GOP 2016-TRUMP-RELIGION
Trump touts his religious bona fides
DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) β Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is touting his religious background.
In a question and answer session in Iowa, Trump said, “I love the Bible. I’m a Protestant. I’m a Presbyterian. I went to Sunday school.”
Trump said his Sunday school lessons were at a Presbyterian church in Queens.
Later, he attended New York’s Marble Collegiate Church, where his pastor was the Rev. Norman Vincent Peale, author of “The Power of Positive Thinking.” Trump says Peale’s sermons were so good that “you hated to leave church.”
In his presidential campaign, Trump declared that he’s winning support from evangelical Christians. Trump said they’re “incredible people who are really smart, and they want to see our country thrive.”
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232-w-31-(Steve Coleman, AP religion editor, with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump)–Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is touting his religious background. AP Religion Editor Steve Coleman reports. (25 Aug 2015)
< 233-a-05-(Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, in question and answer session)-“to Sunday school”-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump says he’s a Christian. ((cut used in wrap)) (25 Aug 2015) < 234-a-11-(Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, in question and answer session)-“great he was”-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump says he had a favorite preacher. ((longer version of cut used in wrap)) (25 Aug 2015) < 235-a-13-(Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, in question and answer session)-“our country thrive”-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump says he has Christian support. ((longer version of cut used in wrap)) (25 Aug 2015) < VATICAN-US AP Interview: US eyes migration, poverty as pope trip themes ROME (AP) β The U.S. ambassador to the Vatican says he expects Pope Francis will call on the U.S. to rediscover its fundamental values, including its long history of welcoming foreigners, when he visits next month and becomes the first pope to address Congress. In an interview Tuesday with The Associated Press, Ambassador Kenneth Hackett said he expects migration, income inequality, family issues, the environment and the international persecution of Christians to be raised by Francis during his Sept. 22-27 visit to Washington, New York and Philadelphia. Hackett said: “I’m not worried about the tense moments, really. In my two years here I’ve come to realize that Pope Francis will say and do what he wants. And that, people find refreshing even if they disagree with him.” Sound: 231-w-36-(Steve Coleman, AP religion editor, with Kenneth Hackett, U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican)–The U.S. ambassador to the Vatican says he expects Pope Francis to speak his mind when he visits the U.S. next month and becomes the first pope to address Congress. AP Religion Editor Steve Coleman reports. (25 Aug 2015) < 196-a-07-(Kenneth Hackett, U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican, in AP interview)-“other religious minorities”-Kenneth Hackett, the U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican, says Pope Francis’s speech to the United Nations will have an international focus. (25 Aug 2015) < 197-a-05-(Kenneth Hackett, U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican, in AP interview)-“of non-traditional families”-Kenneth Hackett, the U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican, says Pope Francis’s participation in the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia is timely. (25 Aug 2015) < 195-a-12-(Kenneth Hackett, U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican, in AP interview)-“think a bit”-Kenneth Hackett, the U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican, says Pope Francis may address immigration, climate change and other controversial issues in his address to Congress. (25 Aug 2015) < POPE-GAYS Ahead of pope’s visit to US, some friction over LGBT issues PHILADELPHIA (AP) β The World Meeting of Families, the central religious event of Pope Francis’ first visit to the United States, is intended to convey a message of love and joy as it seeks to promote church teaching on marriage. Yet four weeks away from its opening in Philadelphia, friction is mounting as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Roman Catholics lobby for a broader role in the event and organizers move to limit them. The tensions surrounding the gathering will pose a real-world test of the pope’s approach that emphasizes compassion and a welcoming attitude while upholding Catholic doctrine that marriage is only between a man and a woman. The only speakers specifically addressing LGBT issues at the Sept. 22-27 conference are a celibate gay man and his mother. Gays and lesbians can attend the meeting as individuals, but groups supporting gay marriage were denied exhibit space and other official options for presenting their views. CARDINAL DRUNKEN DRIVING California cardinal accused of drunken driving in Hawaii SAN FRANCISCO (AP) β A cardinal who was formerly the archbishop of San Francisco has been arrested in Hawaii on suspicion of drunken driving. The Hawaii Tribune-Herald reported Monday that Cardinal William Levada (leh-VAY’-dah) was stopped last week while driving on the Big Island. Levada was arrested and released from jail after posting $500 bail. He is due in Kona District Court on Sept. 24. In a statement issued through the Archdiocese of San Francisco, the 79-year-old Levada said he regrets his error in judgment and intends to cooperate with authorities. Authorities say Levada was stopped after a Kona patrol officer saw him swerve while driving. Levada started serving as archbishop of San Francisco in 1995. In 2006 he was named a cardinal. Between 2005 and 2012, Levada served as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith under Pope Benedict XVI, making him one of the church’s highest-ranking officials. Levada resigned the post in 2012. STOLEN TABERNACLE RETURNED Stolen tabernacle returned after it was taken from church OAKLEY, Calif. (AP) β Parishioners at St. Anthony Catholic Church in Oakley, California, were lamenting a great loss when one or more thieves made off with the church’s tabernacle, the sacred receptacle used to carry the Blessed Sacrament. The brass box with gold plating contained several items, including a bowl filled with consecrated Communion hosts. The Contra Costa Times reports that while the tabernacle is worth around $9,000, the Rev. Ken Sales, the church’s parochial administrator, said the spiritual significance of the loss was much greater. The stolen property was missing for Wednesday’s Mass, but parishioners were left with a message of hope when it was returned undamaged on Friday. Sales said he now believes that the tabernacle was stolen so Jesus could spend a day with the thief or thieves and touch their heart. SAINTHOOD-OLD WEST NUN ‘Fastest Nun in the West’ faces 1st test in sainthood push ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) β An Italian-born nun who challenged Billy the Kid, calmed angry mobs and helped open hospitals and schools in the New Mexico territory has faced her first test for sainthood. The Archdiocese of Santa Fe hosted Tuesday a first inquiry in Albuquerque to present evidence on why Sister Blandina Segale (say-GAH’-lay) should become a saint. Last year, the archdiocese received permission from the Vatican to open her sainthood cause. Segale, a nun with the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati, was an advocate for Hispanics and Native Americans. Her encounters with Old West outlaws became the subject of an episode of the CBS series “Death Valley Days,” titled “The Fastest Nun in the West.” She worked as an educator and social worker in Ohio, Colorado and New Mexico. POLICE CAR-DECALS Group: ‘In God We Trust’ patrol car decals are inappropriate LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) β The Freedom From Religion Foundation wants two Arkansas law enforcement agencies to remove “In God We Trust” decals from their patrol vehicles, calling it inappropriate for such a message to be displayed on government-owned property. The Wisconsin-based group says the message could offend people who aren’t Christian and subject them to unwarranted prejudice. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports that the foundation sent letters to the Cave City Police Department and the Hempstead County sheriff’s office after both placed the national motto on their patrol vehicles. The foundation’s co-president, Annie Laurie Gaylor, said she intends to sue if the phrase isn’t removed. Cave City Mayor Ron Burge said he has seen the letter but has yet to make a decision on whether to strip the message from the city’s police cars. Hempstead County Sheriff James Singleton said he won’t remove “In God We Trust” unless a court orders him to do so. UNDERWATER WEDDING-CHRIST STATUE Underwater wedding honors Christ of the Deep anniversary KEY LARGO, Fla. (AP) β Kimberly Triolet and Jorge Rodriguez exchanged their wedding vows underwater beside a 9-foot statue of Jesus. The Miami couple wed beneath the waves Tuesday to help mark the 50th anniversary of the installation of the Christ of the Deep statue. The bronze sculpture is a subsea icon in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. For the traditional wedding kiss, the bride and groom removed their SCUBA breathing mouthpieces. The 9-foot-tall statue was submerged on Aug. 25, 1965. It became a symbol for Key Largo’s John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, created in 1960 as America’s first underwater preserve. It is now part of the sanctuary. The statue is a replica of the Italian “Christ of the Abyss” that was placed in a shallow bay near Portofino, Italy, in 1954. MILWAUKEE ARCHDIOCESE BANKRUPTCY Probe sought of abusers in bankruptcy settlement MILWAUKEE (AP) β A bankruptcy reorganization plan filed by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee would add 33 victims to the group receiving payouts for clergy abuse. But advocates for those victims claim that the reorganization would hide documents on abuse by priests who haven’t been publicly identified before. Peter Isely of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests told reporters Wednesday that all of the cases should be investigated by an independent panel so the abusers can be prosecuted and prevented from harming more children. In a statement, the Milwaukee archdiocese responded that it has “worked closely with abuse survivor attorneys to provide full transparency” and has taken steps “to ensure the safety of children.” The reorganization plan needs approval from creditors and a bankruptcy judge. A confirmation hearing is scheduled to begin Nov. 9. Sound: 201-a-02-(Peter Isely, Midwest director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, at news conference)-“to be investigated”-Peter Isely, Midwest director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, says the bankruptcy settlement involving the Milwaukee Archdiocese shouldn’t end with payments to victims. (25 Aug 2015) < 202-a-10-(Peter Isely, Midwest director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, at news conference)-“been a failure”-Peter Isely, Midwest director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, says clergy abuse victims deserve more than money from the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. (25 Aug 2015) < CHURCH ABUSE-YAKIMA Judge awards $5M to man abused by priest SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) β A federal judge has awarded an Oregon man $5 million in damages stemming from sexual abuse by a Catholic priest in Yakima, Washington, more than 30 years ago. The priest, Ernest Dale Calhoun, did not contest the allegations made by the man, who was identified only by his initials in court documents. The Spokesman-Review reports that the case was filed with the U.S. District Court for Eastern Washington in August 2014. Both the Corporation of the Catholic Bishop of Yakima and the Beaumont Diocese in Texas, where Calhoun served before arriving in Yakima in 1977, had previously been dismissed from the case. It’s unlikely that Calhoun will be able to pay the costs of the judgment. He filed for bankruptcy protection in Western Washington in 1994. PRIEST-FRAUD Guilty plea hearing scheduled for Detroit-area priest DETROIT (AP) β A guilty plea appears likely in the case of a Detroit-area Catholic priest who is accused of conspiring to steal nearly $700,000 from his church. A court filing shows a change-of-plea hearing has been scheduled for Sept. 1 in Detroit federal court. The Rev. Edward Belczak is charged with conspiring with a parish administrator to take money from St. Thomas More church in Troy, Michigan. The indictment says he helped himself to $110,000 from a church account to pay for a Wellington, Florida, condominium. The government says cash was also missing from special collections on Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. The former parish administrator, Janice Verschuren, is also charged in the case. Belczak was removed from St. Thomas More in 2013 after an audit raised questions about parish finances.
