WASHINGTON (CNS) --- After mail balloting of bishops who did not vote at the spring meeting in Orlando, Fla., a 700-page translation of one section of the Roman Missal failed to get approval from the required two-thirds of the members of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The USCCB announced rejection of the translation of the proper prayers for Sundays and feast days during the liturgical year July 7 and said it would come before the full body of bishops again at their November general assembly in Baltimore, along with two other sections totaling about 500 pages. No vote totals were made public, but the translation would have needed 167 "yes" votes to achieve a two-thirds majority of the 250 active Latin-rite U.S. bishops. The rejected translation, in the works for more than two years, was the second of 12 sections of the Roman Missal translation project that will come before the bishops through at least 2010. The translation had come from the International Commission on English in the Liturgy, known as ICEL, but at the Orlando meeting in June many bishops expressed frustration that recommendations they had submitted to ICEL to clarify the sentence structure or revise archaic language had been rejected.

NEW PRESIDENT --- Maria Voce, a longtime close collaborator of the late Chiara Lubich, was elected the new president of the Focolare movement July 7. Born in Italy, Voce joined Focolare in 1959 and began living with the community in 1964. Almost 500 delegates from five continents voted nearly unanimously for Voce July 7 during the movement's general assembly at Castel Gandolfo, south of Rome. CNS/CATHOLIC PRESS PHOTO

Vatican regrets Church of England's move toward women bishops
VATICAN CITY (CNS) --- The Vatican has expressed its disappointment with a July 7 decision by the Church of England, the mother church of the Anglican Communion, to move ahead with plans to allow the ordination of women bishops. "We have learned with disappointment of the news of the vote by the Church of England that opens the way to the introduction of legislation that leads to the ordination of women bishops," said a July 8 statement from the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. "Such a decision means a break from the apostolic tradition maintained by all the churches of the first millennium and is, therefore, a further obstacle for reconciliation between the Catholic Church and the Church of England," said the statement published by the Vatican press office. The 428 bishops, clergy and laypeople who make up the General Synod of the Church of England spent more than six hours July 7 debating what, if any, kinds of accommodation would be made to allow Anglicans who object to women bishops to continue to be part of the church.

Australian cardinal admits letter to abuse victim was 'badly worded'
SYDNEY, Australia (CNS) --- Cardinal George Pell of Sydney said that a 2003 letter he sent to a man who had been sexually assaulted by a priest in 1982 was "badly worded and a mistake." Cardinal Pell's admission came during a July 8 press conference called in response to a television show. The show reported the cardinal wrote to Anthony Jones that his claims against Terrence Goodall, a former priest, could not be substantiated. The cardinal wrote that no other allegations had been made against the priest. However, it was reported, the cardinal's letter was written the same day he had accepted the findings of church investigator Howard Murray that Goodall also had abused an 11-year-old altar boy. In his letter, Cardinal Pell said that Jones' complaint of attempted aggravated sexual assault against Goodall "cannot be considered to have been substantiated" because it could be interpreted "as homosexual behavior by two consenting adults." He wrote, "In the end it is Father Goodall's word against yours." At the July 8 press conference, Cardinal Pell described his wording in the letter as "an overstatement" and "a mistake."

Pope urges Group of Eight to put needs of poor at forefront of summit
CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy (CNS) --- Pope Benedict XVI urged world leaders from the Group of Eight to put the needs of the poor and weak at the forefront of their discussions. "Speculation and financial turbulence and their perverse effects on food and energy prices" have increased the vulnerability of the world's poor and disadvantaged, he said after praying the Angelus July 6 with pilgrims gathered in the courtyard of the papal summer residence south of Rome. The pope's appeal came the day before leaders of the world's most industrialized nations began their annual meeting, held this year July 7-9 in Toyako, Japan. The G-8 includes Russia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. Talks this year were to focus on the rising costs of food and fuel, the world economy, development in Africa and global warming, as well as establishing a framework for fair greenhouse gas emissions targets. The pope said he was adding his voice to the "urgent appeal" set forth by the presidents of bishops' conferences associated with the G-8.

Pope to meet with Sarkozy in Paris before traveling to Lourdes
VATICAN CITY (CNS) --- Spending less than 30 hours in the French capital, Pope Benedict XVI will meet in Paris with French President Nicolas Sarkozy and members of France's Jewish community, and will greet young people before traveling to Lourdes. The Sept. 12-15 trip to France was designed primarily to mark the 150th anniversary of Mary's apparitions to St. Bernadette Soubirous in Lourdes. In Lourdes Sept. 13-15, the pope will participate in the traditional prayers held at the Marian shrine, including the nighttime candlelight procession and an evening eucharistic procession. He will celebrate Mass for the general public Sept. 14 and a special Mass Sept. 15 for the sick who come to the shrine seeking healing and strength.

Bishop apologizes for 'tragedy' of abortion aided by Charities' staff
WASHINGTON (CNS) --- Bishop Francis X. DiLorenzo of Richmond, Va., expressed his "profound apology for the loss of the life of one of the most vulnerable among us" after employees of a Catholic Charities office in his diocese helped a refugee minor obtain an abortion last January. "I apologize for the profound embarrassment this has caused the Catholic Diocese of Richmond, and Catholics throughout the United States," Bishop DiLorenzo said in a letter published in the June 30 edition of the diocesan newspaper, The Catholic Virginian. "The guilt and depression that many of us experience as a result of the behavior of a few is something that we will bear for a long time to come," he added. Calling the abortion a "monumental tragedy," the bishop said, "I join my sadness to yours at the loss of the life of an unborn child whose teenage mother was in the foster care of Commonwealth Catholic Charities."

Pope recognizes miracles attributed to missionary in Hawaii, others
VATICAN CITY (CNS) --- Pope Benedict XVI has authorized publication of a decree recognizing a miracle attributed to the intercession of Blessed Damien de Veuster of Molokai, clearing the way for his canonization. The decree was the first of 13 published by the Vatican July 3 after Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martins, prefect of the Congregation for Saints' Causes, met the pope at his summer residence in Castel Gandolfo, south of Rome. Blessed Damien was a 19th-century Belgian missionary, a member of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. Born in 1840, he spent the last 16 years of his life caring for patients with Hansen's disease, or leprosy, on the Hawaiian island of Molokai. Blessed Damien died in 1889 and was beatified in 1995. With the recognition of the miracle, the date for Pope Benedict's celebration of his canonization will be set later. Another of the decrees approved by the pope July 3 involved a miracle attributed to the intercession of Louis and Marie Zelie Guerin Martin, the parents of St. Therese of Lisieux. Louis lived from 1823 to 1894 and his wife from 1831 to 1877.

Pope to be first reader in Bible-reading marathon for TV
ROME (CNS) --- On the evening of the opening of the world Synod of Bishops on the Bible, Pope Benedict XVI will serve as the first reader on Italian state television's Bible-reading marathon. Plans for "The Bible, Day and Night" were unveiled during a July 3 press conference in the Rome offices of RAI, the state-owned broadcasting company. Beginning Oct. 5, each of about 1,200 people will read for between four and eight minutes until all 73 books of the Catholic editions of the Bible have been read. No commentary will be offered and the only pause provided will be a musical interlude every 90 minutes. Pope Benedict's reading from the Book of Genesis will be broadcast on RaiUno, RAI's flagship station. Most of the other readings expected to take place over the course of seven days and six nights will be broadcast on RaiEdu, a satellite channel.