October 5, 2009
Six members of Supreme Court attend Catholic Mass
WASHINGTON (AP) - A Roman Catholic cardinal has issued a plea for the rights of the unborn at a Mass attended by Vice President Joe Biden, six members of the Supreme Court and hundreds of attorneys.
Five of the six Catholics on the high court -- Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Antonin Scalia, Sonia Sotomayor, Anthony Kennedy and Samuel Alito -- heard the homily by Cardinal Daniel DiNardo. The sixth, Justice Clarence Thomas, did not attend. Justice Stephen Breyer, who is Jewish, was there as well.
Speaking at the annual Red Mass on the eve of the Supreme Court's new term, DiNardo said some of the clients that lawyers represent "are literally voiceless, not yet with tongues and even without names, and require our most careful attention and radical support."
As he spoke, anti-abortion protesters demonstrated outside the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle.
Creatures blessed at DC ceremony
WASHINGTON (AP) - Dozens of pet owners have had their animals blessed in a service held every October 4th at Washington's National Cathedral.
Dogs barked and birds chirped as the choir sang on the day set aside to honor Francis of Assisi -- the 13th century friar who founded the Catholic order of the Franciscans.
He's also celebrated as the patron saint of animals and the environment.
The Rev. Carol Wade prayed for a dog named Squash, who needs a new home.
Alicia Lynn said she brought her dog Bella to the service, hoping it would be "good socialisation" for Bella and would make the dog "blessed for life."
Faith-healing parents to be sentenced Tuesday
WAUSAU, Wis. (AP) - A Wisconsin couple convicted of reckless homicide for praying for their dying daughter to heal instead of rushing her to a doctor return to court Tuesday for sentencing.
Dale and Leilani Neumann were convicted of second-degree reckless homicide in the Easter 2008 death of their 11-year-old daughter, Madeline, from undiagnosed diabetes.
The family believes all healing comes from God.
Marathon County Circuit Judge Vincent Howard could sentence each to up to 25 years in prison.
Testimony indicated the parents mostly prayed for the girl as her health steadily declined to the point she could no longer walk, talk, eat or drink.
Pope prays for victims of Pacific, east Asia disasters, urges world aid
VATICAN CITY (AP) - Pope Benedict says he's praying for the victims of natural disasters in the Pacific and Indonesia.
Benedict said Sunday, during his traditional noon blessing, that he feels spiritually close to the victims of "the tsunami in the Samoan and Tongan islands, the typhoon in the Philippines, that has also hit Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, and the devastating earthquake in Indonesia."
The pope urged the international community to help survivors cope and rebuild, and asked the faithful to join him in "imploring God to ease their suffering."
Pope denounces materialism and fundamentalism in Africa
VATICAN CITY (AP) - Pope Benedict says Africa is spiritually vibrant, but is threatened by materialism and some religions that spread like viruses and do more harm than good.
His remarks Sunday in St. Peter's Basilica opened a three-week synod of African bishops.
Benedict called materialism the "toxic spiritual garbage" exported to Africa by developed countries.
He also denounced religious fundamentalists, who he said spread their faith "in the name of God, but with a logic that is opposed to divine logic: teaching and working not with love and respect for freedom, but with intolerance and violence."
He urged the Catholic Church in Africa to be a voice of reconciliation, justice and peace among the continent's various ethnic and religious groups.
Belgium, Honolulu bishop celebrate leprosy priest
TREMELO, Belgium (AP) - An estimated 20,000 people have attended a Sunday Mass in Tremelo, Belgium -- the birthplace of Father Damien, the 19th century priest who ministered to leprosy patients in Hawaii.
The bishop of Honolulu joined Belgian royals and government officials celebrating their local hero, who will be canonized as a Roman Catholic saint by Pope Benedict next Sunday.
Father Damien was born in 1840 and cared for leprosy victims on the Hawaiian island of Molokai from 1873 to 1889, when the disease killed him.
The Vatican decided to elevate him to sainthood because a Honolulu woman was cured of terminal cancer after she prayed to Damien. The church credited her cure to Father Damien's intercession after determining that there was no medical explanation for the woman's recovery.
School cancels speech from conservative activist
ST. LOUIS (AP) - Conservative activist David Horowitz has been asked not to present a speech titled "Islamo-Fascism Awareness and Civil Rights" at St. Louis University.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the Catholic school canceled his appearance because officials were concerned the speech could be viewed as "attacking another faith."
The school's College Republicans student group had invited Horowitz to speak on campus this month. Money generated from student activity fees would have paid for the appearance.
The university stressed in a statement that it did not "ban" Horowitz from campus.
Horowitz called the decision "outrageous." He said his speech is about what he sees as a campaign against Jews and the state of Israel on many college campuses.
Mormons exhorted at semiannaul conference
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Mormons have been urged by one of their church leaders to look for opportunities to exemplify the Christian values of love and forgiveness in their daily lives.
The admonition by Henry Eyring, a counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, came on Sunday -- the second day of the faith's semiannual general conference.
Mormons gather in April and October to hear words of inspiration and direction from top church leaders. The two-day event draws more than 100,000 members to the church's Salt Lake City headquarters.
On Saturday, the 13 million-member church announced plans to build five new temples -- in Brigham City, Utah; Concepcion, Chile; Fortaleza, Brazil; Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; and Sapporo, Japan.
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
AP-NY-10-05-09 0330EDT
