Catholic Fire

The Catechism of the Catholic Church is a reference book with over 700 pages. Now, thanks to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, it is even more accessible. With this new online version, beyond reading, users will be able to navigate its pages. It has a very clear index, which is available at all times, and also a search engine that can find everything related to a specific topic in a few seconds. It also permits bookmarking pages and even making brief notes. Another novelty is that users can share any page on Facebook, Twitter and other social media. Users can find it in English, as well as Spanish. This online version is the American edition of the Catechism, adapted for Catholics in the United States and approved by the Holy See. - Via Rome Reports.

During the first day of their fall meeting in Baltimore, the U.S. bishops discussed themes and priorities for their work as a whole, including evangelization, the family and Catholic education. The bishops listened on Nov. 11 to remarks from apostolic nuncio Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò and conference president Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan on the importance of Christian witness and international religious freedom. They heard a report from the conference’s National Advisory Council, a 48-member group of laity, clergy and religious of various ages, locations, ethnicities and occupations, who meet to offer input on topics discussed by the bishops. The council supports a continued focus on evangelization and education, the development of a formal statement on pornography, a peaceful solution to the Syrian conflict, and an extension of the bishops’ “Call to Prayer” for life, marriage and religious liberty. Read the full story

In a 24-page response to the Obama administration’s most recent “accommodation” on the HHS mandate, the general counsel and associate general counsel of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops stated that “the mandate continues to represent an unprecedented (and now sustained) violation of religious liberty by the federal government.” “As applied to individuals and organizations with a religious objection to contraceptive coverage, the mandate violates the First Amendment, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, and the Administrative Procedure Act,” Anthony Picarello and Michael Moses continued. They added: The proposed regulation keeps in place a regulatory definition of “preventive” health care which includes items that do not prevent disease , but rather are intended to render a woman temporarily or permanently infertile , and may be associated with adverse health outcomes . Under the proposed regulation, most stakeholders are offered no exemption or accommoda...

WASHINGTON—The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) launched a Web page promoting its support of “truly universal health policy with respect for human life and dignity.” The page, www.usccb.org/healthcare , includes letters from bishops to Congress, videos, facts and statistics, frequently asked questions, and links for contacting members of Congress. Letters to Congress include an August 11 letter by Cardinal Justin Rigali, the bishops’ Pro-Life chairman, criticizing abortion provisions in the House version of health care legislation and a July 17 letter from Bishop William Murphy, the bishops’ Domestic Social Justice chairman, outlining the bishops concerns and priorities for health care reform as a whole. The site will feature Web videos of USCCB policy staff discussing the bishops’ position on health care. Kathy Saile, director of Domestic Social Development, outlines the general position and concerns. Richard Doerflinger, associate direc...

In response to the National Insitutes of Health’s request for public comment, Msgr. David J. Malloy, general secretary of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, has written an 11-page critique of the agency’s Health’s draft guidelines on embryonic stem-cell research. “The central fact of science relevant to this issue is the fact that the living human embryo at the blastocyst stage-- the being who will be destroyed to obtain embryonic stem cells for research funded under these Guidelines-- is a human being at a very early stage of his or her development,” he writes. “This consensus does not rely on a particular religious view, or a particular theory about ‘personhood.’ It is a basic human insight, a recognition that each one of us began life as an embryo and engaged in continuous development through the stages off fetus, infant, newborn, toddler, etc. to reach maturity.” More Related Post: ACTION ALERT: Today is Last Day to Comment on Embryonic Stem Cell Research

Mass of Reparation to Be Held in Orlando Diocese Archbishop Daniel E. Pilarczyk of the Cincinnati Archdiocese, Bishop Thomas G. Wenski of the Orlando Diocese, Bishop Robert W. Finn of the Kansas City-St. Joseph Diocese, Bishop Joseph Latino of the Jackson Diocese, Bishop Leonard Blair of the Toledo Diocese, and Bishop Gerald Gettelfinger of the Evansville Diocese have opposed the University of Notre Dame’s decision to honor President Obama at commencement, bringing the total number of bishops rebuking the university to 39. “It is clear now that Notre Dame’s actions have created a wound in the Catholic community, but fortunately the university still has time to end the scandal,” said Patrick Reilly, president of The Cardinal Newman Society (CNS), whose petition at NotreDameScandal.com has now passed 323,000 signers. Bishop Robert W. Finn of the Kansas City-St. Joseph Diocese delivered a keynote speech entitled “Warriors for the Victory of Life” at the Gospel of Life Convention last S...

KQCD-TV News North Dakota`s two Roman Catholic bishops say they can`t support a bill that tries to define when human life begins, unless it is changed. Paul Zipfel and Samuel Aquila say they support the bill`s concept. But they say its language raises a number of questions about what its effects would be. The bill says North Dakota law should regard a human being as "any organism with the genome of homo sapiens." It`s intended to extend the rights of a human being to a fertilized egg. The bishops are supporting changes that say human life begins at conception, and that unborn children have "certain" rights. They say their preferred language is clearer. The proposed changes say the bill isn`t intended to penalize (prosecute) women who harm (murder) their unborn children indirectly by drinking, taking drugs or not following a prenatal care program. Click Here For The Full Story...... ~ Via Covenant News .

Fr. Neuhaus has written an excellent article on the Bishops and their response to Obama in First Things. He also comments on their meeting in Baltimore this week. What do you think?

Papal Address 2 USA - WASHINGTON - 16.04.2008 National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception Meeting with the Bishops of the United States 2-Original text Dear Brother Bishops, It gives me great joy to greet you today, at the start of my visit to this country, and I thank Cardinal George for the gracious words he has addressed to me on your behalf. I want to thank all of you, especially the Officers of the Episcopal Conference, for the hard work that has gone into the preparation of this visit. My grateful appreciation goes also to the staff and volunteers of the National Shrine, who have welcomed us here this evening. American Catholics are noted for their loyal devotion to the see of Peter. My pastoral visit here is an opportunity to strengthen further the bonds of communion that unite us. We began by celebrating Evening Prayer in this Basilica dedicated to the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a shrine of special significance to American Catholics, right in the heart o...

Pope Benedict XVI has appointed the Rev. Monsignor James D. Conley as auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Denver. The Holy See made the announcement Thursday at noontime in Rome. Get the full story here. Previous Post: Five New Bishops Appointed in the U.S.

Rocco from Whispers in the Loggia reports the following: In the largest one-day blitz of Stateside appointments this decade, this morning Pope Benedict has named: Bishop Richard Pates, 65, heretofore auxiliary of St Paul and Minneapolis, as bishop of Des Moines; Fr Anthony Taylor, 53, pastor of Sacred Heart Parish and vicar for Ministries in the archdiocese of Oklahoma City, as bishop of Little Rock; Msgr James D. Conley, 53, pastor of Blessed Sacrament Parish in Wichita (and former official of the Congregation for Bishops) as auxiliary to Archbishop Charles Chaput OFM Cap. of Denver; Fr William Justice, 65, vicar for Clergy of the archdiocese of San Francisco, as auxiliary to San Fran Archbishop George Niederauer; Fr Oscar Cantu, 41, pastor of Holy Name Parish in Houston, as auxiliary to Archbishop Jose Gomez of San AntonioOrdained a Twin Cities auxiliary in 2001 by Archbishop Harry Flynn, Pates -- a onetime locale at the Apostolic Nunciature in Washington in the days of Archbishop Je...