Quotes and news

The Catholic Health Association (CHA) is backing the US Senate health care reform legislation.

Sr Carol Keehan said the bill is "an historic opportunity to make great improvements in the lives of so many Americans. Is it perfect? No. Does it cover everyone? No. But is it a major first step? Yes. The reforms will eventually make affordable health insurance available to 31 million of the 47 million Americans currently without coverage."

However, she added that the CHA had a major concern on life issues: "We said there could not be any federal funding for abortions and there had to be strong funding for maternity care, especially for vulnerable women.

... but opposed by US bishops

The US Catholic Bishops issued a clear statement that the US Senate bill now pending in Congress should be opposed.

In a statement designed to be reproduced in parish bulletins all over the country, they argued that the bill should be defeated because it provides support for abortion and offers no protection for the consciences of healthcare workers who reject involvement in abortion.

The statement hold that "genuine healthcare reform is being blocked by those who insist on reversing widely supported policies against federal funding of abortion and plans which include abortion, not by those working simply to preserve these long-standing protections."

Abusive priest 'should have been stopped'

Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin said the nationwide extension of the Murphy commission may be "the only way" to uncover the whole truth about the extent of abuse by priests and religious in Ireland.

He said that "people want the entire truth to come out".

Referring to the controversy over Cardinal Sean Brady's decision decades ago not to report an abusive priest to police, Mgr Martin said that "Brendan Smyth should have been stopped from the very first time it was known that he was abusing.

"How a person would have abused and continued to abuse for so long -18 years after (Brady's evidence-gathering) - and God knows how many years before."

The Dublin archbishop said he would not issue a call for Cardinal Brady's resignation.

Commission to study Medjugorje

Cardinal Camillo Ruini, the retired vicar of the Rome diocese, will lead a Vatican-appointed commission to investigate the reported Marian apparitions at Medjugorje.

The commission will work under the auspices of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and present its findings to that body.

In 1981, six young people in the little town - which was then a part of Yugoslavia, now Bosnia-Herzegovina - reported that they had received messages from the Virgin Mary. These 'seers' claim the apparitions and messages continue regularly to this day.

The alleged apparitions of Our Lady at Medjugorje have been hailed by thousands as genuine and a strengthening of faith. On the other hand, many others do not approve. Local bishops have been sceptical, and Bishop Ratko Peric of the Mostar diocese where Medjugorje is located has strongly advised against accepting the authenticity of the apparitions.

(Compiled by Fr Joe Borg)