present time," the pope told Mordechay Lewy, the new ambassador. Presenting his letters of credential to the pope May 12, Lewy said, "We shall do our utmost to help strengthen the Christian communities in Israel as their essential presence in the Holy Land is deeply rooted and historically self-understood." The ambassador also asked the Catholic Church to continue working with Israel and Jewish groups in combating anti-Semitism, and he warned about increasing instability in the region, apparently in reference to Iran's nuclear program.
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Pope praises Hungarian bishops for defending family rights
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI praised Hungary's Catholic bishops for denouncing the government's moves to extend marriage rights to same-sex couples. Legislative approval for such couples, an increase in civil unions, a "notable drop" in the number of traditional marriages, "a striking increase" in divorces, the lack of support for large families and widespread abortions have all brought about "a drastic drop" in the country's birthrate, he said. The pope made his remarks May 10 during a private audience with Hungarian bishops at the end of their "ad limina" visits, in which they reported on the status of their dioceses. Hungary's parliament approved a law last year that allows unmarried and same-sex couples to register as legal partnerships. Under the law, which will take effect in January, registered gay or unmarried partners will gain the rights of inheritance and joint taxation, but not the right to adopt children.
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Abortion has not solved problems faced by women, families, pope says
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Abortion has not solved the problems plaguing many women and families in the world, Pope Benedict XVI told Italian pro-life groups. Rather, allowing for the termination of a pregnancy has "opened a further wound in our society unfortunately already burdened by deep suffering," he said. The pope spoke during a May 12 audience at the Vatican with members of Italian pro-life groups; the 30th anniversary of the legalization of abortion in Italy is marked this May. "Certainly the causes that lead to a painful decision like abortion are many and complex," he said. But while Catholics promote the sanctity of the life of the unborn, they also should "promote every initiative that supports women and families to create favorable conditions to welcome life and safeguard the family founded on marriage between a man and a women," he said.
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Australian bishops list concerns with retired bishop's book on abuse
SYDNEY, Australia (CNS) -- The Australian Catholic Bishops' Conference has listed its concerns with a retired bishop's book that critiques sexual and authoritarian abuses in the church. The 2007 book, "Confronting Power and Sex in the Catholic Church: Reclaiming the Spirit of Jesus," was written by Bishop Geoffrey Robinson, retired auxiliary bishop of Sydney and former head of the church's abuse panel. The bishops said that "after correspondence and conversation" with Bishop Robinson, "it is clear that doctrinal difficulties remain." Central to these, they said, is Bishop Robinson's "questioning of the authority of the Catholic Church to teach the truth definitively." The Australian bishops acknowledged in a May 6 statement their indebtedness to Bishop Robinson "for his years of effort to bring help and healing to those who have suffered sexual abuse" and for his work in establishing professional standards for church personnel in Australia. "We do not question his good faith," the bishops said. "However, people have a right to know clearly what the Catholic Church believes and teaches, and the bishops have a corresponding duty to set this forth."
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PEOPLE
Pope stumbles briefly, rises to his feet during Pentecost Mass
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI stumbled briefly during a Pentecost Mass at the Vatican, but rose to his feet and went on with the 90-minute liturgy. After censing the altar at the beginning of the Mass in St. Peter's Basilica May 11, the pope appeared to trip over the small platform that holds his chair directly in front of the altar. He went down on both knees and leaned against the chair. Aides quickly helped him up and the pontiff appeared unshaken by the incident. The Vatican spokesman, Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, said afterward that the stumble was "a small incident of no consequence." He noted that there was no reaction of alarm among the thousands of people present in the basilica. "Anyone with an ounce of understanding could see that there was no reason for concern," Father Lombardi said.
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Chicago man attends Mass at 365 parishes around the world in 365 days
CHICAGO (CNS) -- David Heimann's dream was to spend 365 days in 365 different places, each destination a new opportunity to experience Christ made flesh in our world today. "Forget about it," his spiritual director told him. "If you can forget about it, then it was nothing, but if it keeps coming back to your heart, then it is something of the Spirit, and we need to pay attention to it." He could not forget. Heimann, 33, pastoral associate of St. Ignatius Parish in Chicago, has since made his dream a reality, having visited 365 different parishes around the globe in 2007 for daily Mass, with the support of Ad Sodalitatem, a group dedicated to "evoking solidarity in the Roman Catholic Church through prayer, education and development of the poor by building personal relationships with Christians throughout the world."
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Children's author focuses on sports to get boys excited about reading
ST. LOUIS (CNS) -- Mary Shaw wrote a series of children's books because she saw a need for getting boys excited about reading. A member of Incarnate Word Parish in Chesterfield, Mo., the Canadian native said that when her son, Brady, was 5 or 6 years old she was trying to get him to love reading just as his older sister, Taylore, had done. "Brady was a huge sports fanatic, still is, and hockey was his passion. I'd take him to the bookstore or library and would say, 'Please, Brady, pick out a book so we can bring it home to read,'" she said. But few books appealed to him, so Shaw started writing stories with a hockey-related theme. Shaw, who majored in history and English at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario, was asked to do a series of books based on hockey and focusing on a young boy and his teammates. The "Brady Brady" series was born with the book "Brady Brady and the Great Rink." The first 10 books in the series are about hockey, with the next two based on the children playing baseball and football. A book with a soccer theme is to be published early in 2009.
END These and more news briefs may be found at Catholic News Service.
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