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/2012/05/24/news-1/?s= Thu, 24 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/24/news-1/?s= WASHINGTON (CNS) -- With a long-standing campaign to press its concerns about infringements on religious liberty by governments and the courts, the U.S. bishops will devote a significant portion of their spring meeting June 13-15 in Atlanta to the issue. The bishops also will receive a 10-year progress report by... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/24/news-2/?s= Thu, 24 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/24/news-2/?s= WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Speaking to a standing-room-only crowd of young adults, Cardinal Donald W. Wuerl encouraged them to pray and stand up for religious freedom. Such freedom is being threatened, he said, by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' mandate that would force Catholic institutions to provide employee... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/24/news-3/?s= Thu, 24 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/24/news-3/?s= GREEN BAY, Wis. (CNS) -- A jury May 21 sided with two brothers in a civil lawsuit filed in January 2008 against the Diocese of Green Bay. The lawsuit claimed fraud by the diocese based on plaintiffs Todd and Troy Merryfield's allegation that the diocese knew that then-priest John Feeney... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/24/news-4/?s= Thu, 24 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/24/news-4/?s= VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- To help bishops determine the credibility of alleged Marian apparitions, the Vatican has translated and published procedural rules from 1978 that had previously been available only in Latin. The "Norms regarding the manner of proceedings in the discernment of presumed apparitions or revelations" were approved by... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/24/news-5/?s= Thu, 24 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/24/news-5/?s= ROME (CNS) -- Increasing numbers of women are migrating alone, a situation that makes them vulnerable to violence and exploitation, but one that often shows their courage and commitment to making a better life for their families, said speakers at a conference in Rome. About 214 million people live outside... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/24/news-6/?s= Thu, 24 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/24/news-6/?s= DUBLIN (CNS) -- A new analysis of allegations of abuse made against 98 priests over a 70-year period shows that the alleged abuse peaked in the 1980s. Fresh data released by the Dublin Archdiocese May 24 showed that 34 percent of complainants alleged their abuse happened in the 1980s. Just... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/24/news-7/?s= Thu, 24 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/24/news-7/?s= CAPE TOWN, South Africa (CNS) -- Introducing race into the discussion surrounding a controversial painting of the nation's president deflects "from the real issues of national reconciliation," said Cardinal Wilfrid Napier of Durban. The "jump to the language of race has once again allowed us to default to the easy... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/24/news-8/?s= Thu, 24 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/24/news-8/?s= PHILADELPHIA (CNS) -- Msgr. William J. Lynn took the witness stand in his own defense May 23 and told jurors that "in my heart" he put the interests of children first as he handled allegations of sexual abuse by priests in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The former secretary for clergy... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/23/news-1/?s= Wed, 23 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/23/news-1/?s= NEW HAVEN, Conn. (CNS) -- Nearly three-quarters of Americans in a Knights of Columbus-Marist poll said freedom of religion should be protected in this country, even if it conflicts with other laws. The survey of 1,606 U.S. adults was conducted by telephone May 10-14, shortly before 43 dioceses and Catholic... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/23/news-2/?s= Wed, 23 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/23/news-2/?s= LOS ANGELES (CNS) -- More than 8,500 pages of material detailing claims of sexual abuse by a group of Franciscan priests and brothers in California were made public May 23. The release of the documents was one unfinished item of business from a 2006 court settlement that awarded $28 million,... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/23/news-3/?s= Wed, 23 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/23/news-3/?s= DUBLIN (CNS) -- A new city center "Camino," or pilgrim walk, has been launched in Dublin as part of the celebrations surrounding the International Eucharistic Congress set for June 10-17. The walk, involving prayerful visits to seven of Dublin's most historic Catholic and Anglican churches, is partly inspired by the... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/23/news-4/?s= Wed, 23 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/23/news-4/?s= VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Addressing God as "Father" is an acknowledgement that God is the one who created, supports and guides humanity, Pope Benedict XVI said. "Maybe people today do not understand the beauty, greatness and deep consolation" that comes from recognizing God as father, "because the paternal figure is... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/23/news-5/?s= Wed, 23 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/23/news-5/?s= VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The Italian bishops' conference released its first ever set of guidelines for handling accusations of clerical sexual abuse, urging bishops to cooperate with civil authorities, but also making it clear that bishops in Italy have no legal obligation to report suspected cases to police. Bishop Mariano... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/23/news-6/?s= Wed, 23 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/23/news-6/?s= GENEVA (CNS) -- The Vatican praised national efforts to provide universal and affordable health care access and coverage, noting that policies based on the principles of equity, human rights and social justice ensure the best care for the most people. Governments also should recognize and support the work of nongovernmental... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/23/news-7/?s= Wed, 23 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/23/news-7/?s= HOHHOT, China (CNS) -- Catholics in China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region have called on fellow believers to pray for them May 24, the World Day of Prayer for the Church in China, during what they say is their most difficult time in recent decades. The Asian church news agency UCA... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/23/news-8/?s= Wed, 23 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/23/news-8/?s= NEW YORK (CNS) -- They were called "pagan babies," an appellation that would never be used today. When Oblate Father Andrew Small asked who remembered them at the inaugural World Mission Dinner in New York, a few hands went up, mostly belonging to people with gray hair. But Father Small,... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/22/news-1/?s= Tue, 22 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/22/news-1/?s= BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (CNS) -- More than 90 years after a Methodist clergyman killed a Catholic priest in Birmingham, members of both churches gathered to seek forgiveness and reconciliation. "There is no statute of limitations on forgiveness," said Passionist Father Alex Steinmiller, president of Holy Family Cristo Rey Catholic High School... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/22/news-2/?s= Tue, 22 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/22/news-2/?s= WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Masses at well-known basilicas in Baltimore and Washington will open and close the "fortnight for freedom," a special period of prayer, study, catechesis and public action proclaimed by the U.S. bishops for June 21 to July 4. Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore will celebrate the opening... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/22/news-3/?s= Tue, 22 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/22/news-3/?s= WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius delivered her remarks as scheduled May 18 at Georgetown University at an awards ceremony during the university's commencement week events. According to The Hill newspaper, she was interrupted after she began her speech by a protester shouting something about "abortion."... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/22/news-4/?s= Tue, 22 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/22/news-4/?s= VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- "We are on the Lord's team, the winning team," Pope Benedict XVI told members of the College of Cardinals at the end of a luncheon he hosted to thank them for their friendship and support. At the end of the meal in the frescoed Sala Ducale... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/22/news-5/?s= Tue, 22 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/22/news-5/?s= DUBLIN (CNS) -- Irish bishops said they would support the establishment of a national day of atonement where the church, the government and wider society could seek forgiveness for abuse suffered by former residents of state-funded, church-run institutions. A spokesman for the bishops said they would not oppose the idea... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/22/news-6/?s= Tue, 22 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/22/news-6/?s= DUBLIN (CNS) -- A new city center "Camino," or pilgrim walk, has been launched in Dublin as part of the celebrations surrounding the International Eucharistic Congress set for June 10-17. The walk, involving prayerful visits to seven of Dublin's most historic Catholic and Anglican churches, is partly inspired by the... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/22/news-7/?s= Tue, 22 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/22/news-7/?s= BEIRUT (CNS) -- Syria's 2.5 million Christians are being pushed into an exodus from the country out of fear of chaos and crime, said Melkite Patriarch Gregoire III Laham of Damascus. In a report from the Melkite Archdiocese of Homs, Syria, distributed by the patriarchate, the patriarch urged the international... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/22/news-8/?s= Tue, 22 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/22/news-8/?s= ROME (CNS) -- The head of the Legionaries of Christ admitted he knew about the sexual improprieties of a U.S. priest based in Rome and did too little to restrict his high-profile ministry. But more important than his failure to limit the priest's ministry, he said, is the need to... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/22/news-9/?s= Tue, 22 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/22/news-9/?s= TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (CNS) -- Father Norman Weslin, who was imprisoned more than 70 times for nonviolent protests outside abortion clinics, died May 16 at a retirement home in Traverse City. He was 81. The priest, a grandfather and retired Army colonel, was ordained in 1986 as a missionary priest,... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/21/news-1/?s= Mon, 21 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/21/news-1/?s= WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Forty-three Catholic dioceses, schools, hospitals, social service agencies and other institutions filed suit in federal court May 21 to stop three government agencies from implementing a mandate that would require them to cover contraceptives and sterilization in their health plans. "Through this lawsuit, plaintiffs do not seek... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/21/news-2/?s= Mon, 21 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/21/news-2/?s= BROOKLYN, N.Y. (CNS) -- In what appears to be a contradiction in terms, silence as a means of communication was the theme of the Brooklyn Diocese's 21st annual World Communications Day conference and luncheon May 18. The topic came from the theme of Pope Benedict XVI's message for World Communications... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/21/news-3/?s= Mon, 21 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/21/news-3/?s= VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI urged American Catholics to strive for greater unity, especially among ethnic groups and between bishops and religious orders, in order to carry out the church's mission in an increasingly hostile society. The pope made his remarks May 18 in a speech to U.S.... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/21/news-4/?s= Mon, 21 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/21/news-4/?s= VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI called on Chinese Catholics to be faithful to the pope, asked that mass media worldwide promote mutual respect and dialogue, and prayed for those hit by a deadly earthquake near Bologna and a school bombing in Brindisi. After reciting the "Regina Coeli" prayer... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/21/news-5/?s= Mon, 21 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/21/news-5/?s= VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The Italian television journalist who set off the "VatiLeaks" controversy by releasing private letters to Pope Benedict XVI and between Vatican officials has published a large collection of leaked documents in a new book called "Your Holiness." In a statement May 19, Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi,... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/21/news-6/?s= Mon, 21 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/21/news-6/?s= VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The documents of the Second Vatican Council possess different levels of authority and thus command different levels of acceptance by Catholics, including those who hope to restore their unity with the church, said two retired Vatican officials. German Cardinal Walter Brandmuller and Italian Archbishop Agostino Marchetto... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/21/news-7/?s= Mon, 21 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/21/news-7/?s= MANNHEIM, Germany (CNS) -- A Peruvian archbishop pleaded for assistance in stopping the exploitation of Peru's resources by foreign companies whose practices have polluted communities and endangered residents. Archbishop Pedro Baretto Jimeno of Huancayo told an audience May 17 during a session at the German Catholic Church's bi-annual Katholikentag gathering... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/21/news-8/?s= Mon, 21 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/21/news-8/?s= VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- In five speeches over a period of six months, Pope Benedict XVI warned visiting U.S. bishops of the threats that an increasingly secularized society poses to the Catholic Church in America, especially in the areas of religious liberty, sexual morality and the definition of marriage. Yet... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/21/news-9/?s= Mon, 21 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/21/news-9/?s= BOLOGNA, Italy (CNS) -- Church agencies stepped up efforts to support local parishes providing assistance to nearly 5,000 people left homeless by a magnitude 6 earthquake in northern Italy. Caritas Italy, part of the Catholic church's international aid network, was among the first agencies to respond May 20 by sending... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/21/news-10/?s= Mon, 21 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/21/news-10/?s= SYDNEY (CNS) -- The governing body of the Traditional Anglican Communion has suspended Archbishop John Hepworth, whose allegations that he was raped more than 40 years ago as a young Catholic priest by three other clerics were found to be unsubstantiated by investigators. The disciplinary action by the College of... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/21/news-11/?s= Mon, 21 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/21/news-11/?s= PHILADELPHIA (CNS) -- For weeks the words of Msgr. William J. Lynn in testimony before a 2004 Philadelphia grand jury investigating clergy sexual abuse were used against him by state prosecutors. They intensified their use of the testimony and a trove of hundreds of archdiocesan memos and letters, narrated by... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/17/news-1/?s= Thu, 17 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/17/news-1/?s= WASHINGTON (CNS) -- In a country that has seen more than 50,000 deaths in six years, it took the finding of 49 headless bodies, some also missing arms or legs, to shock Mexican officials. The discovery of the bodies, on a road about 120 miles from the United States, highlighted... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/17/news-2/?s= Thu, 17 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/17/news-2/?s= RIFTON, N.Y. (CNS) -- A Bruderhof leader's new parenting book, "Why Children Matter," is being offered free of charge to any reader who requests it. In the first week after its release, Plough Publishing House went back to press four times to meet the demand for Johann Christoph Arnold's new... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/17/news-3/?s= Thu, 17 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/17/news-3/?s= MELBOURNE, Fla. (CNS) -- The president of the National Council of Catholic Women said she sees "a reawakening of women now that they're seeing how much our church needs us," especially with regard to efforts to protect religious freedom. Women are "stepping forward and speaking about our values. Unfortunately, for... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/17/news-4/?s= Thu, 17 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/17/news-4/?s= SHELBY TOWNSHIP, Mich. (CNS) -- The spiritual leader of Maronite Catholics urged Lebanese in the Detroit area to play a role in the salvation of their homeland during his pastoral visit May 13. Patriarch Bechara Rai said people of Lebanese origin or heritage in America should use their experience of... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/17/news-5/?s= Thu, 17 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/17/news-5/?s= WASHINGTON (CNS) -- More than three dozen U.S. and British faith-based investment firms have banded together to get the Summer Olympics' major sponsors and tourist hotels to sign a pledge saying they will work to stop human trafficking around the Olympic Games. So far, the campaign has had some success.... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/17/news-6/?s= Thu, 17 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/17/news-6/?s= CHICAGO (CNS) -- With world leaders descending on Chicago for the May 20-21 NATO summit, some Catholic school teachers were incorporating lessons about the political-military alliance for their students. And with thousands of people coming to the city to demonstrate and draw attention to focus on issues ranging from war... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/17/news-7/?s= Thu, 17 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/17/news-7/?s= WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio, is discontinuing its student health insurance plan in the upcoming school year in opposition to the Obama administration's mandate requiring most religious employers, including colleges, to provide no-cost contraceptive and sterilization coverage in its health insurance plans. The school made the announcement... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/17/news-8/?s= Thu, 17 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/17/news-8/?s= ROME (CNS) -- The Catholic Church's relationship to Judaism as taught by the Second Vatican Council and the interpretations and developments of that teaching by subsequent popes, "are binding on a Catholic," said the Vatican official responsible for relations with the Jews. Swiss Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/17/news-9/?s= Thu, 17 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/17/news-9/?s= VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The Eastern Catholic bishops in the United States share their brother bishops' concerns about religious freedom and evangelization, and see their distinct liturgies as powerful tools for expanding their flocks. Bishops from the Chaldean, Ruthenian, Maronite, Ukrainian, Armenian, Melkite, Syriac and Romanian Catholic churches were at... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/17/news-10/?s= Thu, 17 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/17/news-10/?s= VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Iraqi Catholics fleeing physical danger in their homeland often find themselves unprepared for the moral threats awaiting their families in the United States, said the head of Chaldean Catholics in the Western U.S. Seeing a lack of respect for the unborn, altered definitions of marriage and... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/17/news-11/?s= Thu, 17 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/17/news-11/?s= MEXICO CITY (CNS) -- Even as modern-day church-state relations improve, the impact of Mexico's three-year Cristero Rebellion in the 1920s on the Catholic Church remains widely debated in Mexican society. The rebellion saw Catholic clergy and laity taking up arms to oppose government efforts to harshly restrict the influence of... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/17/news-12/?s= Thu, 17 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/17/news-12/?s= BALTIMORE (CNS) -- In a jubilant liturgy that highlighted the historic roots of the Baltimore Archdiocese while also looking to the future, Archbishop William E. Lori was installed as the 16th archbishop of Baltimore May 16 at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen. A smiling Archbishop Lori wore the same... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/16/news-1/?s= Wed, 16 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/16/news-1/?s= WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The Archdiocese of Washington issued a statement May 15 strongly criticizing Georgetown University for selecting Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius as a featured speaker at an awards ceremony during its commencement week ceremonies. Sebelius has been invited to speak at Georgetown's Public Policy Institute awards... http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/16/news-2/?s= Wed, 16 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://www.georgiabulletin.org/world/2012/05/16/news-2/?s= ROCKFORD, Ill. (CNS) -- It was with some trepidation that the planning committee for the ninth bishop of Rockford's ordination and installation Mass chose a downtown sports arena for the ceremony. However, once it was announced March 20 that Msgr. David J. Malloy, from the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, would succeed...