Guadalupe Celebration

Crossroads Magazine will be on hand for the Guadalupe Celebration tonight in New Haven. We hope to meet many of you there. Here's the information, from the Knights of Columbus:

On Wednesday, Sept. 9, the Knights of Columbus Supreme Council will host a festive Guadalupe Celebration and procession in New Haven, Conn., featuring a rare relic of St. Juan Diego – a small piece of his miraculous tilma, nearly 500 years old. A special Mass will be offered by Archbishop Henry Mansell at 5 pm in St. Mary’s Church, with a homily by Bishop William Lori. At 6 pm, Msgr. Eduardo Chavez, the world’s foremost expert on Our Lady of Guadalupe, will speak about the apparitions. At 6:30 pm, a procession with the relic will begin from St. Mary’s Church, leading through the streets of New Haven to the K of C Museum for a fiesta in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Festivities will include a chance to individually venerate the relic, as well as Mexican food, performances, artworks and much more. All are invited. Please see kofc.org/guadalupe for more information.

ACLU Supports Diocese of Bridgeport

As we have reported on the blog, the Diocese of Bridgeport is suing for an injunction against the State of Connecticut Office of State Ethics' attempt to have the diocese register as a lobbying organization. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has sided with the diocese, filing an amicus brief on behalf of the Church.

Bishop William Lori says, "The ACLU’s decision to join with the Diocese in this case demonstrates that this is a matter of fundamental civil liberties that threatens the Constitutional rights of all citizens."

He continues, "Holding a protest rally on the steps of the State Capitol and posting information on our diocesan website are not lobbying but an expression of our First Amendment rights of free speech. We welcome the support of the Nation’s leading civil liberties organization, and look forward to making our case against the misguided actions of the Office of State Ethics."

For more information, visit www.bridgeportdiocese.com/story_ACLUStatement.shtml

Bridgeport Diocese Appeals Supreme Court Decision

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Bridgeport has filed a Motion with the Connecticut Supreme Court for reconsideration, by the entire Court, of the decision in the case Rosado verses Bridgeport Roman Catholic Diocese.

The Diocese has asked that the case be considered by the entire Court rather than the divided, five-member panel that issued the May 22nd decision to open court-sealed documents to the media involving alleged abuse cases.

The Diocese maintains that the current decision to open the documents fails to consider the
serious conflict of interest of the trial judge, fails to uphold the legitimate privacy and constitutional rights of all parties to lawsuits, and fails to recognize that disclosure of the sealed documents in question is barred by the Religion Clauses of the First Amendment.

Last month a five-member panel ruled by a 4-1 margin that the court documents involving 23 lawsuits against seven priests from the Diocese of Bridgeport should not be sealed. The documents were scheduled to become public in a matter of weeks but now will remain sealed until the court rules on the churches new motion.

Click here for the full story according to the Diocese of Bridgeport.

Bishop Lori on Fox News Website

Fox News has picked up on a story we first reported at the end of May. As of 2:15 p.m., the story is the front page article on Foxnews.com.

You can read our May coverage of this story here.

Connecticut's Office of State Ethics says the Church must register as a lobbyist group because it organized rallies at the Capitol. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Bridgeport filed a federal lawsuit against the state. Church officials are asking the court to issue an injunction against the Office of State Ethics' decision.

Bishop Lori tells Foxnews.com, "We were simply seeking to fulfill our mission, to continue to be ourselves." Later he remarks, "It seems to me that by requiring a diocese or any other entity to register with the state before it can protest an unfriendly action by the state has a chilling affect. I don't think it's in anyone's interest that a protest rally be labeled lobbying."