NATION - warning given on financial improprieties of Bishop G. Patrick Ziemann; suit against Louisiana school prayer law; other religious news

National Catholic Reporter, Dec 17, 1999

Cardinal Bernard Law, who took the rare step of asking Pope John Paul II to defrock Geoghan in 1998 after the civil lawsuits surfaced, said Dec. 2 that the archdiocese has not ignored the case. "We have a much stricter screening process than was in place in the past, and I think that's good, and I think it happened to be very necessary," Law said. "There is no need for fear."

James Borghesani, spokesman for Suffolk District Attorney Ralph C. Martin II, said the criminal investigation began in Boston in 1997 when victims came forward through the civil litigation. "It's tragic and horrifying that this man used his stature to gain access and then used his access to gain victims," Borghesani said.

Raleigh initiative reaches out to divorced Catholics

In a bold move to reach out to people who have been separated from the sacraments because of marriage irregularities, the Tribunal in the Raleigh, N.C., diocese, with the approval of Bishop F. Joseph Gossman, established the Reconciliation Initiative.

While the usual church process was being followed, what made this initiative different is that the church was reaching out rather than waiting for people to take the first step. Sister of Charity Pat Wilson, tribunal administrator, said the process is meant to be more personal for those making inquiries about reconciling with the church. A trained lay advocate assumes the responsibility of assisting with the paperwork and making the process less intimidating.

"All will be done according to church procedure to investigate the possible invalidity of a prior marriage," Wilson told the N.C. Catholic, Raleigh's diocesan paper. If the prior marriage is declared invalid, she added, the parties involved would be free to marry in the church.

The Reconciliation Initiative has attracted more than 160 inquiries, of which about 100 have returned their preliminary assessment. The response showed "there were individuals out there who would respond to an invitation to consider resolving the question of a prior marriage," she said.

Covenant House presents `Children's Bill of Rights'

Daughter of Charity Sr. Mary Rose McGeady used the annual candlelight vigil of Covenant House, the shelter program for homeless and runaway youth, to launch a "Children's Bill of Rights" Dec. 7.

"We believe every child has the right to be put in touch with the God who loves him or her," says the first of 10 "basic and inalienable" rights in the list.

The vigil is held every year in New York's Times Square. Covenant House, which has a shelter near Times Square, uses its event to focus attention on the needs of homeless children. Hundreds of young people marched to the Times Square vigil. Similar gatherings were held in 18 other cities where Covenant House operates shelters.

Other provisions in the Children's Bill of Rights include "the right to a loving home and family," the right to physical care, education and safety, "the right to be free from prejudice and inequality," and the right to freedom from sexual exploitation.