News Briefs
By Catholic News Service
U.S.
Allowing same-sex marriage 'not in the public interest,' say bishops
SEATTLE (CNS) -- Legislation introduced by lawmakers in Washington state that would redefine marriage to allow same-sex marriage "is not in the public interest," said the bishops of the state's three Catholic dioceses. "Marriage in faith and societal traditions is acknowledged as the foundation of civilization. It has long been recognized that the stability of society depends on the stability of family life in which a man and a woman conceive and nurture new life," the bishops said in a statement released Jan. 13. "In this way, civil recognition of marriage has sought to bestow on countless generations of children the incomparable benefit of a loving mother and father committed to one another in a lifelong union," they said. The current state law says that "marriage is a civil contract between a male and a female," the bishops noted. "This same law also prohibits marriage to close-blood relations, a clear indication that the definition of marriage is related to bringing children into the world and the continuation of the human race." The bishops called on all citizens of Washington to support the current legal definition of marriage and contact their state senator and representatives to urge them to "defend the current legal definition of marriage as a union between a man and a woman." At the same time, the bishops asked everyone to join them in praying "for married couples and families and to do everything possible to support them." The statement was signed by: Archbishop J. Peter Sartain and Auxiliary Bishop Eusebio Elizondo of Seattle; Bishop Blase J. Cupich of Spokane; and Bishop Joseph J. Tyson of Yakima. It was released by the Washington State Catholic Conference in Seattle, the public policy arm of the state's bishops.
- - -
WORLD
'Ad limina' visit is occasion to reaffirm bond with pope, cardinal says
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Bishops make their "ad limina" visits to the Vatican to report on how well they have cared for their faithful, but also to give thanks to God for their bonds with the pope, the successor of the Apostle Peter, said Cardinal Donald W. Wuerl of Washington. Presiding at Mass Jan. 16 at the tomb of St. Peter, the cardinal led his fellow bishops in singing the creed in Latin and thanking God for the gift of apostolic faith that lives through the ministry of the pope. "Our celebration is a visible sign of the communion of faith spread throughout the whole world and how it is anchored here in Rome, where Peter lives now, bearing the name Benedict XVI," the cardinal said. The bishops from District of Columbia, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia, the U.S. Archdiocese for Military Services and from the Virgin Islands began their Jan. 16-21 "ad limina" visits with the Mass. The visits formally are called "ad limina apostolorum," which means "to the thresholds of the apostles" Peter and Paul, who were martyred in Rome. Bishops are charged with tending "the flock of God" entrusted to their pastoral care, Cardinal Wuerl said, and "we are here, in fact, to render an accounting of that sacred stewardship entrusted to us." Cardinal Wuerl and Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio of the military archdiocese, along with their auxiliary bishops, and Bishop Herbert A. Bevard of St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, had their audiences with Pope Benedict a few hours after the Mass.
- - -
Belgian bishops pledge to pay damages to abuse victims under new plan
OXFORD, England (CNS) -- Belgium's Catholic bishops pledged a "culture of vigilance" against future sexual abuse by priests and said guilty clergy must compensate their victims even if their crimes are no longer punishable by law. "We cannot repair the past, but we can take moral responsibility by recognizing sufferings and helping victims recover," Bishops Guy Harpigny of Torunai and Johan Bonny of Antwerp, the church's delegates for abuse, told a Brussels news conference Jan. 12. "Above all, we ask forgiveness for the suffering we weren't able to prevent, and we commit to treat this problem differently in future." Days after the announcement, Belgian authorities searched church offices in four dioceses as part of their investigation into whether church officials protected alleged abusers. Police searched offices of the Diocese of Brugge Jan. 17, a day after conducting similar raids of church offices in the Archdiocese of Mechelen-Brussels and the dioceses of Antwerp and Hasselt, the Associated Press reported. Peter Rossel, spokesman for the Brugge Diocese, confirmed authorities searched the offices and that church officials cooperated with the investigation. At their news conference, the bishops introduced a 52-page booklet, "A Hidden Suffering," setting out lessons from the abuse scandal and a "global action plan" to prevent similar "contradictions of the Gospel ethic."
- - -
Venezuela's bishops urge end to country's political, social divides
CARACAS, Venezuela (CNS) -- As the presidential election year begins, Venezuela's bishops urged people to come together for the common good, "based on mutual respect and appreciation," to close the country's political and social divides. In a pastoral letter covering topics ranging from human rights to crime and prisons to politics, the bishops acknowledged that "building unity among Venezuelans is not an easy task," but said, "the progress and welfare of this country can only be achieved with the participation of all citizens." The bishops issued the letter in mid-January at the end of their annual assembly, when they elected Archbishop Diego Padron Sanchez of Cumana president of the Venezuelan bishops' conference. Venezuela has been highly polarized for years, with little room for negotiation between the government of President Hugo Chavez and the political opposition. The bishops often have taken stands at odds with the controversial chief executive, a former military officer who has been in office since 1999. The polarization between the president's supporters and opponents is likely to come to the fore in October, when voters choose a president. It is not clear whether Chavez, who underwent treatment for cancer last year in Cuba, will be a candidate. Calling on Catholics to pray for and promote the common good, the bishops wrote that the election should be viewed "from the human and Christian standpoint of national reconciliation."
- - -
Pope prays for migrants, refugees seeking a better life
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The millions of refugees and migrants in the world are not numbers but people in search of a better life for themselves and their families, Pope Benedict XVI said. "They are men and women, young and old, who are looking for a place they can live in peace," the pope said Jan. 15, which the Vatican marked as the World Day for Migrants and Refugees. The pope welcomed migrants living in Rome to his recitation of the Angelus in St. Peter's Square and told the thousands of people gathered for the midday prayer that migrants and refugees are not only recipients of the church's outreach, but also can be agents of evangelization in their new communities. In his main Angelus address, Pope Benedict spoke about the day's Scripture readings at Mass and how Samuel in the Hebrew Bible and Simon and Andrew, James and John in the New Testament recognized the Lord's call with the help of a wise guide. "I would like to underline the decisive role of a spiritual guide in the faith journey and, in particular, in responding to the vocation of special consecration in the service of God and his people," the pope said. "The call to follow Jesus more closely, to give up forming one's own family in order to dedicate oneself to the larger family of the church, normally passes through the witness and suggestion of a 'big brother,' usually a priest," he said.
- - -
Vatican official: Imprisoned clergy 'damaging for China'
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The Vatican's highest-ranking Chinese official called on Beijing to release nine arrested Catholic bishops and priests, saying their continued detention "damages China's international image." Archbishop Savio Hon Tai-fai, secretary of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, made his remarks in an interview published Jan. 17 by AsiaNews, a Rome-based missionary news agency. "We need to pray for these bishops and priests ... but we must also appeal to those who are holding" them, Archbishop Hon said, endorsing a public campaign recently launched by AsiaNews. Eight of the arrested clergy are members of the so-called "underground" or clandestine Catholic community, whose leaders refuse to register with the Chinese government.
The government's refusal to acknowledge the church leaders' detention shows that the priests and bishops "disappeared for religious reasons," Archbishop Hon said. "If these people have done something wrong, please send them to court, not to prison or isolation." Asked what the Vatican is doing to obtain their release, Archbishop Hon said that requests were being made through personal channels and diplomats from third countries. But he also noted that the "Holy See cannot publicize all the help it gives and its closeness to them." Noting that the Vatican does not distinguish between Catholic communities that register or do not register with the government, the archbishop called for unity of the church in China in spite of government persecution.
- - -
Jesuits: Drought causing widespread hunger among Mexico's Tarahumara
MEXICO CITY (CNS) -- Jesuits working in Mexico's remote Copper Canyon in Chihuahua state have warned of widespread hunger among the indigenous Tarahumara, who have been negatively impacted by drought conditions considered to be the worst in more than 70 years. The St. Ignatius of Loyola Foundation began a campaign Jan. 16 to raise money to buy corn, a staple in regional diets and a crop unable to be grown in an area that has received only 25 percent of its normal precipitation in 2011. The foundation estimated that 60,000 Tarahumara were impacted and 90 percent of the local bean crop had failed. Mexico is experiencing drought in seven northern states, where the federal government says a lack of rain has caused the driest conditions in 71 years and negatively impacted 2.5 million residents. The drought has hit the Tarahumara especially hard as the indigenous group inhabits an impoverished region of rugged natural beauty in the Sierra Madre that has attracted tourists and adventure seekers, but remains underdeveloped, impoverished and exploited by illegal logging and drug runners in recent decades. Mexicans responded with generosity and outrage after an erroneous story was broadcast saying the Tarahumara were committing suicide after being unable to find food. Jesuit Father Javier Avila said the suicide stories were false, but he described the situation as dire. "The drought this year in the sierra is atypical ... there wasn't rain and now, in the winter, there wasn't snow," Father Avila told Catholic News Service.
- - -
PEOPLE
Texas artist draws portraits of bishops, hopes to create more
CANTON, Texas (CNS) -- In an age of digital imagery, one young East Texas artist hopes to revive a tradition of hand-drawn portraits of Catholic bishops using pencil and paper. Michael Lawrence, the 22-year-old son of Deacon Richard Lawrence, director of discipleship and stewardship for the Diocese of Tyler, and Nell Lawrence, director of Catholic Charities East Texas, said he's drawn human faces since he was a preteen. At the invitation of Bishop Alvaro Corrada, he began the 'Bishops of Tyler' portrait collection with an image of Bishop Corrada, who is currently apostolic administrator of the East Texas diocese. "The bishop has always had a great love of the arts and a desire to encourage young artists, and he commissioned the works for his private collection," Deacon Lawrence recalled. The result was a lifelike image of the Puerto Rican native, who was installed Sept. 12 as head of the Diocese of Mayaguez in his homeland; the image was immediately adapted for use in the annual diocesan appeal. Bishop Corrada was Tyler's bishop from January 2001 until his appointment to Mayaguez. "That piece was reproduced to make 30,000 keepsake cards," the artist recalled. "It was the start of the 'Three Bishops of Tyler' collection now on display at the Tyler chancery."
- - -
Priest who survived cancer takes on challenge of Mount Kilimanjaro
DES MOINES, Iowa (CNS) -- A pastor from the Des Moines Diocese has experienced a once-in-a-lifetime adventure with the hope that it will bring others to God. Msgr. Frank Bognanno, 72 and pastor of Christ the King Parish in Des Moines since 2000, is among a group of cancer survivors who climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa, a trip organized by Des Moines oncologist Dr. Richard Deming and led by world triathlete Charlie Wittmack, of St. Augustin Parish in Des Moines. The group of 17 cancer survivors and 20 caregivers reached the top of Mount Kilimanjaro late in the afternoon of Jan. 10, thus becoming participants in the world's highest "relay for life" at 19,340 feet. A priest for nearly 47 years, Msgr. Bognanno had completed triathlons in the past and continued to run and walk regularly. But in the six weeks before he began the climb, his fitness regimen changed to prepare him to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. Deming, who is the director of the Cancer Center at Mercy Medical Center, led a group to Mount Everest last April, and has said that climbing a mountain is a metaphor that many cancer survivors use to describe their cancer experience. It has been 17 years since Msgr. Bognanno's initial diagnosis of prostate cancer, from which he experienced full recovery. Three years ago the cancer reappeared, but at a level so low that the approach had been to simply continue monitoring things. He'd been seeing Deming for treatment, who at one point asked Msgr. Bognanno to join the cancer survivor expedition. "I was a little hesitant at first," the priest said. "I mean, my idea of camping is a Motel 6 with black and white television."
Copyright (c) 2012 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops