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Celibacy question ‘not the cause of delays to Anglican document’

Cardinal William Levada, the prefect of the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, has denied reports that a new document to establish structures for groups of former Anglicans joining the Catholic Church is being delayed because of disagreement inside the Vatican over the issue of admitting married priests. "No one at the Vatican has mentioned any such issue to me," the cardinal said in a clarification note issued by the Holy See press office on Saturday in response to reports by Andrea Tornielli of the Italian daily Il Giornale. He said the new norms were undergoing "purely technical" adaptations regarding canonical language and reference, adding that it was "purely speculative" that future seminarians in the new structures would be able to marry.

John Paul II ‘to be beatified soon’

Speculation is rife that Pope John Paul II will be beatified in the coming spring or summer, but an Italian paper today reported that church officials in Rome and Krakow are in disagreement over where the ceremony will be held.  La Repubblica on Monday said the beatification could be announced on Wednesday during a book launch at the Polish national parish in Rome attended by the promoter of the late Pope's cause for beatification, Fr Slawomir Oder, as well as Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, head of the Congregation for Bishops, who worked most closely with Pope John Paul.

Women priests movement ordains Briton

For the first time a woman in Britain has declared herself a Catholic priest after undergoing an ordination ceremony. Morag Liebert was “ordained” on 24 October in Edinburgh as part of the Roman Catholic Womenpriests (RCWP) movement by the American self-styled Bishop Bridget Mary Meehan. Upon taking her vows at a non-Catholic church in the city centre, Ms Liebert was automatically excommunicated from the Catholic Church. “I wish to uphold the campaign for equality and justice for women in the Roman Catholic Church,” said Ms Liebert, who added that she rejected the excommunication.

Dutch Catholics may be barred from Protestant synod

Dutch Protestant leaders planning their first national synod since 1619 say the Catholic Church may not be invited to attend as an observer. The Catholic Church has expressed interest in attending the synod to be held next year in the city of Dordrecht, site of the last synod, but organisers say getting the country’s more than 30 Protestant Churches and groups to attend is difficult and a Catholic presence could spark disputes that undermine the unity the synod aims to create.

HIV testing scheme unites Brazilian Church and Government

The Brazilian Church and Government have sidestepped differences over condom use to collaborate on a scheme to encourage Catholics in poor areas to take a free HIV test. The Declare Your Love to Yourself campaign is jointly run by the bishops' conference and the Ministry of Health and makes use of the Church’s thousands of pastoral workers across the country. At the launch on 22 October, Luiz Carlos Lunardi, a spokesman for the bishops, said the work is “to make the population aware of the risks of Aids and, if a positive diagnosis is found, to start treatment as soon as possible.”

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