U.S.
Bishops to reconsider liturgy translation rejected in mail balloting
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- After mail balloting of bishops who did not vote at the spring meeting in Orlando, Fla., a 700-page translation of one section of the Roman Missal failed to get approval from the required two-thirds of the members of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The USCCB announced rejection of the translation of the proper prayers for Sundays and feast days during the liturgical year July 7 and said it would come before the full body of bishops again at their November general assembly in Baltimore, along with two other sections totaling about 500 pages. No vote totals were made public, but the translation would have needed 167 "yes" votes to achieve a two-thirds majority of the 250 active Latin-rite U.S. bishops. The rejected translation, in the works for more than two years, was the second of 12 sections of the Roman Missal translation project that will come before the bishops through at least 2010. The translation had come from the International Commission on English in the Liturgy, known as ICEL, but at the Orlando meeting in June many bishops expressed frustration that recommendations they had submitted to ICEL to clarify the sentence structure or revise archaic language had been rejected.
- - -
New bishops named for Wilmington, U.S. Virgin Islands
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI has named Baltimore Auxiliary Bishop W. Francis Malooly, 64, as bishop of Wilmington, Del. He succeeds Bishop Michael A. Saltarelli, who in January turned 75, the usual retirement age for bishops. The pope also appointed Msgr. Herbert A. Bevard, 62, a Philadelphia pastor, as bishop of St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands. He succeeds Bishop George V. Murry, who was named to head the Diocese of Youngstown, Ohio, in January 2007. Bishop Malooly's installation is scheduled for Sept. 8 and Bishop-designate Bevard's episcopal ordination and installation is scheduled for Sept. 3. Bishop Malooly, the 13th auxiliary bishop to serve the Archdiocese of Baltimore, was born there Jan. 18, 1944. He studied at the now-closed St. Charles Minor Seminary in the Baltimore suburb of Catonsville and at St. Mary's Seminary in Baltimore. He was ordained to the priesthood in May 1970, and his episcopal ordination was March 1, 2001. Born in Baltimore Feb. 24, 1946, Bishop-designate Bevard attended McDonogh School in Owings Mills, Md., graduating from high school in 1964. He joined the Catholic Church that same year. Later he entered St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Wynnewood, Pa. He was ordained a priest in 1972 for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
- - -
Louisville archbishop says bicentennial Mass a celebration of family
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (CNS) -- About 6,000 people gathered at Slugger Field in downtown Louisville June 29 to celebrate the 200th birthday of the Archdiocese of Louisville, an event they were told marked the church's first steps into its third century. From an altar built at the ball field's second base, Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville told the congregation they should take pride in the familial nature of the church and its history in central Kentucky. "Isn't it a wonderful occasion to celebrate that we are a family of faith, hope and love?" he said at the start of his homily. "And by the way, happy 200th birthday!" Archbishop Kurtz was the main celebrant of the bicentennial Mass. Concelebrants included retired Archbishop Thomas C. Kelly of Louisville; Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick, retired archbishop of Washington; seven other bishops; and the priests of the archdiocese.
- - -
Convention draws Catholics called to evangelize through new media
ATLANTA (CNS) -- It was a Catholic techie's dream. Hundreds of proudly self-professed geeks came together for the first Catholic New Media Celebration in Atlanta June 22. There was delight-filled interaction in the crowd as priests and laypeople alike compared iPhones and iPods, podcasting equipment and computers. But there also was a focus on the real purpose of the day: building a community among Catholics evangelizing at the edge of technology. The day was sponsored by Star Quest Production Network, a nonprofit multimedia organization based in Conyers and involved in the production of audio and video programs faithful to the teachings of the Catholic Church. The gathering addressed the role of new media in the church and exactly how various forms and expressions could come together as one. Panel discussions and presentations on blogging, podcasts and traditional media versus new media helped experts and novices alike with how to improve, or maybe even begin, using new media to spread the Gospel.
- - -
Massachusetts diocese to get insurance settlement for abuse claims
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (CNS) -- The Diocese of Springfield will receive a settlement of up to $8.5 million from five insurance carriers to pay out for clergy sexual abuse claims. The diocese and the carriers announced July 2 that they have agreed to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the diocese in 2005 seeking reimbursement for sexual abuse settlements. The case had been scheduled for a monthlong trial this fall. Under the agreement, $3.5 million from insurance carriers will allow the diocese to recoup some of the $7.7 million it spent in 2004 to settle claims brought by 46 individuals claiming abuse by priests and other diocesan personnel. Up to an additional $5 million has been set aside by the insurers to settle 61 claims not covered in the 2004 settlement. The diocese and its insurers are now offering "an independent, voluntary arbitration procedure to any sexual abuse claimant who has made a pending, credible claim," by June 2 of this year, according to diocesan officials.
- - -
Catholic university's poverty course takes students to Appalachia
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Less than two weeks after taking their final exams this spring, a group of students at Jesuit-run Creighton University in Omaha, Neb., crammed into a van for the 19-hour ride to the Appalachian region of West Virginia. The trip did not mark the start of their summer but instead was part of a three-credit course on poverty in America. Pre-med student Breanna Byrnes said that when the group arrived in Clayton, W.Va., she mentally asked their teacher, "What did you get us into?" The group was warmly greeted by the members of Bethlehem Farm, a Catholic community that coordinates volunteers' work in the local area. It didn't take Byrnes long to realize that what they "got into" was far more than the group of five students imagined when they signed up for the senior perspective course. For three weeks the students -- rising seniors whose majors represent a broad range of fields, such as Greek, psychology, political science and athletic training -- were immersed in repairing houses, visiting local families, doing farm chores, praying and reflecting, and doing lots of research and writing.
- - -
Defend disabled, unborn with equal vigor, Catholic brother urges
ARLINGTON, Va. (CNS) -- A Catholic brother who cared for a brain-damaged fellow brother for more than 12 years urged activists in the pro-life movement July 5 to defend the rights of the disabled as vigorously as they fight for the unborn. Brother Paul O'Donnell, a member of the Franciscan Brothers of Peace in St. Paul, Minn., spoke at a workshop session of the National Right to Life Committee's annual convention in Arlington. He said he ran into conflict with health care professionals, even at Catholic facilities, as he sought appropriate care for Brother Michael Gaworski, founder of the Franciscan Brothers of Peace, who suffered a severe brain injury after he contracted a rare bacterial pneumonia at age 32. Until he became involved in Brother Michael's care, said Brother Paul, "I had no idea of the effect the anti-life forces had had on the health care industry. Quality of life is not a Gospel value," he said. "It's a secular value. Quality of life is Hollywood secularism and materialism. ... Where there's love there is no burden."
- - -
Single state is gift to use 'powerfully in service,' says speaker
LA JOLLA, Calif. (CNS) -- Society "treats singleness like a disease," but it is actually "a gift, not to be wished away, but to be used powerfully in service," a keynote speaker said at the National Catholic Singles Conference June 27-29 in La Jolla. "When we serve, we develop a deeper understanding of self, which prepares us for any relationship that might be in our future," said Matthew Kelly, an author and motivational speaker. "You're never going to have a better opportunity to serve than you do as a single person." About 500 people came from dioceses throughout the United States for three days of spiritual and social events specifically designed for Catholic singles. It was the second such conference of the year; the first was in April in Chicago. Among the speakers at the La Jolla gathering were Jason Evert, who is also an author and popular conference speaker; Lino Rulli, host of "The Catholic Guy" show on Sirius satellite radio's Catholic Channel; and Kerri Caviezel, wife of actor Jim Caviezel, who portrayed Jesus in "The Passion of the Christ."
- - -
WORLD
Pope urges Group of Eight to put needs of poor at forefront of summit
CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI urged world leaders from the Group of Eight to put the needs of the poor and weak at the forefront of their discussions. "Speculation and financial turbulence and their perverse effects on food and energy prices" have increased the vulnerability of the world's poor and disadvantaged, he said after praying the Angelus July 6 with pilgrims gathered in the courtyard of the papal summer residence south of Rome. The pope's appeal came the day before leaders of the world's most industrialized nations began their annual meeting, held this year July 7-9 in Toyako, Japan. The G-8 includes Russia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. Talks this year were to focus on the rising costs of food and fuel, the world economy, development in Africa and global warming, as well as establishing a framework for fair greenhouse gas emissions targets. The pope said he was adding his voice to the "urgent appeal" set forth by the presidents of bishops' conferences associated with the G-8.
- - -
Pope asks Catholics to pray for WYD; Vatican announces indulgences
CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI asked Catholics around the world to pray for the young people who will gather with him in Sydney, Australia, for the celebration of World Youth Day. To help encourage the prayers of all, the Vatican announced July 5 that the pope had authorized a special indulgence for anyone who, "with a contrite spirit," raises a "prayer to God, the Holy Spirit, so that young people are drawn to charity and given the strength to proclaim the Gospel with their life," a Vatican decree said. Pope Benedict spoke about his July 12-21 trip to Australia when he met visitors at his summer villa south of Rome for the July 6 recitation of the Angelus. World Youth Day runs July 15-20 in Sydney. The decree included the offer of a plenary, or full, indulgence to all the young people who will gather with the pope in Sydney. An indulgence is a remission of the temporal punishment a person is due for sins that have been forgiven. The decree said a partial indulgence also is available to Catholics who are sorry for their sins and offer prayers with the pope for young Catholics.
- - -
Lac Ste. Anne's sacred waters soothe Tekakwitha Conference pilgrims
LAC STE. ANNE, Alberta (CNS) -- Frank Large's dream came true July 5. A Cree Indian from Saddle Lake, Alberta, Large attended his first Tekakwitha Conference in Spokane in 1999. "When my wife and I were talking, I said, 'Wouldn't it be nice to have this at Lac Ste. Anne?'" he recalled. "That was my dream." This year, the 69th annual Tekakwitha Conference came to Edmonton, Alberta, and nearby Lac Ste. Anne, where the waters have been held sacred by aboriginal people for generations. It was the first time the conference has met in Canada. The conference brings together aboriginal Catholics from the United States and Canada and helps affirm their faith under the protection of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha. The final day of the July 2-5 gathering moved to the Lac St. Anne Pilgrimage site, 60 miles northeast of Edmonton, where every July tens of thousands of First Nations and Metis people gather for a weeklong pilgrimage in honor of St. Anne.
- - -
WYD official says railroad strike not likely to interrupt events
SYDNEY, Australia (CNS) -- Sydney's railroad workers have announced a 24-hour strike for July 17, the day of Pope Benedict XVI's arrival in Sydney for World Youth Day. But Jim Hanna, media director for World Youth Day, said July 7 that organizers remained "confident that the parties will resolve their differences through arbitration," and the papal tour through the streets of Sydney "will continue peacefully and uninterrupted." If the strike by the workers' union over an unresolved pay claim occurs, it could strand up to 750,000 commuters on Sydney's rail network, including hundreds of thousands of pilgrims traveling from the outer suburbs to the Mass venue. To avert what could be transport chaos on the busiest day of the July 15-20 World Youth Day festivities, the New South Wales government has taken the issue to the Australian Industrial Relations Commission.
- - -
Conservative bishops form council to protect traditional Anglicanism
JERUSALEM (CNS) -- A group of conservative Anglican bishops concluded a weeklong conference by calling for the creation of a separate bishops' council to address what they feel is lack of action to protect traditional biblical Anglicanism. In a June 29 closing statement, the bishops emphasized that they were not breaking away from the Anglican Communion. But the bishops -- mainly from Africa, South America and Australia -- said that they did not see the archbishop of Canterbury as being the sole determiner of Anglican identity. "While acknowledging the nature of Canterbury as an historic see, we do not accept that Anglican identity is determined necessarily through recognition by the archbishop of Canterbury," they said. The more than 300 bishops attending the June 22-29 Global Anglican Future Conference, known as GAFCON, in Jerusalem said they were frustrated by the ineffectual response from Anglican Archbishop Rowan Williams of Canterbury, head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, to their long-held concerns over the ordination of openly gay bishops and the blessing of same-sex unions specifically in the American and Canadian Anglican churches.
- - -
PEOPLE
Pope to meet with Sarkozy in Paris before traveling to Lourdes
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Spending less than 30 hours in the French capital, Pope Benedict XVI will meet in Paris with French President Nicolas Sarkozy and members of France's Jewish community, and will greet young people before traveling to Lourdes. The Sept. 12-15 trip to France was designed primarily to mark the 150th anniversary of Mary's apparitions to St. Bernadette Soubirous in Lourdes. In Lourdes Sept. 13-15, the pope will participate in the traditional prayers held at the Marian shrine, including the nighttime candlelight procession and an evening eucharistic procession. He will celebrate Mass for the general public Sept. 14 and a special Mass Sept. 15 for the sick who come to the shrine seeking healing and strength.
- - -
Former Cleveland diocesan official acquitted of taking kickbacks
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The former chief financial officer of the Cleveland Diocese has been acquitted of most charges stemming from an alleged financial kickback scheme involving nearly $785,000 in church funds. A federal jury in Cleveland, however, found Joseph Smith, 52, guilty July 3 of six tax-related charges in connection to money prosecutors said he received from a former diocesan accountant to whom $17.5 million in diocesan business was steered during a seven-year period. Smith had been indicted in August 2006 on 23 counts of fraud, money laundering, conspiracy and filing false tax returns. At one time he was the highest ranking layperson in the diocese's history, serving as legal and financial secretary. U.S. District Judge Ann Aldrich dismissed eight money laundering charges at the end of the trial, leaving the jury to decide Smith's fate on 15 counts. Jurors deliberated for nearly two weeks before returning a verdict.
- - -
Tekakwitha Conference speaker: Reconciliation involves words, action
EDMONTON, Alberta (CNS) -- Maggie Hodgson recalled using the ultimate insult in an argument with a fellow federal government employee over policy affecting aboriginal people. "You would have made a good Indian agent in 1952," she lashed out at the woman, referring to a dark period in Canada's relations with its aboriginal population. "I went home and said (to myself): 'You know, Hodgson, this is not her policy. It's the government's policy.'" So at the next staff meeting, Hodgson gave the woman a blanket and said to her, "This is to acknowledge that I have hurt your spirit." "I gave her this blanket to teach myself to be kinder with my mouth," she said. In aboriginal communities, an apology is said with actions, she told participants July 3 at the annual Tekakwitha Conference in Edmonton. "Words are cheap." Hodgson, an aboriginal leader and former director of the Nechi Institute, near Edmonton, which treats alcohol addiction, spoke about reconciliation and compassion at the July 2-5 conference of aboriginal Catholics from the United States and Canada.
- - -
Young actress in 'Kit Kittredge' says Bible is her favorite book
ST. PAUL, Minn. (CNS) -- Brieanne Jansen is like a lot of other 11-year-old girls. She enjoys writing stories, singing and talking to friends and family, and she calls herself a "bookworm." This gregarious girl's favorite read is the Bible, especially the Psalms. Now Brieanne is adding acting to her list of loves after finishing her first major motion picture, "Kit Kittredge: An American Girl." She auditioned for the part on a whim; her only previous acting experience was in a 45-minute Christmas play at her Presbyterian church. She tried out in Los Angeles at the American Girl store with about 2,400 others. Two other auditions were held in Chicago and New York. "I was ecstatic," she said of hearing she got a part. She already was a fan of the American Girl books, a series about American girls living during significant historical events.
END
|
