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Vatican issues recommendations for celebrating Year of Faith
Jan. 11, 2012 - VATICAN CITY (CNS)—In an effort to help Catholics have a better and correct understanding of their faith and become authentic witnesses to Christ, the Vatican issued a list of pastoral recommendations for celebrating the upcoming Year of Faith ... [read more]

 

 

BRIEFS THIS WEEK

Pope names 22 new cardinals, including three North Americans 

VATICAN CITY (CNS)—Pope Benedict XVI named 22 new cardinals, including two from the United States, and announced a consistory for their formal induction into the College of Cardinals Feb. 18. Among those named were Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan of New York; Archbishop Edwin F. O’Brien, pro-grand master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem who still is administering the Archdiocese of Baltimore; and Archbishop Thomas C. Collins of Toronto. The pope announced the nominations to the faithful in St. Peter’s Square at noon Jan. 6, before praying the Angelus. Cardinal-designate O’Brien, who was in St. Peter’s Square when his name was announced, said his priestly life has been “a surprise at every step. I thought being appointed archbishop of Baltimore would be the last surprise, but I was wrong.” He told Catholic News Service that the ministries he had been appointed to, and now his elevation to cardinal, were not things he could “anticipate, navigate or engineer. It’s just a matter of being open and in the right place at the right time and good things happen.” 

Bishop Zavala resigns after disclosing he is father of two children 

VATICAN CITY (CNS)—Los Angeles Auxiliary Bishop Gabino Zavala has resigned after disclosing to superiors that he is the father of two children. The Vatican announced the bishop’s resignation Jan. 4 in a one-line statement that cited Church law on resignation for illness or other serious reasons. Los Angeles Archbishop José H. Gomez announced the “sad and difficult” news in a letter to Catholics in the archdiocese. He said Bishop Zavala, who was auxiliary bishop for the San Gabriel pastoral region, had informed him in early December that he is the father of two minor teenage children who live with their mother in another state. Archbishop Gomez announced early Jan. 4 that Msgr. James Loughnane, a native of Ireland, was appointed episcopal vicar for the pastoral region. Bishop Zavala told Archbishop Gomez that he had submitted his resignation to Pope Benedict XVI. Since that time, Bishop Zavala has not been in ministry and “will be living privately,” Archbishop Gomez said. “The archdiocese has reached out to the mother and children to provide spiritual care as well as funding to assist the children with college costs. The family’s identity is not known to the public, and I wish to respect their right to privacy,” Archbishop Gomez said. He asked prayers for all those affected by the situation. Bishop Zavala’s resignation leaves a vacancy in the chairman’s position of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Communications. Mercy Sister Mary Ann Walsh, director of media relations for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, had no immediate announcement about who would assume the chairmanship. “There won’t be anything here for a day or two,” she said.