Catholic Culture Overview
Catholic Culture Overview

Stories for October 2013

Ordered from most to least recent.

Released Thursday, Oct. 31

 Pope's prayer intentions for November 2013
 Papal praise for Italian charitable group
 Human trafficking rivals drug trade as world's most profitable criminal activity: Vatican official
 Vatican recognizes martyrdom of Romanian bishop, killed by Communists
 Pope says Mass at tomb of Bl. John Paul II
 South African bishops denounce public corruption
 Russia seeks role as protecter of Syrian Christians
 Belgium to weigh euthanasia for children, dementia victims
 Vatican's high-tech security made eavesdropping impossible at conclave
 Chinese bishop under house arrest makes rare public appearance
 USCCB asks prayers-- but not fasting-- on All Saints' Day
 Confirmed: Pope to appoint new cardinals at February consistory
 CDF prefect: contemplating Christ is answer to Reformation, post-Vatican II crises in the priesthood
 Vatican newspaper highlights group’s ‘Christ-centered alternative to Halloween’
 NSA says it does not ‘target the Vatican’
 Mexican bishops exhort government to intervene in Michoacán
 Education leaders deplore effects of Arab Spring on Catholic schools
 Lebanon in negotiations to secure release of kidnapped bishops

Released Wednesday, Oct. 30

 Solve world hunger by policies of inclusion, Vatican delegate tells UN
 Pope sends greetings to World Council of Churches, stresses joint action to help the poor
 Cardinal tempers homage to deceased rock star
 Vatican unworried by reports of NSA monitoring cardinals' phones
 Indian court finds Hindus not guilty in attacks on Christians
 Pope asks prayers for peace in Iraq
 At audience, Pope speaks on 'communion of the holy'
 Pope to appoint new cardinals at February 2014 consistory?
 Malaysian government prevents distribution of Catholic newspaper
 Coptic Catholic official: church attacks do not point to Muslim-Christian conflict in Egypt
 Curial official: over 3,000 religious leave consecrated life each year
 Canada at ‘extremely serious’ moment in euthanasia debate
 Curial cardinal pays tribute to Pope Benedict’s Jesus of Nazareth
 Nobel laureate, in Vatican newspaper, calls for major efforts to address climate change
 Nicaraguan bishop laments clashes between government, rebels
 Mexican priests defy extortion effort

Released Tuesday, Oct. 29

 Vatican monsignor, facing trial for money-laundering, released to house arrest
 Syrian Islamic leader says kidnapped Orthodox bishops are alive and in Turkey
 Putin to meet with Pope Francis?
 Irish government looks to referendum on same-sex marriage, new law on gay adoption
 Vatican plans summit for Eastern Catholic churches
 USCCB youth refugee materials updated to address gay, transgendered youth
 Pope’s Twitter account has 10 million followers
 ‘Beleaguered Syrian Christians fear future’
 Attack on Protestant church in India
 Coptic bishop: no to Western military intervention

Released Monday, Oct. 28

 Panama's president meets with Pope
 Georgetown law class to include work with abortion-advocacy organization
 Pope Francis lauds 'Jesus of Nazareth' trilogy by Benedict XVI
 Iraqi prelate challenges West to stand up for persecuted Christians
 Judge blocks enforcement of Texas law on abortion-safety provisions
 Burmese Nobel peace laureate visits Pope
 Vatican TV center: teamwork in service to the Church
 Vatican message to Hindus calls for joint action against materialism
 Inter-religious peace conference recalls first Assisi meeting
 Cardinal Pell defends Pope against SSPX, foresees continued push for Curial reform
 Christian families light up society, Pope tells pilgrims
 International agency upgrades Vatican’s financial rating
 Move away from ‘European’ Church, leading cardinal urges
 2 Protestant colleges file suit against HHS mandate
 ‘So help me God’ becomes optional in US Air Force Academy oath
 Leading English prelate addresses Muslims
 Jesuit missionary recalls Father Bergoglio’s leadership
 Dominican Republic: bishop laments court decision on citizenship of immigrant children
 Report: Syrian rebels organize burning of Bibles, other Christian books
 100th anniversary of French archdiocese

Released Friday, Oct. 25

 President of Equatorial Guinea meets with Pope, signs new accord
 Minnesota archdiocese to arrange independent audit of sex-abuse files
 Vietnamese Catholic activists given 7-month jail sentences
 Filipino cardinal sees challenge of bucking secular influences, supporting family life
 Emigrants' deaths seen as 'wake-up call for Africa'
 Chinese authorities block internet access to bishop's pastoral message
 New Vatican Secretary of State released from hospital
 North Dakota bishop's faithful warned of Hepatitis A risk
 Egyptian extremists aim at civil war, not just at Christians, priest says
 Families, not just individuals, have rights, Pope argues
 Setback for organic food company in suit against HHS mandate
 Florida bishop leads thousands in march for immigration reform
 Ambassador Hackett: religious freedom of ‘paramount priority’ to Obama administration
 Report: police fled before attack on Coptic church
 Kenyan Christians: ‘we will not be intimidated’ following murders
 Iran: Protestants sentenced to 80 lashes for consuming communion wine

Released Thursday, Oct. 24

 USCCB: pray, fast that unborn will be welcomed
 Pope reminds bishops: serve priests, the poor, non-Catholics
 Minnesota archbishop acknowledges crisis of confidence
 Jewish human-rights group energized by meeting with Pope Francis
 Cardinal Dolan: Wall Street Journal op-ed on immigration
 French high court: mayors must perform same-sex marriages
 Vatican cardinal speaks on genetically-modified food
 USCCB announces candidates to succeed Cardinal Dolan as conference president
 New US ambassador hopes to work with Holy See on peace, refugees, development
 Malaysia: prime minister, leading prelate discuss application of ‘Allah’ ruling
 Guatemalan prelate rips Canadian mining companies

Released Wednesday, Oct. 23

 Baptism rates falling in US
 Pope encourages prison chaplains, laments that 'big fish' often escape punishment
 Dozens of Catholic agencies join in coordinated drive to aid Syrian refugees
 Departure of ambassador offers new test of Obama administration's commitment to religious freedom
 Pope Benedict was surprised by dismissal of Vatican bank president
 Amid abuse-policy complaints, Minnesota archdiocese puts capital campaign on hold
 German bishop removed from diocese over heavy spending
 Church, like Mary, must focus on Christ, Pope tells audience
 Bishop allowed to travel to Turkish Cyprus, worship at monastery
 Holy See’s representative at UN calls for ban on chemical, nuclear weapons
 Europe’s Eastern Catholic bishops emphasize evangelization
 Cardinal: ecumenism did not begin with Vatican II
 Syrian rebels attack Christian suburb, historic town
 Religious orders teach entrepreneurialism in Cuba
 Colombian bishop laments rebel attacks

Released Tuesday, Oct. 22

 Illinois bishop bars organized prayers for same-sex marriage in cathedral
 CDF confirms Church ban on Communion for divorced/remarried
 Sri Lanka: Diocesan official charges government oppression of Tamil minority
 Southern Baptist leader plans less stress on political involvement, social issues
 Hungary, Holy See amend concordat
 Vatican newspaper pays tribute to Hitchcock’s Vertigo
 Prelate: Central African Republic is a ‘tinderbox’
 Egypt: bishop criticizes Muslim Brotherhood following attack on church
 Nicaraguan bishop: Ortega government persecuting the Church
 2 Christian pastors murdered in Kenya
 Local Christians deplore indifference following Pakistani church bombing
 Chaldean patriarchate again urges Catholics who have fled Iraq to return home

Released Monday, Oct. 21

 India's Cardinal Gracias asks political leader to ensure equal treatment of Christians
 Seminar sponsored by European bishops says man-made climate change is 'irrefutable'
 Pontiff extols work of Vatican Museums: the beauty of faith
 Archbishop leaves board of Catholic university in Minnesota amid complaints on abuse policies
 New US ambassador to Holy See presents credentials, begins blogging
 Pope meets with embattled German bishop to discuss diocesan spending
 Greed is a destructive ideology, Pope tells congregation
 Obama administration targets Catholic teaching with HHS mandate, Washington lawsuit charges
 Spread flame of faith, Pope urges on Mission Sunday
 Lutherans, Catholics should repent past enmity, work for future unity, Pope says
 Jewish-Catholic dialogue: respect religious freedom
 Nun awarded prize for work against human trafficking
  3 dead in attack on Coptic church in Egypt
 Hungarian martyr beatified
 Vatican newspaper: sociologist sees need for conversion from consumerism
 Mexico: police officer murdered in front of bishop’s residence
 Bishop rues West’s view of Arab Spring, distinguishes jihadists, moderate Muslims
 Nicaragua: bishop brokering deal between foreign company, disgruntled workers

Released Friday, Oct. 18

 Pope Francis speaks English for first time in public
 Vatican TV center celebrates 30 years
 Cameroon's president meets with Pontiff
 Brazil: proposal would allow churches to decline same-sex marriages
 Papal encouragement for conference on evangelization in Philippines
 Pollution threatens masterpieces of Sistine Chapel
 Israeli premier to meet with Pontiff
 Pope praises renewed ICEL for liturgical translations
 Stephen Colbert headlines Al Smith Dinner
 Report: 50,000 Syrian Christians seek Russian citizenship, blast nations that back rebels
 Cardinal George lauds Catholic Campaign for Human Development
 Persecution of Christians has intensified in 20 nations
 Maryland’s bishops issue statement on immigration reform
 US bishops welcome end of government shutdown, lament HHS mandate

Released Thursday, Oct. 17

 Syria's Christians will endure despite mass exodus, patriarch proclaims
 USCCB: pray, fast for families suffering from illness
 Vatican sponsors relay race, cricket club
 Kansas City diocese opposes sale-tax boost
 Head of German bishops' conference meets with Pope; Limburg diocese on the agenda?
 Peruvian cardinal fears CDF prefect is 'naive' about liberation theology
 Faith without prayer becomes ideology, Pope warns
 Lenten Retreat for Roman Curia will be held outside Rome
 Pope meets Palestinian leader, pushes for new Israeli-Palestinian talks
 Germany: local Catholics leaving Church over bishop’s spending
 500 employees oppose end of abortion coverage at California Jesuit college
 Amid persecution, Egypt’s Christians strive to preserve heritage
 Chaldean Catholic patriarch, Iraqi prime minister discuss plight of Christians
 Report: militant Hindu youth hound Christians in Indian village
 President Obama issues statement for Eid al-Adha

Released Wednesday, Oct. 16

 Hunger cannot be accepted as routine, Pope says in World Food Day message
 35th anniversary of election of John Paul II
 The apostolic Church is a river flowing through history, Pope tells audience
 Pakistan: 3 Christians charged with blasphemy
 Ukrainian parish desecrated
 Prelate: poverty must join abortion at top of Church’s ‘political agenda’
 Virginia bishops, in newspaper op-ed, call for immigration reform
 Bishop welcomes US military raid in Somalia
 California governor vetoes bill on sexual-abuse lawsuits
 Southern Africa’s bishops denounce corruption

Released Tuesday, Oct. 15

 Convicted war criminal's funeral, scheduled at SSPX chapel in Rome, is not held
 Vatican council sponsoring relay race in St. Peter's Square
 Secretary-general of Vatican Governorate raised to rank of bishop
 Chaplain files suit against US policy barring civilian chaplains from military bases during shutdown
 Belarus: priest faces treason charge, government offers no details
 SSPX leader denounces Vatican II, Novus Ordo liturgy
 Vatican gains control of 'dot-Catholic' internet domain
 Vatican commissions independent study of APSA's financial dealings
 Cardinal Bertone steps down after 7 years as Secretary of State
 New Vatican Secretary of State undergoes surgery, misses handover ceremony
 Report: vandalism at parish where Pope Benedict was baptized
 Pro-marriage organization files suit against IRS
 USCCB official part of ‘faithful filibuster’
 Berlin discussion of God and freedom is next ‘Courtyard of the Gentiles’ initiative
 Chaldean patriarch invites Catholics in diaspora to return home to Iraq
 Ecuador’s president threatens to resign if abortion bill passes
 Libya asks some religious to leave country; prelate deplores situation
 Leading Malaysian prelate: ‘Allah’ will continue to be used in Bible, liturgies

Released Monday, Oct. 14

 Pope Francis consecrates world to Immaculate Heart of Mary
 Irish lawmaker removed from post as extraordinary minister after pro-abortion vote
 New York convent fire probed as 'hate crime'
 German bishop, under fire for overspending, in Rome to meet with Pontiff
 Evangelize by offering hope, Pope suggests
 Vatican warns against ticket-scalping for papal audiences, beatifications
 Arrested for solicitation, Ohio priest reveals he is HIV-positive
 Top officials named from Synod on the family
 Massachusetts pastor removed; more than $200,000 missing from parish
 Rome diocese denies church funeral for Nazi war criminal
 New secretary for Congregation for Bishops
 Malaysian court rules Christians cannot use 'Allah' to refer to God
 Pope Francis sees maternity as key to women's role
 German cathedral marks 750th anniversary
 Honduran bishops call for transparent elections
 Prelate rejects call for Kurdish region in Syria
 India: repeated attacks on Christians in Karnataka
 522 martyrs beatified in Spain

Released Friday, Oct. 11

 Hungary's constitution bucks EU trends on life, marriage, family, faith
 Don't be naive, the devil exists, Pope tells congregation
 Secretary tried to persuade Benedict XVI not to resign
 German bishops, Pope to confer on spending dispute in Limburg diocese
 Papal almoner delivers aid, solidarity to Lampedusa
 Vatican coin pulled from circulation; 'Jesus' was misspelled
 Canonist: German archdiocese has no authority to change rules for receiving Communion
 Pope declares new saint, advances several causes
 Meeting with Rome's Jewish community, Pope calls for vigilance against anti-Semitism, racism
 Prelates in Africa, India express support for Catholic Relief Services
 Polish bishops apologize for clerical abuse, criticize media
 Vatican newspaper lauds Alice Munro, winner of Nobel Prize in Literature
 Pope Francis invited to address European Parliament
 Report: tear gas used against Christian demonstrators in Egypt
 Japanese prelate: don’t scrap constitutional rejection of war
 Pakistan: faith growing stronger, not weaker, following terrorist attack on church

Released Thursday, Oct. 10

 Pope thanks Knights of Columbus for support, public witness
 Pope meets with Croatian president
 Colombia: guerillas force priests to leave rural areas
 Anglican leader extols practice of Confession
 USCCB: pray, fast for conscience rights
 German bishop charged with giving false testimony
 Vatican official in money-laundering probe claims he fears assassination
 Australian doctor faces disciplinary action for refusing to do sex-selection abortion
 European bishops discuss continent’s secularization
 Pennsylvania dioceses file new lawsuits against HHS mandate
 Study finds that 34% of Catholics in US are Hispanic
 Vatican newspaper review lauds Gravity
 Curial cardinal pays tribute to Communion and Liberation founder
 Turkish officials may return ancient monastery’s land
 Report: 63 Christian leaders in Vietnamese prison camps
 Pakistani prelate: Western military actions help foster persecution of Christians

Released Wednesday, Oct. 9

 Vatican disapproves of policy allowing divorced/remarried Catholics to receive Communion in German archdiocese
 St. Paul archdiocese did not disclose porn found on priest's computer
 Knights of Malta open new camp for Syrian refugees; existing facilities overburdened
 Catholic Relief Services seen as a virtual arm of the US government
 Study finds substandard care for woman whose death prompted change in Ireland's abortion law
 Most Americans excited, supportive of Pope after interview: Cardinal Dolan
 Some US military chaplains barred from celebrating Mass
 Vatican adopts new financial-disclosures law
 Papal encouragement for Argentina's President Kirchner after brain surgery
 Pope prays for Lampedusa victims and for peace in Middle East
 The Church is 'catholic,' universal but not uniform, Pope tells audience
 Setback for Indiana diocese in IVF-dismissal case
 USCCB action alert: end sequestration, raise debt ceiling, pass conscience-protection law
 Pope approves liturgical translations in 2 Mayan languages
 Vatican newspaper welcomes Pius XII Twitter account
 Assyrian Christian leader welcomes Chaldean Catholic patriarch’s overture
 Death toll from Pakistani church bombing rises to 126
 Pope Francis pays tribute to St. Notburga

Released Tuesday, Oct. 8

 Christians in Jerusalem protest desecration by Jewish extremists
 Pope to visit Middle East in 2014?
 Missing Jesuit reported alive, in captivity, in Syria
 Vatican schedules special Mass for Lampedusa accident victims
 Vietnamese Catholics, police in standoff at Vinh diocese demonstration
 Pope calls special meeting of Synod of Bishops to address family issues
 French priest indicted in thefts of sacred vessels
 USCCB lauds Kerry actions on Arms Trade Treaty, Iran negotiations
 Curial cardinal pays tribute to St. John of Ávila
 2.5 million attend youth pilgrimage in Argentina
 Orthodox prelates commemorate Edict of Milan, lament persecution of Christians
 Chaldean patriarch tightens control over Church properties
 Myanmar prelate appeals for peace amid sectarian conflict

Released Monday, Oct. 7

 New nuncio appointed to Dominican Republic, replacing prelate charged with abuse
 Vatican strikes commemorative medal for pontificate of Pope Francis
 US House votes to ensure religious services on military bases
 Don't be too busy to hear God's voice, Pope tells congregation at morning Mass
 Lesotho's king and queen meet with Pontiff
 English archbishop, ARCIC leader, foresees wider permission for shared Communion
 Peruvian cardinal complains about publicity over removal of bishop on abuse charges
 Pope's Angelus message: the power of prayer, the power of faith
 Legion of Christ to hold general chapter, adopt new constitution, in January
 Former official calls for independent review of abuse polices in St. Paul archdiocese
 Colorado bishops, in immigration pastoral letter, say employers ‘provide the chief incentive for illegality’
 Poll: majority of Catholics who attend Mass weekly support same-sex marriage, women’s ordination
 Irish bishops issue message for ‘Day for Life’
 Prelate: human traffickers responsible for Mediterranean refugee deaths
 Vatican cardinal warns Korean laity against secularism, bureaucracy, some Confucian tendencies
 Satanists suspected in tabernacle desecration in India
 Italian seminarian, martyred by Communists, beatified

Released Friday, Oct. 4

 Bombing at beloved Spanish Marian shrine: no injuries
 Canonical lawsuit on Georgetown's Catholic identity filed with Vatican
 Catholic bishop attends installation of Canada's openly gay Chaplain General
 Vicar general resigns in St. Paul archdiocese over handling of abuse revelations
 Catholic religious services suspended at some US military bases during government shutdown
 Council of Cardinals sets dates for new meetings in December
 Strip away worldly attitudes, Pope exhorts the faithful
 USCCB: pray, fast so that hearts may be open to life
 Contemplative community opens 8th new convent in past 20 years
 Armenian church approves ‘collective canonization’ of genocide victims
 Indonesia: Islamist militants prevent construction of parish
 Assisi prelate recounts invitation to Pope Francis
 Papal almoner to be ‘extension of the Pope’s heart’

Released Thursday, Oct. 3

 Hans Küng says he is considering assisted suicide
 Death of migrants is a 'disgrace,' Pope says, renewing plea for action
 Catholic University hires Chinese human-rights champion
 Apply the principles of Pacem in Terris today, Pope says
 Australian Church leaders promise major reforms for handling absue
 Dublin Catholic hospital won't do abortions, religious nurse-tutor says
 President Obama 'hugely impressed' with Pope Francis
 Pope, cardinals discuss 'substantial' overhaul of Roman Curia
 Orissa Christians convicted in 2008 murder of Hindu leader; bishops’ conference decries verdict
 Agenda announced for fall US bishops’ meeting
 Jewish historian, in Vatican newspaper, defends ‘Italian Schindler’ accused of Nazi collaboration
 Cardinal Pell calls for authentic healthcare for poor mothers, not contraception and abortion
 Leading Vatican diplomat speaks at UN on the family, development, and Syria
 Curial cardinal challenges Korean bishops to ‘missionary bravery’

Released Wednesday, Oct. 2

 Judge in Milwaukee archdiocesan bankruptcy case refuses to recuse himself
 Text of papal interview was inexact, Vatican journalist finds
 New critique of CRS shows numerous grants to organizations supporting abortion, contraception
 Catholics in US less likely to divorce, study shows
 Nigerian cardinal challenges Islamic leaders to condemn Boko Haram terrorism
 Irish priest resigns from hospital board over new abortion policy
 The 'Church of sinners' remains holy, Pope tells audience
 Pope, Council of Cardinals discuss collegiality, Synod; today's talks turn to Roman Curia
 ‘Unprecedented’ donations to Lourdes in response to flood damage
 2 priests murdered in Colombia
 Islamist militias attack another historic Christian town in Syria
 Number of US seminarians on the rise
 ‘Pro-choice’ former surgeon general to lead Catholic college’s school of public health
 Report: mob burns Christian homes in Karachi; 300 flee
 Bishops call for bipartisan budget deal

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