Some News Highlights

A few recent news highlights...

* Bishop John Steinbock of Fresno died Sunday at age 73. He suffered for four months with lung cancer prior to his death

* St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral was formally inaugurated as a basilica this weekend. The gothic style basilica was built in the early 1800's and was designated a NYC landmark decades ago

* The head of the U.S. bishops' conference has added his signature to an open letter defending marriage as "the permanent and faithful union of one man and one woman" that is "fundamental to the well-being of all of society". The 'shared commitment' letter was also signed by leaders of various 'religious communities' (Protestants, Jews, etc.). Archbishop Dolan affirmed that marriage protects the common good and noted that "People of any faith or no faith at all can recognize that when the law defines marriage as between one man and one woman, it legally binds a mother and a father to each other and their children, reinforcing the foundational cell of human society." [Related: Catholic teachings on marriage (Topic Page)]

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News Highlights

Some recent news highlights...

* St. Patrick's Old Cathedral in NY will be formally designated a basilica on Sunday

* The recently released article concerning Pope Benedict's positive influence on the Church's penal law is expected to be published on Saturday in an Italian magazine

* The Bishops Conference in England and Wales has been charged with maneuvering to "ignore, block, and ultimately frustrate Summorum Pontificum" and has reportedly "spent a great deal of effort behind the scenes gathering data to support the idea that there is no demand" in England and Wales for the TLM [Related: Summorum Pontificum Info (Latin Mass Updates | The Traditional Latin ('Tridentine') Mass vs. the Novus Ordo (New) Mass]

* Where do they find these men? A Houston-area priest has been charged with public lewdness after he reportedly exposed himself at an adult book store

* Watch where your donations go: Catholic AIDS workers in South Africa are reportedly using Pope Benedict's recent comments to "justify" the distribution of c*nd*ms, even though the Pope did not say use of c*nd*ms can be justified [Related: Catholic teachings against contraception | Pope Benedict's Remarks On C*nd*ms: Facts, Falsities & Fallout]

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