Georgia Bulletin

Washington

• Pope Meets Privately With Sexual Abuse Victims

  By JOHN THAVIS, CNS
  Published April 24, 2008

  Pope Benedict XVI held an unscheduled meeting with victims of priestly sexual abuse, shortly after pledging the church’s continued efforts to help heal the wounds caused by such acts. The Vatican said the pope met privately in a chapel at the apostolic nunciature with “a small group of persons who were sexually abused by members […] Full Story

• Pope Says Religious Values Forged ‘Soul’ Of America

  By JOHN THAVIS, CNS
  Published April 24, 2008

  In a meeting at the White House, Pope Benedict XVI and President George W. Bush discussed the problem of terrorism and how to confront it while respecting human rights. The two leaders also expressed their joint concern for the protection of human life, marriage and the family, according to a statement issued after a private […] Full Story

• Pope Affirms, Challenges Catholic Educators

  By CAROL ZIMMERMANN, CNS
  Published April 24, 2008

  In an address to U.S. Catholic educators April 17, Pope Benedict XVI thanked them for their work and urged them to continue to bring their students to a deeper understanding of faith “which in turn nurtures the soul of a nation.” “A particular responsibility … for each of you, and your colleagues, is to evoke […] Full Story

• Atlanta Superintendent ‘Awed’ By Holy Father

  By MARY ANNE CASTRANIO, Staff Writer
  Published April 24, 2008

  The head of Atlanta’s Catholic schools, Superintendent Diane Starkovich, described with awe her experience at Pope Benedict’s meeting with Catholic educators April 17 on the campus of Catholic University of America. “It was one of those experiences you’ll remember for the rest of your life,” she said. One of over 400 educators representing every U.S. […] Full Story

• Speakers Encourage Catholic Social Ministry Workers

  By PATRICIA ZAPOR, CNS
  Published March 6, 2008

  Catholic social ministry is often frustrating, but a handful of speakers made a point of acknowledging the value of the work and thanking participants in an annual gathering of church workers in Washington. “The church owes you a debt of gratitude,” said Bishop Thomas G. Wenski of Orlando, Fla., at a Feb. 27 Mass closing […] Full Story

• Extraordinary Ministers Of Eucharist Will No Longer Purify Vessels At Mass

  By NANCY FRAZIER O’BRIEN, CNS
  Published November 9, 2006

  At the direction of Pope Benedict XVI, extraordinary ministers of holy Communion will no longer be permitted to assist in the purification of the sacred vessels at Masses in the United States. In an Oct. 23 letter, Bishop William S. Skylstad, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, asked his fellow bishops to inform […] Full Story

• A Year After Hurricanes, Dioceses Still Recovering

  

  By CAROL ZIMMERMANN, CNS
  Published August 24, 2006

  Southern dioceses from Texas to Alabama are still reeling from the swath of destruction left by last year’s hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The Archdiocese of New Orleans and the Diocese of Biloxi, Miss., both hit hard by Hurricane Katrina Aug. 29, have taken steps toward recovery, but full-scale restoration is still a long way off […] Full Story

• Collection To Aid Two Hurricane-Affected Dioceses

  By GEORGIA BULLETIN STAFF AND CNS REPORTERS
  Published August 3, 2006

  Because the needs of two dioceses affected by Hurricane Katrina “remain staggering and extremely urgent,” the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has asked that a special national collection be taken up in August in Catholic parishes. Sixty percent of the collection will be distributed to the Archdiocese of New Orleans and 40 percent to the […] Full Story

• Catholic Communications Offers Documentary, Web Site

  Published May 18, 2006

  The U.S. bishops’ Catholic Communication Campaign has been offering since March resources to provide accurate information on the life of Jesus and the origins of Christianity prior to the release of the movie based on Dan Brown’s novel “The Da Vinci Code.” Resources include a Web site, www.jesusdecoded.com, which is generating 60 to 100 e-mails […] Full Story

• Bishops Approve Major Documents At Meeting

  By NANCY FRAZIER O’BRIEN, CNS
  Published November 24, 2005

  After selecting a new general secretary for the next five years and taking a series of votes on major documents Nov. 15, members of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops moved into executive session for the second half of their Nov. 14-17 annual meeting in Washington. But before they did, they debated and approved documents […] Full Story

• Dioceses Urged To Help Young People From Gulf Coast Get To Conference In Atlanta

  By CNS
  Published September 29, 2005

  All dioceses and parishes planning to participate in the 2005 National Catholic Youth Conference in Atlanta in October are being asked to help young people from the Gulf Coast who now find they cannot attend because of economic hardship brought on by Hurricane Katrina. The Catholic Youth Foundation, which works in conjunction with the National […] Full Story

• Catholic Agencies, Dioceses Are On Front Lines

  Published September 8, 2005

  Catholic Charities was just one of several national organizations gearing up to provide assistance to victims of Hurricane Katrina, which slammed into the Gulf Coast east of New Orleans Aug. 29 and left hundreds, and possibly thousands, dead in its wake. Insurance firms were expecting claims stemming from Katrina to be the largest single-event payout […] Full Story

• Jewish Expressions Of Condolence Unprecedented

  By JERRY FILTEAU, CNS
  Published April 7, 2005

  The April 2 death of Pope John Paul II brought an absolutely unprecedented outpouring of condolences, thanks, praise and blessing from religious leaders of the Jewish community. Their comments indicated how deeply Catholic-Jewish relations have been affected worldwide by the Catholic Church’s first Polish pope—who as a youth personally experienced the tragedy of the Nazi […] Full Story

• Pope Urged U.S. Catholics To Use Freedom Responsibly

  By CAROL ZIMMERMANN, CNS
  Published April 7, 2005

  n Pope John Paul II’s seven visits to the United States, he continually urged Catholics to use their freedom responsibly and to preserve the sacredness and value of human life. In football stadiums in New York and California, a Hispanic barrio in Texas, a historic farm in Iowa and dozens of cathedrals, the pope challenged […] Full Story

• Church Prelates Hail Pope As Human Rights’ Champion

  By CNS
  Published April 7, 2005

  Church leaders from around the world hailed the late Pope John Paul II as a force for peace who touched the lives of Christians and non-Christians alike. Bishops from the Third World or conflict-ridden areas spoke of how Pope John Paul used the power of the papacy to draw the world’s attention to their plight. […] Full Story

• World Leaders Voice Condolences Over Pope’s Death

  By CNS
  Published April 7, 2005

  From the former president of Poland who said Pope John Paul II’s death was “as if Poland lost its mother,” to Cuba’s President Fidel Castro, who declared three days of mourning in the communist country, the world’s political leaders voiced appreciation for the late pope. “He looked after Poland as a mother looks after her […] Full Story

• Late Pope Described As Real Friend To U.S. Church

  By JERRY FILTEAU, CNS
  Published April 7, 2005

  Pope John Paul II was very interested in the U.S. church and understood it well, former top officials of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops said in interviews with Catholic News Service. Cardinal William H. Keeler of Baltimore, who was president of the USCCB in 1992-95, when it was still known as the National Conference […] Full Story

• Schiavo’s Death Mourned, Said To Raise Questions

  By GEORGIA BULLETIN STAFF and CNS
  Published April 7, 2005

  The plight of Terri Schiavo, who died March 31 nearly two weeks after her feeding tube was disconnected, raised critical questions for society, according to Baltimore Cardinal William H. Keeler, chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities. Schiavo, 41, had been in what doctors defined as a persistent vegetative state since 1990, when […] Full Story

• Why The Body Of The Pope Was Laid Out In Red Vestments

  Published April 7, 2005

  Why was the late Pope John Paul II clothed in red vestments for the viewing of his body? The answer is because red is “associated with the feasts of the apostles,” according to Msgr. Anthony Sherman, associate director of the U.S. bishops’ Secretariat for Liturgy, “and the pope is the first among the apostles.” The […] Full Story

• Audit Finds Compliance With Abuse Policies

  By AGOSTINO BONO, CNS
  Published February 24, 2005

  An independent audit released Feb. 18 in Washington reported that 96 percent of the 195 U.S. dioceses and Eastern-rite eparchies were implementing every applicable article of the U.S. bishops’ policies to prevent clergy sex abuse of minors as of Dec. 31. Despite the almost-total compliance, “continued external oversight and evaluation (are) essential” since compliance “may […] Full Story