Aboriginal Reconciliation	PM'S BROKEN PROMISE DISMAYS RELIGIOUS LEADER The President of the Australian Conference of Leaders of Religious Institutes, Sr Margaret Cassidy has strongly criticised the Prime Minister's statement that Aboriginal reconciliation will not be achieved by the 31 December deadline.	29 Feb 00
Vatican	POPE SAYS VATICAN II STILL RELEVANT Vatican II reforms will guide the Catholic Church into the new millennium, Pope John Paul II said on Sunday, implicitly rejecting the idea of a new council to push for additional reforms.	29 Feb 00
Israel	PIUS' LEGACY MARS POPE'S MIDDLE EAST VISIT The Vatican's top diplomat in the Holy Land, Archbishop Pietro Sambi, has aroused tensions with Jewish leaders by saying that Pius XII kept silent about the Nazi genocide precisely because he wanted to save Jewish lives.	29 Feb 00
USA	BUSH 'REGRETS' ALIENATING CATHOLICS In a letter to the leader of New York's Catholics, Gov. George W. Bush said he "deeply" regretted "causing needless offense" by making a campaign appearance at a South Carolina school with anti-Catholic views.	29 Feb 00
Brazil	CATHOLICS TO APOLOGISE TO MINORITIES Brazilian Catholics will seek forgiveness for maltreatment of blacks and native Indians over the past 500 years, according to the president of Brazil's bishops' conference.	29 Feb 00
Italy	BISHOPS PROPOSE REPARATION FOR EXPLOITATION OF SEX WORKERS The Italian Bishops' Commission on Immigration has proposed a Lenten penitential act that includes 'fasting or Lenten processions, to repair the scandal and irreparable damage inflicted by Italian 'clients' on women, often foreign minors, subjected to the infamous trade for the purpose of prostitution'.	29 Feb 00
Egypt	POPE PRAYS AT MT SINAI Pope John Paul II travelled to Mount Sinai on Saturday, praying that all peoples whose faith begins here remember the covenant between God and Moses was eternal.	28 Feb 00
Egypt	POPE CALLS FOR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM The Holy Father has called for religious tolerance as he celebrated the first mass of his unprecedented visit to Egypt.	28 Feb 00
Health Care	CATHOLIC HEALTH BODY WELCOMES DEMOCRATS' POLICY Catholic Health Australia has welcomed the opposition of Australian Democrats Leader, Senator Meg Lees, to the Federal Government's imposition of fringe benefits tax on the church and charitable sector.	28 Feb 00
NSW	WAGGA PRIEST ATTACKS LOCAL WITCHES A priest from Wagga Wagga in NSW has expressed concern with the apparent rise in yoga, witchcraft, reading horoscopes and wearing good luck charms..	28 Feb 00
South Africa	ARCHBISHOP SUPPORTS ANIMAL SACRIFICE A black Catholic archbishop in South Africa has called for animal sacrifice to be incorporated into church services in a liturgical struggle which is dividing the country's congregations on racial lines.	28 Feb 00
Italy	SICILIAN PRIEST POISONED DURING MASS A Sicilian priest was in critical condition on Friday after a church worker put poison in the sacramental wine before Mass.	28 Feb 00
India	HANDS OFF MEDIA, CATHOLIC JOURNALISTS TELL INDIAN GOVERNMENT The Indian Catholic Press Association has called for renewed efforts to safeguard press freedom in the country and urged the government to refrain from interfering with media.	28 Feb 00
Sydney	ARCHBISHOPS SPEAK OUT AGAINST MARDI GRAS Sydney's Catholic and Anglican archbishops have called the forthcoming Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras an exercise in gross exhibitionism that is undeserving of the presence or support of Christians.	25 Feb 00
Social Justice	CHAPLAINS APPEAL FOR EARLY RELEASE IN PRISON AMNESTY NSW prison chaplains have issued an amnesty call for a 10% reduction in sentences for around 5000 NSW prisoners to mark year 2000 Jubilee celebrations, the Catholic Weekly reports.	25 Feb 00
Social Justice	AUSTRALIAN BISHOP APPEALS TO GEORGE W BUSH TO SPARE TEXAS DEATH ROW INMATE Bishop Kevin Manning, Chairman of the Australian Catholic Social Justice Council, issued an appeal to Texas Governor George W. Bush to spare the life of Betty Lou Beets, who was due for execution yesterday.	25 Feb 00
Egypt	CHRISTIANS BESIEGED AS POPE FLIES IN On the eve of the Pope's first visit to the biblical sites of Mount Sinai, Egypt was in the grip of religious violence in which at least 19 Christians have been killed by Muslims.	25 Feb 00
Vatican	POPE LEAVES INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE TRAVELLING According to an Italian newspaper report, when Pope John Paul II departed Rome yesterday for his trip to Egypt, he left behind instructions to be followed in case he is involved in an accident.	25 Feb 00
Vatican	HOLY SEE REJECTS SOME CLAIMS OF PREFERRED WAY TO CELEBRATE MASS In a letter to a US bishop, the Vatican Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments has rejected arguments that priests should give preference to Eucharistic Prayer I and should stand at the altar with their back to the people when they celebrate Mass.	25 Feb 00
El Salvador	'ROMERO' TO BE NATIONALLY TELEVISED IN EL SALVADOR A film about the late Archbishop Oscar A. Romero, previously banned by Salvadoran authorities, will be shown on national television as part of the commemorations of the 20th anniversary of his death.	25 Feb 00
Education	CATHOLIC SCHOOL ENROLMENTS INCREASE New figures compiled by the Catholic Education Commission's February census of schools reveals enrolments in NSW diocesan schools have increased by 2.6 % from the same period in February, 1999.	24 Feb 00
Hong Kong	CARITAS CAUTIONS HOPEFUL REFUGEES A Caritas official in Hong Kong has said that the remaining Vietnamese awaiting resettlement there should not place too much hope on going overseas.	24 Feb 00
Israel	ENVIRONMENTALISTS ATTACK PAPAL PREPARATIONS An Israeli environmentalist group said earlier this week that the government was destroying pristine areas near the Sea of Galilee as it prepared for Pope John Paul II's trip to the region next month.	24 Feb 00
USA	BUSH PERCEIVED AS ANTI-CATHOLIC AFTER VISIT TO PROTESTANT UNIVERSITY Texas Gov. George W. Bush's visit to a South Carolina fundamentalist Christian university cost him Catholic votes, according to political analysts.	24 Feb 00
Vatican	POPE REAFFIRMS CHRIST'S INITIATION OF PAPACY In spite of its weaknesses, the ministry of Peter's successor has its origins in Christ's own words, Pope John Paul II said on Tuesday during the Roman Curia's celebration of their Jubilee in the Vatican.	24 Feb 00
USA	SAINT AGAINST RACISM Katherine Marie Drexel, the second native-born US saint will be canonised in October. Born into a wealthy family, she dedicated her inheritance and life to combating the damaging effects of racism.	24 Feb 00
Egypt	POPE'S TRIP RAISES POLITICAL ISSUES Pope John Paul II's personal pilgrimage to Egypt will focus attention on sectarian tensions, according to Egyptian Catholic Bishop Youhanna Kolta.	23 Feb 00
UK	NEW BRITISH ARCHBISHOP CALLS FOR END TO CATHOLIC MARRIAGE BAN The archbishop-elect of Westminster has called for an end to the law which bars the heir to the British throne from marrying a Catholic.	23 Feb 00
India	ONLY INDIGENOUS THEOLOGY WILL APPEASE HINDUS: SCHOLARS Christians in India will remain apart from Hindus unless they develop a philosophy attuned to Indian culture, Hindu scholars have told a Church-sponsored seminar.	23 Feb 00
Indonesia	RIGHTS GROUP AND STUDENTS PROTEST SHOOTING OF CIVILIANS Rights advocates and Catholic students have protested last week's shooting of civilians by police during a protest in a town in Papua (formerly Irian Jaya) province.	23 Feb 00
USA	US BISHOPS TARGET EXECUTIONS The US Catholic bishops have urged President Clinton to suspend all federal executions.	23 Feb 00
UK	SCOTTISH CHURCH OPPOSES PLANS FOR SAME-SEX BENEFITS Members of the Scottish Parliament are considering proposals to make homosexual relationships equal in law to heterosexual marriages, but the move has angered the Church in Scotland and family campaigners.	22 Feb 00
Israel	TV'S ROMANTIC PRIEST NOT FUNNY, CHURCH SAYS A romantic 'priest' hugging a shapely 'nun' on Israeli television has led to a holy controversy with the Roman Catholic church.	22 Feb 00
Africa	KING OF LESOTHO BREAKS TRADITION TO EMBRACE MONOGAMY The Catholic King of Lesotho has announced his marriage, and surprised his people by saying that he will have only one wife.	22 Feb 00
Italy	BISHOPS INSIST ON MARRIAGE PREPARATION Parish priests 'must make a greater effort to prepare couples for marriage' and have the courage to stop the person 'who has an idea of marriage that does not correspond to that of the Gospel and the Magisterium'.	22 Feb 00
China	ORDINATIONS BOOSTS STATE CHURCH At least 15 dioceses in the government-recognised "open" Church in China have elected new bishops since the ordination without papal approval of five bishops in Beijing at the beginning of the year.	22 Feb 00
Vatican	OFFICIAL PAPER APPLAUDS MORALITY OF CHARLES M. SCHULZ The official Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano has paid tribute to Charlie Brown's for achieving success 'without taking recourse to vulgarity'. It says the late Charles M. Schulz, gave 'a lesson of moral cleanliness to young cartoonists and short story writers: psychology and romanticism can create situations that make one smile'.	21 Feb 00
Vatican	CARDINAL SODANO ADVOCATES PINOCHET'S RETURN TO CHILE Cardinal Angelo Sodano, Vatican Secretary of State, has said that former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet should be allowed to return to his country for humanitarian reasons.	21 Feb 00
Vatican	POPE ENCOURAGES ARTISTS AT VATICAN JUBILEE In remarks to artists who had gathered at the Vatican for their special Jubilee celebration, Pope John Paul II said that the partnership between art and faith must be renewed by a "conversion of heart" on the part of every working artist.	21 Feb 00
Vatican	HOLY SEE SORRY FOR CONDEMNATION OF HERETIC MONK The Church has expressed 'profound sorrow' for the condemnation to death of Giordano Bruno, the philosopher burnt at the stake exactly 400 years ago.	21 Feb 00
France	FRENCH CARDINAL CHALLENGES RATZINGER A French cardinal seen by some Vatican-watchers as a possible successor to Pope John Paul II, has challenged Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the church's top doctrinal officer, on the need for Catholicism to make structural changes arising from dialogue with the modern world.	21 Feb 00
Vatican	PAPER URGES UNIFIED RESPONSE TO CYANIDE SPILL Following the environmental disaster that has struck the Danube, the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano has called for 'international cooperation free of egotism" and the promotion of "an environmental culture.'	21 Feb 00
Industrial Relations	EMPLOYEE PROTECTION SCHEME WORRIES CATHOLIC BODY The Australian Catholic Commission for Employment has said that the Federal Government's new Employee Entitlement Support Scheme could act as a disincentive to employers to make sure their employees' entitlements were protected.	18 Feb 00
Women	GST THREATENS CHURCH CHARITY WORKS Charitable services being conducted by religious congregations may need to be reviewed once the GST is introduced, according to Sr Mary Cresp, executive director of Australian Conference of Leaders of Religious Institutes.	18 Feb 00
Women	'WOMAN AND MAN' IMPLEMENTATION COMMITTEE ANNOUNCED Five women consultants will join six bishops on a committee overseeing the implementation of recommendations on women's participation in the Church in Australia.	18 Feb 00
Africa	US IMPOSES SANCTIONS ON SUDAN FOR LACK OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM The US Treasury Department has announced a series of economic sanctions against Sudan's state-owned oil companies after a government commission on religious freedom recommended strong action against the African country.	18 Feb 00
Africa	PRIEST'S MURDER CAUSES POLITICAL TENSIONS In the Democratic Republic of Congo, there have been conflicting accounts of how a Catholic priest was killed in the rebel-held east of the country.	18 Feb 00
Africa	CATHOLIC CHURCH JOINS WITH INDUSTRY IN ANTI-AIDS CAMPAIGN The New York-based Catholic Medical Mission Board and the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference will join pharmaceutical leader Bristol-Myers Squibb in its multi-million dollar campaign to fight HIV/AIDS in five countries of sub-Saharan Africa.	18 Feb 00
Social Justice	CATHOLICS CONDEMN MANDATORY SENTENCING There has been widespread condemnation within the Australian Catholic Church of the practice of mandatory sentencing following the death of a 15 year old boy in custody in the Northern Territory.	17 Feb 00
Vatican	PAPAL APPEAL FOR CONGOLESE ARCHBISHOP Following his Wednesday audience, Pope John Paul II appealed to the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo to allow the Archbishop of Bukavu access to his people.	17 Feb 00
Egypt	CATHOLICS PREPARE TO WELCOME POPE Stating that this would be the first visit of a Bishop of Rome to 'our motherland', Coptic Catholic Patriarch Stéphanos II Ghattas officially announced to the Egyptian faithful Pope John Paul II's 24-26 February visit.	17 Feb 00
Eastern Europe	ROMANIAN PATRIARCH APOLOGISES FOR CHURCHES DESTROYED UNDER COMMUNISM The leader of the Romanian Orthodox Church apologised on Tuesday for the Orthodox Church's silence when the former Communist government destroyed churches and suppressed religions.	17 Feb 00
USA	HOUSE VOTES TO AWARD CARDINAL MEDAL In Washington, the House voted on Tuesday to award New York's ailing Cardinal John O'Connor the Congressional Gold Medal, its highest civilian honour.	17 Feb 00
USA	THEOLOGIAN SAYS HE WILL NOT SEEK MANDATE One of America's best known Catholic theologians has said he will not seek the mandate to teach that soon may be applied to professors on Catholic theological faculties in country.	17 Feb 00
UK	NEW ARCHBISHOP DECLARES WAR ON CONSUMER CULTURE The new leader of the Catholic Church in England and Wales declared war on "the culture of consumerism" on Wednesday, insisting it was the duty of Christians to draw people back to God.	17 Feb 00
Indonesia	SECTARIAN CLASHES CLOSE CATHOLIC FACILITIES All Catholic-run schools and health service facilities in Indonesia's North Maluku province have ceased to operate after they were burned or destroyed in recent sectarian clashes.	17 Feb 00
Vatican	HOLY SEE CAUTIONS SECRETLY ORDAINED CZECH PRIESTS The Vatican has requested priests and bishops secretly ordained in Czechoslovakia during the Communist era to come forward and accept the directives offered by Pope John Paul II, in order to resolve doubts about the validity of their ordination.	16 Feb 00
India	POPE SAYS CRIMES AGAINST LIFE ARE NOT INEVITABLE On Monday, John Paul II appealed for social action to counter 'the silent and cruel selection of the weakest for unjust elimination'.	16 Feb 00
India	NUN HEADS WOMEN'S POLITICAL PARTY A Catholic nun has entered politics in the eastern Indian state of Bihar after what she said was her disenchantment with the political system and continuing prejudice against women and the poor.	16 Feb 00
Philippines	PRESIDENT SACKS JUSTICE SECRETARY AMID PRIEST'S KILLER CONTROVERSY President Joseph Estrada dismissed his justice secretary three days after Church leaders met with the country's executive secretary to oppose the presidential pardon given a convicted priest killer.	16 Feb 00
UK	NEW ARCHBISHOP OF WESTMINSTER Bishop Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, Bishop of the English diocese of Arundel and Brighton since 1977, has been appointed Archbishop of Westminster.	16 Feb 00
Israel	PALESTINIANS TO SIGN CATHOLIC DEAL Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat is set to sign an agreement that will give the Catholic church an official footing in Jerusalem.	16 Feb 00
Vatican	COLOMBIA REBELS VISIT VATICAN Colombian rebels and government officials visited the Vatican on Monday to seek the Catholic Church's help in ending their country's 36-year conflict.	16 Feb 00
Vatican	POPE TO GIVE ROME CHURCH TO RUSSIAN ORTHODOX Pope John Paul II plans to give a church in Rome to the Russian Patriarchy as part of the Vatican's Jubilee celebrations,	15 Feb 00
Vatican	HOLY SEE, ARABS MAKE CHURCHES DEAL The Vatican will sign an agreement with the Palestinian Authority on the status of Catholic churches in Jerusalem, an indication it recognises Palestinian claims to the contested city.	15 Feb 00
Ireland	ARCHBISHOP SAYS DON'T GIVE UP ON PEACE At a memorial service for people who disappeared during the Northern Ireland Troubles, the primate of Armagh's St Patrick's Cathedral, Archbishop Sean Brady, has urged people not to give up on the peace process.	15 Feb 00
China	GOVT. ARRESTS ARCHBISHOP Authorities have arrested an 80-year-old archbishop of China's underground Roman Catholic Church who had previously spent nearly three decades in prison, a monitoring group said yesterday.	15 Feb 00
East Timor	BISHOP BELO SAYS HE IS NOT ANTI-INDONESIAN Bishop Carlos Belo has denied an alleged accusation by Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid that he is anti-Indonesian.	15 Feb 00
India	STATUES VANDALISED IN KERALA STATE Church and political leaders in the state of Kerala have sought government action to check the growing vandalism of religious statues in the southern Indian state.	15 Feb 00
Media	TV MASS GOES DIGITAL 'Mass For You At Home', the Ten Network's nationally televised Eucharist, is the first television program in Australia to go digital.	14 Feb 00
Vatican	POPE COMFORTS SICK IN ST PETER SQUARE Wheelchairs and stretchers filled St Peter's Square on Friday as Pope John Paul comforted the sick and anointed the dying at a special Holy Year service for the ill.	14 Feb 00
Vatican	POMPEII EROTICA ANGERS VATICAN The Vatican has condemned plans to let children as young as 11 see a collection of erotic art so sexually explicit that it has been locked away since being dug out of the volcanic ash of Mount Vesuvius at Pompeii three centuries ago.	14 Feb 00
Philippines	TIMOR INDEPENDENCE LEADERS THANK PHILIPPINE CHURCH FOR SUPPORT East Timor independence leaders Xanana Gusmao and Jose Ramos Horta have thanked the Church in the Philippines for support given during their struggle for independence.	14 Feb 00
Taiwan	PRESIDENT CALLS ON VATICAN TO WORK FOR DEMOCRATIC MAINLAND Taiwan President Lee Teng-hui says the Republic of China and the Vatican should join hands to strive for freedom and democracy in mainland China and other parts of the world.	14 Feb 00
Africa	CONGOLESE REBELS REFUSE ARCHBISHOP Raising tensions with the Catholic church, rebels in eastern Congo accused Archbishop Emmanuel Kataliko of collaborating with Congo's president and refused to let him into the region they control on Saturday.	14 Feb 00
USA	BISHOP ASKS CLINTON TO PROPOSE A SUSPENSION OF FEDERAL EXECUTIONS US Catholic Bishops conference President Bishop Joseph Fiorenza has urged President Clinton to propose a suspension of all federal executions.	14 Feb 00
USA	PAGANS CALL FOR APOLOGY FROM CATHOLICS A US pagan group has called on the Catholic Church to apologize for attacks on their spiritual ancestors, especially during the Inquisition, as part of apologies promised by Pope John Paul II during the Jubilee Year.	14 Feb 00
Vatican	SEPTEMBER BEATIFICATION FOR JOHN XXIII, PIUX IX The Vatican has confirmed that Popes Pius IX and John XXIII will be beatified on 3 September.	11 Feb 00
Africa	FIRST SYNOD HELD IN HOLY LAND The first synod ever held by the Catholic churches in the Holy Land opened Tuesday amid uncertainty about the future of the Christian minority in a predominantly Muslim region.	11 Feb 00
Africa	CHURCH IN ZAMBIA INTERVENES AGAINST CORRUPTION The Zambian Bishops' Conference this week called on the government to act to stem widespread corruption and injustice.	11 Feb 00
UK	BRITAIN TO RETAIN BAN ON PROMOTING HOMOSEXUALITY IN SCHOOLS Britain's House of Lords last night voted to retain Section 28, the so-called "anti-gay" law which forbids the promotion of homosexuality in schools.	11 Feb 00
UK	HUME'S SUCCESSOR STILL A RUMOUR Contrary to a report in a London sunday newspaper, the appointment of Bishop Cormac Murphy-O'Connor to succeed Cardinal Basil Hume as spiritual leader of Catholics in England and Wales, is still a rumour.	11 Feb 00
Vatican	ARCHBISHOP HAILS JOURNALISTS' SOUL-SEARCHING AFTER AOL MERGER The Vatican's top media official hailed evidence of professional soul-searching by many US journalists after the announced merger of America Online and Time Warner.	11 Feb 00
Guatemala	SLAIN BISHOP'S AIDE ARRESTED Authorities in Guatemala investigating the killing of a Catholic bishop two years ago have arrested a priest who worked as his assistant.	11 Feb 00
Europe	KUNG SAYS CHURCH IN 'UNHEALTHY SITUATION' Prominent theologian Hans Kung has said the shortage of priests, the estrangement of women and young people from the Catholic Church, and episcopal intimidation by the Roman Curia has put the church in a "very unhealthy situation."	10 Feb 00
Vatican	PENTECOSTALS VISITING ROME A group of African American Pentecostal Bishops is visiting the Vatican this week to take part in a three-day seminar at the Pontifical North American College, in an effort to 'recover some of the ancient traditions preserved by the Catholic Church'.	10 Feb 00
Vatican	VATICAN BANKER ADDRESSES MORALITY OF STOCK MARKET Only the money that one can afford to lose should be invested in the stock market, according to papal banker Angelo Caloia.	10 Feb 00
Africa	CHILUBA ACTS TO CALM CHURCH ROW President Frederick Chiluba of Zambia says he intends to meet leaders of the country's Catholic church to discuss their worries about the way the country is being run.	10 Feb 00
Ireland	BISHOP OFFERS TO RECEIVE WEAPONS The Catholic Bishop of Derry, Dr Seamus Hegarty, has offered to personally accept arms from the IRA in an attempt to end the deadlock over decommissioning.	10 Feb 00
USA	DOUBTS AROUND VATICAN REQUIREMENT An outspoken theologian has predicted most fellow theology professors at U.S. Catholic colleges will refuse to seek approval from their local bishop to teach, as required under new rules awaiting Vatican endorsement.	10 Feb 00
China	GOVT DETAINS CATHOLIC BISHOP, PRIESTS Chinese authorities have detained a bishop of the underground Roman Catholic church, three priests and a layperson for unspecified reasons, the Connecticut USA-based Cardinal Kung Foundation said on Monday.	10 Feb 00
East Timor	EAST TIMORESE LEADERS SAY CHURCH SHOULD LEAD TRUTH COMMISSION East Timorese leaders say forgiveness is vital to restoring their ravaged homeland, and they want the Catholic Church to take a lead by heading a South African-style truth commission.	9 Feb 00
Vatican	INCREASE IN WORLDWIDE NUMBER OF PRIESTS For the first time since 1978 there has been an increase in the number of priests, passing from 404,208 last year to 404,626 today.	9 Feb 00
Vatican	POPE INAUGURATES NEW ENTRANCE TO VATICAN MUSEUMS On Monday Pope John Paul II inaugurated the new entrance to the Vatican Museums, stressing the symbolic value of the doors as an indication of the Church's 'renewed desire to engage in dialogue with humanity through art and culture'.	9 Feb 00
Israel	CHIEF RABBI: POPE MUST COME TO US One of Israel's chief rabbis on Monday said that if the Pope wants to meet him during a March visit to the Holy Land, it must be on the rabbi's turf.	9 Feb 00
Canada	CHURCH LEADERS DEMAND END TO 'HEAD TAX' ON IMMIGRANTS Canadian church leaders demanded an end to a federal government 'head tax', saying it imposes heavy financial burdens on refugees and immigrants entering the country.	9 Feb 00
USA	INMATES' ROSARIES CONFISCATED AS GANG SYMBOL Inmates in Massachusetts' state prisons are not permitted to keep rosaries because prison officials say they are used as gang symbols, prompting one inmate to file suit saying his First Amendment rights have been violated.	9 Feb 00
Media	NILE CONDEMNS MOVIE THAT OFFENDS CATHOLICS A film dealing with Catholic Church teaching would be viewed by all Christians as blasphemous and offensive, New South Wales upper house MP Rev. Fred Nile said on Friday.	8 Feb 00
Vatican	PAPAL PLEA TO REVIVE CULTURE OF PROCREATION Pope John Paul II has urged Italians to have more babies to reverse the country's falling birth rate.	8 Feb 00
UK	CATHOLIC REFORMER TO REPLACE HUME 67 year old Bishop Cormac Murphy-O'Connor has been named to succeed Cardinal Basil Hume as spiritual leader of the 4.1 million Catholics in England and Wales.	8 Feb 00
UK	CARDINAL WINNING REACHES OUT TO LAPSED Every Catholic family in Glasgow Archdiocese is to receive a personal letter from Scotland's Cardinal Thomas Winning inviting them to rediscover the power of God.	8 Feb 00
USA	STATUE OF CHRIST RULED UNCONSTITUTIONAL An US appeals court ruled on Friday that a statue of Christ standing on a patch of privately-owned land within a city park violates the separation of Church and State mandated by the 1st amendment.	8 Feb 00
India	BISHOPS URGE PLURALITY FOR CHRISTIANS' SELF-PROTECTION Indian Catholic bishops at a civic reception asked Christians to nurture the nation's cultural plurality to counter attacks on the Church and its mission.	8 Feb 00
Vatican	1.045 BILLION CATHOLICS WORLDWIDE The Vatican on Saturday reported that the number of baptised Catholics worldwide is 1.045 billion.	7 Feb 00
Vatican	POPE WELCOMES INDONESIAN LEADER Pope John Paul II welcomed Indonesia's reformist president to the Vatican on Saturday, warmly greeting the leader who Indonesia's papal nuncio described as "a blessing to his country."	7 Feb 00
Vatican	'NO COMMENT YET' ON AUSTRIAN GOVERNMENT The Holy See's Secretary of State Cardinal Angelo Sodano has left it to Austrian Catholics to comment on the morality of their new ruling coalition, the includes the xenophobic Freedom party.	7 Feb 00
UK	HUME VETOED INQUIRY INTO FEMINIST NUN The late Cardinal Basil Hume halted a Vatican investigation of the outspoken feminist theologian, Sister Lavinia Byrne, saying it would be harmful to the Church to silence her.	7 Feb 00
UK	PRIEST RAPS "JUDASES" WHO LEAVE MASS EARLY A Worcestershire, England, priest has admonished his parishioners who leave Sunday Mass before the end by reminding them that the traitor Judas was the first to leave the Last Supper.	7 Feb 00
Sri Lanka	BISHOP SAYS TAMIL REBELS 'INTERESTED IN PEACE' One of Sri Lanka's leading Catholic Bishops has said he is convinced the rebel Tamil Tigers will take part in any peace initiative.	7 Feb 00
Vatican	DOCUMENT ADVISES CHURCH ON HOW TO CONFESS ITS OWN SINS A Vatican document requested by Pope John Paul II has said that the Church must remember the sins of its past before reconciliation can take place.	4 Feb 00
France	INVESTIGATION OF BISHOP BOUND BY CONFESSIONAL SEAL A French magistrate has challenged the seal of the confessional by investigating a bishop for failing to advise police that a priest in his is diocese had molested children.	4 Feb 00
Italy	PRIESTS INSTRUCTED TO DISCOURAGE MIXED MARRIAGES The Italian Catholic hierarchy on Wednesday told priests they must attempt to convert non-Christian marriage partners to Christianity before allowing mixed marriages.	4 Feb 00
Philippines	PARDON OF MISSIONARY'S ASSASSIN CAUSES OUTCRY The Philippine Church has declared a day of protest following the pardon of the man convicted of killing an Italian missionary priest in 1985.	4 Feb 00
Philippines	BISHOPS LAUNCH ANTI-PORN ISP To counter the spread of pornography on the Internet, the Philippine bishops' conference has launched an Internet service provider that bars access to porn sites on the Web.	4 Feb 00
Africa	ARCHBISHOP SAYS ANCESTORS NOT SUBSTITUTES FOR SAINTS South Africa's Archbishop Buti Tlhagale has questioned the suggestion by some African Catholics that Christian saints are the same as ancestors in African cultures.	4 Feb 00
Social Welfare	COMMISSION WORRIED ABOUT GOVT. HARD LINE ON UNEMPLOYED The Australian Catholic Social Welfare Commission (ACSWC) has expressed concerns over Federal Government's recent announcement of a crackdown on the unemployed.	3 Feb 00
Social Welfare	STATE FUNDS FOR ST VINCENT'S REDEVELOPMENT NSW Premier Bob Carr promised $107 million worth of State funding for the major redevelopment of St Vincent's hospital.	3 Feb 00
Vatican	PAPER CALLS FOR SILENCE ON POPE'S HEALTH The official Vatican newspaper 'L'Osservatore Romano' has called on the press to end rumours and conjectures on the state of the Pope's health.	3 Feb 00
Italy	ROME EXPECTS 4.5 MILLION PILGRIMS BY APRIL Officials in Rome have estimated that about 4.5 million pilgrims to visit the city between now and April.	3 Feb 00
Vatican	DISABLED CHILDREN TO RIDE IN JOHN XXIII'S CAR Disabled children coming to Rome as pilgrims for the Jubilee will be able to visit major places in the Eternal City in Pope John XXIII's car.	3 Feb 00
Vatican	VATICAN OPENS CONFESSION AREA NEAR ST. PETER'S FOR JUBILEE Vatican officials equipped a special area off St. Peter's Square with confessionals for jubilee pilgrims.	3 Feb 00
Eastern Europe	JOHN PAUL II NAMED "MAN OF THE YEAR" IN ROMANIA On Tuesday, Romanian National Radio awarded John Paul II the title Man of the Year 1999.	3 Feb 00
Philippines	ST. THERESE OF LISIEUX ON 'PILGRIMAGE' TO DEATH ROW Relics of St Therese of Lisieux made a dramatic visit to death row in Muntinlupa, Philippines on Monday.	3 Feb 00
Marriage & Family	MARRIAGE TOO EASY SAYS GOVT. MARRIAGE COUNCIL HEAD It is now easier "to get a marriage licence than a driver's licence", according to a church welfare official who will head a new Federal Government revamp of marriage education courses.	2 Feb 00
China	GOVT CRACKS DOWN ON FAITHFUL CATHOLICS Dozens of Chinese priests and bishops belonging to the underground Catholic Church have been arrested by police in the last few months.	2 Feb 00
USA	ANTI-CATHOLIC PREJUDICE FALLOUT WORRIES REPUBLICANS Republican leaders who snubbed a Catholic priest in the choice for a new chaplain for the House of Congress have been accused of anti-Catholic bias that could have political repercussions.	2 Feb 00
Vatican	POPE OPENS NEW VATICAN PARKING LOT In the presence of civil and ecclesiastical authorities, Pope John Paul visited and inaugurated a new underground parking lot for tourist busses and cars which was built on Janiculum Hill for the Jubilee Year.	2 Feb 00
Indonesia	JAVA CHURCHES ATTACKED AFTER RALLY A Christian rally intended to express solidarity with Muslims in the riot-torn Maluku islands has resulted in attacks on churches.	2 Feb 00
USA	ORDERS' WEBSITES DOUBLE IN TWO YEARS A research project dubbed "Holy Cyberspace" has found that the number of websites of religious congregations in the US roughly doubled in two years and will continue to grow rapidly in the near future.	2 Feb 00
Vatican	POPE TO DISCUSS EAST TIMOR WITH INDONESIAN LEADER Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid will meet with Pope John Paul II at the Vatican on Saturday.	1 Feb 00
Italy	JUBILEE PREOCCUPATION BLAMED FOR ROME HOMELESS DEATHS Nine homeless people have died of exposure in Rome since the Holy Year began on Christmas Eve, causing charities and churches to scramble to help the needy and blame an excessive focus on restoring the city's architectural wonders for the Jubilee.	1 Feb 00
Italy	SHROUD BOOKINGS ON NET Pilgrims and tourists eager to see the famed Shroud of Turin can now make reservations on the world wide web.	1 Feb 00
Vatican	POPE PRAYS FOR LEPERS ON WORLD LEPROSY DAY On Sunday Pope John Paul marked World Leprosy Day with a prayer for sufferers of the centuries-old affliction.	1 Feb 00
UK	SCOTTISH STUDENT FUND TRUST BARS CATHOLICS Glasgow University yesterday defended itself against claims that it is advertising an educational trust which bans applications from Catholics.	1 Feb 00
India	BISHOPS DEBATE SCHOOL FOR POLITICIANS India's Catholic Bishops Conference has considered political formation of the laity as an coordinated response to the more than 200 attacks on Christians in the past two years.	1 Feb 00
Burma	MIRACLE CLAIMS FOLLOWING VIRGIN STATUE'S VISIT Pilgrims from villages and towns around Rangoon have said that some of their ailments have disappeared miraculously after praying during the 22 day visit from Portugal of the statue of Our Lady of Fatima.	1 Feb 00
Vatican	POPE JOHN XXIII MIRACLE APPROVED The Vatican on Thursday approved the final step necessary for the beatification of Pope John XXIII, crediting him with curing an Italian nun of severe bleeding and infection.	31 Jan 00
Vatican	POPE SAYS INTER-RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE MUST NOT OBSCURE TRUTH OF CHRISTIANITY Pope John Paul II has asserted the fundamental truth of Christian revelation, insisting that truths held by other faiths do not complement the truth of Christ.	31 Jan 00
Vatican	HOLY SEE URGES RETHINK OF GAY PRIDE FESTIVAL Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, said on Friday he hoped authorities would reconsider staging a big gay festival in Rome this year.	31 Jan 00
Israel	GOVT. FEARS SHRINE DISASTER The Israeli government has issued a warning that the Church of the Holy Sepulchre faces impending disaster because rival church leaders have failed to reach agreement on opening an emergency exit in time for the Pope's forthcoming visit to the Holy Land.	31 Jan 00
USA	SOCIALITE EXPECTED TO BECOME SAINT A 19th century Philadelphia socialite who used her multimillion-dollar inheritance to found a religious order is expected to become the US Church's fourth saint, church officials said on Thursday.	31 Jan 00
USA	AIDS TOLL ON PRIESTS UNDERSTATED: REPORT AIDS has quietly caused the deaths of hundreds of Catholic priests in the United States although other causes may be listed on some of their death certificates, The Kansas City Star reported on the weekend.	31 Jan 00
South Korea	CATHOLICS PROTEST 'UNFIT' POLITICIANS Catholic and other religious groups have decided to join a movement that aims to oust "unfit" politicians from South Korea's National Assembly in the 13 April general election.	31 Jan 00
North Korea	VATICAN DELEGATION BRINGS AID Vatican officials who paid a humanitarian visit to North Korea at the end of last year were allowed free movement around the country, the Vatican's Fides news agency has said.	31 Jan 00