13/07/2007 16:15 |
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Turning green Vatican takes step to become worlds 1st carbon neutral sovereignty
7/13/2007
Catholic Online
VATICAN CITY (Catholic Online) The Vatican, in responding to its own call that mankind become a more aware and more active caretaker of the earth, will take a step to lift its carbon footprint and become the first entirely carbon neutral sovereign state in the world.
In a brief July 5 ceremony here, the Vatican declared that it had accepted a proposal to create a new Vatican climate forest in Europe that will offset all of the Vatican City States carbon dioxide omissions for this year.
Environmental protection, said Cardinal Paul Poupard, head of the Pontifical Council for Culture, is not a political issue.
It is not enough to have a simple commitment for a few people. Instead it is necessary, as underlined by his holiness, to have the dawn of a new culture, of new attitudes and a new mode of living that makes man aware of his place a caretaker of the earth.
Planktos/KlimaFa, a climate ecorestoration company, made the donation of forestland in Hungarys Bukk National Park to create the new Vatican climate forest.
I am honored to receive this donation, Cardinal Poupard said. In this way, the Vatican will do its small part in contributing to the elimination of polluting emissions from carbon dioxide which is threatening the survival of the planet.
A carbon footprint is a measure of the amount of carbon dioxide emitted through the combustion of fossil fuels. Carbon dioxide is recognized as a greenhouse gas, of which increasing levels in the atmosphere are linked to global warming and climate change. As plant life gives off oxygen, the planting of forests is seen as a way of mitigating the environmental impact of the consumption of natural resources.
"As the holy father, Pope Benedict XVI, had recently stated, the international community needs to respect and encourage a green culture, characterized by ethical values, Cardinal Poupard said.
The Book of Genesis tells us of a beginning in which God placed man as guardian over the earth to make it fruitful. When man forgets that he is a faithful servant of this earth, it becomes a desert that threatens the survival of all creation, he added.
"The Holy See's increasingly creative environmental leadership is both insightful and profound, said Russ George, Planktos chief executive officer and KlimaFa managing director. Not only is the Vatican steadily reducing its carbon footprint with energy efficiency and solar power, its choice of new mixed growth forests to offset the balance of its emissions shows a deep commitment to planetary stewardship as well. It eloquently makes the point that ecorestoration is a fitting climate change solution for a culture of life."
"We believe this climate forest initiative clearly reflects the Vatican's deep commitment to both environmental healing and the welfare of the poor, said David Gazdag, KlimaFa's managing director. Besides their local ecological and global climatic benefits, these projects offer many rewarding new eco-forestry jobs to struggling rural communities and increasing eco-tourism employment opportunities as these beautiful woodlands mature." The dimensions of the new Vatican climate forest will be determined by the Vaticans 2007 energy usage and the success of its current emission reduction efforts.
Planktos/KlimaFa also announced that it has committed to work with the Vatican and the Pontifical Council of Culture to develop methods to calculate the carbon emissions of individual Catholic churches and offer ecorestoration options to turn their carbon footprints green. The announcement came less than two months after the Vatican told member countries of the United Nations that the world community must address the threat posed by global warming and build more sustainable economies or face the continued drift toward tensions, conflicts and a crisis in the very existence of peoples.
In an May 10 statement to the U.N. Economic and Social Councils Commission on Sustainable Development on Turning Political Commitments into Action, Working together in Partnership, Archbishop Celestino Migliore, apostolic nuncio of the Holy Sees permanent mission to the U.N., stressed that the scientific evidence for global warming and mankinds role in the increase of greenhouse gasses becomes ever more unimpeachable and its effects already impacting the world community.
The consequences of climate change are being felt not only in the environment, but in the entire socio-economic system, Archbishop Migliore said, noting that such activity has a profound relevance, not just for the environment, but in ethical, economic, social and political terms as well.
Global warming, he said, will impact first and foremost the poorest and weakest who, even if they are among the least responsible for global warming, are the most vulnerable because they have limited resources or live in areas at greater risk.
The issues surrounding climate change are far-reaching, the Vatican nuncio said, pointing to the connection between it and the drive to acquire and consume energy and water resources and protecting human health and the environment.
The earth is our common heritage and we have a grave and far-reaching responsibility to ourselves and to future generations, he said.
The international community, Archbishop Migliore said, must come to terms to establish a common, global, long-term energy strategy, capable of satisfying legitimate short- and medium-term energy requirements, ensuring energy security, protecting human health and the environment and establishing precise commitments to address the question of climate change.
The nuncio spoke with some urgency, noting that the U.N. Security Council recently dealt with the relationship of energy, security and climate change.
We are already witnessing struggles for the control of strategic resources such as oil and fresh water, both of which are becoming ever scarcer, he said.
If we refuse to build sustainable economies now, we will continue to drift towards more tensions and conflicts over resources, Archbishop Migliore warned, pointing to many of the most vulnerable societies already facing energy problems and to the threatened very existence of coastal peoples and small island states.
Pope Benedict XVI addressed the issue in his World Peace Day 2007 message.
In the wide-ranging "The Human Person, the Heart of Peace," dated Jan. 1 and released Dec. 8, Benedict tied the ecology of nature with human ecology and social ecology, noting the inseparable link between peace with creation and peace among men.
Disregard for the environment always harms human coexistence, the pope said. There is an inseparable link between peace with creation and peace among men.
Concerning the environment, he pointed specifically to the increasingly serious problem of energy supplies and to the unprecedented race for available resources by some nations and blockage to resources impacting the development of other nations.
The destruction of the environment, its improper or selfish use, and the violent hoarding of the earth's resources cause grievances, conflicts and wars, precisely because they are the consequences of an inhumane concept of development, the pope said.
Indeed, if development were limited to the technical-economic aspect, obscuring the moral-religious dimension, it would not be an integral human development, but a one-sided distortion which would end up by unleashing man's destructive capacities, he said.
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From Teresa:
PROPOSAL FOR AL GORE, THE U.N.
AND ALL OTHER ECOLOGICAL BLEEDING HEARTS
Oh, how refreshing! - literally and figuratively - for some institution to lead the way in doing-as-it-preaches!
Contrast the Vatican's moves to the Al Gores and Barbra Streisands of the world who claim to be champions of the environment - but it's all empty babble because they live in totally air-conditioned megamansions, drive about in the gargantuan gas-guzzlers of the rich and privileged, move around in private planes instead of commercial transport, and stage megaconcerts that consume gigawatts of energy to stage and to watch.
Why don't the Al Gores and Barbra Streisands each set up their own personal carbon-emission offset forests too?
And why have all those do-gooders at the United Nations never thought of something similar?
Suppose all those liberal bleeding hearts - who certainly have the resources - each adopted a little piece of the Amazon Forest to promote, protect and conserve as their concrete contribution to ecology?
Bill Gates, George Soros, Mayor Bloomberg - all the megabucks philanthropists - could well channel some of their wealth to such a worthy cause.
Then use one of those well-funded agencies propagandizing for the ecology to administer all that largesse for offset forests, and make the Amazon a vehicle for ecological renewal rather than the continuing prey for exploiters of all sorts (including the ecological prophets who have done nothing so far but wring their hands!).
They could even appoint Al Gore to head it - but at least do something concrete, instead of simply issuing tomes of tendentious research about global warming!
[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 13/07/2007 19:01] |
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14/07/2007 10:37 |
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U.S. bishop defends bishops' right to rebuke pro-abortion politicians
By Paul Gray
July 13, 2007
Catholic News Service (www.catholicnews.com)
MELBOURNE, Australia (CNS) - An American bishop visiting Australia has defended the right of Catholic bishops to publicly rebuke politicians, including Catholics, who support pro-abortion laws.
ARCHBISHOP CELEBRATES MASS IN AUSTRALIA Archbishop Charles J. Chaput of Denver elevates the chalice while celebrating Mass with Australian Auxiliary Bishop Anthony Fisher of Sydney, left, and Australian Archbishop Philip Wilson of Adelaide, right, at St. Christopher's Cathedral in Canberra, Australia, July 7. Archbishop Chaput was in the Australian capital to address a national congress of Catholic students and young adults. (CNS)
"Abortion is about killing somebody else. It's about human beings," he said. "Do you keep quiet if someone's going to kill someone else, or do you speak up? And if you don't speak up or you say people have a right to kill someone else, can you honestly say you're in communion with the church?"
Archbishop Chaput said that those American bishops who spoke out on abortion during the last presidential election campaign in 2004, including himself, were not trying to make a name for themselves.
"We're just trying to be faithful to our role as bishops, and we want to remind our people that you can't be a Catholic if you're not a Catholic in ritual and how you lead your life," he said. "And how one votes, and how one leads if one's a political leader is the way you live your life."
Archbishop Chaput was in Australia for a young adult congress called "2028 Congress: The Church and the Next Generation." The July 6-8 congress in Canberra was sponsored by the Australian Catholic Young Adults Network and Australian Catholic Students Association.
Archbishop Chaput, who regularly is outspoken on immigration issues in the United States, said he was fascinated by the contrasting receptions received by his comments about the two topics.
"The people who were strongly critical of me for speaking about life issues at the time of the last presidential election have been very encouraging for me to speak up on the immigration issues," he said.
"It seems to me that those who claim separation of the church and state often do that because of a particular issue, not because they have a particular theoretical commitment to separation," he said. "If I speak about something they don't like, I should be separated. If I speak about something they support, they're happy. It's very odd."
He added, "And it cuts both ways, liberal and conservative. What I hope we develop are people who are Catholics, who aren't actually liberal or conservative, but who are just simply Catholic."
Archbishop Chaput said that there is a hierarchy of moral issues, with an issue like abortion being more "foundational" than issues like immigration.
"Foundational means that the rest of the system, whether it be a moral system or a theological system, has its basis on these foundational issues. For example, the right to life, the dignity of the individual from the moment of conception through natural life, is a foundation on which we build our understanding of just immigration laws, because just immigration laws depend on your belief in the dignity of individuals," he explained. "If you don't believe that, you're going to have very different immigration laws than if you do believe in it."
Another example, the archbishop said, is belief in the Trinity as more foundational than belief in the Immaculate Conception.
"Both are absolutely true, but they're not equally foundational," he said.
The archbishop said that the church's teaching against capital punishment is another example of a teaching that is not as foundational as the prohibition against abortion.
"The church teaches that you don't kill your brother, even if your brother is guilty," he said.
However, Archbishop Chaput said that one is without exception "and the other has exceptions. They are not foundationally the same.
"There can never be a situation, one incidence, where abortion is a moral act," he said. "There can be incidences where capital punishment is a necessary act to protect society and therefore a moral act, a morally acceptable act."
SOURCE: www.catholic.org/international/international_story.php?...
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14/07/2007 10:38 |
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World Youth Day papal Mass back on track at Sydney racecourse
By Dan McAloon
July 13, 2007
Catholic News Service (www.catholicnews.com)
SYDNEY, Australia (CNS) - Disgruntled horse trainers withdrew a legal threat against the 2008 World Youth Day vigil and papal Mass at Royal Randwick Racecourse and agreed to work with the New South Wales government on a compensation package.
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In principle, the trainers now have no objection to the events being at the racecourse, local media reported.
Jim Hanna, communications director for World Youth Day, said news that the trainers had averted legal action "reflected the advanced nature of the discussions between all of the stakeholders."
He said compensation would probably be much lower than the $50 million (US$43.4 million) figure circulated in the media. In the period leading up to the vigil, Hanna said up to 200 horses could continue training at Randwick "on all but three days" and although it would be necessary to relocate horses to other race venues "no race meetings will be canceled."
The Randwick Trainers Association had said it would explore legal avenues to stop use of the racecourse for 10 weeks next year because of the July 15-20 World Youth Day activities.
In a statement, Hanna said World Youth Day organizers would be building an altar area "the size of a football field" and installing infrastructure, including fiber optic cable, "that had the potential to deliver long-term benefit to all racecourse users."
Hanna refused to name the location of the World Youth Day's opening Mass, saying the experience with Randwick made the planning committee "cautious of making any announcement" before the agreement had been completed.
SOURCE:http://www.catholic.org/international/international_story.php?id=24711
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14/07/2007 10:47 |
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Vatican, Israeli officials work toward financial, juridical agreement
By Cindy Wooden
July 13, 2007
Catholic News Service (www.catholicnews.com)
ROME (CNS) - Representatives of the Vatican and the Israeli government met in Jerusalem July 11 to continue work on an agreement regarding the financial and juridical status of Catholic institutions in Israel.
A brief statement released in Rome July 12 by the Israeli embassy to the Holy See said, "The delegations met in a climate of great cordiality, made progress and renewed their common determination to accelerate the work so that an agreement could be reached as soon as possible."
The negotiators will meet again Sept. 3 in Jerusalem, the statement said.
In late May the full membership of the Vatican-Israeli permanent working commission met for the first time in five years to discuss contested issues related to church property, taxation and the legal rights of church institutions in Israel.
Franciscan Father David Jaeger, who was part of the Vatican delegation at the May meeting, told Vatican Radio July 13 that the negotiations themselves have never run into big problems, but progress had been impeded by the fact that "it was difficult to schedule meetings."
"Once the meetings were set on a more or less regular basis, the negotiations went fairly well. But time is needed," he said, because the issues involved "are extremely complex."
From the beginning of the negotiations in 1994, Vatican officials have asked Israel to:
- Guarantee Catholic access to juridical due process through the Israeli court system when property disputes arise. Israel's position has been that church property disputes are matters to be handled by the government, not the courts.
- Formally extend the exemption from taxation enjoyed by church properties and institutions before Israeli statehood.
- Return confiscated church properties. The most discussed property has been the site of a church shrine, destroyed in the 1950s, in Caesarea.
SOURCE: www.catholic.org/international/international_story.php?...
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14/07/2007 18:23 |
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THANK GOD FOR A SENSIBLE ARCHBISHOP!
Very heartening to know about the new Archbishop of Baltimore:
O'Brien brings conservative stance toward gays
By Stephen Kiehl
Baltimore Sun reporter
Originally published July 13, 2007
Months before the Vatican issued a formal policy barring gay men from the seminary, Archbishop Edwin F. O'Brien made his own feelings clear.
"I think anyone who has engaged in homosexual activity, or who has strong homosexual inclinations, would be best not to apply to a seminary and not to be accepted into a seminary," O'Brien, then the leader of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, told the National Catholic Register in 2005.
His position became the Roman Catholic Church's. It was not the first time O'Brien played a central role in the church's relationship with its gay and lesbian members. In 1978, he helped found Courage, a group in New York that ministers to those with same-sex attractions and encourages them to lead celibate lives.
More recently, O'Brien has headed a seminary review, ordered by the Vatican, that examined all 229 U.S. seminaries for "evidence of homosexuality," as well as for faculty members who dissent from church teaching. The review has been completed but a final report is yet to be issued.
In an interview with The Sun yesterday, O'Brien said homosexuality is "not conducive to a healthy view and living out of celibacy" because "there's secrecy involved." The archbishop, who spent 12 years as a seminary rector in New York and Rome, said his view on admitting gays to the seminary is shaped by personal experience.
"There have been incidents that I've seen in seminaries and after the seminary where homosexual men strongly inclined do have special difficulties in living a counter-cultural value within a church that sees this to be a disorder," said O'Brien, the archbishop-designate of the Archdiocese Of Baltimore.
In 2005, during an interview with The NewsHour on PBS regarding the seminary review, O'Brien said, "We don't want our people to think, as our culture is now saying, there's really no difference whether one is gay or straight, is homosexual or heterosexual. We think for our vocation that there is a difference, and our people expect to have a male priesthood that sets a strong role model of maleness."
The military has also grappled with the issue of gays in its ranks, adopting in 1993 a "don't ask, don't tell" policy that ousts gays if their orientation becomes known by superiors. Several former generals recently called for its repeal.
Asked yesterday whether he supports the policy, O'Brien said, "It seems to be working."
With estimates from Catholic scholars and authors putting the proportion of gay priests at about half of the American priesthood, observers say O'Brien's arrival in Baltimore could have substantial effects on the two seminaries that fall under the archdiocese: St. Mary's Seminary and University in Baltimore and Mount St. Mary's Seminary in Emmitsburg.
"My guess is he's not going to want homosexuals in his seminary," said the Rev. Thomas J. Reese, a senior fellow at the Woodstock Theological Center at Georgetown University. Reese said O'Brien could make it clear to other bishops not to send gay seminarians to Baltimore.
St. Mary's Seminary is sometimes referred to as "The Pink Palace" by conservative Catholics (including Michael S. Rose, author of the 2002 book Goodbye, Good Men) for its reputation of tolerance toward gay seminarians. To send O'Brien, who is known for his traditional view on homosexuality, to Baltimore could be a signal from the Vatican that the days of such tolerance are over.
Indeed, some observers have suggested that the seminary review headed by O'Brien and the focus on gay priests that came in the aftermath of the sex abuse scandal have made gay priests and seminarians more cautious of expressing themselves, and they say that is not healthy for those training for the priesthood.
"You need a formation process that takes seriously their orientation, to help them be celibate," Reese said. He and others said the new directive barring seminary admission for gays sends a message to gay priests that their ordination was a mistake.
"God is calling and has called both straight and gay men to ministry as priests," said the Rev. Donald Cozzens, author of Sacred Silence: Denial and the Crisis in the Church. "I think it would be a loss for the church if gay men who believe they have a call to the priesthood would not be admitted to seminary training."
O'Brien's first work with gays and lesbians came when he was vice chancellor of the Archdiocese of New York and Cardinal Terence Cooke tasked him to repair relations with groups that felt marginalized by the church, including those who had divorced and remarried.
With the Rev. John Harvey and another priest, O'Brien founded the Courage group for gays and lesbians. It encouraged prayer, fellowship and mutual support as a means for members to deal with their attractions, and suggested gays and lesbians live "chaste lives," according to its Web site.
"We went all around the Archdiocese of New York during 1979 and part of 1980, giving talks to priests on helping people with same-sex attractions who were Catholic and wanted to lead a good, chaste life," Harvey, who remains the group's president, said yesterday.
Courage now has 110 chapters worldwide. But in the beginning, it was sometimes difficult to convince parish priests that its efforts were worthwhile.
"You really had to explain to people that this is a wonderful group and we had to show them the help we can offer," O'Brien said. The group is different, however, from those such as Exodus International, an interdenominational Christian organization that claims to convert gays to heterosexuality. O'Brien said he would not get involved with a group like that.
But Sam Sinnett, president of DignityUSA, a group for gay and lesbian Catholics, said that for years Courage promoted the idea of curing people of homosexuality.
"They keep talking about people changing their God-given sexual orientation," Sinnett said. "That's just not a possibility. And any professional knows that. To live in willful ignorance of that is a terrible thing, particularly for a moral teacher."
Sinnett said his group also disagrees with O'Brien's and the Vatican's position on gays in the seminary. "Any bishop in this country knows that some of their finest priests are gay and that many of their brother bishops are gay," he said. "Particularly in this day of shortages, to turn away vocations and to undercut the fine gay priests in a diocese - this is the poorest type of a leadership a bishop could give."
O'Brien rejected the notion that the new seminary policy sends the wrong message to gay priests. "Each case varies," he said.
But he added that he once received a letter from a gay priest who was "very angry" that he had been allowed through the seminary because it was difficult to reconcile celibacy with "being homosexually inclined in a strong way," O'Brien said.
The archbishop added, "I would think that a priest of whatever orientation, if he has the gift of grace and has been successful in leading a celibate life, should thank God and realize that not everyone ... has been so successful."
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15/07/2007 16:07 |
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THE COST OF 'FILTH' IN THE CLERGY
LA church to pay $600M for clergy abuse
By GILLIAN FLACCUS
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 14 (AP) - The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles will settle its clergy abuse cases for at least $600 million, by far the largest payout in the church's sexual abuse scandal, The Associated Press learned Saturday.
Attorneys for the archdiocese and the plaintiffs are expected to announce the deal Monday, the day the first of more than 500 clergy abuse cases was scheduled for jury selection, according to two people with knowledge of the agreement. The sources spoke on condition of anonymity because the settlement had not been made public.
The archdiocese and its insurers will pay between $600 million and $650 million to about 500 plaintiffs an average of $1.2 million to $1.3 million per person. The settlement also calls for the release of confidential priest personnel files after review by a judge assigned to oversee the litigation, the sources said.
The settlements would push the total amount paid out by the U.S. church since 1950 to more than $2 billion, with about a quarter of that coming from the Los Angeles archdiocese.
It wasn't immediately clear how the payout would be split among the insurers, the archdiocese and several Roman Catholic religious orders. A judge must sign off on the agreement, and final details were being ironed out.
Lead plaintiffs' attorney Ray Boucher confirmed the sides were working on a deal but would not discuss specifics. He said that negotiations would continue through the weekend and that there were still many unresolved aspects.
Tod Tamberg, archdiocese spokesman, declined to comment on any settlement details.
"The archdiocese will be in court Monday morning," he said.
Steven Sanchez, 47, was one of the plaintiffs set to go to trial Monday. He was expected to testify in the trial involving the late Rev. Clinton Hagenbach.
Sanchez, a financial adviser, said the past few months have been especially difficult because he had to repeat his story of abuse for depositions with his attorneys and archdiocese attorneys in preparation for trial.
"We're 48 hours away from starting the trial, and I've been spending a lot of time getting emotionally prepared to take them on, but I'm glad," he said. "It's been a long five years."
The settlement would be the largest ever by a Roman Catholic archdiocese since the clergy sexual abuse scandal erupted in Boston in 2002. The largest payout so far has been by the Diocese of Orange, Calif., in 2004, for $100 million.
Facing a flood of abuse claims, five dioceses Tucson, Ariz.; Spokane, Wash.; Portland, Ore.; Davenport, Iowa, and San Diego sought bankruptcy protection.
The Los Angeles archdiocese, its insurers and various Roman Catholic orders have paid more than $114 million to settle 86 claims so far.
The largest of those came in December, when the archdiocese reached a $60 million settlement with 45 people whose claims dated from before the mid-1950s and after 1987 periods when it had little or no sexual abuse insurance. Several religious orders in California have also reached multimillion-dollar settlements in recent months, including the Carmelites, the Franciscans and the Jesuits.
However, more than 500 other lawsuits against the archdiocese had remained unresolved despite years of legal wrangling. Most of the outstanding lawsuits were generated by a 2002 state law that revoked for one year the statute of limitations for reporting sexual abuse.
Cardinal Roger Mahony recently told parishioners in an open letter that the archdiocese was selling its high-rise administrative building and considering the sale of about 50 other nonessential church properties to raise funds for a settlement.
A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge overseeing the cases recently ruled that Mahony could be called to testify in the second trial on schedule, and attorneys for plaintiffs wanted to call him in many more.
The same judge also cleared the way for four people to seek punitive damages something that could have opened the church to tens of millions of dollars in payouts if the ruling had been expanded to other cases.S. church since 1950 to more than $2 billion, with about a quarter of that coming from the Los Angeles archdiocese.
It wasn't immediately clear how the payout would be split among the insurers, the archdiocese and several Roman Catholic religious orders. A judge must sign off on the agreement, and final details were being ironed out.
Lead plaintiffs' attorney Ray Boucher confirmed the sides were working on a deal but would not discuss specifics. He said that negotiations would continue through the weekend and that there were still many unresolved aspects.
Tod Tamberg, archdiocese spokesman, declined to comment on any settlement details.
"The archdiocese will be in court Monday morning," he said.
Steven Sanchez, 47, was one of the plaintiffs set to go to trial Monday. He was expected to testify in the trial involving the late Rev. Clinton Hagenbach.
Sanchez, a financial adviser, said the past few months have been especially difficult because he had to repeat his story of abuse for depositions with his attorneys and archdiocese attorneys in preparation for trial.
"We're 48 hours away from starting the trial, and I've been spending a lot of time getting emotionally prepared to take them on, but I'm glad," he said. "It's been a long five years."
The settlement would be the largest ever by a Roman Catholic archdiocese since the clergy sexual abuse scandal erupted in Boston in 2002. The largest payout so far has been by the Diocese of Orange, Calif., in 2004, for $100 million.
Facing a flood of abuse claims, five dioceses Tucson, Ariz.; Spokane, Wash.; Portland, Ore.; Davenport, Iowa, and San Diego sought bankruptcy protection.
The Los Angeles archdiocese, its insurers and various Roman Catholic orders have paid more than $114 million to settle 86 claims so far.
The largest of those came in December, when the archdiocese reached a $60 million settlement with 45 people whose claims dated from before the mid-1950s and after 1987 periods when it had little or no sexual abuse insurance. Several religious orders in California have also reached multimillion-dollar settlements in recent months, including the Carmelites, the Franciscans and the Jesuits.
However, more than 500 other lawsuits against the archdiocese had remained unresolved despite years of legal wrangling. Most of the outstanding lawsuits were generated by a 2002 state law that revoked for one year the statute of limitations for reporting sexual abuse.
Cardinal Roger Mahony recently told parishioners in an open letter that the archdiocese was selling its high-rise administrative building and considering the sale of about 50 other nonessential church properties to raise funds for a settlement.
A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge overseeing the cases recently ruled that Mahony could be called to testify in the second trial on schedule, and attorneys for plaintiffs wanted to call him in many more.
The same judge also cleared the way for four people to seek punitive damages something that could have opened the church to tens of millions of dollars in payouts if the ruling had been expanded to other cases
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16/07/2007 16:32 |
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On 3 Uniquely Catholic "Gifts"
Interview With Expert in Ecumenism
WASHINGTON, D.C., JULY 15, 2007 (Zenit.org).- The recent document on the Church's identity emphasizes the gifts Catholics offer to the quest for unity, says the director of the U.S. bishops' Secretariat for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs.
The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith released "Responses to Some Questions Regarding Certain Aspects of the Doctrine of the Church" on June 29, and an accompanying "Commentary."
In this interview with ZENIT, Father James Massa discusses what the document offers to ecumenism today, and considers reactions from Protestant communities.
Q: In your position as a leader in ecumenical and interreligious work, what is your assessment of the recent document from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith on the Catholic understanding of the Church?
Father Massa: I think it is a necessary and helpful clarification on how Catholics understand the nature of the Church. Jesus Christ founded the Church as a visible and unified society that would exist until his return. Catholics believe that this one Church of Christ exists in all its fullness in the Catholic Church alone.
That doesn't mean the one Church is not also present and active in Orthodox churches and Protestant communities for the salvation of their members. In fact, in these Christian bodies we find genuine elements of truth and holiness that inspire us, draw us into ecumenical dialogue, and make us yearn even more for the unity for which Christ prayed. Properly understood, the "Clarification" can be a real inducement to deeper and more honest dialogue between Catholics and their ecumenical partners.
Q: What has your impression been of the reaction among Protestants and other non-Catholics to the document?
Father Massa: It's clear that some prominent leaders in the Protestant world feel profoundly disappointed by the document. The Reverend Setri Nyomi, General Secretary of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, is quoted as saying that it contradicts the "spirit of our Christian calling toward oneness in Christ." He and others wonder whether the Holy Father and the Catholic leadership are still serious about dialogue.
To my mind, this is an overreaction that misreads both the intended audience and substance of the document. The "Clarification" was directed at bishops and Catholic scholars, not our ecumenical partners. Secondly, it renounces none of the essential commitments that the Catholic Church has made since Vatican II to advance the cause of Christian unity.
Other reactions have been more positive. Ann Riggs of the Faith and Order USA Commission, for example, views the document as an invitation to a more sophisticated dialogue in which each side tries to understand the other's statements as coming out of a distinct tradition of doctrinal expression.
Metropolitan Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church called it "honest" and preferable to a diplomatic approach that dodges the tough issues. So the reaction has been mixed. But overall, I think its long term benefits for authentic ecumenism will outweigh any disadvantages.
Q: Why is this document needed now, at this moment in the journey toward full Christian unity?
Father Massa: Seven year after Dominus Iesus, we are still facing a problem with insufficient attention to the Catholic doctrine of the Church.
Perhaps in an effort to underscore God's saving work in other churches and Christian communities, some theologians have failed to make it clear that the one Church of Christ is uniquely identifiable with the Catholic Church.
Other churches and communities welcome the saving presence of Christ into their midst, but only in the Catholic Church does the one Church subsist in fullness. Contrary to what some Catholic theologians have written, there are no other "subsistences."
Taken out of context, the document's position on what groups deserve to be called a "church" might also appear to be jarring.
The Orthodox churches are rightly called such because they've retained the sacraments and the ministry that exists in apostolic succession.
Protestant communities lack a certain ecclesial substance, namely, the sacraments and ministry that unite us as one in the Body of Christ.
But even the Orthodox, though very close to us in faith and practice, are still "wounded" in their communion because they lack the Office of Peter, the Pope.
Q: What, if any, novelties are contained in the new document. Is this simply a restatement of Catholic teaching as articulated in other documents - if so, why the need? Or does it present new material - if so, what?
Father Massa: I don't think there is anything substantially new here. But I do believe that the restatement of the Catholic position offers those of us involved in the dialogues to take more seriously what are the Catholic "gifts" that we bring to the table.
Pope John Paul II said that ecumenism is less an exchange of ideas than an exchange of gifts. Eucharist-centered worship, episcopal ministry, and papal primacy are the unique Catholic gifts. They should never be placed "under a bushel basket."
Q: The final paragraph of the Commentary on the Document, which was also released by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, quotes Deus Caritas Est: "Union with Christ is also union with all those to whom he gives himself. & Communion draws me out of myself towards him, and thus also toward unity with all Christians." Do you think Benedict XVI will be a key element in achieving unity?
Father Massa: I do indeed believe that the present Holy Father is a credible ecumenist. He was such as an academician, as a bishop-prefect, and now as a Pope.
But he also cautions us not to think that "unity" is something that we ourselves achieve by means of our theological cleverness or skills in diplomacy. Unity is and always will be a gift from the Lord, and therefore something that we must wait upon in prayer and while doing appropriate works of love with the other and on behalf of the other.
Q: On another front, there was also a stir in the media after Benedict XVI's Summorum Pontificum was released July 7. Some said that document is anti-Semitic. What has given that impression? And how should the document be interpreted in the light of Catholic-Jewish relations?
In the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum, the Holy Father is merely extending permission for the wider pastoral application of the Missal of 1962 - the so-called Tridentine Mass. The 1962 "Missale Romanum" already reflected Blessed John XXIII's revision of liturgical language often construed as anti-Semitic.
In 1965, Vatican II's "Nostra Aetate" - no. 4 - then repudiated all forms of anti-Semitism as having no place within Christian life. When the new Mass was published in 1969, the only prayer for the Jewish people on Good Friday completely reflects a renewed understanding of the Jews as God's chosen people, "first to hear the word of God."
Throughout his papacy, Pope John Paul II worked effectively to reconcile the Church with the Jewish people and to strengthen new bonds of friendship. Benedict XVI is continuing along the same lines.
But keep in mind, in 1988 John Paul II himself gave permission for the missal of 1962 to be used as a pastoral provision to assist Catholics who remained attached to the previous rites, thereby hoping to develop closer bonds within the family of the Church.
The present Holy Father - and here I quote him - remains committed to "the need to overcome past prejudices, misunderstandings, indifference and the language of contempt and hostility (and to continue) the Jewish-Christian dialogue & to enrich and deepen the bonds of friendship which have developed" - Benedict XVI, On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the promulgation of Nostra Aetate, Oct. 27, 2005.
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16/07/2007 22:16 |
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LA JUDGE APPROVES $660M SETTLEMENT FOR ABUSE CLAIMS By GILLIAN FLACCUS
LOS ANGELES, July 16 (AP)- A judge on Monday approved a $660 million settlement between the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles and more than 500 alleged victims of clergy abuse, the largest payout yet in a nationwide sex abuse scandal.
Some of the plaintiffs sobbed as the deal was formally approved and a moment of silence was held for others who had died during the years of negotiations.
"This is the right result," said Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Haley Fromholz. "Settling the cases was the right thing to do, and it was done by dint of a number of extremely talented and dedicated people putting in an awful lot of time."
The deal came after more than five years of negotiations and is by far the largest payout by any diocese since the clergy abuse scandal emerged in Boston in 2002.
The individual payouts will vary according to the severity and duration of the abuse alleged. The plaintiffs' attorneys are expected to receive up to 40 percent of the settlement.
Ray Boucher, the lead plaintiffs' attorney, asked his clients to stand during the hearing and thanked them for their resolve and their courage.
"I know it's hard for most of the victims whose scars are very deep ... and I know many will never forgive the cardinal," he said. "But he took steps that I think that only he could take and if left to the lawyers and others in the church he would not have settled this case."
Cardinal Roger Mahony sat through the hearing but did not speak. Mahony, who has led the archdiocese since 1985, issued an apology on Sunday after the settlement was announced.
"There really is no way to go back and give them that innocence that was taken from them. The one thing I wish I could give the victims ... I cannot," Mahony said Sunday. "Once again, I apologize to anyone who has been offended, who has been abused. It should not have happened and should not ever happen again."
Outside court, though, some plaintiffs weren't ready to accept the cardinal's words.
Lee Bashforth held up a photo of himself as a young boy with the priest he says abused him. He called Mahony's apology "disingenuous" and said the settlement only saved the church from having to face questions before a jury.
"I hope that I'm no longer an 'alleged' victim. Six hundred and sixty million dollars should take that alleged off," said another plaintiff, Steve Sanchez. "Cardinal Mahony got off cheap today."
Mahony has said the settlement would not have an impact on the archdiocese's core ministry, but that the church would have to sell buildings, use some of its invested funds, and borrow money. The settlement also calls for the release of priests' confidential personnel files after review by a judge.
The attorney for the archdiocese, Michael Hennigan, appeared emotional as he told the court that his views of clergy sexual abuse changed during the years he spent trying to hammer out an agreement. He said private meetings with 70 of the plaintiffs made the most impact.
"I'd like to say that the church would have been reformed without these cases, but I don't know that's true," he said. "These cases have forever reformed the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. It will never be the same."
The deal settles all 508 cases that remained against the archdiocese, which also paid $60 million in December to settle 45 cases that weren't covered by sexual abuse insurance.
The archdiocese will pay $250 million, insurance carriers will pay a combined $227 million and several religious orders will chip in $60 million. The remaining $123 million will come from litigation with religious orders that chose not to participate in the deal, with the archdiocese guaranteeing resolution of those 80 to 100 cases within five years, Hennigan said. The archdiocese is released from liability in those claims, said Tod Tamberg, church spokesman.
The settlements push the total amount paid out by the U.S. church since 1950 to more than $2 billion, with about a quarter of that coming from the Los Angeles archdiocese.
Previously, the Los Angeles archdiocese, its insurers and various Roman Catholic orders had paid more than $114 million to settle 86 claims. Several religious orders in California have also reached multimillion-dollar settlements in recent months, including the Carmelites, the Franciscans and the Jesuits.
Parishioners reacted with a mix of disappointment and relief to the latest settlement.
Vivian Viscarra, 50, who attends Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, said the victims deserve the payout even though it could hurt the church's ability to deliver important services.
"It's making me reevaluate my views of whether people in the ministry should be married. People do have needs," she said.S. church since 1950 to more than $2 billion, with about a quarter of that coming from the Los Angeles archdiocese.
Previously, the Los Angeles archdiocese, its insurers and various Roman Catholic orders had paid more than $114 million to settle 86 claims. Several religious orders in California have also reached multimillion-dollar settlements in recent months, including the Carmelites, the Franciscans and the Jesuits.
Parishioners reacted with a mix of disappointment and relief to the latest settlement.
Vivian Viscarra, 50, who attends Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, said the victims deserve the payout even though it could hurt the church's ability to deliver important services.
"It's making me reevaluate my views of whether people in the ministry should be married. People do have needs," she said.
Scepticism over apology
Los Angeles Times
July 17, 2007
LOS ANGELES: Cardinal Roger Mahony says he decided to settle the lawsuits with hundreds of abuse victims of predatory priests after talking with victims individually over the past year and realising how deeply they had been hurt.
In his first public statement since the Los Angeles Catholic Archdiocese's record $US660 million settlement was reached with 508 claimants, Cardinal Mahony said he told the victims: "Your life, I wish [it] were like a VHS tape & we could put the tape in & and delete these years of difficulty and misery."
But lawyers and advocates for the victims said that they were sceptical of his contrition, noting that the pact announced on Saturday, after 4½ years of negotiations, came just before the first case was set to go to trial, with the cardinal due to testify. And they said they feared they would never learn the full truth about the accused and those who might have shielded them, including Cardinal Mahony.
"He avoided the No. 1 thing he fears, which is disclosing under oath how much he knew and how little he did about predatory priests," said David Clohessy, the national director of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests.
The settlement ends all pending abuse litigation against the archdiocese.
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I have felt absolutely no sympathy for the LA Archbishop from the moment I became aware of his existence a couple of years ago, because all I've ever read of him are reports about how he does and says all the things I find detestable in arrogantly liberal Catholic priests.
Looking at the monstrosity that he built as the main cathedral for the city dedicated to Our Lady of the Angels [though most people seem to have forgotten all about the Our Lady part] made me question his very sanity. Subsequent stories and pictures of the 1950s-Havana-cabaret-style 'religious festivals' he sponsors year-in and year-out inside that Church, with Kool-Aid pitchers instead of chalices for Mass, have only sunk my personal opinion of him to below-absolute zero.
His overall behavior before yesterday with respect to sex-abuse claims in his diocese made me wonder whether God was inflicting a Sodom-and-Gomorrah curse on LA in the person of its very archbishop. Perhaps this lightning bolt of retribution will bring him to his senses.
In his place, I think any decent person would offer to resign right away, so the Church will not have to carry him as a visible stigma representing the utter failure of discipline, responsibility and honesty within an institution that is supposed to be holy, a symbol of the filth that has been tolerated in the clergy (even if he himself may be personally chaste and correct).
I am sure I am not the only Catholic who feels the Church was not well-served when Cardinal Law was plucked out of Boston 5 years ago and rewarded by being named Arch-Priest of Rome's biggest Marian sanctuary, the third-ranking of all Papal Basilicas. I don't believe Pope Benedict will do anything similar with Mahoney.
It is not out of sanctimoniousness that I reflect on how - whatever the circumstances - the punishment must fit the crime (or the grave offense, in the case of Cardinals Law and Mahoney). But by the principle of command responsibility, the public needs to see that those in command are penalized, as much as the diocese of LA is now penalized by emptying its assets to make good on the offenses of some sinning priests.
Is there a law that says cardinals can't be sent to do missionary work? If I were Cardinal Mahoney, I'd offer to go serve in Darfur or China the rest of my days.
That said, I came about this 'edifying' post by Curt Jester on a different angle altogether:
July 15, 2007
A Tale of Two Cardinals
...In the middle of the L.A. Times article, one happens upon this staggering statistic:
In Los Angeles, some 75% of the archdiocese's 288 parishes were served at some time by a cleric accused of molesting, according to a Times study. As the scandal's details slowly emerged, it became clear that the church hierarchy knew about complaints against some priests and that at least a dozen were allowed to continue working in ministry after their conduct with children was questioned.
Now, just for fun, name another industry or organization wherein the boss could have overseen operations that led to the above quote in the L.A. Times and a $600,000,000 loss for the company/organization without any consequences?
People are also bound to wonder about the obvious difference in treatment between Cardinal Mahoney and Cardinal Law. The difference between the L.A. Times and the Boston Globe's coverage of their respective cardinals is striking. The L.A. Times has had some highly critical pieces on Cardinal Mahony in relation to priestly abuse, but not very many of them.
One difference that comes to mind is the cases that came to trial in L.A. are, as Diogenes previously noted, 44 representive cases the Archdiocese agreed could be litigated in court, range from 1958 to 1984. All of them prior to Mahony times Archbishop.
So there is no direct linkage to the Cardinal and the details of the cases prosecuted and post-1985 abuse cases will likely be settled out of court. So we just are not going to hear about the cases where he might have been involved in covering up abuse when he was still a priest and those cases he was obviously involved in as a Cardinal.
Though even the case cherry-picking does not account for the disparity in coverage. There have been some moves in the Archdiocese handling of priestly abuse under Cardinal Mahony that have been breathtaking in their arrogance.
The legal maneuvering to hide records of what the Archdiocese knew such as invoking confidentially of correspondence and putting any meetings between the Cardinal and a suspect as being spiritual guidance and protected.
In the case of abuser Father Nicolas Aguilar Rivera the Archdiocese prevented further interviews under the guise of fear of an immigration crackdown. All of these legal tactics should have demanded spectacular headlines form the L.A. Times and other papers, but while there was coverage it certainly wasn't amped up as the Globe's was (of Cardinal Law).
The differences in coverage seem to be due to the fact that the L.A. Times is quite sympathetic to Cardinal Mahony and the issues the Cardinal has fought for over the years. Cardinal Law despite his quite obvious flaws and complicity in the abuse cover- ups was quite orthodox in his theology and heavily involved in the pro-life movement and of course this made him a prime target.
Cardinal Mahony in contrast makes some noises in a pro-life direction, but is hardly active in the movement and has no problem holding events for ardently pro-abortion politicians. The L.A. Times can easily see him as one of their own and while they are troubled about the abuse problems under his watch, well between friends, can't we overlook some flaws?
The media is certainly not going to shame Cardinal Mahony into resigning barring some yet unknown circumstances. The Cardinal is safe just as long as he doesn't become too pro-life or actually start showing signs of orthodoxy.
[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 16/07/2007 23:07] |
17/07/2007 04:09 |
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In Cuba, CELAM drafts plan to implement conclusions from Aparecida
July 16, 2007.
Catholic News Service (www.catholicnews.com)
HAVANA, Cuba (CNS) - The Latin American bishops' council has drafted a more than 100-point plan to implement conclusions in the final document of the Fifth General Conference of the Bishops of Latin America and the Caribbean, said the council's newly elected president.
Archbishop Raymundo Damasceno Assis of Aparecida, Brazil, president of the council, known by its Spanish acronym as CELAM, said the church in Latin American must continue to respond to the "scandalous gap" between rich and poor in the region, attract lapsed Catholics back to the church and engage in pastoral work based on the conclusions of the conference held in Aparecida in May.
Some 70 delegates, including five cardinals, represented their bishops' conferences at the July 10-13 meeting at San Juan Maria Vianney house in Havana. Such meetings are held every two years, while general conferences, such as the one in Brazil, are held less frequently.
During the assembly, the bishops officially released the final version of the conclusions of the Aparecida conference. The document, which was approved by Pope Benedict XVI, calls for the church to be "in a permanent state of mission" and evangelization.
Archbishop Assis said that although the church faces "many challenges" it is "in tune with the times" and will adapt.
Acknowledging that the church must get in step with the 21st century, the archbishop said that "adapting to a new world, new languages, new technologies is a matter of formation and time."
"Countries, universities and businesses are renewing themselves, and the church is doing the same," he said.
Archbishop Assis noted the importance of deepening the identity of Catholics "in a world that is culturally and religiously pluralistic."
In response to the growth of evangelical and other Protestant churches in the region, every man and woman religious must be "a missionary who lives out the faith and who offers it to others as a means to personal fulfillment," he said.
He also expressed concern about "a huge, scandalous (income) gap" in the region. The region's countries must develop closer ties so they can respond to the people's needs, he said.
"In the globalized world, Latin America must unite so it has strength in international forums, to defend its rights and its interests," he said.
At the Aparecida conference, Archbishop Baltazar Porras Cardoza of Merida, Venezuela, was elected first vice president of CELAM, and Bishop Andres Stanovnik of Reconquista, Argentina, was elected second vice president.
The new CELAM leaders said they will begin laying the groundwork for implementing the conclusions of the Aparecida conference at their first coordinating meeting Aug. 6-10 in Bogota, Colombia.
Archbishop Porras said, "The document from Aparecida calls us to a deep transformation of our vocation as disciples."
He said that there must be an "acceptance of pluralism, acceptance of different viewpoints that complement one another instead of trying to eliminate others."
"That is one of the challenges facing the church today," said the archbishop. "We live in a pluralistic world. Instead of deciding how we are going to confront this situation, we must decide how we are going to accept it."
Cardinal Jaime Ortega Alamino of Havana said during the assembly's closing Mass that the conclusions from Aparecida call the entire church to be missionaries: "from bishops, priests and deacons to those in consecrated life and the laity."
"It is time to set aside any false sense of security and go out in mission," he said.
Meanwhile, CELAM participants expressed solidarity with the church in Cuba. It was the first time CELAM had met in the communist island nation.
"We are all very committed to the Cuban church and to our church throughout the region, and we view the task that lies ahead with hope and as a challenge that we must face together," said Archbishop Porras.
Auxiliary Bishop Juan de Dios Hernandez Ruiz of Havana, secretary-general of the Cuban bishops' conference, said hosting the meeting made the Catholic Church in Cuba feel "more than ever in harmony with the church of Latin America and the Caribbean."
Bishop Stanovnik called the bishops' presence in Havana a sign of "huge support for the Cuban church," which "means being close to it, accompanying it, encouraging it, not because there was a special strategy to hold (the meeting) here, but because Cuba was one of the three or four countries where this assembly had not yet been held."
Archbishop Assis said the bishops had met with Cuban officials and thanked the government for making it possible to hold the meeting in Havana.
"We are grateful for the meeting (with government officials), which was cordial," Archbishop Assis said. "We hope that there will be ongoing dialogue between government officials and the Cuban church about matters related to the church and its pastoral mission."
Relations between the church and the Cuban government have had ups and downs since the revolution that put Fidel Castro in power in 1959. Pope John Paul II's historic visit to the island in January 1998 lowered the tension, although there has been little progress on the church's most important demands, such as access to state-controlled media and education.
The assembly came at a time when the Cuban church "has pastoral experience and can make a contribution that is equal to that of other Latin American churches," said Cuban Bishop Emilio Aranguren Echeverria of Hoguin, who was elected to head CELAM's finance committee.
"There are times when the church's mission is limited, and people think it's just a matter of worship, evangelizing and catechesis," he said. "But the church's mission has a dimension of charitable works, service and outreach, because the church is called to live in society."
He said dialogue with government officials "will gradually become cleansed of a series of prejudices and assumptions that have often been made" because of "historical events" or "a specific ideological mentality."
"I hope (the dialogue) and the doors remain open," he said.
SOURCE: www.catholic.org/international/international_story.php?...
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17/07/2007 04:11 |
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Solution for Europe’s problems lies in Christianity, Spanish cardinal says
July 16, 2007.
Catholic News Agency (www.catholicnewsagency.com)
MADRID, Spain (CNA) - Cardinal Antonio Maria Rouco Varela of Madrid said the problems that plague Europe, such as a low birth rate, could be solved by returning to the Christian roots of the European culture which made it "a luminous point of reference" for the rest of the world.
Speaking on the COPE radio network, the cardinal recalled a recent speech he gave at Ratisbona Cathedral in Germany in which he said the serious problems and questions facing Europe would not be solved if the continent's Christian history is ignored.
Cardinal Rouco emphasized that recognizing the Christian roots of Europe does not jeopardize the independence of the institutions of the state, pointing to grave problems in Europe that require urgent attention, such as the aging population and the low birth rate, the wave of immigration, and the lack of moral, spiritual and religious values.
The cardinal noted that in Europe there is a tendency to forget that the central values of natural ethics have their basis in Christianity and that these values are necessary for finding solutions to Europe's most serious problems.
"Europe has a present and a future," the cardinal said. "To take any other path, or worse, one that is opposed to this, would be very difficult and the future would not be very rosy," he warned.
SOURCE:http://www.catholic.org/international/international_story.php?id=24722
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17/07/2007 04:33 |
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RE: SETTLEMENT FOR ABUSE CLAIMS
Thanks for posting Teresa. A price must be paid for the wickedness that occurred. Very distrubing to hear (although we are not sure to what extent) the Cardinal has partipated in a cover-up. I have heard some whispers of that before. I think the apology could have been said in a better way...mabye that's just me.
I'm not very familar with Card. Mahoney, but I have heard & seen some of his liturgical "creativeness" and how when there are 'religious festivals' for the Archdiocese, that orthodox speakers are rarely there. I agree with you, I don't think he will be dealt with in a way similar to Card. Law. I don't know how close he is to retirement age, I don't even think the Pope will wait that long. He's going to be dealt with with by Papa (after he testifies, perhaps?), only a replacement needs to be found. Card. Mahoney is not too big for missionary work, he should surely consider it. |
17/07/2007 04:51 |
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The LA Lawsuit
As I understand it, Cardinal Mahoney won't have to testify in court now that this enormous settlement has been reached. Tonight, on CNN's Larry King Live television show, the settlement was one of the items discussed, complete with an abuse victim and one of the anti-Church attorneys complaining that the cardinal paid the money to protect himself from having to appear in court. It gave Larry even more ammunition to beat up on the Catholic Church, something he really seems to take a lot of pleasure doing.
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Oh yes, beating-up is what the Church is in for this summer! Between the Vatican pre-Papal vacation developments and this one, the media have been handed their summer 'treats' on a platter - they won't have to go out looking for stories, they'll simply just rehash all their issues against the Church because they've been given all the convenient news pegs!
Teresa
[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 17/07/2007 12:00] |
17/07/2007 07:04 |
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RE: SETTLEMENT FOR ABUSE CLAIMS
My mistake, they wont have to go to trial since a settlement has been reached. Thanks, benefan. I didn't see Larry King tonight, but the attorney is the one who made the deal (presumably) and if they really wanted to see Card. Mahoney in court they didn't have to take the money. The article also says that the attorneys are excepted to receive up to 40% of the settlement. They would have probably received some monetary compensation anyway after the trial had been completed. But that could have been too emotional for some to go through. |
17/07/2007 19:36 |
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Sexual abuse
not just a Catholic problem: Vatican
By Philip Pullella
VATICAN CITY, July 17 (Reuters) - Sexual abuse of children is not just a Catholic Church problem and other institutions should take steps to acknowledge and deal with such "wickedness" within their own ranks, the Vatican said on Tuesday.
The Vatican's chief spokesman, Father Federico Lombardi, also said the record $660 million settlement between the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and victims of sexual abuse was an attempt to "close a painful chapter and look forward."
"The Church is above all clearly pained by the suffering of the victims and their families, by the deep wounds caused by the grave and inexcusable behavior of some of its members," Lombardi said.
"It has decided to commit itself in every way to avoid a repetition of such wickedness," he said, adding that the Church now had a "a policy of prevention and creation of an ever more secure atmosphere for children and young people in all aspects of (its) pastoral programs."
Lombardi reaffirmed a position taken by other Catholic Church leaders in the past -- that other organized religions and institutions should also deal with paedophilia as publicly as the Catholic Church has been forced to by various scandals.
"The problem of the abuse of childhood and its adequate protection certainly does not regard only the (Catholic) Church, but also many other institutions and it is right that these take the necessary decisions as well," he said.
Lombardi said the Church was aware of its educational responsibilities to youth and intended to be "a protagonist in the struggle against paedophilia," which he said was on the rise worldwide.
The Los Angeles decision involved 508 plaintiffs in cases dating back to the 1940s. The pre-trial settlement means Cardinal Roger Mahony will not have to testify in court.
The settlement reached on Saturday after 4 1/2 years of negotiations came before the first trial was due to begin on Monday. Victims' attorneys would have called Mahony to testify about the church hierarchy's protection of abusive priests.
The Los Angeles settlement dwarfs other landmark payouts. The Archdiocese of Boston, where the U.S. scandal erupted in 2002, reached a 2003 deal for 550 people worth $85 million.
Boston's archbishop, Cardinal Bernard Law, was forced to resign in disgrace in December 2002.
Leaders of the U.S. Catholic Church were found to have moved priests who abused minors to new parishes instead of defrocking them or reporting them to authorities.
In his interview with Vatican Radio, Lombardi spoke of the "sacrifices" the settlement would impose on the archdiocese.
The settlement funds will come from the archdiocese selling real estate assets, including the archdiocese's headquarters, insurers and various Catholic religious orders.
Before his election as pope, then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger went out on a limb to decry the "filth" in the Church.
Benedict, who was elected in 2005, has taken a tougher stand on sexual abuse in the Church than his predecessor. Last year he disciplined Rev. Marcial Maciel Degollado, the 86-year-old founder of the conservative Legionaries of Christ, who had been accused of sexually abusing boys decades ago.
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18/07/2007 01:16 |
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Defend the rights of fathers, protect the traditional family, Scottish bishops urge PM
July 17, 2007
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)
GLASGOW , Scotland (Catholic Online) - The state oversteps its bounds by attempting to write out in law and in social policy the role of the father in the raising of children, said the Catholic bishops of Scotland.
In a July 13 letter written to British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Scotland's two most senior Catholic officials, Cardinal Keith O'Brien of Edinburgh and St. Andrews and Archbishop Mario Conti of Glasgow, the president and vice president, respectively, of the Scottish Bishops' Conference, called for an urgent review of the timetable for the ongoing public consultation on the "Human Tissue and Embryology Bill," arguing elements of the draft legislation could be extremely harmful to the long-term welfare of children.
"The draft legislation proposes to remove the current reference in legislation to a child's need for a father," the prelates said.
"The proposals, they stressed, "constitute a sweeping attempt to rewrite traditional concepts of parenthood and the family."
Cardinal O'Brien and Archbishop Conti noted that passage of the draft bill would mean "that, prior to provision of fertility treatment, there will no longer be any requirement, nor guidance, to consider the child's need for a father."
They suggested that the draft provisions were "devised to accommodate the huge variety of new technologies that have followed in the wake of in vitro fertilization, and which facilitate the creation of children without any deference to historical social traditions or indeed to natural biology."
While noting that the draft bill is "under scrutiny" by a joint committee of the two houses of Parliament and is "a complex and lengthy document," the Catholic bishops' officials said that section three, which addresses the child's lack of need of a father, has had "very little public airing."
The joint committee's consultation on the bill will only last "for a mere two months, over the summer and during the parliamentary recess," calling the prime minister to act now to ensure "that these very important considerations are given the time they merit."
"We do not believe that there has been anywhere near sufficient widespread and informed public consultation on the matters in question and that to proceed in haste with regard to issues of such grave importance is both improper and dangerous," they concluded.
SOURCE:http://www.catholic.org/international/international_story.php?id=24738
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18/07/2007 01:23 |
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British report tells bishops to make abuse rules conform to canon law
By Simon Caldwell
July 17, 2007
Catholic News Service (www.catholicnews.com)
LONDON (CNS) - An independent commission has urged the Catholic bishops of England and Wales to bring their child-protection measures in line with the Code of Canon Law amid fears that false allegations are driving priests away from working with young people.
Advertisement
Produced by a commission headed by Baroness Cumberlege, a member of the House of Lords, the report published July 16 warned the bishops that "persistent and tenacious" fear among the clergy over malicious accusations of abuse needs to be addressed urgently.
The report, called "Safeguarding With Confidence," said many priests believe the system brought in five years ago after several high-profile clerical abuse cases is loaded unjustly against them. The report was the result of the first five-year review of the bishops' 2002 child protection policies.
Many priests believe the procedures treat them as if they are guilty as soon as an accusation has been received - even if the police later find there is no basis for the accusation, several priests told Catholic News Service. They said they are often immediately evicted from their homes, then spend years unable to practice their ministry while undergoing a series of grueling psychological "risk assessments."
Sometimes action has been taken against priests without telling them what exactly they have been accused of and who has made the allegation, both of which are in breach of canon law.
The report, which has 72 recommendations with the goal of implementing a single, uniform set of child protection policies in the church, insisted that the protection of children in the church must remain paramount. But it also addressed a "damaging tension that has driven a wedge" between the bishops and priests who feel they are being hung out to dry to save the skins of their superiors.
It said the church risked a "serious reversal" of some of the gains it had made in tackling child abuse if it failed to deal with tensions within its own ranks over the issue.
It urges the bishops to restore confidence by applying to the Vatican for a decree, or "recognitio," to bring their child protection measures into line with canon law. A similar territorial provision was granted to the U.S. bishops in 2002.
"A strong and vocal lobby of priests now believes that the system for dealing with allegations against them leaves them exposed and vulnerable and is a breach of canon law and natural justice," said the report.
"They believe they can no longer count on the support of their bishop (or) congregational leader because they perceive the system to be weighted against priests," it said.
"This has both eroded the trust between priests and bishops and between religious and congregational leaders and has engendered a fear among the clergy (including those in formation) of the false or malicious allegation - a fear which is tenacious and persistent despite there being no evidence of any upturn in the numbers of allegations made against priests," it said.
Figures released in June by the Catholic Office for the Protection of Children and Vulnerable Adults revealed that in 2006 police in England and Wales investigated 41 allegations of abuse in the church, which resulted in one conviction.
However, 24 allegations immediately resulted in no further action, suggesting that the majority of the allegations were unfounded.
Baroness Cumberlege sits on the Conservative Party benches of the British Parliament's House of Lords. From 1992 until 1997, she served in the government of Prime Minister John Major as a junior health minister. She had been commissioned to produce national reports on nursing and maternity services for two governments before undertaking the review of the child protection in the church.
Baroness Cumberlege told CNS in an interview July 13 that she was confident the Vatican would grant a "recognitio" because Msgr. Charles Scicluna, promoter of justice at the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, personally had assured her that "what we are proposing in no way conflicts with canon law."
In a statement released July 13, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor of Westminster, president of the Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, said the review had been "thorough, painstaking and independent."
"Later this year, we will make a more formal response to the commission's findings once the best way forward has been discerned," he said.
Among its other findings, the commission identified a view held by some in the church that child protection policies and procedures are "too long, overly bureaucratic and impenetrable," and lacking in theological and spiritual context.
It said that "some resistance to change and a fear and suspicion that the authority of the leadership is being undermined has impeded the delivery of consistently good - let alone excellent - safeguarding arrangements."
There should also be "much more" focus on safeguarding vulnerable adults, the report added.
SOURCE: www.catholic.org/international/international_story.php?...
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18/07/2007 10:38 |
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New Bishop of Beijing named -
reportedly with Vatican OK
VATICAN CITY, July 17 (Adnkronos) - The Chinese government through the Patriotic Association has named the new Archbishop of Beijing - Li Shan, 43, parish priest of the Parish of St. Joseph in the Chinese capital,who trained in the seminary of the 'official' Chinese Church.
This was learned by Adnkronos from authoritative sources at the Vatican.
The nomination will be formally made by Chinese authorities shortly. The Vatican has agreed to a choice that is apparently both that of the underground Church as well as the official Church in China. The agreement is a sign that Pope Benedict's appeal for unity within the Church in China may have led to one important step.
The sources said the 'negotiations' on this matter had begun before the Pope's letter - a copy of which the Vatican had provided the ?Chinese government beforehand - was made public.
Here is the background of Li Shan's selection, according to UCAN:
Beijing Diocese Elects New Bishop,
First Since Pope's Letter Published
HONG KONG, July 17 (UCAN) - Beijing diocese has held an election to fill the episcopal see left vacant when Bishop Michael Fu Tieshan died on April 20.
Church sources who asked not to be named told UCA News that Father Joseph Li Shan was elected on July 16 as the candidate to replace Bishop Fu. Father Li is parish priest of St. Joseph's Church, commonly known as Dongtang (East Church) in Wangfujing, a well-known shopping area in downtown Beijing.
The election result is to be submitted to the Bishops' Conference of the Catholic Church of China for approval. Once approved, the episcopal ordination would be held within three months.
The Church sources also told UCA News on July 17 that about 50 diocesan priests, 20 nuns and 30 laypeople - two lay representatives from each parish - took part in the polling.
Father Paul Sun Shang'en, an elderly Beijing diocese priest, told UCA News on July 17 that 93 voters took part in the election, and that a Liturgy of the Word service and a homily preceded the balloting at Beijing Conference Center.
According to Father Sun, Father Li received 74 of the 93 votes cast.
The elderly priest, who has been in charge of diocesan affairs since Bishop Fu's death, also noted that one voter abstained from voting in the poll.
He also said that Father Peter Zhao Jianmin, director of the Institute for the Study of Christianity and Culture of Beijing diocese, got 10 votes, Father Matthew Zhen Xuebin, rector of Beijing seminary, received five, and Father Gao Yang, parish priest of St. Michael's Church in Dongjiaomin Lane, got three.
Father Sun confirmed that no government official was present during the voting.
Church sources in Beijing confirmed that the polling did take place on the morning of July 16 and all the candidates except Father Li studied abroad. They also noted that government officials had earlier lobbied all priests to ensure that Father Li would be elected.
Father Li, now in his early 40s, entered the Beijing seminary in 1983 and was ordained a priest in 1989. He has served in parishes and is currently vice chairman of the Church Affairs Commission of Beijing diocese, as well as a representative of the Beijing Municipal People's Congress.
Another Church source pointed out to UCA News that priests and laypeople have high regard for Father Li and that he is competent in pastoral work.
This is the first "self-election" of an episcopal candidate in the "open" Church community of mainland China since the letter of Pope Benedict XVI to Catholics in China was released on June 30.
In the "Letter of The Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI to the Bishops, Priests, Consecrated Persons and Lay Faithful of the Catholic Church in the People's Republic of China," the pope admitted that the issue of episcopal appointments is "one of the most delicate problems" between the Holy See and the Chinese authorities.
Pope Benedict also asserted that the appointment of bishops by the pope guarantees the unity of the Church and hierarchical communion.
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Gerald O'Connell, UCAN correspondent at the Vatican, told korazym.org that "China is responding with action to the Pope's letter."
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But the report Reuters out of Beijing today was downbeat!
China nominates bishop,
threatening Vatican rift
By Chris Buckley
BEIJING, July 18 (Reuters) - China's state-controlled Catholic church has quietly nominated a new bishop for Beijing and the priest chosen said the government would decide whether to seek approval from Rome as Pope Benedict demanded.
The nomination of Father Li Shan, apparently so far without Vatican blessing, could widen the rift between Rome and Beijing weeks after the Pope issued a letter calling for a unified Chinese church free of state interference.
China's 8 to 12 million Catholics are split between an "above-ground" church approved by the ruling Communist Party and an "underground" church that rejects government ties and says it answers only to Rome.
The state-approved church widely honors the Pope as a spiritual figurehead, but the government restricts formal contacts with Rome, which has not had diplomatic ties with Beijing since 1951.
On June 30, Pope Benedict issued a letter on the Chinese church that urged reconciliation. But he said the Vatican must be allowed to pick bishops, possibly with some government consultation -- a claim China has rejected as interference in its domestic affairs.
The death in April of Beijing bishop Fu Tieshan, who did not have Rome's blessing, opened a vacancy in China's most prominent diocese and presented a test for China-Vatican relations.
Some church people have hoped that in the wake of the Pope's letter, China will make a gesture of goodwill by giving Rome some say in naming Fu's successor.
But the elevation of Li, who said he had not been in contact with the Vatican, may inflame tensions if he is appointed without papal blessing.
One priest familiar with the issue said Li may be in private contact with the Vatican and it was too early to assume he would be ordained without Vatican approval. Like other sources he requested anonymity, citing the sensitivity of the issue.
In 2006, the Vatican criticized China for naming several bishops without papal approval, sparking sharp exchanges over religious freedom and political control.
Li, a priest in his 40s for a church in the city's commercial heart, was endorsed by a group of dozens of clergy and lay people from the state-approved Beijing diocese on Monday, two sources familiar with the decision told Reuters.
The Union of Catholic Asian News, an Internet news service, reported that "government officials had earlier lobbied all priests to ensure that Father Li would be elected."
Li, who also uses the Christian name Joseph, told Reuters he had not been in contact with the Vatican and it was not for him to decide whether to do so.
"It's up to the government to decide," he said. "I haven't considered that, because there are a lot of things that need to be done. There's still a long time."
He said his nomination had been submitted to China's state-controlled Bishops' Conference, which in turn would consult with "other authorities."
These days the majority of bishops even in China's state-approved church have secured Rome's blessing, and in his letter the Pope said those ordained should make a point of announcing that approval when they take up their positions.
Two sources described Li as a kindly but unassertive priest. "He may be too meek to take on this very tough role," one of them said.
Father Li has been a vice chairman of the Beijing branch of the state-backed Catholic Patriotic Association and also belongs to the city People's Congress, a party-run parliament.
One source said Li's formal appointment could come as early as next week, when state-approved clergy gather in Beijing for celebrations marking fifty years since the founding of the Patriotic Association.
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And here's the AsiaNews report:
CHINA - VATICAN
The new Bishop of Beijing is elected
Father Joseph Li Shan is a pastor who has demonstrated independence from the Patriotic Association.
He is the first new bishop since Benedict XVI's letter.
Chosen by an 'independent' procedure and not appointed by the Pope, but his name was among those with Romes approval.
Beijing, July 18 (AsiaNews) - The 'community' of the Beijing diocese has chosen Fr. Joseph Li Shan, 43, as their new bishop. The news was gathered from Chinese Catholic sources, who clarify that his nomination took place on July 16th.
His election will be confirmed by the 'Council of Bishops, taking over the post left vacant by the death of Michele Fu Tieshan, Patriotic Archbishop of Beijing, who died on April 20th or maybe even earlier.
As president of the Patriotic Association, the organism by which the Communist Party controls the Catholic Church in the country, Msgr. Fu Tieshan always sided with the government and against the Holy See. On his death he was given a state burial, attended by numerous political figures and few faithful.
Fr. Li Shan's election is the first to take place in China following the publication of Benedict XVI's Letter to the Catholics of China. The procedure for his appointment was formally 'independent', insofar as he was elected by an assembly comprising priests, nuns and lay people and not nominated by the Pope.
He will similarly be confirmed by the Council of Bishops, a group which the Pope wrote in his Letter, "cannot be recognised as an Episcopal conference of the Apostolic See".
Regarding the choice of Fr. Li Shan, officially, the Vatican has limited itself to following the situation 'with great attention' but without any comment. Instead, according to Chinese Catholic sources, the name of Fr. Li Shan was among those put forward for the post of Beijing archbishop which did not raise objections in Rome, even in the absence an 'accord'.
Fr. Giuseppe Li Shan, in fact, is considered across the board as a good and true pastor. A man of faith, capable of relating to both the faithful and the political authorities. He is a native of Beijing; his family has a deep rooted Catholic tradition, giving him an advantage over someone not from the area. He has never travelled abroad, not even for study. If this creates some difficulties regarding international relations, on the other hand it makes him to a 'national product' in the eyes of the faithful and the authorities.
In his relations with the Patriotic Association he has been most succinct, rejecting the power of the AP. In recent years he has fought against the forced expropriation of Church property in his parish (Dong Tang) by members of the AP and the secretary of Fu Tieshan, Chen Maoju. This is why the faithful of Beijing admire him. His opposition to the AP and Fu's gang also put him in a good light with the local and national government.
Currently he is the parish priest of St Joseph's (Dong Tang), in Beijing's shopping area of Wangfujin.
[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 18/07/2007 16:26] |
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Irish archbishop calls for summit to address new culture of violence
By Cian Molloy
July 18, 2007
Catholic News Service (www.catholicnews.com)
DUBLIN, Ireland (CNS) - Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin has called on the Irish government to hold a community summit to address what he called "the revolting new culture of violence" in Irish society.
"The levels of violence and the repetitions of killings are reaching levels which are truly close to an emergency for our society," Archbishop Martin said July 15 during a Mass in Dublin. "I appeal to the government to convoke a summit of a wide range of leaders in society - not just those involved in the important work of law enforcement - but of all those in society who are in a position to forge a new national consensus to address the roots of this violence.
"We must take a stand as a society. Too many lives have been wasted, too many families shattered," said the archbishop.
"We have had three people killed in violent attacks in Ireland in one weekend," he said, referring to the July 13-15 murders of three men in the area.
Of the 14 homicides in the greater Dublin area this year, 10 have been gang-related. As Ireland has become more prosperous, the use of cocaine has mushroomed, and with it gang violence and turf wars.
"This is a new culture of meaningless violence, which only creates a climate of vengeance and fear and retaliation," he said. "It is a culture which breaks down and destroys neighborliness. That is not the direction which life in modern Ireland should be taking."
SOURCE: www.catholic.org/international/international_story.php?...
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19/07/2007 06:58 |
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Adultery lawsuit filed against archbishop-critic of Zimbabwe strongman, charges seen as retaliation
July 18, 2007.
Catholic News Agency (www.catholicnewsagency.com)
HARARE Zimbabwe (CNA) - The outspoken critic of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, Archbishop Pius Ncube of Harare, is being taken to court for allegedly having an affair with one of his secretaries.
The lawsuit, filed yesterday by the husband of the woman in question, Rosemary Sibanda, asks for the equivalent of $160,000 as compensation for emotional damages and the loss of companionship.
In reaction to the filing of charges against the cleric, the archbishop’s lawyer said that the claims are part of an “orchestrated attempt” to embarrass his client.
Photographs were published yesterday by the state-run media that claim to show the archbishop undressing in his bedroom with the plaintiff’s wife.
Democracy activist David Coltart, a Bulawayo attorney and longtime friend of Ncube, said the only incriminating photographs were blurred and did not conclusively show the archbishop.
Onesimus Sibanda, the husband who filed suit, is railroad technician. He was unlikely to have been able mount an elaborate "sting operation" and litigation alone, Coltart said.
Previously, state intelligence agents used a hidden camera in the treason case against Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai. Tsvangirai was acquitted in 2004 after more than a year of court hearings.
However, in an interview on state television, Archbishop Ncube said, "We all have weaknesses. That's why when we pray we always ask God for forgiveness.”
"I will not answer this question concerning my private life,” he said. “Yes, I did take a vow. There are a whole lot of other circumstances that take place in a person's life. I would not be able to answer those items."
The church leader has said that he will deal with the allegations in the courts and not on a television camera. “Yes I have been served with the summons but at this juncture I am saying let us deal with the courts since the case is already before the courts," he said, according to Reuters report.
SOURCE: www.catholic.org/international/international_story.php?...
Mugabe to Pray for Cleric in Sex Case
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe addresses mourners at a state funeral in Harare, Wednesday July 18, 2007. Mugabe chided his countrymen over adultery, and said he would pray for Zimbabwean Roman Catholic Archbishop Pius Ncube, an outspoken government critic. Ncube was named Monday in a civil adultery suit filed by a railroad worker who alleged his wife, a secretary in Ncube's office, had a two-year affair with the archbishop of the second city of Bulawayo
By Angus Shaw
July 18, 2007.
HARARE, Zimbabwe (Associated Press) - President Robert Mugabe said he would pray for Zimbabwean Roman Catholic Archbishop Pius Ncube, an outspoken government critic accused of having an affair.
Mugabe, speaking at a funeral for a former guerrilla leader, smiled when he mentioned the Ncube case, which has been a fixture in state media for three days. Ncube's lawyer has called the adultery case an "orchestrated attempt" to embarrass the cleric.
"To take other people's wives, is that a good game?" Mugabe asked mourners during the nationally televised funeral for Brig. Gen. Fakazi Muleya, who died of cancer.
The civil adultery suit was filed Monday by a railroad worker who alleged his wife, a secretary in Ncube's office, had a two-year affair with the archbishop of the city of Bulawayo. State TV crews accompanied court officials when they delivered the documents to the cleric.
Ncube has repeatedly accused Mugabe of human rights violations and called for him to step down. The cleric has also urged Zimbabweans to take to the streets to demonstrate against the government amid the nation's worst economic crisis since independence.
In 2005, Ncube said he prayed for Mugabe to die.
"To pray for people to die is bad. God is for us all. ... I will pray for him so he has some good manners," Mugabe said at Heroes Acre, a shrine for former guerrillas in the war that led to Zimbabwe's 1980 independence from Britain.
"I also know God, I am a Roman Catholic. I am a person who belongs to the church but I didn't have an affair with anyone," he added.
Mugabe, however, fathered two children with his secretary before his first wife died. He married the secretary, Grace Marufu, in 1996, and said later his first wife condoned his relationship because she knew she was barren.
On Tuesday, the official Herald newspaper published photographs allegedly taken by a camera hidden in Ncube's bedroom, claiming they show the archbishop undressing beside the woman he is accused of having an affair with. The photograph depicted Ncube sitting on a bed taking off his shirt, obscuring a woman seated behind him.
The Herald said many explicit pictures were taken by a private investigator hired by the man who filed the adultery case.
Zimbabwe once had one of the most diversified, vibrant economies in southern Africa. Its current decline, marked by inflation of 4,500 percent _ unofficially 9,000 percent _ had been linked to confiscation of farms from whites that started in 2000.
Mugabe said the rampant inflation was orchestrated by Western countries, including Britain and the United States, and "enemies" within Zimbabwe to bring about "regime change."
Last month, the government ordered price cuts of at least 50 percent in an attempt to curb inflation, leading to acute food shortages and near riots as cheaper goods went on sale.
Mugabe said manufacturers, suppliers and profiteers were "mistreating" consumers with inflated prices and forcing the government to intervene.
"If things are not found on the shelves it's not our fault, it's their fault," Mugabe said.
SOURCE: dailynews.att.net/cgi-bin/news?e=pub&dt=070719&cat=international&st=internationald8qfcaj0...
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19/07/2007 16:38 |
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I found this article interesting because I have been noticing a lot of retreats and workshops offered by Jesuits and by several orders of nuns which focus on how to use Zen, yoga, mazes, enneagrams, psychological assessments, and a variety of other "unconventional" means to help with prayer, contemplation, and self discovery (all about me). Fewer and fewer retreats, it seems, focus on standard Catholic themes (all about God)--too boring and unimaginative, I guess. Anyhow, this article touches on the trend.
Despite pop works’ claims, Buddhist, Catholic beliefs collide, don’t blend
By Emily Stimpson
7/19/2007
Our Sunday Visitor
HUNTINGTON, Ind. (Our Sunday Visitor) – Looking for a quiet little place where you can hone your skills in Zen Buddhist meditation? The Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia can help. Weekends devoted to Zen Buddhism are regularly scheduled events on the calendar of their retreat center in Spokane, Wash.
Or perhaps you’re more interested in doing a little reading before bedtime on the religious traditions of the East? Jesuit Father Robert Kennedy has just the book for you. His Zen Spirit, Christian Spirit (Continuum, $14.95) can school you in the ways of the Buddha and help reconcile your fascination with all things Asian to your Christian past.
And should you have any doubts about the compatibility of Buddhist practices with the Christian faith, look no further than Sister Elaine McInnes, whose book Zen Contemplation for Christians (Sheed and Ward, $15.95) dismisses such reservations as antiquated hang-ups from those dreadful days before the Second Vatican Council.
So, is she correct?
The simple answer is “no.” Nevertheless, thousands of Catholics and Christians from coast to coast are still buying into the belief that the best way to become a better Christian is to first become a better Buddhist. Thousands more are rejecting their Christian roots altogether and embracing the more exotic religious practices of the East.
‘Four Noble Truths’
Just what exactly is it about Buddhism that attracts these Westerners? And why do so many Christians stubbornly insist that the two faiths are compatible?
Answering those questions first requires some defining of terms, which with Buddhism is no easy task. Rather like Protestantism, there are many different types of Buddhism, with many different sets of beliefs. The most well-known in the West are Zen and Tibetan Buddhism, but the exact shape those forms take in America are different still from the shape they take in their native habitats.
Defining what constitutes a Buddhist is almost as difficult as defining Buddhism.
Because many forms of Buddhism require little to no community participation, a person can consider himself a Buddhist because he attends an occasional Buddhist retreat, practices Buddhist meditation or just attempts to incorporate the teachings of the Buddha into his daily life.
But according to Anthony Clark, a professor of Chinese history at the University of Alabama, for all the seeming and real differences in Buddhism, at their core, all forms share the same four fundamental principles. Those principles, referred to as the “Four Noble Truths,” came to the Buddha (born Siddhartha Gautama, c. 483 B.C.) while he was meditating one afternoon in the shade of a bodhi tree.
The “Four Noble Truths” are: 1) All of life is suffering.
2) Selfish desire causes that suffering.
3) Detachment from desire brings freedom from suffering.
4) Desire can be extinguished through following the “Eight-fold Path” – having right views, intentions, speech, actions, livelihood, effort, mindfulness and concentration.
Agnostic tendencies
In addition to the “Four Noble Truths,” most forms of Buddhism are agnostic – the question of whether God exists being irrelevant to the reality of the “Four Noble Truths” and the “Eight-fold Path.”
Most forms of Buddhism also deny the immortality of the soul. For Buddhists, said Clark, “The final goal is not just eradicating desire, but becoming free of suffering.”
The way they do that, he said, is by reaching nirvana, which ultimately means extinguishing the self and becoming part of the “great monad,” the universal oneness.
Buddhism also contains a strong component of relativism, viewing other religious practices and beliefs as acceptable because they are upaya, expedient means to achieving spiritual growth.
That element of relativism, Clark believes, at least in part accounts for so many Westerners’ attraction to Buddhism. “Buddhism allows you to be anything you want to be with all sorts of East Asian trappings,” he said.
Institutional ‘trappings’
Another strong point of attraction is that “Eight-fold Path.” Unlike Christianity, which puts control over the universe in God’s hands, not man’s, Buddhism gives its adherents a step-by-step plan for eliminating suffering from their lives and achieving, at least a form of, salvation.
For Phillip Harbin, who was a practicing Buddhist for almost 10 years before returning to Christianity and then converting to Catholicism, the emphasis placed on “personal effort and experience” was compelling. “It was rather like a spiritual independent study,” he said.
It also, said Harbin, is an independent study that comes with as many or as few institutional trappings of religion as the adherent likes. Monks, robes and prayer beads are there for those who want them. For those who want to practice a spirituality that brings them peace without having to conform to any institutional practices or demands, Buddhism offers that.
Father Francis Tiso, associate director of interreligious relations for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, sees at least one more force at work, particularly among Catholics who attempt to practice both Buddhism and Christianity: an absence of teaching about contemplative prayer in many Catholic settings.
“People are aware of a desire for God and know of the great contemplative saints,” Father Tiso said. “They simply want someone to instruct them in contemplative prayer.”
“Unfortunately, the secularism of the Enlightenment and the confiscation of monasteries in many parts of the world left the average Catholic with only a limited number of contemplative communities where one could connect with the tradition,” he added. “Even parish priests have little training in this aspect of Catholic life. So people look elsewhere, and the Buddhists eagerly provided instruction and guidance.”
Similar, but different
It is those people who Pope John Paul II expressly addressed in his book Crossing the Threshold of Hope. Recognizing that increasing numbers of Christians were seeking something outside the Catholic Church which is more safely sought within, he urged them to exercise great caution when investigating the spiritual traditions of other religions.
He also stated clearly what priests like Father Kennedy and nuns like Sister McInnes deny: At their cores, Catholicism and Buddhism are radically different and many of their key doctrines oppose each other.
On one level, that basic opposition can be hard to see. Adherents rightly point to Buddhism’s ethical system, including its emphasis on compassion, and note its similarities to Catholicism. They also note the strain of common truth in Buddhism’s teaching that suffering results from selfish desire and unhealthy attachments.
That truth is what Clark called “Buddhism’s great message to the world.” But despite those positive aspects and similarities, he said, the similarities between Christianity and Buddhism exist only in practice, not in the theory motivating those practices.
“Christianity believes there is truth. Buddhism believes there is no truth. One believes there is a completely other God who exists. The other believes there is nothing that ultimately exists,” he said.
The differences go on. Christianity believes a loving God created the world, and the world, for all its brokenness, continues to reveal love and goodness. Buddhism rejects the world as evil and the source of suffering.
Christianity teaches its adherents to embrace suffering, as Christ did. Buddhism teaches its adherents that the escape from suffering is the goal of life. Christianity teaches that salvation, sanctification and even contemplative prayer are made possible by God’s grace. Buddhism teaches that disciplined practice of the “Eight-fold Path” will lead to nirvana.
Seeing contradictions
Those inherent contradictions don’t make Buddhism’s message of detachment or its followers’ practice of compassion any less noble, but they do make it impossible for good Catholics to also be good Buddhists. Helping Catholics recognize that, said Father Tiso, requires good pastoral care.
“There needs to be a willingness to take people’s questions about other faiths seriously,” he said. “And there needs to be more guidance for people who want to practice contemplative prayer.”
Clark agreed, noting that the best way to keep priests and nuns who also claim to be Zen masters from confusing questioning Catholics is good old-fashioned catechetics.
“Catechetics is the key to seeing the contradictions,” he said. “When people don’t see the contradictions is when people don’t know their own faith.”
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