By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Writer
An Italian bishop is calling on parents to stop giving their children “ridiculous” names and revert to traditional Christian names instead.
Monthly Archives: December 2008
Oils Dating to Time of Mary Magdalene Found in Palestine
By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Writer
Archeologists have found unopened vases of aromatic oils dating from the first century AD in the ancient Palestinian town of Magdala, from where Mary Magdalene gets her name.
Pope’s World Day of Peace Message Emphasizes “Tragic Situations of Poverty”
By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Writer
Pope Benedict XVI’s World Day of Peace message for Jan. 1, 2009, entitled “Fighting Poverty to Build Peace” highlights much more than just the material poverty experienced in the world today. He calls attention to “tragic situations of poverty” such as the spiritual and moral malaise in the West, the lack of proper healthcare in developing nations, greed-driven financial systems and the threat globalization poses to the poor.
Montana To Allow Assisted Suicide
By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Writer
As a result of a judge’s ruling, Montana has become the third state to legalize physician-assisted suicide by allowing physicians to prescribe life-ending medication to terminally ill patients without threat of criminal prosecution. The man who brought the case died naturally on the same day the decision was handed down.
Wisconsin Bishop Forbids Faithful to Read Book
By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Writer
Catholics in the Diocese of Madison, Wisconsin are being warned not to read a book written by a suspended priest detailing the secret proceedings of a church tribunal. Madison Bishop Robert C. Morlino says those who read it could be committing a “canonical crime.”
Christian Words Dropped from New Dictionary
By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Writer
Oxford University Press has decided to delete words such as sin, devil, altar and bishop from the new Oxford Junior Dictionary and replace them with more contemporary words such as celebrity, MP3 player and tolerant.
Austria Donates Vatican Christmas Tree
By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Writer
On Friday, Dec. 12, a delegation of 1,000 pilgrims from Lower Austria will present Pope Benedict XVI with a 109 foot Christmas tree that will decorate St. Peter’s Square during the 2008 Christmas season.
British Television to Broadcast Suicide
By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Writer
A British television channel is planning to broadcast the assisted suicide death of 59 year old man suffering from motor neurone disease tomorrow night.
Abortion Chain Closes After Owner Convicted
By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Writer
A chain of 11 abortuaries targeting mostly Hispanic women in southern California was forced to close after their owner pled guilty to performing abortions without a medical license.
Homosexuals Stage Protest at the Vatican
By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Writer
Nearly 100 homosexual activists and the media gathered outside St. Peter’s Square in Rome on Saturday, claiming the Catholic Church as an unspoken agenda to “kill” homosexuals.
