Nine weeks ago, in Week 04, we ran a story here about the role of priests in the civil disturbance / uprising / revolution (all depending on one’s viewpoint) in the Ukraine.  Much has occurred since, resulting in Russia’s annexing Crimea.  But even if the Russian machine has technically stopped at the remainder of the Ukraine’s frontier, it is far from over.  And the recriminations between the Russian Orthodox hierarchy and the “Uniates,” seen as Western-leaning and favoring Rome, probably has barely begun.   So we add another news source to the CF site:  www.AsiaNews.it (from Italy, but available in English.)

If you have a few minutes, it is worth a read just for a little exposure to the enormous and intertwined complexity of the issue.  The latest edition isn’t pulling any punches.  An excerpt of the article is shown above, and expounds on the religious intrigue.

Key provisions of Texas pro-life law upheld by appeals court

NEW ORLEANS, LA, March 27, 2014 (LifeSiteNews.com) by Ben Johnson– Two key provisions of Texas’ hotly debated pro-life law have been upheld by an all-female panel of judges from a U.S. Appeals Court … The panel of judges from the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that requiring abortionists to have admitting privileges to a hospital within 30 miles and to follow the FDA-approved use of abortion-inducing drugs “on its face does not impose an undue burden on the life and health of a woman.”

Cardinal O’Malley: “The Church will not change her teaching”

Sean Cardinal O’Malley

ROME Mar 24, 2014 13:59 EST (LifeSiteNews.com) by Hilary White

One of Pope Francis’ council of eight cardinals has denied that the Church will ever change its teaching or practice on divorce and civil remarriage.  Cardinal Sean O’Malley … told an American newspaper that any rumours that the Church will admit divorced and civilly remarried Catholics to Holy Communion without changing their lifestyles are untrue.  The National Catholic Register quotes the Cardinal saying “The Church will not change her teaching on the indissolubility of marriage.”

 Nigerian bishops defend same-sex ‘marriage’ ban

ABUJA, Nigeria, March 25, 2014 (LifeSiteNews.com) by Thaddeus Baklinski

Archbishop Kaigama of Nigeria

The president of the Nigerian Catholic Bishops’ Conference has made a strong defense of the bishops’ support for a bill banning same-sex “marriage” against critics who allege the bishops’ position is out of touch with Pope Francis.    “It is a mischievous and faulty generalization to reason that because we resist same-sex ‘marriage’ we differ from our Pope, who said, ‘If a person is gay and seeks God and has goodwill, who am I to judge?’”  Archbishop Ignatius Ayau Kaigama of Jos said in his opening remarks at the bishops’ recent plenary meeting.

“The position of the Catholic Church in Nigeria in respect of same sex union and other moral vices is in consonance with that of the universal Church and in conformity with the social teachings of the Church,” Archbishop Kaigama said.  “Our compassion for the weak, the marginalized and those who suffer discrimination is unwavering and uncompromising. We minister to all,” he said, stressing that, “Nigerian Catholics do not hate men and women who are of biologically gay orientation, but strongly affirm that gay unions or ‘marriages’ are simply not in conformity with our Christian theology or traditional Nigerian morality.”

In a letter to Jonathan, the bishops had praised the government’s decision “not to bow to international pressure in the promotion of unethical and immoral practices of same sex union and other related vices.”  They called the government’s stand “a courageous one and a clear indication of the ability of our great country to stand shoulders high in the protection of our Nigerian and African most valued cultures of the institution of marriage and protection of the dignity of the human person.”  In his remarks at the bishops’ plenary, Archbishop Kaigama said they sent the letter “to uphold the age-long biblical and traditional morality of our people that marriage has always been a union between a man and a woman.”

“Same-sex unions or so-called ‘marriages’ are alien to us and we resist the idea but we will always extend compassion of Christ to men and women with biological orientation that is gay or lesbian and defend their rights just as we have constantly defended the rights of all persons discriminated against,” … “We stand for the promotion and protection of human rights which are consistent with our religious and cultural values. Legalizing same-sex ‘marriage’ will open the flood gates to so many moral issues that can seriously compromise our African culture and becloud our evangelization efforts in Nigeria.”

Tags: Heroic Hierarchy, News and Media

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