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Last Updated: Friday - 09/24/2010

Week of February 15, 1999

Canadian and Foreign News Highlights

Pope sees Lent as a time to respond to Father's love:

Christians should make Lent a time to share the Father's gifts with others, Pope John Paul said. "If we live Lent with our eyes fixed on the Father, it becomes a unique time of charity, manifested in our works of spiritual and corporal mercy," the pope said in his annual message for Lent. Lent begins Feb. 17 for Roman Catholics and on Feb. 15 for Ukrainian Catholics.

Churches call for debt cancellation:

Canadian religious leaders urged the government to include debt cancellation and increased development assistance for poor nations in the upcoming federal budget. "We are calling for outright cancellation of the outstanding bilateral debts owed to Canada by the 50 poorest, most indebted countries," said the Feb. 3 letter to Prime Minister Jean Chr‚tien. The letter was signed by the leaders on behalf of the Canadian Ecumenical Jubilee Initiative.

Pope names veteran diplomat as nuncio to Canada:

Pope John Paul appointed a diplomat with experience in troubled countries such as Haiti and Colombia to be his representative in Canada. Italian Archbishop Paolo Romeo, 60, was named nuncio to Canada Feb. 5. He had been serving as nuncio to Colombia since 1990 and earlier served in Europe, Africa and Asia.

Vatican ready to back death penalty moratorium:

An UN General Assembly resolution calling for a moratorium on capital punishment would have Vatican support, said the nuncio to the United Nations. Archbishop Renato Martino told Catholic News Service Feb. 5 the effort, initiated by members of the Italian Parliament, received the endorsement of Pope John Paul last fall when he spoke to the group.

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