c. 2006 Religion News Service

Nepal to Probe Role of Young “Living Goddesses”

CHENNAI, India (RNS) The Supreme Court of Nepal has ordered an inquiry into whether the centuries-old tradition of worshipping a virgin girl as a “living goddess” has led to the exploitation of young girls and violates their human rights.

The order came after a child rights lawyer, who says she only wants to reform the tradition, not abolish it, filed a petition. Other activists have lodged their own court case aimed at keeping the tradition unchanged.

Traditionally, young girls _ called “kumaris” _ are selected from the country’s Buddhist community. Once they meet select criteria, they are worshipped as goddesses by both Hindus and Buddhists until they reach puberty, when they are replaced by other girls.

The young “living goddesses” are isolated from family and friends and revered. Every one of their motions is interpreted as “divine instruction.” From the age of 5 or 6, many girls chosen as kumaris live their childhood lives through a series of rituals with little contact with the outside world.

The Hindu King of Nepal traditionally worships the goddess during the Indra Jatra festival, which is celebrated in the capital city of Kathmandu in early autumn.

A final ruling by the Supreme Court is expected after a three-month inquiry is completed by Nepal’s Ministry of Culture.

_ Achal Narayanan

Pope Bans Lay Catholics From Cleaning Communion Vessels

(RNS) Lay Catholics who distribute the Eucharist can no longer clean the chalices used in the sacrament of Communion, Pope Benedict XVI has ruled.

In 2002, U.S. bishops received special permission from Pope John Paul II for “extraordinary ministers” _ lay Catholics who are authorized to help distribute Communion _ to help purify the sacred vessels at Mass.

Bishop William Skylstad, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, wrote to the Vatican in 2005 and 2006, asking Benedict XVI to extend the “indult,” or dispensation.

But in an Oct. 12 letter, Cardinal Francis Arinze of the Vatican’s Congregation for Divine Worship told Skylstad that Benedict XVI rejected the request.

The Roman Missal, the book that guides the celebration of Roman Catholic Mass, states that only priests, deacons and “instituted acolytes” may purify the sacred vessels. Like Catholic deacons and priests, instituted acolytes _ who are often preparing for the priesthood _ must be male.

But a shortage of priests in the U.S. led the bishops to ask for an indult allowing lay Eucharistic ministers to clean the sacred vessels and save time, said Monsignor Anthony Sherman, associate director of the bishops’ liturgy office.

Benedict’s order follows a pattern of papal concern over the celebration of the Eucharist that began under John Paul, Sherman said. In his travels throughout the world, John Paul became distressed that Mass was celebrated differently in different locales, according to Sherman.

“He felt there were some abuses in the celebration of the sacrament,” Sherman said.

The Vatican recently has taken a “back to basics” approach to other aspects of the Mass as well. Under Rome’s orders U.S. bishops approved a new liturgical translation that more closely follows the Latin of the missal. In November, the bishops will establish new norms for hymns “to ensure that liturgical songs will be doctrinally correct.”

_ Daniel Burke

Swedish Catholics Worried Over Lack of Seminarians

BORAS, Sweden (RNS) Roman Catholic men in Sweden are not signing up for the priesthood because they cannot commit to a life of celibacy, church officials say.

Monsignor Miroslaw Dudek, who heads the church’s priesthood seminary in Sweden, said church officials are worried that no one has registered for the seminary this year. He said there are just 150 priests to serve the church’s 150,000 members in the country.

Dudek agreed that celibacy was a major reason, but added that the lack of future priests was also due to the fact that the young people are not brought up in faith.

“Most of the people coming to the church are converts who already have their families and they are instead opting to become deacons, not priests,” Dudek said.

He said the secularization of Swedish society is another reason why people are shunning the priesthood. Dudek said this trend has been developing over several years and blamed the media for pushing secularism.

“The society has become very different, where the youth do not recognize the importance of the church anymore,” he said. Dudek added that “people are now going on the wrong way. They are moving away from God and their roots and see themselves as the center of everything.”

_ Simon Reeves

Quote of the Day: Author and Blogger Andrew Sullivan

(RNS) “I’m praying for (the Rev. Ted) Haggard, as I hope he is praying for me and every sinner. But the lesson of this to the religious right surely is `go and sin no more.’ Stop the lies. Stop the bigotry. Deal with the reality of gay people, our souls, our wounded hearts, our humanity, our right to be treated equally by our own government. It’s what Jesus did. And it is your true calling now.”

_ Author and blogger Andrew Sullivan, reacting to the scandal surrounding the Rev. Ted Haggard, former president of the National Association of Evangelicals, who resigned that post after a male escort said Haggard had paid him for sex and bought drugs.

KRE/JL END RNS