News Briefs
From Catholic News Service
U.S.
Denver Archdiocese settles abuse claims for $5.5
million
DENVER (CNS) -- The Archdiocese of Denver has settled 18 claims of sexual abuse
by three priests for a total of $5.5 million, Archbishop Charles J. Chaput
announced July 1. The latest settlement brings to $8.2 million the amount the
archdiocese has paid to settle 42 claims against two of those priests. The newly
announced settlement includes 16 lawsuits and two separate claims, said
Archbishop Chaput's statement. He said all but one of the claims were related to
abuse committed by two priests, both deceased, Fathers Robert White and Leonard
Abercrombie. A third deceased priest, Father Lawrence St. Peter, was the subject
of the remaining claim, he said. All of the cases of abuse addressed by the
settlement occurred between 27 and 54 years ago, the archdiocese said. A
background sheet distributed by the archdiocese said 37 lawsuits related to
abuse by Fathers White and Abercrombie had been filed against the archdiocese
since 2005. With the settlement announced July 1, all but one of those lawsuits
have been resolved, as well as six other claims, which never resulted in
lawsuits.
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Strengthened in faith, congress attendees embrace
the 'Living Bread'
COLLEGE PARK, Ga. (CNS) -- Carlos Garcia, 46, believes that "everyone who
comes with an open heart" to the Archdiocese of Atlanta's annual
eucharistic congress "leaves differently." "It's better than
going to any sports arena. You feel the love and the presence of the Lord,"
said Garcia, a computer administrator at Christ the King Cathedral in Atlanta
and a resident of Lithia Springs. He just finished his first year of studies to
become a deacon. The 13th annual congress drew 20,000 to 30,000 Catholics to the
cavernous Georgia International Convention Center in College Park June 20-21.
The convention center mirrored the diversity of the 750,000 people who pray
regularly in the 100 churches and missions in the 69-county archdiocese. The
congress theme was "I Am the Living Bread." Atlanta Archbishop Wilton
D. Gregory reminded people in his homily June 21 that bread is a staple
worldwide. "This common substance that exists in many and varied forms
throughout the human community was chosen to serve as a symbol of God's bounty
and his compassion for his people," he said.
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Bishop sees education as part of effort to craft
immigration reform
SALT LAKE CITY (CNS) -- Bishop John C. Wester of Salt Lake City said he doesn't
expect any comprehensive immigration reform to occur in the United States until
after the 2008 presidential election and not even for some time after that.
"It takes time to educate people about the challenges and complicated
issues that surround immigration, migration and refugee needs," he told the
Intermountain Catholic, his diocese's newspaper. "We need to develop ways
... to help immigrants who are facing life and death situations. And we have to
find ways to approach and eliminate the organized criminal aspects that make
migration even more dangerous than it is," he said. Bishop Wester made the
comments in an interview about his participation in a June 16-18 meeting of
bishops from the United States, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. They
met in the Mexican border city of Tijuana. The other U.S. bishop who attended
was Coadjutor Bishop Jaime Soto of Sacramento, Calif.
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Family looks to resolve stalemate at parish that
barred autistic son
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The mother of an autistic boy who has been barred from
attending Mass at a rural Minnesota parish said she was shocked by a judge's
June 27 decision to uphold the ban and will continue working to overturn what
she considers a violation of canon law. Carol Race, whose 13-year-old son Adam
was the target of a restraining order sought by St. Joseph Church in Bertha,
Minn., in May, said the case should have been based on the laws of the church
rather than the parish's concern over legal liability. Race expressed concern
about the judge's reasoning for her ruling, saying that any action out of the
ordinary by her son was thought to be disruptive. "The fact that he made
noise was enough for her to say a restraining order was justified," Race
said July 2 in a telephone interview with Catholic
News Service. "Asking Adam not to make noises is like asking you
or me not to breathe." Speaking on behalf of the parish, Jane Marrin,
director of pastoral planning for the St. Cloud Diocese, said the judge's ruling
does not end the search for a solution satisfactory to both the parish and the
Race family. "The mediation is continuing," she said. "That's
what our focus is."
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Items stolen from Minnesota archbishop's residence
irreplaceable
ST. PAUL, Minn. (CNS) -- Father Lee Piche had to break the news to Archbishop
John C. Nienstedt of St. Paul and Minneapolis, who was on his way to Germany
from Rome June 30, that his residence had been broken into early June 28 and
that a safe with some personal items and some historical items was taken.
"My guess is that it was opportunistic, based on the knowledge that he was
out of town, but that it was done by professionals," said Father Piche,
archdiocesan vicar general and moderator of the curia. "We might have found
a source for some pictures of some of the historical items that were
taken," he told The Catholic Spirit, the archdiocesan newspaper. Those
items include several pectoral crosses and rings of former archbishops of St.
Paul. The thief, or thieves, got onto a first-floor roof and broke a
second-story window that was 2 to 3 inches thick, which gave them access to the
archbishop's bedroom, said Dennis McGrath, archdiocesan communications director.
The stolen items are irreplaceable, he said.
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Franciscan friars, sisters hold peace vigils to
promote nonviolence
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (CNS) -- For the past few years the Franciscan friars and sisters
in Syracuse have been conducting peace vigils to remind people in the community
there is an alternative to violence. "As Franciscans, part of the whole
thing is peace and reconciliation," Franciscan Sister Dolores Bush, one of
the organizers, told the Catholic Sun, newspaper of the Syracuse Diocese.
"And this is a way to create awareness about violence in our city." A
recent peace vigil was held in front of the property where 17-year-old Anthony
Williams was shot. Any time there is a murder in Syracuse, the friars send out a
mass e-mail to subscribers who request them. Participants in the peace vigil
meet at the friary and then carpool to the scene of the murder. According to
Sister Dolores, a vigil might have as many as 25 to 30 participants or as few as
five or six. Franciscan Sister James Peter Ridgeo recalled a poignant vigil in
front of an apartment complex where a shooting had taken place and residents
joined in the prayers. "They were very touched that we had come to pray for
their loved one," she said.
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WORLD
Pope says St. Paul represents sublime figure for
today's Christians
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- To learn about Christ and how to live the right way,
today's Christians should look to St. Paul, Pope Benedict XVI said at his last
weekly general audience before his summer break. St. Paul the Apostle represents
a "sublime and almost inimitable figure" who serves as an example
because of his "total dedication to the Lord and his church, as well as his
great openness to humanity and its cultures," the pope said July 2. In his
first audience after the June 28 opening of the Pauline year, the pope said the
catechesis would be the first of a series dedicated to learning more about this
"stimulating figure." The jubilee year will run until June 29, 2009,
in commemoration of the 2,000th anniversary of the apostle's birth. Pope
Benedict told the 8,000 pilgrims in the Paul VI hall that it was necessary to
learn more about the cultural and historical context in which St. Paul lived in
order to understand better his life and work.
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South African churches ask world not to recognize
Mugabe presidency
CAPE TOWN, South Africa (CNS) -- The South African Council of Churches has
called on the international community not to recognize the presidency of
Zimbabwe's longtime ruler, Robert Mugabe, who was sworn in for a sixth term
after a runoff election in which he was the only candidate. The June 27 election
was "neither free nor fair, therefore this presidency is
illegitimate," the council said in a statement released June 30 by general
secretary Eddie Makue in Johannesburg. "We call on African and other states
of the world not to recognize the de facto presidency" of Mugabe, the
council said. The council, of which the Southern African Catholic Bishops'
Conference is a member, also called for sanctions against Zimbabwe. "While
we recognize that further sanctions will hurt the poor and suffering
Zimbabweans, we have come to the conclusion that the people of Zimbabwe are
already burdened with untold suffering," the council said. "The time
has come for all states to apply and intensify universal sanctions against
Zimbabwe as part and parcel of the negotiations for power-sharing in
Zimbabwe."
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Jesuit priest reacts to deadly attack in Jerusalem
JERUSALEM (CNS) -- Violent acts focus priests back on the need to pray for
peace, a Jesuit priest said following an apparent terrorist attack in Jerusalem.
"It is times like this when we are driven back to our roles as intercessors
to God asking for peace," said Jesuit Father David Neuhas, general
secretary of the Hebrew Catholic Vicariate, the Hebrew-speaking Catholic
community of Israel. "We turn to God with our pain and fear," he said,
adding that there don't "seem to be enough people able to take that
role." At least three people were killed and at least 45 wounded July 2
when the driver of a bulldozer used his vehicle to plow through a row of cars
and buses in early afternoon traffic. According to reports, a policeman climbed
aboard the bulldozer and shot the Palestinian man from East Jerusalem dead at
point-blank range. Reports also described dozens of people fleeing the scene in
horror. The Associated Press reported that three Palestinian militant groups
took responsibility for the attack. None of the claims has been verified.
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WYD chief denies church seeks to expand police
powers, limit protests
SYDNEY, Australia (CNS) -- The chief organizer of World Youth Day in Sydney has
denied media reports that the church had asked the New South Wales government to
expand police powers in order to limit protesters during World Youth Day.
"The church has not intervened," Danny Casey, chief operating officer
of World Youth Day 2008, told a media briefing at St. Benedict Church in Sydney
July 2. Casey refuted the claim of one newspaper that recently adopted police
regulations came at the insistence of Cardinal George Pell of Sydney and were
aimed at muzzling protesters. "The church believes in free speech,"
Casey said. "The church did not ask for any special powers to be given to
police. Our concern has always been the efficient running of this event; these
are normal powers and people are free to protest." Casey said the
legislation, which allows police to arrest people for "causing annoyance
and inconvenience," covers streets, train stations and public areas used as
World Youth Day venues July 15-20. This type of legislation "has been used
on many, many occasions," he said.
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Pope calls for end to violence in video message to
Colombia's bishops
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI joined Colombia's bishops in their call
for an end to the violence, kidnappings and extortion plaguing the country.
"I fervently pray to God that these situations which have caused so much
suffering end as soon as possible and that a stable and just peace may reign in
Colombia in an atmosphere of hope and well-being," he said in a video
message to Colombia's bishops. The video message, played July 1, was sent to the
bishops attending the 85th plenary assembly of the Colombian bishops' conference
in Bogota, Colombia. The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, which
began four decades ago by defending landless peasants but has become notorious
for kidnapping and drug trafficking, has been fighting to overthrow Colombia's
elected governments.
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PEOPLE
Body of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati arrives in
Sydney for WYD
SYDNEY, Australia (CNS) -- The body of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati arrived in
Sydney for World Youth Day 2008, marking the first time it has left Turin,
Italy, since his 1925 death. The charismatic Blessed Pier Giorgio is revered for
his social activism, sports-loving way, sense of humor and generous spirit.
"Pier Giorgio loved sport, horse riding, mountain climbing and practical
jokes," Auxiliary Bishop Anthony Fisher, World Youth Day coordinator, told
parishioners at St. Benedict Church in Sydney, where the body, enclosed in a
zinc-lined coffin, was received July 2. The body will remain at St. Benedict
Church until July 10. Then it will be moved to St. Mary's Cathedral and become a
focal point of the World Youth Day 2008 pilgrimage to the historic landmark. An
evening Mass at St. Benedict Church will mark Blessed Pier Giorgio's feast day,
July 4; the Mass will be celebrated by Sydney Cardinal George Pell and Bishop
Fisher.
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Young Texas man among 24 to be confirmed by pope at
WYD closing Mass
PERTH, Australia (CNS) -- A young man from the Diocese of Austin, Texas, will be
among 24 people who will be confirmed by Pope Benedict XVI during the July 20
closing Mass for World Youth Day in Sydney. Juan Martinez, a member of St.
Margaret Mary Church in Cedar Park, Texas, said he was asked to be part of the
ceremony by Bishop Gregory M. Aymond of Austin. The 18-year-old Mexican
immigrant who arrived in the U.S. nine years ago will be among the 14
Australians and 10 young people from other countries who will be anointed with
holy oil after Pope Benedict invokes the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The 24 also
will receive Communion from the pope. One of the young Australians to be
confirmed, Shannon Kyrwood, 25, said it is "mind-blowing" just to
think that the pope will confirm her, and does not expect to fully grasp it
until the sleep-out at Royal Randwick Racecourse the night before the Mass.
"It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," said Kyrwood.
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At WYD, ex-gangster plans to tell pope God's love
changed his life
LONDON (CNS) -- An ex-gangster who once almost beat a man to death with a pair
of knuckle-dusters said he's planning to tell Pope Benedict XVI how "God's
love" inspired him to turn his back on a life of crime. John Pridmore, 44,
a former "enforcer" in the London gangland scene in the 1980s and
'90s, will speak at the World Youth Day evening vigil Mass at Royal Randwick
Racecourse in Sydney, Australia, July 19. The pope will be there when the former
criminal speaks for 10 minutes on how discovering God changed his life
dramatically. Pridmore told Catholic
News Service July 1 in a phone interview from Sydney that he
considered the opportunity an honor. "With the Holy Father being the voice
of Christ on earth, it is a privilege to be at an event that he is attending let
alone to be on the same platform that he will be speaking from," he said.
Pridmore is the author of two books, "A Gangster's Guide to God," and
his best-selling autobiography, "From Gangland to Promised Land."
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Layman helps brings youths to Christ with
unconventional tactics
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Don't let his New Jersey-cum-"Rocky" accent fool
you. Justin Fatica is out to shock the world one teen at a time. His approach is
a bit unusual, and has included Fatica, 29, facing a teen and holding his hands
and telling him, "He (Jesus) loves you this much," while someone
repeatedly slams a metal folding chair against the youth minister's back,
without Fatica flinching. It's a tactic he said he has retired. But, he said,
"it would open the eyes of the people, and it would work." He's been
profiled on ABC's "Good Morning America" and "Nightline"
programs, and was the subject of an HBO documentary last year called "Hard
as Nails," after the ministry he founded in 2002 in Syracuse, N.Y., where
he now lives. His ministry is "about relationships between people,"
Fatica said. The Hard as Nails Ministry Web site is www.hanm.org; visitors who
try to find it at "hardasnails.com" will summon up a cosmetics
company's Web site.
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