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Bishops must be authoritative teachers: Pope
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- In societies where public life seems to have
lost all reference to faith and values, bishops must redouble their
efforts to be authoritative teachers, Pope John Paul II said. "England
and Wales, despite being steeped in a rich Christian heritage, today
face the pervasive advance of secularism," the pope told bishops
making their "ad limina" visits to the Vatican. Bishops make such
visits every five years to report on the status of their dioceses. The
growth of secularism leads to extreme individualism, a loss of a sense
of right and wrong, the disintegration of families, racial tensions
and divided communities, the pope said in his Oct. 23 message to the
bishops. "A vision of humanity apart from God and removed from Christ"
promotes an idea that each individual can define right and wrong and,
"consequently destroys the mutual bonds which define social living,"
the pope said.
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Bishop honoured for stance against Iraq war
NOTRE DAME, Ind. (CNS) -- The U.S. bishop who instructed Catholics
that the war in Iraq was unjust and that cooperation in the war was a
mortal sin was honored Oct. 11 by the Catholic Peace Fellowship at a
conference at the University of Notre Dame. The Catholic Peace
Fellowship, originally founded in 1964 with the help of Dorothy Day
and Fathers Daniel Berrigan, a Jesuit, and Thomas Merton, a Trappist,
gave its first St. Marcellus Award to Bishop John M. Botean of the
Romanian Diocese of St. George in Canton, Ohio. In a letter issued
last Lent, Bishop Botean instructed the Catholics in his care that
"any direct participation and support for this war against the people
of Iraq is objectively grave evil, a matter of mortal sin." The bishop
concluded "with moral certainty" that the war does not meet the
minimum requirements of the Catholic just-war theory. The award was
given in "grateful recognition of his courageous moral leadership as a
true peacemaker in the Catholic Church."
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Actor Montalban gets Catholic group's award
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (CNS) -- Catholics in Media Associates
honored actor Ricardo Montalban with a lifetime achievement award Oct.
19 at the group's 11th annual Mass and awards luncheon in Beverly
Hills. It was "my tenacity and faith that has seen me through my many
years in entertainment," said Montalban, honored for his body of work
including "Fantasy Island," "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" and more
than 50 performances in movies in Mexico, Europe and the United
States. The veteran actor was also recognized for his years of
philanthropic activity, including the founding of Nosotros, which
seeks to improve the image and employment of Hispanics in the
entertainment industry. Receiving the award for motion picture was the
producer-writer-director of "Seabiscuit," Gary Ross. The award for
television series was presented to NBC's "American Dreams" and its
executive producer, Jonathan Prince.
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Pope creates 30 cardinals
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- In a ceremony that combined solemn tradition
and the cheers of the faithful, Pope John Paul II created 30 new
cardinals and asked them to be "fearless witnesses of Christ and his
Gospel" on every continent. The liturgy Oct. 21 in a sunlit St.
Peter's Square highlighted the international mix of the College of
Cardinals, the group that will one day elect a new pope. New members
from 22 countries were added, including Cardinal Justin Rigali of
Philadelphia. The pope said the new cardinals reflected the
"multiplicity of races and cultures that make up the Christian
population." He also created one cardinal "in pectore," or in his
heart, withholding publication of his name. In his sermon and prayers,
the pope emphasized the cardinals' special duty to preach the Gospel
and serve others. "Only if you become the servants of all will you
complete your mission and help the successor of Peter to be, in turn,
the 'servant of the servants of God,'" he said in his sermon, which
was read by an aide.
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Mother Teresa's rapport with the Pope
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- When Pope John Paul II beatified Mother
Teresa of Calcutta, he advanced the sainthood cause of a dear friend.
Blessed Mother Teresa, the Missionaries of Charity founder beatified
Oct. 19, and Pope John Paul knew each other before he became pope in
1978. In 1973, the two attended a eucharistic congress in Melbourne,
Australia. In his private notes from that time, then-Cardinal Karol
Wojtyla of Krakow, Poland, mentioned that the presence of Mother
Teresa at the congress, in a location close to the problems of the
Third World, "was very significant; her congregation is actively
involved in the problems of the poverty of that society." Early in his
pontificate, the two had a relationship such that Mother Teresa was
welcomed in 1982 when she arrived at Castel Gandolfo, the summer papal
residence, and interrupted a conversation between the pope and an
Italian youth organization. News clips over the years paint a picture
of the pope and Mother Teresa's regular visits with each other, often
with Mother Teresa leaving Rome with something she needed.
Copyright
(c) 2003
Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of
Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast,
rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means
as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or
in part without the prior written authority of
Catholic News Service.
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