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The Southern Cross, Page 2 Headline Hopseoteln Thursday, December 23, 1999 Pope apologizes for Church’s treatment of 15th-century priest Vatican City (CNS) ope John Paul II offered an apol ogy for the Catholic Church’s treatment of 15th-century Czech priest and theologian John Hus, who was burned at the stake as a heretic. “Today, on the eve of the great jubilee, I feel the need to express deep regret for the cruel death inflict ed on John Hus and for the conse quent wound of conflict and division which was thus imposed on the minds and hearts of the Bohemian people,” he said. The pope’s words came in a December 17 speech to participants of an international John Hus conference, sponsored by the Vatican’s jubilee committee and the Czech bishops’ conference. Pope plans overnight trip to Jordan as part of Holy Land visit * Vatican City (CNS) ope John Paul II plans an overnight visit to Jordan as part of his Holy Land trip next March, church sources said. Tentative plans call for the pope to celebrate Mass at the Jordan River where Christ was bap tized, pray on Mount Nebo where Moses saw the promised land, and meet with Jordanian church and civil authorities, the sources said. A Vatican advance team met with Jordanian offi cials December 14-15 to discuss details of the papal itinerary. The pope would make the visit March 20-21 as the first leg of a trip that would also take him to Jerusalem and holy places in Israel and the Palestinian territories. Vatican officials DOWNPLAY REPORT OF SlNO-VATICAN RELATIONS Vatican City (CNS) atican officials have again downplayed a recurrent report from Asia that the Holy See and China are about to establish diplo matic relations. The officials said December 15 that while there has been a somewhat positive tone to recent contacts with the Chinese, it was unclear where the difficult dia logue would lead. “Perhaps in a month we can say more,” said one source. Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls said December 15 that there had been no new developments regarding China over the previous two months, except for recent papal messages to Catholics in China and in Macau, which returns to Chinese rule December 20. Cuban bishops say PARENTAL RIGHTS SHOULD DECIDE BOY’S CASE Havana (CNS) he Cuban Catholic bishops say the custody battle over a 6-year- old Cuban boy should be resolved in favor of parental rights. The boy, Elian Gonzalez, has been living with relatives in Florida since he survived an attempt to reach the United States by boat. He was found November 25, clinging to an inner tube off the Florida coast. His mother and stepfa ther drowned after an accident aboard the boat on which they left Cuba. The boy’s father, who remained in Cuba and said the child’s mother kid napped him, was seeking custody. A December 8 statement issued by the Cuban bishops’ conference said the case should be resolved according to the universally accepted recognition that minor children belong with their parents. “We regret that emotional or political involvements are obstructing the prompt solution of this conflict, a solution provided for by the very basic norms of rights,” they said. Married former Lutheran minister ORDAINED A CATHOLIC PRIEST Chanhassen, Minn (CNS) s Lawrence Blake lay face down in front of the altar, his arms cradled under his forehead, he lis tened as more than 1,000 voices sang the Litany of Saints. His mind lin gered on his namesake, Saint Law rence, and then on Saint Maximilian Kolbe, the 20th-century Polish priest who sacrificed his life in a Nazi death camp so a married prisoner could live to support his family. Moments later, the 48-year-old fami ly man and former Lutheran minister was ordained a priest—the first mar ried Catholic priest in the Archdio cese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis and in Minnesota. Archbishop Harry J. Flynn presided at the ordination Mass December 11 at Saint Hubert in Chanhassen, where Father Blake is business administrator. It is also his family’s parish. Italian court rules HANDICAPPED GIRL NEED NOT HAVE ABORTION Vatican City (CNS) n Italian court ruled that a preg nant 13-year-old mentally handi capped girl need not have an abor tion, reversing an earlier recommen dation by a court-appointed guardian. Father Oreste Benzi, a local priest who supported the Sicilian girl’s wish to have the child, called the December 16 decision “a hymn to life.” Bishop Giuseppe Malandrino of Noto, Italy, and several Italian politi cians had asked the court to re-exam ine the case following a court- appointed guardian’s decision that “Laura” undergo an abortion. Ignazio Ruffino, who is also the family’s doc tor, recommended December 11 that the girl have an abortion, despite the girl’s willingness to have the baby. Ruffino said pregnancy would “seri ously compromise her psychic condi tion.” Archbishop calls for RE-EXAMINATION OF College of Cardinals Vatican City (CNS) R etired Archbishop John R. Quinn of San Francisco, in a new response to Pope John Paul II’s call for an ecumenical exploration of papal primacy, called for a re-exami nation of the role of the College of Cardinals, which he said presents a stumbling block to Christian unity. The archbishop, author of a new book on reform of the papacy, also said future ecumenical councils of the world’s bishops should include other Christian leaders, especially Orthodox, as full members. Arch bishop Quinn made his remarks in an interview with the Italian magazine, Jesus, produced by the Paulist Fathers. Catholic News Service obtained an advance copy of the arti cle, which was to appear in the January issue. Hawaii Catholic Conference hails same- sex MARRIAGE DECISION Honolulu (CNS) he Hawaii Catholic Conference hailed as “a victory for families” a decision by the state’s Supreme Court which upheld the state’s marriage laws prohibiting same-sex unions. The laws define marriage as taking place between only one man and one woman. Hawaii voters in 1998 approved a referendum by a 69-31 percent margin that would give the state Legislature the power “to reserve marriage to opposite-sex couples.” Diocese forgives PORTION OF SOME PARISH DEBT FOR JUBILEE Lafayette, LA (CNS) ishop Edward O’Donnell of Lafayette has announced that the diocese will forgive a portion of 15 parishes’ debt in keeping with Pope John Paul II’s recommendations for the year 2000. The diocese will pay the parishes’ liability and property insurance premiums, according to a letter from Bishop O’Donnell to pas tors and administrators and published in the December issue of the Acadiana Catholic, Lafayette’s monthly diocesan newspaper. “The extent of the forgive ness is not huge,” the bishop said, “15 parishes are involved, all with less than $59,000 annual income with little or no savings on deposit.” The amount forgiven and assumed by the diocese is $52,670. I To Subscribe Send this in to your parish, together with your check for $15, made out to the parish. For more information call The Southern Cross (912)238-2320 Soul item Cross Name. Address j Phone ( ) I 1 Parish I r l (USPS 505 680) Deadline: All material for publication on Publisher: Thursday must be received at the latest by noon Most Rev. J. Kevin Boland, D.D. on the previous Friday. Director of Communications: POSTMASTER: Mrs. Barbara D. King Send Change of Address to circulation office: l(cpa)j Chalker Publishing Editor: Southern Cross Subscription Department ^fss ^ R ev . Douglas K. Clark, S.T.L. R O. Box 948 Waynesboro, GA 30830 Editorial and Business Office: Subscription Price: $15 per year Catholic Pastoral Center Periodicals Postage Paid 601 E. Liberty Street at Waynesboro, GA 30830 Savannah, GA 31401-5196 Published weekly except the second and last (912) 238-2320 weeks in June, July and August and the last week FAX: (912) 238-2339 in December. E-mail: DCIark5735@aol.com At 601 E. 6 th Street Internet Home Page: Waynesboro, GA 30830 http://www.dioceseofsavannah.org