New DVD to save couples' blushes

A pre-marriage agency is issuing a DVD for intending couples to assist those reluctant to talk about sexual issues in a group setting.

In an attempt to deal with those couples who are embarrassed at the notion of sharing intimate details while taking a pre-marriage course, the Avalon agency has formulated its DVD to offer the full content of a course for couples to study in their own home.

This way, Avalon director David Kavanagh told The Irish Catholic this week, ''people don't have to face invasive questions in front of a group of strangers''.

''I have heard horror stories about what people have been asked to reveal about their relationship,'' Kavanagh explained, ''such as how often they would have sex once married or if they intended to have kids.''

It was having witnessed for himself the awkwardness of some participants during courses that he came up with his DVD idea. 

The new DVD offers a range of topics of relevance to soon-to-be married couples, such as chores, in-laws, finances and diet. It includes input from professional therapists.

Kavanagh stresses that the DVD is not designed to replace a pre-marriage course, and only by engaging with a follow-on questionnaire linked with the DVD content can a couple gain their course certificate.

He also acknowledged that a group dynamic is what some people want in signing up for a pre-marriage course.

''But others look at the floor and wish it would open up and swallow them'' when asked certain questions.

Of Avalon's approach to certain issues on a course with the agency, Kavanagh said: ''We don't ask people individually to speak. We invite people to talk, and that way they only answer if they wish.''

Avalon also offers a free downloadable booklet on sex and marriage from its website www.avalonrc.com

Irish nun named in top ten list

An Irish nun has been named as one of the top ten people of the year by Inside the Vatican, a monthly Catholic news magazine.

Sr Patricia Murray IBVM was honoured for her work through the Solidarity With South Sudan (SSS) project. 

Established by religious from 170 Catholic congregations and led by Sr Murray, SSS has ensured that thousands in South Sudan have been able to live with dignity despite their country's poverty.

The people of 2011 list includes people from all walks of life who are marked by a common characteristic of humility according to the magazine.

''We feel the people we have chosen all fittingly represent that courage, that nobility of spirit, that gentleness of heart, which bears witness to the presence of faith, of the Holy Spirit, in our midst.''

Other people honoured on the list include Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-Kiung, for defending religious freedom in China, and Marino Restrepo from Colombia who became a Catholic lay missionary after his release from kidnappers.

10 Years Later: Clergy Response to the Sex Abuse Scandal (Comment)

This January marked the 10th anniversary of the clergy sex abuse scandal that rocked the foundations of the Roman Catholic Church and other Christian denominations. 

What began as a series of news reports in the Boston Globe about six Roman Catholic priests and the cover-up arranged by Cardinal Law led to accusations against Christian leaders across the United States and internationally.

Ten years after the scandal erupted, clergy sexual abuse has been reported everywhere from Austria to Australia, and while it remains the case that only a small percentage of Christian clergy perpetrate sexual abuse, the effects of this small number of individuals is felt, at some level, by every Christian and by clergy trying to understand what the scandal means for them as leaders.

While they don't make news headlines, the majority of priests and pastors across denominations do not commit abuse, and this group of individuals take their vocation very seriously. They dedicate their lives to bringing Christianity's hope to their communities, to allowing God's light to permeate the darkness.

What effect, then, has the sexual abuse scandal in the Church had on them?

Clergy realize that one of the most prominent ramifications of the scandal is the way in which the safety of the Church is no longer assumed. 

Ten years ago, many people, including clergy, assumed the church was a safe place for all people, including children, just as prior to Sept. 11, a certain amount of airport security was assumed in the United States that we no longer take for granted, as we remove our shoes at security checkpoints, stand in full-body scanners and submit to questioning by TSA officials. 

Likewise, clergy ordained prior to the sex abuse scandal remember a time when the Church was an assumed safe place.

Today, that assumption is not made in the same way.

As a result, many clergy have felt disempowered, disheartened and spiritually bereft during the past decade. 

Discovering a colleague abused another person raises basic questions for them about who to trust and how to balance punishment with rehabilitation when dealing with the offender. 

They also wonder how best to assist victims and whether victims will ever be able to trust them and the Church given their previous experiences.

Clergy also face the ramifications of false accusations. 

Though most people who accuse another of misconduct tell the truth, when a pastor hears about colleagues falsely accused many feel afraid for their own futures:

What if I am accused of something I did not do?

What if I become the person who engages in misconduct?

What if my bishop or superior protects an abuser?

As a result, many clergy worry in a way they never did 20 years ago about whether or not it's okay to have a conversation with a parishioner and close the door to their office; they worry about whether or not to hug a young child; they worry about the trustworthiness of their colleagues, superiors and the church at large.

The past 10 years have allowed clergy to witness the truth about sexual misconduct, but, contrary to what the biblical text says, that truth hasn't always set them free.

As Susan Brison, a survivor of a sexual assault and attempted murder, has written, "It has been hard for me, as a philosopher, to learn the lesson that knowledge isn't always desirable, that the truth doesn't always set you free. Sometimes, it fills you with incapacitating terror and, then, uncontrollable rage."

While this truth has a deep and abiding effect on many clergy, one of the things I have noticed about my colleagues is that they refuse to let terror and rage have the last word. 

Seeking, as their vocation calls them to do, to bring light to even the darkest places, many clergy sought to restore confidence in the Church through facing the reality of sexual misconduct and educating themselves. 

Today, many engage in a variety of training sessions designed for themselves, lay leaders and congregants. 

Across denominations, they attend programs like Safe Church that train them about appropriate interactions with the people entrusted to their care. 

These programs allow clergy to recognize the signs of misconduct, so that they can prevent sexual abuse in themselves or their peers before harm occurs to another human being.

And hopefully, that knowledge becomes power. 

It becomes the light that shines in the darkness. Because while clergy can't return to a time when sexual misconduct was not part of the Christian vocabulary or ignore the reality that leaders have harmed many in the Church, sometimes in ways so deep that healing is never fully experienced in this life, they want to assist survivors and prevent further abuse however they can. 

In that conviction, I believe, lies the hope, and the future, of the Church.

Pope names interfaith-dialogue promoter as Karachi archbishop

Pope Benedict XVI on Wednesday appointed Joseph Coutts as archbishop of Karachi, the Pakistani sprawling southern port city where Christians have been the target of religious violence, the Vatican announced.

He succeeds Evarist Pinto, who resigned after reaching the age limit of 75 years old.

The late Pope John Paul II in 1998 appointed Coutts Bishop of Faisalabad, an industrial city in the centre of Pakistan.

The Catholic University of Eichstatt-Ingolstadt in Germany awarded Coutts the 2007 Shalom Prize for his commitment to interfaith dialogue in Pakistan. Coutts says he has received death threats from Muslim extremists his work.

As Karachi's archbishop, Coutts, 66, will oversee the 150,000 Catholics and 40 priests in Pakistan's largest city where almost all of the metropolis' 15 million people are Muslim.

The Vatican has spoken out against persecution of Pakistan's religious minorities, with particular emphasis on Christians who have been raped and murdered, and some say jailed for their beliefs.

In 2009, an 11-year-old boy in Karachi died after being shot in the head and others were killed and injured at the hands of armed gangs who demanded them to convert to Islam.

Pakistan's blasphemy laws have criticised for being used as a tool to persecute non-Muslims by jailing them for allegedly defaming Islam.

Ninety-five percent of Pakistanis are Muslim, mainly Sunnis.

Christians and Hindus make up approximately 5 percent of Pakistan's 177 million people.

Cardinal-Designate O’Brien Speaks About What’s Next For Baltimore Parishes

The leader of Baltimore’s Archdiocese is now weeks away from becoming cardinal. 

Wednesday marked the first public appearance of Edwin O’Brien in Baltimore since the announcement from the Pope.

Fresh in from Rome, cardinal-designate Edwin O’Brien held a news conference in Baltimore. 

He was surrounded by portraits of Baltimore archbishops who have risen to the position of cardinal like he is about to.

“It’s just nice to be in a hall of fame like this,” O’Brien said.

On Jan. 6, he was in Rome when the Pope made the announcement.

“He went through a list of 22 names and my name was No. 8. It was exciting,” he said.

O’Brien’s short tenure in Baltimore was sometimes controversial. He closed Catholic schools with loss enrollment, and Wednesday, he addressed another controversial issue– same-sex marriage.

“Thirty states where legislatures have passed this, the people’s vote has voided it, has knocked it down,” he said. “And we have every reason to believe that we have a strong grassroots coalition here that will uphold the sanctity of marriage.”

O’Brien’s successor should be named in the next two to three weeks. He says the next leader of the Baltimore Archdiocese must focus on increasing the number of local priests and nuns, and to continue the difficult task of consolidating parishes with dwindling populations.

“If we are going to keep strong parish life, vibrant parish life, we have to make sure that we aren’t struggling along with churches half-filled and wondering what’s going to happen tomorrow,” he said.

O’Brien left Baltimore Wednesday night for a special mission to Haiti.

He then goes to Rome for the ceremony on Feb. 18 where he will officially become a cardinal and get his red hat.

He will return to Baltimore in March to lead his first mass as cardinal at the Cathedral of 

Mary Our Queen.

O’Brien is the 15th archbishop of Baltimore. 

Pope Benedict XVI appointed him grand master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem in August.

He has served in the caretaker role of apostolic administrator in Baltimore since then.

Pope to Donate Golden Rose to Cuba's Patron Saint

Pope Benedict XVI will donate a golden rose to the statue of Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre, the patroness of Cuba, during his March 26-28 visit to the island, Cuban officials told Efe on Tuesday.

The same sources said that the pontiff will likely meet with Fidel Castro during his stay in Havana.

The meeting could take place during the traditional visit the pope usually makes to the head of state - in this case, Fidel's younger brother Raúl - and to his family.

Though Fidel, 85, left power in 2006 due to a serious illness, he continues to be a dignitary of the highest importance, and for that reason, the officials said, the meeting is likely to take place, in the same way that Benedict XVI met with former Chancellor Helmut Kohl on his trip to Germany last September.

Fidel Castro considers Benedict XVI "a good person" and several years ago told a top Vatican official, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, who was visiting the island at the time, that the pope has "the face of an angel."

On that occasion, Fidel asked Bertone to convey his invitation to the pope to visit Cuba.

The same sources also told Efe on Tuesday that it is highly probable that President Raul Castro will attend the Mass that the pontiff will officiate in the Plaza de la Revolucion in Havana, just as Fidel Castro did when Pope John Paul II visited the island in 1998.

What does not seem probable is Fidel Castro's attendance at the Mass, since, officials said, everybody would be looking at him because it would be his first public appearance in months.

In addition, the exhaustion from staying several hours in the sun would not be good for his health, they said.
 

Benedict XVI will arrive March 26 at the airport in Santiago de Cuba, the first stop on his visit to the island, and will be received by Raul Castro and other officials.

In the city's main square he will officiate a Mass and afterwards will travel to El Cobre, where he will stay near the sanctuary of Our Lady of Charity at a priests' residence.

The golden rose will presumably be bestowed during the pope's visit to the patroness of Cuba at her sanctuary in El Cobre on the southwestern part of the island, to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the finding of her statue.

John Paul II crowned Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre as patroness of Cuba on Jan. 24, 1998, during a Mass attended by 200,000 faithful.

Top archbishop 'denounces Vatican corruption'

A top Vatican official who is now the envoy to Washington denounced corruption and waste in the management of the Holy See in letters to Pope Benedict XVI, Italian media reported on Wednesday.

Carlo Maria Vigano was secretary general of the governorate of the Vatican -- the person in charge of the administration -- until October, when he was named ambassador to the United States in what was seen as a demotion.

In extracts from the letters published in Corriere della Sera and Libero, Vigano said he had faced a "disastrous" situation when he became head of the governorate in 2009 and said his transfer to Washington was "punishment".

"My transfer is causing disarray and discouragement among those who believed it was possible to resolve the numerous situations of corruption and waste" in the Vatican, he reportedly said in one letter to the pope in March 2011.

Much of his criticism was focused on a Vatican financial committee that includes the head of the Vatican bank, Ettore Gotti Tedeschi. He said the bankers were favouring "their interests" more than the Vatican's.

In one financial operation by the bankers that went wrong, the Vatican made a net loss of 2.5 million euros ($3.2 million), the archbishops said.

He was also highly critical of the cost of basic technical services and said construction contracts for Vatican buildings were always going to the same companies for tariffs that were more than twice as high as in Italy.

He said other cardinals in the Vatican "knew the situation well".

The reports said that Vigano's reforms helped bring the governorate, which includes the Vatican Museums, from a deficit of eight-million euros ($10.4 million) in 2009 to a profit of 34.4 million euros the following year.

Vigano enforced drastic budget cuts, for example for the tending of the Vatican's gardens or for the traditional Nativity scene on Saint Peter's square whose budget went down from 550,000 euros in 2009 to 200,000 euros.

Corriere della Sera said that Vigano encountered hostility and had decided to turn to Benedict because of the pope's stated desire for more transparency.

But the report said that Vigano's move -- as well as a demand by the prelate to meet with his detractors face to face -- had backfired badly.

Bishop urges recognition of journalists' contribution

Society must recognise the, “valuable work that journalists undertake and their contribution to the common good,” Bishop Denis Brennan of Ferns said in a statement issued to mark the Feast of St Francis de Sales, the Patron Saint of journalists.

Bishop Brennan made his comments in a statement he issued with Bishop John McAreavey of Dromore as co-chairs of the Council for Communications of the Irish Bishops' Conference to welcome the release of Pope Benedict’s 2012 message for World Day of Social Communications.

The theme for this year’s Communications Day message is, Silence and Word: Path of Evangelisation.

The 45th World Day of Social Communications will be celebrated on Sunday May 20, the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord and the Sunday before the Solemnity of Pentecost.  

The text of Pope Benedict’s message is issued annually to coincide with the Feast of St Francis de Sales.

Commenting on the newly released papal message, Bishop McAreavey said, “For Catholics the human person is at the core of all our communications each day.”  

He said the theme chosen by Pope Benedict reminded us that behind all of the technology surrounding us on a daily basis are human beings who are constantly searching for answers to life’s questions.

“The Holy Father reminds us of the importance and value of silence and says, ‘if we are to recognise and focus upon the truly important questions, then silence is a precious commodity that enables us to exercise proper discernment in the face of the surcharge of stimuli and data that we receive’.”

Welcoming the Pope's message, Bishop Denis Brennan noted that World Communications Day is the only worldwide celebration called for by the Second Vatican Council. 

In his message, Pope Benedict shares a number of reflections on aspects of the human process of communication, which he suggests, are often overlooked, namely the relationship between silence and word.

These two aspects of communication need to be kept in balance, to alternate and to be integrated with one another, the Pontiff suggests, if authentic dialogue and deep closeness between people are to be achieved.

“When word and silence become mutually exclusive, communication breaks down, either because it gives rise to confusion or because, on the contrary, it creates an atmosphere of coldness; when they complement one another, however, communication acquires value and meaning”, the Pope comments in his message.

Learning to communicate is learning to listen and contemplate as well as to speak the Pope underlines.  

This, he says, is especially important for those engaged in the task of evangelisation: both silence and word are essential elements, integral to the Church’s work of communication for the sake of a renewed proclamation of Christ in today’s world.

He suggests that attention should be paid to the various types of websites, applications and social networks that can help people to find time for reflection and authentic questioning, as well as making space for silence and occasions for prayer, meditation or sharing of the word of God.

Drawing from a private prayer at the Holy House in Loreto (September 1 2007) the Pontiff urges the faithful to look to Mary whose silence "listens to the Word and causes it to blossom.”

Previous themes addressed by Pope Benedict in his messages for World Communications Day have been, The Media: A Network for Communication, Communion and Cooperation (2006); Children and the Media: a Challenge for Education (2007); The Media: At the Crossroads between Self-Promotion and Service.  Searching for the Truth in order to Share it with Others (2008); New Technologies, New Relationships.  Promoting a Culture of Respect, Dialogue and Friendship (2009); The priest and pastoral ministry in a digital world: new media at the service of the Word (2010), and; Truth, proclamation and authenticity of life in the digital age (2011).

Archbishop Carey attacks bishops over benefit cap

Former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey has criticised Church of England bishops for opposing the government’s £26,000-a-year cap on benefits.

Writing in the Daily Mail, he says the scale of the UK’s debt is the “greatest moral scandal” facing the country.

He says the welfare system is “fuelling vices and impoverishing us all’, and accuses the bishops of ignoring popular opinion by opposing the cap.

The government has insisted it will press ahead with the policy.

It wants to cap benefits at £500 a week for working-age families – equivalent to the average wage of £26,000 earned by working households – and £350 a week for single adults without children.

But five bishops, led by the Bishop of Ripon and Leeds, the Rt Rev John Packer, tabled an amendment to the Welfare Reform Bill, arguing that the cap discriminated against families with several children.

They called for child benefit to be excluded from it – and were backed by Lib Dem, Labour and crossbench peers in the House of Lords on Monday, meaning the amendment was carried by 252 votes to 237.

But writing in the Daily Mail, Lord Carey – who was Archbishop of Canterbury between 1991 and 2002 – said the bishops “cannot lay claim to the moral high-ground”.

“Considering that the system they are defending can mean some families are be able to claim a total £50,000 a year in welfare benefits, the bishops must have known that popular opinion was against them, including that of many hard-working, hard-pressed churchgoers,” he wrote.

“The sheer scale of our public debt – which hit £1tn yesterday – is the greatest moral scandal facing Britain today. If we can’t get the deficit under control and begin paying back this debt, we will be mortgaging the future of our children and grandchildren.”

Lord Carey praised the efforts of Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith – whom he called a “committed Christian” – to overhaul a benefits system which, at its worst, “rewards fecklessness and irresponsibility”.

Welsh stained glass windows go online

More than 2,000 images of stained glass windows in churches across Wales have been made available for viewing online for the first time.

The database showcases windows from the medieval to the modern, and are an ideal resource for people interested in church history.

The windows have been photographed and catalogued online as part of a project by the University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies.

The archive includes imported continental glass, work by the large Victorian firms and artists of the arts and crafts movement, and more recent windows by artists trained and based in Wales from the second half of the twentieth century up to the present day.

Visitors to the website can search for windows thematically by date, artist or location.

Funding for the project ended before a full survey of all stained glass in Welsh churches could be completed, but the centre hopes that the catalogue will be expanded in the future.

The project was initiated by the artist and photographer Martin Crampin.

He said: “Stained glass is part of the visual vocabulary of many of our churches, and a pictorial manifestation of the church’s faith and tradition. Yet often little is known of the artists or studios that made them, and sometimes the meaning of the windows is unclear to those that worship in their midst today.”

On the web: stainedglass.llgc.org.uk

Robert Carlyle to 'give it up' for Lent campaign

Iconic Scottish actor Robert Carlyle is doing his bit for impoverished communities this Lent by giving up coffee.

The Trainspotting star will be donating the money he would have normally spent on his daily cuppa to SCIAF's 2012 Wee Box, Big Change campaign.

The campaign is Scotland's largest annual international development campaign and runs through Lent.

Singing sensation Susan Boyle will launch the campaign for a second year running on Ash Wednesday, on 22 February.

The campaign invites people to give up some of their favourites, like chocolate, coffee or cakes over the 40 days of Lent and donate the money they save to SCIAF's work in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Carlyle called on fellow Scots to join the campaign and make a real difference in reducing global poverty.

He said: “SCIAF helps some of the poorest people in the world to work their way out of poverty. They give a hand up, not a hand out, providing practical help such as seeds, tools and training so that people can feed themselves and their families, not just today but in the future.

“This Lent, I’m giving up coffee and putting the money I save into my WEE BOX. Please join me. Give up something for Lent and put what you would have spent into your SCIAF Wee Box. Together we will change the lives of some of the poorest people in the world.”

Other stars backing the campaign are Kaye Adams, the Proclaimers, Darren Fletcher, Ally McCoist and Michelle Mone.

SCIAF’s Head of Education and Communications Philippa Bonella said: “SCIAF is totally star-struck by the fabulous support the Wee Box, Big Change campaign is receiving from superstars like Robert and Susan."

"We are extremely grateful to them and the many other famous Scots for their support and we sincerely hope it will encourage more and more people to back the campaign. Every penny raised will be spent wisely to maximise the practical support we can provide to people living in extreme poverty overseas.”

Last year the campaign raised over £900,000 to help SCIAF provide vulnerable people affected by conflict, hunger, poverty, and disease with practical support including seeds, tools and livestock to poor farmers, skills training and small loans to help people generate an income, and healthcare and trauma counselling to those affected by war.

Eucharistic Congress 2012 - Prayer

Lord Jesus,
You were sent by the Father
to gather together those who are scattered.

You came among us, doing good and bringing healing,
announcing the Word of salvation
and giving the Bread which lasts forever.

Be our companion on life’s pilgrim way.

May your Holy Spirit inflame our hearts,
enliven our hope and open our minds,
so that together with our sisters and brothers in faith
we may recognise you in the Scriptures
and in the breaking of bread.

May your Holy Spirit transform us into one body
and lead us to walk humbly on the earth,
in justice and love,
as witnesses of your resurrection.

In communion with Mary,
whom you gave to us as our Mother
at the foot of the cross,
through you
may all praise, honour and blessing be to the Father
in the Holy Spirit and in the Church,
Now and forever.

Amen

Former priest jailed for three years for possession of illegal images of children

A former priest has been jailed for three years today after gardaí found evidence of 65,000 graphic images of children on his laptop.

Oliver O’Grady, who used to live at Charlemont House in Dublin 2, admitted three counts of possession of child pornography, after leaving his computer on a flight from Amsterdam.

He was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

Oliver O'Grady was a priest in the US for 30 years before being convicted of abusing two children in California.

After serving a seven-year sentence, he was laicised by the church and deported from America.

The 66-year-old returned to live in Ireland and was flying from Amsterdam to Dublin in 2010 when he left a laptop on his flight containing graphic images of children.

Gardaí traced him to a hostel in Dublin, where they found thousands more photos, videos and audio of child porn, stored on hard drives and usb keys.

The judge at Dublin Circuit Court jailed O'Grady for three years, saying the former priest, described as socially isolated, seemed to have a serious problem, and his time in American prison had not rehabilitated him.

Glenstal Abbey to take day pupils

ONE OF the country’s most prestigious boarding schools is to take day pupils for the first time.

Glenstal Abbey in Murroe, Co Limerick, has confirmed that day students are to be accepted in the school from this September.

At the moment the Benedictine -run school is one of the last three full-time boarding schools for boys remaining in the country, along with Roscrea and Clongowes.

Br Martin Browne, principal of the school run by Benedictine monks, said the cost for a day pupil would be a bit below €10,000.

“They will stay for games, study and supper after school and go home about 7pm in the evening so they would have most of the same experiences as the regular seven-day boarders. That’s why we are calling it day boarders and not day students,” said Br Browne.

However, he said that “the move is not in response to falling numbers due to the recession”.

By making the decision to accept day boarders they hope to make it possible for a wider group of people to attend than previously.

Glenstal was second in last year’s Sunday Times list of the top 400 schools in the country and its fees for a boarder are €15,100 per annum.

It was also one of the top feeder schools to high points courses and to UCD and TCD last year.

The secondary school for boys opened in Barrington castle in September 1932 with just seven pupils. It now caters for 200.

The castle was built for the Barrington family in the 1830s, who sold the property during the War of Independence.

As the school grew, it expanded beyond Barrington castle and now has modern dormitories and refectories, a large sports hall and computing facilities. 

It is on an estate of about 500 acres which contains farmland, forestry, games fields, lakes and gardens as well as the school and monastery buildings.

Winning people’s trust back after scandals is key – newly-ordained US cleric

For years this country sent priests overseas to save souls -- now one American has come here to take his vows and return the favour.

But despite being born and raised in the US Midwest, Shane Sullivan (28) is just one generation removed, the son of an Irish emigrant who speaks the native tongue fluently.

Yesterday he was ordained a deacon in St Patrick's College Maynooth, Co Meath.

After arriving here four years ago, Shane has taken the final step to becoming a priest, ahead of his full ordination in June.

His US accent is also peppered with the local vocabulary of Tuam, Co Galway, where he studies, not far from his father's home village of Kilkieran, Connemara.

"I only came once before, when I was 16. I fell in love with the country and the people especially," Rev O'Sullivan told the Irish Independent immediately after his ordination ceremony yesterday.

He decided he wanted to be a priest while still in his early 20s and spent a number of years studying in a seminary in Minnesota where he grew up, before deciding to cross the Atlantic.

"I remember reading a couple of articles when I was studying in the States about the troubles that the Irish Church is having and it really moved me and inspired me to come and help out, even the little bit that I am able to contribute to the renewal of the church in this country," he explained.

Watching on yesterday were Rev O'Sullivan's father Bart and mother Kathleen, who is originally from Chicago.

Once ordained, the young priest will be assigned to a parish in Galway or Mayo and admits that he faces a challenging time amid the much-changed position of the Catholic Church in Irish society.

"There's plenty of other challenges to being a priest in Ireland right now in winning people's trust back after the scandals and re-establishing a bit of integrity."

Damien Lynch, from Coolea in Co Cork, was also ordained a deacon for the Diocese of Cloyne in yesterday's ceremony.

And at a separate ceremony, a former welder swapped his tools for a prayer book when he was ordained into the priesthood by Cardinal Sean Brady yesterday.

The Cistercian Community in Mellifont in Co Louth formally welcomed Brother Joe (Larry) Ryan (55) into their community.

Br Joseph, who has worked at Mellifont Abbey for a number of years, is originally from the village of Littleton near Thurles in Co Tipperary.

Before deciding to take his vows, he worked at John J Dwyers Steel Plant in Dundrum, Co Tipperary, for some years.

His mother Margaret Ryan attended yesterdays ordination, along with eight of his siblings.

Student union attempts to restrict pro-life talks

Students at University College London will vote on a motion this month which would force Catholic chaplaincies to invite pro-abortion speakers to pro-life discussions.

The motion says: “Any future open events focusing on the issue of termination invite an anti-choice speaker and a pro-choice speaker as well as an independent chair, to ensure there is a balance to the argument.”

Students will vote on a pro-abortion motion which could mean the student union adopting an official pro-abortion stance and formally affiliating itself to the organisation Abortion Rights.

The motion notes: “On October 31 2011, UCLU Catholic Society advertised a ‘discussion’ around the issue of abortion which consisted of one pro-life speaker. It is also noted that people who held opposing views were invited to attend.”

The motion continues: “An official pro-choice policy would not prevent students who disagree with termination on ethical or religious grounds from exercising their right not to seek a termination. Pro-choice policy encourages students to make well-informed decisions regarding their bodies and their futures. When clubs and societies invite pro-life speakers they should also invite a pro-choice speaker to balance the debate and vice versa.”

Liam O’Hara, a PhD student at University College London, said she was “disturbed” by the resolution.

She said: “Not only did it propose that the UCL union adopts an official pro-choice stance and affiliates with the Abortion Rights UK organisation, but that it requires any student society to inform the Union when it proposes to hold events on the topic of abortion. The draconian measures continue, requiring that the societies must provide an independent chair and a pro-abortion speaker against the pro-life speaker."

“These measures will allow the union to curtail the freedom of speech and freedom of association of any pro-life or Catholic society at UCL wishing to discuss the topic of abortion. In order to continue to act according to their consciences, such student societies will have to disaffiliate with the union and meet off-campus. The spirit of the resolutions are completely hostile to any contradictory point of view: to be pro-life is a form of secular heresy in the Union’s view. Furthermore, they are patronising bright UCL students who come to university in order to be challenged."

“If the union is successful, I would encourage students who object to opt-out of Union membership and boycott the union’s facilities.”

Chaplain says Mexican officials committed sacrilege at prison chapel

A prison chaplain in northern Mexico accused soldiers and police of committing sacrilege as they tore apart his chapel during an early morning raid meant to uncover drugs and weapons.

Father Robert Coogan, an American priest based in Saltillo, Mexico, 190 miles southwest of the Texas border at Laredo, said soldiers and police burst into the Christ the Prisoner Chapel, "broke open the tabernacle and threw the hosts to the ground and walked on them."

"The prison has been searched before, but the soldiers or police never committed sacrilege," Father Coogan said in an email to Catholic News Service.

Bishop Raul Vera Lopez of Saltillo expressed his displeasure with the Jan. 24 raid and sacrilege, saying in a statement issued the same day, "No possible explanation exists that justifies what happened."

"We're deeply outraged by these acts because, in addition to attacking the faith of the majority of the Mexican people, they violate the rights of religious freedom," said the statement distributed by the Diocese of Saltillo.

Bishop Vera has promised to celebrate Mass Jan. 27 outside the prison for those wishing to protest the sacrilege.

For the past decade, Father Coogan has ministered to inmates in the Saltillo lockup, where conditions have deteriorated to the point that Los Zetas, the cartel of soldiers-turned-enforcers, wield authority over the prison population.

The National Human Rights Commission said last year in its most recent prison survey that "self-rule" was present in the facility. The warden was murdered in a hit outside of the prison in December.

Coahuila state officials told reporters the raid was carried out at the request of the administration of Gov. Ruben Moreira Valdez. The governor, along with his brother, former Gov. Humberto Moreira Valdez, have been at odds with Bishop Vera and the Diocese of Saltillo.

The diocese said the more than 450 soldiers and police found "150 grams" (5.25 ounces) of synthetic drugs, cans of beer, hard liquor and more than 100 knives, along with refrigerators, TVs, video game consoles, microwave ovens and approximately $400 in cash.

Father Coogan said prisoners always have had appliances, which are permitted and used to keep and prepare food brought by family members -- who, in Mexico, often end up feeding their imprisoned loved ones.

"The poor families who sacrifice to make the life of their imprisoned members a little easier are the most affected" by the raid, he said.

Rep. Smith: HHS mandate is attempt to end Catholic health care

Representative Chris Smith thinks that the Obama administration’s decision to force religious organizations to purchase health insurance plans in violation of their consciences is an attempt to force “Catholic health care to cease to be.”

“That’s the end goal here. I think we have to be very blunt about it,” he said in a Jan. 23 interview with CNA.

The Republican congressman from New Jersey also responded to President Barack Obama’s Jan. 22 statement on the anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision, which legalized abortion in the United States.

President Obama reaffirmed his commitment to abortion, which he called a “fundamental constitutional right.” 

He added that the 1973 decision “also affirms a broader principle: that government should not intrude on private family matters.” 

Rep. Smith said that President Obama’s statement reveals his “bigotry and prejudice against the unborn child,” whom he fails to include as a family member.

He also observed that the president’s professed commitment to avoid interfering with the private matters of citizens is inconsistent with his administration’s Jan. 20 decision to require virtually all health care plans to cover sterilization and contraception – including abortion-causing drugs – at no cost.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services also announced that its finalized “preventative services” mandate would not contain an expanded religious exemption for employers who object to its requirements on religious grounds.

Since it was first proposed, the religious exemption policy has been harshly criticized as being too narrow. 

The overwhelming majority of religious organizations will not qualify for the exemption, which applies only to organizations that exist for the purpose of inculcating religious values and that primarily serve and employ members of their own faith.

Rep. Smith said that the mandate violates the conscience rights not only of those who object to contraception, but also those who object to abortion. 

The early abortion drugs  Plan B and Ella are included in the “preventative services” that insurance companies are required to cover.

The congressman warned that the “misguided” policy might be a foreshadowing of further coercive abortion policies in the future.  

He explained that during the heath care overhaul debate, Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) offered the preventive health care amendment, upon which the HHS mandate is based.

Sen. Mikulski was asked during the debate if she would exclude abortion as a “preventative service” and she said no.

Rep. Smith said this illustrates a move toward saying that “preventive health care equals abortion, because you’ve got to get rid of that unwanted pregnancy.”

A pro-abortion mindset sees an unwanted child as a “disease” or “a tumor to be excised,” he explained.

Rep. Smith also stated that “coercion is embedded” in the legal abortion movement, and that he believes more attempts to force compliance can be expected under the current administration.

He illustrated his point by noting that “coercion begins in the first place against the baby,” who has “no say in the violence that’s coming his or her way.”

Congressman Smith said that Americans must realize the significance of the threats being posed by the Obama administration’s attacks on conscience rights.  

“The mask is off,” he said. “It’s about time we woke up.”

Lay movements answer problems of today’s world, Vatican official says

Cardinal Stanislaw Rylko, president of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, said that lay ecclesial movements are a gift to the Church and an answer to the difficulties modern society presents. 

“The ecclesial movements and new communities are a timely response of the Holy Spirit to the challenges the world poses to the Church in our times,” he said. 

Cardinal Rylko made his remarks during a Mass on Jan. 22 in Cordoba celebrating the one thousandth retreat lead by the movement Cursillo – a Spanish lay community founded in 1944.

The “Church looks to you with great hope and counts on you,” the cardinal told the 2,000 Cursillo members gathered at the Cathedral of Cordoba.

Cardinal Rylko listed what he called the three tasks for lay associations and ecclesial movements today, and that is to be “schools of holiness, mission and communion.”

“The world needs truly holy Christians, and for this reason the lay movements and associations should be missionary and evangelistic, and true schools of communion,” he said.

Later during the Mass, Bishop Demetrio Fernandez of Cordoba noted that through the Cursillo movement, “thousands and thousands of people have encountered Jesus in his Holy Church.”

He told the group members the Church embraces them and encourages them to evangelize modern society.

Washington archbishop testifies against state's 'gay marriage' bill

A Washington state bill that would recognize same-sex “marriage” poses a “grave challenge” to the common good, Archbishop of Seattle J. Peter Sartain warned.

The principles of marriage are “built into human life itself,” he told the state Senate’s Government Operations, Tribal Relations & Elections Committee on Jan. 23.

Washington state's Senate may have enough votes to soon pass legislation recognizing “gay marriage,” the Associated Press reported.

The bill is also believed to have enough support in the House and Gov. Chris Gregoire, a Catholic Democrat, has said she will sign it into law.

In his remarks, however, Archbishop Sartain said that because “only the union of a man and woman can generate new life,” no “other human relationship is its equivalent.”

The attempt to redefine marriage, then, “ignores the origin, purpose and value of marriage to individuals, families, and society,” he underscored.

Changing the definition of marriage would also mean there would be “no special laws to support and recognize the irreplaceable contribution that these married couples make to society and to the common good by bringing to life the next generation.”

“Marriage makes a contribution to the common good of society unlike any other relationship, through the procreation, rearing and education of children,” he said. “I urge you to uphold the definition of marriage as the union of one man and one woman.”

Six other U.S. states and the District of Columbia recognize same-sex unions as marriages.

The legislation, S.B. 6239, may require religious organization to provide accommodations, facilities, and services for the solemnization or celebration of same-sex “marriages,” if the organizations offer marriage services to the public for a fee.

The provision could have a financial impact upon churches which rent out facilities for marriages but have religious and moral objections to same-sex unions.

In a statement earlier this month, the Catholic bishops of Washington state said that the proposed legislation would add to “the forces already undermining family life today.”