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OSV Blog

The OSV Daily Takes Blog. News, views, and news analysis from a Catholic perspective from the newspaper editorial team, including John Norton and Greg Erlandson.. Email us with questions, comments or suggestions: feedback@osv.com. Or just comment!
Author: admin Created: 10/17/2006 1:26 PM
Daily news and views from the staff of Our Sunday Visitor.
Friday, Dec. 22
By admin on 12/22/2006 5:18 PM

Cardinal O'Malley and iPods
Boston Cardinal Sean O'Malley believes that Catholics should use the latest technology to spread the message of Christ's saving love. Earlier this year, the cardinal chronicled a trip to Rome through a blog. Now he's turned to podcasting. In Mark's Gospel we hear, "Go out to all the world and tell the Good News," (Mk 16:15). You go, Cardinal Sean.

Jesus who?
"Less than half of British children between the ages of seven and 11 are aware that Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus," a BBC poll reported this week. It appears we have our work cut out for us and have failed somewhere in catechizing our children.

'Pushy and rude' shoppers abound
The stress of holiday shopping can cause otherwise kind and patient people to take their frustration out on salespeople, the Associated Press reports. Shopper behavior is so bad that merchants have developed ways to deal with mean customers and keep employees safe. We are all capable of this behavior and know that it doesn't benefit anyone. It surely doesn't spread the joy of Christ's birth. So, as you head out for your last-minute shopping, remember the real reason for the season and pray for patience.


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Thursday, Dec. 21
By admin on 12/21/2006 2:55 PM

Catholicism catching on with China's young adults
With China relaxing some of its laws banning religion, Catholicism is capturing the hearts of more young people, according to Religion and Spirituality.com. But it's not all rosy. Those who worship in the official Catholic Church that has approval of the state live relatively free. But those who worship in the underground Church, which is supported by the Vatican, still endure arrest and persecution.

Monks' fist-to-cuffs
Two orders of monks in Greece turned to violence this week to settle their differences. CNN.com reports that "fighting broke out between a group of rebel monks occupying facilities of the 1,000-year-old monastery of Esphigmenou, and a group of legally recognized monks on the outside." There must be a better way to settle these differences, and one that mirrors the Gospels.

Continuing to play God
Economists discovered a trend where high-income couples are arranging to have their babies before Dec. 31 to gain tax credits for that year. The couples work with their doctors to choose the day that their baby comes. Dec. 28 is expected to be the big date this year, The New York Times reports. This is yet another sign that we are trying to play God with our fertility, and the babies can suffer for it if they are forced to be born before they are completely developed.

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Wednesday, Dec. 20
By admin on 12/20/2006 4:27 PM
Messy breakup ahead for Episcopalians
Nine Virginia parishes announced earlier this month that they will split from the Episcopal Church in America following disagreements over such issues as same-sex marriage. The Washington Post reports that the parishes and the diocese have agreed not to take legal action over who owns what for one month. When churches split it can be a painful, heart-wrenching process. We pray for our Episcopalian brothers and sisters during this time of change.

India's war on baby girls
Families in India are having fewer female children than is natural thanks to ultrasounds that show them the sex of their unborn baby, a UNICEF report said. Indian families frequently abort baby girls because of a preference for male children, the Associated Press reports. Other countries such as China also engage in this frightening practice. Our Sunday Visitor reported on this issue in the April 30, 2006 edition.

Relics don't belong to St. Joan of Arc
A rib bone and piece of cloth long venerated in Chinon, France, as relics of St. Joan of Arc probably don't belong to her, scientists say. In 1909, scientists said the remains were likely those of the saint, but advances in genetic and carbon testing may prove otherwise, the Associated Press reported. In cases such as these, science can help piece together and accurately present the history of our faith.
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Tuesday, Dec. 19
By admin on 12/19/2006 2:53 PM
"Marriage" denied
While countries around the globe have been legalizing same-sex unions in recent months, Ireland is holding out. A lesbian couple civilly united in Canada petitioned Ireland's High Court to recognize their union but were denied. The couple argued that since the international community has accepted same-sex unions so should the Irish court. But the Irish court disagreed and expressed concern over the impact same-sex unions have on children.

Not to mention the Latin Masses ...
Norway's most popular political party, the Progress Party, has proposed that the national government require all religious services in the country to be conducted in the Norwegian language, or else give up their state financial support. The proposal reflects growing concerns about the failure of the burgeoning immigrant Muslim community to integrate with the larger society. In addition to Muslims who oppose the measure, some Jewish rabbis have also objected, saying that certain readings in Hebrew cannot be changed. Meanwhile, information chief Stian Erdal of the Catholic Diocese of Oslo insisted that it is important to hold Masses in several languages, according to those attending; he called the proposal a "completely unacceptable" attempt to intervene in the practice of religion.

Taking Christ to the streets
When a statue of Jesus was stolen from their monastery a few weeks ago, the spotlight turned on a small religious order in Boston called the Little Brothers of St. Francis. The order of men find their charism in caring for men and women living on the city's streets. Theirs is a quiet testimony to the Gospel message of Matthew 25, "When did we see you, Lord?"
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Monday, Dec. 18
By admin on 12/18/2006 2:34 PM
Pray for those who suffer
Pope Benedict XVI remembered those who will spend Christmas in the midst of war and terror during his Sunday Angelus address. Zenit News Service reported the pope mentioning in particular "our brothers and sisters who, especially in the Middle East, in some areas of Africa and in other parts of the world, live the tragedy of war."  "What joy can they experience? What will their Christmas be like?" he asked. "Let us think of all the sick and lonely people who, in addition to having physical suffering, suffer in the spirit, as often they feel abandoned. How can one share joy with them without lacking respect for their suffering?"  What can we do this Christmas to bring peace to our little corner of the world?

Want to spend Christmas with the poor?
Instead of spending tons of money on more gifts for the family, a growing number of people are deciding to take service trips during the Christmas holiday. The Christian Science Monitor reports that people are searching for a deeper meaning of Christmas and are taking- one- to three-week trips serving the poor in the United States and abroad. Not everyone is able to take such trips but there are ways to bring Christmas to the poor in your community.

U.S. abortion mills on the decrease
A Seattle abortion mill that has operated for 34 years, claiming responsibility for an estimated 54,000 abortions, will soon close permanently because its clients are "too poor," according to a statement from one of its executives. The closing continues a downward trend in the number of abortion facilities in the U.S., according to a separate report annually monitoring the number of businesses run by Planned Parenthood, the industry's largest abortion provider.
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Friday. Dec. 15
By admin on 12/15/2006 7:48 PM
Pope makes gift to Nazareth
During Pope Benedict's trip to Germany in September, donations totaling 1 million euros were collected from the dioceses of Munich,  Regensburg and Passau and will be donated to the Church in the Holy Land. The Asian Catholic news service, AsiaNews.it reported that the money will be used to build a pastoral center near Nazareth. The Catholic population in the Holy Land is small and often persecuted and Pope Benedict said the donation was made to acknowledge this community. The pope said in a statement reported by AsiaNews.it that "together with Christians of the Holy Land, they may thus feel the closeness and encouragement of all the people of God to maintain their presence in the land of Jesus and to build a culture of love notwithstanding prevalent difficulties and adversities.”

No fathers needed
When lesbian couples undergo in vitro fertilization at British fertility clinics, both women will be legally recognized as parents, according to a new policy released by the government.  No recognition will be given to the male needed for the donation, The Guardian Unlimited reports. While we still haven't figured out how to biologically make babies without a man and a woman, we are doing it legally.

Blessed Mother appears in chocolate -- again
When people of faith see holy images in everyday objects, they are responding to an innate phenomenon that scientists call "pareidolia." The Los Angeles Times reported on this phenomenon, which is different from apparitions such as Our Lady of Guadalupe to St. Juan Diego celebrated earlier this week. We should be cautious when chasing down Jesus in a grilled cheese sandwich, as one church official commented. "The Church encourages Christians to see the face of Christ in the homeless, the poor, the destitute and the immigrant — not in a plate of pasta," said Tod Tamberg, a spokesman for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.
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Thursday, Dec. 14
By admin on 12/14/2006 4:00 PM
Pope hard to define
After 20 months in service as the vicar of Christ, Pope Benedict XVI still flummoxes critics and pundits looking to put him into a descriptive box. The Italian Catholic news site Chiesa notes that the pope is carving out his own papal niche and countless Catholics are benefiting from his ability to teach the faith to people of all ages, backgrounds and understanding.

Searching for the "mind of God"
Cosmologist Steven Weinberg will head a new institute at Arizona State University that seeks to uncover the meaning behind all science. It's a daring project in the area of faith and reason. Newsweek reports Weinberg giving a talk last month at a conference on faith and reason at the Salk Institute that brought together many prominent atheists, including Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris on this issue. "Scientists proceed on the assumption that there is a coherent scheme to the universe to be uncovered," he said. "That's also an act of faith."

Christmas wars part of history
Disputes over religious images in the public square are part of our nation's past, the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life found when they sponsored a discussion of the topic with theologian Michael Novak and Newsweek editor Jon Meacham. No doubt they are part of our future as well.
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Thursday, Dec. 14
By admin on 12/14/2006 3:31 PM
Pope hard to define
After 20 months in service as the vicar of Christ, Pope Benedict XVI still flummoxes critics and pundits looking to put him into a descriptive box. The Italian Catholic news site Chiesa notes that the pope is carving out his own papal niche and countless Catholics are benefiting from his ability to teach the faith to people of all ages, backgrounds and understanding.

Christmas wars part of history
Heated disputes over seasonal religious displays go back a long way, the Pew Forum for Religion and Public life found during a discussion between theologian Michael Novak and Newsweek editor and author Jon Meacham about the broader debate over the proper place of religion in public life, a controversy that extends back to the nation's founding.

Searching for the "mind of God"
Cosmologist Steven Weinberg will head a new institute at Arizona State University that seeks to uncover the meaning behind science. It's a daring project in the area of faith and reason. Newsweek reports Weinberg giving a talk last month at a conference on belief and reason at the Salk Institute that brought together many prominent atheists, including Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris on this issue. "Scientists proceed on the assumption that there is a coherent scheme to the universe to be uncovered," he said. "That's also an act of faith."
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Thursday, Dec. 14
By admin on 12/14/2006 3:17 PM
Pope hard to define
After 20 months in service as the vicar of Christ, Pope Benedict XVI still flummoxes critics and pundits looking to put him into a descriptive box. The Italian news site Chiesa notes that the pope is carving out his own papal niche and countless Catholics are benefiting from his ability to teach the faith to people of all ages, backgrounds and understanding.

Searching for the "mind of God"
Cosmologist Steven Weinberg will head a new institute at Arizona State University that seeks to uncover the meaning behind all science. It's a daring project in the area of faith and reason. Newsweek reports Weinberg giving a talk last month at a conference on belief and reason at the Salk Institute that brought together many prominent atheists, including Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris on this issue. "Scientists proceed on the assumption that there is a coherent scheme to the universe to be uncovered," he said. "That's also an act of faith."

"Christmas wars" part of history
Disputes over religious displays in the public square during sacred holidays go way back in this country's history, the Pew Forum for Religion and Public Life found when they hosted a discussion between Catholic theologian Michael Novak and Newsweek editor Jon Meacham. They promise to be part of our future as well.
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Wednesday, Dec. 13
By admin on 12/13/2006 6:08 PM
Killing babies to harvest cells
The BBC reported that newborns in Ukraine were stolen and killed to support an international market for stem cells. A hospital at the center of the scandal denies the allegations and outside investigations are underway. It's a disturbing sign of what Pope John Paul II called "the culture of death" to imagine that innocent babies could be sacrifice financial or scientific gain.

Holocaust true, Vatican says
In response to Iran's conference this week denying the Holocaust, the Vatican said the world must never forget the atrocity. Catholic News Service reported that a Vatican statement said, "The Shoah (the Holocaust) was an enormous tragedy, before which one cannot remain indifferent." The Catholic Church's attitude toward the Jewish community and its experience during the Second World War is one of "profound respect and great compassion," the statement said.

The Bible As Bestseller -- Every Year, Year After Year
Not only is the Bible the best-selling book of all time; it's the best-selling book of the year, every year. According to a conservative estimate, in 2005 Americans purchased more than 25 million Bibles — twice as many as the most recent Harry Potter book. The annual amount spent on Bibles is estimated at more than half a billion dollars. This is despite the fact that 91 per cent of American households own at least one Bible, and the average household owns four. So Bible publishers are selling 25 million copies each year of a book that almost everyone already has. How do they manage to keep people buying so many of them?
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