But a move by a bishop in Wisconsin to route all such decisions through his office is raising questions about whether that neutral zone will now become another battleground, and whether the growing acceptance of gay parents will inevitably draw more attention to this practice and force church leaders to establish clearer rules.

The default position for most bishops — reiterated in a major Vatican document released on Thursday (June 26) — is that if the parents pledge to raise the child Catholic, then no girl or boy should be refused baptism.

They generally let parish priests make the final call and let them administer the sacrament, though it is usually done in a private ceremony with the biological parent — not the adoptive mother or father — listed on the baptismal certificate.

The new debate was prompted by the emergence of a memo — first reported by the Wisconsin State Journal — that was sent in early May to priests of the Madison Diocese by the top aide to Bishop Robert Morlino.

In the memo, the vicar general of the diocese, Monsignor James Bartylla, says there are "a plethora of difficulties, challenges, and considerations associated with these unnatural unions (including scandal) linked with the baptism of a child, and such considerations touch upon theology, canon law, pastoral approach, liturgical adaptation, and sacramental recording."

Bartylla says that pastors must now coordinate any decision on baptizing the children of gay couples with his office and that "each case must be evaluated individually." Continue reading

• Source: Religion News Service
• Image: gloria.tv

Sikhism is the fifth largest religion in the world with a population of upwards of 30 million worldwide. There are an estimated 250,000 Sikhs in the United States having first arrived in the late 19th century.

Below are five basic facts about Sikhism:

• Belief
• History
• Scripture
• Place of worship
• The Five K's

Continue reading

Image: Hindu News

"Intuitively, we understand that acts of violence, destruction, and murder are antithetical to the message and person of Jesus Christ and have no rightful place in our society, especially sacred places," the bishops said in a statement.

"Whatever an individual parish decides to do regarding its policy on concealed weapons, we ask that all people seriously consider not carrying weapons into church buildings as a sign of reverence for these sacred spaces."

Permitted under the new concealed weapons law are handguns, electric weapons such as stun guns or tasers, knives other than switchblades, and billy clubs. Machine guns, short-barreled rifles and short-barreled shotguns are prohibited.

The bishops said a decision on whether to ban concealed weapons was up to individual churches.

Catholic Mutual Insurance group says that a parish's insurance cover is no altered by the new law, but recommends a complete weapons ban for parishioners, employees and volunteers.

The Wisconsin law leaves Illinois as the only state that does not allow residents to carry concealed firearms.

Sources

• National Post
• The Register
• Image: Daily Caller