News Briefs

Prison chaplain Robert Coogan, right, an American priest based in northern Mexico, accused Mexican security forces of committing sacrilege after they tore apart his chapel during a raid on Jan. 24. • Pope Benedict XVI warned U.S. bishops during their ad limina visit to Rome on Jan. 19 that “radical secularism” threatens the core values of U.S. culture. • Catholic Healthcare West announced a restructuring on Jan. 23 that will transform the hospital chain into Dignity Health, no longer an official ministry of the Catholic Church but “rooted in the Catholic tradition.” • Bible League International is distributing thumbnail-sized microchips that contain entire theological libraries to Christians around the world who are persecuted for their faith. • Former Archbishop Robert F. Sanchez, a pioneer in Hispanic ministry who resigned in disgrace when several women accused him of having abused them as adults, died on Jan. 20 at age 77. • “They are destroying the hope of a united Nigeria,” said Archbishop Ignatius Ayau Kaigama of Jos, referring to Boko Haram extremists after deadly attacks in the city of Kano on Jan. 20. • On Jan. 22 Archbishop José Guadalupe Martín Rabago of León called on organized crime groups to observe a cease-fire during Pope Benedict’s March visit to Mexico.