Gloria TV News on the Feast of St. Turibius of Mogrovejo.

New Guidelines For the Teaching of Philosophy

Vatican

The Vatican has issued new guidelines for teaching philosophy to seminary students. The decree modifies three articles of Sapientia Christiana, the apostolic constitution on the same topic by Pope John Paul II. Cardinal Zenon Grocholewski, the prefect of the Congregation for Catholic Education said yesterday at a press conference that the guidelines address shortcomings in philosophical formation at many ecclesiastical institutions. Bishop Jean-Louis Brugues, the secretary of the Congregation for Catholic Education, informed that the reform calls for adding to the curriculum a course in logic, and emphasizing the study of metaphysics.

Hilarion Calls Again for Strategic Alliance

Russia

Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk has again called for a “strategic alliance” in which Catholics and Orthodox act as allies. Hilarion is the Russian Orthodox Church’s chief ecumenical officer. He lauded the “real positive results in normalization of Orthodox-Catholic relations in recent years.” Quote: “Especially significant changes in this direction have happened after election of Pope Benedict XVI of Rome in 2005, as he knows the Orthodox Church very well.” According to Hilarion Orthodox and Catholics face the same challenges cast by the present epoch to the traditional lifestyle. He referred to threats of human life, marriage, and the family.

Vatican Archbishop Warned of Intolerance Against Critics of Homo-Lifestyle

UN

At a UN session in Geneva, Archbishop Silvano Tomasi has argued that respect for fundamental human rights must not be used as a pretext for forcing public acceptance of homosexual activity. Archbishop Tomasi is the Vatican’s permanent representative at UN offices in Geneva. He urged the UN to recognize a “disturbing trend” toward intolerance of those who express moral opposition to homosexual behavior. "People are being attacked for taking positions that do not support sexual behavior between people of the same sex," said the archbishop. Those who voice opposition to homosexual acts can be stigmatized, harassed, and even prosecuted, he said. "These attacks are violations of fundamental human rights and cannot be justified under any circumstances," the archbishop added.

No Longer Special Preference for Catholic Candidates

Ireland

After more than a decade of aggressively recruiting Catholic members, the police force in Northern Ireland will no longer give special preference to Catholic candidates. Owen Paterson, the Northern Ireland Secretary of State, announced that the change of policy would be made official on March 28. According to him the effort to integrate the police force had been successful enough so that “special measures can no longer be justified.” In 1999, only 8% of the police in Northern Ireland were Catholic; today the figure is close to 30%. The drive to recruit Catholics were designed to overcome generations of hostility to the police among Catholics in Northern Ireland.