Doctors and lawyers have failed to carry out their natural responsibility to preserve and defend human life, the Catholic bishops of Florida said in a joint statement marking the 28th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decisions that legalized abortion. Sadly, that support has not come. Fifteen Catholics in the Archdiocese of St. Paul-Minneapolis are engaged in a process that could change their lives and have a ripple effect beyond their own community. They are among more than 50 Midwesterners who are Ignatian Associates. Each meeting is led by a Jesuit priest as the group's chaplain.
Meetings begin and end with prayer.
Participants gather for retreats and reflection days, sometimes with associates from Milwaukee and Omaha, Neb., the other cities where Ignatian Associates gather. Sudanese bishops voiced disappointment at a statement in which Comboni Missionaries working in Sudan said churches were prolonging the country's civil war by providing relief aid. The conference represents the bishops of southern Sudan, who also belong to the bishops' conference for all of Sudan. Bishop Gassis said that the Combonis should have collaborated with the bishops before releasing their statement. The law refers to the governance of Vatican territory, not the governance of the Roman Catholic Church.