Denver, Colo., Apr 20, 2017 / 03:02 am (CNA).- A recent report shows that traffic deaths, crime, emergency room visits and youth usage of marijuana increased significantly in the first two years following the legalization of recreational pot in the state of Colorado. Released by the Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area in September, the report compared marijuana-related statistics from previous years in Colorado to data from 2013-2015, the first years after the legalization of recreational marijuana in the state in November 2012. The results aren’t promising. Marijuana-related traffic deaths increased by 62 percent in 2013, the first year of legalization of recreational marijuana. About one in five more youth are now reporting having used marijuana in the past month since its legalization. Marijuana-related hospitalizations in the state nearly doubled from 6,305 in 2011 to 11,439 in 2014. “Perhaps there is not much value in saying to my beloved state of Colorado that ‘I told you so,’ but these results were entirely predictable,” said Dr. E. Christian Brugger, professor of Moral Theology at Denver’s St. John Vianney Theological Seminary. Dr. Brugger has spoken and written about the moral questions surrounding the legalization of marijuana several times over the years, as his home state of Colorado has been central to the debate over the drug that has now spread to many other states. “If there had been any sincere effort on the part of Colorado citizens and legislators to gauge in advance the harms that would arise from legalization, they would have foreseen precisely (these results),” he told CNA in e-mail comments. The biggest health concern for young people using marijuana is its harmful effect on the brain, which continues its development well into a person’s 20s. The main active ingredient in marijuana, THC, binds to receptors in the brain and can cause a significant decrease in IQ over time. A 2012 study published in the National Academy of Sciences found that adolescent exposure to marijuana can lead to an 8-point drop in IQ, on par with the drop seen in children exposed to lead. Another concerning impact is the relationship between adolescent marijuana use and schizophrenia. A study repeated by multiple research groups has found that adolescent marijuana use can quadruple a teen’s risk of developing schizophrenia. Marijuana can also be addictive, with one in six adolescent users developing a dependence over time. A secondary health concern is traffic accidents, which make up the leading cause of death in 15-20 year-olds. According to the report, in 2009, marijuana-related traffic deaths involving operators testing positive for marijuana represented 10 percent of all traffic fatalities in Colorado. By 2015, that number doubled to 21 percent. The amount of youth reporting marijuana use after legalization, compared to before, increased by about 20 percent. College-age Coloradans now rank first in the nation for marijuana use. Crime has also increased in Denver and Colorado as a whole in the post-legalization years. “Since 2014, there has been a notable increase in organized networks of sophisticated residential grows in Colorado that are orchestrated and operated by drug trafficking organizations. These organizations currently operate hundreds of large-scale home grows throughout Colorado. Harvested marijuana is shipped or transported out of Colorado to markets in the Midwest and East Coast. Home grows have significantly increased illicit production of marijuana in Colorado,” the report states. And while marijuana has often been touted as an economy booster, the report shows that Colorado may be losing business from conventions that are no longer hosted in the state due to concerns about marijuana. According to the report, 49 percent of meeting planners expressed concerns about marijuana when considering holding an event in Denver. VISIT DENVER, the marketing organization for the city,  found that Denver’s reputation as a clean and safe city where organizations can host events and conventions has decreased since the legalization of marijuana. “The legalization initiative was never based upon a rational assessment of whether legalization would be good for our communities, it was driven by money and rotten politics,” Dr. Brugger said. “And mark my word, those numbers will go up, not down, in the next years.” What's the solution?  “Re-criminalization of the possession and smoking of marijuana in Colorado,” he says. Tom Gorman, Director of Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, which released the report, also believes that the negative impact will only increase overtime. “Any time you legalize a substance, you’re going to have more people using. The more people you have using, the more adverse (effects) you’re going to have on society, as well as the individual,” he told CNA. “Alcohol is a perfect example of that, because so many people use and abuse alcohol. We almost have as many people addicted to alcohol as all the illegal drugs combined. We can expect the same thing from marijuana, although with alcohol you don’t necessarily drink and get drunk. With marijuana, you smoke to get (high).” The report is also a good reference point for other states considering legalization of marijuana. Until now, there hasn’t been enough data available. “Basically what it does is give you a look at actual data versus rhetoric.” “If you look at it overall and you look at the trends, which are all negative, whether it’s emergency room visits or hospitalization or fatalities or drug use among our kids, the other states now have some data to make an informed decision.”  This article was originally published Sept. 9, 2016. Read more

Los Angeles, Calif., Sep 8, 2016 / 04:58 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Catholics can learn a lot about evangelization from the liturgy, say organizers of an upcoming conference in Los Angeles “This year in particular, we are looking at the relationship of the liturgy and the New Evangelization and discussing the ways in which liturgy is at the heart of the effort to re-evangelize Catholics who have fallen out of the practice of their faith,” Dr. Anthony Lilles, conference coordinator for the Society for Catholic Liturgy, told CNA. “We live at a time when too many of us sacrifice at the altar of productivity – we worship the works of our hands,” he continued. “The liturgy of the Catholic Church teaches us to surrender the works of our hands to the worship of God and the care of our neighbors.”The Society for Catholic Liturgy’s 2016 conference, called "The Liturgy and the New Evangelization", will be held Sept. 29-Oct. 1 at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels and the University of Southern California Caruso Catholic Center. In addition to organizing an annual conference, the group publishes Antiphon: A Journal for Liturgical Renewal triannually. Lilles, who is academic dean at the Los Angeles archdiocese’s Saint John’s Seminary in Camarillo, noted that the Second Vatican Council described the liturgy as “the source and summit of our whole Christian life.” The conference’s papers and presentations are intended to “promote dialogue and direction for the Church,” organizers said, and speakers will make presentations in both English and Spanish. Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angeles will celebrate a liturgy at the cathedral the first day of the conference and then address the opening banquet. “Archbishop Gomez in particular will explore the importance of popular piety as a portal through which the lay faithful can rediscover the joy of the Church and, thus, the mystery of the Mass,” Lilles explained. Bishop Elias Zaidan of the Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angles will celebrate the Maronite liturgy at the cathedral on Friday morning and deliver the conference’s keynote speech. Lilles noted the “unfolding crisis of religious persecution” that faces Christians in the Middle East. “Bishop Zaidan will offer some reflections on their plight and the essential role that the Maronite liturgy has served in sustaining the faith of the Church persecuted,” he said. The Friday night banquet will conclude with a showing of Lannette Turicchi’s documentary “Pope John Paul II: Prophet for our Time.” On Oct. 1, Father James Fryar, F.S.S.P., will offer Mass in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite. The conference will feature 12 academic papers and six pastoral presentations. The conference’s Spanish track includes presentations from the Colorado-based priest Fr. Daniel Cardo about the Eucharist and the Eucharistic Rites in the New Evangelization. Msgr. Andrew Wadsworth, executive director of the secretariat of the International Commission on English in the Liturgy, will present on the topic “The Rites of Christian Initiation and the Baptized but Uncatechized.” Father Andrew Menke, associate director of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Divine Worship, will review the U.S. bishops’ current liturgical projects. Other topics include architecture, marriage, and the renewal of liturgical catechesis. “Liturgy, the public act of worshipping God, is the supreme activity of humanity, the most defining characteristic of living life to the full,” said Lilles. “We were created for a blessed happy life and every liturgy anticipates this ultimate meaning of our existence.” The conference website is at http://liturgysociety.org/conference. Read more

Washington D.C., Sep 8, 2016 / 04:40 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- After the United States has declared that genocide is taking place against Christians and other religious minorities in Iraq, what is the next step for genocide victims displaced from their home... Read more

Norwalk, Conn., Sep 8, 2016 / 02:46 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- After 14 years of serving the Church’s apostolate for men and women with same-sex attraction, Fr. Paul Check will step down from his current position as Executive Director in order to take up his new position as rector of the seminary in his diocese.   “I will leave my current role with a measure of both peace and sadness,” Fr. Check wrote in an announcement. “I am peaceful because I trust in my Bishop's decision, and I am grateful for and humbled by the confidence that he has placed in me.” “At the same time, however, I will be sad to leave what is such a unique and vital apostolate in the life of the Church today - ‘a light that shines in the darkness’ - and one that offers hope to many. Pope Benedict once wrote that Jesus is both logos and agape. I believe the Courage/EnCourage ministry reflects that twofold character of Christ in its clarity and charity, even as it remains a ‘sign of contradiction’ to the world, all in fidelity to the Master.” Courage, founded in 1980, aims to help Catholics with same-sex attraction in their spiritual growth, including life in chastity. Its partner organization EnCourage is an apostolate for parents, friends, and family members of those with same-sex attraction. Fr. Check has been involved with both organizations for 14 years, serving as Executive Director of both groups for almost nine years. He will be transferring to his new position as rector of St. John Fisher seminary by December 31, having received the appointment from Bishop Frank Caggiano of the Diocese of Bridgeport, Connecticut. In his announcement, Fr. Check called his time with the apostolate a “tremendous blessing, in particular by deepening my understanding of the tangle and the nobility of the human heart, and of my appreciation for the beauty and efficacy of grace.” “My work with the members of Courage and EnCourage has changed my priesthood, and I will always be edified by your example. As our beloved Fr. John Harvey, OSFS, of happy memory, liked to say, ‘Our members are our best ambassadors.’ Your voice and experience deserve a wider audience, for the good of many souls.” He said he also believes the apostolate has prepared him well for his new assignment at the seminary, and that he plans to share what he’s learned through his involvement with the ministry with the students under his charge. Courage has not yet announced who will succeed Fr. Check as Executive Director. Fr. Paul Scalia, the Chairman of the Board of Directors for Courage International, expressed “tremendous thanks” to Fr. Check for his service to the apostolate in a statement. He also asked for prayers for both Fr. Check and the organization during this time of transition. “One sign of a health in any organization is the capacity to make a transition in leadership. Courage International is blessed with an exceptionally dedicated staff who is working tirelessly to be sure this transition happens smoothly,” Fr. Scalia said. “The Courage apostolate already experienced one such transition when Father Check succeeded Father Harvey. We are being asked again to trust in the providence of our loving Father — that, as He has never left Courage without strong leadership, so now He is already at work for our good. Indeed, I am very grateful for the leadership of the episcopal board and pleased with the plans in place to announce Father Check’s successor soon.” Fr. Check plans to remain involved with the apostolate as a member of the board of directors, and that he hopes to continue attending the annual Courage conference for years to come. He said he has great faith and hope in the current members of the apostolate, that they will carry the ministry forward. “Please be sure of my sincere gratitude for your friendship in the Lord and your prayers.” Read more

Birmingham, Ala., Sep 8, 2016 / 12:01 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- The life and legacy of Mother Angelica will be the focus of EWTN Global Catholic Network’s family celebration in Birmingham Sept. 17-18. “This year’s EWTN Family Celebration is our first since the death of Mother Angelica and provides us with an opportunity to celebrate and reflect on the extraordinary life of Mother and what she meant to her EWTN family and to the world," said EWTN chairman Michael P. Warsaw. The free event will take place at the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex. On Saturday evening there will be a recording of EWTN’s “Family Talk Live” with Fr. Joseph Mary Wolfe and Warsaw. “We will share our memories, and answer audience questions about the nun whose faithfulness to God left a legacy of which all of us can be proud,” Warsaw said. Other speakers include EWTN personalities such as Raymond Arroyo, lead anchor of “The World Over”; Johnnette Benkovic, host of “Women of Grace”; Jim and Joy Pinto, hosts of “At Home with Jim and Joy”; EWTN regular guest and producer Father Wade L. J. Menezes, C.P.M.; and Chris Stefanick, host of “Real Life Catholic.” Doug Keck, EWTN president, will also speak. Mass will be celebrated on Saturday at 10 a.m. with the Franciscan Missionaries of the Eternal Word. Sunday Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. by Bishop Robert Baker of Birmingham and the Franciscan missionaries. Attendees can meet with EWTN hosts and the Franciscan friars. There will be a special opportunity for children to visit EWTN’s Faith Factory with Rob Evans (the Donut Man) and Brother Leo. Other featured events include a “Meet the Author” session with EWTN authors near the EWTN Religious Catalogue Shop. There will be opportunities for confession and Eucharistic Adoration throughout the weekend. EWTN’s founder, Mother Mary Angelica of the Annunciation, passed away on Easter Sunday this year at the age of 92. The Family Celebration website is at http://www.ewtn.com/familycelebration/ Read more

Chicago, Ill., Sep 7, 2016 / 03:02 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Last month, a Chicago woman with a dislodged intrauterine device claimed she was turned down for removal of the device at a Catholic hospital, because her doctor said the procedure went against Catholic rules on contraception. Melanie Jones, 28, slipped and fell in her bathroom, dislodging her copper IUD to the point that it needed removal. She visited her doctor at Mercy Medical Group at Dearborn Station, an off-site location of Chicago's Mercy Hospital and Medical Center. She claimed her doctor said she could not remove the IUD due to the hospital's policy of following the U.S. Catholic bishop’s ethical and religious directives for health care. Jones said the doctor also told her that every other hospital in her network followed the same restrictions. Jones then filed a complaint with the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois against the hospital. However, representative from Mercy Hospital told CNA on Sept. 6 that the woman’s claim “has no merit” and that the doctors at Mercy Hospital offered to remove the woman’s IUD, but Jones declined. “This claim has no merit. The treatment Ms. Jones received at Mercy was entirely consistent with the standards of high-quality care,” Martin E. Folan, the director of mission and spirituality at Mercy Hospital and Medical Center told CNA in e-mail comments. “Mrs. Jones described to our clinical team a dislodged or troublesome IUD. When our Mercy physician followed our protocol and offered to remove the IUD, Ms. Jones declined the removal and left the clinic.” The ACLU has long opposed Catholic hospitals operating according to Catholic teaching. The group continually files claims against Catholic hospitals for following Church teaching in their practices. In 2015, the ACLU sued Trinity Health Corporations, one of the largest Catholic health care operations in America and of which Mercy Hospital is a member, for their refusal to perform abortions and tubal ligations. The lawsuit was dismissed. Folan said despite the inaccurate claim, Mercy Hospital remains committed to providing quality care to everyone they serve. “Our priority at Mercy is the safety and well-being of the people we serve, and we are committed to the high-quality care our ministry has provided for more than 150 years.”  Read more

Washington D.C., Sep 7, 2016 / 02:34 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- The passing of author, commentator and political activist Phyllis Schlafly prompted some pro-life advocates to remember her leadership across decades of political involvement. Kristan Hawkins, ... Read more