Copyright (c) 2012 The Georgia Bulletin http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world Catholic news happening around the world from the The Georgia Bulletin http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/02/03/news-1/?s= Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/02/03/news-1/?s= DALLAS (CNS) -- The Feb. 3 decision by Susan G. Komen for the Cure to reinstate grants to Planned Parenthood affiliates for breast cancer screenings was the result of a "vicious attack" on the organization, said a pro-life leader. Pro-life leaders hailed Komen's announcement Jan. 31 that it would no... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/02/03/news-2/?s= Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/02/03/news-2/?s= WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Whether the rich-poor divide in the United States is a demographic statistic or a politician's talking point is irrelevant to the agencies that are simply trying to make sure the people on the poor side of the equation have a roof over their head and food on... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/02/03/news-3/?s= Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/02/03/news-3/?s= WASHINGTON (CNS) -- In remarks at the National Prayer Breakfast Feb. 2, President Barack Obama linked his actions as president to influences of faith, particularly Jesus' call to care for "the least of these." Obama said at the annual gathering that "when I decide to stand up for foreign aid,... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/02/03/news-4/?s= Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/02/03/news-4/?s= VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Something old, something new, something borrowed and something red will be part of the mix Feb. 18 when Pope Benedict XVI creates new cardinals. The general format of the consistory has been maintained, but the ceremony has been modified and will include the use of prayers... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/02/03/news-5/?s= Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/02/03/news-5/?s= VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Wealthier religious orders should share their resources with struggling religious communities, said the prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. Cardinal-designate Joao Braz de Aviz said that while religious men and women live a life of poverty and possess... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/02/03/news-6/?s= Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/02/03/news-6/?s= ROME (CNS) -- A Vatican cardinal will lead a penitential vigil to show contrition for the sexual abuse of children by priests and for the actions of Catholic officials who shielded the perpetrators from justice. Cardinal Marc Ouellet, prefect of the Vatican's Congregation for Bishops, will preside over the vigil... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/02/03/news-7/?s= Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/02/03/news-7/?s= ST. LOUIS (CNS) -- Waving flags and holding signs, people three deep along the parade route yelled, "Welcome home," "You rock" and "We salute you" to troops who have returned from Iraq. They were taking part in the nation's first "Welcome Home the Heroes from Iraq Day" Jan. 28 in... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/02/02/news-1/?s= Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/02/02/news-1/?s= ANNAPOLIS, Md. (CNS) -- Framing his support for same-sex marriage in the context of respect for human dignity, Gov. Martin J. O'Malley testified before the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee Jan. 31 in favor of a bill that would legalize gay marriage. Supporters of traditional marriage, however, countered that marriage is... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/02/02/news-2/?s= Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/02/02/news-2/?s= CHICAGO (CNS) -- Catholic Press Month, celebrated in February, "comes at a particularly critical moment" this year, said Greg Erlandson, president of the Catholic Press Association of the United States and Canada. The nation's Catholic bishops "have made clear their concern with recent government regulations and the threat such regulations... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/02/02/news-3/?s= Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/02/02/news-3/?s= VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- A federal court in Mississippi Feb. 2 dismissed a 10-year-old lawsuit accusing the Vatican of complicity in a scheme to bilk more than $200 million from insurance companies. The state insurance commissioners of Mississippi, Tennessee, Missouri, Oklahoma and Arkansas had filed the lawsuit in 2002 charging... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/02/02/news-4/?s= Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/02/02/news-4/?s= LUSAKA, Zambia (CNS) -- About 6,000 Rwandan refugees in Zambia want the Catholic Church to help stop the state plans to repatriate them and instead to regularize their Zambian citizenship. The refugees also want the bishops' conference to remind the government to respect their human rights and their right to... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/02/02/news-5/?s= Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/02/02/news-5/?s= MADALLA, Nigeria (CNS) -- Officials of the Archdiocese of Abuja celebrated Mass for 18 victims of the Christmas bombings at St. Theresa Catholic Church, then buried the remains within the church grounds. Abuja Archbishop John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan told about 2,000 people gathered at the church Feb. 1 that "those who... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/02/02/news-6/?s= Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/02/02/news-6/?s= MANCHESTER, England (CNS) -- English and Welsh bishops are producing a million "faith cards" to identify the holders as Catholics in the event of an accident. The credit card-sized items will be distributed during February and March throughout all dioceses, including the Bishopric of the Forces and the Personal Ordinariate... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/02/02/news-7/?s= Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/02/02/news-7/?s= VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Something old, something new, something borrowed and something red will be part of the mix Feb. 18 when Pope Benedict XVI creates 22 new cardinals. The general format of the consistory has been maintained, but the ceremony has been modified and will include the use of... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/02/02/news-8/?s= Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/02/02/news-8/?s= VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Strengthening one's relationship with God must be the highest priority and most defining quality of religious life, Pope Benedict XVI said. Celebrating vespers with members of religious orders Feb. 2, the feast of the Presentation of the Lord and the World Day for Consecrated Life, the... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/02/02/news-9/?s= Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/02/02/news-9/?s= BANGALORE, India (CNS) -- Catholic prohibitionists in India's Kerala state have proposed making alcoholism a sin in the nation's largest Christian enclave. "Alcoholism is a serious problem in Kerala, and we have to take tough measures to counter it," Bishop Sebastian Thekethecheril, chairman of the Temperance Commission of the Kerala... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/02/01/news-1/?s= Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/02/01/news-1/?s= WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Cardinal Roger M. Mahony, retired archbishop of Los Angeles and longtime advocate of comprehensive immigration reform, is frustrated with the lack of action from Congress on the issue and hopes that today's young people will bring about a change. "They get it. They're the ones who will... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/02/01/news-2/?s= Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/02/01/news-2/?s= WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Whether they are just starting out or nearing the end of their careers, Catholics who want to practice medicine in conformity with the church's teachings wonder how a new federal regulation requiring health plans to cover contraceptives and sterilization free of charge will affect their work. Although... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/02/01/news-3/?s= Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/02/01/news-3/?s= ST. LOUIS (CNS) -- The Jan. 31 announcement by Susan G. Komen for the Cure that it will no longer give grants to Planned Parenthood affiliates for breast cancer screenings "shows we are making a difference and having an impact," said a coordinator of pro-life programs for the St. Louis... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/02/01/news-4/?s= Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/02/01/news-4/?s= VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Only by fully following God's will can humanity find true freedom and the strength to bear the fear or suffering in one's life, Pope Benedict XVI said. "Only by conforming one's own will to the divine does the human person reach his true greatness -- becomes... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/02/01/news-5/?s= Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/02/01/news-5/?s= LUSAKA, Zambia (CNS) -- About 600,000 Rwandan refugees in Zambia want the Catholic Church to help stop the state plans to repatriate them and instead to regularize their Zambian citizenship. The refugees also want the bishops' conference to remind the government to respect their human rights and their right to... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/02/01/news-6/?s= Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/02/01/news-6/?s= VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Religious freedom and environmental disaster were on the agenda in late January for U.S. Catholic bishops from five southern states making their periodic "ad limina" visits to Rome. In meetings with Pope Benedict XVI and Vatican officials, bishops from Region V -- which includes parts of... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/02/01/news-7/?s= Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/02/01/news-7/?s= PHILADELPHIA (CNS) -- Cardinal Anthony J. Bevilacqua, retired archbishop of Philadelphia, died Jan. 31 at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, where he resided. According to the Philadelphia Archdiocese, he died in his sleep at 9:15 p.m. He was 88. The archdiocese said he had been battling dementia and an undisclosed form... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/01/30/news-1/?s= Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/01/30/news-1/?s= WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The same-sex marriage issue will be facing lawmakers and voters in several states this year. Democratic-controlled legislatures in Washington state, Maryland and New Jersey are considering legislation that would legalize same-sex marriage, while Maine voters will vote on a same-sex marriage referendum in November. Voters in North... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/01/30/news-2/?s= Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/01/30/news-2/?s= INDIANAPOLIS (CNS) -- A historic Indianapolis church is in the center of festivities surrounding the Feb. 5 Super Bowl XLVI at Lucas Oil Stadium. St. John the Evangelist Parish, founded 175 years ago when Indianapolis was a small town on the edge of the American frontier, is the middle of... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/01/30/news-3/?s= Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/01/30/news-3/?s= VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The Vatican and the Palestine Liberation Organization are continuing talks aimed at a formal agreement regulating and promoting the presence and activity of the Catholic Church in the Palestinian territories. Vatican and PLO representatives met Jan. 28 at the headquarters of the Palestinian president in Ramallah,... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/01/30/news-4/?s= Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/01/30/news-4/?s= ROME (CNS) -- Representatives of most of the world's bishops' conferences and 30 religious orders will meet in Rome in early February to launch a global initiative aimed at improving efforts to stop clerical sexual abuse and better protect children and vulnerable adults. The conference, "Toward Healing and Renewal," will... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/01/30/news-5/?s= Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/01/30/news-5/?s= SAN SALVADOR (CNS) -- The decision of a judge to order the arrest of former Guatemalan dictator Efrain Rios Montt, accused of genocide and crimes against humanity, is a good precedent to remove the impunity that has prevailed for years in the country, said the executive director of the human... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/01/30/news-6/?s= Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/01/30/news-6/?s= VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Priests hearing confessions need to replace any negative or aggressive attitudes with meekness and mercy toward the penitent, said a Vatican expert on confession. The sacrament of reconciliation "has led to a unilateral overemphasis on the accusation and listing of sins," said Bishop Gianfranco Girotti, regent... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/01/30/news-7/?s= Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/01/30/news-7/?s= VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- "Mamma mia," Pope Benedict XVI said as a dove flew over his head and back into his apartment Jan. 29 after he and two Italian school children released the bird as a symbol of peace. The pope and representatives of the Italian Catholic Action children's section... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/01/27/news-1/?s= Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/01/27/news-1/?s= WASHINGTON (CNS) -- President Barack Obama's decision to deny a permit for the 1,700-mile Keystone XL pipeline to carry Canadian crude oil to Gulf Coast refineries should have surprised no one, not even the project's staunchest supporters. The president promised he would nix the permit after Congress inserted a deadline... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/01/27/news-2/?s= Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/01/27/news-2/?s= WASHINGTON (CNS) -- A week after the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services told individuals and institutions who oppose contraception "to hell with you," as one bishop put it, members of the U.S. Catholic hierarchy were mobilizing their followers to fight. Bishops across the country -- including Archbishop Wilton... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/01/27/news-3/?s= Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/01/27/news-3/?s= NASHVILLE, Tenn. (CNS) -- It will be up to Catholic voters to convince the federal government to rescind a recent decision by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to go forward with a mandate that all health insurance plans cover contraceptives and sterilization free of charge, said Archbishop... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/01/27/news-4/?s= Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/01/27/news-4/?s= WASHINGTON (CNS) -- If the argument against abortion is "grounded in the concept of human equality, you kind of catch people off guard" because "it's not a religious argument," a University of Notre Dame law professor told a pro-life crowd gathered at the National Press Club in Washington. "Biology and... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/01/27/news-5/?s= Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/01/27/news-5/?s= VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Christianity and even religious belief are in grave danger across the globe, risking oblivion, Pope Benedict XVI said. "Across vast areas of the earth, faith runs the danger of extinguishing like a flame that runs out of fuel," he said. The world faces "a profound crisis... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/01/27/news-6/?s= Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/01/27/news-6/?s= MANCHESTER, England (CNS) -- British bishops plan to use the 2012 London Olympic Games to renew interest in the Catholic faith, with initiatives ranging from fighting human trafficking and homelessness to promoting youth ministry and ecumenical dialogue. The Bishops' Conference of England and Wales is also preparing resources for liturgies... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/01/27/news-7/?s= Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/01/27/news-7/?s= VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Fifty years ago this October, Blessed John XXIII and more than 2,500 bishops and heads of religious orders from around the world gathered in St. Peter's Basilica for the opening session of the Second Vatican Council. Over the following three years, Vatican II would issue 16... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/01/27/news-8/?s= Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/01/27/news-8/?s= SAN SALVADOR (CNS) -- A group of former guerrillas has spent more than two weeks in San Salvador's Metropolitan Cathedral to demand better economic conditions, continuing a long tradition of the cathedral as a place to expose perceived injustices. The veterans of the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front began their... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/01/25/news-1/?s= Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/01/25/news-1/?s= WASHINGTON (CNS) -- A Washington pastor told 17,000 exuberant teenagers and young adults gathered at a pro-life rally and Mass in the Verizon Center Jan. 23 that he wondered if they knew "what an encouragement you are. I am so glad for your joy ... your joy is the greatest... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/01/25/news-2/?s= Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/01/25/news-2/?s= GARRISON, N.Y. (CNS) -- Ultimate authority is the major impediment to Christian unity, greater than the real and profound differences between churches regarding priestly celibacy and the ordination of women, according to the longtime ecumenical officer for the Episcopal Diocese of New York. "Obviously, our Lord is the final authority,... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/01/25/news-3/?s= Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/01/25/news-3/?s= WASHINGTON (CNS) -- When the Villanova Wildcats beat the Seton Hall Pirates 84-76 in men's basketball Jan. 18, it wasn't just a hard-fought victory in the tough Big East conference. The game also was a win for the people of the Republic of South Sudan, the world's newest nation, thanks... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/01/25/news-4/?s= Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/01/25/news-4/?s= VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Consecrated life entails giving oneself completely to God and living for others, Pope Benedict XVI said. Speaking at his weekly general audience Jan. 25, the pope continued his catechesis on Christian prayer, looking at the Last Supper, when Jesus instituted the Eucharist and the ministerial priesthood.... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/01/25/news-5/?s= Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/01/25/news-5/?s= OTTAWA, Ontario (CNS) -- When 35-year-old Ukrainian Catholic Bishop Nykyta Budka arrived in Canada in 1912, Ukrainian Catholic parishes, missionaries and monasteries were scattered across Canada, particularly on the prairies. This year, Canada's Ukrainian Catholics mark the 100th anniversary of their first bishop, who laid the groundwork for a united... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/01/25/news-6/?s= Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/01/25/news-6/?s= VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Evangelization must never be a marginal concern for the church, Pope Benedict XVI said. From bishops to religious and the lay community, "All elements of the great mosaic of the church must feel themselves strongly called on by the Lord's mandate to preach the Gospel, so... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/01/25/news-7/?s= Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/01/25/news-7/?s= KINSHASA, Congo (CNS) -- Months after Congo's general elections, the nation's bishops continue to speak out about the legitimacy of the results. "We believe that the electoral process is stained by serious irregularities which raise questions about the published results," the bishops' conference said in mid-January. "We call on the... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/01/24/news-1/?s= Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/01/24/news-1/?s= WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Every child and adult with special needs, every unwanted unborn child and every person who is "poor, weak, abandoned or homeless" is "an icon of God's face and a vessel of his love," said Philadelphia Archbishop Charles J. Chaput. "How we treat these persons -- whether we... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/01/24/news-2/?s= Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/01/24/news-2/?s= WASHINGTON (CNS) -- A poll taken for the Knights of Columbus and Marist College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., indicates a strong majority of Americans continue to want restrictions on abortion. According to the poll, 79 percent of those surveyed said they would not allow abortion after the first three months of... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/01/24/news-3/?s= Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/01/24/news-3/?s= WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Mark Hosbein stood on the corner of a busy Washington intersection under the steady rain Jan. 23 with a small duffle bag at his feet and a simple message for passers-by: "Please consider spiritually adopting an unborn baby who is in danger of abortion." Handing a reporter... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/01/24/news-4/?s= Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/01/24/news-4/?s= WASHINGTON (CNS) -- When the Villanova Wildcats beat the Seton Hall Pirates 84-76 in men's basketball Jan. 18, it wasn't just a hard-fought victory in the tough Big East conference. The game also was a win for the people of the Republic of South Sudan, the world's newest nation, thanks... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/01/24/news-5/?s= Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/01/24/news-5/?s= WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Americans "as a people are pro-life" because life and liberty "are intertwined and form the core of our national character," House Speaker John Boehner told the crowd gathered on the National Mall Jan. 23 for the 39th annual March for Life. "God who gave us life gave...