November 28, 2007
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** DAILY READINGS:
First Reading:
Dan 5:1-6, 13-14, 16-17, 23-28
http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/reading.php?n=2487
Psalm:
Dan 3:62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67
http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/reading.php?n=2488
Gospel:
Lk 21:12-19
http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/reading.php?n=2489
** SAINT OF THE DAY:
Saint Catherine Labouré, virgin
http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint.php?n=401
** TOP STORIES:
- Christianity is not a European export, says the Pope
- Bishop of Orlando reflects on impact of globalization and secularization
** MORE HEADLINES
- Pope sheds light on plight of young migrants
- Mayor Sanders to congratulate San Diego Catholic school on $1.5 million gift
- Bishops and clergy of Caracas express solidarity with Cardinal Urosa after insults by Chavez
- Civil organizations call for revision of Spain's abortion laws to prevent abuse
- "Sexual health" book for children too graphic for prison, aimed at 10 and up
- Catholic hospital in Britain instates pro-life ethics code
- Anti-abortion billboard truck impounded, driver jailed
- Lourdes' 150th Jubilee Year celebrations announced
- Pope: Everything possible to fight AIDS must be done
- Young Catholics consider their faith in their future
- Nashville Dominicans to lead new high school, create new bioethics curriculum
- Abortion doctor arrested in Spain
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TOP STORIES
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Christianity is not a European export, says the Pope
(http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=11102)
VATICAN CITY, November 28 (CNA) - The "most famous poet of the patristic age," St. Ephrem the Syrian, was the topic of the Pope's general audience held in Paul VI Hall today. Wishing to show that the Christian faith is not European in origin, Benedict XVI pointed to St. Ephrem's origins in modern day Turkey.
The Pope remarked how "it is widely believed today that Christianity is a European religion which subsequently exported that continent's culture to other countries. But the truth is much more complex."
Picking up on a theme from his audience last week, Pope Benedict reminded people that, "The roots of the Christian religion are in the Old Testament, hence in Jerusalem and the Semitic world. And Christianity constantly draws nourishment from these Old Testament roots."
During the first centuries of Christianity, it spread both "westwards - to the Greco-Latin world where it later inspired European culture - and eastwards to Persia and India, where it contributed to the formation of a specific culture, in Semitic languages and with its own identity," the pontiff noted.
Benedict XVI indicated that "in order demonstrate the one Christian faith's multiplicity of cultural form ever since its inception" he had chosen to focus his audience on St. Ephrem, a theologian and a poet who was born in Nisibis (present-day Turkey) around the year 306 and died in Edessa (present-day Armenia) in 373.
In addition to his origins in the East, the Holy Father also spoke of Ephrem's gift for poetry, which "enabled him to deepen his theological reflections through the use of paradox and images."
Pope Benedict XVI cited several examples of St. Ephrem's poetry including his famous saying: "Nothing in the Creation is isolated and the world is - alongside Scared Scripture - a Bible of God. Using his freedom wrongly, man overturns the order of the universe."
Another of the saint's teachings that the Pope dwelt on was on the topic of the dignity of women. St. Ephrem taught that "Jesus' presence in Mary's womb greatly raised the dignity of women ... about whom he always speaks with sensitivity and respect," Benedict said.
Honored in Christian tradition with the title of "harp of the Holy Spirit," Ephrem remained a deacon of the Church throughout his life. "This was a decisive and emblematic choice," said the Holy Father. "He was a deacon, in other words a servant in liturgical ministry and, more radically, in the love of Christ ... as well as in charity towards his brethren who, with great skill, he introduced to a knowledge of the divine Revelation."
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Bishop of Orlando reflects on impact of globalization and secularization
(http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=11100)
ROME, November 27 (CNA) - At a Mass in Rome this past Saturday, Bishop Thomas Wenski of Orlando, delivered a homily in which he analyzed the current trends of globalization, secularization and the dignity of human life in modern culture.
Addressing the attendees of the Second World Congress of the Ecclesial Organizations working for Justice and Peace, Bishop Wenski linked the events depicted in the Book of Maccabees to present-day globalization.
Though echoing Pope John Paul II's advice that globalization itself is "neither all light nor is it all shadow," he said the ancient Greek attempt to forcibly assimilate the Jews was in some ways similar to present-day globalizing trends.
"The Greeks were insisting that the Jews adopt their ways - and their gods. In other words, they held that the God of the Jewish people, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, did not matter," Bishop Wenski said.
He said this organization of life as if God did not matter was one of Pope Benedict XVI's definitions of secularism.
But in Bishop Wenski's view, a world that lives as if God does not matter ends up undermining itself. In the mystery of the Incarnation, God has become man. This means that He is one of us and one with us. Thus, if society ignores God then it also is ignoring man, Wenski said. The bishop cited John Paul II's statement in Ecclesia in America, "Jesus Christ is the human face of God and the divine face of man."
Christians must model a life in which God matters, and because God matters man must matter as well. Both Christian witness and human flourishing, Bishop Wenski said, necessarily requires work for justice and peace.
Bishop Wenski summarized Catholic social teaching in one phrase: "no man is a problem." Thinking of another human being as a problem is an offense against his or her dignity. Looking at people as problems can lead us to look for solutions, even "final solutions," the bishop said, alluding to the genocidal Nazi campaign against Jews.
He denied that there was such a thing as a "problem pregnancy." Instead of a "problem", he said, there is "only a child who is to be welcome in life and protected by law."
Bishop Wenski discussed other people easily viewed as "problems," saying "The refugee, the migrant is not a problem. He may perhaps be a stranger but a stranger to be embraced as a brother. Even criminals--for all the horror of their crimes--do not lose their God-given dignity as human beings. They too must be treated with respect, even in their punishment. This is why Catholic social teaching condemns torture and works for the abolition of the death penalty."
At the close of his homily the bishop thanked conference attendees for their Christian witness and prayed that the Eucharist sustain everyone working for the progress of people.
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Pope sheds light on plight of young migrants
(http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=11112)
VATICAN CITY, November 28 (CNA) - Today, Pope Benedict XVI's message for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees which will be celebrated on January 13, was made public. In it he raised the plight of young migrants who are torn between two cultures in the lands they immigrate to.
The theme of the 94th celebration, "invites us this year to reflect in particular on young migrants" stated the Holy Father. "The vast globalization process underway around the world brings a need for mobility, which also induces many young people to emigrate and live far from their families and their countries. The result is that many times the young people endowed with the best intellectual resources leave their countries of origin, while in the countries that receive the migrants, laws are in force that make their actual insertion difficult."
"For the young migrants," he continued, "the problems of the so-called 'difficulty of dual belonging' seem to be felt in a particular way: on the one hand, they feel a strong need not to lose their culture of origin, while on the other, the understandable desire emerges in them to be inserted organically into the society that receives them, but without this implying a complete assimilation and the resulting loss of their ancestral traditions."
Cardinal Martino, president of the Pontifical Council affirmed this during the presentation saying, "Young migrants often find themselves alone, in a no- man's-land halfway between two cultures." This causes them "to live in a situation of great uncertainty that prevents them from conceiving a feasible project for their future and increases the factors that lead to marginalization, opening the doors to criminality, prostitution, alcohol, drugs and larceny."
The cardinal continued, "The crisis of values of our own day leads to the spiritual death of many young immigrants. Most of them are also relatively distant from religious concerns, and often recognize that they have received no ... education in this field."
The Pope's message continued, emphasizing the need to focus on the "sector of forced migrants, refugees and the victims of human trafficking. "[I]t is impossible to remain silent before the distressing images of the great refugee camps present in different parts of the world. ... These children and adolescents have only had as their life experience the permanent, compulsory 'camps' where they are segregated, far from inhabited towns, with no possibility normally to attend school."
How can these young migrants be helped? The Holy Father answered that "it is necessary to aim first of all at support for the family and schools. But how complex the situations are, and how numerous the difficulties these young people encounter in their family and school contexts! In families, the traditional roles that existed in the countries of origin have broken down, and a clash is often seen between parents still tied to their culture and children quickly acculturated in the new social contexts.
"Likewise, the difficulty should not be underestimated which the young people find in getting inserted into the educational course of study in force in the country where they are hosted. Therefore, the scholastic system itself should take their conditions into consideration and provide specific formative paths of integration for the immigrant boys and girls that are suited to their needs. The commitment will also be important to create a climate of mutual respect and dialogue among all the students in the classrooms based on the universal principles and values that are common to all cultures."
The Holy Father also focused on the need for pastoral care for students who are studying abroad noting that they may "often feel alone under the pressure of their studies and sometimes they are also constricted by economic difficulties.
"It is necessary to help them find a way to open up to the dynamism of inter-culturality and be enriched in their contact with other students of different cultures and religions. For young Christians, this study and formation experience can be a useful area for the maturation of their faith, a stimulus to be open to the universalism that is a constitutive element of the Catholic Church."
"Dear young migrants, prepare yourselves to build together your young peers a more just and fraternal society by fulfilling your duties scrupulously and seriously towards your families and the State." The Pontiff encouraged migrants to "be respectful of the laws and never let yourselves be carried away by hatred and violence. Try instead to be protagonists as of now of a world where understanding and solidarity, justice and peace will reign."
The Pope concluded his message by reminding the migrants that the Church needs them. "You can play a very providential role in the current context of evangelization. Coming from different cultures, but all united by belonging to the one Church of Christ, you can show that the Gospel is alive and suited to every situation; it is an old and ever new message. It is a word of hope and salvation for the people of all races and cultures, of all ages and eras."
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Mayor Sanders to congratulate San Diego Catholic school on $1.5 million gift
(http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=11111)
SAN DIEGO, November 28 (CNA) - San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders will preside over a ceremony today as the Blickenstaff family makes a $1.5 million gift to Blessed Sacrament Parish School. The family has created the Brian's Scholars Foundation in honor of Dr. Brian Bennett, former principal of Blessed Sacrament Parish School and a well-known Catholic education advocate.
The foundation will offer scholarships to help make Catholic education a reality for 75 to 100 students each year. The gift comes in two parts – a founding grant of $750,000 and an additional $750,000 over the next five years to make scholarships immediately available to students.
"We are awestruck by this incredible gift from the Blickenstaff family," said Theodora Furtado, principal of the Mid City School celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. "Their generosity honors Brian's legacy by helping families in our inner city give their children a Catholic education."
The Brian's Scholars Foundation pays tribute to Dr. Bennett, a well-known education advocate, who is credited with boosting enrollment at Blessed Sacrament Parish School during his tenure as principal from 1979 to 1997.
In May 2006, Dr. Bennett was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), more commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease. Dr. Bennett and Kim D. Blickenstaff, co-founder and former chairman and CEO of Biosite Incorporated, are working closely with the school through an extensive outreach program to raise funds totaling $3 million to support the Brian's Scholars Foundation. Rita and Kim Blickenstaff's three grown children – David, Paul and Katie – graduated from Blessed Sacrament Parish School, and Rita Blickenstaff has taught there since 1994.
"Every family should have the right to choose the education that is best for their children, and thanks to the Blickenstaff family this dream is becoming a reality," said Dr. Bennett, who attended Catholic schools all his life. "The Blickenstaff family understands the importance of a values-centered education in the Catholic tradition of service to families and children. I hope that their amazing and unselfish commitment will be a source of inspiration for others."
For 60 years, Blessed Sacrament Parish School has served the East San Diego, City Heights, Rolando, College Area neighborhoods and beyond. Its more than 2,000 graduates include champion golfer Phil Mickelson and member of the basketball Hall of Fame, Bill Walton, along with teachers, firefighters, nurses, physicians and researchers – people who make a difference every day.
Blessed Sacrament Parish School is a Catholic family of parents, educators, clergy, and parishioners united to educate our children while promoting a Catholic values-centered education, spiritual growth, academic excellence and physical development and supporting the learning styles of each student. The school also celebrates diversity and shares talents in support of one another, their parish and community. Blessed Sacrament Parish School has nearly 300 students in kindergarten through eighth grade, along with its pre-kindergarten and preschool programs. The school is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and the Western Catholic Education Association.
For more information, please visit www.bsps-sd.org.
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Bishops and clergy of Caracas express solidarity with Cardinal Urosa after insults by Chavez
(http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=11110)
CARACAS, November 28 (CNA) - The auxiliary bishops and clergy of the Archdiocese of Caracas have expressed their solidarity with Cardinal Jorge Urosa Savino in response to the repeated insults and attacks leveled against him by President Hugo Chavez, saying the Venezuelan leader must "change his attitude" and behavior that are "offending Catholics and the entire nation."
In a statement issued on Monday, the bishops and clergy expressed their support for the cardinal, who has been in Rome this month for the Consistory of Cardinals, and their concern over the level of violence and lack of harmony in the country at a time in which there should be "a climate of reflection" in preparation for the December 2 referendum on constitutional reform.
The statement noted that the Venezuelan bishops have expressed their thoughtful opinions and have fulfilled their duty to call on all citizens to "participate and contribute" with their own points of view. "Expression of a reasoned opinion is not a crime, but rather a pastoral duty for any Bishop of the Catholic Church, when what is at risk is the common good."
The attacks against the Archbishop of Caracas, "who has never offended or showed disrespect to the President or to any member of the national government," the statement continues, "are not only a disgrace to the presidency but also offend Catholics and all Venezuelans who are respectful of man's dignity and his inherent rights."
While they expressed their willingness to forgive, the bishops and priests said they felt it their duty "to exhort and demand a change of attitude."
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Civil organizations call for revision of Spain's abortion laws to prevent abuse
(http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=11113)
MADRID, November 28 (CNA) - Diverse civil organizations dedicated to promoting the defense of life and the family are praising the actions of officials in Barcelona who detained the owner of a clinic that performed abortions up to the eighth month of pregnancy. The pro-life organizations are calling for the laws on abortion to be reviewed in order to guarantee that excesses are not committed again.
The Spanish Forum on the Family praised the detention of Carlos Morin Gamarra, owner of the abortion clinic Ginemedex, and demanded the law be followed. The Forum's president, Benigno Blanco, noted that a "scandalous situation" has developed in Spain regarding abortion, as there is "more than sufficient proof" that in many clinics the law is not being followed. He said the scandal has been compounded by news of how human remains after an abortion are being handled in such places as the Clinica Isadora in Madrid.
"Health care officials in Barcelona, who have the duty to inspect and regulate these centers, should put an end to the impunity and adopt precise measures so that the clinics that are licensed to practice abortion are not islands indifferent to current law," Blanco said.
Other civil rights groups such as the website HazteOir.org have called for the law on abortion to be overturned or at least that guarantees that it is followed be implemented. They denounced government officials for neglecting to properly inspect health care facilities and to ensure that they are following the law.
Victims of abortionThe Association of Victims of Abortion (AVA) also praised the actions by health care officials and noted that according to "statistics from the Ministry of Health, 97% of abortions carried out in Spain are done for reasons of physical or psychological health of the mother."
AVA said doctors are not following the legal requirement that a woman's physical or psychological health be examined before she can receive an abortion in any center.
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"Sexual health" book for children too graphic for prison, aimed at 10 and up
(http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=11109)
WASHINGTON DC, November 28 (CNA) - A self-described sexual health children's book is so graphic in its contents that material from it has been banned from a state prison and several web sites.
The book, titled It's Perfectly Normal, has been targeted by the American Life League (ALL) as completely inappropriate, especially since its instruction is aimed at children ages ten and up.
Endorsed by Planned Parenthood, it contains written descriptions and cartoon depictions of sex acts, including two pictures of teenagers engaged in masturbation. The text is dismissive of religious disapproval of masturbation and also discusses deviant sex acts.
Free copies of the book are distributed to children at an annual party sponsored by Planned Parenthood.
"How can anyone claim that this book is appropriate for 10 year-olds?" asked Jim Sedlak, vice-president for American Life League.
A few months ago a Washington State prison rejected a fund-raising letter that included censored images from the book for being "sexually explicit" and "obscene."
Book author Robie Harris was interviewed on the Planned Parenthood web site in response to earlier ALL reaction to her book. In the interview she said "My response is that there is no response. I could spend all of my time responding to things that are said about my work that are not true. Or I can spend my time making sure that my books are up-to-date and the information is current, and I can continue speaking at schools ... and creating new books for kids."
Last week the American Life League examined It's Perfectly Normal in a video report posted to several streaming-video sites. Even though it reproduced the book's most explicit content only in censored form, the ALL video was removed from vidilife.com, sharkle.com, and hi5.com for "inappropriate content," and flagged on another site to restrict viewers under 18.
"What an irony that censored content from a book intended for 10-year-old children is rejected by a prison, removed from video-streaming sites, and flagged for viewers over the age of 18," said Sedlak. "We actually have no objection to the actions of the online sites and the prison. We agree that this is not appropriate content."
"We are calling for libraries, schools and parents all across the country to take similar action," Sedlak continued. "Planned Parenthood should be denied access to our children at all times. The material it promotes is totally inappropriate and could be harmful."
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Catholic hospital in Britain instates pro-life ethics code
(http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=11107)
LONDON, November 28 (CNA) - A Catholic hospital favored by British celebrities has barred its doctors from making abortion referrals or providing contraceptives, the Daily Telegraph reports.
The board of the private St. John and St. Elizabeth Hospital voted to implement a new code of ethics advocated by Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, the Archbishop of Westminster.
In a letter to the hospital earlier this year, the cardinal said: "There must be clarity that the hospital, being a Catholic hospital with a distinct vision of what is truly in the interests of human persons, cannot offer its patients, non-Catholic or Catholic, the whole range of services routinely accepted by many in modern secular society as being in a patient's best interest."
An inquiry the cardinal set up in 2005 found that the hospital had been flouting existing guidelines. Prominent Catholics complained the hospital's permitting National Health Service physicians to operate on its premises would further undermine Church teaching.
Hospital insiders claim staff who opposed the code may resign. The hospital could face financial troubles if it must abandon plans to lease part of its site to National Health Service physicians, who are obligated by contract to offer contraceptive services.
The new code could cause other controversies, since the hospital is a favorite with celebrity mothers. Actresses Cate Blanchett and Emma Thompson and the model Kate Moss have all had babies at the hospital, which has been described in magazines as the "poshest place to push."
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Anti-abortion billboard truck impounded, driver jailed
(http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=11105)
ATLANTA, November 28 (CNA) - An Operation Rescue truck bearing signs with photographs of aborted babies was impounded and its driver arrested in an Atlanta suburb over the Thanksgiving Weekend.
Bob Roethlisberger, the driver of the vehicle called the "Truth Truck," was arrested by officers of the Gwinnett County Police Department on charges of disorderly conduct. Officers told him the signage was "vulgar and obscene." They ransacked the back of the truck without a warrant and ordered Roethlisberger to change or remove the signs. When he refused, Roethlisberger was arrested and incarcerated for three days before being released on a $1,000 bond.
The "Truth Truck" was released from impound on Monday with damage to it estimated to be in the thousands of dollars. Both the signs and the mounting hardware were damaged when police ripped the signs off the truck.
"It is obvious that these police officers, under the direction of Major Thomas Bardugon, engaged in a serious incident of unconstitutional content-based discrimination and illegal destruction of property," said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman. "Bob fully cooperated with officers, but refused to compromise on his message, which is unequivocally protected by the First Amendment. The officers misused their authority to punish Bob for expressing a viewpoint that ran counter to theirs. The arrest was nothing less than an egregious abuse of power," he continued.
When asked if he would drop charges against Roethlisberger, Major Bardugon refused and threatened to arrest Newman if he drove the "Truth Truck" through Bardugon's jurisdiction.
The "Truth Truck," part of a fleet of vehicles managed by Operation Rescue, was in Georgia to help draw Georgians' attention to the brutal reality of abortion. A Human Life Amendment is scheduled to be considered by the state legislature in January.
Newman said Operation Rescue intended to vigorously fight the charges and to seek restitution for the property damage.
"We cannot allow the illegal use of police authority to bully us into silence, when such silence could cost innocent human lives," he said.
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Lourdes' 150th Jubilee Year celebrations announced
(http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=11104)
WASHINGTON DC, November 28 (CNA) - Bishop of Lourdes Jacques Perrier announced on Tuesday the opening of a year-long celebration for the 150th Jubilee anniversary of the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin to St. Bernadette Soubirous.
He made the announcement in Washington, the see of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
"I invite the people of the United States to visit Lourdes during the Jubilee year or to honor the anniversary at home in their parishes with prayer, with service to the sick and disabled or by pilgrimage to local Grotto replicas throughout the country," Bishop Perrier said.
The Jubilee Year will formally open on December 8, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, at a Mass in Lourdes honoring the feast day. The series of celebrations, pilgrimages, and missions will highlight the message of Lourdes in light of the "new evangelization."
Lourdes pilgrims will be invited to follow the "Jubilee Path" by visiting the baptismal font where St. Bernadette was baptized, the abandoned jail where she and her impoverished family lived throughout the apparitions, the grotto where she saw the Blessed Virgin eighteen times, and the chapel where Bernadette made her First Communion.
Six million pilgrims, including more than 500,000 American Catholics, are estimated to visit the sanctuaries at Lourdes, France every year.
On the occasion of the Jubilee Year, parishes, schools, hospitals and grotto replicas linked to the pilgrimage site or Our Lady of Lourdes or her title of the Immaculate Conception are being invited to reunite themselves to Lourdes' original message of conversion and penance.
Further information on Lourdes and the Jubilee are available at www.lourdes-france.org and www.lourdes2008.com.
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Pope: Everything possible to fight AIDS must be done
(http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=11103)
VATICAN CITY, November 28 (CNA) - Pope Benedict XVI issued a call today at the end of his general audience exhorting everyone to increase their efforts to combat the spread of AIDS.
Speaking to a crowd of 8,000 people in Paul VI Hall, the Holy Father said that "everything possible" must be done to halt the spread of AIDS. He explained that he was making this statement as World AIDS Day approaches on December 1.
The pontiff also expressed his solidarity with the disease's victims saying, "I remain spiritually close to everyone suffering from this terrible sickness, and to their families, especially those who have lost a loved one. To everyone I give assurances of my prayers."
Calling for an increase in efforts by "all people of good will" to fight HIV, Pope Benedict also said that "the disdain which is often directed towards people who are affected by it" must be combated. Care for the sick, especially those who are still children must be a priority as well.
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Young Catholics consider their faith in their future
(http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=11098)
LONDON, November 27 (CNA) - Over 50 young Catholics considering a career in public life gathered at Notre Dame University campus in London last Saturday to hear from Catholics working in public life about how they live out their faith in public service to others. The second "Faith in your Future" conference, organized by the Catholic Bishops' Conference, brought together eminent speakers from the world of healthcare, politics, media and social care.
Baroness Patricia Scotland QC spoke of how her parents had taught her that 'God has given each of us a talent and that it was our job to find out what that talent was, to own it and to use it for the benefit of others. She had at one time considered a vocation to the religious life, but for various reasons, entered the legal profession instead. Stressing that a career in public life was a calling, she added that it would not be an easy one, but that there would be real opportunities to make a difference in the world.
Dr. Martin Lupton, a gynecologist, who is also Chair of the Ethics Committee of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists said that in his job, in any one day, many of the important life issues such of birth, life and death could all be lived out.
He gave a powerful testimony of how an encounter with a nun who was nursing a terminally ill man living in abject poverty was a life changing experience. It was this image of the Church, not the powerful institution, but rather on its knees ministering to the most vulnerable in the world, which led him back to work in medicine. 'The Church as a servant - that makes sense to me', he said.
He was proud of the fact that as a Catholic he belonged to a Church which was one of the largest providers of healthcare in the world and concluded by affirming all the young people present in their life choices: 'the Church has to have faith in each one of you, as you are its hands, its eyes and body in the world today - without you it will have no future'.
In a question and answer session which followed; the participants were able to ask the panel members about how they balanced their public roles with their faith. Mark Hoban, MP for Fareham, said that every Catholic in public life was there to serve all of God's people. He said that as a Catholic working in politics, 'you look at different cases and different circumstances…balancing it against your own faith and your own conscience'. 'My faith has changed what I do in Westminster and in my constituency'.
At the closing Mass, principal celebrant and homilist, Fr Paul Embery gave a fitting conclusion to an inspirational day: 'Those in public life may find, like Thomas More, that at times there are difficult choices to be made, even major clashes of loyalty to be negotiated. But this is nothing new. More followed in the footsteps of the likes of Thomas a Beckett and we follow in the footsteps of both…We should not be afraid of this – there is a dialogue to be had'.
The Conference was organized principally for some of the many young graduates who have expressed interest in participating in the Catholic Parliamentary Internship scheme which has been run by the Bishops' Conference since 2003. This scheme places young catholic graduates with Christian MPs for a year.
More information about the internship program can be found at: www.catholicchurch.org.uk/internships
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Nashville Dominicans to lead new high school, create new bioethics curriculum
(http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=11101)
ARLINGTON, VA., November 27 (CNA) - A Dominican order of traditional religious sisters is thriving in Nashville, Tennessee and expanding into other cities across the nation.
The Washington Post recently highlighted the order's work on a new Catholic high school opening in Dumfries, a city in northern Virginia. The $60 million Pope John Paul the Great High School will be one of only four new Catholic secondary schools opened last year in the U.S.
The new school will require an extensive bioethics curriculum for all four years, the first Catholic high school to do so. The Dominican sisters themselves are writing the curriculum and will run the school.
At a time when many religious communities are aging due to a lack of new vocations, the Nashville Dominicans are growing.
Though the average age for a religious sister in the United States is about 70, the Nashville Dominicans' median age is 35. The Nashville-based Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia number 226 members, and receive about ten to fifteen new vocations each year.
The sisters maintain a traditional dress, wearing floor-length white habits with a black veil and a rosary.
"They are icons of Catholicity in a diocese that wants Catholicity," said Sister Patricia Wittberg, a sociologist at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis.
Their traditionalism may be part of their appeal.
"This generation is more conventional in their outlook and more traditional in values," said Brother Paul Bednarczyk, executive director of the National Religious Vocations Conference. "Given the relativity of our culture, they really want to know what it means to be Catholic, and symbols -- like habits -- speak to them deeply. They want people to know they have made this radical choice."
Some experts say traditional groups like the Nashville Dominicans have grown because they have maintained a clear mission, like teaching or nursing. Progressive orders have let members pursue a variety of different careers, where they often live and work alone apart from their fellow sisters. The orthodoxy and charisma of Pope John Paul II is also credited for attracting interest in the religious life, while some think the meditative lifestyle of a vowed religious is a more attractive to the frenzy of modern life.
The Nashville Dominicans have maintained their educational mission. They move to new cities in groups so they can follow the same schedule: waking together, praying and chanting three times a day together, meditating together and eating together in silence. Their reputation for being young and upbeat is reflected in their promotional material, which shows them playing soccer and walking on the beach.
"They have always been clear as to what their identity is as a community and how it's expressed. If you diversify your ministry so much, it's hard to say what your community does," said Michael Wick, executive director of the Institute on Religious Life. "And young attracts young. I think other [traditional orders] are learning from them."
The Nashville Dominicans' web site is at http://www.nashvilledominican.org/
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Abortion doctor arrested in Spain
(http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=11099)
BARCELONA, November 27 (CNA) - After months of investigation and numerous lawsuits, Spanish police have detained abortion doctor Carlos Morin, who owns and operates a chain of clinics under suspicion of performing abortions up to the eighth month of pregnancy.
In 2006, Danish public television broadcast a report that revealed that the Ginemedex clinic in Barcelona—which belongs to the Barnamedic Group, owned by Morin—performs illegal abortions. The Danish report was followed up by a story in the UK's Daily Telegraph.
Spanish police began rounding up clinic directors and workers accused of carrying out illegal abortions. At least four people have been detained, including a direct collaborator of Morin and two women arrested at the Ginemedex Clinic and the Emece Center.
Police investigations began after the organization E-Cristians filed a complaint more than a year ago, asking officials to look into illegal practices at numerous clinics.
Pro-life leaders celebrate
The civil rights website HazteOir.org praised the police for the new investigation and asked for a copy of the complaint Morin has filed against the website, which he says should pay him $148,000 in damages for news stories it published about his clinic.
Ignacio Arsuaga, president of HazteOir.org, noted that abortion after the third month is a crime under Spanish law and that health care officials are failing to both provide alternatives to abortion and to carry out adequate inspection of clinics, "thus favoring absolute impunity for those who only see the elimination of the unborn as a business."
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