More Recent News Highlights

Some more recent news highlights...

* Before leaving for summer vacation, Pope Benedict blessed a new 18-foot marble statue of a Sicilian priest, St. Annibale Maria di Francia, at St. Peter's

* "One of Michigan’s oldest newspapers" has laid off almost half its staff and will cut back its publication schedule after losing its annual subsidy from the Archdiocese of Detroit

* A client of St. Vincent Catholic Charities in Lansing, MI reportedly set fire to the charity's building and smashed several windows before being taken into custody. The motive was unknown and there were no reports of injuries

* LCWR's support of the recently passed healthcare reform bill was reportedly the topic of "lengthy discussions" between the dissenting LCWR and Vatican officials. Apparently disconnected from reality, the group - which lent its support for the bill in direct opposition to the U.S. bishops - claimed in a letter to their members that "We were very clear in stating that our actions were not in opposition to the U.S. bishops"

* Researchers have discovered that Cardinal Pacelli (the future Pope Pius XII) may have saved some 200,000 Jews during WWII by "secretly securing visas" which enabled them to escape Nazi Germany

* The recently circulated letter which purportedly came from Ecclesia Dei has been re-scanned at another site which claims to personally know the recipient. The letter confirmed that the TLM "envisages the reception of Holy Communion while kneeling, as the Sacred Host is laid directly on the tongue of the communicant. There is no provision for the distribution of Holy Communion on the hand in this Form of the Holy Mass." The letter has been questioned over various "peculiarities". The new image is in color and includes a view of the envelope containing postal markings and an Ecclesia Dei emblem, apparently providing additional support for its authenticity. [Let's hope it's real!]

* He's at it again: A bishop in South Africa, Bishop Kevin Dowling, has criticized the TLM in an address to a group of "leading laity" in his country. The misguided bishop complained about a "grandiose display", supposed lack of participation, all male servers, silence, triumphalism, "restorationism", etc., etc. He also lamented the "rise of conservative groups and organisations in the Church... which attract significant numbers of adherents, has led to a phenomenon which I find difficult to deal with." The liberal bishop also (wrongly) suggested that it's acceptable to question the all-male priesthood and complained about a supposed "policy of appointing 'safe', unquestionably orthodox and even very conservative bishops to fill vacant dioceses over the past 30 years." [Blah, blah, blah...] This is the same bishop who dissents from Church teachings regarding c*nd*ms and who has expressed disapproval of new, more accurate translations of the Novus Ordo liturgy. [Refresher: Top Reasons Why Women Can't Be Priests]

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