Page 1825 – Archdiocese of Baltimore

VATICAN CITY – Former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami said religious leaders have an obligation to God to begin healing the wounds in Catholic-Muslim relations, including those caused by Pope Benedict XVI’s September remarks about Islam. “Meeting the pope cannot heal all these wounds, but at least we are making an effort to begin,” said Khatami, speaking May 4 at Rome’s Pontifical Gregorian University immediately before meeting Pope Benedict at the Vatican. Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman, said the pope and Khatami spent 30 minutes speaking privately in the papal audience. Khatami also met separately with Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Vatican secretary of state.

Vatican signals support for international meeting on Iraq

VATICAN CITY – The Vatican signaled its support for the international meeting on Iraq that took place in Egypt in early May, and Iraq’s Chaldean bishops asked participating countries to do more to end violence and protect Christians in the country. After former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami met Pope Benedict XVI May 4, the Vatican published a statement saying the two leaders reaffirmed “the need for strong initiatives by the international community, like that occurring in these days at the meeting in Sharm el Sheikh,” Egypt, to bring peace to the Middle East.

Vatican Library to be closed to public for three years

VATICAN CITY – The Vatican Library is closing its doors to the public for the next three years for renovation. Starting July 14, the library will be closed until September 2010 in order to carry out “major structural renovation of one wing of the library,” the library’s vice prefect, Ambrogio Piazzoni, told Catholic News Service.

Journey honors Mother Lange

When people walk in the same footsteps as the founder of the Oblate Sisters of Providence whose canonization is currently under review, they are not taking a tour but are participating in a pilgrimage. Sister Mary Virginie Fish, O.S.P., insists the Mother Mary Lange Pilgrimage in and around Baltimore be called just that. “It’s not a tour,” Sister Virginie said emphatically. “This journey is a prayerful excursion one takes in a spirit of penance and reflection, which is indeed the true definition of a pilgrimage.” An average of 12 groups request a pilgrimage annually to learn about Mother Mary Elizabeth Lange, the Caribbean-born woman who helped establish St. Frances Academy in Baltimore to educate black children, and the Oblate Sisters of Providence – the Catholic Church’s first order for African-American women religious – in 1829.

New Our Daily Bread building to be dedicated May 24

The new $15 million Our Daily Bread Employment Center and soup kitchen will not open to serve meals to Baltimore’s poor and homeless until June 4, but the halls of the three-story, 52,000-square-foot building are already filled with people. Contractors worked to ready the new site at 725 Fallsway for its May 24 dedication and June opening. In addition to Our Daily Bread, the new center will also be home to Catholic Charities’ Christopher Place Employment Academy and Maryland Re-entry Partnership – a program that enables formerly incarcerated men to successfully reintegrate into the community.

Humans do cause climate change

I noticed several inaccuracies in the letter sent by Dr. Thomas P. Sheahen titled: “Scientists divided on issue of global warming” (CR, April 26). In this response I will address Dr. Sheahen’s comments on the consensus of scientist’s concerning human-induced climate change and his comments on recent global temperatures as compared to those of the last millennium. I feel that responding to this letter is important since there may be readers of The Catholic Review not familiar with the technical literature in this subject area.

Conscientious objection not the only Christian response

When Joshua Casteel, a conscientious objector, spoke to the pope about the Catholic Peace Fellowship’s initiative, “The pope listened carefully, then thanked Mr. Casteel and told him he would pray for him.” (CR, May 3) Would the pope not say the same to a conscientious protector?

What about marriage?

I stipulate at the outset that religious vocations are urgently needed and vitally important to the mission of the church. In no way do I wish to denigrate the sacrifice of those so called. I remain most grateful for their commitment and service. However I am somewhat disheartened that marriage, as a vocation, is hardly addressed from the pulpit or in weekly church publications such as The Catholic Review. It strikes me as missed opportunity to elevate, in the eyes of the faithful, the rightful position of marriage in God’s plan for humanity.

Bishops’ work group affirms anti-abuse programs

WASHINGTON – A report sent to the U.S. bishops by their National Review Board and Committee for the Protection of Children and Young People said the safe environment education programs for children in dioceses across the nation are “a major accomplishment and one that must continually be maintained and reinforced.” It proposed criteria for evaluating and improving those programs, which are intended to prevent the sexual abuse of children and young people and to help them recognize it if it occurs and report it to adults.

IED wounds account for many of Walter Reeds injuries

WASHINGTON – Along with all the other military jargon and abbreviations, a relatively new term keeps bubbling up to the surface at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, as well as in popular parlance: IED. It’s short for improvised explosive device. IEDs account for a large share of the wounds sustained by U.S. soldiers in Iraq – and for a large share of the patients at Walter Reed, many of whom have lost limbs because of the devices. The patient information sheets at Walter Reed aren’t always accurate, but they include identification of patients by religion. Father Patrick Kenny, the only full-time Catholic chaplain at Walter Reed, uses them to greet, comfort and bless the Catholic patients there. Sgt. Juan Roldan was with his infantry unit when one of the devices exploded. The injuries he sustained required that both his legs be amputated above the knee. “I don’t remember much,” Roldan said softly as his mother stayed by the foot of his bed. “I think I’ll be here for a while.” “He’ll be walking – soon,” Father Kenny said, providing positive reinforcement to Mr. Roldan after extending a blessing to the soldier.

Bishop Kevin Farrell installed as bishop of Dallas Diocese

DALLAS – Bishop Kevin J. Farrell was installed May 1 as the seventh bishop of the Diocese of Dallas during a Mass at the Cathedral Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe attended by an overflow crowd of more than 2,000 people. The two-hour Mass was concelebrated by archbishops, bishops and priests from Texas and from around the United States. They included Washington Archbishop Donald W. Wuerl and Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick, retired archbishop of Washington. Archbishop Pietro Sambi, apostolic nuncio to the U.S., read the apostolic mandate appointing Bishop Farrell to Dallas. Bishop Brian Farrell, who is secretary of the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and the brother of Bishop Kevin Farrell, also concelebrated the Mass.

Parishes benefit from Haiti partnerships