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Cardinal condemns condom factory

LAGOS, Nigeria (CNS) -- A Nigerian cardinal has condemned the government's recent approval of a billion-dollar condom factory in Yenagoa. Cardinal Anthony Olubunmi Okogie of Lagos said the "condom is widely known not to be a safe protector against HIV/AIDS. It is widely acknowledged today that the safest measure against HIV/AIDS is abstinence."
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Forums focus on benefits of nonpublic schools

With 36 new members of the House of Delegates and 11 new state senators set to be sworn in at the start of Maryland’s new legislative session in mid-January, Mary Ellen Russell thinks it’s imperative to educate lawmakers about the contributions of nonpublic schools. Especially at a time when increasing costs and declining enrollment have...
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Bishops laud approval of marriage amendment

BOSTON (CNS) -- The Catholic bishops of Massachusetts thanked state legislators Jan. 2 “for living up to their oath of office” by voting on a constitutional marriage amendment initiative before ending their legislative session. On its last day in its 2005-06 session, a reluctant Legislature narrowly approved the initiative, which would amend the state’s constitution...
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Twenty-five U.S. bishops may retire

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Up to 25 U.S. bishops, including five cardinals, could retire because of age this year. There are 14 still-active U.S. bishops, including three cardinals, who have already turned 75. Eleven more, including two cardinals, will celebrate their 75th birthday in 2007. At age 75 bishops are requested to submit their resignation to...
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Memorial wall is ‘a necessary reminder’

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (CNS) -- A memorial wall with the names of 68,000 people killed in South Africa's violent past is a necessary reminder that freedom can't be taken for granted, said a church official. "At the park one faces this solid and impenetrable monument that represents what we need freedom from," said Holy...
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Vatican warns retired bishop not to run for president

ASUNCION, Paraguay (CNS) -- The Vatican warned an inactive Catholic bishop that he faces suspension from the priesthood if he pursues his goal of winning opposition support to run for the Paraguayan presidency. On its Web site, the Paraguayan bishops' conference posted the warning, signed Dec. 20 by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, prefect of the...
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Baltimore meeting sets standards

BALTIMORE (CNS) -- Editors of 27 Catholic publications agreed on standard sizing and pricing for national and regional advertising on Internet sites at a December meeting in Baltimore. "We must have one foot in print, one in pixels," said Daniel Medinger, co-host of the meeting. Medinger is associate publisher of the Catholic Review, Baltimore archdiocesan...
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Cardinal asks Gov-elect O’Malley for budget support

Cardinal William H. Keeler is asking Gov.-elect Martin J. O’Malley to provide budgetary support for programs benefiting nonpublic schools and women in crisis pregnancies. In a Dec. 12 letter, Cardinal Keeler urged the new governor to increase funding for a program providing nonreligious textbooks and technology for students in nonpublic schools. The allocation for the...
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Researchers urge better auditing in Catholic parishes

VILLANOVA, Pa. (CNS) -- More than four out of five U.S. dioceses have experienced embezzlement or other misuse of parish funds within the past five years, but only two-fifths have formal written fraud policies, two Villanova University researchers said. Villanova business school professors Robert West and Charles Zech reported that according to a national survey...
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No room at the inn? Vatican Nativity scene gets more figures

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The Vatican's 2006 Christmas tree did not turn out to be the tallest ever, but its Nativity scene is definitely the most populated. In addition to Mary, Joseph, the baby Jesus and the three kings, the creche in St. Peter's Square also features peasants, a flutist, a bagpipe player and a...
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Greek Orthodox archbishop to visit pope, announces Vatican

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens, spiritual leader of the Orthodox church of Greece, will visit Pope Benedict XVI Dec. 13-16, the Vatican announced.
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Confronting fear, faith and hope: Nigerian missionaries grapple with tough Baltimore realities

As the priest sits in his solitary rectory office at St. Peter Claver in West Baltimore, a driving spring rain beats against the iron-barred windows. The storm pelts scattered debris on the streets and sidewalks of the troubled neighborhood – flushing foam cups and bits of broken concrete into the gutter along Fremont Avenue. Not...
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