The Catholic bishops of Ireland have issued a statement calling upon legislators to reconsider pending legislation that would give same-sex partnerships the same legal standing as marriage.

"This is not compatible with seeing the family based on marriage as the necessary basis of the social order and as indispensable to the welfare of the nation and State," the bishops argued. They drew attention to the Irish constitution's guarantee that the government would "guard with special care the institution of marriage, on which the family is founded".

Burundi bishops warn against chaos

In a statement read in every parish, the bishops of Burundi said "there is no valid reason why the elections should be repeated".

The bishops said their opposition to a repeat of the May 24 local elections was based on the reports they received from their own observers. Alleging that fraud took place, the opposition is boycotting the June 28 presidential election and the July legislative elections.

"We call on the government and the political parties to guarantee security, in order to prevent the country falling again into crisis," they said.

The nation of 7.8 million is 67 per cent Catholic.

Priesthood is about service, not status

A priest who seeks status rather than the will of God will be a slave to himself and to public opinion and will never discover how God wants to use his personal gifts and talents for the good of the Church and the world, Pope Benedict XVI said.

Being ordained a priest requires "the courage to say 'yes' to the will of another", knowing that God and the Church will not erase his individuality, but will help him become all he can be, the Pope said last Sunday, just before ordaining 14 new priests for the diocese of Rome.

"The Church counts on you; it counts on you very much. The Church needs each one of you," the Pope told them in his homily.

German bishop confirms his resignation

German bishop Walter Mixa, who stepped down in May in the face of abuse charges, and then threatened to withdraw his resignation, has announced he will adhere to his decision to resign, and apologised for his misconduct.

The declaration closes the ugly public dispute that had escalated when Mgr Mixa charged other German bishops with pressuring him to resign.

The Germany bishops' conference issued a statement on Tues-day to "confirm that accusations (about Mgr Mixa) now made public were passed on to Rome in April".

Mgr Mixa has admitted he may have been guilty of physical abuse, but he emphatically denied allegations of sexual abuse. German police investigated the sex abuse charges and dismissed them.

Green Party explicitly anti-Christian

Cardinal George Pell of Sydney, Australia, has voiced concerns about the growing influence of the country's Green Party. At a meeting of Christian leaders with the top representatives of the country's two major parties - (then) Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, and opposition Leader Tony Abbott - Mgr Pell said the Green Party platform is "explicitly anti-Christian".

Compiled by Fr Joe Borg.