Archbishop O’Brien wrote (CR, April 23) of the “powerful witness of the Church’s consistent pro-life voice” because the legislature passed a law restricting the application of the death penalty. I do not see the law coming from a powerful pro-life witness, but rather see the legislature extending some professional courtesy to murderers on death row....Read More

CHICAGO – Church teaching on end-of-life issues is much more than “dilemmas and controversies,” a priest-physician told a gathering of Catholic health care ethicists in Chicago March 1. “Don’t let people hijack our church anymore,” said Jesuit Father Myles N. Sheehan, a geriatric oncologist who is senior associate dean for educational programs at the Stritch...Read More

WASHINGTON – Saying that the president of the University of Notre Dame has offered “a flawed justification” for the decision to invite President Barack Obama to speak and receive an honorary degree at commencement, the local bishop urged action to “heal the terrible breach which has taken place between Notre Dame and the church.”Read More

DES MOINES, Iowa – Archbishop Jerome G. Hanus of Dubuque reacted with “deep sadness” after the Iowa House of Representatives Feb. 22 passed a bill to allow the cloning of human embryos for research. “With deep sadness, I regret the recent action by the Iowa House and Senate to change Iowa’s law which banned human...Read More

JERUSALEM – Less than three weeks before Pope Benedict XVI’s pilgrimage to Israel and the Palestinian territories, many issues remained unresolved.Read More

It appeared to be the pinnacle of Catholic Robert W. Curran’s political career when eight of his colleagues on the City Council supported his bill Feb. 26 to declare the municipality a smoke-free zone. Calling the 9-2 vote historic, the council vice president and parishioner of St. Francis of Assisi, Baltimore, told his supporters their...Read More

OTTAWA – When Canada’s aboriginal leaders meet with Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican April 29, they hope to turn the page on the tragic legacy of Indian residential schools.Read More

Baltimore Christian leaders used the backdrop of Ash Wednesday and props of dead soldier’s combat boots as they called President Bush’s Iraq War policies immoral and urged Maryland’s faithful to take part in an organized anti-war rally in Washington. The 13 religious leaders from varying Christian faiths – which included Auxiliary Bishop Denis J. Madden...Read More