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News, of the hour, on the hour, from Catholic Information Radio.
I’m Bryan Douglas in Philadelphia, and at this hour….
(Theme Out)

Lead:
Launching a defense in many ways similar to that penned by French scholar Bernard Levy, the American author Dimitri Cavalli has published an article in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz defending Pope Pius XII according to L’Oservatore Romano.

Cavalli asserts that the "campaign against Pope Pius XII is doomed to failure, saying quote "His detractors cannot sustain their main charges against him -- that he was silent, pro-Nazi, and did little or nothing to help the Jews -- with any credible evidence," unquote.

The author said the proof that exists shows the contrary, noting that in 1933, when the future pope was still secretary of state, he instructed the papal nuncio in Germany to see what he could do to oppose the Nazis' anti-Semitic policies.

The author also points out that Pius the XI's 1937 encyclical "Mit brennender Sorge," which was drafted by Cardinal Pacelli, was considered by the Germans as a "security threat., and when Cardinal Pacelli was elected Pope in 1939, Joseph Goebbels, the German propaganda minister, wrote the Nazi regime was considering whether they should abrogate the concordat with Rome in light of Pacelli's election.

Cavalli concludes his article saying quote, "Perhaps only in a backward world such as ours would the one man who did more than any other wartime leader to help Jews and other Nazi victims, would receive the greatest condemnation" unquote.
I’ll be back with more after this.

(insert PSAs)

Story 2:
Ralph McInerny, the retired professor of philosophy at the University of Notre Dame, was buried yesterday at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Notre Dame.

The scholar and prolific author died Friday and would have turned 81 on Feb. 24. He was a native of Minneapolis and held degrees from St. Paul Seminary, the University of Minnesota, and Laval University, and had taught at the University of Notre Dame since 1955, and was an acknowledged expert on the writings of St. Thomas Aquinas, as well as a prolific author. He penned over two dozen scholarly books, many more scholarly essays, and over 80 novels, including the Father Dowling mystery series.

Story 3:
The Catholic Church and the Church of England continue to have good relations even after Pope Benedict has paved the way for Anglicans to become Catholics in groups.

This is according to Archbishop Vincent Nichols of Westminster during his presentation to Pope on behalf of the bishops of England and Wales who were in Rome for their ad limina visit. He also affirmed that the groundwork of "close cooperation between Anglicans and Catholics that have helped to ensure the various interpretations of and reactions to the Pope’s apostolic constitution have not seriously disrupted the relationships between the Church and the Anglican Communion.

Story 4:
A Cuban priest has warned that the country is on the verge of an economic collapse that can only be prevented if President Raul Castro institutes sweeping economic and social reforms. The economic situation in Cuba has given signs that it is close to free fall, Fr Boris Moreno wrote in the latest edition of Havana Archdiocese magazine. He also said the government should promote exports and small- and mid-size businesses, and allow Cubans "to give their opinions without fear of reprisal.

This is Catholic Information News.

Story 5:
The Haitian Conference of Religious has published a report on the losses suffered by religious communities during the recent earthquake. The Little Sisters of St. Teresa sustained the greatest effect, losing four sisters, seven teachers, and 60 students killed. Five houses and two schools associated with the community were also destroyed.

The nation of 8.8 million is 80% Catholic; according to recent Vatican statistics.

Story 6:
Less than five years after Kyrgyzstan’s ‘Tulip Revolution’ raised hopes that the central Asian nation would embrace greater democratic reforms, President Bakiyev has signed a law restricting the religious freedom of communities with fewer than 200 members. Bishop Nikolaus Messmer, Apostolic Administrator of the country, says that the restrictions do not affect the small Catholic Church in the country, which continues down her path in the pastoral care of the faithful.

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And that’s top news of the hour.
I’m Bryan Douglas, CIR NEWS, for Catholic Information Radio.

Newscast for 8 & 9PM tonight.
Click on link in the top box under Catholic Information Network at the right to listen. This will open up a new window with an embedded player.

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News, of the hour, on the hour, from Catholic Information Radio.
I’m Bryan Douglas in Philadelphia, and at this hour….
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Lead:
Catholic teaching and the truths of the Gospel have a right to be heard in public debate, especially in a country where so many people claim to be Christian, Pope Benedict told the bishops of England and Wales. However, the church must recognize dissent within its own ranks and not accept it as being part of a balanced discussion.

The meeting with the bishops, who were at the Vatican for their ad limina visit, took place as Pope Benedict prepares to visit Great Britain in September. Referring to the Equality Bill under debate in Britain's Parliament, the pope said some legislation designed to guarantee equal opportunity for all people actually would impose limitations on the freedom of religious communities to act in accordance with their beliefs.

The bishops have commented the bill means churches could be sued by anyone who was turned away as a candidate for the priesthood on grounds of gender or sexual lifestyle. The Pope urged the bishops to continue defending church teaching in the public realm, adding that they have a right to participate in national debate through respectful dialogue with other elements in society.

A recent vote in Britain's House of Lords, however, supported an amendment that protected the existing rights of churches to insist that clergy and high-profile lay employees live in a manner consistent with Christian moral teaching.
I’ll be back with more after this.

(insert PSAs)

Story 2:
In what remains of St. Francis de Sales Hospital in Port au Prince Haiti, doctors are working under a pall of death. As teams of foreign doctors meet with staffers to develop treatment plans and organize medical supplies, up to 100 bodies remain in the collapsed three-story pediatrics and obstetrics wing. The hospital staff knows there were at least 25 children in the wing and a similar number of family members at their sides when the building tumbled during the magnitude 7 quake.

Located just a few blocks from the destroyed presidential palace, the hospital has few remaining functions operating and the staff was depending on experts from around the world to help them treat earthquake victims.

Story 3:
Even as Pope Benedict urged the world's priests to make better use of new media, in his own backyard, the digital revolution is still seen as a mixed blessing. The Vatican Web site remains largely a repository of printed texts, displayed on pages designed to look like parchment. And despite more than a decade of discussion about making the site interactive, the Vatican website continues to present static content.

Some Vatican agencies have embraced the digital possibilities, notably Vatican Radio, which offers online broadcasts and podcasts, but others, have posted a minimal amount of information over the last few years.

Story 4:
Former Catholic school teachers in the Diocese of Scranton have filed suit to force the diocese to pay over $1 million that an arbitrator awarded to them over a year ago. The arbitrator’s ruling is a result of then-Bishop Joseph Martino’s 2007 decision to restructure his diocese’s schools, which triggered clauses in teacher contracts with the diocesan school system.

This is Catholic Information News.

Story 5:
Father Michael Sinnott, the Irish missionary priest who was held captive for 32 days last year, has returned to the Philippines to continue his missionary work following his recuperation in Ireland. Father Sinnott told Vatican Radio that he was grateful for prayers from around the world and that he has suffered no ill effects from the kidnapping. He wanted to return to Pagadian, where he has served for decades, so that he can continue to serve God as a missionary.

Story 6:
A poll conducted for The Irish Times newspaper has found that 61% believe that the Church should transfer the control of its primary schools to the state. Currently, the Church, with state support, operates over 90% of the nation’s primary schools.

Expressing concern at the poll findings, Cardinal Seán Brady, Archbishop of Armagh, told Vatican Radio that a Catholic education contributes to the education of the whole person. He added that the Church now operates “too many” schools, leading to a dilution of Catholic identity, and called for an orderly “disengagement” of the Church from some of these schools.

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And that’s top news of the hour.
I’m Bryan Douglas, CIR NEWS, for Catholic Information Radio.

Newscast for 8 & 9PM tonight.
Click on link in the top box under Catholic Information Network at the right to listen. This will open up a new window with an embedded player.

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News, of the hour, on the hour, from Catholic Information Radio.
I’m Bryan Douglas in Philadelphia, and at this hour….
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Lead:
Writing on behalf of the USCCB, Bishop Howard Hubbard of Albany, chairman of the Committee on International Justice and Peace, praised the current US administration’s response to the Haitian earthquake while calling for long-term anti-poverty aid.

He expressed the group’s gratitude for the response of the U.S. Government to the recent earthquake in Haiti and highlighted Haiti’s long-term needs for recovery. The Conference is recommending the U.S. government adopt a strategy for development that coordinates different U.S. government agencies by engaging other groups with the expertise expertise and experience needed.

This comprehensive approach, in the bishop’s stament, includes the expansion of trade preferences, debt cancellation, and long-term funding for reconstruction and poverty reduction. Quote “dependable international assistance that target all sectors of Haiti’s needs, including infrastructure, health care, education, social support, law enforcement, judiciary, and economic and agricultural development.” Unquote is all part of the bishop’s message.

In a reference to Haiti’s notoriously corrupt political culture-- Haiti was recently ranked one of the world’s most corrupt nations-- Bishop Hubbard added that encouraging local government and institutional transparency and accountability is essential to ensure that funds are used for the benefit of the people and are not diverted for other purposes.
I’ll be back with more after this.

(insert PSAs)

Story 2:
In the cavernous interior of Christianity's largest church, a tiny black camera perched on a tall tripod was quietly mapping bit by bit almost every detail inside St. Peter's Basilica.

While thousands of tourists streamed through the basilica Wednesday, a special team from Villanova University was cordoned off from the crowds, wrapping up the last day of shooting images for one of several virtual tour projects they have been producing for the Vatican. Two virtual tours are already on the Vatican's Web site: the basilicas of St. John Lateran and St. Paul Outside the Walls.

Viewers can choose a specific location and be transported inside one of the basilicas, turn in any direction and zoom in close -- so close that the digital view is clearer and steadier than the one a tourist on the spot would get using high-powered binoculars.

Story 3:
The nun who is overseeing the Vatican-mandated apostolic visitation of U.S. communities of women religious has expressed "sadness and disappointment" over congregations that have resisted completing the questionnaire that is part of the process. In a letter dated Jan. 12 and addressed to women religious, Mother Mary Clare Millea -- who is overseeing the study of 341 congregations as apostolic visitator -- reported on her her visit with Cardinal Rode and her concerns about the response to the questionnaire. She urged those who have not responded to do so.

Story 4:
In a beautifully written, theologically astute, historically significant and warmly pastoral letter written to the faithful of the Traditional Anglican Communion, Archbishop John Hepworth is inviting members to enter into full communion by following the Apostolic Constitution and Norms offered by the Holy See. He writes quote “The Anglican tradition that we treasure will only survive, I believe, across the generations yet to come if it discovers the protection of Peter’s authority.” Unquote. Pope Benedict issued norms for the reception of Anglicans who desire unity in October of last year.

This is Catholic Information News.

Story 5:
Father Federico Lombardi, director of the Vatican press office,s ays a proposal from the new patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church to plan a meeting with Benedict XVI is "a reason for great joy. He affirmed this today in response to comments from Patriarch Iringe Gav-ril-ovic. The 80-year-old patriarch, elected last Friday, gave his suggested the possibility of organizing an ecumenical event with the Pope in Nis, where Constantine was born. The event would commemorate the 1,700th anniversary of the Edict of Milan, which ended anti-Christian persecution in the Roman Empire.

Story 6:
Benedict XVI's traditional letter for Lent will be presented next week by a former president of the European Parliament. Hans-Gert Pöttering, now president of a Germany-based research group called the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, will present the Pope's message on Feb. 4 in the Vatican. Pöttering was president of the European Parliament from 2007 till last July.
The theme of the Pope's lenten message is "The Righteousness of God Has Been Manifested Through Faith in Jesus Christ".

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And that’s top news of the hour.
I’m Bryan Douglas, CIR NEWS, for Catholic Information Radio.

Newscast for 8 & 9PM tonight.
Click on link in the top box under Catholic Information Network at the right to listen. This will open up a new window with an embedded player.

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News, of the hour, on the hour, from Catholic Information Radio.
I’m Bryan Douglas in Philadelphia, and at this hour….
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Lead:
In light of the upcoming presidential elections in Costa Rica set for February 7, the country’s bishops issued a statement reminding the faithful that their Catholic faith is not just another aspect of their lives, but rather has implications in the field of political morality and public life.

The letter urged Catholics to vote by discerning the best choice in consonance with the faith and to use sound reasoning for what is best for the country.

After noting that politics can be a noble activity, they added that it must be guided by respect for human life, marriage, the family, religious freedom and the search for the common good. The bishops then pointed to the various challenges the next president must address such as the country’s breakdown in security, violence, disrespect for life, ongoing poverty, unstable families, unemployment, corruption and drug trafficking.

The letter reminded Catholic voters they must not check their Catholic identity at the door of the polling booth, and stressed that the Christian faith has unavoidable implications in the field of political morality and public life.

The bishops also exhorted all people of good will to attentively discern, guided by reason and ethics, the proposals set forth by candidates, in order to cast a vote that is responsible and reasoned.

I’ll be back with more after this. (insert PSAs)

Story 2:
Seeking the return of $1.4 million dollars donated to a parish building campaign just before its merger with another parish, nearly 300 parishioners of St. Vincent Pallotti Church in Haddon Township, New Jersey, have filed suit against Bishop Joseph Galante of Camden.

They claim that prior to the start of construction, the bishop had an obligation to ask the parish to suspend the campaign until he decided what he was doing with the parish, according to one parishioner. They contend that donors made donations with the reasonable expectation that they would have the normal use of the facilities they were contributing to. With the merger of the parish, the disposition of the funds was claimed by the diocese. There has been no comment from Bishop Galante.

Story 3:
The European Parliament has condemned the recent violence against Christians in Egypt and Malaysia, and is urging the Egyptian government to guarantee that Coptic Christians and members of other religious communities and minorities enjoy the full range of human rights and fundamental freedoms-- including the right to choose and change their religion freely-- and to prevent any further discrimination.

In addition, the parliament praised the recent Malaysian court decision that permitted Christians to refer to God as “Allah,” and called upon Malaysian authorities to carry out thorough and rapid investigations into the reported attacks.

Story 4:
Caritas Europa, the consortium of Catholic relief and development agencies in 44 European nations, has launched a Zero Poverty campaign. Asserting that the three traditional sources of social welfare are the labor market, the family, and the welfare state, Caritas Europa pledged to lobby governments to end child poverty by guaranteeing allowances for every child in Europe, regardless of the status of their parents.

This is Catholic Information News.

Story 5:
Pope Benedict joined with those marking the 65th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp yesterday. The Holy Father noted how it is observed as the "'Day of Remembrance,' in memory of all the victims of those crimes, especially the planned annihilation of the Jews, and in honor of all those, who at the risk of their own lives, protected the persecuted, opposing the murderous madness. The Pontiff expressed his plea that the memory of such events will awaken an ever more convinced respect of the dignity of every person.

Story 6:
Thousands of Haitians living in the Dominican Republic -- and points farther abroad – are returning to Port-au-Prince in search of information on loved ones and, in many cases, retrieve them from the ruins of an earthquake that claimed an estimated 200,000 lives and destroyed a city that will not be rebuilt for years. An estimated 1 million Haitians live in the Dominican Republic, where many go in search of better economic opportunities. News outlets have reported long lines of people waiting for travel documents outside Haitian Embassies around the world.

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And that’s top news of the hour.
I’m Bryan Douglas, CIR NEWS, for Catholic Information Radio.

Newscast for 8 & 9PM tonight.
Click on link in the top box under Catholic Information Network at the right to listen. This will open up a new window with an embedded player.

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News, of the hour, on the hour, from Catholic Information Radio.
I’m Bryan Douglas in Philadelphia, and at this hour….
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Lead:
New curriculum guidelines drafted by North Carolina’s Department of Public Instruction strongly encourage students to consider pro-life legislation as an example of “oppressive government” akin to laws that permitted segregated public schools.

According to the department’s web site, all North Carolina public school students are required to take a course in civics and economics in order to graduate from high school. The draft of the revised civic and economics curriculum includes the following formative assessment prototype:

quote
Using Supreme Court Cases such as Brown v Board of Education and Roe v Wade, explain how the US Supreme Court has upheld individual rights against oppressive government intrusion into personal matters.
unquote

Brown v Board of Education was the 1954 Supreme Court decision that struck down laws permitting segregated schools; Roe v Wade was the 1973 decision that struck down pro-life legislation across the nation.

North Carolina Governor Beverly Perdue, Lieutenant Governor Walter Dalton, and Superintendent of Public Instruction June Atkinson are all advocates of legalized abortion who have been enthusiastically endorsed by NARAL and Planned Parenthood of North Carolina.
I’ll be back with more after this.

(insert PSAs)

Story 2:
A retired auxiliary bishop of Dublin severely criticizes the city’s current Catholic leader, Archbishop Deermid Martin, in letters that have been obtained by the weekly Irish Catholic newspaper. Bishop Dermot O’Mahony complains that Archbishop Martin failed to defend the bishops and priests of Ireland against charges that they engaged in a “cover-up” of sexual abuse. The retired bishop charges that Archbishop Martin—who was working at the Vatican during the years covered by the Murphy Commission report—was “unfair” in his criticisms.

Bishop O’Mahony took special exception to the new archbishop’s complaint that he himself had never apologized to the victims of sexual abuse, when in fact he had written a letter of apology that was never made public. The Archdiocese has not responded to the criticism.

Story 3:
The Venezuelan bishops have released a statement lamenting the growing secularism, corruption, and undermining of democracy in the South American nation saying quote “Our country is experiencing a social, political, and economic situation that suggests a moving away from God,” unquote. The Church in Venezuela has suffered persecution under the regime of Hugo Chávez, who has served as president since 1999. 88% of the nation’s 28 million people are Catholic.

Story 4:
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is urging members of Congress to recommit themselves to enact health care reform that will protect the life, dignity, consciences, and health of all. They note in their latest letter that quote “The health care debate, with all its political and ideological conflict, seems to have lost its central moral focus and policy priority, which is to ensure that affordable, quality, life-giving care is available” unquote.

This is Catholic Information News.

Story 5:
Douglas Alexander, the British Secretary of State for International Development met with Pope Benedict today to thank him for the Church's role in international aid, especially for the earthquake victims in Haiti.

Today's edition of L'Osservatore Romano featured an article by Alexander, in which he noted that a quarter of all health care in sub-Saharan Africa is provided by the Catholic Church, and that Catholic schools serve nearly 12 million students, "offering opportunities to many people there."

Story 6:
John Mortensen, a Wyoming Catholic College professor and lay theologian, was selected to receive a prize given by the Coordination Council of the Pontifical Academies. This announcement was made today by Archbishop Gianfranco Ravasi, the president of the Pontifical Council for Culture. Archbishop Ravasi added that Mortensen will receive the award Thursday at an audience the Pope will have with representatives of the academies.

The archbishop explained that the prize recognizes "young investigators, artists or institutions that have distinguished themselves in the promotion of Christian humanism."

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And that’s top news of the hour.
I’m Bryan Douglas, CIR NEWS, for Catholic Information Radio.