http://www.ncregister.com/blog/killing-bin-laden-catholic-perspective

The Vatican has released this statement this morning on the news that Osama bin Laden had been killed by American forces in Pakistan:

“This morning, following the killing of Osama Bin Laden, the Director of the Holy See Press Office, P. Federico Lombardi, issued the following statement to reporters:

Osama Bin Laden – as everyone knows – has had the gravest responsibility for spreading hatred and division among people, causing the deaths of countless people, and exploiting religion for this purpose.

Faced with the death of a man, a Christian never rejoices, but reflects on the serious responsibility of everyone before God and man, and hopes and pledges that every event is not an opportunity for a further growth of hatred, but of peace.”

Pink paint was sprayed on the face and hands, and the $80,000 statue was tagged elsewhere with offensive symbols. Church officials believe the vandalism probably happened during the early-morning hours on Sunday; it was discovered by members arriving for early Easter services on Sunday.

The newspaper also reports that the pink paint was successfully removed on Monday (today). Read the full story or view the photo gallery.

iCatholicRadio is an iPhone app that not only delivers streaming audio of the EWTN Radio signal, but also offers a helpful link to the EWTN schedule. And best of all: It’s FREE! Get it today!

America’s Catholic Cardinals Gather In Atlanta, Amid Storm Over Sex Abuse: A Conversation with Atlanta’s Archbishop (Extended)

Two generations ago, Catholics were as rare as hen’s teeth in Cobb. Now, they’ve just about taken over the joint.

The largest church in Cobb is St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church on King Springs Road in Smyrna, pastored by the Rev. James Kuczynksi, with 19,780 members, according to the ABC. It also ranks as the second-largest church in the metro area, behind only the Rev. Eddie Long’s New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia, which has more than 25,000 members.

In third place in the metro area is First Baptist of Woodstock, with 17,000 members, followed by another Catholic house of worship in Cobb, Transfiguration Catholic Church on Blackwell Road in east Cobb, headed by the Rev. Msgr. Patrick Bishop, with 15,277 members.

All told, six of the metro area’s 10 largest churches are Catholic, according to the ABC – one more indication of the demographic changes that have swept across Georgia in recent decades.

U.S. Roman Catholic bishops have taken a consistent line on a health care overhaul: It’s vital, but they cannot support proposals that go too far in covering abortion and not far enough in protecting health workers who don’t want to provide that procedure.

Now, at least a half-dozen bishops have gone beyond that position, some of them using hard-hitting terms such as “socialization” and “monopolization” to launch a broader critique of big government.

Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver, and Bishops Walker Nickless of Sioux City, Iowa, Thomas Doran of Rockford, Ill., and Samuel Aquila of Fargo, N.D. are “[a]mong the bishops who have written columns, commentaries or pastoral letters including comments about excessive government control of health care” according to the article.

Read the full story: Some Catholic bishops question gov’t health care

Get the full article here: “Episcopal nuns become Catholic nuns“