Thursday’s roundup

The Episcopal Church confirmed its second openly gay (and first lesbian) bishop, a move that will most assuredly send ripples of discontent through the rest of Anglican Communion (except for Canada and a few other provinces). No word yet from Canterbury. U.S. nuns have broken with the bishops by advocating for passage of the Senate […]

The Episcopal Church confirmed its second openly gay (and first lesbian) bishop, a move that will most assuredly send ripples of discontent through the rest of Anglican Communion (except for Canada and a few other provinces). No word yet from Canterbury.

U.S. nuns have broken with the bishops by advocating for passage of the Senate health care bill in a rare public disagreement.

The Catholic Health Association, which is led by a nun, has also backed the bill, leading Archbishop Chaput of Denver to lament that “trade associations … describing themselves as `Catholic’ or `prolife’ that endorse the Senate version — whatever their intentions — are doing a disservice to the nation and the church.” Wonder what Chaput would say about Bishop Emeritus John McCarthy of Austin, Texas, who told the AP that he, too, supports the Senate bill.


Meanwhile, President Obama is leaning on members of Congress – including Rep. Joseph Cao of New Orleans, a Republican and former Jesuit, to study the Senate bill’s abortion language and see if it’s all that bad.

Jihad Jane faces her first U.S. court appearance today, and the AP takes a look at how jihadism has infiltrated Main Street (through the Intertubes). Tariq Ramadan will make his first U.S. appearance since a State Dept. ban was lifted. President Obama will find a stricter form of Islam then he saw as a child when he visits Indonesia next week.

The Haitian “orphans” taken by American missionaries were returned to their parents on Wednesday, the ringleader of the Baptist group remains in jail. Jewish groups want title VI to cover anti-Semitism. CAIR says Rep. Sue Myrick, R-NC, supports an anti-Islamic “hate group.” Lay Orthodox Christians are happy about an unprecedented meeting of Orthodox bishops from North and Central America. Jewish leaders are trying to get people to take a sabbatical from their iPhones and their MyFaces and their Twitters.

A prominent German archbishop called for justice for sexual abuse victims and the head of the Catholic church in Ireland apologized for not stopping a serial child molester. Foreign Policy magazine has a roundup of the latest on the sex abuse scandals in Europe (it’s a long list.)

The Vatican is finally investigating reported visions of the Virgin Mary at Medjugorje in Bosnia. Israeli archaeologists say that ruins they thought were an ancient synagogue are actually remains from an Arab palace. Reuters says a secretive African tribe appear to be the Lost Tribe of Israel and wonders whether they have the Ark of the Covenant (calling Indiana Jones.)

Lest we forget, today is the beginning of March Madness. Xavier seems have a leg up in the academic department due to a hardworking nun, but I think we all know that Georgetown is going to take the title this year. Go Hoyas.


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