The January issue of Catholic World Report is out

By Domenico Bettinelli, Jr. ( articles - email ) | Jan 05, 2004

The January issue of Catholic World Report is now on newsstands and here's what you'll find inside:

• Same-Sex Unions And The Meaning Of Marriage: A new revolution is brewing in America, with the action again beginning in Massachusetts, where a court's decision has forced reluctant politicians to re-examine the most basic institutions of any society: marriage and the family. In Great Britain, meanwhile, in her annual speech to Parliament, Queen Elizabeth outlined government plans to provide legal recognition of same-sex unions.
• Perceptions Of Religious Freedom In Russia And The US: Lawrence Uzzell reports that Russia's religious minorities fear that the Orthodox hierarchy is manipulating the country's government to suit its own sectarian purposes. The truth may be exactly the reverse. In the US, Marion Harrison observes that the "separation of church and state"--the phrase so often invoked by secular liberals-- has no basis in the text of the US Constitution or the intent of that document's authors.
• Active Participation In The Parish: Father Jerry Pokorsky argues that a renewed appreciation for Covenant theology can illuminate the path to liturgical renewal.
• The Manger In The Shadow Of The Wall: Palestinian Christians faced another bleak Christmas, with the construction of an enormous Israeli "security barrier" choking off the traffic of pilgrims to Bethlehem. Michael Hirst reports on how Palestinians prepared for Christmas.
• Preserving A Place For Christians: Postwar uncertainties in Iraq made it difficult for Chaldean Catholic bishops to choose their new leader. But once he was elected, the new Patriarch of Babylon found it easy to identify his top priority.
• Confucian No Longer: Catholics in South Korea are being forced to choose between the unchanging principles of their faith and the cultural trends of an increasingly secular society, says Thomas W. Pauken II.
• Problems In The Priesthood Exposed: The bishops of England and Wales are displeased with a new book based on a survey of Catholic priests. Tara Holmes argues that their concern should be focused not on the methodology of the survey, but on the attitudes it uncovered.
• In Last Word we present the fictional Charter for the Protection of the Sacred Liturgy, which has not been approved (or even discussed) by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops. But it might profitably be compared with their Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, adopted at the US bishops' meeting in Dallas in 2002.
• And Phil Lawler's Editorial: Mocking the Magisterium. When Church leaders blur the line between Catholic social teachings and partisan political opinions, they undermine their own authority and feed the flames of anti-Catholic bias.

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