Newscast for 8, 9, and 10PM 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.

--
(Roll Theme)
Here’s news, on the hour, from Catholic Information Radio.
I’m Bryan Douglas in Philadelphia, and at this hour….
(Theme Out)

Lead:
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has pulled out of the left-leaning Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a coalition that lobbies against pro-life and pro-family legislation and boasts leading pro-abortion and homosexual groups among its members.

The break was confirmed in a release sent to LifeSiteNews by Sister Mary Ann Walsh, USCCB Director of Media Relations, on Wednesday afternoon.

The release stated that the bishops withdrew following the group's published support for the pro-abortion Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan, which was pointed out earlier this week by Deal Hudson of Catholic Advocate magazine.

In withdrawing from the coalition, the USCCB reiterated its commitment to oppose discrimination based on race, religion, sex, ethnicity, disabling condition, or age, and said that these are grave injustices and affronts to human dignity.

Bishop William Murphy of Rockville Centre NY did not address the activities of the coalition, instead saying only that the bishops ended their relationship because in recent years the organization has joined others in advocating or opposing nominees for the Supreme Court, a practice which clearly contradicts USCCB policy and compromises the principled positions of the bishops.”

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

Story 2:
Pope Benedict XVI welcomed the first ambassador from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to the Holy See on May 20, saying that the Vatican hopes for religious freedom especially for guest workers there. The Holy Father told the ambassador, Hissa al-Otaiba, that the UAE deserves credit for receiving many hundreds of thousands of foreigners coming to seek work and a more secure financial future for themselves and for their families, and saluted the UAE for allowing the construction of several Catholic churches to serve the foreign workers,

Story 3:
Australian senator Nick Xenophon has called on the Catholic Church to remove the sanctity of the confessional for child abuse cases. The senator said yesterday it was wrong, in light of complaints that the Archbishop of Adelaide, Phillip Wilson, mishandled and covered up alleged sexual abuse by clergymen in the 1970s and 80s, for the confessional to be exempt from mandatory reporting laws. Archbishop Wilson has not spoken publicly about allegations he was involved in a "conspiracy of silence" about the incidents in the diocese of Maitland-Newcastle.

Story 4:
Bishop J. Peter Sartain of Joliet has removed Father Jerry Simonelli from his pastorate because he engaged in homosexual activity. A 21-year-old man had accused Father Simonelli of inappropriate conduct that took place more than two years ago. The office of the DuPage County State's Attorney did not find enough evidence to warrant criminal charges. A separate diocesan investigation found that Father Simonelli had engaged in an additional homosexual relationship. Bishop Sartain’s executive assistant said Father Simonelli, whose parish numbered more than 9,000, quote “He was unfaithful to his vows on more than one occasion.” unquote

Story 5:
In response to the media firestorm over the Archdiocese of Boston contradicting the decision of a local Catholic elementary school to cancel the admission of the child of a same-sex couple, Cardinal Sean O'Malley condemned criticism of the school's priest who made the initial decision and outlined the need for the archdiocese to “formulate policies” with clearer guidelines. He explained the Archdiocese recognizes that, regardless of the circumstances involved, there is a responsibility to teach the truths of the faith, including those concerning sexual morality and marriage.”

This is Catholic Information News.

Story 6:
The Vatican announced today that the Holy Father will visit and bless a restored statue of Mary that overlooks the city of Rome this summer. The Virgin, which was created in thanks for the city being peacefully liberated from the Nazis during World War II, was damaged in a storm last year. In 1953, the statue was placed on a hill near the Vatican in a part of Rome called Monte Mario to remember the intercession of the Virgin Mary in securing the peaceful liberation of the city from Nazi occupants during World War II. The statue was designed by a Jewish sculptor named Arrigo Minerbi, who was protected by the Church during the War.

(roll theme and establish)
And that’s top news of the hour.
I’m Bryan Douglas, CIR NEWS, for Catholic Information Radio.