Former President Regrets Party's Stance on Abortion

WASHINGTON TIMES, Nov. 4 — Former President Jimmy Carter recently told reporters that he disagreed with abortion and criticized his party for not tolerating candidates who oppose the procedure, said the Times.

“I have never felt that any abortion should be committed,” said Carter. “I think each abortion is the result of a series of errors.”

Carter added that his party lost the 2004 presidential elections because Democrats failed to connect with religious voters.

City Won't Seize Land for Catholic School

ASSOCIATED PRESS, Nov. 4 — The Associated Press reported that Jersey City, N.J., has decided not to use the power of eminent domain to seize a local bar so that the land can be used for a Catholic high school's football field.

While the school built a new field last year, officials said that it needs to lengthen it. The bar owner had rejected offers from the school to purchase his property.

The New Jersey chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union objected to the prospect.

Ed Barocas, ACLU legal director, said, “It's inappropriate for government to take land from one person … to benefit a particular religion.”

Hotels Promote ‘Procreation Vacation'

USA TODAY, Nov. 3 — In an effort to promote their hotels, three Starwood properties in the Caribbean and Bahamas are offering “procreation packages” to couples hoping to conceive a child, said USA Today.

The promotion includes a three-night getaway, romantic dinners, spa treatments, and food, such as pumpkin soup, believed to promote fertility. The packages cost between $1,600 and $3,500.

Bill Thompson, marketing executive for Starwood, said, “We're simply enhancing the baby-making process by offering island remedies that have been passed down for generations.”

Wisconsin Bishop Apologizes to His Flock

IRONWOOD DAILY GLOBE, Nov. 2 — In a private meeting, Superior, Wis., Bishop Raphael Fliss apologized to parishioners regarding the oversight that led to the ordination of Father Ryan Erickson, a priest who allegedly murdered a funeral home director and his intern in February, 2002 before taking his own life, reported the Ironwood, Mich., daily.

Bishop Fliss told the parishioners that he was mistaken when he assumed that the system in place to prevent problematic priests worked.

A judge recently found that Father Erickson likely killed funeral home director Dan O'Connell and intern James Ellison because O'Connell had confronted the priest with sexual abuse allegations. Father Erickson committed suicide after being questioned by police regarding the murders.