Conscience articles from March 2007

Conscience archives from March 2007

Editor's note.(Frances Kissling)(Editorial)
March 22, 2007... THIS ISSUE IS THE LAST WITH FRANCES KISSLING AS executive editor of Conscience. Over the years, she has led the magazine through many improvements and has had a profound influence on every issue. Fittingly, a significant portion of the magazine...

Not quite so clear cut.(Letter to the editor)
March 22, 2007... REP, ROSA DELAURO IS TO be applauded for having the courage to stand up for women's rights on abortion, but she makes several sweeping statements that don't bear up to scrutiny. ("Prevention, and Support for New Parents, Will Reduce the...

Buying our children.(Letter to the editor)
March 22, 2007... I WAS THOROUGHLY DISAPPOINTED with Debra Spar's article. ("Buying Our Children. Selling Our Souls?" Autumn 2006) Ms. Spar, by reducing, or rather attempting to reduce, the issue of assisted reproductive technology CART), specifically in vitro...

Kicking and screaming.(Letter to the editor)
March 22, 2007... I AM DISMAYED AT THE casual use of the word "schizophrenic" in both the title ("Legally and Culturally Schizophrenic") and in the article by Ruth Riddick, reviewing Kicking and Screaming: Dragging Ireland into the 21st Century. ("Modern...

CFFC board appoints Jon O'Brien as president.(Catholics for a Free Choice)
March 22, 2007... THE BOARD OF Catholics for a Free Choice has appointed Jon O'Brien to be the next president of the organization. The current president, Frances Kissling, steps aside in February 2007, and Mr. O'Brien, currently executive vice president, will...

World leaders, parliamentarians and lay people call on Pope to lift condom ban.(The Church and Condoms)(Brief article)
March 22, 2007... ON WORLD AIDS DAY, December 1, 2006, dozens of members of the European Parliament and thousands of Catholics and non-Catholics from more than 110 countries called on the pope to lift the ban on condoms to help stem the spread of HIV and AIDS....

Poland considers, rejects further restrictions on abortion.(The Church and Abortion)
March 22, 2007... CONSERVATIVE POLISH lawmakers proposed an amendment to the constitution that would tighten the already restrictive abortion laws in Poland. Lawmakers from the League of Polish Families proposed to add the words "from the moment of conception"...

Politics takes precedence over women's lives in Nicaraguan abortion ban.(The Church and Abortion)(Brief article)
March 22, 2007... DESPITE A CONCERTED domestic and international campaign, the Nicaraguan parliament voted 52-0, with nine lawmakers abstaining and 29 absent, to impose a complete ban on abortions, even for women who have been raped or whose lives are in danger....

Portugal to vote again on abortion.(The Church and Abortion)(Brief article)
March 22, 2007... THE PORTUGUESE PARLIAMENT has approved another national referendum on whether to permit abortion within the first 10 weeks of pregnancy. The referendum will take place in February 2007 and will ask the question: "Do you support decriminalizing...

U.S. Bishops reiterate ban on contraception.(The Church and Contraception)(Brief article)
March 22, 2007... DESPITE THE FACT THAT fewer than 3 percent of U.S. Catholics use church-approved methods of contraception, the U.S. bishops' conference issued a document, "Married Love and the Gift of Life" during its recent conference in Baltimore, promoting...

New York court upholds decision favoring women's rights.(Catholic Health Care)(Brief article)
March 22, 2007... IN A DECISION SIMILAR TO a 2004 California ruling involving Catholic Charities, the New York state Court of Appeals--the state's highest court--ruled 6-0 that religious and other health-insurance providers that cover prescription drugs must...

Catholic hospital in Illinois loses tax-exempt status.(Provena Covenant Medical Center)(Brief article)
March 22, 2007... THE ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT of Revenue has upheld a decision to rescind the tax-exempt status of the Provena Covenant Medical Center, a Catholic institution. In 2002, the hospital reported revenue of $113 million and profit of $39.6 million while...

U.S. Bishops don't see gays as "morally defective".(The Church and Homosexuality)(Brief article)
March 22, 2007... AT ITS FALL MEETING IN Baltimore, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops issued new guidelines on pastoral care for homosexual Catholics. Although calling it wrong to make people with a "homosexual inclination" feel rejected and unwelcome, the...

Mexico City recognizes same-sex unions.(The Church and Homosexuality)(Brief article)
March 22, 2007... DESPITE VOCAL OPPOSITION from Mexican bishops, Mexico City's assembly legalized same-sex civil unions, becoming the first jurisdiction to do so in Mexico. The new law grants people in same-sex relationships the right to make medical decisions...

Catholic school fires gay employee.(The Church and Homosexuality)(Charlene Genther )(Brief article)
March 22, 2007... MARIAN HIGH SCHOOL, A Catholic school in Detroit, fired a campus security officer after her publication of a book that details harassment she endured for being a lesbian on the Detroit police force. School board president Lenore Pochelski said...

American activists in Mexico detained.(The Sexual Abuse Scandal)(Brief article)
March 22, 2007... LAWYERS JEFFREY ANDERSON and Michael Finnegan and Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests executive director David Clohessy were harassed in Mexico City after announcing a lawsuit against Mexico City cardinal Norberto Rivera and Los...

Pope calls on Irish Church to heal wounds.(The Sexual Abuse Scandal)(Brief article)
March 22, 2007... IN AN ADDRESS TO IRELAND'S bishops, the pope acknowledged the impact of the sexual abuse scandal on the standing of the church. "It is important to establish the truth of what happened in the past, to take whatever steps are necessary to...

The Diocese of Davenport, Iowa, became the fourth diocese in the U.S. to file for bankruptcy because of payments related to sexual abuse.(Update)(Brief article)
March 22, 2007... The Diocese of Davenport, Iowa, became the fourth diocese in the U.S. to file for bankruptcy because of payments related to sexual abuse. The petition for Chapter H bankruptcy came 22 days after the courts ruled that the diocese must pay $1.5...

The Diocese of Spokane, Wash., has sold its head-quarters in an attempt to raise the $80 million it owes in claims to sexual abuse victims.(Update)(Brief article)
March 22, 2007... The Diocese of Spokane, Wash., has sold its head-quarters in an attempt to raise the $80 million it owes in claims to sexual abuse victims. The diocese has raised an estimated $30 million-$35 million so far.

The Archdiocese of Portland, Ore., the first in the nation to seek bankruptcy protection, has settled a claim with about 150 people who had been sexually abused by priests.(Update)(Brief article)
March 22, 2007... The Archdiocese of Portland, Ore., the first in the nation to seek bankruptcy protection, has settled a claim with about 150 people who had been sexually abused by priests. To date, the Catholic church in the U.S. has paid an estimated $1.5...

Seven victims of sexual abuse by five Carmelite clerics in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles settled a claim for $10 million.(Update)(Brief article)
March 22, 2007... Seven victims of sexual abuse by five Carmelite clerics in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles settled a claim for $10 million. More than 95 percent of the settlement will come from the religious order, the Carmelites Province of the Most Pure Heart...

Catholic voting patterns shift in U.S. election.(End Notes)(Brief article)
March 22, 2007... IN THE NOVEMBER 2006 midterm elections, Catholics voted 55 percent to 45 percent for Democratic over Republican candidates. In the 2004 presidential election, 52 percent of Catholics had voted for Republican George W. Bush, and 47 percent had...

Be not afraid: an interview with CFFC president Frances Kissling.(Catholics for a Free Choice)(Interview)
March 22, 2007... IN HER 25 YEARS AT THE HELM OF Catholics for a Free Choice, Frances Kissling has challenged all participants in the reproductive health debate--allies as well as adversaries--to ask the most difficult questions, face the most difficult truths...

For Frances, it's personal: not only does Frances Kissling think the unthinkable, she says it loud and clear.
March 22, 2007... ONE OF THE BITTER DISAPPOINTMENTS of the papacy of John Paul II was that the Roman Catholic church abdicated its responsibility toward women, and in particular toward women's sexual and reproductive health and rights. For a quarter of a...

How Catholics for a Free Choice saved civilization: or, the story of one woman "and a fax machine".
March 22, 2007... THE POLICE BOAT SIDLED UP to our 40-foot, three-mast schooner on the East River in New York. A burly New York harbor cop, wearing the required intimidating sunglasses, approached the bow. "What," he asked, shaking his head in disbelief, "do you...

A Roman Catholic defense of decriminalizing abortion.
March 22, 2007... AS POLAND ONCE AGAIN CONSIDERS CRIMINALIZING abortion by making it illegal under all circumstances, we are hearing strong arguments from both sides of the debate. What is a serious Catholic to do? The League of Polish Families (LPV), which...

Infant safe haven laws: legislating the culture of life.
March 22, 2007... THE DISCOVERY OF DEAD AND discarded newborn infants seems to have become a regular aspect of life across the United States. Many will remember the infamous "prom mom" from New Jersey, but more ordinary cases--Baby Found in Parking Lot or...

Election analysis through the looking glass: political ideology is more important than religion when it comes to voting.
March 22, 2007... DEMOCRATS POISED TO TAKE control of Congress in January heard claims by religious progressives that the 2006 elections had been strongly influenced by religious organizing on the center-left. They would be wise to examine such claims carefully....

A consistent life ethic? Supporting life after birth.
March 22, 2007... IN JULY OF 2006, PRESIDENT BUSH signed an order forbidding stem cell research that involves the destruction of embryos. In this same month he continually opposed a ceasefire in Lebanon in a war that was clearly disproportionate and resulted in...

The darkest of the dark side: the Catholic hierarchy and clergy sexual abuse.
March 22, 2007... CLERGY SEXUAL ABUSE OF MINORS AND VULNERABLE adults constitutes a dark and recurring theme of church history. The earliest legislation passed by bishops to counteract it dates from 309 A.D., the Council of Elvira. Since then, there have been...

At St. Peter's.(The Ferns Report)(Book review)
March 22, 2007... The Ferns Report Francis Murphy, Helen Buckley and Laraine Joyce (Dublin: Government Publications, 2005, 271pp) 6.00 [euro] EVERYBODY WAS AFRAID OF DR. Sherwood. My mother was afraid of him at meetings of Pax Romana, the lay Catholic...

Did you hear the one about the Irish Bishops and the embryos?(Reprint)
March 22, 2007... FOLLOW LAUGHTER. THAT'S the best I can do in response to the plea from the Roman Catholic archbishop of Dublin, Dr. Diarmuid Martin, that there should be a national debate on the subject of embryos. You'll have noticed, unless you've been...

Looking over our shoulders.(Double Crossed: Uncovering the Catholic Church's Betrayal of American Nuns)(Book review)
March 22, 2007... Double Crossed: Uncovering the Catholic Church's Betrayal of American Nuns Kenneth Briggs (Doubleday, 2006, 272pp) 0385516363, $24.95 WHEN YOU ARE IMMERSED an adventure, living and breathing it every moment, it is possible to lose sight of...

Abortion under Attack: Women on the Challenges Facing Choice.(Bookshelf)(Brief article)(Book review)
March 22, 2007... Abortion under Attack: Women on the Challenges Facing Choice Krista Jacobs, ed. (Seal Press, 2006, 264pp) Krista Jacobs has compiled 20 articles and short essays written by such notables as Amy Richards, Rebecca Traister and CFFC president...

Freeing Celibacy.(Bookshelf)(Brief article)(Book review)
March 22, 2007... Freeing Celibacy Donald Cozzens (Liturgical Press, 2006, 115pp) Cozzens contributes to an increasingly tense dialogue as to whether the 900-year tradition of mandatory celibacy for ordained priests should continue. He brings his own...

The Gift of Sexuality: Empowerment for Religious Teens.(Bookshelf)(Brief article)(Book review)
March 22, 2007... The Gift of Sexuality: Empowerment for Religious Teens Steve Clapp (Life Quest, 2005, 240 pp) The Gift of Sexuality uses interviews from 5,800 Christian teenagers to provide a comprehensive understanding of how they approach and make...

Is There a Culture War? A Dialogue on Values and American Public Life.(Bookshelf)(Brief article)(Book review)
March 22, 2007... Is There a Culture War? A Dialogue on Values and American Public Life James Davison Hunter and Alan Wolfe (Pew Research Center, 2006, 118pp) This book is presented as a discussion between the authors as to whether America is in reality...

Knowing Our Rights: Women, family, laws and customs in the Muslim world.(Brief article)(Book review)
March 22, 2007... Knowing Our Rights: Women, family, laws and customs in the Muslim world Women Living under Muslim Laws (WLUM, 2006, 362pp) Women Living under Muslim Laws has produced the third edition of this handbook designed as a resource to those...

Mary Magdalene Understood.(Bookshelf)(Brief article)(Book review)
March 22, 2007... Mary Magdalene Understood Jane 5chaberg with Melanie Johnson-DeBaufre (Continuum, 2006, 176pp) This rewriting of The Resurrection of Mary Magdalene is meant to uncover the long history of myths and mysteries that have been spun into the...

Why we stay the course.(Absolute Convictions: My Father, a City, and the Conflict That Divided America )(Book review)
March 22, 2007... Absolute Convictions: My Father, a City, and the Conflict that Divided America Eyal Press (Henry Holt, 2006, 304pp) 0805077316, $25.00 ON OCTOBER 23, 1998, DR. Barnett Slepian was brutally murdered in his Buffalo, N.Y., home by antichoice...

Moral Minority: Our Skeptical Founding Fathers.(Bookshelf)(Brief article)(Book review)
March 22, 2007... Moral Minority: Our Skeptical Founding Fathers Brooke Allen (Ivan R. Dee, 2006, 256pp) The Moral Minority refutes the ever-common assertion that America was built on religious foundations by demonstrating that the Founding Fathers were in...

Mysteries of the Middle Ages: The Rise of Feminism, Science, and Art from the Cults of Catholic Europe.(Bookshelf)(Brief article)(Book review)
March 22, 2007... Mysteries of the Middle Ages: The Rise of Feminism, Science, and Art from the Cults of Catholic Europe Thomas Cahill (Nan A. Talese/Doubleday, 2006, 320pp) This narrative ends as a call for church reform. It looks at medieval Catholics as...

Power and Powerlessness.(Bookshelf)(Brief article)(Book review)
March 22, 2007... Power and Powerlessness Susan Rosenthal (Trafford, 2006, 237pp) After trying to address human suffering as a physician and through the lens of a psychotherapist, Rosenthat provides a social critique that locates most people's problems in...

Running the Obstacle Course to Sexual and Reproductive Health: Lessons from Latin America.(Bookshelf)(Brief article)(Book review)
March 22, 2007... Running the Obstacle Course to Sexual and Reproductive Health: Lessons from Latin America Bonnie Shepard (Greenwood Publishing Group, 2006, 240pp) After 25 years of program work and assessment in Latin America, Shepard brings together four...

Safe, Legal, and Unavailable: Abortion Politics in the United States.(Bookshelf)(Brief article)(Book review)
March 22, 2007... Safe, Legal, and Unavailable: Abortion Politics in the United States Melody Rose (CQ Press, 2007, 235pp) Safe, Legal and Unavailable is one of the most thorough studies of the history and current struggle surrounding abortion, in the courts...

Church, sex and new visions.(Book review)
March 22, 2007... The Magdalene Moment: A Vision for a New Christianity Joanna Manning (Raincoast Books, 2006, 202 pp) 1551928736, $29.95 Seeking Wholeness: Women Dealing with Abuse of Power in the Catholic Church Marie Bouclin (Liturgical Press, 2006, 114...

Consolidating the culture of fear?(Kingdom Coming: The Rise of Christian Nationalism)(Book review)
March 22, 2007... Kingdom Coming: The Rise of Christian Nationalism Michelle Goldberg (W. W. Norton, 2006, 224pp) 0393060942, $23.95 MICHELLE GOLDBERG IS very, very worried, and she wants you to be worried too. Goldberg, a senior writer at Salon, is...

Postscript.
March 22, 2007... "A woman's arm is constructed at a certain angle so that she can adequately cradle a baby. This is the way we're created. There are just certain things that nature intended." --Delegate Robert G. Marshall, a Catholic lawmaker from Prince...

Adieu, and thanks.
March 22, 2007... No one does it alone. Scores of friends, colleagues, mentors, heroes and adversaries are met along the road of a dedicated life. As I take the next step in that journey, thanks and acknowledgements are due to people who have personally made a...