Monthly Archives: April 2010
Same old religious politics
By Mark Silk — April 29, 2010
The recent Gallup survey of partisan congressional preference shows (surprise!) that the electorate remains just about where it’s been for a decade when it comes to religious divisions. The more frequent worship attenders are more Republican; the less frequent, more Democratic. The biggest gap is among the Nones–those who say they have no religion–who prefer […]
Pope urges `sensitivity’ as Mass changes are introduced
By Tracy Gordon — April 28, 2010
VATICAN CITY (RNS) Pope Benedict XVI warned that a forthcoming new English translation of the Catholic Mass could provoke “confusion or bewilderment” among worshipers if not “introduced with due sensitivity.” Benedict made his remarks on Wednesday (April 28), during lunch with a committee of English-speaking bishops from five continents, who have worked for nearly a […]
Catholic bishops slam `draconian’ Arizona law
By Tracy Gordon — April 28, 2010
WASHINGTON (RNS) The U.S. Catholic bishops slammed a new Arizona immigration law as “draconian” and called on Congress to stop political “gamesmanship” and pass immigration reform. Bishop John Wester of Salt Lake City, head of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ migration committee, said Tuesday (April 27) the Arizona law could lead to ethnic profiling […]
Polish Lutherans mourn second slain bishop
By Tracy Gordon — April 28, 2010
GENEVA (RNS/ENI) Lutherans in Poland lost a second bishop to tragedy when Bishop Mieczyslaw Cieslar died in a car accident as he returned from the funeral of Polish President Lech Kaczynski, who died in a plane crash that also claimed the life of Bishop Adam Pilch. Cieslar, of the Warsaw diocese of the Evangelical Church […]
Supreme Court says war memorial cross can stay
By Tracy Gordon — April 28, 2010
WASHINGTON (RNS) A divided Supreme Court on Wednesday (April 28) overruled a lower court that had said Congress erred when it transferred a war memorial cross in the Mojave National Preserve into private hands. The 5-4 ruling means the five-foot-cross, currently encased in plywood as the case made its way through the legal system, can […]
10 minutes with … Rose Mary Sanchez-Guzman
By Tracy Gordon — April 28, 2010
(RNS) A rash of drug-related violence in Juarez, Mexico, has prompted some Christian organizations to halt educational tours that took Americans across the border from El Paso, Texas, to tour poor Juarez neighborhoods. But it hasn’t stopped Border Immersion Experience, a program of Iglesia Luterana Cristo Rey (Christ the King Lutheran Church) in El Paso […]
Tea Party insurgence ripples through Missouri Synod election
By Tracy Gordon — April 28, 2010
ST. LOUIS (RNS) When the nominations for president of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod were tallied and released earlier this month, a collective gasp went up from Lutherans who pay attention to things like presidential nominations. It wasn’t just that nine-year incumbent Rev. Gerald Kieschnick, 67, received 755 nominations, but that the Rev. Matthew Harrison, 48, […]
COMMENTARY: Happy Mothers Day
By Phyllis Zagano — April 28, 2010
(RNS) Just when you think you’ve heard it all, another weird notion comes down the pike. Now scientists at England’s Newcastle University say they have grown human embryos from three parents. It’s called “Pronuclear transfer in human embryos to prevent transmission of mitochondrial DNA disease” — at least that’s the title of the 12-author paper […]
Wednesday’s roundup
By Kevin Eckstrom — April 28, 2010
The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that the disputed Mojave Cross in California should be allowed to stay, and that the government went too far in ordering it taken down. The top American at the Vatican, Cardinal William Levada, said he “wouldn’t be surprised” if Pope Benedict XVI issues a more formal apology for sex […]
Debate rages over day of prayer
By Adelle M. Banks — April 28, 2010
Times Union: (RNS) Political debate over whether Americans should pause for a collective day of prayer heated up this week amid conservative uproar over a federal court ruling the law creating a National Day of Prayer is unconstitutional. Full story.
Sorry, Dreher, no cheese
By Mark Silk — April 28, 2010
Over at the blog formerly known as Crunchy Con, Rod Dreher has discovered Mother Noella Marcellino, the famous cheese nun of Regina Laudis Abbey in Bethlehem, CT. Impressed with an account of her rap analogizing cheese maturation to the contemplative life, Dreher asks if there’s anywhere he can buy some of the cheese she makes: […]
Levada fumbles
By Mark Silk — April 28, 2010
With Greece teetering on the edge of bankruptcy and Portugal, Spain, and Ireland not far behind, we are entitled to pose the question, “Is the Catholic Church too big to fail?” As tends to be the case for actors of comparable girth in the financial sector, the answer would seem to be, “Yes, probably.” But […]
Lutherans `deeply concerned’ over publisher lawsuit
By Tracy Gordon — April 28, 2010
(RNS) The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America says it is “deeply concerned” for the welfare of employees who are suing its publishing arm over the termination of their pension plan. Augsburg Fortress, which publishes ELCA hymnals, Sunday school materials, and theological texts, told approximately 500 current and former employees in January that their pension plan […]
Muslims want Graham barred from Capitol Hill prayer event
By Tracy Gordon — April 28, 2010
WASHINGTON (RNS) Days after evangelist Franklin Graham was disinvited from a Pentagon observance of the National Day of Prayer, a Muslim organization has asked members of Congress to follow suit. Corey Saylor, national legislative director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, questioned Graham’s inclusion in a Capitol Hill event on May 6 because of his […]
N.J. governor wants caps on pay for nonprofit CEOs
By Tracy Gordon — April 28, 2010
TRENTON, N.J. (RNS) Gov. Chris Christie is seeking to limit how much the state is willing to pay for CEO salaries and employee benefits at nonprofit social service agencies that do business with the state. Beginning July 1, the state would cap the salaries of the top-earning executives at $141,000 for any social service agency […]
