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The Southern Cross, Page 2 Headlim® H©psc©t€lh Thursday, August 31, 2000 Vatican condemns use of embryos FOR STEM-CELL RESEARCH . Vatican City (CNS) ailing it immoral and unnecessary, the Vatican condemned the production and use of human embryos for stem-cell research, despite its humani tarian aims. In a seven-page statement released August 24, the Vatican’s Pontifical Academy for Life encouraged adult stem-cell research, which does not pose ethical problems and which has seen recent published successes. The Vatican’s state ment followed an August 23 decision by the U.S. government to release federal funds for embryonic stem-cell research projects. An official of the U.S. Catholic bishops, as well as a number of U.S. pro life organizations, have condemned the federal funding of research on human embryonic stem cells as immoral and illegal, and unnecessary for medical progress. Richard Doerflinger, associate director for policy development in the U.S. bish ops’ Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities, said that under the guidelines, the U.S. government “for the first time in history ... will promote research in which developing human embryos are destroyed.” Hungarian church welcomes Orthodox recognition of Saint Budapest (CNS) ungarian church leaders welcomed the recog nition of their country’s patron, Saint Stephen, as an Orthodox saint, during the country’s biggest ecumenical festivities. “This is the first time a Western saint has been formally accepted by Orthodox churches,” said a spokesman for Cardinal Laszlo Paskai of Esztergom-Budapest. “Saint Stephen was a great leader of his nation and church before the division between Western and Eastern Christianity. This gesture will clearly have wider benefits for Catholic-Orthodox relations,” he said. Document stresses Catholic Church’s unique identity Vatican City (CNS) ddressing what it called common misuses of the phrase “sister churches” in ecumenical dialogue, the Vatican’s doctrinal congregation issued a document stressing the Catholic Church’s unique identity as “mother” of all local churches. The document said clarification was necessary because an ambiguous use of the phrase, putting the Catholic Church on equal footing with other churches, had become “prevalent in contemporary writings on ecumenism.” The four-page document, accompanied by a letter from Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, was signed June 30 and dis tributed to the heads of bishops’ conferences. Catholic News Service obtained a copy of the let ter and the document August 23. The document said the expression “sister churches” could only be properly used as a way of describing the relation ship between local Catholic churches, like “the church of Rome,” and non-Catholic churches. Voucher trial improved public, PRIVATE SCHOOLS, STUDY SAYS Albany, NY (CNS) he results of a local, privately funded voucher initiative seem to indicate that school choice does improve public schools. A study by educators from Seton Hall University in New Jersey of the A Better Choice Scholarship program, also known as ABC, concluded that schools do improve as a result of competition. Mel Shay, acting provost of Seton Hall and former dean of the university’s College of Education and Human Services, and Richard Ognibene, acting dean of the College of Education and Human Services, conducted the study, which took over a year to complete. Contraceptive coverage suit in California to be heard Sacramento, CA (CNS) he California attorney general’s office has been granted a continuance to prepare its defense in a lawsuit filed by Catholic Charities of Sacramento over mandated contraceptive coverage. The Catholic agency is seeking to block a state law that includes most religious institutions in a require ment that employers pay for contraceptives in pre scription insurance plans. James F. Sweeney, legal counsel for Catholic Charities of Sacramento, said a ruling on the motion for a preliminary injunction barring the law’s enforcement has been postponed until September 27, when it will be heard before Sacramento Superior Court Judge Joe Gray. Boys Town changes name to Girls and Boys Town Washington (CNS) he Nebraska-based organization dedicated to helping troubled youths changed its name from Boys Town to Girls and Boys Town August 24 to more accurately reflect that its clientele is now about 50 percent girls. “It’s absolutely marvelous, absolutely marvelous,” said Girls and Boys Town executive director Father Val Peter of the name change voted on by the children themselves, who number more than 33,000 in 18 programs across the country. The Girls and Boys Town name will apply to national programs and locations. The vil lage of Boys Town, Nebraska, and its buildings will retain the Boys Town name. Retired Bishop Hogan of Rochester dies at 84 Rochester, NY (CNS) funeral Mass for retired Bishop Joseph L. Ho gan of Rochester was to be celebrated August 31 at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Rochester. The bi shop, 84, died August 27 of natural causes while en route by car from a family dinner in Lima to his home at the Sisters of Saint Joseph Motherhouse in Pittsford. Serving as the seventh bishop of Roches ter from 1969 to 1978, Bishop Hogan implemented many Second Vatican Council reforms, including liturgical changes and greater lay participation in church governance. German church denies abuse OF WWII LABORERS, OFFERS COMPENSATION Cologne, Germany (CNS) he German Catholic Church denied it mistreat ed foreign forced laborers during World War II, but offered millions of dollars in compensation to those who may have suffered. The church made a commitment to give 5 million deutsche marks (US $2.3 million) in compensation. The president of the bishops’ conference, Bishop Karl Lehmann of Mainz, said in an August 29 statement at the end of a bishops’ meeting that the church and church organizations had employed foreign forced labor because so many staff—including priests, monks and nuns—were serving as conscripts in the armed forces. U.S. PRIEST MURDERED IN KENYA WAS ADVOCATE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS Rome (CNS) U.S. missionary in Kenya whose outspoken advocacy for human rights nearly led to his expulsion from the country last year was found shot dead, his Rome-based order said. Mill Hill Missi onary Father John A. Kaiser’s body was found Au gust 24 close to his car near the town of Naivasha, about 50 miles northwest of the capital, Nairobi. The 67-year-old priest had worked in Kenya for 36 years. The government ordered Father Kaiser’s deportation last November, but revoked the deci sion after an outcry in Kenyan media and appeals from the country’s Catholic bishops. Father Kaiser had drawn the ire of some members of government after testifying against two Cabinet ministers in an inquiry on tribal clashes. 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 Name Address I Phone (. ■ Parish _ I J (USPS 505 680) Deadline: All material for publication on Thursday Publisher: must be received at the latest by noon Most Rev. J. Kevin Boland, D.D. on the previous Friday. Director of Communications: "T'N Mrs. Barbara D. King Editor: fi «tss ^ Rev. Douglas K. Clark, S.T.L. Editorial and Business Office: Catholic Pastoral Center 601 E. Liberty Street Savannah, GA 31401-5196 (912) 238-2320 FAX: (912) 238-2339 E-mail: DCIark5735@aol.com or Southerncross@ix.netcom.com Internet Home Page: http://www.dioceseofsavannah.org POSTMASTER: Send Change of Address to circulation office: Chalker Publishing Southern Cross Subscription Department P. O. 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