Catholic News 2
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) -- A top political aide to Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley resigned Wednesday, a week after he publicly admitted making inappropriate remarks to her but denied the two ever had an affair....
London, England, Mar 30, 2016 / 04:37 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- In a recent interview with British daily The Guardian, renowned actor Jeremy Irons voiced his opposition to easy divorce and to abortion, which he said is a sin and “harms a woman.”“Take abortion,” he told The Guardian's Catherine Shoard in an interview published March 24. “I believe women should be allowed to make the decision, but I also think the church is right to say it’s a sin. Because sin is actions that harm us. Lying harms us. Abortion harms a woman – it’s a tremendous mental attack, and physical, sometimes. But we seem to get that muddled. In a way, thank God the Catholic church does say we won’t allow it, because otherwise nobody’s saying that it’s a sin.”Irons, 67, has been acting on the stage and in film and television since 1969. His breakout role was as Charles Ryder in the 1981 miniseries Brideshead Revisited, and he voiced Scar in Th...
London, England, Mar 30, 2016 / 04:37 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- In a recent interview with British daily The Guardian, renowned actor Jeremy Irons voiced his opposition to easy divorce and to abortion, which he said is a sin and “harms a woman.”
“Take abortion,” he told The Guardian's Catherine Shoard in an interview published March 24. “I believe women should be allowed to make the decision, but I also think the church is right to say it’s a sin. Because sin is actions that harm us. Lying harms us. Abortion harms a woman – it’s a tremendous mental attack, and physical, sometimes. But we seem to get that muddled. In a way, thank God the Catholic church does say we won’t allow it, because otherwise nobody’s saying that it’s a sin.”
Irons, 67, has been acting on the stage and in film and television since 1969. His breakout role was as Charles Ryder in the 1981 miniseries Brideshead Revisited, and he voiced Scar in The Lion King.
He has won an Academy Award, a Tony, and an Emmy. He is currently cast as the lead in Eugene O'Neill's play Long Day's Journey into Night at the Bristol Old Vic.
“Our society is based on a Christian structure,” he told Shoard. “If you take those religious tenets away, then anything goes and it will become terrible – and you usually get into trouble.”
From there he spoke of adultery, saying that while it “might be very nice … finally it [expletive]s us up. And it [expletive]s up the structure of society.”
He affirmed the value of marriage, saying that “yes, you can be in love and raise a family wonderfully by not being married, but actually marriage does give us a strength, because it’s quite hard to get out of, and so it makes us fight more to keep it together. If divorce becomes dead easy – which it sort of has – then we don’t have that backup. Because, for everybody, relationships are hard.”
Irons has himself been married twice: He was briefly married to Julie Hallam in 1969, and has been married to Sinead Cusack since 1978. Cusack and their two sons are Catholic.
He has called his family Catholic, while adding that he doesn't often go to church, though the Wall Street Journal in 2013 described him as “a practicing Catholic.”
Irons' interview with Shoard also touched on his sense of spirituality, with Irons stating his belief that “inanimate objects have a spirit.”
He also discussed his position against Western interventionism, noting that while Assad's regime in Syria “deals with the opposition with great cruelty … there are cruel people, as one sees from Isis, and you’re not going to remove that part of nature from those fanatics at that stage of their civilising development.”
He also suggested that democracy and freedom may not have meaning in Syria: “Yet everybody – especially the Americans – seems to think the only way of life is theirs.”
Irons went on to reflect on democracy in the U.S. itself, saying the current election cycle may signal democracy's end: “If democracy has become a gameshow where you vote for the one who makes you laugh most, or whatever, then we’re not worthy to have the vote,” he said.
On previous occasions, Irons has also spoke out against both gay marriage and the death penalty.
IMAGE: CNSBy WASHINGTON(CNS) -- Mother Angelica "reflected the Gospel commission to go forth andmake disciples of all nations" said Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz ofLouisville, Kentucky, president of the U.S. bishops' conference."Likethe best evangelists, she used the communications tools of her time to makethis happen. She displayed a unique capacity for mission and showed the worldonce again the vital contribution of women religious."ArchbishopKurtz was one of several Catholic leaders who took note of the March 27 deathof Mother Angelica, a Poor Clare of Perpetual Adoration, who founded theEternal Word Television Network. Virtually all of them, at one time or another,had appeared on EWTN."Herwork, begun in the cloister, reached across the globe," Archbishop Kurtzsaid in a March 28 statement. "She was a convincing sign as to how even thehumblest of beginnings can yield abundant fruit."ArchbishopCharles J. Chaput of Philadelphia, who served on the EWTN board of directorsfor many years, ...
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WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Mother Angelica "reflected the Gospel commission to go forth and make disciples of all nations" said Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, Kentucky, president of the U.S. bishops' conference.
"Like the best evangelists, she used the communications tools of her time to make this happen. She displayed a unique capacity for mission and showed the world once again the vital contribution of women religious."
Archbishop Kurtz was one of several Catholic leaders who took note of the March 27 death of Mother Angelica, a Poor Clare of Perpetual Adoration, who founded the Eternal Word Television Network. Virtually all of them, at one time or another, had appeared on EWTN.
"Her work, begun in the cloister, reached across the globe," Archbishop Kurtz said in a March 28 statement. "She was a convincing sign as to how even the humblest of beginnings can yield abundant fruit."
Archbishop Charles J. Chaput of Philadelphia, who served on the EWTN board of directors for many years, called Mother Angelica "a woman of extraordinary faith, intelligence, energy and determination." He added he "saw firsthand the tremendously positive impact her work for Jesus Christ had on many millions of people."
"Mother Angelica brought the truth and the love and the life of the Gospel of Jesus to so many people, not only to our Catholic household of faith, but to many thousands of people who are not Catholic, in that beautiful way she had of touching lives, bringing so many people into the Catholic faith," said Bishop Robert J. Baker of Birmingham, Alabama, in whose diocese EWTN is located.
"Mother Angelica was a pioneer of the new evangelization before that term ever became popular," said Msgr. Walter Rossi, rector of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, the site of many Masses telecast live each year by EWTN.
"By providing religious programming, the Mass and devotions, first by television and now by every form of communications media, Mother Angelica and EWTN proclaimed the message of the Gospel to millions of people throughout the world," he said.
"She untiringly exhorted all to pursue holiness by living with God in the present moment. We are grateful for your prayers for this courageous daughter of the church," said Mother Dolores Marie, superior of the Poor Clare Nuns of Perpetual Adoration of Our Lady of the Angels Monastery in Hanceville, Alabama. The monastery is north of the Birmingham suburb of Irondale, where EWTN has its headquarters.
"Her voice and her message will be with us for a long time," said a statement from Father Frank Pavone, national director of Priests for Life, about Mother Angelica. "We have all lost a friend, a mentor, a spiritual mother, a voice of conscience, and a source of laughter and encouragement."
"Mother Angelica was a true media giant. She proved that the church belonged in the popular media alongside the news, sports, and talk shows," said Franciscan Father Michael O. Sheridan, president of the Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio. The show "Franciscan University Presents," a roundtable theology discussion, has been produced by the university for EWTN since 1993.
"She heeded the call of the Second Vatican Council to bring the Gospel message into contemporary society. With humor and the occasional stern word, but always moved by a deep love of people, Mother Angelica faithfully conveyed the knowledge and love of God to Catholics, Christians, and nonbelievers alike," Father Sheridan added.
"Mother Angelica leaves behind a legacy of holiness and commitment to the new evangelization that should inspire us all," said Carl Anderson, supreme knight of the Knights of Columbus.
"I was honored to know and be able to assist Mother Angelica during the early days of EWTN. Over the years, that relationship grew, and today the Knights of Columbus and EWTN partner regularly on important projects. Mother Angelica was fearless, because she had God on her side," Anderson said. "She saw what he needed her to do and she did it!"
"Mother Angelica touched the lives of countless people throughout the world by way of her landmark evangelization at EWTN," said Boston Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley.
She also "lifted Catholic media presence to a new level of achievement, bringing the message of Christ into the homes of people from all walks of life," he added.
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WASHINGTON (AP) -- Surgeons in Baltimore for the first time have transplanted organs between an HIV-positive donor and HIV-positive recipients, a long-awaited new option for patients with the AIDS virus whose kidneys or livers also are failing....
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Women will be able to take the so-called abortion pill later in a pregnancy and with fewer doctor visits under a new federal label for the drug that undermines several state laws aimed at restricting medical abortions....
LARNACA, Cyprus (AP) -- First the hijacker said the women could leave. All the children, too. Then the man in the suicide vest agreed that all Egyptians and others from Muslim backgrounds would be allowed to escape from the plane....
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) -- Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump said Wednesday that women who get an abortion should receive "some form of punishment" if it is ever outlawed, drawing swift condemnation from activists on both sides of the divisive social issue....
MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- Frustrated Republicans grappled with new fears about Donald Trump's impact on their party Wednesday, as the billionaire businessman's campaign rivals targeted his punitive plan for fighting abortion and extraordinary defense of his campaign manager, who police say assaulted a female reporter....
Atlanta, Ga., Mar 30, 2016 / 11:35 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Following the Georgia governor’s recent veto of a religious liberty bill, the state’s Catholic bishops are calling for further debate and dialogue on the issue.“We fervently support religious liberty guaranteed by the United States and Georgia constitutions and we respect those who seek to enhance those freedoms through legislation,” said Archbishop Wilton Gregory of Atlanta and Bishop Gregory Hartmayer of Savannah.The governor’s veto means that debate will continue, the bishops said in a March 29 statement. They encouraged respect for the “worthy motivations” of people on both sides of the debate.The state’s Catholic bishops did not take an explicit stand for or against the legislation. Instead they commented more broadly, “While we and the other Catholic bishops in the United States support the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), we do not support any implementation ...
Atlanta, Ga., Mar 30, 2016 / 11:35 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Following the Georgia governor’s recent veto of a religious liberty bill, the state’s Catholic bishops are calling for further debate and dialogue on the issue.
“We fervently support religious liberty guaranteed by the United States and Georgia constitutions and we respect those who seek to enhance those freedoms through legislation,” said Archbishop Wilton Gregory of Atlanta and Bishop Gregory Hartmayer of Savannah.
The governor’s veto means that debate will continue, the bishops said in a March 29 statement. They encouraged respect for the “worthy motivations” of people on both sides of the debate.
The state’s Catholic bishops did not take an explicit stand for or against the legislation. Instead they commented more broadly, “While we and the other Catholic bishops in the United States support the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), we do not support any implementation of RFRA in a way that will discriminate against any individual.”
Archbishop Gregory and Bishop Hartmayer stressed the importance of religious liberty, rooted in the dignity of each human person.
Georgia Governor Nathan Deal, a Republican, vetoed House Bill 757 on Monday.
The bill would have protected some faith-based organizations like churches and religious schools or associations from being forced to compromise the tenets of their faith through various means. It would have protected them from being required to employ people whose beliefs or practices are not in accord with the organizations’ religious beliefs.
It would also have protected religious officials from being required to perform marriage ceremonies by state law, as well as protecting organizations from being forced to rent facilities or allow them to be used for events that violate their “sincerely held religious belief.”
Gov. Deal said the bill does not reflect Georgia’s image as a state of “warm, friendly people.” While backers of the bill cited violations of religious liberty in other states, he said these were not relevant to Georgia, whose law does not recognize sexual orientation as a protected class.
Deal also said he rejected “threats” from some businesses opposed to the bill.
Opponents of the bill included LGBT activist groups and major corporations like Disney, Apple and Intel that threatened economic retaliation against the state if it passed the bill. The NFL and the NCAA warned that the passage of the bill could influence their decisions about holding sports championships in the state.
Ryan T. Anderson, a writer on marriage and religious liberty topics based at the Heritage Foundation, criticized the governor’s veto. He charged that the governor “caved to pressure from big business and special interests.”
“This shows the lack of courage of many in the political class, and it also highlights the extreme nature of the left and the business community. To these groups, even mild religious liberty protections are unacceptable,” Anderson said in a March 28 commentary at The Daily Signal.
Anderson said the revised bill was “very modest” and may not in fact provide any protection for religious freedom from new or existing laws that protect sexual orientation and gender identity.
He said the vetoed bill had a narrow definition of religious organizations and its lack of protections for bakers, florists, or wedding industry professionals who cannot cooperate in the celebration of a same-sex union for religious reasons.
Anderson called for strong religious freedom protections.
“America is in a time of transition,” he said, citing the redefinition of marriage in the courts and changing beliefs about human sexuality. “During this time, it is critical to protect the right to disagree and the civil liberties of those who speak and act in accord with what Americans had always believed about marriage – that it is the union of husband and wife.”
Photo credit: Rob Hainer via www.shutterstock.com.
New Delhi, India, Mar 30, 2016 / 11:50 am (CNA/EWTN News).- After the circulation of rumors claiming Fr. Tom Uzhunnalil was tortured and crucified on Good Friday, the Indian bishops have written to the government urging greater effort in locating the priest.“A lot of rumors are being spread in the social media that Fr. Tom was subjected to cruel torture and then crucified on Good Friday,” the Indian bishops wrote in a March 28 letter addressed to India’s Minister of External Affairs, Sushma Swaraj.The wide circulation of the “gruesome news” both at home and abroad is upsetting, and “brings agony to the relatives” and arouses concern in everyone, they said.“It will be in the best interest of our country to step up the efforts to verify the veracity of this disturbing rumor.”Bishop Paul Hinder, the Vicar Apostolic of Southern Arabia (whose territory serves Catholics in the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Yemen) told CNA on Monday t...
New Delhi, India, Mar 30, 2016 / 11:50 am (CNA/EWTN News).- After the circulation of rumors claiming Fr. Tom Uzhunnalil was tortured and crucified on Good Friday, the Indian bishops have written to the government urging greater effort in locating the priest.
“A lot of rumors are being spread in the social media that Fr. Tom was subjected to cruel torture and then crucified on Good Friday,” the Indian bishops wrote in a March 28 letter addressed to India’s Minister of External Affairs, Sushma Swaraj.
The wide circulation of the “gruesome news” both at home and abroad is upsetting, and “brings agony to the relatives” and arouses concern in everyone, they said.
“It will be in the best interest of our country to step up the efforts to verify the veracity of this disturbing rumor.”
Bishop Paul Hinder, the Vicar Apostolic of Southern Arabia (whose territory serves Catholics in the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Yemen) told CNA on Monday that he has “strong indications that Fr. Tom is still alive in the hands of the kidnappers,” but could not give further information, in order to protect the life of the priest.
While voicing their appreciation for previous efforts the government of India has made in securing the release of abducted citizens from the hands of terrorists, most recently Fr. Alexis Prem Kumar, India's bishops said more ought to be done in the case of Fr. Tom.
On March 4, four gunmen attacked a Missionaries of Charity-run retirement home in Aden, Yemen, killing 16 people, including four Missionary of Charity sisters. Fr. Tom Uzhunnalil, an Indian national, was kidnapped by the gunmen during the attacks, which are thought to have been perpetrated by Islamist terrorists, though no group has claimed responsibility for the incident.
Since then several blogs and media outlets have reported that Fr. Tom was crucified by Islamic State militants on Good Friday. However, there has been no confirmation of the event by friends, family, or Fr. Uzhunnalil’s community.
In their letter, the Indian bishops said they immediately requested the help of the government in tracing and rescuing Fr. Tom after hearing the “sad and shocking news” of his abduction.
Messages were sent to India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Minister of Home Affairs Rajnath Singh, and the Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj, “soliciting their urgent intervention to ensure the safety of Fr. Tom.”
The bishops said they have been in constant contact with the Indian government on the matter, and voiced their gratitude for the efforts they have already made in monitoring the process of both finding and rescuing Fr. Uzhunnalil.
However, in spite of the efforts, the bishops stressed that so far there is “no definite answer” regarding the whereabouts of the abducted priest or the motive of his kidnappers.
The bishops noted that the Vatican has upped its own efforts to find Fr. Tom through their diplomatic channels, and requested that Swaraj “leave no stone unturned to ensure the safety and the quick release of Fr. Tom from the hands of the abductors.”
In a March 29 press statement the bishops noted that officials of India’s Ministry of External Affairs have assured them they are “closely looking into all the aspects” of the case and of a safe release for Fr. Tom.
A senior official of the Ministry of External Affairs assured the bishops that Swaraj would receive them personally at her earliest convenience to share “the available and pertinent details” on Fr. Tom’s release.
