Articles for Month: January 2004

BRUSSELS, January 13, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Belgian Cardinal Godfried Danneels, 70, the left-leaning media favourite to become the next pope, has unleashed another firestorm by publicly advocating the use of condoms as protection from HIV/AIDS.  “When someone is seropositive and his partner says: I want to have sexual relations with you—he doesn’t have to do that, if you ask me—but when he does, he has to use a condom…,” said Daneels in a radio interview Sunday.  Speaking on the Kruispunt programme of Dutch Catholic broadcaster RKK, Daneels said, “This (the use of condoms) comes down to protecting yourself in a […]

MONTREAL, January 13, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Montreal’s Cardinal Jean-Claude Turcotte fielded questions from reporters on the news that the city’s Grand Seminaire would be performing HIV tests on applicants.  “For us, HIV is a disease like any other, but it’s a very serious disease,” he said. “The question is not whether he is homosexual. It is whether or not he has an active sexuality. Whether it is hetero or homo, it’s the same thing. To live in celibacy you cannot have an active sexuality.”  The Cardinal compared discovery of HIV infection to discovery of any other serious health problem.  “It’s […]

OTTAWA, January 13, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The views of Canadians on the issue of homosexual ‘marriage’ or unions may finally be heard, as new Justice Minister Irwin Cotler announced that he would be traveling the country soliciting public opinion on the subject.  Moreover, government sources have told the Toronto Star that the questions being put before the Supreme Court of Canada for a reference are to be expanded to include asking whether the traditional definition of marriage is constitutional.  The delay may push the homosexual ‘marriage’ issue beyond the next election which is widely expected to be held in May. […]

ENCINO, CA, January 12, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) – “Governor Howard Dean’s recent comments on homosexuality evidence a lack of understanding about the origins of same-sex attractions and the psychological and physical problems associated with homosexual behaviour,” said Dr. A. Dean Byrd today. Dr. Byrd is a Scientific Advisory Committee member of the National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality.  Dr. Byrd’s statement comes in the wake of Dr. Dean’s widely quoted remarks in the Washington Post that, “From a religious point of view, if God had thought homosexuality is a sin, he would not have created gay people….The overwhelming evidence […]

KAMPALA, January 12, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Uganda, the country acknowledged for having waged the most successful anti-AIDS battle in the world, owes most of the success of its program to President Museveni and his wife, First Lady, Janet Museveni.  While ‘safe-sex’ pushers in the West have claimed that Uganda’s program has relied on condoms as a essential component, Uganda’s First Lady has said differently.  Speaking at the official opening of an annual youth conference in Kampala, she told over 2000 young people, “You do not need sex at your age. Wait until you are married. You can choose to fight […]

BOSTON, January 12, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Boston Archbishop Sean P. O’Malley celebrated the annual Red Mass yesterday, calling on politicians to fight against the radical redefinition of marriage.  The annual event for politicians and lawyers was told “We cannot afford to be asleep at the switch. We cannot afford to run for cover. Today, at this Red Mass, I call on you, our Catholic lawyers and jurists, to live your baptismal commitment. Your baptism and your profession invest you with a great responsibility. Use your wisdom to defend the truth, to defend marriage. Do it with a passion and do […]

CLEARWATER, Florida, January 12, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) – On Friday, Chief Judge David Demers rejected Gov. Jeb Bush’s request that an independent guardian continue to work on brain-damaged Terri Schiavo’s behalf.  In his ruling, Demers questioned the constitutionality of the law which granted the independent guardian in the first place. A statement released by the governor’s office said that “Terri Schiavo yet again has been denied an independent voice in the proceedings that may very well determine the outcome of her life.”  Dr. Jay Wolfson, formerly court-appointed Guardian for Terri Schiavo, the severely disabled Florida woman at the centre of a […]

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida, January 12, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A Florida court ruled two to one in favour of denying Florida Governor Jeb Bush’s appeal that the unborn child of a severely disabled woman be appointed a guardian while the child was still in the womb.  The woman, 23 year-old J.D.S., delivered a healthy baby girl in August of 2003.  The appeal continued despite the child’s birth, because of the ground-breaking nature of the decision.  Under Florida law, a guardian can be appointed for any “person” who cannot make decisions for themselves.  The law does not explicitly mention the foetus.  The […]

VANCOUVER, January 12, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Archbishop Adam Exner of Vancouver has retired after reaching the Church’s mandatory retirement age of 75. Serving as Bishop of Vancouver since 1991, Archbishop Exner has been, despite his best efforts at anonymity, praised by Catholics throughout Canada as a pro-life leader among his colleagues.  The archdiocese of Vancouver has announced that he is to be replaced by Bishop Raymond Roussin of Victoria.  The respect and admiration for Archbishop Exner stems from his faithfulness to church teachings and his courage and clarity in the face of opposition.  In the most difficult circumstances – even […]

LA CROSSE, January 9, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Archbishop Raymond L. Burke, of the La Crosse Diocese, has issued a pastoral letter in which he clearly explains that life issues such as abortion and euthanasia take precedence over any other political considerations.  The letter states, “Some will say that the defence of innocent life is only one issue among many, that it is important but not fundamental. They are wrong. In the natural moral law, the good of life is the most fundamental good and the condition for the enjoyment of all other goods.”  Quoting Pope John Paul II, the Archbishop […]