Supreme Court asked to defend Seal of Confession in La. case
By MATT HADRO
Baton Rouge, La., Sep 6, 2014 / 07:32 am (CNA/EWTN News).- The Diocese of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court to review a ruling that a diocesan priest may be forced to break the Seal of Confession.
“This case concerns who – the Church or the state – gets to determine the meaning, content, and requirements of the Catholic Sacrament of Reconciliation – one of the Church’s most sacred and central practices,” the diocese’s appeal read.
Back in May, the Louisiana Supreme Court ruled that a priest of the Baton Rouge Diocese, Father Jeff Bayhi, could be forced to testify in court about a supposed confession made by a minor allegedly regarding her sexual abuse at the hands of a parishioner.
A state appeals court initially ruled that the alleged confession was “confidential” and thus Fr. Bayhi did not have to testify in court as to its alleged contents or whether it even took place.
However, the state Supreme Court reversed that decision, saying that the seal of confession did not shield Fr. Bayhi from mandatory reporting laws.
Christmas joy to you!
+ Most Rev. John B. Brungardt
Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Dodge City
My first year as your new bishop has been action-filled, as I have celebrated Mass in all 48 parishes in 28 counties (plus the folks in a quasi-parish; though I still don’t quite know what that means!); visited the students in each of the classrooms of our seven schools (twice), our seminarians in our seminaries (twice), students in many PSR classes, young people in several of our youth groups, Pope Benedict XVI (and I’ll see him again in March during my ad limina Apostolorum visit with the other bishops of Kansas, Missouri, Iowa and Nebraska), and many other groups and individuals. What I have discovered is that the Lord has blessed us with a wonderful diocese, with faith-filled people and active parishes. I thank you all for the wonderful hospitality and welcome you have shown me since I became your bishop-elect on December 15, 2010, and was ordained your new bishop on February 2.
Francis' letter to Cubans: Imitate Mary's joy, haste, perseverance
Santiago de Cuba, Cuba, Sep 7, 2014 / 10:00 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Marking the feast of the patroness of Cuba, Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre, Pope Francis on Monday sent a letter to Archbishop Dionisio Garcia Ibanez of Santiago encouraging the faithful of the island country to remain steadfast in their devotion to the Virgin Mary.
The Pope remarked particularly on three virtues that are seen in the account of Mary found in the Gospels: her joy, seen when she conceived Christ; her service, seen in her haste to aid her elderly cousin; and her perseverance, seen in her dedication to her son throughout her life. Pope Francis invited both the pastors and the faithful of Cuba to imitate these Marian virtues.
The Sept. 8 letter marks the Feast of Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre, which is shared with the Nativity of Mary. Her statue is kept at the Basilica del Cobre, near to Santiago.
The full text of Pope Francis' letter follows.
Dominican Sisters of Peace urge
‘comprehensive immigration reform’
Sisters call for ‘viable, legal avenues’ to reunite
families, legalize undocumented persons, provide
opportunities for permanent residency
The Dominican Sisters of Peace, which include more than 600 Sisters and 500 associates in 39 states and six countries, have approved a corporate stance on immigration reform that states:
“We, Dominican Sisters of Peace, call for comprehensive immigration reform that would provide additional viable legal avenues for immigration, reunite families, legalize undocumented persons, and establish opportunities for permanent residency.”
Through this statement, the Sisters join their voices with many other religious congregations, faith traditions, justice organizations, and more (including the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops) to express great alarm over the broken immigration system in the United States.
Jesus brings us the 'new wine' of joy, Pope Francis says
By ELISE HARRIS
Vatican City, Sep 5, 2014 / 07:03 am (CNA/EWTN News) - In his daily homily on Friday Pope Francis discussed how the Pharisees condemned Jesus' apostles for not fasting, saying that Jesus renews the old law and brings a new Gospel of joy.
“One cannot understand the mentality of these Doctors of the Law – for example – these Pharisaical 'teachers,'” the Pope told mass attendees gathered in the Vatican’s Saint Martha guesthouse Sept. 5.
“The style of the Gospel is a different style, which brings the fullness of the Law, yes, but in a new way: it is the new wine in new wineskins.”
‘This is where God wants me’
Priest finds deep devotion among
religious, laity alike serving at missions
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Education is key to the Catholic Church’s evangelization efforts among Native Americans, and St. Anthony Indian Mission School in Zuni, N.M., is “a case in point,” said Father Wayne Paysse.
Last October, the priest, executive director of the Washington-based Black and Indian Mission Office, visited the school in the Diocese of Gallup, N.M., which encompasses seven Indian tribes.
Principal Deborah Goering showed him around the elementary school. Accompanied by a reporter and photographer from Catholic News Service, Father Paysse stopped in every classroom, talking to the teachers, teachers’ aides, and students.
Analyst: Vatican regards Islamic State as waging a 'war of religion'
Vatican City, Sep 4, 2014 / 04:08 pm (CNA/EWTN News) - According to prominent Vatican analyst Sandro Magister, the Holy See views the aggression of the Islamic State as a religious war, and believes that international action taken so far is inadequate.
In a Sept. 4 post on his Settimo Cielo blog at l'Espresso, Magister made note of an editorial which appeared in the most recent issue of La Civiltà Cattolica, the Jesuits' Italian-language cultural review.
“Obviously, to promote peace it is necessary to know what the war truly is, and not what one would like it to be. It is crucial to study and to comprehend why and how the Islamic State fights. Theirs is a war of religion and of annihilation,” reads the editorial penned by Fr. Luciano Larivera, S.J.
Native American clears hurdle to sainthood
Miracle attributed to Kateri Tekakwitha’s intervention
SEATTLE (CNS) -- Elsa and Donny Finkbonner of St. Joseph Parish in Ferndale had no doubt that their young son’s recovery from a deadly flesh-eating bacteria almost six years ago was a miracle.
On Dec. 19, Pope Benedict XVI confirmed that when he signed a decree acknowledging a miracle attributed to the intervention of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha in the recovery of Jake Finkbonner from the rare and potentially fatal disease, necrotizing fascilitis.
In February 2006, just before his sixth birthday, the boy was playing basketball when he suffered a cut on his lip that enabled the bacteria to invade his bloodstream. Days later, he was near death at Children’s Orthopedic Hospital and Medical Center in Seattle.
Holy See calls for action in Iraq, and UN sends a mission
Vatican City, Sep 5, 2014 / 12:03 am (CNA/EWTN News) - The Holy See on Monday urged the UN to provide humanitarian aid to Iraq during a special session of the Human Rights Council, which chose to dispatch a mission to the nation to investigate alleged violations and abuses of international human rights.
The special session of the UN Human Rights Council was held Sept. 1 and concluded with a resolution adopted without a vote, through which the Council condemned the abuse of human rights law which had taken place in Iraq, and requested the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to dispatch a mission to Iraq.
The consecrated life:
A great gift of God
By MOST REV. JOHN B. BRUNGARDT
Bishop of Dodge City
As we begin a new calendar year, we reflect on the many gifts received from the Lord in 2011 and before. One such gift is the religious life, those women and men living a consecrated vocation in a religious community. Blessed John Paul II taught: “Religious bring the People of God into contact with the Redemption by the evangelical and ecclesial witness they bear by word and example to the message of Jesus.”
My first awareness of religious sisters was as a second grader at Seven Dolors Catholic Grade School in Manhattan. The Sisters of St. Joseph of Concordia taught me; some were probably praying that I would be a priest some day! My fourth grade teacher, Sister Leo Frances, recently died; may God bring her soul to the heavenly glory. I thank those sisters, and the many other religious sisters and brothers who have brought the faith of Jesus and His Church to me, and continue to influence me in my episcopal ministry.
On Saturday, Feb. 4 we will have a special Mass in thanksgiving for the Consecrated Religious serving in the Catholic Diocese of Dodge City. This Holy Mass will be at 10:30 a.m. in the Dominican Motherhouse in Great Bend, with lunch following.
I invite you to join me in celebrating the gift of our consecrated religious who minister to and with us.