HOMEPAGE for this issue: May 9, 2012 //
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US bishops reflect on new evangelization

ROME (CNS)—Celebrating Mass in Pope Benedict XVI’s cathedral, Rome’s Basilica of St. John Lateran, a group of U.S. bishops prayed for the pope and reflected on what they need to do to respond to his call for a new evangelization.... [read more]

World | Nation Briefs

Chen’s dissent stems from opposition to forced abortion

TORONTO (CNS)—As Chinese and U.S. diplomats sought a resolution to the diplomatic crisis surrounding Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng, many Chinese-Americans turned their attention to the nature of Chen’s dissent. Without challenging any fundamental tenet of China’s constitution or its 1949 revolution, Chen has focused attention to the country’s forced abortion and sterilization practices, leading to a crackdown by the government on his movement and prohibitions on contact with foreigners and the media.

The prominence of the self-taught, blind lawyer rose when he escaped from house arrest in Shandong province April 22 and arrived at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing several days later. As Chen went from the embassy to a hospital, the U.S. sought assurances that he would be released from house arrest and that he and his family would not be harmed. Chen told reporters police were in his home waving clubs in front of his wife.

China has accused the U.S. of meddling in the country’s internal affairs. “Chen Guangcheng is not just a dissident. In fact, he did not even advocate against the central government. He is a folk hero in China,” Chai Ling, founder and president of All Girls Allowed, told a U.S. Congressional hearing in Washington May 3.

“He’s a defender of women, children and the poor. Chen has worked tirelessly on behalf of women who face forced abortion and sterilization at the hands of officials who should be protecting their citizens’ rights,” said Chai, whose organization campaigns to defend women facing forced abortions in China.

Archbishop Chaput announces decision in cases of priests

PHILADELPHIA (CNS)—Acknowledging that “much work still needs to be done in restoring the health of our local Church,” Archbishop Charles J. Chaput of Philadelphia announced May 4 that five of the 26 priests suspended by his predecessor had been permanently removed from ministry and three had been cleared and “found suitable for ministry.”

A ninth priest died before allegations of child sex abuse could be investigated, the archbishop said.

Six of the original 26 priests remain under investigation by law enforcement, while two other cases were recently released to the archdiocese by law enforcement, he said. In the remaining nine cases, investigations have been completed and “are awaiting either examination by the Archdiocesan Review Board or a final decision by me,” he added.

Archbishop Chaput said review of the cases of the 26 priests had been “exhaustive” and that the process “is complex and time-consuming.”

“It cannot be hurried or abbreviated without violating its purpose,” he added.

The archdiocese also announced a new program called “Honesty, Healing and Hope in Christ: Confronting Sexual Violence in Our Archdiocese,” which will roll out in four phases over six months and will be “designed to address the feelings and responses experienced when final resolutions are announced and going forward.”