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January 2012

January 4

Calgary Anglicans join flock

January 4, 2012

CALGARY - An Anglo-Catholic Church in Calgary was the first in Canada to be designated a Roman Catholic Anglican-use congregation. A special, unprecedented service was held Dec. 18 at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Calgary to welcome St. John the Evangelist parish. It will soon be received into the Roman Catholic Church.

Count your blessings, not your complaints

January 4, 2012

As cliché as it may sound, the famous phrase “Ignorance is bliss” can be highly relevant to modern society. Many of us fail to recognize the surplus of blessings we have been given and focus more on what we lack. If you have a Twitter account, the essence of our ignorance can be seen in the tweets of FirstWorldPains. The account satires the pains of developed countries by tweeting various complaints that many find relatable. Tweets like “It’s nice outside, but my Internet doesn’t reach far enough to the backyard for me to watch Netflix on my laptop” and “The chips I’m eating are too wide for my mouth” grace the newsfeed every other hour.

Starting the New Year off on the right foot

January 4, 2012

This year, we asked the Youth Speak News team to resolve to do good — either for themselves or for those around them. Here are their New Year’s resolutions. Don't forget you can view profiles of all the 2011/12 team from the drop-down menu at youthspeaknews.org.

Some like the new Missal, others lukewarm

January 4, 2012

The introduction of the new Roman Missal has been a hot topic of conversation since its implementation on the first Sunday of Advent, and it’s no different for Catholic youth. For young Catholics, the new, more literal translation is the first change to the Mass they have experienced in their lifetime. While the changes in posture and the slight variations on traditional responses in the Mass are significantly less than the changes that previous generations faced in the 1960s (where the Mass was translated from Latin to the vernacular), the changes may still take some getting used to for some — and not so much for others.

Nigeria’s Christmas a day of tears and sorrow

January 4, 2012

ABUJA, NIGERIA - Christmas was a day of joy but also a day of tears and sorrow for Nigerian Christians. As the world celebrated the birth of the Prince of Peace, the Nigerian Church was struck by senseless violence that wiped away entire families and slaughtered scores of worshippers at three churches: St. Theresa’s parish in the town of Madalla, the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Church in Jos, and the church in Gadaka. I could have been among the victims but for divine providence. Until last April, when I was appointed as an assistant chaplain at the University of Abuja, I did weekend pastoral ministry at St. Theresa’s parish. But for that appointment I would have been in St. Theresa’s on Christmas day.

St. Michael’s chooses first layperson to head school

January 4, 2012

TORONTO - Terence Sheridan, the newly appointed president of Toronto’s St. Michael’s College School, may be the first layperson to lead the school, but he’s no stranger to the Basilian tradition of the community. An alumnus of the Toronto all-boys private school, Sheridan has spent the last 15 years as a teacher, administrator and coach at St. Michael’s. And in July 2012, he will succeed Fr. Joseph Redican, C.S.B., as president. During his two-year term, Sheridan will also continue to serve as principal of the school, a role he has held since January.

Simard to lead Valleyfield diocese

January 4, 2012

Bishop Noël Simard will return to his native Quebec to lead the Valleyfield diocese. On Dec. 29, Pope Benedict XVI appointed the former professor of bioethics and moral theology to the Valleyfield diocese where he will be installed in mid-February.

Catholics have made a difference in Haiti

January 4, 2012

OTTAWA - After a solidarity mission to Haiti Dec. 15-21, Archbishop Richard Smith came away with a deep appreciation of the work Canadian Catholics are funding to help the poor through a range of Caritas partners. “What I saw there was the Gospel in action, lives being changed,” said the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) president. Smith also came away struck with the need for a long-term commitment to help renew the country devastated by a catastrophic earthquake two years ago.

Pope, at audience, reflects on meaning of Christmas, Epiphany

January 4, 2012

VATICAN CITY - At Christmas, the human dream of being like God started to become a reality -- not through any human efforts, but through God sending his son to be born on earth to redeem humanity, Pope Benedict XVI said. Addressing an estimated 7,000 people gathered for his weekly general audience Jan. 4, the pope encouraged Christians to continue living the joy and mystery of Christmas as they prepare for the feast of the Epiphany, celebrated at the Vatican Jan. 6, and the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, which the pope planned to celebrate Jan. 8 by baptizing babies in the Sistine Chapel.

Bishop Raymond Lahey freed from jail following sentencing

January 4, 2012

OTTAWA - Bishop Raymond Lahey, 71, received a 15-month jail sentence Jan. 4 for importing child pornography but was released after the judge gave him a two-for-one credit for the eight months he had already spent in prison. The judge also imposed a period of 24 months' probation with strict conditions. After sentencing, a spectator began shouting obscenities at Lahey through the glass of the prisoner's box and called him a demon. Police rushed into the courtroom, but did not charge the man who said he was a victim of sexual abuse at the St. Joseph Training School for Boys in Alfred, Ont.

January 5

Bishops accuse Nigeria of collusion, fraud over removal of fuel subsidy

January 5, 2012

LAGOS, Nigeria - A group of Nigerian bishops accused the government of selfishness, collusion and fraud and said removal of a fuel subsidy showed "insensitive timing." "Must the poor suffer to make the rich smile? It may not be fair to blame the ... government alone for all the woes of Nigeria, but this government must take full responsibility for the insensitive timing and execution of this policy on fuel subsidy," said the statement, signed by Archbishop Felix Alaba Job of Ibadan, president of the Ibadan Ecclesiastical Province of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria.

Vatican to issue recommendations for celebrating Year of Faith

January 5, 2012

VATICAN CITY - In an effort to help Catholics have a better and correct understanding of their faith and become authentic witnesses to Christ, the Vatican is issuing a list of pastoral recommendations for celebrating the Year of Faith. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith will release a "note" Jan. 7 outlining the aims of the special year and ways bishops, dioceses, parishes and communities can promote "the truth of the faith," the congregation said in a written statement Jan. 5.

L.A. Auxiliary Bishop resigns after disclosing he is father of two children

January 5, 2012

VATICAN CITY - Los Angeles Auxiliary Bishop Gabino Zavala has resigned after disclosing to superiors that he is the father of two children. The Vatican announced the bishop's resignation Jan. 4 in a one-line statement that cited church law on resignation for illness or other serious reasons.

Ten years after abuse scandal, Boston cardinal reflects on its impact

January 5, 2012

BOSTON - "Our Church will never forget the clergy sexual abuse crisis," said Cardinal Sean O'Malley of Boston in a document marking the 10th anniversary of the abuse scandal that first rocked the archdiocese in January 2002, the reverberations of which continue to be felt. "The traumatic and painful days we experienced 10 years ago rightfully forced us to address the issue honestly and implement many necessary changes," said O'Malley in the 2,500-word document, "Ten Years Later — Reflections on the Sexual Abuse Crisis," released Jan. 4.

More 'Angels' in actress Roma Downey's future

January 5, 2012

WASHINGTON - Just when you might have forgotten about the family-friendly television series Touched by an Angel, series star Roma Downey is tweaking the concept. Downey, a Catholic, has created a DVD animated series called Little Angels. The premise is that twin siblings are visited by eight child-size angels who are ordinarily stuck on the walls of their bedroom but who come to life after the twins' mother tucks the kids in for the night. The angels take the children on life-lesson-learning adventures. Downey provides the voice of the children's mother.

January 6

Haitian quake survivors leaving camps for a place they can call home

January 6, 2012

WASHINGTON - It took almost two years, but Haitian earthquake survivor Sonya Mallebranche has a place she can call home again. It's only three rooms, making it less than perfect, Mallebranche admits, especially for four adults and three toddler grandchildren. But Mallebranche, 51, finds it far better than living in a tattered tent in the fetid, dusty camp known as Petite Place Cazeau alongside hundreds of others displaced by the powerful Jan. 12, 2010, earthquake that leveled much of the region around Port-au-Prince.

Honduran priest files charges against police for alleged beating

January 6, 2012

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras - A Honduran priest known for his work on behalf of human rights and the environment said he and two of his brothers were beaten by police as they rested along a roadside on a trip to visit their parents the day after Christmas. Father Marco Aurelio Lorenzo told reporters of the ordeal in early January after filing a criminal complaint against eight police officers in the prosecutor's office in the northern city of San Pedro Sula, the Latin American Herald Tribune reported Jan. 5.

22 new cardinals named by Pope Benedict

January 6, 2012

VATICAN CITY - Pope Benedict XVI named 22 new cardinals, including one from Canada and two from the United States, and announced a consistory for their formal induction on Feb. 18. Among those named were Archbishop Thomas C. Collins of Toronto; Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan of New York; and Archbishop Edwin F. O'Brien, a former archbishop of Baltimore who now serves as grand master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem. The pope's nominations included 10 Roman Curia officials and 16 Europeans, confirming a trend in his cardinal appointments since his election in 2005.

January 7

Toronto needs more Catholic foster parents like Nellie and Bernie

January 7, 2012

TORONTO - The long-standing shortage of Catholic foster parents in Toronto isn’t getting any better. The Catholic Children’s Aid Society of Toronto has 297 foster care spots available on its own roster. This year it has had to rely on 412 out-of-town spots it purchases from private contractors. Out-of-town care costs a lot more and it removes kids from their school, their circle of friends and family — everything that can help maintain their sense of belonging. Trouble is, there aren’t a lot of couples like Nellie and Bernie Desroches left in the city. And it is likely there will be fewer in the future.

January 8

U.K. Bishops plan to use London Olympics to renew interest in Catholic faith

January 8, 2012

MANCHESTER, England - 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 and holy hours and will post them on the Internet before the July 27-Aug. 12 games.