News

U.S. Policy Challenges Church Aid WorkersThe U.S. government’s policy of no contact with Hamas leaders has complicated church aid workers’ duties in the Palestinian territories, said an official of Catholic Relief Services. The United States lists Hamas as a terrorist organization, and d

U.S. Bishops Hold Fall General Meeting in BaltimoreAs the U.S. bishops were finishing their second day of business at their Nov. 13-16 fall general meeting in Baltimore, they allocated $335,000 for the next phases of a national study on the causes and context of sexual abuse of minors by members of

The Election: Catholic Voters and IssuesExit polls indicate that a majority of Catholics voted Democratic on Nov. 7, helping the party to take control of the House of Representatives and possibly the Senate. According to The New Republic, 52 percent of Catholics voted Democratic, compared with 47 pe

Brazilian Cardinal to Head Clergy CongregationPope Benedict XVI has named Cardinal Claudio Hummes of S o Paulo Brazil a Franciscan to be the new prefect of the Congregation for Clergy The 72-year-old Brazilian-born son of German immigrants Cardinal Hummes will succeed Cardinal Dar o Castrill

Mideast Patriarchs Address InstabilityCatholic patriarchs of the Middle East said political instability across the region must be tackled if the current Christian exodus is to be stemmed. The negative impact of this instability on local economies and services, as well as on the psychology within com

Security Must Not Trump Human RightsCounterterrorism strategy must not sacrifice fundamental human rights in the name of security, said the Vatican’s ambassador to the United Nations Oct. 16. The ambassador, Archbishop Celestino Migliore, spoke at a U.N. committee session deliberating on a pro

2008 World Synod of Bishops Will Focus on BiblePope Benedict XVI has scheduled a meeting of the World Synod of Bishops for 2008 and has decided the synod will focus on the Bible in the life of the church. A brief announcement issued on Oct. 6 said bishops from around the world elected to represent t

Patriarch’s Hopes for Papal Visit to TurkeyEcumenical Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople said he hopes Pope Benedict XVI’s November trip to Turkey will help calm recent tensions with Islam and advance his church’s struggle for religious rights. Patriarch Bartholomew,

At U.N. Holy See Cites Ideologies of ForceAddressing the 61st United Nations General Assembly in New York on Sept. 27, Archbishop Giovanni Lajolo, the Vatican’s special envoy, contended that a lack of political consensus and an ideology of force undermine the cause of peace. It is not so much

In the Sept. 25 issue of America, Professor Marci A. Hamilton joined with Voice of the Faithful in renewing their call for “window” legislation. Window legislation retroactively suspends the statute of limitation for childhood sexual abuse damage claims so that lawsuits filed during a sp