Church renewal and how our pope is providing real leadership by leading

When doing nothing is not an option -real action ,not lip service is needed to fix the issue and make the body whole again to its true core values. The rot, decay , must be identified , acknowledged and removed to ensure that the good or vitality of the body be  restored . I personally believe that our Pope is showing true leadership in this regard. " As Christ chased out the money lenders from the temple - so should the Pope chase out the clergy who abuse their trust." S. Holle comment and opinion .

"My hope is that it will help in the process of repentance, healing and renewal," Benedict said

Pope approves handling of German scandal

VATICAN CITY (UPI) -- Pope Benedict XVI approves of measures the Roman Catholic Church in Germany is adopting to handle clergy sex abuse scandals, a church leader said.

Nineteen of Germany's 27 dioceses have been affected by scandal, with similar situations reported recently in dioceses in Ireland, the Netherlands and Austria, ANSA reported Saturday.

The German arm of the church plans to provide more support for victims and to tighten procedures in an effort to "bring truth to light," Monsignor Robert Zollitsch said Friday after briefing the German-born pope.

"He is favorable to our measures but we do not know whether they will be extended to other countries," Zollitsch said.

In the United States, several dioceses have been bankrupted by settlements since sex abuse by clergy was first exposed on a major scale in the late 1990s.


Cardinal Christopher Schoenborn, archbishop of Vienna, wrote this week the church needs to examine how priests are trained, now the "so-called sexual revolution" has affected the church and the doctrine of celibacy.

The church only mandated celibacy for its priests in the 12th century and Eastern Rite priests are still allowed to marry. A number of married Protestant ministers who converted to Catholicism have been allowed to function as priests.

Pope urges Irish to forgive abuse

VATICAN CITY, Italy (UPI) -- Pope Benedict XVI Saturday asked Irish Catholics to forgive sexual abuse by priests as allegations of similar abuse increased in a half-dozen countries.

"My hope is that it will help in the process of repentance, healing and renewal," Benedict said of his pastoral letter, the first public statement by the Vatican on the sexual abuse of Irish children dating back decades.

Allegations of clergy sexual abuse have increased in recent days in Austria, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, Brazil and the pope's native Germany, CNN reported Saturday.

The crisis threatened to further erode membership in Europe's Roman Catholic churches but have less of an impact in Asia and Africa, where the church is growing, said David Gibson, a Vatican expert and author of a biography of Pope Benedict.

When the pope was archbishop of Munich, church officials ignored repeated warnings from a church-hired psychoanalyst to keep a molesting priest away from children, the BBC reported. The psychoanalyst said he did not believe the pope was ever aware the priest had been returned to service in a parish.

Copyright 2010 by United Press International

http://www.arcamax.com/religiousnews/s-713971-249264#posts

Ind. court restores prayers to capitol 11:05 AM, November 1

INDIANAPOLIS, Oct. 31 An appeals court panel Tuesday allowed prayers mentioning Jesus' name to be returned to the Indiana state legislature, tossing out a lawsuit two years ago that led to the prayers bing ruled unconstitutional. Social conservatives hailed the 2-1 decision by the U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, although the justices avoided dealing directly with whether the prayers violate the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution as the lower court had ruled. The Indiana affiliate of the ACLU won the initial round in November 2005 when U.S. District Judge David F. Hamilton ruled prayers must be "non-sectarian" and must not mention "Christ's name or title or any other denominational appeal." The majority ruled Tuesday that the four Indiana residents who brought the suit lacked standing because they had "not shown that the legislature has extracted from them tax dollars for the establishment and implantation" of a program that violates the Establishment Clause, Baptist Press reported Wednesday. Read More... Comment on this Story Printer Friendly Send Story to a Friend Top

Pope urges prayers for pro-life policies 11:05 AM, November 1
ROME, Vatican City, Nov. 1 Pope Benedict XVI announced his "general prayer intention" for November Wednesday: "That those dedicated to medical research and all those engaged in legislative activity may always have deep respect for human life, from its beginning to its natural conclusion." In his two-and-a-half years as Pontiff, Benedict consistently stressed the need for prayer to protect the sanctity of life and the family. His June prayer intent last year requested the Church to pray for Christian families, asking "That Christian families may lovingly welcome every child who comes into existence and surround the sick and the aged, who need care and assistance, with affection," LifeSiteNews.com reported Wednesday Read More...

Ecumenical action is a worthwhile activity. Get to know your religious neighbor.

Some fear homogenization, conversion

They also find that some religious groups worry that allowing their young people to get involved in council projects could open them up to conversion or to a "homogenizing" of religion. A Jewish group and a Muslim group have vetoed youth involvement. "There is a fear that mixing will diminish their kids in their faith tradition," Judy says. Yet "experience shows that when kids talk about their tradition with others, it strengthens their own faith because they've had to think about it more."

The new emphasis on youth is the outgrowth of a "visioning" project the council conducted in 2006, during which it interviewed 120 community leaders of greater Toledo on the area's most significant needs. The youth priority involves two projects: a Youth Film Festival and a Youth Service Learning Project. On Saturday nights, the film series brings teenagers together for food and a thought-provoking movie that allows for a discussion of values. This month's film is the Oscar-nominated "Whale Rider."

Inspired by the Interfaith Youth Core based in Chicago, the council has formed a multifaith youth core to engage in interfaith dialogue and community service projects, including the Habitat build. At the council's annual banquet on April 22, a panel of Catholic, Sikh, Unitarian, and Muslim youths described their faith-inspired motivations for serving others.

Funded solely by members and donations, the council is run by a 10-person board and has no paid staff. Yet it has grown from 20 founding members to a regular mailing list of 350. Woody and Judy (a retired electrical engineer and a high school technology instructor, respectively) are now focused on "growing leadership."

"My hope is for each faith group to realize the future of our country depends on ... sharing enough time in our own agendas to meet and mingle and understand the other person," Woody says. "Every faith group should say '10 percent of our scheduled time is going to be spent with people of other faiths.' Otherwise, they'll stay to themselves, and, all of a sudden, like global warming, we'll find we have a problem."

When people do mingle frequently, fresh ideas often germinate. This month, for example, a local rabbi, imam, and priest plan to offer classes that explore how the three monotheistic faiths understand "scripture, worship, and acts of kindness."