Originial post: April 23, 2010 by Joel Schorn

A U.S. federal court has ruled that a Phoenix, Arizona, ordinance that limits the sound of church bells is an unconstitutional infringement of religious expression, reports Ecumenical News International. Three Phoenix churches, including a Roman Catholic parish, had sued over the ordinance, which prohibits "any unusual or disturbing" sound. In one instance neighbors had complained after one of the congregations moved to a new location and began ringing their church's electronic bells every hour from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The bells rang at 67 decibels; the law had made an exception for ice cream trucks, which were allowed to ring up to 70 decibels.

ARIZONA UPDATE: Arizona is taking heat from the church again--this time for its newly enacted immigration law. Arizona's bishops have expressed their opposition to the legislation. They stated earlier this month that the legislation may have many unintended consequences, including keeping dangerous criminals on the street because illegal immigrants will be afraid to report crimes. Now New Mexico's three Catholic bishops have issued a statement saying they are concerned the law could lead to racial profiling, community distrust, and a pervasive fear among immigrants. According to an Associated Press report, Arizona's law would make it a state crime to be in the U.S. illegally. Set to take effect in late July or early August, the law directs state and local police to question people about their immigration status if there is reason to suspect they are illegal. The New Mexico Catholic bishops say immigration reform is needed at the national level to deal with disparities in current immigration law and that Arizona's measure "is not in keeping with the best traditions of our nation."

The number of Catholics in the world is now 1.16 billion, according to the just released Statistical Yearbook of the Church published by the Vatican and comprising information from 2000 through 2008.

The number of priests worldwide increased slightly over this nine-year period from 405,178 to 409,166. Non-ordained religious men decreased from 55,057 in the year 2000 and 54,641 in 2008.  Women religious continue to outnumber priests by almost 2 to 1 but their numbers have fallen from 800,000 in 2000 to 740,000 in 2008. 

With an 11.54 percent increase in Catholics, we can rest assured that new vocations to religious life are in the making!

Yossef Mtanes' decision to be one of the torch lighters at the April 19 opening celebration of Israel's 62 Independence Day commemorations was not an easy one, writes Judith Sudilovsky of Catholic News Service.

An 82-year-old Maronite Catholic, Mtanes was born in the northern village of Biram, which was destroyed during Israel's 1948 war of independence.

Israel wanted to honor Mtanes for his actions as a 19-year-old, when he worked in the offices in the then-British-run refinery. When a riot broke out in November, 1947, Mtanes hid his six Jewish co-workers, protecting them from injury and possible death. Since then, he also has worked to ensure ethnic Jews and Arabs live peacefully together.

Mtanes said his deep religious faith has directed his actions throughout his life. "I believe in God and I believe that it is forbidden to kill an innocent man," he said. "What else could I have done? These were innocent people who had nothing to do with the violence going on outside. I am very proud that they have remembered me after 63 years and want to (show their respect) for me."

Biram, Mtanes' native village, was destroyed by fledgling Israeli forces after the residents left voluntarily when they were promised they would be able to return within a short time.

Although the Israeli Supreme Court has ruled that the villagers were wrongfully removed from their village and many successive Israeli governments have supported the return of Biram's residents, no government has actually taken action to move the case forward

His son, Kamil Mtanes, 52, said his father is a prominent member of the Maronite community in Israel and has been very active preserving its history. "I am very proud to be the son of such a father," he said. "He has always been a guiding light for us."

Recently I posted an item below about the ministry and vocation activities of the Visitiation Sisters in Minneapolis. Now, the larger Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary to which they belong has received some major recognition: the 2010 Religious Community Award from the National Catholic Education Association. The Visitations shared the award with Franciscan family of sisters and the Sisters and Daughters of Charity.

The award is presented each year to "orders tied to the schools that have been working in the vineyard for a long time and have given long and faithful to the Catholic school system," said the NCEA's Brian Gray. The award is also often tied to a significant anniversary of an order. This June, for example, the Visitation community celebrates its founding 400 years ago, in Annecy, France.

You can find information about all these communities, and many others, here on the VISION Vocation Nework website.

On Holy Thursday the practice of the washing of feet is part of the liturgy. But what happens when a government official brings it into the workplace?

Craig Taffaro, president of St. Bernard Parish in Louisiana, didn’t see a problem with his going through his office washing the feet of employees who wished it, reports an April 7, 2010 Religion News Service story. Far from it, actually:

“As the chief executive officer of St. Bernard Parish Government, I thought it was an appropriate gesture to show that I am as humbled as any other sinner in the world, so much so that I would offer to wash the feet of the employees,” Taffaro said.

He also said employees were not pressured to take part and that most did. “If they wanted to participate, they could. If they didn’t, no problem,” said Taffaro, who is Catholic. “I didn’t keep a list or anything like that.”

His blurring of the line between religion and state, however, did not escape the attention of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), whose executive director, Marjorie R. Esman, wrote Taffaro a letter reminding him that the U.S. Constitution prohibits government officials from imposing religious practices on employees at the workplace. Esman said the ACLU trusts he will refrain from further religious practices in the workplace.

St. Bernard Parish Councilman Wayne Landry heard about Taffaro’s action from employees when he came to work Thursday afternoon. He said a few employees told him they felt uncomfortable with the way it was done.

“Perhaps had it been an invited thing for whoever wanted to come, maybe those types of comments I received would have been avoided,” Landry said. “On the other side, I certainly wouldn’t want to diminish the good will that was exhibited by the president in the spirit of Easter. I believe his intentions were good.”

William J. Huller has been attending Mass with his wife for more than a half-century. The Catonsville man drove their six children to catechism classes and celebrated as they advanced through the sacraments of the church. On Saturday, at the age of 83, Huller became a Catholic, reports The Baltimore Sun.

"It'll be a change," Huller said before the Easter Vigil Mass at his local parish, where he formally became a member of the church into which he had married and raised his family. "It's kind of a new experience for me."

Huller was one of 1,090 adults who joined the Catholic Church at Masses throughout the Archdiocese of Baltimore this Easter, establishing a new record for the archdiocese for the second straight year.

Photo: Karl Merton Ferron, Baltimore Sun

"We're on a roll, I guess,' said Baltimore Archbishop Edwin F. O'Brien. He said while he'd like to give credit for the increase to the archdiocesan staff, he said, "the rubber hits the road in the parishes. It's there where we find the real life of the church."

Many parishes have active evangelism programs run by lay members, which provide an opportunity for people to invest in the life of the church, O'Brien said. "The fact that the church is active and upfront and involved gets people's attention," he said. "We're not being ignored. We're there in every part of the process and very visible and audible, and that creates an interest in people who may have no church community."