News Briefs

The Hong Kong Catholic Justice and Peace Commission joined human rights groups campaigning for the release of the Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo, winner of the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize. • U.S. doctors announced on Oct. 11 that they have begun the first publicly known use of human embryonic stem cells, treating a patient at an Atlanta facility for victims of severe spinal cord injuries. • The Archdiocese of Los Angeles launched a creation sustainability ministry on Oct. 4 to inspire Catholics “to act out of reverence and respect for God’s creation.” • Khartoum police arrested a man subdued after rushing toward the altar with a dagger during a Mass celebrated by Khartoum’s Cardinal Gabriel Zubeir Wako on Oct. 11. • As scientists gathered in Detroit for the World Stem Cell Summit on Oct. 3, Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron of Detroit said research that destroys human embryos “deserves our scrutiny and scorn.” • The president of Australia’s United Retail Federation has urged Pope Benedict to intercede against the Australian government’s decision to curtail the merchandising use of the name of the newly canonized Mother Mary MacKillop.