 |
|||||||||
 |
|||||||||
|
|||||||||
April
11, 2005 
VOL.
43, NO. 7Oakland,
CA
 |
New
tomb for possible saint RNS PHOTO/REUTERS/Luis Galdamez |
 |
Prayers
in Iraq |
Diocese to sell properties to
settle abuse claims
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) – A federal bankruptcy judge has approved a plan
by the Catholic Diocese of Tucson to sell about 85 of its real estate
holdings to settle claims filed by people who say they were molested by
priests.
The diocese is considering a public auction of the properties, mostly
vacant land in parcels ranging from less than an acre to 30 acres. Most
of the land was donated to the diocese. The diocese hopes to raise at
least $3.2 million to put into a fund for plaintiffs, along with insurance
money and parish contributions. A court-appointed special master will
determine the validity of the plaintiffs’ claims.
The diocese filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September. At the time,
it was facing 22 lawsuits filed by 34 plaintiffs. In 2002, the diocese
agreed to pay $14 million to 10 men who claimed they were molested by
priests.
The Archdiocese of Portland, Ore., and the Diocese of Spokane, Wash.,
also have sought bankruptcy court reorganization because of a crush of
abuse claims.
Bishop apologizes for denying
funeral Mass
SAN DIEGO (RNS) – Gay rights groups thanked San Diego Bishop Robert
Brown for his apology to the family of a gay man who was barred from having
a Catholic funeral because he owned two gay nightclubs.
Bishop Brom said he made the wrong decision in denying a church funeral
for John McCusker, 31, and offered to preside at a Mass in his memory,
according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. “I deeply regret that
denying a Catholic funeral for John McCusker ...has resulted in his unjust
condemnation, and I apologize to the family for the anguish this has caused
them,” he said in a statement, according to the family.
Bishop Brom had said the Church would not provide burial rites for McCusker
because of his “business activities” which were “contrary
to Sacred Scripture and the moral teaching of the church.” McCusker’s
standing-room-only funeral March 18 was held at an Episcopal church instead.
‘Catholics for Kerry’
refocuses its mission
WASHINGTON (RNS) – A grass-roots Catholic group that supported former
presidential candidate John Kerry says it now seeks to hold both Democrats
and Republicans accountable to the Catholic Church’s social policy
teaching.
Catholics for Faithful Citizenship began last year as Catholics for Kerry
‘04. Its president, Eric McFadden, said the group hopes to apply
pressure on both parties to take seriously the U.S. bishops public policy
positions on a spectrum of issues from the death penalty to the Iraq war.
‘Passion’ images,
tones available for cell phones
LOS ANGELES (RNS) – Los Angeles-based AG Interactive is making three
snippets of the Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ”
soundtrack available to download as ringtones for cell phones, as well
as 12 “premium images” from the film. The images include several
of Jim Caviezel playing Jesus and Maia Morgenstern playing Mary. One scene
features Jesus carrying his cross, but none of them shows the brutal flogging
or crucifixion scenes.
Bryan Biniak, senior vice president of AG Interactive, said his firm worked
closely with Gibson’s Icon Productions to select images from the
film that would be the “most appropriate.”
Plans made for India’s
first Catholic university
CALCUTTA (RNS) – India will have its first Catholic university in
June 2005, according to the indigenous Catholic religious order behind
the university plan. The Carmelite of Mary Immaculate (CMI) order is expected
to spend more than $100 million to establish Dharmadeepti University at
Jagdalpur, a town in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh.
Catholic school enrollment drops
WASHINGTON (RNS) – Enrollment at Catholic schools has fallen 2.6
percent from last year, with 173 schools closed or consolidated and 37
new schools opened, according to the National Catholic Educational Association.
Enrollment at the 7,799 elementary and secondary schools stood at 2.4
million for the 2004-2005 school year, a drop of 200,000 from five years
ago. About three-quarters of the students are elementary-age.
Group asks more drugs for children
with AIDS
NEW YORK (RNS) – A coalition of faith-based organizations is urging
pharmaceutical companies to acknowledge their moral responsibilities and
make pediatric AIDS drugs more accessible.
The Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility, a New York City-based
coalition of 275 religious institutional investors, is urging its members
to file shareholder resolutions asking for more AIDS medications for children.
New community with pro-life
focus announced
AMARILLO, Texas – A new Society of Apostolic Life, dedicated to
pro-life ministry, is being established in the Diocese of Amarillo by
Father Frank Pavone, national director of Priests for Life, and Bishop
John W. Yanta.
“It has been a dream of mine for over a decade to form a community
that can accept seminarians who want to devote their entire ministry to
the defense of the unborn,” said Father Pavone, who will continue
as national director of Priests for Life. The proposed Society will be
known as Missionaries of the Gospel of Life. Priests for Life will continue
to exist as an association of the Catholic faithful.
Sacramento bishop has liver transplant
surgery
SAN FRANCISCO – Bishop William Weigand of Sacramento received a
second chance at life on April 1 when he received a liver transplant at
the University of California Medical Center here.
Doctors said that the procedure was successful for both Bishop Weigand,
67, and Dan Haverty, 50, an assistant chief for the Sacramento Metropolitan
Fire District, who donated part of his liver to the bishop. Doctors removed
two-thirds of Haverty’s liver and transferred it to Bishop Weigand
during six hours of surgery. Over a four-to-six week period, the liver
is expected to regenerate in both men.
Bishop Weigand was suffering from a condition that causes scarring near
the liver and is life-threatening.
