U.S. nun's killer sentenced

BBC News

A Brazilian judge has sentenced a gunman to 27 years in prison after his retrial for the murder of U.S.-born nun and environmentalist Dorothy Stang. Rayfran das Neves Sales was found guilty of killing Sister Stang on the orders of two ranchers in 2005. Sister Stang campaigned for poor farmers' rights and worked to preserve the rainforest from loggers and developers. Her murder followed a dispute with ranchers over land they wanted to clear for pasture and she wanted to protect. More info here»

U.N. official blames Church for AIDS spread

Yahoo News

A United Nations official said that the Catholic Church's opposition to condoms was making the spread of HIV and AIDS in Latin America worse. According the U.N., there were 410,000 new cases of HIV in 2006, up 28 percent from 2004. As in Africa, officials of international organizations have chosen to blame the spread of the disease on the Church because of its opposition to contraception and its support of abstinence. In fact, Church teaching opposes the promiscuity and other sexual behaviors that have led to the spread of HIV. That those who violate Church teaching on sexual relations still adhere to its teachings on contraception is an assumption that many Church leaders question. More info here» 

Giuliani cites Israel in wooing evangelicals

The Jerusalem Post

Rudy Giuliani cited his love for Israel and the Jewish roots of Christianity in appealing to evangelical Christians. "What the community of faith understands is that Israel is one of our most faithful allies, but also that Israel is the birthplace for Jewish religion, the Christian religion, of our traditions," the former New York mayor and front-runner for the Republican presidential candidacy said in a lengthy address Sunday to the Family Research Council, a conservative Christian umbrella. Giuliani, who supports legalized abortion, faces obstacles in soliciting the evangelical vote. He told the group that he favored faith-based programs. More info here»