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June 2012

June 22

Archbishop Chaput sees deep roots in clergy sexual abuse crisis

June 22, 2012

INDIANAPOLIS - Noting that the church in Philadelphia is "now my family, an intimate part of my life" a year after being appointed to lead the church there, Philadelphia Archbishop Charles J. Chaput said that the clergy sexual abuse scandal "has caused terrible suffering for victims, demoralized many of our clergy, crippled the witness of the church and humiliated the whole Catholic community" in that region. He made this assessment June 20, hours after a Philadelphia jury told Judge Teresa Sarmina that they could not agree on four of five charges in a clergy sexual abuse trial. Judge Sarmina instructed the jury, which has been in deliberations for 12 days, to continue to seek a verdict in the case against Father James J. Brennan and Msgr. William Lynn.

Pope: Revitalized faith can help Catholics avoid evangelical movements

June 22, 2012

VATICAN CITY - The increasing number of Pentecostal and evangelical communities in Latin America cannot be ignored or taken too lightly, Pope Benedict XVI told bishops from Colombia. Catholics are "called to purify and revitalize their faith" as well as strengthen pastoral programs to improve formation and help people feel welcome in the church, he said. The Pope made the remarks in a talk June 22 to a group of Colombian bishops making their "ad limina" visits to the Vatican to report on the status of their dioceses and hold discussions with Vatican officials.

Space School: Vatican Observatory supports rising stars in astronomy

June 22, 2012

CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy - It looked like a mini-United Nations, but the attendees were wearing shorts and T-shirts and, over coffee, they talked about the birth of star clusters rather than a ban on cluster bombs. Also, the location wasn't Manhattan or Geneva, but a refurbished monastery immersed in the papal gardens behind the pope's summer villa south of Rome. The 25 young men and women from 23 different countries were future astronomers and astrophysicists brought together by the Vatican Observatory to spend the month of June discussing "The Formation and Evolution of Stellar Clusters," which are groups of stars populating the galaxies.

Jury reaches partial verdict in Philadelphia clergy abuse trial

June 22, 2012

PHILADELPHIA - The jury reached a partial verdict June 22 in the clergy sex abuse trial. Msgr. William Lynn, former archdiocesan secretary for clergy, was found guilty on one count of child endangerment and acquitted on two other charges, including conspiracy. The jury was deadlocked on charges against Father James J. Brennan, charged with attempted rape and child endangerment for alleged abuse of a 14-year-old boy in 1996.

June 23

Finding the story behind the church through photography

June 23, 2012

When Ottawa-based photographer Mark Schacter realized he had amassed a pretty extensive collection of church photographs, he was a bit surprised. Schacter will be spending the next year building on his library of church photos, following in the footsteps of some of the great photographers of our day, from Ansel Adams to James Nachtwey. Schacter is adding more churches, as well as synagogues, mosques, gudwaras and temples, for his Houses of Worship project — a book to be published in 2013. The book of photos and essays will concentrate on architecture inspired by faith in Canada and the United States.

June 24

'E-giving' making a positive difference in some parishes' offertories

June 24, 2012

WASHINGTON - For generations of Catholics, "E" has stood for envelope -- the Sunday offertory envelope. In today's digital age, though, that "E" may be shifting to "e-giving," an electronic and automatic deduction from your bank account to help pay for the costs of running and maintaining the parish. One company, Faith Direct, has said its client parishes are seeing revenue increases as high as 30 percent. Our Sunday Visitor's Offertory Solutions subsidiary likewise estimates that parishioners who use its "Online Giving" option contribute up to 30 percent more than they would had they stuck with the envelope system.

June 25

Vatican faces 'urgent' need for priests with new vocations guidelines

June 25, 2012

VATICAN CITY - In an effort to respond to a "clear and pressing" need for priests, the Vatican released a set of guidelines to help bishops and church communities promote, recruit and educate a new generation of men for the priesthood. The church needs "suitable" candidates and must avoid men who "show signs of being profoundly fragile personalities," while helping others heal from any possible "individual deviations" from their vocations, the document said.

Pope seeks advice from top cardinals on credibility crisis

June 25, 2012

VATICAN CITY - Pope Benedict XVI asked some of his closest advisers for guidance on how to restore trust and confidence in the Catholic church's leadership amid a scandal over leaks of confidential Vatican papers. Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman, said the Pope called two extraordinary meetings June 23 to "deepen his reflections" over the leaks and its consequences. Paolo Gabriele, the Pope's personal butler, was arrested May 23 after confidential letters and documents addressed to the Pope and others within the Vatican administration were allegedly found in his Vatican apartment. Many of the documents were published in Italian media over the past several months and in a recently released best-selling book by an Italian journalist.

Christians cautious about Islamist's victory in Egyptian election

June 25, 2012

CAIRO - Christians expressed caution about the election of Islamist Mohammed Morsi as Egypt's new president, saying they hope he will follow through on his pledge "to be a president for all Egyptians." "We have to accept Morsi and now we will see what he will do," said Michel Agram, 45-year-old worshipper at the Melkite Catholic Church in Cairo's Heliopolis district June 24. "Not all Egypt wants Morsi. You can see that from the results," Agram said of the narrow 882,000-vote margin of victory over Ahmed Shafiq, the last prime minister under ousted President Hosni Mubarak. "I would hope he (Morsi) knows this and will act accordingly."

U.S. Supreme Court rejects much of Arizona immigration law, upholds status checks

June 25, 2012

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Supreme Court, in a mixed opinion with several dissents, affirmed the section of an Arizona immigration law that requires state law enforcement officials to check the immigration status of detainees who they suspect are in the country illegally. But the court threw out other parts of the law, called S.B. 1070, as an infringement on the powers of the federal government. The decision in Arizona v. United States was announced June 25, but the court delayed its rulings on four lawsuits related to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act until June 28, the final day of its 2011-12 court term.

Media adviser role is positive step for Vatican, says new US appointee

June 25, 2012

VATICAN CITY - The establishment of a new post of senior communications adviser is a step in the right direction to help the Vatican deal with the challenges of a sound-bite culture, said the American journalist appointed to the job. Greg Burke, 52, was named to the newly created position in the Vatican's Secretariat of State and will start in July. The announcement was made on Vatican Radio June 24.

Mississauga principal takes Premier’s leadership award

June 25, 2012

MISSISSAUGA, ONT. - This year’s Premier’s Award for Excellence in Leadership has been awarded to a Catholic school board representative for the first time. “It was a very humbling experience,” said Mark Cassar, principal of Corpus Christi School in Mississauga. “I tend to not like too much attention on myself that way but to have your colleagues and the parents and your students cheering for you, it was an amazing feeling.” Cassar received the award from Education Minister Laurel Broten at a ceremony that Premier Dalton McGuinty also attended June 12. The spotlight kept shining on Cassar the following day as the Corpus Christi community recognized his achievements during its year-end celebration.

St. Mike’s study hopes to get better grasp on hospitals’ community

June 25, 2012

TORONTO - More low-income people are using parts of the health care system that are under the most stress, including the emergency departments and mental health services, a recent study from Toronto’s St. Michael’s Hospital has found. “Mental health is very common in our society and we have very little outpatient care and very little community care relative to what’s actually needed for the population,” said Dr. Rick Glazier, one of the lead authors of the study.

Philadelphia priest found guilty on one charge of child endangerment

June 25, 2012

PHILADELPHIA - With the same expression of serenity that he had shown for 13 weeks, Msgr. William J. Lynn listened to the criminal jury foreman speak the verdict of guilty on one charge of endangering the welfare of a child June 22 in a Philadelphia courtroom. Msgr. Lynn becomes the first high-ranking Catholic clergyman in the United States to be convicted of a crime associated with the handling of priests accused of child sexual abuse, though he himself faced no charge of abuse. According to guidelines mentioned by Common Pleas Court Judge M. Teresa Sarmina, Msgr. Lynn faces a sentence of six months to seven years for his conviction.

June 26

Louisville researcher says he's 'astonished' by results of study of martyrs' bones

June 26, 2012

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - A team of researchers has been studying the skeletal remains of martyrs kept in reliquaries at a Louisville Catholic church, and so far the results seem to confirm information about the two saints passed down over the centuries. Since 1902, the bones of two martyrs -- St. Magnus, a Roman centurion, and St. Bonosa, a young Roman virgin -- have flanked the altar at St. Martin of Tours Church. There the pair, who are believed to have been martyred in the third or fourth century in Rome, have attracted the curious and the faithful alike.

Impeached Paraguayan president and former bishop fights ouster from office

June 26, 2012

LIMA, Peru - As neighboring countries recalled their ambassadors from Paraguay for consultation, Fernando Lugo, the bishop-turned-president who was impeached June 22, announced that he was forming a parallel government. Paraguay's Senate ousted Lugo, 61, after a two-day trial that the former president called a "parliamentary coup d'etat." The move came after a confrontation between landless peasants and police left 17 people dead.

Catholic groups see positive aspects, weaknesses in final Rio+20 document

June 26, 2012

RIO DE JANEIRO - Representatives of some Catholic nongovernmental organizations expressed disappointment at what they described as weak wording in the final document of Rio+20, the U.N. Conference on Sustainable Development, but others found positive aspects. "If this is the future our leaders want, today and tomorrow's poor and marginalized people certainly aren't part of it. Their right to live in dignity and in harmony with nature has once more been denied," said Denise Auclair, a policy expert with CIDSE, an international alliance of 16 Catholic development agencies.

Pope accepts resignation of Argentine bishop seen with woman in pool

June 26, 2012

VATICAN CITY - Pope Benedict XVI has accepted the resignation of an Argentine bishop seen apparently being amorous with an unidentified female in a Mexican swimming pool. The Pope accepted the resignation June 26 of Bishop Fernando Bargallo of Merlo-Moreno, Argentina, and appointed retired Bishop Alcides Casaretto of San Isidro as apostolic administrator of the diocese. Argentine news channel A24 showed photos June 19 of Bishop Bargallo and an unidentified woman during a trip to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, two years ago. Media outlets throughout Latin American published the photos widely.

Pope tells homeless, jobless quake victims to put trust in God

June 26, 2012

ROVERETO DI NOVI, Italy - Fear and anxiety are natural responses to the terror and destruction wrought by a natural disaster, but God's love is rock solid, providing certainty and solace for all victims, Pope Benedict XVI said. "Upon this rock, with this firm hope, one can build and one can rebuild," he said to more than 2,000 Rovereto di Novi residents -- many of whom were rendered homeless and jobless by two earthquakes in May. "Remain true to your vocation as fraternal and supportive people, and tackle everything with patience and determination, fighting the temptations that unfortunately come with these moments of weakness and need," he said June 26.

Nigerian bishops say anger, hatred after bombings is at dangerous level

June 26, 2012

LAGOS, Nigeria - Nigeria's Catholic bishops expressed concern that anger and hatred are growing among Christian and Muslim communities and have reached a dangerous level following a spate of church bombings believed to be carried out by a fundamentalist Islamic sect. "These are sad days for Nigeria and for all Nigerians," the bishops said in a June 26 statement released in Abuja. "We feel greatly pained by the violent events which have become almost daily occurrences."