PROVIDENCE, R.I. (CNS) --- Can a lesbian couple married under Massachusetts law allowing gay unions obtain a divorce in Rhode Island? That's the issue before the state Supreme Court, and the decision will be significant enough that the court, in a rare act, invited arguments on specific questions. Providence Bishop Thomas J. Tobin welcomed the invitation, and in his name attorneys have filed an amicus curiae, or friend of the court, brief in the case of Margaret Chambers and Cassandra Ormiston. They were married in Fall River, Mass., in May 2004, soon after Massachusetts legalized same-sex unions, which are not legal in Rhode Island. Now the couple have filed for divorce in Rhode Island, and the case is being watched around the country. The bishop's 15-page brief asserts that, far from being a "simple 'divorce' case," it raises "profound questions about human nature and fundamental questions about the nature and extent of representative democracy." The brief argues two specific points: The U.S. Constitution provides that an issue of such substance can only be decided by individual state legislatures or the citizens of a particular state; and that the federal Defense of Marriage Act passed by Congress is an affirmation of constitutional guarantees for self-government by states.
Bishop Wester joins Utah community in prayers for trapped miners
HUNTINGTON, Utah (CNS) --- Although he said "fear, anxiety and anger are common human emotions" during the long wait for word on the fate of six miners trapped in the Crandall Canyon Mine outside Huntington, Bishop John C. Wester of Salt Lake City urged the miners' families, colleagues and rescuers Aug. 9 to place themselves "in God's presence." "God will answer our prayers either with the safe return of the six miners to us, or the grace to see us through our loss," he said during a Mass in the tiny mission church of San Rafael in Huntington. The rescue effort to find the miners, unable to escape a massive mine collapse Aug. 6, was still under way Aug. 13. Two holes were drilled more than 1,800 feet into the cavern where they were believed to be trapped in hopes of finding evidence they were still alive. A microphone lowered through the first hole picked up no sounds from the miners, and a video camera lowered through the second hole yielded few images but did show a "survivable space," according to The Associated Press. Rescue workers planned to drill a third hole Aug. 13.
Image of Our Lady of America on display in St. Louis basilica
ST. LOUIS (CNS) --- A new official image of Our Lady of America, which stems from apparitions of Mary received by an Ohio woman religious, will be on display at the Basilica of St. Louis, King of France (Old Cathedral) through Sept. 8. The 9-foot statue of Our Lady of America, which includes its base, was first publicly displayed last November at the U.S. bishops' meeting in Baltimore, where St. Louis Archbishop Raymond L. Burke blessed it. The statue was expected to be taken to other U.S. cities throughout the rest of the year. Born in 1916, Sister Mary Ephrem (Mildred) Neuzil, a Sister of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus of Dayton, Ohio, began receiving private revelations from Mary as Our Lady of America Sept. 26, 1956, when she was stationed at the sisters' convent in Rome City, Ind. Mary indicated to Sister Mary Ephrem that she had come in response to the United States' recognition of her Immaculate Conception, namely through the establishment of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington. The shrine was designated a basilica in 1990. Mary also told Sister Mary Ephrem that the people of the United States should focus on a message of purity.
Respect Life materials focus on children as 'cause for rejoicing'
WASHINGTON (CNS) --- The U.S. bishops' Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities has published materials for the 2007-08 Respect Life program, using the phrase "The Infant in My Womb Leaped for Joy" as its theme. Taken from the first chapter of the Gospel of Luke, the words refer to the pregnancies of Mary and her elderly cousin, Elizabeth --- both "cause for rejoicing" despite their unusual circumstances, said a brochure published as part of the Respect Life package. "The Old and New Testaments are filled with such passages extolling children as gift and blessing," the brochure says. "It is disheartening, therefore, to see how far our culture has diverged from this view." A series of articles, also published in brochure form, addresses some of the current threats to life and the programs aimed at restoring respect for life. In addition to the articles, the Respect Life package includes a liturgy guide for Respect Life Sunday, Oct. 7 in 2007; a day of prayer and penance for life, Jan. 22; prayers for life throughout the year; a novena for life leading up the feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, May 31 in 2008; and a rosary for life focusing on the joyful mysteries.
Timor church leaders dismayed at rape of girls, burning of buildings
DILI, East Timor (CNS) --- Officials of the Diocese of Baucau have expressed dismay over the rape of girls at a convent school and the burning of church property following the announcement of the appointment of East Timor's new prime minister. Father Francisco Pinheiro da Silva, vicar general of the Baucau Diocese, told the Asian church news agency UCA News that unidentified men raped about nine girls --- one of them only 8 years old and the others 15-17 --- at around 2 a.m. Aug. 10 in the Salesian-run convent school in Baucau. "Indications show that the brutality and immoral actions were done by Fretilin (former ruling party) supporters," said Father da Silva. The British news agency Reuters reported Aug. 13 that police arrested a 16-year-old male on suspicion that he raped an 11-year-old student at an orphanage attached to the convent. Father da Silva told UCA News Aug. 13 that apart from the attack on the convent school there had been attacks on church and public buildings. During Aug. 7-9, the offices of the diocese, the Caritas aid agency and the U.S. bishops' Catholic Relief Services, and a Catholic-run kindergarten were burned down, he said in a telephone interview.
Returned soldier says Iraq's political realities muddied his idealism
PORTLAND, Ore. (CNS) --- Joe Morris still sees, smells and hears Iraq. Morris, a 22-year-old former Marine intelligence aide from Oregon, did not hit heavy combat, though his base in the once-contested town of Fallujah, Iraq, did get shelled regularly. But it's not the memory of whistling bombs that bothers him now, seven months after his return. It's how the political realities of war muddied his idealism. In early 2006, when he was about to head to Iraq from his hometown of Mount Angel, Morris was gung-ho, but not for wreaking havoc on the enemy. A thinking man and a spiritual man, he believed he could be part of bringing peace and democracy to a troubled land. "I was motivated and wanted to make a difference in Iraq," he said, relaxing after a long day's work in the Willamette River Valley fields, helping a friend of his family by driving a combine. "But now, afterwards, it seems that even the people there weren't willing to do it themselves. It kills your motivation," he told the Catholic Sentinel, newspaper of the Portland Archdiocese.
Knights' convention draws record crowd; group passes resolutions
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (CNS) --- The 125th annual national convention of the Knights of Columbus, Aug. 7-9 in Nashville, drew a record crowd with 2,600 Knights and their families and clergy from eight nations in attendance. On the closing day, delegates adopted resolutions on life issues, marriage, the Pledge of Allegiance, and decency in the media and the Internet, and also expressed their support for the U.S. armed forces. It was the second-largest gathering for a Knights' convention, following the 100th anniversary gathering 25 years ago, according to George Hanna, vice president of fraternal services for the Knights. Nashville Bishop David R. Choby, host bishop for the convention, said the convention provided an opportunity for church leaders to express their appreciation for the Knights' works that "benefit so many different people, especially those who face great challenges in life because of disability." The convention, which took place at the Opryland Hotel, was the result of almost seven years of planning and working. "I think we've done a good job, the whole team," said State Deputy Bill Wicke of Knoxville, the leader of the Knights of Columbus in Tennessee.
Bishops in Australian state wrestle with future of Catholic schools
SYDNEY, Australia (CNS) --- Bishops of New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory said they are wrestling with issues facing their schools, including the fact that they are well patronized by non-Catholics yet too expensive for poor Catholics. Their pastoral letter, "Catholic Schools at a Crossroads," published Aug. 7, ushers in a debate on the future mission of the Catholic school system in Australia's most populous state, where shifting demographics have seen record numbers of students, but with an increasing number of non-Catholic students. The bishops said their dilemma was whether to "resist the pressure of demand for Catholic schooling and downsize our school system to a scale at which we can choose students and staff who readily embrace the mission of the Catholic school" or "recognizing, and even embracing, changing enrollment patterns as 'signs of the times' and of a new mission for Catholic education."
At the helm: British woman steers worldwide Caritas aid network
VATICAN CITY (CNS) --- Lesley-Anne Knight has a warm smile and a big vision, but not one that includes doing anything single-handedly. Knight, 51, is the new secretary-general of Caritas Internationalis, the umbrella organization for 162 national Catholic charities around the world. The Briton is the first woman appointed to the position, which involves overseeing the day-to-day operations in the network's Vatican offices and implementing the strategic plan that network representatives approved for people-first humanitarian assistance, development, peace and environmental protection projects. The fact that she is certain to be one of the few women in the room at many meetings does not seem to bother her or fire her up; it simply makes sense. Since most of the network's organizations are sponsored by national bishops' conferences, they have tended to have bishops or priests as presidents and directors, she said. But with the growing priest shortage and the willingness of qualified laypeople like Knight to pitch in, that is changing. Knight came to the Vatican from the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development, or CAFOD, the Catholic charity of England and Wales, where she had been international director for three years. |