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WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Donald Trump's labeling of a House-passed health care bill as "mean" is aggravating some of the conservatives he pressed to back it, even as Senate attempts to reshape the measure increasingly threaten to spill into July....
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) -- A rifle-wielding attacker opened fire on Republican lawmakers as they practiced for a charity baseball game Wednesday, critically wounding House GOP Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana and hitting aides and Capitol police as congressmen and others dove for cover. The assailant, who had nursed grievances against President Donald Trump and the GOP, fought a running gun battle with police before he, too, was shot and later died....
IMAGE: CNS photo/Max Rossi, ReutersBy Junno Arocho EstevesVATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Violence and hatred often are signs that a person is unhappyand feels unloved and unwanted, Pope Francis said. In today's world, people -- especially children and youths-- often feel that unless "we are strong, attractive and beautiful, no onewill care about us," the pope said June 14 during his weekly generalaudience. "When an adolescent is not or does not feel loved, violencecan arise. Behind so many forms of social hate and hooliganism, there is oftena heart that has not been recognized," he said. Despite a heat wave that brought temperatures close to 90degrees, an estimated 12,000 pilgrims donning colorful hats and umbrellascheered and waved as the pope entered St. Peter's Square. Pope Francis took a moment to greet the sick who werewatching the audience fromindoors because ofthe hot Roman weather. "They are in the Paul VI hall and we are here,"the pope told the crowd in the square. "But we are all ...
IMAGE: CNS photo/Max Rossi, Reuters
By Junno Arocho Esteves
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Violence and hatred often are signs that a person is unhappy and feels unloved and unwanted, Pope Francis said.
In today's world, people -- especially children and youths -- often feel that unless "we are strong, attractive and beautiful, no one will care about us," the pope said June 14 during his weekly general audience.
"When an adolescent is not or does not feel loved, violence can arise. Behind so many forms of social hate and hooliganism, there is often a heart that has not been recognized," he said.
Despite a heat wave that brought temperatures close to 90 degrees, an estimated 12,000 pilgrims donning colorful hats and umbrellas cheered and waved as the pope entered St. Peter's Square.
Pope Francis took a moment to greet the sick who were watching the audience from indoors because of the hot Roman weather.
"They are in the Paul VI hall and we are here," the pope told the crowd in the square. "But we are all together; we are connected by the Holy Spirit who always unites us."
In his talk, the pope focused on the certainty of hope that comes from feeling loved as children of God.
When men and women do not feel loved, he said, they run the risk of succumbing to the "awful slavery" of believing that love is based solely on one's appearance or merits.
"Imagine a world where everyone begs for reasons to attract the attention of others and no one is willing to love another person freely," he said. "It seems like a human world but, in reality, it is a hell."
Feelings of loneliness, he added, often lead to "man's many narcissisms" and can be conquered only by an "experience of love that has been given and received."
God, who never needs a reason to love his children, has that kind of unconditional love for each person, the pope said. "God does not even bind his benevolence to our conversion; if anything that is a consequence of God's love."
Recalling his time as archbishop of Buenos Aires, Argentina, the pope said he saw God's unconditional love reflected on the faces of mothers who went to the local prison to visit their children.
"I remember so many mothers in my diocese who would get in line to enter the prison. So many mothers who were not ashamed. Their child was in prison, but it was their child and they suffered so many humiliations, "the pope recalled.
"Only this love of a mother and father can help us understand God's love," he said, adding that "no sin, no wrong choice can ever erase it."
Departing from his prepared remarks, Pope Francis asked the crowd, "What is the medicine that can change an unhappy person?"
"Love!" the crowd exclaimed.
"Very good, very good," the pope said. Christian hope comes from knowing "God the father who loves us as we are. He always loves us, everyone, good and bad."
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Follow Arocho on Twitter: @arochoju.
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Copyright © 2017 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. www.catholicnews.com. All rights reserved. Republishing or redistributing of CNS content, including by framing or similar means without prior permission, is prohibited. You may link to stories on our public site. This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. To request permission for republishing or redistributing of CNS content, please contact permissions at cns@catholicnews.com.
IMAGE: CNS photo/Shawn Thew, EPABy ALEXANDRIA, Va. (CNS) -- Federal authorities areinvestigating a shooting that resulted in injuries for Catholic congressman andRepublican Steve Scalise and others when a gunman opened fire on him and the othersduring a June 14 practice for an annual congressional baseball game. Scalise'sinjuries are not life-threatening, authorities said. The suspected gunman wasidentified as James Hodgkinson of Illinois, and President Donald Trump said in abriefing that the shooter was dead.Five people were medically transported from the scene at SimpsonPark in Alexandria, shortly after the 7 a.m. shooting, said Michael Brown,police chief for the city of Alexandria, in a press briefing. He would not saywhether the gunman was one of those transported.Scalise is the U.S. House Majority Whip and represents Louisiana's1st Congressional District. He and his wife, Jennifer, belong to St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Metairie, a suburb of New Orleans. The couple's childr...
IMAGE: CNS photo/Shawn Thew, EPA
By
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (CNS) -- Federal authorities are investigating a shooting that resulted in injuries for Catholic congressman and Republican Steve Scalise and others when a gunman opened fire on him and the others during a June 14 practice for an annual congressional baseball game.
Scalise's injuries are not life-threatening, authorities said. The suspected gunman was identified as James Hodgkinson of Illinois, and President Donald Trump said in a briefing that the shooter was dead.
Five people were medically transported from the scene at Simpson Park in Alexandria, shortly after the 7 a.m. shooting, said Michael Brown, police chief for the city of Alexandria, in a press briefing. He would not say whether the gunman was one of those transported.
Scalise is the U.S. House Majority Whip and represents Louisiana's 1st Congressional District. He and his wife, Jennifer, belong to St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Metairie, a suburb of New Orleans. The couple's children attend the parish school.
New Orleans Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond said in a statement: "We are saddened by this act of violence. Our prayers are with Congressman Scalise, for his healing, his wife, Jennifer, and their children, and for all involved in this shooting."
"Our prayers go out for @SteveScalise, the Capitol Police and others wounded or affected by this morning's attack," said Washington Cardinal Donald W. Wuerl via Twitter.
Multiple news reports said two U.S. Capitol Police officers who were part of the Catholic congressman's protective detail also were shot, as well as an aide to Texas Congressman Roger Williams.
Arlington Bishop Michael F. Burbidge said in a statement he was "profoundly saddened" by the events and offered prayers for those wounded in "this senseless attack."
Scalise, who suffered a hip injury and is expected to recover, was with a group of House members and staff at a baseball practice to prepare for the 56th annual Congressional Baseball Game, played each summer by members of Congress, when the shots rang out.
Congressman Mo Brooks of Alabama was on third base during the practice when the shooting occurred.
"All of a sudden I notice a guy's got a rifle and he's shooting at us," he told a news station.
Brooks said the weapon looked to be a semi-automatic. During a break in the gunfire, he said he ran for cover and went to render help to those injured. While he was helping, he said he heard security detail open fire on the shooter.
"On days like today, there are no Democrats or Republicans, only Americans united in our thoughts for the wounded," tweeted Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, a Catholic and Democrat representing California.
Scalise was first elected to the U.S. House in 2008. He represents Louisiana's 1st Congressional District. Before that, he was a member of the Louisiana House and the Louisiana Senate, serving from 1996 to 2008.
"Prior to entering surgery, (Scalise) was in good spirits and spoke to his wife by phone. He is grateful for the brave actions of U.S. Capitol Police, first responders, and colleagues," said a statement released by the congressman's staff. "We ask that you keep the Whip and others harmed in this incident in your thoughts and prayers."
Schools in the area near the shooting were immediately put on lockdown and bomb-sniffing dogs monitored the grounds of the U.S. Capitol at mid-morning. Federal authorities in a press conference said it was too early to tell anything about the incident, whether it was terrorism, targeted toward Congress or Scalise, or what exactly motivated it.
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Copyright © 2017 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. www.catholicnews.com. All rights reserved. Republishing or redistributing of CNS content, including by framing or similar means without prior permission, is prohibited. You may link to stories on our public site. This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. To request permission for republishing or redistributing of CNS content, please contact permissions at cns@catholicnews.com.
IMAGE: CNS photo/Sean Gallagher, The CriterionBy INDIANAPOLIS (CNS) -- Francesco Cesareo, chairman of the NationalReview Board, urged the U.S. bishops June 14 during their spring meeting in Indianapolis to continue to keep their commitment to stopping clergy sexual abuse andsupporting victims of abuse "at the forefront" of theirministry.He saidsexual abuse of minors by clergy is "not a thing of past" andstressed the bishops have to always be vigilant and be sure to not "letcomplacency set in" in their efforts to stop it.The reviewboard is a group working with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to address and preventsexual abuse of minors in the U.S. by clergy and other church personnel.Cesareopointed out there was still work to be done in this area, but he also praisedthe bishops for what they've accomplished and stressed that dioceses in the UnitedStates are among the safest places for children and are also models for rest ofthe world.In hisreport to the bishops, he presented ...
IMAGE: CNS photo/Sean Gallagher, The Criterion
By
INDIANAPOLIS (CNS) -- Francesco Cesareo, chairman of the National Review Board, urged the U.S. bishops June 14 during their spring meeting in Indianapolis to continue to keep their commitment to stopping clergy sexual abuse and supporting victims of abuse "at the forefront" of their ministry.
He said sexual abuse of minors by clergy is "not a thing of past" and stressed the bishops have to always be vigilant and be sure to not "let complacency set in" in their efforts to stop it.
The review board is a group working with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to address and prevent sexual abuse of minors in the U.S. by clergy and other church personnel.
Cesareo pointed out there was still work to be done in this area, but he also praised the bishops for what they've accomplished and stressed that dioceses in the United States are among the safest places for children and are also models for rest of the world.
In his report to the bishops, he presented some of the key points of the recently issued 14th annual report on diocesan compliance with the U.S. Catholic Church's "Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People."
The report -- based on audits conducted between July 1, 2015, and June 30, 2016 -- shows that 1,232 survivors of child sexual abuse by clergy came forward with 1,318 clerical abuse allegations in 132 Catholic dioceses and eparchies. The allegations represent reports of abuse that occurred from the 1940s to the present.
The review board chair said he was pleased with the high number of dioceses participating in the audit, noting that only two did not participate, down from six the previous year. He said all dioceses have indicated that they will participate in the next audit.
The value of participating in the audit "can't be overemphasized," he said.
One weak spot he noted in the audit process is the overall lack of parish participation, which he urged bishops to do something about to provide full transparency.
Cesareo, president of Assumption College in Worcester, Massachusetts, stressed that the review board wants to help the Catholic Church by providing tools to implement the charter and even to work on improving the charter by making it more specific.
Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, has appointed four new members to serve on the review board. The new members, announced June 14, are: Amanda Callanan, director of communications for the Claremont Institute, a California-based think tank; Suzanne Healy, victims assistance coordinator for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles from 2007-2016; Dr. Christopher McManus, who practices internal medicine and is an active member of the Northern Virginia Guild of the Catholic Medical Association; and Eileen Puglisi, former director of the Office for the Protection of Children and Young People in the Diocese of Rockville Centre, New York.
Cesareo will continue to chair the review board until his term expires in 2020.
Prior to his presentation to the bishops, Margaret Simonson, chair of the U.S. bishops' National Advisory Council, a group of laypeople who advise the bishops, gave her report.
She said the council supported several items on the bishops' agenda for their June 14-15 meeting, particularly discussion about religious liberty, which she said was so important in "this particular time in history."
She also said the council supported the "Mass of Prayer and Penance" being celebrated in the early evening June 14 for survivors of sexual abuse within the church, the discussion of revised guidelines for people with disabilities and an update on the upcoming convocation for Catholic leaders taking place in Orlando, Florida, July1-4.
Simonson, chancellor of the Diocese of Rapid City, South Dakota, also suggested the USCCB take up the following action items:
-- Provide a new user-friendly website.
-- Offer more resources for Catholics to promote religious liberty.
She said the council was "blessed to serve the bishops" in the work they do.
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Copyright © 2017 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. www.catholicnews.com. All rights reserved. Republishing or redistributing of CNS content, including by framing or similar means without prior permission, is prohibited. You may link to stories on our public site. This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. To request permission for republishing or redistributing of CNS content, please contact permissions at cns@catholicnews.com.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- U.S. officials are blaming the North Korean government for a series of cyberattacks dating to 2009 against media, aerospace, financial sectors and infrastructure in the United States and around the world....
FLINT, Mich. (AP) -- Five people, including the head of Michigan's health department, were charged Wednesday with involuntary manslaughter in an investigation of Flint's lead-contaminated water, all blamed in the death of an 85-year-old man who had Legionnaires' disease....
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Federal Reserve has raised its key interest rate for the third time in six months, providing its latest vote of confidence in a slow-growing but durable economy. The Fed also announced plans to start gradually paring its bond holdings later this year, which could cause long-term rates to rise....
ATLANTA (AP) -- Two Georgia cellmates who killed their guards and escaped from a prison bus have stolen a second vehicle as they try to stay ahead of a massive manhunt, a sheriff said Wednesday....
LONDON (AP) -- With smoke still swirling around the charred remains of Grenfell Tower in west London, residents and community leaders demanded to know Wednesday how a ferocious fire could have swept through the high-rise apartment block with such speed that it killed at least 12 people....
