News Briefs

Pope removes Ruiz successor from Chiapas
Bishop Samuel Ruiz' coadjutor in Chiapas, Mexico, Bishop Raul Vera López, expected to succeed Ruiz and continue his defense of the indigenous peoples of the region, has been removed by the Vatican to a diocese at the other end of Mexico. The Mexican press reports how conservative Mexican cardinals, government officials and business leaders successfully lobbied the Vatican to get the Ruiz disciple transferred. The six-year revolt of poor Mayan Indians against economic exploitation and military oppression has been defended by Ruiz and Vera López as a legitimate struggle. The people now fear appointment of a bishop who will side with the government against the people, opening the way for more repression by government troops and paramilitary forces in the region.
The Website of Ruiz' diocese is www.laneta.apc.org/curiasc/

Lavinia Byrne resigns
Lavinia Byrne, IBVM, resigned from her religious order Jan. 11, saying she had 'been "bullied" by Cardinal Ratzinger's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) over her views favoring women's ordination and contraception for married couples. Byrne, 52, first became a CDF target over her 1993 book, Woman at the Altar. The late Cardinal Hume of London had implored CDF, in vain, to drop its case against her. Byrne remains "a loyal, committed Catholic," active in British broadcasting and in teaching at the Cambridge Theological Federation.

The Inquisition lives
Australian priest/author Paul Collins has been traveling worldwide meeting with fellow victims of the inquisitorial tactics of the CDF. His next book will lay bare the patterns of injustice, secrecy and lack of due process in the CDF treatment of CTA heroes Hans Küng, Charles Curran, Tissa Balasuriya, Jeannine Gramick and Bob Nugent, as well as Lavinia Byrne and Collins himself. Each has written a chapter.

North Carolina CTA: Jesus and Women
A daylong workshop on Jesus and Women with Chris Schenk Jan. 15 was the first public event of a new CTA unit in North Carolina. Thirty were expected but 68 CTAers drove up to two hours from Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill. An education segment reviewed current historical understanding of Jesus and women, while an interactive segment surfaced ideas about "what we can do in our locale." One participant praised "the mix of theological knowledge with the loving, real politic approach." Schenk ran a similar program in Cleveland in February, and is eager to take it to other CTA regions.

New Mexico CTA: Last Supper painting
Newly formed last year, CTA New Mexico as its first project has been spreading prints and postcards of the Bohdan Piasecki painting of the Last Supper as a Jewish seder - with women and children in prominent view. The painting was commissioned by BASIC, the women's ordination group in Ireland (CTA News, September). CTA/NM is also gathering and sharing people's stories of how the picture affected them. Aim is to spark discussion: not "what's wrong with this picture?" but "what's wrong with our Church?" To request a print or card, contact Sharon Pikula: spikulanm@aol.com

Three proofs that Jesus was a woman:
1. He had to feed a crowd at a moment's notice, when there was no food.
2. He kept trying to get the message across to a bunch of men who just didn't get it.
3. Even when he was dead, he had to get up because there was more work for him to do. (Anonymous, from a chain e-mail)

CTA-HOPE: An online community
For many young progressive Catholics, it is difficult to find a supportive forum for religious, spiritual and political issues. Many are forced to remain silent. CTA-HOPE is an e-mail discussion list providing 18-42 year olds who support Call To Action's ideals an opportunity to form an online community. It is a forum in which subscribers may openly and safely discuss their views on various issues. Mutual support and respect are essential elements of CTA-HOPE. Members challenge each other to consider issues in more than one way as they try to realize a spirit of codiscipleship and co-responsibility faithful to the vision of Vatican II. With nearly 100 members, CTA-HOPE is growing steadily. It has expanded beyond the U.S., including members from the United Kingdom, Russia, France, and Canada. If you are 18 to 42 and would like to subscribe, see the CTA Internet Discussion List web page at or send an e-mail to kim@cta-usa.org