News/International

{mosimage}VATICAN CITY - A Vatican representative said the recent rise in global food prices threatens the lives of the one billion people who spend most of their daily income in search of food.

Three days of mourning for Chinese quake victims

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{mosimage}CHENGDU, China - Catholics joined other Chinese in observing three minutes of silence May 19 to pray for and mourn those killed by the earthquake that hit southwestern China a week earlier.

The Chinese government declared an unprecedented three-day period of national mourning May 19-21 for victims of the magnitude 7.9 quake. Entertainment businesses were to be closed and the Beijing Olympics torch relay in Zhejiang and Shanghai was suspended until May 22, reported UCA News, an Asian church news agency.

Chinese Catholics aid quake victims

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{mosimage}CHENGDU, China - Chinese priests had to work around disrupted telephone systems and damaged roads as they tried to assess the damage from the May 12 earthquake centred under Sichuan province.

Responding to appeals for aid and prayers on Catholic web sites, Catholics across China have begun donating money and clothes to help survivors, the priests told the Asian church news agency UCA News.

Catholic TV journalists cover papal visit

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{mosimage}NEW YORK - Salt+Light TV producer Kris Dmytrenko thought covering the Pope’s visit to the United States April 15-20 would be like “being a pilgrim with access.”

“It was very different than what I imagined,” Dmytrenko, 28, said. “I thought I’d have free access to roam around, a ‘backstage pass.’ ”

Faith comes to forefront in Democrats’ battle

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{mosimage}WASHINGTON - The Rev. Jim Wallis finds it unexpected and refreshing that the majority of “God talk” in the U.S. presidential election season has been among and about Democratic candidates and that the dialogue takes a broad view of what’s important to religiously motivated voters.

Benedict conquers America

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{mosimage}NEW YORK - As his Alitalia Boeing 777, dubbed “Shepherd One,” lifted off from New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport, Pope Benedict XVI had reason to smile. During his April 15-20 visit to the United States, he had been received warmly by hundreds of thousands, faced the sex-abuse crisis head on and offered a message of hope in Christ to American Catholics.

Paraguay chooses retired bishop as president

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{mosimage}ASUNCION, Paraguay - Retired Bishop Fernando Lugo was elected president of Paraguay April 20, ending the six-decade rule of the Colorado Party.

Lugo took an early lead in the pre-election polls, despite official disapproval from the Vatican and, initially, from the Paraguayan bishops’ conference. As support for Lugo remained high in the largely Catholic country, the conference refrained from further comment.

Pope urges Americans to find hope in Christ

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{mosimage}NEW YORK - As his final goodbye to the American people, Pope Benedict XVI prayed at Ground Zero, the location of the worst terrorist attack ever conducted on U.S. soil, and celebrated Holy Eucharist with 57,000 Catholics at Yankee Stadium.

The Pope talks about Jesus

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Pope Benedict XVI's final homily to Americans, given at the Sunday, April 20, Mass at Yankee Stadium, was about Jesus. Imagine that, a Catholic Pope, at a Catholic Mass, talking about Jesus.

The Pope talks about Jesus

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Pope Benedict XVI's final homily to Americans, given at the Sunday, April 20, Mass at Yankee Stadium, was about Jesus. Imagine that, a Catholic Pope, at a Catholic Mass, talking about Jesus.

A fellow Canadian wearing a red hat

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Among all the red hats and sashes trailing after the Pope at his various events here in the United States was one who is a familiar figure to Canadians. It was Cardinal Marc Ouellet, archbishop of Quebec and primate of the Catholic Church in Canada.