Pilgrimage of ReconciliationOn a pilgrimage highlighted by bold ecumenical and interreligious gestures, Pope John Paul II reached across centuries of division to Orthodox Christians in Greece and Muslims in Syria. In Greece on May 4-5, the pope issued a dramatic apology for past treatment of the Ort

Catholic Schools Educate Well at Half the Cost, Study ShowsCatholic schools in Los Angeles give low-income and minority children a quality education at half the cost of public schools, according to a new study released on April 26 in Los Angeles. The study, by the San Francisco-based Pacific Researc

Pope Clears Way for Beatification of 27 Ukrainian MartyrsJust seven weeks after the local study of 27 Ukrainian martyrs ended, Pope John Paul II cleared the way for their beatification during his trip to their homeland on June 23-27. The Vatican published the decrees recognizing the martyrdom of the

Catholic Health System, Union Set Expedited Election RulesCatholic Healthcare West and the Service Employees International Union have signed a landmark agreement on procedures and conduct for expedited union representation elections. The 15-page accord between the nation’s largest health care

Jesuit Holocaust MartyrThe Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes Remembrance Authority in Jerusalem has formally recognized Adam Sztark, S.J., (1907-42) as Righteous Among Gentiles, a title awarded to those who risked their lives to save Jews during World War II. Father Sztark was rector of a Marian s

Worldwide Hunger Picture Still Bleak, Says Bread for WorldGrim realities about hunger worldwide are detailed in Foreign Aid to End Hunger, a report issued by Bread for the World Institute in Washington. The report urges President Bush and Congress to allocate an additional $1 billion a year in U.S.

Egan to Be a Leader at Synod of BishopsPope John Paul II appointed Cardinal Edward Egan of New York to be one of the principal leaders at the Synod of Bishops in October (see page 15 of this issue). As the synod’s general rapporteur, or recording secretary, he will have the very influential ro

Youth Ministers, Chaplains Offer Comfort to Shooting VictimsIn an outpouring of faith in the midst of tragedy, Catholic youth ministers, priests, chaplains, parents and teens ministered to one another following the shooting on March 5 of 15 people at Santana High School in Santee, Calif. Five youth

Pope Names Cardinal Kasper Head of Christian Unity CouncilPope John Paul II has named Cardinal Walter Kasper from Germany, an internationally known theologian and ecumenist, to be president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. Cardinal Kasper, who had been secretary of the counci

Theologian Calls Vatican Investigation a ‘Great Suffering’Though ultimately cleared of doctrinal error, a Belgian theologian, Jacques Dupuis, S.J., said a two-and-and-a-half-year Vatican investigation of his book on non-Christian religions had been “a very great suffering.” T