Talks With Moscow

Ukraine

Greek-Catholic Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk of Kiev would like to meet with Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill. The archbishop intends to resolve tensions between the Moscow patriarchate and the Byzantine Catholics of Ukraine. Shevchuk was enthroned last week as Major Archbishop of Kyiv. The Greek-Catholic Chrch in the Ukraine was brutally persecuted during the Stalin era. It emerged vigorously after the fall of the Communist regime. The Church has been the frequent focus of attacks from Moscow. Moscow views the Ukraine as part of its “canonical territory,” and resents the presence of a Byzantine Church in communion with Rome. Shevchuk said “we should heal the wounds rather than irritate and deepen them.”

French Interior Minister Speaks Out Against Moslems

France

A new French law banning garments that hide the face comes into effect on April 11. It is obviously aimed at Muslim women wearing their traditional veil. There are an estimated 5 million Muslims now living in France, more than in any other European country. As presidential elections draw near, political figures are speaking frequently about the limits of accommodation to this rapidly rising religious minority. Interior minister Claude Gueant said: "There is no reason why the nation should accord to one particular religion more rights than religions that were formerly anchored in our country."

Catholic Church Losing Ground in Mexico

Mexico

The Catholic Church has been losing about 1,000 members a day in Mexico for the past decade, a new study shows. Catholicism remains the dominant religion in Mexico, accounting for about 93 million of the country’s 112 million people. But other religious groups are growing. In 1950, more than 98% of Mexicans identified themselves as Catholic. That number has dropped each decade, and is now a bit below 84%. Over the same period, the number identifying themselves as Protestant rose from 1% to almost 8%.

Australian Priests in Crisis

Australia

542 of 3000 Australian priests participated in a survey organized by the team of Dr. John O'Carroll, a communications lecturer at Charles Sturt University in Bathurst. The survey was released this week. The results are that many of the priests are critical of their bishops. They also admit that they do not believe crucial Church teachings. For example only about 40 percent of them said pre-marital sex was sinful, and just 19.2 percent thought it sinful for married couples to use birth control.