WASHINGTON — The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has urged the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) not to adopt a proposed regulation that would add sexual orientation and gender identity to the list of protected categories for which discrimination in HUD programs is prohibited. In comments filed today with HUD, Anthony…
By Father John Flynn, LC ROME (zenit.org) — The U.S. Census Bureau released the latest figures on income and poverty on Sept. 16. According to the report the official U.S. poverty rate in 2009 was 14.3%, up from 13.2% in 2008. In raw numbers this adds up to 43.6 million people in poverty in 2009, compared…
Understanding the issues and what’s at stake Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ: If any of us thought that we could avoid political chatter this fall, the past two weeks of conventions and speeches have been a dose of unpleasant reality. In truth, I hope that all of us are paying at least a little…
By The Most Reverend Glen John Provost, D.D. Bishop of Lake Charles A serious responsibility of a bishop is to insure the purity of teaching in areas of faith and morals (cf. I Timothy 4:16). These teachings must be in conformity with the universal and historic teachings found in Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition and…
CCG Defends the Parents’ Rights to Homeschool CCG Legal Team Contributes to Briefs for Calif. Appeals Court When the California Court of Appeal granted a rehearing for the case that led to a decision banning homeschooling in California, it invited several amicus parties to submit briefs. Catholics for the Common Good has decided to participate…
In his address to the UN, the Holy Father spoke about the role and proper understanding of human rights. Below are several passages taken from his address which elaborate the concept of human rights as promoting human freedom, the connection between human rights and common good, as well as the responsibility to protect life and the…
By Sandro Magister Because they conform themselves to the world. And instead of teaching the objective truth of the faith, they urge everyone to choose the community that best meets his tastes. The Pope’s shocking discourse to representatives of ecumenism. ROME — The moment that was indisputably the key of Benedict XVI’s fourth day in…
By Sandro Magister WASHINGTON — On the second day of the visit to America of Benedict XVI, public attention reached a peak with the meeting between the pope and president George W. Bush, at the White House. But for the Catholic Church in the United States, the truly significant moment came that evening, in the…
America Gears Up to Welcome Pope Ads and Videos Reflect U.S. Excitement on Eve of Visit WASHINGTON, D.C. — “He’s coming!” announce 150 advertisements emblazoned on Washington metro buses, in anticipation of Benedict XVI’s upcoming pastoral visit to the United States next week. The Pope arrives to the U.S. capital Tuesday, for his first visit…
AIDS in Africa: An Interview With Expert Matthew Hanley By Carrie Gress In the fight against AIDS, abstinence-based programs that focus on changing behaviors rather than handing out condoms simply work better, says an AIDS expert. Matthew Hanley has been a HIV/AIDS technical adviser at Catholic Relief Services (CRS) for the last seven years and…
Here’s the Lesson They Didn’t Want to Hear A group of teachers and students forced Benedict XVI to cancel his visit to “La Sapienza.” But the professor pope did not give up: he made public, a day early, the address that he had written for the occasion. It is the follow-up to the formidable lecture…
By Maurice Healy In marking the beginning of the New Year, Pope Benedict XVI returned to the themes of marriage and family and their importance to humanity, as he repeated the Second Vatican Council’s description of the family as “the primary living cell of society.” “The natural family, founded on marriage between a man and…