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VATICAN CITY – Signaling continued improvement in Vatican-Vietnamese relations, Pope Benedict XVI hosted the first ever visit of a prime minister from Vietnam’s communist government. Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and a nine-member government delegation, including the head of the government Commission for Religious Affairs, arrived at the Vatican Jan. 25. The Vatican said the meeting marked “a new and important step toward the normalization of bilateral relations,” which have improved in recent years along with “greater spaces of religious freedom for the Catholic Church in Vietnam.”

The Greek Chi explanation is ridiculous. Are we speaking Greek here in the US? Keep the Christ in Christmas!

While presenting Science fair awards Jan. 19 to middle school students at St. Philip Neri School, Linthicum, Fran Meeks unsuspectingly received an award of her own – teacher of the year. The eighth grade science and homeroom teacher with 33 years of service received a plaque and $250 from VFW Post #304, Annapolis.

MEXICO CITY – A Mexican bishop has cautioned against the reference to Jesus in the presidential oaths of office that were taken by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega. “We have to be critical when people invoke God to justify terrorism, wars, the exploitation of the poor, inhumanity, totalitarianism and unheard of repression,” said Bishop Felipe Arizmendi Esquival of San Cristobal de las Casas in a commentary published by the Mexican bishops’ conference Jan. 17.

While it won’t cure Parkinson’s disease nor halt its progress, deep brain stimulation (DBS) can help patients manage symptoms like trembling, slowed movement and abnormal muscle movements. “Deep brain stimulation physically involves the insertion of electrodes deep within the brain that are electrically stimulated to control the adverse symptoms of Parkinson’s disease,” explained Sharon Powell, a registered nurse and DBS coordinator at University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore.

WASHINGTON – President George W. Bush signed a law Jan. 11 that lets him grant diplomatic privileges and immunities to the Holy See’s Permanent Observer Mission to the United Nations. The Holy See is not a member of the United Nations, but its permanent observer status, held since 1964, entitles it to participate in General Assembly debates, have its communications issued and circulated as official documents of the assembly, and co-sponsor draft resolutions and decisions that refer to the Holy See.

People interested in becoming a resident at Catholic Charities Senior Housing in Abingdon are being asked to add their names to a list for prospective tenants at the new apartment building. The 76 rent-assisted senior apartment units are expected to be ready to occupy in April and Catholic Charities will send out applications to all people on the list in early 2007.

YORK, Pa. (CNS) – Students and faculty members at York Catholic High School now have a vivid reminder of the heroism of firefighters who died in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York City through an American flag with an image of the New York City skyline displayed at the entrance to their school auditorium.

DUBLIN, Ireland (CNS) – Catholic churches in Ireland are appealing for information about the location of nine Catholics murdered between 1972 and 1985 and whose bodies were buried in secret. Priests in the Archdiocese of Armagh, Northern Ireland, issued the appeal at Masses the first weekend in January. Other Catholic churches in the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland were to continue the appeal in January and planned to place posters in church lobbies and notices in parish bulletins and newsletters.

This letter is in response to Charles Schutz letter (CR Jan. 04) titled “‘X-mas’ is offensive”. During this past season of Advent a friend had given me a book of reflections entitled , “The Little Blue Book, Advent and Christmas Seasons 2006-2007” based upon the writings of Bishop Ken Untener, Diocese of Saginaw. In that I read, ‘X-mas’ – It is sometimes thought that the abbreviation “X-mas” is disrespectful. It takes Christ out of Christmas.