Recent Catholic News

SOUTHAMPTON, Pa, February 20, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) – After a Mass which was celebrated for Terri Schindler-Schiavo in her parents former parish of Our Lady of Good Counsel, Terri’s father Bob Schindler expressed his gratitude for the support. “I’m ecstatic for Terri that these people would come out—and pray for her. It is so meaningful,” he told the Catholic Standard & Times, Philadelphia’s archdiocesan newspaper. With tears in his eyes, he said “Personally, I’m just overwhelmed at coming home again and being in our church. I’m so thankful, I’m so grateful.”  The parish came together in the celebration of the Mass […]

Study reveals "woeful lack of knowledge" about the real effect of sex in the media

CHICAGO, February 20, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Chicago mayor Richard M. Daley, whom the Chicago Sun Times has dubbed a “devout Catholic”, has told his County Clerk, David Orr, that he has “no problem” with Orr issuing marriage licences to same-sex couples.  His decision to emulate San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom is based on his belief that homosexuals “love each other just as much as anyone else.” When asked by the Sun Times if he thinks allowing same-sex couples to “marry” would undermine the institution of marriage as between a man and a woman, he said “Marriage has been undermined by […]

BERNALILLO, NM, February 20, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Sandoval County Clerk Victoria Dunlap has told reporters of a plan to issue marriage licences to same-sex couples.  She says that the decision has no connection with “politics or morals.”  The county claims that the decision has more to do with the legal implications inherent in refusing same-sex couples access to the licence.  The state defines marriage as a civil contract between contracting parties, and makes no mention of the necessity for the “contract” to involve a man and a woman.  The county attorney said that refusing same-sex couples access to the licence […]

SAN FRANCISCO, February 20, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The California state agency that records marriages is rejecting the altered forms, as submitted by same-sex couples who were granted marriage licenses recently in San Francisco. If the standard application form for marriage licenses in California “has been altered in any way, then it will not be registered and recorded,” Nicole Evans, spokeswoman for California Health and Human Services secretary Kim Belshe, told the Washington Times.  “It will be sent back to the county of origin,” she said.  The common changes found on the licenses has been to replace “bride” and “groom” as […]

First Things on Gibson’s Passion http://www.firstthings.com/ftissues/ft0403/opinion/hittingerlev.html   Gibson’s Family: Father Tricked Into Interview http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2004/2/20/125718.shtml   Virginia House Approves Pain Killers for Babies About to be Aborted http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD%2FMGArticle%2FRTD_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1031773744819&path=%21news%21politics&s=1031773094959   President Bush Wants to See Gibson Film The Passion of the Christ http://apnews.myway.com/article/20040220/D80R5KIO0.html   New Hampshire House rejects ban on publicly funded abortions http://www.boston.com/news/local/new_hampshire/articles/2004/02/20/house_rejects_ban_on_publicly_funded_abortions/  Catholic Priest Prof Rips Mel Gibson movie as “anti-Jewish, theologically flawed and historically dubious”  http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20040219/COPASSION19/TPEntertainment/Film Sparks fly as Spiritual War Intensifies and Gibson Movie nears Release http://www.spiritdaily.com/gibsonspiritualwarfare.htm [SJ – Feb. 19 – not sent]  Conservative Spokesman Urges Congress to Restrain Runaway Judiciary http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/2/afa/202004d.asp   The Forum: Discipline for […]

TORONTO, February 19, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) – In Press Releases on Feb. 18 and 19, the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (EFC) and the Ontario Conference of Catholic Bishops (OCCB) have announced their request to provincial governments to provide freedom of religion and conscience protection for those who solemnize marriage. In its Feb. 18 release, the EFC states it “has written letters to the provincial governments of Ontario and British Columbia to amend their solemnization of marriage legislation to provide specific protection for religious freedom for those who solemnize marriages”. In addition to protection for clergy, the EFC writes that it “is […]

In the Feb. 18 LifeSiteNews.com story, “Forceful Catholic Response from Bishop and Newman Society Cancels Offensive Play at Catholic Campuses”, it was reported that Wheeling Jesuit University was one of the colleges that cancelled the Vagina Monologues presentation.  Fr. Daniel R. J. Joyce, S.J., Vice President of Wheeling, responded to LifeSiteNews.com that “Wheeling Jesuit has never hosted or has any connection with the production you name on your site.  This V-Day production has been performed in our town under the sponsorship of a local non-profit corporation that works against domestic violence.  Some of our students who volunteer with this organization […]

SEOUL, February 19, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) – In December, 1998, The Korean newspaper, Chosun-Ilbo, reported that researchers Kim Seung-bo and Lee Bo-yeon had successfully replaced the nucleus of a human oocyte (egg) with the nucleus from a somatic cell and cultivated it until it had divided twice before destroying it. International news media almost completely ignored the event which was announced at a press conference but never appeared in a peer review journal. South Korean civic and religious groups, however, mobilized and the government introduced legislation to regulate the activity. In response to opposition, the researchers protested that what they had […]

INCHEON, February 19, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) – South Korean researchers, Profs. Hwang Woo-suk and Moon Shin-yong, who succeeded in creating 30 cloned human embryos, have announced that they will cease using human oocytes (eggs) for their cloning activities for the time being. “We tentatively stopped cloning with human eggs. We will resume such studies only after receiving international opinions and the views of the Korean government and people.” It is not known if the researchers will be employing the newly developed techniques of creating human gametes, “eggs” and sperm, by manipulating other cells. “If we don’t stick to human eggs, we […]