Catholic Culture Overview
Catholic Culture Overview

Stories for May 2011

Ordered from most to least recent.

Released Tuesday, May. 31

 Cutting social programs may help the poor
 Solicitation in confession may be more widespread than believed, canonist says
 Editorial raps 'incomplete' report on sex-abuse scandal
 Malta's vote to legalize divorce brings mixed reactions
 Pope Benedict's prayer intentions for June 2011
 Respect traditions of sacred music, Pope urges
 Washington Post profiles Father Ernesto Cardenal
 Belgian bishops to compensate abuse victims
 Caritas: Protect domestic workers
 Hundreds of converts in Chinese diocese
 Spanish indictments for 1989 El Salvador murders of Jesuits
 Alabama: schismatic monastery reconciles with Church
 Vietnamese bishops: Church should be able to run schools

Released Monday, May. 30

 Italian journalist: papal liturgies do not follow Pope's own lead on sacred music
 Historian says Red Cross, Vatican, Allies all aided some Nazi escapes after World War II
 Shakespeare was probably Catholic, says Archbishop of Canterbury
 Cardinal Scola declining appointment to Milan?
 Inventor of The Pill foresees a brave new world
 Poland remembers the "Primate of the Millennium"
 Vatican was patient before removing Australian bishop, Cardinal Pell says
 New Evangelization needed to answer crisis of secularism, Pope says
 Small faith communities should serve larger Church & society, Pope tells Indian bishops
 Evangelism is constant mission of the Church, Pope tells Sunday audience
 Anglican-Catholic theological talks resumed
 Marian devotion essential to Catholic faith, Pope says
 At Liszt concert, Pope remarks on composer's faith
 Another Christian murdered in Iraq
 Mexico: priest kidnapped, murdered
 Muslim-Catholic dialogue on Bible, Qur’an interpretation
 Pakistan: Christian girls kidnapped, forced to marry, convert to Islam
 Worsening humanitarian situation in Abyei
 Algerian Christian sentenced to prison after sharing faith with neighbor
 Malta: voters approve legalization of divorce

Released Friday, May. 27

 Pope Benedict's crackdown
 Casual attitudes toward sex lead to celebrity scandals: Irish columnist
 Cardinal Zen praises Chinese heroes of Tiananmen Square
 Daughters of St. Paul remove leaders who sued Boston archdiocese
 Synod council affirms need for interfaith dialogue in Middle East
 Probing tensions between home-school families, diocesan officials
 British Catholic journalist: Obama pandered to Irish audience
 French journalist sees 'revolution' in Vatican's new policy for Caritas
 Vatican conference on AIDS revives debate on condom distribution
 FRC study amasses evidence of how intact families strengthen society
 Illinois diocese drops adoption, foster-care services
 Italy should recognize Church contributions, Pope says
 Pope tells Caritas leaders: work with the Church
 Historian: Pope’s new book advances Jewish-Christian dialogue
 Holocaust museum to feature priest’s research into Nazi mass graves
 Botswana prelate: Condoms not a solution to AIDS
 New Caritas leader outlines priorities
 Vietnam: Christian activists face prospect of death penalty
 Pakistan: Christian tombs desecrated, woman gang raped
 Worldwide Eucharistic adoration in honor of Pope’s ordination anniversary

Released Thursday, May. 26

 Cardinal Tauran lauds Korean standards for religious tolerance
 Illinois Catholic Charities forced out of adoption, foster-care services
 Irish bishop sees visit by Queen Elizabeth as a watershed
 Filipino politician says he will risk excommunication--which is not threatened
 New Major Archbishop elected for Syro-Malabar Catholic Church
 Archbishop Sheen's cause presented to Pope Benedict: a former colleague
 Caritas International chooses new leader
 German cardinal rejects 'nonsense' request for Confirmation in extraordinary form
 Vatican conference probes dangers of 'outsourcing' labor
 Italian cardinal: statue of John Paul II may be moved
 John Jay study ducked conclusion on homosexual influence, columnist charges
 Shortage of priestly vocations suggests problems in community: Cardinal Pell
 Renowned conductor backs Pope's effort to revive sacred-music tradition
 Libyan exodus straining resources at refugee camp in Tunisia
 Jesuit sworn in as House chaplain
 Church works for reconciliation in strife-torn Ivory Coast
 San Francisco archbishop opposes circumcision ban
 EWTN host, Clinton administration official named to National Review Board
 Sudan: humanitarian disaster in Abyei
 Cardinal Turkson: Caritas is ‘part and parcel of evangelization’

Released Wednesday, May. 25

 Maronite Patriarch chides Lebanese politicians for impasse
 Parties seen as cause of Vatican move against Cistercian community in Rome
 Archdiocese of Hanoi protests convent demolition
 San Francisco archdiocese studying steep drop in sacramental marriages
 Vatican official in Korea for inter-religious talks
 Jacob's struggle illustrates the problem of prayer, Pope tells audience
 Boston archdiocese reaches settlement in nuns' lawsuit over pension fund
 Immigration causes slight population increase in Italy
 Pope sends sympathies to US tornado victims
 Building churches to focus on ourselves
 Symphony orchestra performs Gershwin, ‘West Side Story’ selections in parish
 US Jewish-Catholic dialogue examines religious authority
 Diocese opens chapel next to abortion clinic
 Honduran cardinal re-elected Caritas president
 Vatican rules against New York diocese in parish closure
 Egypt: mob prevents reopening of church
 Condom campaigns not a solution to AIDS: Vatican newspaper

Released Tuesday, May. 24

 New Vatican book offers catechesis on family
 Catholic League offers detailed critique of John Jay report
 Congo: bishop draws public attention to continued violence against civilians
 Church in China needs prayers, papal spokesman reiterates
 Gallup: most Americans want abortion illegal under most circumstances
 KC priest pleads not guilty to child porn charges; Bishop Finn apologizes
 Cambodia: ‘bishop without a cathedral’ leads tiny flock
 Priest: Pakistan ‘in the hands of the Taliban’
 Malaysia: Islamic leaders question non-Muslims’ rights
 Salesians remove Dutch delegate following pedophilia comments
 Cardinal tells Caritas: Christian charity goes beyond mere philanthropy

Released Monday, May. 23

 Jesus makes God visible to man, Pope tells Sunday audience
 Vatican official presses for universal health coverage
 Vatican seeks resumption of talks with Egyptian Islamic institution
 Pope chats with astronauts on space station Endeavor
 Relativism imperils Christian humanism, Pope tells university community
 India: man kills wife who was pregnant with a female child
 Egypt: Copts report many girls abducted, pressured to convert to Islam and marry
 Chinese Church, government officials wrestle for control of annual day of prayer
 Dutch priest served on board of pedophile organization
 Papal support for Italy's March for Life
 Vietnamese cardinal chides government on religious freedom
 Church now leads the way against abuse: Cardinal Wuerl
 Vatican suppresses Cistercian abbey in Rome
 Europe's unity based on Christianity, Pope tells Bulgarian, Macedonian visitors
 70,000 attend beatification in Brazil
 Lithuania: priest set on fire during Mass
 Religious leaders urge 2-state solution for Middle East peace
 Iran: 11 Christians acquitted after communion-wine arrest
 Cardinal George lifts Father Pfleger’s suspension
 Cardinal Bertone emphasizes: Caritas must have a strong Christian identity

Released Friday, May. 20

 Roman public opinion rebels against statue depicting John Paul II
 New Chinese bishop ordained--with Vatican approval
 English columnist sees Pope planning 'blend' of old and new liturgies
 Italy: former seminarian arrested, cited as pimp for accused priest
 Vatican vetoes keynote speaker for Caritas International assembly
 Catholic-Islamic dialogue produces joint statement affirming common values
 Streaming TV coverage planned for Pope's call to shuttle astronauts
 English bishops may transfer Ascension, Epiphany back to traditional days
 Faith grows amid persecution, says Orissa prelate
 Despite violence, Iraqi Catholics remain faithful
 Malta: bishop says dissenting Catholics should not receive Communion
 Reps. Ryan, Boehner welcome Archbishop Dolan's letter on budget
 Pope recommends spiritual direction to every Christian

Released Thursday, May. 19

 Education will be Pope's theme for next World Day of Peace:
 Pakistani Christians face threats since killing of Osama bin Laden
 Jesuit nominated as chaplain for US House avoids praying in Jesus' name
 Religious Facebook pages draw major traffic
 Most Americans ready to accept homosexuality, study shows
 Abuse report met with critical reactions
 Chaplain defends drag show at Jesuit university
 British priest discusses false abuse accusation
 New York Times blasts new Vatican document on abuse
 Bishop Tobin urges defeat of civil unions legislation in Rhode Island
 Australian bishops call for Archbishop Sheen’s beatification
 Leading Korean prelate rips nuclear energy
 Russia: prelates lament population decline

Released Wednesday, May. 18

 Cardinal Pell: still skeptical on climate change despite Vatican report
 Final John Jay report to US bishops: no single cause for abuse
 Pope issues urgent call: pray for the Church in China
 Pope explains origin of intercessory prayer
 Time: Vatican Instruction misses a key to the scandal
 Florida: controversy over Mass intention for repose of bin Laden’s soul
 US bishops praise, criticize administration decisions on Haiti
 1944: Britain concerned about Pius XII’s defense of Jews
 Australian Catholic paper welcomes removal of Bishop Morris
 Australian government rejects Shari'a law
 Christian protestors attacked in Egypt
 Scotland: bishop defends public funding of Catholic schools

Released Tuesday, May. 17

 Vatican cardinals see flaws in international finance system
 Sicilian cardinal: no funerals for Mafia leaders
 Iraqi Christian tortured and killed as campaign of intimidation continues
 Vietnamese authorities plan to raze Hanoi convent
 No plot against Pope during British visit, report concludes
 Kentucky court dismisses suit by parish employee who was fired after reporting priest-abuser
 China may again ordain bishops in defiance of Vatican
 Bishops are responsible for sex-abuse discipline, CDF official confirms
 Pope foresees blending of 'extraordinary form' into 'ordinary' liturgy, Vatican official says
 Upcoming beatification ‘one of most complex’ in Church history
 University chaplain slain in Colombia
 'Great fear' in Orissa following rape, murder of Christian woman
 Amnesty International criticizes Vatican over abuse
 Pope Benedict lauds Mater et Magistra on its 50th anniversary
 Proclaim Christ, avoid syncretism: papal address to Indian bishops

Released Monday, May. 16

 New Vatican document on sexual abuse of minors
 Pope Benedict urges prayer for vocations
 Papal telegram for Spanish earthquake victims
 Vatican newspaper denounces sale of human organs
 Libya: bishop calls for truce
 Every Christian must evangelize, Pope emphasizes
 Beatification of priest who was martyred at Dachau
 Extraordinary form Mass at high altar of St. Peter’s Basilica
 English bishops reestablish meatless Fridays
 Pope appeals for peace in Libya, Syria

Released Friday, May. 13

 Vatican Instruction demands equal dignity for traditional liturgy
 Uganda: priests charged with incitement against government
 Philadelphia review-board chair rips Church policies on abuse inquiries
 Pope Benedict meditates on 'theology of the body'
 New Vatican document on extraordinary form of the Mass (full text)
 Cyber attack on Mexican bishops’ web site
 Nicaragua: bishops launch Rosary crusade
 Vatican official: through migrants, Christ knocks at the door
 Pelosi to support Jesuit House chaplain nominee
 Vatican cardinal to visit earthquake-ravaged Sendai
 20 incidents of vandalism at Mexico City’s cathedral
 30th anniversary of assassination attempt on Pope John Paul
 Australian bishops respond to removal of Bishop Morris
 Pope, B’nai B’rith leaders discuss human dignity, State of Israel

Released Thursday, May. 12

 Can Catholic schools be saved?
 Rabbis recall 1691 burning of Jews in Spanish Inquisition
 India: Church official concerned about Bhagavad Gita in schools
 State lawmaker’s staff: Church lobbying on marriage threatens tax exemption
 Families abandoning Tripoli: prelate
 Vatican official tells missionaries they are instruments, not protagonists
 Ukrainian Catholic leader hopes for reconciliation with Orthodox
 Bolivian bishops issue message to nation’s Catholics
 Christians beginning to flee Egypt
 New Vatican prefect described as China expert who ‘holds fast to principles’

Released Wednesday, May. 11

 Lawyer Anderson makes new bid to sue Pope
 India: police confirm Maoists killed Hindu leader; death sparked anti-Christian violence
 Irish review board reports rise in abuse charges, raps bishops' failure to cooperate
 Sri Lanka: relief agency trains widows to take post-war leadership
 Indiana cuts funding for Planned Parenthood
 Catholic professors question Boehner commencement appearance
 Navy delays plans for chaplains to solemnize same-sex marriages
 Vatican to offer uniform guidelines on sex-abuse policy
 'Instruction' on traditional liturgy to be released May 13
 Prayer is a natural impulse, Pope tells audience
 Presbyterian Church approves ordination of homosexuals
 Archbishop Gomez calls for immigration reform
 Father Pfleger vows to preach at other churches if suspension isn’t lifted
 Philippine bishops end dialogue with government over ‘reproductive health’ bill
 Pelosi reconsiders support for Jesuit House chaplain nominee

Released Tuesday, May. 10

 US Navy preparing chaplains to officiate at same-sex marriages
 Cardinal Zen repeats: some Chinese bishops more loyal to Beijing
 Bombing of Libya is driving thousands of civilians from homes, bishop reports
 Cancer more prevalent among homosexual men, study shows
 India's Christian leaders challenge federal government to protect religious minority
 Syria's Christians worried by uprising, government crackdown
 Pelosi fundraising message condemns bid to ban abortion subsidies
 Abortion pills found more dangerous than surgical procedures
 Two key appointments to Roman Curia
 Solemn Masses composed at Dachau published
 Vocationist founder beatified in Naples
 Future of Christian Brothers ‘hopeless,’ says superior
 Malaysia: Christians accused of lobbying for ‘Christian state’
 Pontifical academy issues report on climate change
 Catholic church attacked in Cairo

Released Monday, May. 9

 Vatican worked for years to remove Australian bishop
 Reviewer unimpressed with There Be Dragons
 Pakistan: blasphemy charges against mentally ill Christian
 Over 340,000 advance registrations for World Youth Day in Madrid
 Küng says Church must follow his advice
 German cardinal pulls theologian's license to teach
 New Boys Town chairman is a Hindu
 Australian archdiocese moves aggressively to laicize priests guilty of abuse
 Brutal Vietnamese government response to Hmong protest demonstrations
 Lay Catholic involvement can restore Italy, Pope says
 Vatican asserting greater influence as Caritas International weighs new leadership
 Build a culture of life and love, Pope urges people of northeastern Italy
 Build bridges, Pope encourages Catholics of Venice
 Catholic leader fears Islamic takeover in Egypt
 Bishop mandates prayer to St. Michael after every Mass
 Israel honors priest for hiding Jews during World War II
 Bishops urge Senate: Remember the poor in budget legislation
 Haiti: earthquake has led to revival of faith, says bishop
 Russians more likely than other Europeans to believe in God
 3 churches attacked in Egypt; 12 dead, over 200 injured

Released Friday, May. 6

 New film shows Opus Dei, founder, in favorable light
 Bishops fear terrorist attacks in southern Philippines
 Vatican Museums continue summer Friday-evening hours
 Cardinal Sodano's lingering influence seen as a problem
 Economist fails to appreciate--or understand--Pope Benedict's influence
 Melkite Patriarch warns West: do not encourage Arab rebellions
 True renewal must respect tradition, Pope reminds liturgists
 Australian bishop's ouster sends a message
 Pope thanks Swiss Guard, bids new recruits be wary of 'spiritual attack'
 Vatican concert marks Pope's 6th anniversary
 Jesuit priest to serve as chaplain to US House of Representatives
 Brazilian court approves gay unions
 Vatican names St. Anne patroness of Detroit
 US bishops welcome House passage of abortion funding ban
 Disabled infants being denied medical treatment, Vatican newspaper warns
 Pennsylvania diocese drops appeal of Vatican ruling on closed parishes
 Preview: Pope Benedict’s apostolic journey to Aquileia, Venice

Released Thursday, May. 5

 Brother of slain Pakistani Christian leader continues work for tolerance
 Swiss Guard recruits prepare for swearing-in ceremony
 Divine inspiration is central to understanding Bible, Pope says
 Charges dropped against Notre Dame commencement protesters
 Abortion advocate indicted for threats against pro-lifers
 Illinois Catholic Charities vows to resist same-sex adoptions
 Papal thanks for US donors' group
 US House approves ban on taxpayer funding for abortion
 Just-war scholars: Killing of bin Laden justified
 St. John of Avila to be next Doctor of the Church?
 Philippine bishops warn of ‘impending’ terrorist retaliation
 200 Orthodox churches to be built in Moscow
 4 churches burned down in Nigeria
 Vatican, Canadian bishops react to Bishop Lahey’s child-porn plea

Released Wednesday, May. 4

 Recognize subtle dangers to religious freedom, Pope urges
 Canadian bishop pleads guilty to child-porn charges
 'Mutual recognition' policy could force EU nations to recognize same-sex unions
 Pope begins series of weekly audience talks on prayer
 Filipino president may damage his popularity with support for family-planning bill
 Canadian bishop on trial for child pornography
 Massachusetts bishops: End funding of teen pregnancy website
 US bishop concerned about ‘intense scrutiny’ of Muslims
 Prelate: Christians ignoring Pope’s call for Libyan ceasefire
 Jewish leaders pay tribute to Blessed John Paul
 Pakistan: Paul Bhatti to succeed slain brother as federal minister
 Priest recounts raid on bin Laden’s compound
 Australian archbishop weighs in on bishop’s removal

Released Tuesday, May. 3

 Administrator named for Australian diocese after bishop's removal
 Egypt's Copts plan massive protest march
 Iraqi envoy promises protection for Christian minority
 Lively writing and/or objective journalism
 Former Vatican official sees urgent need for dialogue with Islam
 The danger of inventing new 'human rights'
 Vatican backs Korean archbishops' warnings on 'visionary'
 US Supreme Court declines to hear Catholics' bias case against San Francisco city officials
 Pope, Italian bishops to join for Rosary
 Coffin of Blessed John Paul II moved to chapel in Vatican basilica
 Vatican welcomes Catholic bloggers
 Iowa church cancels appearance by Newt Gingrich
 Chinese bishop dead at 45
 Papal telegram for Alabama tornado victims
 New seminary to open in Washington
 Bishop condemns bombing of Libya
 Australian bishop removed from office, blasts Pope, Curia
 Pakistan: 500 attack Christian neighborhood
 Hundreds of Christians slain in Nigeria; thousands flee
 Pakistan’s bishops react to bin Laden’s death; schools closed, churches guarded

Released Monday, May. 2

 Overwhelming American public support for beatification of John Paul II
 Bishop in Libya joins in mourning Qaddafi's relatives
 Papal encouragement for radio broadcasters
 Pro-government priests create conflicts for Church in Vietnam
 Outsiders arm militant Muslims in Nigeria, bishops fear
 Polish president thanks Pope Benedict for beatification
 Beatification of John Paul II: summary
 Monday Mass of Thanksgiving concludes beatification ceremonies
 Vatican signs accord with Azerbaijan
 Mugabe at the beatification: a diplomatic test for the Vatican
 Pope Benedict's prayer intentions for May 2011
 Vatican newspaper: Eucharist counters postmodernity’s fragmentation
 Pakistan: army intelligence officer abducts young Christian woman
 Administrator of Father Pfleger’s parish lauds ‘deeply hurt’ priest
 Spanish cardinal dies in Rome
 Australian bishop announces retirement following apostolic visitation
 Prelates welcome, regret news of Osama bin Laden’s death

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