Pope John XXIII Saved Jews

UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL, Jan. 2 — Newly discovered records in Israel show that Father Angelo Roncalli, who later became Pope John XXIII, helped save thousands of Jewish refugees from the Nazis during World War II. Tel Aviv University professor Dina Porat said Bishop Roncalli allowed Jewish leaders “to meet him in the middle of the night to draft urgent letters to Pope Pius XII about the plight of Hungarian Jewry.” CNS Photo

BBC NEWS, Dec. 27 — Retired Bishop Fernando Lugo Paraguay has decided to run for president of the country in 2008, despite an entreaty from the Vatican not to do so. The bishop was appointed to the Diocese of San Pedro by Pope John Paul II in 1994. He retired as bishop 10 years later. He said he had “resigned from the priesthood.” Pope Benedict “can either accept my decision or punish me. But I am in politics already.” The Vatican letter, signed by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, said, “The acceptance of that offer would be clearly against the serious responsibility of a bishop. ... Canonic Law prohibits priests from participating in political parties or labor unions.”