Pope Greets New Anglican Head

VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE, July 24 — Pope John Paul II sent a message welcoming the new archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Douglas Williams, the first Welshman to lead the world's Anglicans.

Williams will begin his new position in October, when the current archbishop, George Carey, retires.

“I am confident that, with God's help, we can make progress along the path toward unity, in order to experience anew ‘how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!’ (Psalm 133:1) I send my best wishes for your new and demanding ministry.”

“I have had the opportunity to know and work closely with your predecessors, Archbishop Runcie and Archbishop Carey, in the shared task of promoting understanding between the Anglican Communion and the Catholic Church,” the Holy Father continued.

The new archbishop is a longtime opponent of abortion. His support of women bishops and actively homosexual clergy are likely to prove obstacles to ecumenism, observers predict.

Chinese and Arab Catholics Swell World Youth Day

FIDES, July 23 — Among the many youth groups performing during World Youth Day events in Toronto were more than 1,000 young Chinese people from Taiwan, Macao and immigrant Chinese communities around the world.

The songs, centering on the theme “you are the salt of the earth, the light of the world,” were in Mandarin and Cantonese.

Some 240 young people from the troubled Middle East also attended the event, led by the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Michel Sabbah, who offered catechism in Arabic, French and English.

A ‘Low-Risk’ Event for STDs

THE NATIONAL POST, July 20 — Catholics who reject Church teaching on birth control awaited pilgrims to World Youth Day at Toronto's Pearson International Airport, distributing condoms.

The National Post reported that members of the international movement We Are Church gathered at the airport, claiming concern that “the delegates would not follow the Church's teaching of abstinence” during the week of papal ceremonies.

“I think abstinence is a great thing for everybody who can manage that,” said the group's spokesman, Tobias Raschke. “But it doesn't work for everyone. It's not reality.”

He went on to suggest that condoms ought to be included in the information kits at all World Youth Days to help the pilgrims avoid spreading disease. The group planned to hand out some 10,000 condoms during the course of the papal event.

The Post noted that “earlier this year, another reform group announced it would distribute condoms to youth delegates that would carry the slogan ‘don't leave it up to your guardian angel.’”

It also cited the response by Msgr. Peter Schonenbach, general secretary of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, who said in a February interview, “It's a free country. They can do what they want. … The Church is stuck with its position on this.”

Dr. Bonnie Henry of Toronto Public Health said her organization had stockpiled condoms for the event, as it would for any other summer festival, but told The Post that “Toronto Public Health considers World Youth Day to be a low-risk event.”