Catholic New World - News Digest

News Update

NFP Awareness week in July

The Diocesan Development Program for Natural Family Planning and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops have designated July 20-26 as "Natural Family Planning Awareness Week."

The week commemorates the 40th anniversary of "Humanae Vitae" with the theme of "Freely, Totally and Faithfully."

"Couples who practice NFP often speak of the greater intimacy it has brought to their marriages," said Maria Garcia, coordinator for NFP in the Archdiocese of Chicago. "By affirming both the love-giving and life-giving dimensions of marriage, through NFP couples have the opportunity to truly become a free, total and faithful gift of themselves to each other."

A poster and other resources are available to help promote Natural Family Planning. Posters are available in English and Spanish To obtain a free poster or NFP brochures, please call Garcia at (312) 751-8273 or e-mail mgarcia@ archchicago.org

Maryville: 125 years and counting

Maryville Academy will celebrate 125 years of caring for children with a Mass and informal reception July 26. Cardinal George will celebrate Mass at 4:30 p.m. at Maryville's Des Plaines campus, 1150 N. River Road.

Fellowship and light refreshments will follow the Mass from 6- 7 p.m. All are welcome, but guests are asked to to RSVP to [email protected]. For information, visit www.maryvilleacademy. org.

News Digest

Crime and punishment: Vatican City tackles vast array of crimes

From picked pockets to a 1998 double murder and suicide, the Vatican legal system has dealt with a vast array of crimes and misdemeanors over the decades. Vatican City State's judicial system is unique in that its legal foundations are rooted in the Code of Canon Law, papal decrees, the Lateran Pacts and Italian and Roman municipal laws. Of the half-dozen different tribunal systems listed in the Vatican telephone book, just one deals specifically with the more mundane maintenance of law and order in the 108- acre country. The other systems tackle ecclesial matters.

Pope recognizes miracles attributed to missionary in Hawaii, others

Pope Benedict XVI has authorized publication of a decree recognizing a miracle attributed to the intercession of Blessed Damien de Veuster of Molokai, clearing the way for his canonization. The decree was the first of 13 published by the Vatican July 3 after Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martins, prefect of the Congregation for Saints' Causes, met the pope at his summer residence in Castel Gandolfo, south of Rome.

Pope's first day in Australia spent resting, writing talks

Pope Benedict XVI spent his first full day in Australia resting, going for walks and putting the finishing touches on the speeches he will make to young people gathered in the city for World Youth Day. Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, papal spokesman, said the pope woke early July 14 and celebrated Mass for about a dozen staff members at the Opus Dei-run Kenthurst Study Centre northwest of Sydney. The pope is staying at the center until the evening of July 16, resting after a 21-hour flight from Rome.

Holy Name Cathedral repairs ongoing

Repairs are continuing at Holy Name Cathedral, said Father Dan Mayall, the rector. There is still a hope and expectation that the cathedral, closed since February, will reopen by the end of the summer, "but we're not putting a date on that yet," he said. The 1875 building, Chicago's second cathedral, closed after a 10-pound decorative piece of wood fell from the ceiling Feb. 12. At first, weekend Masses continued in the cathedral, under a protective scaffold, while weekday Masses moved to the parish center. But the building was closed to the public until further notice March 11when structural engineers determined that wooden beams holding up the roof were weakening. Architects and engineers have been working out a solution since then, while cathedral staff have been working with dozens of brides and grooms to relocate their weddings to nearby Catholic churches. The timing of the closure meant that many annual liturgies had to be moved, from the Easter Vigil, which was held at St. Joseph Church on Orleans, to the May 17 ordination of priests, which was held at St. Juliana Parish on the Northwest Side. While the cathedral sanctuary is closed, the cathedral parish continues to function, Mayall emphasized. Weekday and Sunday Masses have been moved into the parish center, with other sacraments held in alternate places. Baptisms can still be performed in the cathedral chapel, which is part of a separate structure added to the cathedral in 1915. The cathedral is the parish home to about 4,500 registered households, the home of the local church of the Archdiocese of Chicago and a welcoming place for Catholics visiting Chicago for a variety of reasons, Mayall said.

Tips for a lifelong marriage

Every marriage matters, because marriage comes from the hand of God. God brings a man and a woman together to love and support each other. The Catholic community believes marriage happens with the help of the Lord and is a relationship that parallels the love of Christ for his people. It is a lifelong commitment to one other person and a dwelling place of God's spirit. Christian marriage is a demanding vocation that needs the support and encouragement of the entire community. We believe that the well-being of all society is closely tied to the healthy state of marriage and family life.

Voters may back candidate who supports marriage amendment

The Family Research Council released results of a commissioned national poll July 10 that indicates 58 percent of probable voters in the 2008 presidential election are more likely to vote for a candidate who supports traditional marriage protection amendments that will be on the ballots in California, Arizona and Florida this November. The question posed by the Christian lobbying organization was worded: "As you may know, several states have measures on the November ballot that would amend their state constitutions to define marriage as the union of one man and one woman. Would you be more likely or less likely to vote for a presidential candidate who supports those amendments?"

Network to coordinate universities' response to crises arond the world

While many of their colleagues were getting a jump on summer jobs and vacations, students and faculty from 20 Jesuit-run U.S. universities met at Fordham University in New York to discuss ways to coordinate their responses to humanitarian crises around the globe. The workshop was the first national initiative of the Jesuit Universities Humanitarian Action Network. Held June 20-22, it drew 156 students and 20 faculty members.

Saul of Tarsus before Damascus

First in a series by Daughter of St. Paul Sister for the Pauline Year St. Paul is one of the best-known personalities of the ancient world - a historian's dream come true. Not only do we have some of his own letters, we also have an account of his life's work in the Acts of the Apostles (attributed to St. Luke). Paul is referred to in other ancient writings within 50 years of his death, and by that point his own letters were copied and distributed so far and wide that he would have been amazed. Because of this, we have a better idea of Paul's life than we do of many major figures of the Roman Empire. We certainly know more about Paul than we do, humanly speaking, about Jesus, who left no personal writings at all.

Catholic New World - Newspaper for the Archdiocese of Chicago

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