Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Jan 4, 2018 / 02:37 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- A Catholic cardinal in the Democratic Republic of Congo has strongly condemned security forces’ attacks on protesters amid deadly political tensions in the count… […]
After his father, who was Archbishop of Canterbury, died in 1896, Benson finally gave up on his doctrinal waverings and acted upon his growing conviction […]
Salt Lake City, Utah, Jan 4, 2018 / 11:40 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Thomas Monson, president of the Mormon Church, died Tuesday at the age of 90, leading Catholic bishops to offer not prayer and praise for a man dedicated to philanthropic works.
“President Monson was an advocate of unity and believed in the goodness of each person. He embraced people regardless of faith, seeing in them the image of Jesus,” Bishop Oscar Solis of Salt Lake City said Jan. 3.
“He was a ‘human’ touch of kindness and dignity that will long be treasured. We join in prayer with the LDS faithful at this difficult time.”
Monson, 16th president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, died of natural causes Jan. 2 at his home in Salt Lake City. The leader of the 15.8 million-member religion had a strong dedication to the poor. He had been president of the religion since 2008.
According to The Salt Lake Tribune, Monson would make surprise visits to sick children or bereaving widows. Additionally, former Utah legislator Stuart Reid said Monson had modified the LDS Church’s three-fold mission to include a fourth – an outreach to the poor.
“The President has been a good friend and supporter in our mutual efforts to support the common good and care for the most vulnerable both at home and abroad,” continued Bishop Solis.
“Catholic Community Services as well as the Good Samaritan Program have benefited from his commitment to the poor.”
Born in 1927 in Salt Lake City, Monson was always an active member of the Mormon Church. He served on one of the religion’s governing bodies, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, from 1963 until his 2008 appointment as president.
Monson’s funeral services will be held Jan. 12 in Salt Lake City.
Cardinal Daniel NiNardo of Galveston-Houston, president of the US bishops’ conference, offered his condolences to the leaders and members of LDS Church and promised to pray for Monson, whom he said aided friendship between Catholics and Mormons.
“During his tenure as president, understanding and friendship developed between our two communities on national and local levels,” he said Jan. 3. “As we engage important questions on family and the dignity of the human person, Catholics and Mormons work together and support each other. Today, Catholics join their Latter-day Saints brothers and sisters in commending his soul to the mercy and love of God.”
The Mormon Church, a nontrinitarian religion, was founded in the 19th century in New York.
Vatican City, Jan 4, 2018 / 05:28 am (CNA/EWTN News).- On Thursday Pope Francis offered his prayer for the 48 people who died in a gruesome bus accident in Pasamayo earlier this week, voicing words of comfort to families of the victims and all who were wounded.
In a Jan. 4 telegram, the Pope said he was “deeply saddened to learn of the painful news of the traffic accident in Pasamayo,” and offered prayers “for the eternal repose of the deceased.”
Signed by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the telegram conveyed Pope Francis’ consolation “to the families who weep for such a grievous loss,” and assured of his his spiritual closeness to the wounded.
The telegram closed asking that God would “pour out on all the gifts of spiritual serenity and Christian hope,” and imparting Francis’ “heartfelt apostolic blessing” to all those who are affected.
It comes after at least 48 people were killed when a bus collided with a tractor-trailer on a narrow road along Peru’s coast Tuesday.
In the accident, which took place in the Peruvian city of Pasamayo, about 43 miles north of Lima, the bus plunged form the highway onto the rocks below, killing the majority of the 57 passengers on board.
Due to its proximity to the cliff and the heavy fog that frequently shrouds visibility, the stretch of highway where the accident happened is often called “the Devil’s Curve.”
Numerous people have died in previous accidents on that stretch of highway. In 2015 some 37 people died in an accident involving three buses and a truck, and in 2013 at least 51 of Peru’s Quechua indigenous people died when their bus fell from the cliff into a river.
According to the Washington Post, only six people survived Tuesday’s incident, and three are still missing.
Washington D.C., Jan 4, 2018 / 05:00 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Planned Parenthood reported that it received more than $500 million in government funding last year, while performing more than 300,000 abortions across the United States.
The country’s largest abortion provider released its 2016-2017 annual report this weekend, reporting that while the organization is seeing fewer patients than in previous years, revenue from government sources remains mostly stable. The report also showed increased excess revenues for the organization.
In the 2016-2017 fiscal year, Planned Parenthood saw 2.4 million patients at its 600 health centers, and performed 321,384 abortions. Though the number of abortions decreased slightly from the prior year, Planned Parenthood’s abortion numbers have increased 10 percent over the past decade, despite seeing about 600,000 fewer patients. In 2006, Planned Parenthood reported that they performed 289,750 abortions, and served 3.1 million patients.
Planned Parenthood’s excess revenue increased from the prior fiscal year, from $77.5 million to $98.5 million, an increase of 27 percent.
Despite seeing fewer patients, Planned Parenthood’s taxpayer funding has increased by 61 percent in the past decade, from $336.7 million in 2006 to $543.7 million in 2016.
CEO Cecile Richards bemoaned a “historic threat” to Planned Parenthood in the report, stemming from legislative efforts at the state and federal level to regulate or defund Planned Parenthood.
Despite defunding efforts, the organization received only two percent fewer tax dollars in 2016 than in 2015. “Government Health Services Reimbursements & Grants” constituted the largest source of funding for Planned Parenthood in 2016-2017, providing 37 percent of the organization’s revenue.
The majority of Planned Parenthood’s expenses, 60 percent, were for “medical services.”
The report showed that the number of patients receiving contraceptive services from Planned Parenthood declined last year, as it has since 2009. That year, Planned Parenthood provided 4,009,549 contraceptives to patients, a number that was nearly halved by 2016. Most of Planned Parenthood’s birth control services are oral contraceptives, the report said, although there was an increase in the number of IUDs implanted in 2016 compared to 2015.
Cancer screenings and prenatal care also declined over the past year. While adoption referrals increased, Planned Parenthood performed about 82 abortions for every child that was referred for adoption.
In light of the report showing a significant, growing, profit, pro-life advocates are continuing to calling for Planned Parenthood to be defunded by state and federal legislatures.
“Enough is enough,” said Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the pro-life Susan B. Anthony List, in a Jan. 3 statement. “Community health centers vastly outnumber Planned Parenthood facilities nationwide and offer comprehensive primary and preventative care for women and families. Congress must follow through on the promise to redirect tax dollars away from Planned Parenthood without further delay.”
<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet” data-lang=”en”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>In looking at <a href=”https://twitter.com/PPact?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@PPact</a>'s latest annual report, more than 82 abortions were performed for every 1 adoption referral. You have to ask – how much choice is Planned Parenthood advocating for their vulnerable patients?</p>— Catherine Szeltner (@CatSzeltner) <a href=”https://twitter.com/CatSzeltner/status/948263568440426497?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>January 2, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet” data-lang=”en”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>As I’ve stated before (and setting aside the fungible aspect of $), I don’t care if the dollars that Planned Parenthood receives from the government go to purchase fish tanks for waiting rooms. Their organization takes lives, and that is unacceptable.</p>— Kimberly Ross (@SouthernKeeks) <a href=”https://twitter.com/SouthernKeeks/status/948347629590728704?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>January 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Left unmentioned in the report was that 32 Planned Parenthood facilities have closed during the last year.
A Chaldean Catholic priest from Iraq living in the US discusses his Church’s ancient liturgical tradition as well as the dangers faced by Middle East […]
Vatican City, Jan 3, 2018 / 07:00 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- One of the Church’s great media missionaries of the 20th century, Fr. Piero Gheddo, died last month at the age of 88. Gheddo died on Dec. 20, after more than half a century of work in Catholi… […]
Pope Pius XII “did more than anybody in the world ever did for the Jews,” says Fr. Charles Murr, author of a book about his […]
Lagos, Nigeria, Jan 3, 2018 / 05:00 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- A Nigerian archbishop has urged authorities to intensify their investigation of six nuns who remain missing after being kidnapped in November.
“It is disheartening that the security agenci… […]
Washington D.C., Jan 3, 2018 / 04:30 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced Tuesday that houses of worship will now be eligible to receive federal disaster relief funds, after outcry from religious leaders in the wake of Hurricane Harvey.
Previously, these FEMA funds were limited to private nonprofits that were not affiliated with a religion, such as museums, libraries, community centers, and homeless shelters.
“Effective for any major disaster declared on or after August 23, 2017, private nonprofit organizations operating a house of worship are now eligible under the FEMA Public Assistance Program,” the agency’s administrator wrote to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Jan. 2.
Abbott and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced Wednesday that FEMA had granted their request to permit houses of worship to gain access to these disaster relief funds.
Abbott and Paxton had sent President Donald Trump a letter in September arguing that houses of worship were no different than other nonprofits, and had even assisted FEMA with their recovery efforts. Yet due to past FEMA policy, these organizations were barred from funds.
Three Texas churches that were damaged during Hurricane Harvey had filed suit saying that they were being discriminated against for their religious beliefs as their requests for aid had been denied by FEMA.
Now, FEMA will permit houses of worship damaged during the hurricane to retroactively apply for aid, and any other church damaged in a storm in the future will also be eligible for these funds.
Abbott praised FEMA for changing this policy, and also thanked various religious organizations for playing a “vital role” in the area’s ongoing recovery since Harvey made landfall in late August.
“Churches and other houses of worship continue to play a vital role in the ongoing recovery effort, and their ability to receive the same assistance available to other nonprofits should never have been in doubt. I thank FEMA and the Administration for their commitment to helping Texans and the churches that have helped their communities throughout the recovery and rebuilding process,” said Abbott in a statement.
Catholic and Jewish leaders penned an opinion piece in USA Today in September encouraging legislation which would end discrimination against religious organizations in disaster aid.
Echoing Abbott’s praise was Knights of Columbus CEO Carl Anderson, who said the Knights were grateful FEMA had agreed to assist churches, and that the damage caused by these particular storms had necessitated government help.
“Having stepped into the breach to help meet the great needs of the affected communities, we welcome the significance of FEMA’s decision.The destruction due to the flooding and hurricanes is of such a magnitude that the government must help in the response.”
The Knights of Columbus raised $3.8 million for disaster assistance in the immediate aftermath of the 2017 hurricane season. In addition to relief efforts in Texas, the Knights of Columbus donated $100,000 to the Archdiocese of San Juan to assist with rebuilding efforts in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria.
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