Quotes and news

Bishop Giovanni Martinelli, the apostolic vicar of Tripoli, once more criticised Nato’s bombing campaign in Libya. “Bombing is always an immoral act. I respect Nato, but I must also declare that war is immoral.”

Mgr Martinelli did not want to go into reports that the Gaddafi regime has committed many atrocities against its own citizens. He did say, however: “If there are violations of human rights, I cannot use the same method to stop them.”

Mgr Martinelli said Gaddafi gave freedom to religious minorities and expressed fears that his fall could create more problems for the religious minorities of Libya. He gave as an example the sufferings of Christians in Iraq after the fall of Saddam Hussein.

Mexican Church to contest ruling

Fr Hugo Valdemar, the spokesman of the Mexico City archdiocese said he would contest a court ruling finding him guilty of engaging in illegal political activity when he said that Catholics should not vote for candidates who support same-sex marriage.

Fr Valdemar said his statement was simply a confirmation of the Church’s position after parliamentarians in Mexico City voted earlier in the year to recognise same-sex unions.

Fr Valdemar and the Mexico City archdiocese face fines after the country’s highest court ruled that they had engaged in political propaganda.

Bishops to discuss bribery charges

Bishop Nereo Odchimar of Tandag, the head of the conference of the bishops of the Philippines said the allegation that Catholic bishops accepted bribes from the government’s Charity Sweepstakes Office under the administration of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will be discussed by the bishops.

He was referring to accusations that some bishops accepted luxury vehicles and cash gifts from the sweepstakes office.

Vatican surplus

The Vatican has succeeded to end 2010 in the black with a surplus of €9.8 million, reversing deficits from the three preceding years. The budget showed expenses of €235.3 million and revenues of €245.2 million.

The Vatican budget, which depends on real-estate and other investments for revenue, absorbed a heavy loss in the 2008 worldwide slump.

Traditionalists illicit ordinations

Fr Federico Lombardi, the director of the Vatican press office, said the ordinations of new priests within the traditionalist Society of St Pius X (SSPX) are ‘illegitimate’. Fr Lombardi pointed out that although Pope Benedict XVI has lifted the excommunication of the bishops who head the SSPX, those bishops remain suspended from ministry and consequently its leaders “do not legitimately exercise any ministry in the Church.”

WYD confession highlight

Pope Benedict XVI is expected to spend at least an hour hearing confessions during World Youth Day (WYD) in Spain next month. He will hear confessions before celebrating Mass on August 20.

Dozens of Maltese youths will be taking part in the Madrid celebrations.

(Compiled by Fr Joe Borg)