Due to vacations, there were no news updates from 10/6 - 10/10/09. The following are some selected news highlights from this time period...
THE CHURCH
* EWTN foundress Mother Angelica has been awarded the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice Medal by Pope Benedict XVI
* Bishops in Ireland have apologized to a group of abuse victims
* The former Canadian bishop facing charges of child p*rn*graphy has moved to a new location after residents at the former location complained about his presence there
* Cardinal Puljic says a Vatican directive on alleged Marian apparitions at Medjugorje is expected soon, possibly by the end of this year
* Feminist alert: Nuns in Africa have called for "more of a say in running the Catholic Church"
* An African cardinal made waves with statements - "loosely rendered by translators" - that appeared to be at odds with Church teachings against c*ntraception
* A lay speaker who is scheduled to address the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops has attempted to dispute charges that he is a "liberal dissenter". Critics note that the speaker has previously addressed a known dissident group, supports pro-abort politicians, and is a member of a group that "distorts Catholic teaching"
* New springtime update: A diocesan newspaper reports that Sunday Mass attendance in the Diocese of Rochester has plummeted 25% between 2000 and 2008
* U.S. bishops bow to Jewish pressure: Two sentences from the bishops' earlier document will be removed to please "offended" Jews
* Bishops say the Supreme Court's refusal to extend a stay on the release of files related to earlier abuse cases is a "serious threat" to First Amendment rights
* Archbishop Chaput rebuts Cardinal Cottier's essay on the ND controversy. Says "Cardinal Cottier's articulate essay undervalues the gravity of what happened at Notre Dame. It also overvalues the consonance of President Obama’s thinking with Catholic teaching." Says that "Much is made, in some religious circles, of the President’s sympathy for Catholic social teaching. But defense of the unborn child is a demand of social justice. There is no 'social justice' if the youngest and weakest among us can be legally killed. Good programs for the poor are vital, but they can never excuse this fundamental violation of human rights."
* The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected an appeal by a priest convicted of murdering a nun in Ohio
* The disgraced Miami priest who fathered a child with a former str*pper is now battling for custody of the child
THE NATION
* So much for equal justice: U.S. House passes "hate crimes" bill designating homosexuals as a "protected class". Legislation was attached to a defense bill
* The federal budget deficit has tripled to a record $1.4 trillion for 2009 according to a CBO estimate
OTHER
* Scientists claim to duplicate features of the Shroud of Turin. Experts & researchers are critical, saying the replica doesn't match the Shroud (For more on this topic, see guest article entitled "Does the New Replica Disprove the Authenticity of the Shroud of Turin?")
* Catholic Mayor Richard Daley is under fire by pro-lifers for signing a "bubble zone law" in Chicago. Critics say it violates free speech
* New research paper says that the c*ntraceptive pill may impact one's choice of mate and may affect "reproductive success"
* Funds donated for breast cancer research may end up supporting abortion. Komen for the Cure gives hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants to Planned Parenthood
* Pro-lifers ban together to sue Department of Health and Human Services and National Institutes of Health over taxpayer funding of embryonic stem cell research
* Mexican bishop says homosexual unions cannot be considered marriages or families. Says "They can be called whatever you want, but never marriage" and says the unions "attack family values"
* President Obama has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize after less than two weeks of "achievement" as president at the time of his nomination. During this time, Obama's few "accomplishments" included the diverting of millions of taxpayer dollars to fund international abortions. Many pro-lifers and others were "shocked & dumbfounded" that Obama was chosen to receive the (traditionally) prestigious award, especially in light of the extraordinary accomplishments of individuals who were passed over for it in favor of Obama - the "most pro-abortion president in history". Surprisingly, the news was "greeted with appreciation at the Vatican in light of the president's demonstrated commitment to promoting peace on an international level and, in particular, in recently promoting nuclear disarmament" - a response that caused "shock and dismay" to pro-lifers. As one anonymous pro-life leader told the LifeSiteNews.com website, "If Obama was good on international peace and nuclear disarmament but favored the killing of Jews, its not likely he would get either the Noble Peace Prize or be praised by the Vatican." A variety of observers have criticized the award and even President Obama himself seemed to admit that the award wasn't necessarily "a recognition of [his] own accomplishments." As Judie Brown of American Life League stated, "The Nobel Committee has bestowed the 'Peace Prize' on a man dedicated to war in the womb."
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