Archdiocese criticizes same-sex marriage law
Catholic san Francisco Northern California’s Weekly Catholic Newspaper
(PHOTO/COURTESY OF ARCHDIOCESE OF MALTA)
By David Agren Catholic News Service
A replica of the World Youth Day cross and icon is carried by boat outside Valletta, Malta. The cross and icon are being carried by young people to parishes throughout Malta in advance of Pope Benedict XVI’s April 17-18 visit. With a long Christian history, the population is largely Catholic. St. Paul was shipwrecked on the island and ministered there.
St. Patrick’s Day events San Francisco Auxiliary Bishop William Justice will celebrate Mass honoring St. Patrick March 13 at 9 a.m. at
St. Patrick Church, 756 Mission St. in San Francisco. Later in the day, the traditional St. Patrick’s Day parade will commence at 11:30 a.m., beginning at Second Street and Mission and proceeding to San Francisco Civic Center Plaza. An Irish Festival takes place at Civic Center from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
MEXICO CITY – The Mexico City Archdiocese responded to a new law in the nation’s capital that permits same-sex marriages with a tersely worded editorial, accusing the local government of pursuing an agenda of radical social changes instead of fixing pressing problems such as rampant insecurity and a crumbling infrastructure. The March 7 editorial, published in the archdiocesan publication, Desde la Fe, accused Mexico City Mayor Marcelo Ebrard “of provoking constant social division through his political activism” and depending on the advice of foreign groups for “implementing the legal practice of abortion, homosexual unions and all the other things that they request.” In his Sunday homily, Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera told a gathering of lay Catholic family groups, “Let’s not be discouraged by the apparent triumph of evil, of contrary values, of the individualistic vision of the family and a society that fails to support the true needs of households.” The implementation of same-sex marriages in the Mexican capital marked another point of conflict between the archdiocese and the local government, which, over the last three years, also has impleSAME-SEX LAW, page 4
Nigerian archbishop says conflict is economic, cultural, not religious VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Cultural, economic and tribal differences are feeding the bloody conflict between Nigerian farmers and herders that has left hundreds of people dead, an archbishop from the African country said. The violence is not inspired by religious differences, even though the ethnic Berom farmers are Christian and the ethnic Fulani herders are Muslim, Archbishop John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan of Abuja told Vatican Radio in a telephone interview March 8. “International media will say that Christians and Muslims are killing each other,” he said. “But this is not the case, because people don’t kill for religion, but for social, economic, tribal and cultural reasons.” Government and human rights organizations have estimated that as many as 500 people were killed March 7 in ethnic strife in the state of Plateau, near the city of Jos. The area divides the mainly Muslim northern Nigeria from the mostly Christian south and was the scene of similar attacks in January.
“The victims are poor people who don’t have anything to do with all this and are not responsible,” Archbishop Onaiyekan said. He said armed Fulani herders had attacked the Berom villages of Ratt and Dogo Nahawa. Soldiers were attempting to hold off further violence there, he said. News reports said many victims were women and children and that people appeared to have been attacked with machetes. Most of the houses were burned down, some with victims inside, the reports said. “The church continues to work towards good relations between Christians and Muslims,” the archbishop said, “and we try to join together to quell the violence and solve concrete political and ethnic problems.” The Nigerian government is weak and not able to contain the groups who are vying for dominance of the territory, Archbishop Onaiyekan said. Weapons are easy to obtain and the presence of mercenaries “ready to fight for a few dollars” makes the situation volatile, he said. “We pray for peace, for good government and that the people understand that the only way to survive is to recognize as brothers all the citizens of this country,” he said.
‘Archbishop’s Hour’ On 1260 AM Radio “The Archbishop’s Hour” with San Francisco Archbishop George H. Niederauer airs each Friday morning at 9 a.m. on Immaculate Heart Radio – 1260 AM in the Bay Area. Repeat broadcasts air Friday evening at 9 p.m., Sunday at 11 a.m., and Monday at 9 p.m.
March 12, 2010
(CNS PHOTO/AKINTUNDE AKINLEYE, REUTERS)
By Sarah Delaney
Villagers look at bodies of victims of attacks lying in a mass grave in the Dogo Nahawa village, near the capital city of Jos in central Nigeria March 8. Cultural, economic and tribal differences are feeding the bloody conflict between Nigerian farmers and herders that has left hundreds of people dead, Archbishop John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan of Abuja said.
INSIDE THIS WEEK’S EDITION Anglicans enter Church . . . . 3 News in brief. . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 High school musicals . . . . 6-7 Commentary & letters . 10-11 Scripture & reflection . 12-13
Special Spring Sports Section ~ Pages SP1-SP8 ~
17th Century art at National Gallery ~ Page 14 ~
ONE DOLLAR
Datebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Services, classified ads . 18-19
www.catholic-sf.org VOLUME 12
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