WASHINGTON – The previous Congress never got to vote on a full-scale rewrite of the 1996 Telecommunications Act. Some in the Republican-run House had hoped for a vote during the post-election lame-duck session, but the shift of power to the Democrats scuttled that possibility. Now, with Democrats in charge, what could a new telecommunications bill...Read More

PHILADELPHIA – The priorities of the U.S. bishops’ Committee for Pro-Life Activities today are “the priorities we’ve had for years, along with new challenges to life, “ said Cardinal Justin Rigali of Philadelphia, who is now chairman of the committee. “We are simply trying to be faithful defenders of life at this juncture in the...Read More

VATICAN CITY – For the first time in more than five years, the tiny Armenian Catholic community in Iraq has its own archbishop. The Vatican announced Jan. 26 that Pope Benedict XVI had given his assent to the Armenian Catholic bishops’ election of Father Emmanuel Dabbaghian, 73, as the Armenian Catholic archbishop of Baghdad. The...Read More

CR readers share a few amusing wedding anecdotes. Dorothy Williams, principal, St. Clare School, Essex “My husband and I were married on May 3, 1975, at Loyola College Chapel in Baltimore. It was a beautiful day and everything was going perfect …Read More

ST. PAUL – The church must supplement its ministerial programs with political advocacy if it is to meet the needs of the growing immigrant population in the United States, said Los Angeles Cardinal Roger M. Mahony. Some people question the church’s role in politics or challenge the church’s position on immigration reform, but the church’s...Read More

WASHINGTON – Several Catholics were among nearly 40 U.S. religious leaders who called on President George W. Bush to launch a new Israeli-Palestinian peace initiative. “We ask that you make Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking, in the context of a comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace initiative, an urgent priority for your administration,” the leaders said in a letter delivered to...Read More

The Institute for Foot and Ankle Reconstruction at Mercy Medical Center, Baltimore, will serve as the gold sponsor for the 2007 Kelly St. Patrick’s Day Shamrock 5K at 1:15 on March 11. This year’s race is presented by Kelly & Associates and benefits the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, as well as Baltimore’s 2007 St. Patrick’s...Read More

MILWAUKEE – In an age of complex, high-speed technology, the Milwaukee Archdiocese’s Vocations Office has turned to a method used in the time of Christ to help young Catholics determine God’s calling for them. “They went out two by two, just like the disciples,” said Father James Lobacz, archdiocesan vocations director, about members of the...Read More