News/International
COPIAPO, Chile - As miners were pulled one-by-one Oct. 13 from the tunnel in the San Jose mine in Copiapo, celebrations of thanksgiving replaced the round-the-clock vigils and special Masses appealing for the men's safety.
Many of the miners, who had last been above ground Aug. 5, came out of their rescue capsule making some gesture to God, kneeling in prayer, crossing themselves and voicing prayers.
"By their witness of unity and solidarity, these 33 brothers have united all Chileans," said a statement issued by the standing committee of Chile's Catholic bishops the day after the rescue operation was completed.
"Their strength and hope invites us to work together as a society to 'rescue' so many brothers who suffer from poverty and marginalization, looking to make Chile 'a table for everyone,' ” the Oct. 14 statement said.
Among the thousands of people waiting at Camp Hope outside the mine in the daylong culmination of a two-month rescue effort, Bishop Gaspar Quintana Jorquera of Copiapo spent time with miners' families, sharing in celebrations with those already out of the mine and encouraging those awaiting their loved ones' return. The bishop also celebrated Mass at the camp, asking God's protection for the miners, seeking guidance for the rescue and offering thanks for all those involved in the effort.
Many of the miners, who had last been above ground Aug. 5, came out of their rescue capsule making some gesture to God, kneeling in prayer, crossing themselves and voicing prayers.
"By their witness of unity and solidarity, these 33 brothers have united all Chileans," said a statement issued by the standing committee of Chile's Catholic bishops the day after the rescue operation was completed."Their strength and hope invites us to work together as a society to 'rescue' so many brothers who suffer from poverty and marginalization, looking to make Chile 'a table for everyone,' ” the Oct. 14 statement said.
Among the thousands of people waiting at Camp Hope outside the mine in the daylong culmination of a two-month rescue effort, Bishop Gaspar Quintana Jorquera of Copiapo spent time with miners' families, sharing in celebrations with those already out of the mine and encouraging those awaiting their loved ones' return. The bishop also celebrated Mass at the camp, asking God's protection for the miners, seeking guidance for the rescue and offering thanks for all those involved in the effort.
Israeli oath draws concerns from Synod of Bishops
By Cindy Wooden, Catholic News Service
VATICAN CITY - Asking Christians, Muslims and others who want to become Israeli citizens to pledge loyalty to Israel as a “Jewish and democratic state” does not demonstrate democratic respect for full religious freedom, said a patriarch from Egypt.The majority of members of the Israeli cabinet voted Oct. 10 to require the loyalty oath from new, non-Jewish citizens. The Israeli parliament still has to vote on the oath.
As miners are rescued, Chileans unite in prayer
By Catholic News Service
SANTIAGO, Chile (CNS) -- As miners were pulled one-by-one from the tunnel in the San Jose mine in Copiapo, where they'd awaited rescue since Aug. 5, Chile's churches were hosting round-the-clock vigils, special Masses appealing for the men's safety and other prayers of thanksgiving.At a Mass that began near midnight Oct. 13, as the first miner was being brought to the surface, Santiago Auxiliary Bishop Cristian Contreras Villarroel said the lives of the 33 miners should be seen as a sign of the need all people have for redemption.
"There is no saint without a past, nor sinner without a future," he reminded the congregation in El Sagrario chapel next to Santiago's Metropolitan Cathedral.
IVF opened 'wrong door' to treating infertility, says Vatican official
By Carol Glatz, Catholic News Service
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- While honoring one of the inventors of in vitro fertilization with the Nobel Prize for Medicine recognizes his contribution to human reproduction, it ignores the ethical consequences of his opening "the wrong door" in the fight against infertility, said the president of the Pontifical Academy for Life.British scientist Robert Edwards, a retired professor at the University of Cambridge, England, was named the Nobel winner Oct. 4 for the development of in vitro fertilization.
His work led to the birth in 1978 of Louise Brown, the world's first "test-tube baby."
Collins, Prendergast begin meetings with Irish archbishops to probe abuse scandal
By Vanessa Santilli-Raimondo, The Catholic RegisterTwo Canadian archbishops will be among Vatican officials discussing upcoming apostolic visitations with Irish archbishops over that nation's sexual abuse scandal in the Church.
The meeting will take place Oct. 5-6 at the offices of the Congregation for Bishops and be chaired by Cardinal Marc Ouellet, the former archbishop of Quebec City, said Ottawa Archbishop Terrence Prendergast, S.J., who along with Toronto's Archbishop Thomas Collins is among the apostolic visitors named by the Vatican.
Bishop, D&P step up pressure to pass responsible mining law
By Michael Swan, The Catholic Register
TORONTO - Last year Goldcorp Inc. pulled 2.2 million tonnes of rock out of the ground at its Marlin Mine in San Miguel, Guatemala. Using a process that sucks up millions of litres of water and adds cyanide to the mix, the company separated 7,793 kilograms of gold and 117,835 kilograms of silver from the ore.The gold sold for an average of $982 per ounce and the silver for $15.07 per ounce.
It costs Goldcorp $192 to free an ounce of gold from the rock in San Miguel, making it one of the world’s most profitable mines, ever. In Northern Ontario it costs Goldcorp $585 to mine and mill an ounce of gold at its Musselwhite mine, $447 per ounce at the Porcupine mine, and $288 per ounce in Red Lake.
Irish archbishops called to Rome to prepare Vatican probe into abuse
By Sarah Delaney, Catholic News Service
VATICAN CITY - Irish archbishops will travel to Rome in early October to meet with Vatican officials about the apostolic visitation of their dioceses ordered by Pope Benedict XVI in response to the priestly sexual abuse scandal, the Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference announced.The four archbishops were called by the leadership of the Congregation for Bishops to help prepare for the visitation, which the Pope said would help them address the sexual abuse scandal, improve assistance to victims and perfect preventative measures.
Haitian bishops considering program to oversee church reconstruction
By Dennis Sadowski, Catholic News Service
WASHINGTON - Haitian bishops were expected to agree Sept. 24 to the creation of a broad-based reconstruction program involving Church partners from around the world that will guide how parishes and Catholic schools destroyed in the January earthquake are rebuilt.They were meeting in Miami Sept. 22-26 with Catholic officials from Canada, the United States, Argentina, Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, France, Germany, Guadeloupe and Mexico and the Inter-American Development Bank. The bishops were considering the proposal developed over several months primarily by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and Catholic Relief Services.
Vatican bank head named in money-laundering probe
By John Thavis, Catholic News Service
VATICAN CITY - The president of the Vatican bank, Ettore Gotti Tedeschi, has been placed under investigation by Italian magistrates in a money-laundering probe, the Italian state television RAI reported.RAI, citing judicial sources, said the move followed the seizure Sept. 20 by Italian treasury police of 23 million euros ($30 million) that had been deposited in a Rome bank account by the Vatican bank.
Internet helps D&P raise more than $1 million for Pakistan flood relief
By Michael Swan, The Catholic Register
TORONTO - With the deadline for federal matching funds extended to Oct. 3, the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace has raised more than $1 million for flood victims in Pakistan.Toronto parishes have so far turned in an additional $237,061.11 to ShareLife, the archdiocese's charitable fundraising arm. ShareLife funds will eventually be turned over to Development and Peace, the development arm of the Canadian Catholic bishops that is one of a select group of agencies eligible for federal matching funds.
In Britain, despite protests, Pope gets a fair hearing
By John Thavis, Catholic News Service
LONDON - In terms of his primary objectives — preaching the Gospel to his flock and defending the influence of religion in society — Pope Benedict XVI can look at his four-day visit to Great Britain as a major success.The big question going into the Sept. 16-19 visit was whether the German Pope would be given a fair hearing in a country where skepticism about religion runs high. The answer was a resounding "yes." Not only did the Pope speak his mind, but he also received unprecedented gavel-to-gavel coverage in the British media.