Quotes and news

First indications show that US Catholic voters split like the rest of the nation in its support for Barack Obama or John McCain. According to CNS, early indications showed that 53 to 54 per cent of Catholics supported Obama and 44 to 45 per cent were for McCain. The overall final vote was 52 per cent against 46. Similar results were obtained in the 2004 election. However, CNS also said it was likely that there would be some differences between the Catholic vote and the overall vote in battleground states compared with the final pre-election polls.

Invest in the poor

Faced with the current crisis in the world economy, Christians should not limit themselves to analysis and sympathy. They should pass on to action, according to Archbishop Celestino Migliore, the Vatican's apostolic nuncio to the United Nations. He said once the inevitable financial salvage operations are over, governments and the international community should invest their money in aid to the poorest populations.

Psychological testing in seminaries

A Vatican document said the Church needs to evaluate seminarians' sexual orientation, and make sure that uncertain sexual identity or "deep-seated homosexual tendencies" are not present. The document, released at the Vatican on October 30, was prepared by the Congregation for Catholic Education.

Catholic Das Kapital

Karl Marx wrote Das Kapital. Reinhard Marx just published Das Kapital: A Plea for Man. Mgr Marx is the German Archbishop of Munich and Freising. The archbishop said the current worldwide financial crisis required a "fundamental social debate" and raised questions about the capacity of contemporary economies to "ensure the welfare of the world". Mgr Marx denied being a Marxist.

Persecution in Iraq

"The displacement of Christians from Mosul, Iraq, in the tragic way it was done, is intentional and very dangerous. After hearing the testimonies of the displaced themselves, the bishops have been frightened by what happened to Christians in Mosul (and view it) as part of a political plan aimed at creating discord between the different Iraqi communities."

The Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Iraq.