National Catholic Reporter back issues from June 2009:
A new face of Catholicism: Obama's pick for Vatican ambassador embodies U.S. Catholic currents.(ANALYSIS)(Miguel Diaz as ambassador to Vatican City )(Barack Obama)
Jun 12, 2009; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] National churches don't have delegates in Rome, officially nobody's ere to speak for American Catholicism. Informally, however, high-profile Americans in and around the Vatican pre sent faces of the Catholic community in the States, both to Rome and to the ...
Women religious study progresses, raises new concerns.(WORLD)
Jun 12, 2009; ... The Vatican-appointed apostolic visitator charged with leading a study of U.S. women religious communities soon will have personally interviewed nearly half the superiors general included in phase one of the effort. Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Mother Mary Clare Millea, ...
Thomas Berry, priest and environmentalist, dies.(NATION)
Jun 12, 2009; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THOMAS BERRY 'Humans are for the perfection of the Earth rather than the Earth being for the perfection of humans.' Passionist priest and acclaimed cultural historian Thomas Berry died in Well-Spring Retirement Community in ...
A vision of shared hopes.(EDITOR'S NOTE)(Editorial)
Jun 12, 2009; ... President Obama, speaking in Cairo earlier this month, presented his clearest vision for world peace. It was a planet free of nuclear weapons, one in which nations respected each others' cultures and histories, a two-nation Mideast peace settlement, the rights of women, and the dignity of ...
20 years after Tiananmen.(IN THE BEGINNING)(Tiananmen Square Incident anniversary)(Brief article)
Jun 12, 2009 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A man dressed as a Chinese People's Liberation Army soldier stages a one man protest/street drama in Hang Kong to mark June 4, the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown. Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun called the victims of the 1989 massacre ...
Feds: Homeschool numbers up.(U.S. BRIEFS)(Brief article)
Jun 12, 2009 ... WASHINGTON * The number of homeschooled students has nearly doubled in the last eight years, with parents' desire to provide religious and moral instruction the most oft-cited cause, according to a recent report by the Department of Education. An estimated 1.5 million ...
Scientology banned from Wiki.(U.S. BRIEFS)(Brief article)
Jun 12, 2009 ... WASHINGTON * Wikipedia, the user-edited Internet encyclopedia, has banned the Church of Scientology from editing entries about the controversial religion. Internet addresses known to be "owned or operated by the Church of Scientology and its associates, broadly interpreted, are to be ...
John Paul's beatification delayed.(WORLD BRIEFS)(Brief article)
Jun 12, 2009 ... VATICAN CITY * The beatification of Pope John Paul II may be delayed as the Vatican seeks more documentation regarding his almost 27 years as pope, Italian newspapers reported in late May. According to the newspaper La Stampa, the chief holdup regards hundreds of letters he wrote before ...
Urban farm produces food, lessons on Franciscan traditions.(IN THE BEGINNING)(Earthworks Urban Farm )
Jun 12, 2009 ... The Earthworks Urban Farm in Detroit, recently named one of the top 10 urban farms in the United States by Natural Home magazine, uses its organic garden to spread lessons on the Franciscan tradition of nourishing the body, soul and spirit. Natural Home regarded community ...
Quotable & notable.(IN THE BEGINNING)
Jun 12, 2009 ... "Apparently the only way to avoid 'identity politics' is to pick white men for every job." --A tweet from Anonymous Liberal in response to criticism of Supreme Court Justice designate Sonic Sotomayor's remark that "a wise Latina woman would more often than not reach a better ...
Clergy laicization made easier.(WORLD BRIEFS)(Brief article)
Jun 12, 2009 ... VATICAN CITY * Pope Benedict XVI has granted the Congregation for Clergy new powers to dismiss from the priesthood and release from the obligation of celibacy priests who are living with women, who have abandoned their ministry for more than five years or who have engaged in seriously ...
African bishops resign.(WORLD BRIEFS)(Paulin Pomodimo and Francois-Xavier Yombanje )(Brief article)
Jun 12, 2009 ... BANGUI, CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC * More than 40 priests here launched a one-day strike May 28 to protest the resignations of Archbishop Paulin Pomodimo of Bangui and Bishop Francois-Xavier Yombanje of Bossangoa, president of the national bishops' conference. Reportedly, priests in Bangui ...
Bishop Lori: Connecticut, don't tread on.(IN THE BEGINNING)(William E. Lori on lobbying law of Connecticut )
Jun 12, 2009 ... BRIDGEPORT, CONN. * Saying its First Amendment rights are being violated, the Bridgeport diocese is seeking a court order to stop state officials from what it calls "an unconstitutional application of state lobbying laws" to church activities. Diocesan lawyers filed a lawsuit in ...
An image of Pope Benedict XVI is seen on a new Vatican Web site as displayed on an Apple iPod touch in Rome May 22.(PEOPLE)(Brief article)
Jun 12, 2009 ... An image of Pope Benedict XVI is seen on a new Vatican Web site as displayed on an Apple iPod touch in Rome May 22 ....
The newly-elected Lutheran bishop of Stockholm, Sweden, the Rev. Eva Brunne: lives in a registered homosexual partnership with another Lutheran priest, Gunilla Linden.(PEOPLE)(Brief article)
Jun 12, 2009 ... The newly-elected Lutheran bishop of Stockholm, Sweden, the Rev. Eva Brunne: lives in a registered homosexual partnership with another Lutheran priest, Gunilla Linden ....
The bankruptcy of General Motors Corp. "adds to the disruption and uncertainty already faced by many of our fellow citizens," said Archbishop Allen Vigneron of Detroit in a June 1 statement.(PEOPLE)
Jun 12, 2009 ... The bankruptcy of General Motors Corp. "adds to the disruption and uncertainty already faced by many of our fellow citizens," said Archbishop Allen Vigneron of Detroit in a June 1 statement. He asked all Catholics to join him "as we implore ...
State-run Korea Railroads is planning to provide special train and bus service for people who want to visit the grave of Cardinal Stephen Kim Sou-hwan outside Seoul.(PEOPLE)(Brief article)
Jun 12, 2009 ... State-run Korea Railroads is planning to provide special train and bus service for people who want to visit the grave of Cardinal Stephen Kim Sou-hwan outside Seoul. The former head of ...
One of the most influential Americans in the Roman curia, Cardinal J. Francis Stafford, announced he is retiring as head of the Apostolic Penitentiary, the office that handles penitential issues, matters of conscience and indulgences.(PEOPLE)(Brief article)
Jun 12, 2009 ... One of the most influential Americans in the Roman curia, Cardinal J. Francis Stafford, announced he is retiring as head of the Apostolic Penitentiary, the office that handles penitential issues, matters of conscience and indulgences. Stafford, 77, has held a number of top Vatican posts ...
White House consults on how to make abortion rarer.(NATION)
Jun 12, 2009; ... WASHINGTON * To state the obvious, the Obama administration is not about to take any steps to make abortion illegal. But after 35 years of culture wars, the administration is engaged in extensive consultations on what can be done to make abortion rarer in this country. ...
Murder in Kansas.(NATION)(George Tiller murder)(Brief article)
Jun 12, 2009 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Leilah Ramzah, 16, lays a stuffed bear at the gated entrance of Women's Health Care Services' in Wichita, Kan., May 31, after the shooting death of Dr. George Tiller. Tiller, who provided ...
Catholic activist turned congressman has a seat at the table.(NATION)
Jun 12, 2009; ... With a life story steeped in Catholic activism and a political outlook hewn from church social teachings, Rep. Tom Perriello, D-Va., is clearly the darling of the religious left. Meanwhile, this first term, 34-year-old politician is bringing faith-based sensibilities to Washington unlike ...
25 years of relations.(NATION)(25th anniversary of diplomatic relations between United States and Vatican City)(Brief article)
Jun 12, 2009 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Thomas Melady, a former U.S. ambassador to the Vatican (1989-93), speaks during a symposium at The Catholic University of America in Washington May 28 marking the 25th anniversary of formal diplomatic relations between the United States and the Holy See ....
Diaz's theology bodes well for diplomacy.(COMMENTARY)(Miguel Diaz as ambassador to the pope)
Jun 12, 2009; ... There is a popular Spanish saying that observes, "Tell me who you walk with and I'll tell you who you are." President Obama's nomination of Miguel Diaz as U.S. ambassador to the Holy See raises key questions about the company the nominee keeps. This interest is piqued by the relatively ...
'All the nations came to us': overwhelming diversity marks the urban Newark archdiocese's 1.3 million Catholics.(THE EMERGING CHURCH)
Jun 12, 2009; ... NEWARK NJ. * The Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in downtown Newark, one of the largest in the country, is a magnificent testament to the Catholic presence in this beleaguered city. The grand, block-long sweep of its Vermont granite, which includes a cathedral rectory, is ...
Carving out a spiritual home.(THE EMERGING CHURCH)(religious gathering at the National 4H Conference Center)
Jun 12, 2009; ... CHEVY CHASE, MD. * If the local parish is the hub of Catholic life, then members of intentional eucharistic communities might be like citizens of the suburbs--close enough to still identify with the city but far enough out to avoid a lot of the noise and confusion. And like the ...
Irish government to push religious for more abuse compensation.(NATION/WORLD)
Jun 12, 2009 ... The 18 Irish religious orders implicated in decades of abuse of thousands of children in their care have agreed to increase their contribution to the compensation fund for victims. Following a June 4 meeting with Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowan and other government ministers, ...
Incomprehensive violence, loss on Mexican border: a teacher relays her students' stories, destruction of a culture, country.(FIRST PERSON)(Viewpoint essay)
Jun 12, 2009; ... EL PASO, TEXAS * I am a teacher at a Catholic school, Our Lady of the Valley, in this border city. The 16 students in my class, mostly 12- and 13-year-olds, arrive daily from Ciudad Juarez, a dense metropolis of about 1.5 million in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. The sister ...
Haitian activist priest Jean-Juste dies at 62.(WORLD)(Obituary)
Jun 12, 2009; ... MIAMI * Fr. Gerard Jean-Juste, prominent leader for Haitian immigrants, advocate for the poor and a rumored candidate for the Haitian presidency, passed away Wednesday, May 27, in his adopted hometown of Miami. For over three decades, Jean-Juste put his liberation theology ...
Economy for the common good: Catholic teaching offer moral perspective on current crisis.(Wealth & Responsibility)
Jun 12, 2009; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Catholic social teachings, grounded in principles aimed at providing guidance to moral decision-making, played little, if any, role in preparing the nation for the 2008 economic meltdown, according Catholic educators, some of whom are calling for an ...
Microbusiness helps women weather crisis.(WEALTH & RESPONSIBILITY)
Jun 12, 2009; ... LIMA, PERU * Microbusinesses do a better job of weathering economic storms than bigger companies because they are used to overcoming difficulties--a positive effect that is further multiplied when it involves women, say advocates. "Microbusiness owners have always operated in ...
Seniors shortchanged by recession: Catholic social services lend hand to financially hard-hit elderly.(WEALTH & RESPONSIBILITY)
Jun 12, 2009; ... OAKDALE, MINN. -- Jill Manthe takes her notebook from her top desk drawer. "I budget," she said, listing the checks she writes each month from her modest disability income--rent, medications, electricity, car insurance, cell phone, computer and cable service. Asked whether she ...
Spirituality in a time of deep recession.(WEALTH & RESPONSIBILITY)(John Kavanaugh interview)(Interview)
Jun 12, 2009; ... One of the perennial bestsellers in the field of Catholic spirituality is Jesuit Ft. John Kavanaugh's Following Christ in a Consumer Society: The Spirituality of Cultural Resistance. Published in 1981, it's been in print ever since, and has been revised and updated twice. Kavanaugh teaches ...
To Buy Or Not To Buy: Why We Overshop And How To Stop.(Brief article)(Book review)
Jun 12, 2009; ... TO BUY OR NOT TO BUY: WHY WE OVERSHOP AND HOW TO STOP By April Lane Benson, PhD Published by Trumpeter Books, $16.95 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Overshopping is a trivialized, "smiled upon" addiction, reinforced by the messages of a consumerist ...
What Your Money Means (And How To Use It Well).(Brief article)(Book review)
Jun 12, 2009; ... WHAT YOUR MONEY MEANS (AND HOW TO USE IT WELL) By Frank J. Hanna Published by the Crossroad Publishing Company, $21.95 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In What Your Money Means (and How to Use It Well), author Frank J. Hanna III is also interested in ...
The Green Business Guide: A One Stop Resource for Businesses of All Shapes and Sizes to Implement Eco-Friendly Policies, Programs, and Practices.(Brief article)(Book review)
Jun 12, 2009; ... THE GREEN BUSINESS GUIDE: A ONE STOP RESOURCE FOR BUSINESSES OF ALL SHAPES AND SIZES TO IMPLEMENT ECO-FRIENDLY POLICIES, PROGRAMS, AND PRACTICES By Glenn Bachman Published by Career Press, $15.99 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] At 287 pages, The Green Business Guide is a ...
The wedding season: sometimes trying to get married in the Roman Catholic church feels a lot like applying for a bank loan.(Opinion & ARTS)(Essay)
Jun 12, 2009; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Dear Roman Rite, All is forgiven. Maybe not forgotten; there is still the issue of those prenuptial Natural Family Planning classes. Don't look away. You know the ones I mean. They're distressingly short on welcoming the stranger and ...
Same-sex marriage gains in D.C.(Wedding season)
Jun 12, 2009; ... WASHINGTON -- Last July, Cynthia Nordone and Helen Schietinger took a number at the District of Columbia Department of Health, waited in line and walked away with a document that bound them to one another as domestic partners. But there were no gifts or greeting cards to mark the ...
Wedding blessings of a married priest for rent.(VIEWPOINT)(Viewpoint essay)
Jun 12, 2009; ... At a family reunion in Philadelphia in the spring of 2003, my cousin Keiran formed me of his upcoming wedding. He told me the ceremony was scheduled for early October, then asked me to officiate. Never having to guess what's on his mind has always been one of Kieran's most endearing ...
Uncovering the treasure of a marriage.(Wedding season)(Essay)
Jun 12, 2009; ... A priest friend shared this story about a wedding he had witnessed. He said he had preached that all human love comes from and returns to God. As he was taking off his vestments after the service, a young man entered the sacristy and asked to speak with him. He said, "Father, I don't know ...
The sacrament of our sexuality: the Mass is an offering, and they offer themselves to God to increase the love in the world, and even to create life.(A Life in Liturgy: Rediscovering the Mass)(Book review)
Jun 12, 2009; ... A LIFE IN LITURGY: REDISCOVERING THE MASS By Joseph T. Nolan Published by the author, $15 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Yes, it is a sacrament and we should teach this early before the whole concept is lost. Nothing reflects more our secular society ...
Neuhaus' first and last things.("American Babylon: Notes of a Christian Exile" by Richard John Neuhaus)(Book review)
Jun 12, 2009; ... AMERICAN BABYLON: NOTES OF A CHRISTIAN IN EXILE By Richard John Neuhaus Published by Basic Books, $16.95. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Soon after Fr. Richard John Neuhaus died in January, encomiums for his life and work appeared in this country's top ...
A second chance needed for blacks with criminal records.(Marked: Race, Crime, and Finding Work in an Era of Mass Incarceration)(Book review)
Jun 12, 2009; ... MARKED: RACE, CRIME, AND FINDING WORK IN AN ERA OF MASS INCARCERATION By Devah Pager Published by University of Chicago Press, $16 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] I am still shocked as I edit the final touches to this review. A white job applicant with ...
Fired! Do church employees get unemployment benefits?(MISSION MANAGEMENT)
Jun 12, 2009; ... Unemployment is difficult. For many, it's downright tragic. But at least when the hammer falls there's the guarantee of a half year's worth of benefits through the government's unemployment compensation system. Unless you work for the church. Churches and religious ...
Military policy from the victims' point of view.(Column)
Jun 12, 2009; ... Most pacifists have conversion moments, awakenings from years of slumber marked by inattention or indifference to war and violence. Dud Hendrick's moment came in Vietnam in l998 when traveling 1,200 miles by bicycle from Hanoi to Ho Chi Min City. His pedaling companions for ...
Lay ministers in limbo.(YOUNG VOICES)
Jun 12, 2009; ... In Catholic thought, limbo was the state of those who had died but, because they were not yet baptized, were denied entrance to heaven. While the Vatican put the traditional theory of limbo to rest in 2007 with a document declaring that "unbaptized infants who die will be saved," the ...
A call for mediation, justice for workers.(VIEWPOINT)(Viewpoint essay)
Jun 12, 2009; ... I wish to share with NCR readers the concern of the leadership of Catholic Scholars for Worker Justice over what has been reported to us as anti-labor activity by St. Joseph Health System. This system is a nearly $4 billion-per-year organization with Some 20,000 employees. It is sponsored ...
Irish abuse report demands decisive action.(VIEWPOINT)(Viewpoint essay)
Jun 12, 2009; ... On May 20, the government of Ireland issued a 2, 600-page report on the nine-year investigation into Catholic church-operated schools and reformatories. The report came from the Commission to Inquire Into Child Abuse and covered a 60-year period from 1936 to the present. It raised serious ...
Obama at Notre Dame.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
Jun 12, 2009; ... * Many NCR readers seem to agree with the University of Notre Dame's speaking invitation to President Obama (NCR, May 29). I find this disappointing. The church was criticized for not adequately addressing Hitler's evil policies, responsible for taking 11 million innocent lives. Abortion ...
It's about economics.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
Jun 12, 2009; ... In your editorial, "Partisanship and the pulpit" (NCR, May 15), you list some of the Republicans who "got a pass" when speaking at Catholic universities. It was to show how some bishops, in Fr. Langan's words, have issued a "quasi-excommunication of the Democratic Party." You say that it's ...
Consistent life ethic.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
Jun 12, 2009; ... Swatting at gnats and swallowing camels? As a Catholic who works for an international service agency governed by 31 Protestant, Orthodox and Anglican denominations, I often hear adulation for the Catholic church's "consistency" in advocating for life across an entire spectrum of ...
Church reform.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
Jun 12, 2009; ... I understand and agree with the criticism of the Roman Catholic institution in Jamie L. Manson's "Why I still call myself a Catholic" (NCR, May 29). I share Jamie's feelings and her moral judgments. Yet there is one question I am still asking: How does a tradition get passed along without ...
An ambivalent sign.(The Word: Scripted for Life)(spiritual perception for water)
Jun 12, 2009; ... JUNE 21, 2009, TWELFT SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Jb 38:1; 8-11; Ps 107; 2 Cor 5:14-17; Mk 4:35-41 The following Sunday commentaries by Patricia Datchuck Sanchez appear in full-in Celebration, the worship and homiletic resource of the National Catholic Reporter Publishing ...
Finding God and grace in the detours.(The Word: Scripted for Life)
Jun 12, 2009; ... JUNE 28, 2009, THIRTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Patricia Datchuck Sanchez Wis 1:13-15; 2:23-24; Ps 30; 2 Cor 8:7, 9, 13-15; Mk 5:21-43 Think for a moment and let your mind wander back to your senior year of high school.' In the yearbook, beneath your ...
Obama and the Catholics.(EDITORIALS)(Barack Obama)(Editorial)
Jun 12, 2009 ... It is increasingly evident that the Catholic conversation in the public square has undergone a significant change during the past two years and with the help of some unlikely participants. The first of those would be the new president, who has drawn significant fire from certain episcopal ...
Sisters delivered the church Vatican II promised.(EDITORIALS)(Editorial)
Jun 12, 2009 ... While a visit from the Roman inquisition might intimidate most of us, the timing couldn't be better for American communities of religious women. They have nothing to hide and a marvelous story to tell, unknown to many Catholics and far richer than the caricatures Hollywood and nostalgia ...
What's behind the way we eat: a new film investigates the perils and hidden costs of our food system.(NATION)(Food, Inc.)(Movie review)
Jun 26, 2009; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The U.S. food supply is controlled now by a handful of corporations that put profit ahead of food safety, the livelihood of farmers, the safety of workers and the environment, according to a new documentary, "Food, Inc." The film investigates the ...
U.S. bishops skirt Notre Dame uproar at meeting.(NATION)(displeasure over Barack Obama's possible commencement address at University of Notre Dame's graduation ceremony)
Jun 26, 2009; ... SAN ANTONIO * Sometimes get-togethers of the U.S. bishops are more revealing for what they choose not to talk about, at least in public, than for what they do. Their June 17-19 meeting in San Antonio offered a classic case in point, as the formal agenda covered virtually everything except ...
Honors for the NCR family.(EDITOR'S NOTE)(Editorial)
Jun 26, 2009; ... There's plenty in this issue to bite into, starting with Rich Heffern's piece on the new food documentary (Page 1) and John Allen's report on what was not on the U.S. bishops' agenda in San Antonio. Our East and West section recognizes the interplay and cross-fertilization of world ...
Democracy demands.(IN THE BEGINNING)(South Korea's political situation )(Brief article)
Jun 26, 2009 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Catholic priests celebrate a Mass during a candlelit vigil June 15 in Yongsan, Seoul, where six people, including a police officer, died in a fire during a protest supporting tenants evicted by a redevelopment project. Citing this as just one example of ...
U.S. communists reach out.(U.S. BRIEFS)(Communist Party USA )(Brief article)
Jun 26, 2009 ... NEW YORK * The Communist Party USA has created a new commission to welcome people of faith to join the movement, according to the party's newspaper. "We want to reach out to religious people and communities, to fired ways of improving our coalition w6rk with them, and to welcome ...
Message on anti-Semitism.(U.S. BRIEFS)(Brief article)
Jun 26, 2009 ... WASHINGTON * In a letter read in churches across his diocese on the Sunday following the June 10 shooting at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, Episcopal Bishop John Bryson Chane of Washington, said that Christians bear "a special responsibility for the scourge of antiSemitism." ...
PBS limits religious programs.(U.S. BRIEFS)(Public Broadcasting Service)(Brief article)
Jun 26, 2009 ... WASHINGTON * PBS officials voted June 16 to not allow new religious programming at member stations, but allowed select PBS stations to continue broadcasting their current faith-based lineups. The PBS board of directors took the action after concerns were raised that religious programming ...
Government jobs slashed.(U.S. BRIEFS)(Brief article)
Jun 26, 2009 ... SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO * The government of Puerto Rico in late May fired more than 7,816 public sector workers, as officials scrambled to stave off the effects of a fiscal crisis they say was brought on by the previous administration. Another nearly 2,600 workers are expected to ...
New Orleans Catholics angry over redirected storm aid.(IN THE BEGINNING)
Jun 26, 2009 ... NEW ORLEANS * The New Orleans archdiocese said it is seeking federal permission to redirect federal storm compensation money all over the metro area, not just the city's urban core that was hard-hit by Hurricane Katrina. The disclosure comes after Catholic parishioners in two ...
Far-right gains in EU elections.(WORLD BRIEFS)(European Union)(Brief article)
Jun 26, 2009 ... PARIS * Jewish, Christian and Muslim groups across Europe have voiced alarm at gains by far-right groups in European Union parliamentary elections, fearing the parties may gain more clout on the European stage than their numbers suggest. "The success of the far-right and ...