Signs Of the Times

“We believe that interfaith strategies can help solve many of the world’s biggest problems,” Miguel H. Diaz, U.S. ambassador to the Vatican.

“The rationale for our initiative has been severely distorted by some special-interest groups,” Kevin Cook said.

A bullet fragment was found in an office belonging to Cardinal Oscar Rodríguez Maradiaga.

“Policies promoting disarmament and arms control reflect an idea of order which the people of the world desire,” said Archbishop Francis Chullikatt.

Giving to the 400 largest charities in the United States was down 11 percent overall in 2009.

Holy Family Hospital in Bethlehem marked a milestone on Oct. 18 with the birth of its 50,000th baby since 1990.

“The people of the South are beating day and night the drum of secession, independence,” said Bishop Paride Taban, retired bishop of Torit.

Some bishops suggested that structural reforms would be required to preserve the identity and authority of the 22 Eastern churches.

The agency has been assigned the task of combating the “de- Christianization” of countries that were first evangelized centuries ago.

“Few of the suburban communities have a social services infrastructure in place to address the challenges this increased poverty poses.”