NZ Catholic: ‘Pope thwarts US Catholic population’

In an interesting editorial from the staff of the NZ Catholic, New Zealand’s national Catholic newspaper, readers get a taste of the country’s perspective on Pope Benedict XVI’s meeting  last month with U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the House of Representatives.

Remember that Pelosi, a pro-choice Catholic, fueled quite the controversy when she told Tom Brokaw on “Meet the Press” that for centuries the church  had not been able to agree on when life begins. 

Referring to the unique no-photos policy of the pope-Pelosi meeting, the editorial said the reason for the “snub” was obvious.  That was the pope’s way of saying, “I know what you said.”

New Web site focuses on human trafficking in Asia

The Asian church news agency UCA News reported recently about a new Web site for anti-trafficking activists, law enforcement officials, trafficking victims and others.

Human Trafficking in Asia has investigative reports on human trafficking and its own blog. The site receives funding assistance from at least two U.S. government agencies and an American nongovernmental organization.

Emmanuel Drewery of the Catholic organization PREDA welcomed the Web site.  PREDA, founded in the Phillippines by Irish Columban Father Shay Cullen, works to help abused children and exploited women.

Drewery told UCA News that such initiatives on the Internet are important because that is where predators are prevalent.