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Last Updated: Friday - 09/24/2010

Week of December 6, 1999

Canadian and Foreign News Highlights

By Who
WCR Staff Writer
Edmonton

Israel mosque stires division, says Vatican:

The Vatican sharply criticized the Israeli government for "fomenting divisions" between religions by allowing construction of a mosque near a Catholic church in Nazareth. Israel's Foreign Ministry rejected what it called the "accusations" of the Vatican, saying the government's decision was aimed at upholding religious freedom for all. The blunt Vatican statement by spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls was issued Nov. 23 as the cornerstone of the new mosque was placed on a lot adjacent to the Basilica of the Annunciation.

Pope defends rights of women:

Pope John Paul strongly defended equal rights for women at a general audience Nov. 24. The pope said the Bible's language about women recognized their basic equality with men. He also said the concept of God the Father as a "patriarch" is today disputed "not without reason."

Curia needs reform, says retired bishop:

Church authority as carried out under the Roman Curia's current structure is "a serious impediment" to Christian unity, said retired Archbishop John Quinn of San Francisco. "I firmly believe that if the politics and processes of the Curia do not change," Christian unity will remain elusive, said Quinn, who retired in 1995. Potential revisions include limiting to 10 or 15 years the "terms of service" for heads of congregations or other posts, and "opening the door to participation of the laity" in more Vatican deliberations, he said.

Farmers survive on off-farm income:

Canadian farmers are earning the majority of their net income from off-farm sources, according to preliminary findings of a report by the Centre for Rural Studies and Enrichment (CRSE) at St. Peter's College in Muenster, Sask. That number represents a major shift in Saskatchewan farm income from more than 20 years ago, according to the report entitled Compare the Share. According to the study, less than one quarter - 22.7 per cent - of income on Canadian farms is generated from farming operations. In Saskatchewan that number is higher at 36 per cent.

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