World record attempt to get churches carolling

Churches are being invited to take part once again in an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the largest number of Christmas carol singers singing together at the same time.

Premier Christian Radio is organising the attempt to smash the record set last year by 18,114 singers in multiple locations. Last year's effort was enough to beat the previous record of 14,100 held by Disney.

Now Premier want to go even further and are looking for more than 300 churches to take part.

Plans for this year's attempt were unveiled as a new survey revealed that less than a quarter (22%) of the nation plan to attend a church carol service this year.

The poll, carried out by ComRes, found that among churchgoers, 61% said they were likely to attend a carol service.

Premier hopes the world record attempt will help congregations swell this Christmas.

“Last year’s record-breaking attempt brought large congregations into churches, many of whom were not regular visitors,” says Peter Kerridge, chief executive of Premier Christian Radio. “This year’s new attempt on the world record will undoubtedly provide an opportunity for churches to swell their congregations and help to reverse the survey statistics. This is a fantastic opportunity for churches to reach out to their local community and share the gospel of Jesus Christ at Christmas."
 
The world record attempt takes place this year at 7pm on 16 December, when carollers will sing five selected carols.

They are Silent Night, O Come All Ye Faithful, O Little Town of Bethlehem, Away in a Manger, and Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.

Premier will play the carols on the radio, enabling churches to use the broadcast as their backing music and assisting nationwide unison for the event.

“After last year’s event, we received a broad spectrum of positive reports from churches telling us about unexpectedly large attendances and what an enjoyable evening it had been for all concerned,” said Mr Kerridge.

“Our little church was full to overflowing,” said one carol coordinator.

“It was a really good evening that connected the community with Christ and Christmas,” was the message from another church.

Vicar, Claire Greenwood, said; “People here are still talking about how enjoyable the whole evening was. We’re very glad we took part.”

Churches which would like to take part this year can register, now, at www.premier.org.uk/worldrecord where they can obtain full details of this year’s record-breaking attempt.

Copts confirm final three candidates for next pope

The Coptic Orthodox Church has announced the three remaining candidates in the process to elect a new pope.

Clergy are meeting this week in the Egyptian capital of Cairo to choose the Church's 118th pope.

A vote to whittle down the list of five candidates was held on Monday.

The final three candidates are Bishop Roufail, Bishop Tawadrous and Father Rafael Ava-Mina.

The next pope will be announced on 4 November.
Bishop Angaelos, General Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the United Kingdom said, "As we near the end of this historic process, our own prayerful work and deliberation has now come to an end and the next stage requires prayer alone.

"Through these prayers and the altar ballot on 4 November, we place everything in the faithful hands of God, confident that he is the true shepherd of the Church, and that he will continue to faithfully guide his Church in Egypt as he has for over two thousand years."

CofE considers single diocese for West Yorkshire and the Dales

The Church of England is considering creating a new single diocese for West Yorkshire and the Dales.

The planned diocese would replace the existing dioceses in the region - Bradford, Ripon & Leeds and Wakefield.

Details of the reorganisation have been released by the Dioceses Commission today following a period of consultation with the three dioceses.

The single diocese would be called the Diocese of Leeds, whilst also being known as the Diocese of West Yorkshire and the Dales.

Professor Michael Clarke, chair of the Commission said, "The main concern of the Commission has always been about how to best resource mission in the area and our consultation has shown that a single scheme is the best way forward. We hope that the diocesan synods will approve the scheme and take up the challenge of developing their vision for the new diocese. This is a once in a generation opportunity which we believe must not be lost.”
 
The new diocese has been proposed as a more effective way of meeting the challenges and opportunities of the region.

Under the scheme, the five areas of Bradford, Huddersfield, Leeds, Ripon and Wakefield would continue to have their own bishops to enable the Church to be more closely in touch with parishes.

Cathedrals would be retained on a co-equal basis and the new Bishop of Leeds would have permission to designate Leeds Minster as a pro-cathedral.

A few parishes would come under neighbouring dioceses and therefore be outside the new diocese, but the day to day life and worship of those churches would not be affected, the Commission said.

The scheme is to be voted on by each diocesan synods in March.

If approved, the Dioceses Commission said it would be important to have a Bishop of Leeds in place "as soon as possible".

The Bishop of Bradford, the Right Reverend Nick Baines, welcomed the proposal.

"A single, larger diocese would help the Church of England thrive and meet the challenges of the 21st century in this part of Yorkshire," he said.

"The smaller episcopal areas would bring a greater sense of belonging and local identity, and the day-to-day life of the parishes would be strengthened by increased strategic resourcing; for example, we'd all have access to a greater range of expertise and experience. I am convinced we would be more than the sum of our parts. This is an unprecedented and imaginative move on the part of the Church of England and we have the opportunity locally to create and shape the detail in order that the church can serve the region in the best way possible."

The Bishop of Ripon & Leeds, the Right Reverend John Packer said: “I very much welcome the way the Commission has emphasised the mission opportunities which the new diocese will present.

"I am particularly pleased that the parishes of the city of Leeds will come together in a single episcopal area as this will enhance our ministry to the whole city. I also believe that the new northern archdeaconry will have a great opportunity to concentrate on the opportunities and challenges with which the rural church now engages."

The Bishop of Wakefield, the Rt Reverend Stephen Platten said: “The publication of this report ends the uncertainty about the precise recommendations of the Commission and we are very grateful for that. We now look forward to a lively and informed debate within all three dioceses as we prepare for the final vote on these proposals.”

By virtue of sacrament, Catholic spouses are missionaries, knight says

The sacrament of matrimony makes Catholic spouses and their families public signs of God's love and thus missionaries, said the head of the Knights of Columbus.

The missionary power of the Catholic family goes beyond any specific commitment they make to a particular project of evangelization or social or political reform, Carl A. Anderson, supreme knight of the Knights of Columbus, told the Synod of Bishops on the new evangelization.

Anderson was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI to be an observer at the synod, which ended Oct. 28. Synod members asked the church at large to show greater appreciation for the evangelization that happens in and through families and to increase programs to strengthen Catholic families.

"Love, which the family has the task of living and communicating, is the driving force of evangelization," Anderson told the synod. "It is what allows the proclamation of the Gospel to permeate and transform the whole temporal order. This love alone, when it is authentically lived in families, can be at the basis of a renewal of that genuinely human culture which Blessed John Paul II called a 'civilization of love.'"

Catholic couples need to understand just how seriously the church views the sacrament that binds them together, forming them into "an icon of God's own communion" of love in the Holy Trinity, Anderson said.

Once Catholic families recognize their importance -- even before they undertake any kind of outreach project -- they can be "a place of healing and of humanity for the men and women of our time," he said.

Anderson also spoke to the synod of the Catholic faith as an agent of reconciliation in a sometimes-hostile cultural environment.

Referring to Our Lady of Guadalupe, Anderson told the synod, "Five centuries ago, Mary appeared in our hemisphere during a great clash of civilizations. In her, the native peoples saw a true reflection of themselves and at the same time a perfect expression of a new inculturation of the Christian faith. Her message of reconciliation, unity and love brought forth the great evangelization of an entire hemisphere."

Today, too, he said, there are signs of "a great clash of civilizations made more troubling by an accelerating process of globalization," so Catholics should invoke Our Lady of Guadalupe to help them renew a process of reconciliation, unity and love.

Anderson also spoke about threats to the church's freedom in many parts of the world.

"Whether these threats arise from a militant religious fundamentalism or a militant atheism," he said, "the globalization of such threats, and the complicity of many governments with them, call us to a new solidarity in the defense of religious liberty as a condition of the new evangelization."

Hurricane Sandy a storm 'many have feared for a long time,' says Catholic official

Hurricane Sandy "is a storm that people in southern New Jersey have feared for a long time because of its direct impact on the coast," an area with that is highly developed and also has a significant rate of poverty, said an official of Catholic Charities for the Diocese of Camden, N.J.

"Ocean City, N.J., which is in Cape May County, that was completely covered with water ... and that's a fairly large area," Kevin Hickey, executive director of Catholic Charities, said on Oct. 30. He said Wildwood, N.J., was similarly underwater and flooding would be a severe problem anywhere where rivers met bays or estuaries.

Access had been barred to the barrier islands -- which include Atlantic City -- because state and local police and fire officials were assessing the extent of power outages and flooding.

Hickey said teams had been set up to establish relief services, and that two parishes had been identified by midday Oct. 30 as relief distribution sites.

Camden was one of many dioceses along the East Coast that followed the lead of federal, state and local governments in shutting operations as Hurricane Sandy made landfall Oct. 29 in New Jersey with stiff winds, huge rainfalls, power outages and severe flooding.

Catholic Charities USA was working with its local affiliates along the East Coast to get them necessary supplies and services once the storm passed.

"Reports from the National Weather Service make it clear that many of our agencies on the East Coast -- from New York all the way down to Florida -- will be feeling some impact from Hurricane Sandy and we stand ready to provide whatever support necessary to meet the needs of those affected," said an Oct. 29 statement from Samuel Chambers, Catholic Charities USA senior vice president of disaster operations.

"Since Hurricane Katrina, we have focused on being prepared for future disasters," said an Oct. 29 statement from Catholic Charities USA president Father Larry Snyder, "Not only are we early responders, but our presence in the community also puts us in a position to be able to quickly assess and provide support in the long term."

Dioceses heeded the advice of governors and big-city mayors, who had declared a state of emergency in their respective jurisdictions, and shut down for at least one day with the possibility of extending their shutdown longer. The Camden Diocese was closed Oct. 29 and 30.

The Archdiocese of New York closed Oct. 29 "due to the decision by the MTA to suspend public transportation as a result of Hurricane Sandy," said a statement on the archdiocesan website. The MTA is the Metropolitan Transit Authority; New York's subway system shut down Oct. 28, and public transportation remained shuttered Oct. 30. As for the possibility of continued closing, the statement added, "we will be guided by the decisions of the governor, mayor and MTA."

A Catholic Charities USA report on conditions in the Diocese of Rockville Centre, N.Y., said many mobile phone towers went down in the high winds. Catholic Charities staff opened one shelter at a high school for 100 special-needs occupants.

The Archdiocese of Newark, N.J., had already decided by late morning Oct. 29 to be closed Oct. 30 as well, according to Jim Goodness, the director of communications for the archdiocese. A decision was pending about whether to remain closed Oct. 31.

"All of the schools of the archdiocese have been following the leads of the state," Goodness said. "Parishes can certainly handle themselves."

Still, "we'd certainly worry. We had several parishes that went underwater last year" from the rains of Hurricane Irene after it had been downgraded to a tropical storm, Goodness said. "Working with our property management people to mitigate (bad effects), however, they can hope that things can work out better this time than they did last time."

Not knowing the condition of individual parishes or schools, Goodness said, "there are a lot of people without light in New Jersey. There are hundreds of thousands without light or heat."

Diocesan representatives across the Garden State said it would be hard to assess any negative impact of Sandy until after the storm.

Initial, unconfirmed reports from the Diocese of Trenton, N.J., said parishes along the Atlantic coast suffered interior damage from Sandy. The diocese was closed Oct. 29-30. 

A posting on the diocesan website's homepage Oct. 30 said Bishop David M. O'Connell asked Catholics of the diocese to "join him in praying for those in the Caribbean who lost loved ones, and whose lives have been devastated in the storm's wake."

The Diocese of Paterson, N.J., also was closed Oct. 29-30. Accompanying the Oct. 29 announcement on the diocesan website was a map showing Sandy's path. New Jersey was the only state entirely covered, while other states had at least parts not directly hit.

In an Oct. 29 statement, Archbishop Charles J. Chaput of Philadelphia thanked Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett "and other governors and mayors of the tri-state area (who) have so far responded quickly and vigorously in serving their people where it matters most -- at the local and state levels, where the 'common good' has flesh and blood meaning."

Government officials and the region's emergency responders "have the gratitude of the whole Catholic community," said Archbishop Chaput, adding Catholic Human Services of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and its programs remained working through Sandy, dubbed later as a "post-tropical storm."

"Our service centers are available for shelter should community members need them," Archbishop Chaput said. "While we do not have active disaster relief in place during the storm, we will cooperate fully with the Red Cross and government agencies to provide food, alternate shelter and financial relief as needed after the storm."

At an Oct. 29 Mass for the safety of those in the Baltimore Archdiocese, especially those who are homeless, sick or vulnerable, Archbishop William E. Lori said: "I am very much praying through these hours for them, and I know I'm joined in that by my brother priests, and I talked to a lot of people yesterday, and I know they're doing the same."

Nearly 1,000 miles wide, Sandy's grasp reached to the Great Lakes, where gale warnings were in effect Oct. 29. It caused at least 16 deaths in seven states and left more than 7.4 million homes and businesses without power from the Carolinas to Ohio.

In the Caribbean government officials put the death toll across the islands at 65, with more than 50 in Haiti, where widespread flooding devastated parts of the already impoverished country.

The Archdiocese of Detroit said it would collect funds to help East Coast victims of Sandy. Funds sent to both the archdiocese and any parishes conducting special collections for disaster relief would be forwarded to Catholic Charities.

The Archdiocese of Washington follows the closure policies of the federal government. With the federal government closing Oct. 29-30, the archdiocesan offices stayed closed as well. 

The Catholic University of America and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' headquarters building were also closed for the two days.

A Mass for victims of Sandy was to be celebrated at 4 p.m. Oct. 30 at Catholic University.

The U.S. Supreme Court was a rare holdout among federal entities Oct. 29, going about business as usual, but oral arguments scheduled for Oct. 30 day were postponed, probably until Nov. 1.

For the Oct. 29 session, as the court heard arguments in cases about national security and international resale of products, the courtroom was packed. 

And the bench was full, with not just the nine sitting justices on hand, but two extras: retired Justice Sandra Day O'Connor and Japan's Chief Justice Hironobu Takesaki, both just visiting.

Pope urges respect for rights of migrants, refugees

The Vatican has released Pope Benedict's message for the upcoming ninety-ninth World Day of Migrants and Refugees, in which he urged global respect for those forced to leave their homelands.
“Every migrant is a human person who, as such, possesses fundamental, inalienable rights that must be respected by everyone and in every circumstance,” the Pope said Oct. 29, quoting his 2009 encyclical “Caritas in Veritate.”
Held on Jan. 13, 2013, the upcoming day's theme will be “Migrations: Pilgrimage of Faith and Hope.” This title, the Pope said, was chosen especially in light of the Year of Faith he inaugurated on Oct. 11 which marks the 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council.
“Faith and hope are inseparable in the hearts of many migrants, who deeply desire a better life and not infrequently try to leave behind the 'hopelessness' of an unpromising future,” he wrote in his message, presented at a Vatican press briefing Monday.
“During their journey many of them are sustained by the deep trust that God never abandons his children; this certainty makes the pain of their uprooting and separation more tolerable and even gives them the hope of eventually returning to their country of origin,” the pontiff said.
“Faith and hope are often among the possessions which emigrants carry with them.”
The Pope's message was presented by Cardinal Antonio Maria Veglio and Archbishop Joseph Kalathiparambil, respectively president and secretary of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant Peoples.
Citing the International Organization for Migration's World Migration Report 2011, Cardinal Veglio noted the magnitude of the issue: Roughly one billion people, a seventh of the world’s population, are either seeking refuge abroad or internally displaced within their own countries.
“On their existential pilgrimage towards a better future, migrants carry with them feelings of faith and hope, even if they are not yet aware exactly what they are searching for,” Cardinal Veglio said.
“To say that they are trying only to improve their economic or social situation would be to over simplify the issue.”
He went on to note that not all migrants, even if they have strong faith, “consider their journey as a movement towards God.” Even so, they may come to recognize God’s love through the ministries of the Church. This is especially true in countries of “ancient Christian tradition.”
Cardinal Veglio then went on to point out that the message for this World Day is being presented soon after the Pope's September journey to Lebanon.
“Thus,” he said, “our gaze can turn specifically to the countries of the Middle East where the presence of Christian migrants, among believers of other religions, has a significant role in creating the very special identity of that region...And this is true not only of the Middle East, but of the entire world. The phenomenon of migration obliges us to encounter different lifestyles and different cultures, stimulating the creation of new relationships.”
Archbishop Joseph Kalathiparambil, a native of India, drew attention to harmful restrictive measures imposed by certain countries “to hinder access to their territories,” such as “the requirement of visas, sanctions applied to transporters, and lists of safe countries of origin.
These measures,” he said, “have encouraged the activities of smugglers and traffickers, and led to dangerous sea crossings during which far too many human lives have already been lost.”
“Even so, the Holy Father's message stressed that charity shown toward migrants entails reciprocal obligations: Migrants and refugees must be good guests, attentive “to the values offered by the society to which they now belong,” the archbishop said.
Pope Benedict added in his message that through its various agencies and ministries, the Church seeks to assist migrants and refugees out of a desire animated by love – not only materially assisting them, but offering them that “precious gift when she guides people to an encounter with Christ, which opens the way to a stable and trustworthy hope.”

Barclays and Coutts threaten to pull out of gay rights awards unless 'bigot of the year' category withdrawn

Two of Britain's best known banks have threatened to withdraw sponsorship from the Stonewall awards unless the gay campaign group drops the controversial "Bigot of the Year" category at the annual dinner.

The move comes as the ceremony designed to champion diversity and open mindedness was itself accused of "intolerance and intimidation" by including the award. 

Christian groups are particularly upset about Cardinal Keith O’Brien, Britain’s most senior Catholic, being nominated for the prize for his opposition to gay marriage.

Now Barclays and the royal bankers Coutts have said they will withdraw their support unless the category is dropped.

Coutts, which has withdrawn its delegation from the awards on Thursday, said: “Coutts are sponsors only of Stonewall's Writer of the Year Award and have in no way been involved in the judging or support of the Bigot of the Year category.

"We have advised Stonewall that we will be withdrawing our support of the awards unless they remove this category.”

Mark McLane, Managing Director and Head of Global Diversity and Inclusion at Barclays, said: “I have recently been made aware of the inclusion of a ‘Bigot of the Year’ category in the awards. Let me be absolutely clear that Barclays does not support that award category either financially, or in principle and have informed Stonewall that should they decide to continue with this category we will not support this event in the future. To label any individual so subjectively and pejoratively runs contrary to our view on fair treatment, and detracts from what should be a wholly positively focused event.” 
 
Cardinal O’Brien is said to have made comments about same-sex couples which some found to be deeply offensive.

He is said to have stated that same-sex relationships are ‘harmful to the physical, mental and spiritual well-being" and compared equal marriage to slavery and child abuse.

Under his leadership the Catholic Church in Scotland has pledged to "declare war" on marriage equality and committed an additional £100,000 for the fight.

The former leader of the Christian Peoples Alliance, Alan Craig was also nominated.

Mr Craig caused outrage by comparing gay equality advocates to the invading forces of Nazi Germany and dubbing them the "Gaystapo".

Simon Lokodo, the Ugandan Ethics and Integrity Minister, is also a contender.

He branded gay people "sick" and said they were seeking to "pervert" children.

Lord Maginnis, another nominee, made headlines by referring to same-sex marriage as "unnatural and deviant behaviour".

He said questioning if marriage equality would "mean that every deviant practice has to be accommodated? Will the next thing be that we legislate for some sort of bestiality?"

The Archbishop Philip Tartaglia, the Archbishop of Glasgow, caused outrage in July when he claimed that the late David Cairns MP had died due to the fact he was gay and that a "conspiracy of silence" prevented people from stating that being gay directly led to premature death.

His words caused deep offence to the former minister’s partner, Dermot Kehoe, who has said that the comments have added to his "grief and pain".

Vatican condemns sex abuse in wake of Jimmy Savile revelations

The Vatican has reiterated condemnation of sexual abuse following allegations against deceased British TV star Jimmy Savile, who during his life was given a papal knighthood for his charity work.
“The Holy See condemns in the strongest terms the heinous crimes of sexual abuse of children, takes very seriously what has come to light about Jimmy Savile,” said Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi on Oct. 27.
“It is deeply saddened that a person who is stained in this way could in his lifetime be proposed for an honor by the Holy See, which, in the light of what has been learned recently, certainly should not have been given.”
Savile died October 2011 and was a popular media personality in Britain starting in the 1960s. However, some 300 cases of sexual abuse of minors, both male and female, have come to light since his death.
For his charity work he received a papal knighthood, one of the highest honors bestowed by the Pope, and reserved for members of the military and other laypersons. Pope Bl. John Paul II made Savile a Knight Commander of St. Gregory the Great in 1990.
The same year, Savile was knighted as a Knight Bachelor “for charitable services” by Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom.
Following the sex-abuse allegations, the head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales, Archbishop of Westminster Vincent Nichols, wrote the Vatican asking if it were possible to revoke Savile’s papal knighthood.
Fr. Lombardi said in his statement that the honor “perishes with the death of the individual,” and so there is no process for removing the knighthood posthumously.
“Since there is no permanent register of persons who have received such recognition, it is not possible to expel a dead person from a register that does not exist. Decorated names do not appear at any time in the pontifical yearbook.”
“What is most important is therefore to reiterate the strongest condemnation of all sexual abuse, particularly against children, as serious crimes. On this the Holy See is steadfast.”
The BBC, for whom Savile worked as a TV and radio presenter, is under review for its child protection and sexual harassment policies.
This comes amidst suspicion that Savile's proclivities were known and covered-up by members of the corporation.
It has been criticized for failing to stop the abuse, which allegedly happened at times on BBC property.
The BBC is also being scrutinized for its shelving of a 2011 report on claims against Savile which was being prepared for the TV program Newsnight.

Top Catholic cleric calls for prisoners to be treated with 'kindness and respect'

Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, England and Wales's most senior Roman Catholic cleric, has called for prisoners to be treated with more kindness and respect.

The Cardinal questioned the "primarily punitive" nature of the British justice system, which he blamed for a rise in the prison population. 

He said that the doubling of the number of prisoners in the past decade is down to a more punitive justice system, rather than any significant increase in crime rates.

The prison system must be more "sympathetic" towards prisoners. He said: "Sometimes, good things happen in prison. Sometimes prisoners take the few opportunities that exist, to address the issues behind their offending behaviour and are able to move forward positively in their lives. This experience of being treated with respect and kindness is not mere sympathy. It is not a soft way of treating people who have committed crime. In fact, it is a care which has strict boundaries and which challenges the core member to change and to help themselves."

He said that the prison system must take into account the importance of rehabilitation rather than imposing punitive measures and said that prisoners are often misunderstood:
"Shouldn’t we try to better understand why people commit crime? I suspect that better understanding would lead to less punishment and a clearer connection between criminal justice and social policy." 

He said: "We all need to examine our consciences", adding "We live in a society where most people do not want to know about prison." 

The Cardinal's comments come days after Justice Secretary Chris Grayling said there would be a radical re-think of the UK's approach to the European Court of Human Rights after it ruled against the UK ban on prisoner voting. 

The Cardinal was giving the annual Sir Harold Hood Memorial Lecture in support of prison charity Pact. He retired as Archbishop of Westminster, and leader of the Catholic Church in England and Wales, three years ago. 

On reaching 80 in August, he had to give up his place in the College of Cardinals and will no longer vote in any future Papal Conclave.

He remains the senior Cardinal in the British Isles as his successor as Archbishop of Westminster, Vincent Nichols, has yet to be given the title Cardinal.

Murphy-O’Connor was asked to become the first Roman Catholic bishop in the Lords since the Reformation but turned the offer down.

Last month he revealed that the Pope was against the idea. 

He said the Vatican wanted to stop bishops in Africa and South America from joining their countries' own governments and did not want to set a precedent in the United Kingdom.

Ruling sends Milwaukee abuse cases ahead

A federal judge has dismissed one sex abuse claim against the Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee, but is allowing two other cases to proceed.
 
The ruling Monday by U.S. District Judge Rudolph Randa lets stand a February decision by U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Susan V. Kelley allowing two other claims to move forward.

The three cases were seen as tests for the archdiocese, which argued claims against it could have been filed years earlier, and that some claimants had received prior settlements. 

A decision to dismiss all three cases would have allowed the archdiocese to remove most of the 574 sex abuse cases against it, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported Tuesday, noting the ruling could be seen as a victory for both sides.

"We're saddened by the loss of one claim, but the others are alive and will require individual scrutiny," said Jeffrey Anderson, lawyer for 350 of the men and women who allege they were sexually assaulted as children by priests and other church employees, adding the claims could not be tossed out en masse.

Seattle cathedral dedicates new shrine to John XXIII

St. James Cathedral here dedicated a shrine to Blessed Pope John XXIII the last weekend in September. 

Installed in the west nave of the church, between the shrine to the Infant of Prague and the regally marble St. Anthony of Padua, the almost life-sized statue was unveiled Sept. 29, the evening before a Sunday Mass commemorating the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council.

Dedicated to the Italian-born pope of humble origin who once said, “Every believer in this world of ours must be a spark of light, a center of love, a vivifying leaven amidst his fellow men,” the shrine features an open-armed and realistically wide-girthed bronze sculpture that hovers above a rounded pedestal of Jerusalem stone. 

Designed to exude a spirit of compassion and openness, the statue visibly opens up into the space, serene and inviting.

Those gathered to worship and witness the shrine’s dedication applauded with joyful emotion and tears when Fr. Michael G. Ryan, pastor here since 1988, welcomed his friend and mentor, retired Archbishop Raymond G. Hunthausen, to the cathedral they had once tended together. 

Hunthausen, 91, had traveled from his home in Helena, Mont., to join in the remembrance of the historic event and to honor the memory of his “hero,” John XXIII. Hunthausen was named bishop only weeks before the opening of the council. He is the only American bishop still living who participated as bishop in all four sessions of the council.

Ryan, in a homily that began with Moses and ended with John XXIII, told parishioners that “Good Pope John was simply doing what the Spirit had always prompted him to do -- espousing a church with an open heart and an open mind -- a church every bit as open as he was: a church renewed from the inside out and from top to bottom, a church where the gifts of all -- women and men, laypeople and clergy, Protestant and Orthodox, poor and rich, simple and educated -- would be welcomed and honored and celebrated.”

The shrine was envisioned about a decade ago. It also serves as an extension of renovations to the cathedral carried out in 1994 that implemented and integrated Vatican II guidelines for the celebration of the liturgy, including moving the high altar to the center of the church. 

The architect, Stephen Lee, who oversaw that renovation and the development of the new shrine, described this latest work as “elegant, sacred, comfortable … fitted to the rest of the building.”

Created in bronze through the ancient lost-wax process by local artist John Sisko and treated with a polychrome patina that lightened its exterior, the sculpture appears pleasantly approachable to some, shockingly true-to-life to others. Set in front of a gilt-framed sketch of St. Peter’s Basilica, the sculpture’s pose suggests the balcony scene on the moonlit eve of the council, when John addressed a crowd estimated at perhaps half a million.

Even unfinished, the statue inspired visitors. As Sisko first shaped the pope’s figure out of oil-based clay, people browsing the gallery adjacent to his studio would catch a glimpse of the work in progress, and recognize, with surprising frequency, someone they knew. 

Lingering near, they would engage the sculptor with stories about the pope that he likened to “generous helping hands in the process.”

Sisko also immersed himself in his subject through photographs, film and books. At times, he would bring in his own father as a model, and borrowed Hunthausen’s long, buttoned cassock so that he could study the garment hanging from a similar body type.

Sisko told about an elderly man who approached the statue, stating with emotion: “This is Good Pope John.” 

The man then explained that he had met the pope as a teenager, while on a trip to Italy with his grandmother; she had been granted audience with the pope, and though he had recently become an atheist, he understood that this wasn’t an opportunity one declined. 

Desiring to be respectful but also mindful of his conviction, he fretted for days over what to say. Just before their moment of meeting, words came to him. 

Kneeling, he said, “Holy man, bless me.” 

The pope then took him by the shoulders, embraced him, and whispered in his ear: “No, holy man, you bless me!”

So connected is John to the Second Vatican Council that his feast day, usually assigned to the day of death, is Oct. 11, the day the council opened. 

Announcing a “new Pentecost,” he once spoke of throwing open the windows of the church so that “we can see out and the people can see in.” Both quotations appear as inscriptions on the shrine.

At the close of the dedication liturgy, Ryan invited Hunthausen to have the “last word.” The archbishop spoke gently. “You touch my heart,” he began.

He concluded, “It’s my hope that you continue as a faith community, as God’s holy people, to live in the spirit of Good Pope John, to live in the spirit of Vatican II. You have certainly done a wonderful job so far, but there is so much more to bring to our troubled world. So may you be Gospel people, may you live the life of the disciple, asking John to be with you and of course to direct us all to our savior, Jesus Christ.”

New website gathers video resources for Catholic ministry

The new website Catholic Link catalogues videos and other resources useful for ministry and evangelization, aspiring to proclaim the gospel with “creativity and ingenuity.”

“We are deeply convinced that our Catholic Faith in the Lord Jesus is the answer today, for all people, of all ages,” said Garrett Johnson, the manager of Catholic Link’s new English-language site.

He said the site invites visitors to “discover the truths of the faith that are literally all around them” that speak to them through sports, music, school, friendship or at Church.

“We try to express this through the diversity of subjects, tones, and sources of our videos,” said Johnson, who is an American student of philosophy and theology in Rome.

The site collects various streaming videos from sites like YouTube and offers commentaries and interpretations. The site suggests how the videos can be used for Catholic ministry.

Categories include videos about Jesus, the Catholic Church and the Catholic faith, as well as Christian life and family. Other topics include faith and science, pro-life issues, apologetics, recommended movies, music and art, and humorous videos.

Mauricio Artieda, a Peruvian communications major studying in Rome, founded Catholic Link in its first Spanish-language version. He said it began “very quietly” in a blog format.

“Very rapidly, many seminarians, catechists, consecrated men and women and people generally involved in the apostolate (the majority being younger) started to write to us saying that they were using our videos and that the page was helping them a lot in their apostolate,” Artieda said.

The Spanish-language site began last year, while the English-language version is less than a month old. Johnson voiced great hopes for the site.

“My hope, above all, is that Catholics, and especially the youth, will realize the possibilities of evangelization that are out there when you join together a spirit of initiative and prayer,” he said.

Catholic Link’s English-language website can be found at: en.catholic-link.com

Canada's first female Catholic priest, of Nanaimo, says church must be more inclusive

As the first woman in Canada to be ordained as a Roman Catholic priest, Nanaimo resident Michele Birch-Conery's perspective on the church is nothing if not unique.

At a time when a Vancouver church is appealing to Catholics that have abandoned their faith with a series of television ads set to air on the mainland and Vancouver Island, Birch-Conery feels that in an era of upheaval for the church, it is time for the clergy to abandon its rigid exclusion of women from the priestly ranks and usher in a new era of inclusively.

First becoming a deacon in a ceremony on the Danube River, Birch-Conery was then subsequently ordained as a priest on July 25, 2005 on the deck of a boat floating in international waters on the St. Lawrence River. 

She maintains that the way that she was ordained is valid, and represents just the beginning of the entry of women into the role of "servant leaders" within the Catholic Church.

A group of seven women were the first to be ordained as priests in 2002 by male Roman Catholic bishops in good standing, in a ceremony cloaked in secrecy, said Birch-Conery.

The Vatican swiftly excommunicated the initial group, and dismisses any further claims of women to be priests.

"There's one unjust law in all of the canonical laws that the church is abiding by fiercely," said Birch-Conery, "and that is to not ordain women."

Raised by an adoptive family, Birch-Conery was introduced to the faith early. She became a registered nurse when she was in grad school, and became a nun soon after. She now holds a doctorate in English literature with a focus on feminist literary criticism, and spent 20 years teaching at North Island College in Port Alberni.

She eventually met and maintained a relationship with her birth mother, who was at her side in sweltering 40-degreecelsius weather when she was ordained on the St. Lawrence.

Fifty years ago this month marks the commencement of the second Vatican council (also known as Vatican II), which was essentially an assembly of religious leaders within the Roman Catholic Church that had gathered to discuss doctrinal issues.

Started under Pope John XXIII, Birch-Conery said results of the Vatican II meetings marked a movement towards a more progressive, modern church - for a time.

"The church received a mandate to come into the contemporary world, to be a clearer democracy, to respect people's freedom of conscience, and to create an inclusive priesthood with the people. What that would mean, of course, had to be discovered," said Birch-Conery. 

"Immediately, the whole church went into chaos."

There were bishops at the Vatican II council that didn't fully agree with the progressive, liberatory impulses within it, said Birch-Conery, and immediately began doing what they could to undermine the possibility of its success.

"Now its being rolled back to what the time before the council was like," said Birch-Conery. "And that is really, deeply misogynist."

The Roman Catholic Women-priests Movement seek to challenge the rigid structure of the church rather than target any individuals within the faith. Enacting change from within that structure is preferable to forming a separate sect, said Birch-Conery.

She still considers herself to be in the church, but accepts that she has been excommunicated, which means one cannot receive communion and would be denied burial rites. 

In 2008 the Vatican decreed that any women ordained as priests face automatic excommunication.

At 73, Birch-Conery said her mission now, and that of the Womenpriests Movement, is to simply promote sacramental faith communities that are inclusive. They will continue to ordain women, she said, at last count there being more than 120.

There is also a vigilant desire, as priests, to not become too "clericalist" in nature.

"So using a circle model of communication, more than top-down," said Birch-Conery. "We have to work with how we've been socialized in this church around having power," she added. "Or no power."

The vision Birch-Conery holds for the future of her faith is simple. 

She imagines that Catholicism, like Judaism, will eventually divide into two camps that co-exist, one Orthodox and one more inclusive, with each accepting the other.

Alaska bishop: both Biden, Ryan hold views that are ‘inconsistent’ with Church teaching

Both Vice President Joe Biden and candidate Paul Ryan hold views that are “inconsistent” with Catholic teaching, Bishop Edward Burns of Juneau said in a column that appeared in the city’s daily newspaper.

“Each vice presidential candidate has been inconsistent in the ways in which they have followed the moral teaching of the Catholic Church,” he wrote, adding:

Vice President Biden, while stating that he believes, as his Church does, that life begins at conception, and while professing his personal opposition to abortion, supports the virtually unlimited right to abortion that has resulted in deaths of millions of unborn children since the tragic Roe v. Wade decision in 1973. In addition to this position of his in conflict with the teaching of the Church, Vice President Biden has also come out in support of legalizing same-sex marriage.

By way of contrast, Congressman Ryan has been a resolute advocate of Catholic moral teaching on the defense of the unborn and traditional marriage between one man and one woman. However, the Federal budget that he has proposed could do harm to the poor and vulnerable by neglecting their legitimate needs. For example, Congressman Ryan proposed a budget that has received a critique by the Domestic Justice and Human Development and International Justice and Peace committees of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, stating that “a just spending bill cannot rely on disproportionate cuts in essential services to poor and vulnerable persons.”

Vatican says it is willing to be patient with SSPX in reconciliation bid

"Patience, serenity, perseverance and trust are needed" as the Vatican continues talks aimed at full reconciliation with the traditionalist Society of St. Pius X, said a statement from the Vatican commission overseeing the discussions.

The Pontifical Commission "Ecclesia Dei," in a statement released Oct. 27, said the leadership of the SSPX had requested "additional time for reflection and study" before responding to Pope Benedict XVI's latest efforts to reintegrate them into the church.

"A culminating point along this difficult path" was reached June 13 when the commission gave the SSPX a final "doctrinal declaration together with a proposal for the canonical normalization of its status within the Catholic Church," the statement said.

The Vatican initially presented what it described as a "doctrinal preamble" to SSPX leaders in September 2011. While it never released the text, the Vatican had said it outlined "some doctrinal principles and criteria for the interpretation of Catholic doctrine necessary to guarantee fidelity" to the formal teaching of the church, including the teaching of the Second Vatican Council.

The SSPX gave the Vatican its response in April. The Vatican, in turn, gave the SSPX the doctrinal declaration to sign in June and also presented a proposal to establish for SSPX members a "personal prelature," which is a church jurisdiction without geographical boundaries. Currently, the church's only personal prelature is Opus Dei.

The Vatican said that "after 30 years of separation, it is understandable that time is needed to absorb the significance of these recent developments."

The statement called the efforts a "dramatic manifestation" of the pope's ministry "to foster and preserve the unity of the church by realizing the long hoped-for reconciliation."

Just three days before the Vatican statement was published, the SSPX announced it had ousted British Bishop Richard Williamson, one of the four bishops ordained by SSPX founder Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre without papal approval in 1988.

Bishop Williamson opposed the reconciliation talks with the Vatican and had caused great embarrassment for the German-born Pope Benedict. On the same day in 2009 that the Vatican announced Pope Benedict had lifted the excommunication of Bishop Williamson and three other of the society's bishops, a Swedish television station aired an interview with Bishop Williamson in which he denied the extent of the Nazi Holocaust of the Jews.

In a statement emailed to subscribers of his newsletter Oct. 27, Bishop Williamson said many people thought his presence in the SSPX was "the single biggest obstacle" to the SSPX's reconciliation with Rome.

While he said he didn't know if his expulsion was a condition set by the Vatican, "it certainly favors" the reconciliation talks.

"Archbishop Lefebvre founded the SSPX to resist the (Second Vatican) Council's destruction of the Catholic faith by its 16 documents, and of the practice of that faith by the new Mass above all," he wrote. "To undo a thing's nature is to undo the thing," he said, explaining why he opposed the talks with Rome.

Court rules against Polish rocker who tore up Bible

Poland's Supreme Court opened the way on Monday for a blasphemy verdict against a rock musician who tore up a Bible on stage, a case that has pitted deep Catholic traditions against a new desire for free expression.

Adam Darski, front man with a heavy metal group named Behemoth, ripped up a copy of the Christian holy book during a concert in 2007, called it deceitful and described the Roman Catholic church as "a criminal sect".

Poland's Catholic Church Condemns Halloween

An archbishop in overwhelmingly Roman Catholic Poland has urged the country's youths to shun the increasingly popular celebration of  Halloween, condemning the holiday as 'anti-Christian,' 'pagan' and promoting a 'culture of death.'
According to a report from Polska Agencja Prasowa (Polish Press Agency) Metropolitan Archbishop Andzej Dzięga from the north-western Polish diocese of Szczecin-Kamień sent a letter to his congregations, warning that Halloween introduces a “world of darkness, including devils, vampires and demons” to school children disguised as “fun”.

“It is with growing sadness that we see in the last few years a trend of so-called Halloween celebrations growing in Poland.,” the Archbishop wrote.

“I am particularly concerned about such initiatives [being introduced] in school, where only mature attitudes should shape the social, intellectual and spiritual growth of the younger generation.

“This kind of fun, tempting children like candy, also poses the real possibility of great spiritual damage, even destroying spiritual life.”

The Polish Press Agency indicated that since the demise of Communism, American-style Halloween parties – including wearing masks and costumes and carving pumpkins – have grown in popularity across Poland. Church officials are particularly incensed by the holiday's proximity to the observance of Roman Catholic All Saints' Day on November 1.

The Catholic Church in Poland agrees with the archbishop, warning that the "occult rituals" of Halloween directly contradicts the values of Christianity.

One of the most powerful prelates in Poland, Warsaw Archbishop Kazimierz Nycz said Halloween promotes the "occult and magic."

Holy Cross Catholic Church memorial plaques stolen

Church-goers were left in tears after thieves stole more than 100 brass plaques erected in memory of loved ones, many of them war dead.

The plaques, bearing the names of those who died in World War II, were unscrewed from the memorial wall at Holy Cross Catholic Church in Swansea.


Police say they were stolen between 19:00 BST last Thursday and 15:00 BST last Friday.


Father Cyril Thadathil said the congregation was devastated.


He said the thieves had taken all of the plaques at the memorial garden, many of which paid tribute to men who served in World War II.


He said when he made the discovery it was "so painful".


"It was the memory of so many people of our parish, people who have worked so hard for the church and people who sacrificed their life in the Second World War," he said. "As soon as I saw it I was upset." 

He said that when he told worshippers what had happened "there was a great silence in church and many of them actually cried".

He also appealed to the thieves to return the plaques.


"If possible please do return them to the church because it's not about money because it's the memories and dignity of human life," he added.


Ronald Morgan, 75, of Gendros, Swansea, said the timing of the thefts made it even more poignant, with remembrance services taking place in November.


"There were a lot of people whose names are ex-military personnel and their husbands and grandfather who were in memory," he added.


South Wales Police said they are investigating the theft and appealed for witnesses or anyone who has information to contact 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Churches unite for new heritage trail

FOUR Londonderry Churches representing the four main Christian denominations in the city are to be united as part of a new Christian Heritage Trail, it has been revealed.

Twelve bronze doves representing peace and Colmcille - ‘the dove of the Church’ and founder of the city - will link the Churches with new public artworks in the St Columb’s Park/Ebrington complex in the Waterside.

The Catholic, Presbyterian, Anglican and Methodist Churches will all be linked through the new trail and each will have a small bronze dove installed outside the buildings.

The Catholic Long Tower, Presbyterian First Derry, Church of Ireland St Augustine’s and Methodist Carlisle Road are all to be linked by the trail.

Bronze and ceramic public art works will also be installed at St Columb’s Park, Ebrington Barracks and the Peace Bridge as part of the trail.

Specific works proposed at Long Tower are a series of ceramic friezes along the graveyard wall, external seating, and the replacement of the existing steps to the main entrance in natural stone with ceramic risers and the installation of a small bronze dove externally.

Works proposed at First Derry are a replacement of the main entrance steps with sandstone treads and ceramic risers, ceramic frieze to external rendered boundary wall (not part of the main church building), external seating with bronze dove and manuscript and the installation of a small bronze dove externally.

Works proposed at St Augustine’s are a ceramic and bronze inset panel, in the ground between the gate pillars at the entrance from the City Walls, a ceramic and bronze to edge side of the path to the main entrance of the church from the city walls, replacement of the church notice boards to include information about the trail and the installation of a small bronze dove externally.

And specific works proposed at Carlisle Road are a ceramic and bronze inset panel to the ground by the upper entrance, a ceramic border along the edge of the building and footpath and the installation of a small bronze dove externally.

Prayer For The Deceased

Our Father….

Hail Mary….

Glory Be….

Eternal light shine upon them, and may their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed rest in peace. Amen.

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, pray for us (x3)

Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us (x3)

Prayer to Saint Michael the Archangel: 

Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host -by the Divine Power of God -cast into Hell, Satan and all the Evil Spirits,who roam throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls.

Amen