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January
9, 2006
VOL.
44, NO. 1Oakland,
CA
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Waiting
for asylum RNS PHOTO/REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol |
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Transforming
guns RNS PHOTO/ REUTERS/GRANT LEE NEUENBURG |
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Tsunami
remembrance RNS PHOTO/REUTERS |
Argentine
priest arraigned for human rights abuses
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) – A former chaplain for the Buenos
Aires provincial police force has been arraigned on human rights charges
in a federal judge’s probe of the alleged detention and torture
of 12 dissidents during Argentina’s "Dirty War."
Father Cristian Von Wernich, a Catholic priest, was ordered held by Federal
Judge Arnaldo Corazza for prosecution. The judge said he had gathered
testimony from some 30 survivors of clandestine torture centers during
the 1976-83 dictatorship. Court documents state that witnesses saw Father
Von Wernich at three of the clandestine centers in the Buenos Aires province
where leftists and other dissidents had been allegedly tortured to confess.
The priest has vehemently denied any wrongdoing, saying he had visited
some detention centers but never saw detainees with signs of torture.
Now 67, he has been jailed since 2003.
Pope:
God sees embryo as 'full' human being
VATICAN CITY (RNS) – The embryo is a “full and complete”
human being even though it is “shapeless,” Pope Benedict XVI
said on Dec. 28, underscoring Catholic teaching that regards abortion
and the destruction of embryos for stem cell research as immoral.
Pope Benedict made his comments during a general audience on the feast
day of the Holy Innocents, which commemorates the thousands of male infants
slaughtered by Herod around the time of the birth of Christ. “The
loving eyes of God turn towards the human being, considered full and complete
in its beginning,” he said.
Latin
Patriarch calls for end to violence
BETHLEHEM, West Bank (AP) – Latin Patriarch Michel Sabbah, the top
Catholic official in the Holy Land, called on Israel and the Palestinians
to halt years of violence and begin a new era of peacemaking.
The patriarch said the two sides should put ``the past on hold to make
room for a new future to begin.’’ He spoke while celebrating
Christmas Mass at St. Catherine’s Church, adjacent to the traditional
birthplace of Jesus.
The patriarch also called for an end to Israel’s killing of Palestinian
militants, saying the practice has failed to improve security or halt
the cycle of violence.
Pope
calls for ‘unity’ with Church of England
VATICAN CITY (RNS) – Pope Benedict XVI has accredited the first
Catholic in centuries to serve as Britain’s ambassador to the Holy
See and called for Rome and the Church of England to work toward “full
visible unity.”
“The wounds resulting from more than four centuries of separation
cannot be healed without determined efforts, perseverance and above all,
prayer,” Pope Benedict told Francis Campbell, the first Catholic
British ambassador to the Vatican since Henry VIII broke with Rome in
the 16th century to found the Church of England.
Henry VIII’s schism generated centuries of violence and hostility
between Anglicans and Catholics.
N.J.
bans religion as sole profiling factor
TRENTON, N.J. (RNS) – New Jersey authorities cannot use “ethnicity,
religious affiliation, or religious practice” as the sole factor
in determining whether to investigate someone for possible terrorist activity,
according to an order by state Attorney General Peter Harvey.
The written order is a response to allegations raised this fall that New
Jersey’s Office of Counter-Terrorism targeted suspects in terrorism
investigations solely because of their Muslim faith or Arab heritage.
“The citizens of New Jersey rightfully expect that all lawful and
appropriate means will be used to thwart terrorists,” Harvey noted.
“The impermissible use of such stereotypes would ultimately undermine
our counter-terrorism efforts by alienating significant segments of our
society.”
The directive applies to all 51,500 police officers in the state, including
counter-terrorism agents.
Guidelines
presented to retailers of video games
NEW YORK (RNS) – Religious advocates of corporate responsibility
have developed guidelines to help major retailers steer children away
from video games containing violence, racist content and sexual themes.
Working with companies such as Best Buy, Target, Wal-Mart and Circuit
City, the New York-based Christian Brothers Investment Services, which
promotes socially responsible and ethical investing, condensed the most
effective practices of each corporation into a set of guidelines.
The group released its guidelines Dec. 13 in conjunction with other members
of the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility.
In an effort to keep minors away from video games rated “Mature”
(M), the coalition is, among other things: urging retailers to post video
game sales policies prominently in stores and online; training employees
on the video games sales policy; asking retailers to separate M-rated
from youth-oriented games.
The groups say that while parents play a key role in the process, retailers
must recognize their unique responsibility to prevent minors from accessing
violent products.
Judge
rules against Church on abuse suits
SAN DIEGO (AP) -- A federal judge has rejected the Catholic Church’s
effort to strike down a state law that allows lawsuits by people who claim
they were abused by priests long ago.
The San Diego Diocese had argued that the 2002 law illegally interfered
with its religious practices. “The failure to supervise or negligent
hiring of a person that commits sexual assault does not implicate or affect
any religious belief, opinion or practice,” U.S. District Court
Judge William Q. Hayes wrote in a ruling made public Dec. 22.
Attorney J. Michael Hennigan, who represents the San Diego Diocese and
Los Angeles Cardinal Roger M. Mahony, said the Church is “strongly
considering an appeal.”
The law in question lifted for one year the statute of limitations for
filing civil lawsuits alleging sexual abuse that may have taken place
decades ago. It has resulted in hundreds of priest abuse lawsuits throughout
California.
Pope
Benedict names new ambassador to the U.S.
WASHINGTON (RNS) – Pope Benedict XVI has named a veteran diplomat
and the Church’s chief ambassador to Israel as his new liaison with
Washington and the U.S. Church.
Archbishop Pietro Sambi, a 67-year-old Italian, will succeed Archbishop
Gabriel Montalvo as the papal nuncio, or ambassador of the Holy See.
Archbishop Montalvo has held the post since 1998 and retired when he reached
age 75.
Redwood
City pastor named bishop of Reno
VATICAN -- Father Randolph Calvo, pastor of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish
in Redwood City, has been named by Pope Benedict XVI as bishop of the
Diocese of Reno. He replaces Bishop Emeritus Philip Straling, who retired
in July.
Born in Agana, Guam, and of Spanish and Filipino descent, Father Calvo,
54, has lived in the San Francisco Bay Area since he was six.
He was ordained in 1977, served two parishes as parochial vicar and for
10 years headed the canon law dept. of the San Francisco Archdiocese after
receiving a doctorate in canon law from the University of St. Thomas in
Rome.
He has been a pastor since 1997.
His ordination as bishop is scheduled for Feb. 17.
CRS
builds hospital in Banda Aceh
BANDA ACEH, Indonesia -- Catholic Relief Services has opened the first
of four hospital buildings it is constructing in this tsunami-ravaged
area. When complete, the Banda Aceh Mother and Children’s Hospital
will include an intensive care unit, radiology, surgery and a 50-bed overnight
care facility.
CRS has also rehabilitated the Blang Padang Health Clinic adjacent to
the hospital and supplied the clinic with medicines, scales and other
equipment.
Both projects are valued at more than $4 million. Other CRS projects include
rebuilding roads, bridges, piers and schools.
CRS has been providing services in Indonesia since 1957 and opened an
office in Aceh within five days of the Dec. 26, 2004 tsunami.
Bankruptcy
judge ruling deals blow to archdiocese
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – A bankruptcy judge has ruled that the Archdiocese
of Portland, not its parishes, owns church assets. This ruling deals a
major blow to archdiocesan efforts to protect church property from lawsuits
filed by alleged victims of priest sex abuse.
U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Elizabeth Perris ruled that church property and
real estate is under the control of the archdiocese, not its individual
parishes.
However, she left open the question of whether the sale of that property
could pose an unfair burden on the practice of religion under the Religious
Freedom and Restoration Act of 1993.
