U.S. & World News
Egypt’s Catholic leaders welcome Morsi’s ouster, hope for democracy
Egypt’s Catholic leaders welcomed the military overthrow of the country’s Islamist president and voiced confidence that Christians and Muslims can work together to build a “real democracy.”
With final rules from HHS, bishops need to ‘continue defending’ rights
The final rules issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services implementing its mandate that employers provide coverage of contraceptives do not eliminate “the need to continue defending our rights in Congress and the courts,” said New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan in a July 3 statement.
Saints’ congregation reportedly acts on causes of JPII, John XXIII
The cardinals and archbishops who are members of the Congregation for Saints’ Causes met July 2 and, according to Italian news reports, took steps to advance the sainthood causes of Blesseds John Paul II and John XXIII.
Syrian priest killed during rebel attack
A 49-year-old Syrian priest and hermit was killed June 23, apparently when a group of rebels attacked the Franciscan Convent of St. Anthony in Ghassanieh, a village in the north near the Turkish border.
U.S. bishops want to give ‘careful analysis’ to HHS final rules
The final rules issued June 28 by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services implementing its mandate that employers provide coverage of contraceptives “will require more careful analysis,” New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan said in a statement.
Nation and world briefs – July 3, 2013
– Pope Francis’ first encyclical to be published July 5
– Bishop Folda ordained for Fargo diocese
– Pope confers palliums on new archbishops
U.S. bishops: Supreme Court’s rulings are ‘tragic day for marriage’
U.S. Catholic bishops said the U.S. Supreme Court’s June 26 rulings on same-sex marriage were a “tragic day for marriage and our nation.”
European churches welcome EU move to link aid to religious freedom
Churches in Europe have welcomed pledges by the European Union to make financial help for countries around the world conditional on their protection of religious freedom.
Court overturns DOMA, sends Proposition 8 back to lower court
The federal Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA, defining marriage as between one man and one woman is unconstitutional under the Equal Protection Clause, the Supreme Court ruled June 26 in a 5-4 opinion.
U.S. Supreme Court overturns key provision of Voting Rights Act
The Supreme Court June 25 overturned the part of the Voting Rights Act used to determine that 15 states have had to comply with the law’s protections for minority voters.
Salt+Light uses Internet to send Chinese programming to mainland
Salt+Light TV, the Toronto-based Catholic television programmer, is using the Internet to send its Chinese-language programming to mainland China.
Court kicks back college quotas case; takes clinic protests, visa cases
The Supreme Court June 24 kicked back a university affirmative action case to a lower court and took cases for the next term dealing with buffer zones for protests at abortion clinics and whether the children of immigrants lose their place in line for visas when they turn 21.
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