Denver Catholic

3 DENVER CATHOLIC | MARCH 14-20, 2015 Catholic publications unite to condemn death penalty Four U.S. Catholic pub- lications issued a joint editorial piece calling for an end to the death penalty in the United States. "Capital punish- ment must end," stated a March 5 editorial by America magazine, the National Catholic Regis- ter, the National Catholic Reporter and Our Sunday Visitor. The death penalty is both "abhorrent and unnecessary," the publica- tions said, arguing that the practice of capital punish- ment drains resources in court battles that would be "better deployed in preventing crime in the fi rst place and working toward restorative justice for those who commit less heinous crimes." The joint editorial comes a month before the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments in a case challenging lethal injection protocol as cruel and unusual punishment. SOURCE: CATHOLICNEWSAGENCY.COM Alabama court orders halt on 'gay marriage' licenses The Alabama Supreme Court on March 3 halted the illegal distribution of marriage licenses to people of the same sex, setting up a potential constitutional confl ict with a federal judge who imposed "gay marriage" on the state. Brian Brown, president of the National Organization for Mar- riage, praised the ruling that state o¦ cials must follow Alabama laws defi ning marriage as a union of one man and one woman. The state Supreme Court's 7-1 ruling said: "Government has an obvious interest in o" spring and the con- sequences that fl ow from the creation of each new generation, which is only naturally possible in the opposite-sex relation- ship, which is the primary reason marriage between men and women is sanc- tioned by state law." SOURCE: CATHOLICNEWSAGENCY.COM Parents in Little Flower family set for canonization In February, it was informally announced that the parents of St. Therese of Lisieux, Blessed Louis and Zelie Martin, will be canon- ized in October. Cardinal Amato, Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints, announced that Louis and Zelie Martin will be canonized the same month in which the synod of bishops on the family will take place in the Vat- ican. "The saints are not only priests and religious, but also lay persons," the cardinal said, referring to the French spouses. Louis and Zelie were beatifi ed Oct. 19, 2008, by then-Pope Benedict XVI and their canoniza- tion will be the fi rst of its kind in history when a married couple is jointly proclaimed a saint. SOURCE: CATHOLICNEWSAGENCY.COM Vatican Notes 2.49% APR * Limited Time Offer for DC Readers Call: 303.424.5037 Click: www.nufcu.com or Come by one of our convenient locations today! Bringing Catholic Values to Financial Services *APR = Annual Percentage Rate. See website for details. Your savings federally insured to at least $250,000 and backed by the full faith and credit of the United States Government National Credit Union Administration, a U.S. Government Agency NCUA Simplify the car buying process with our Automotive Partners. Visit www.nufcu.com for more info. Pre-Approved Auto Loan Rates as low as We are part of Centura Health, the region's largest health care network. Centura Health does not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, na onal origin, disability, age, sex, religion, creed, ancestry, sexual orienta on, and marital status in admission, treatment, or par cipa on in its programs, services and ac vi es, or in employment. For further informa on about this policy contact Centura Health's Office of the General Counsel at (303)804-8166. A spiritually driven, warm and welcoming environment offering a variety of living op ons: • Independent Living • Assisted Living • Memory Care Secured Unit • Adult Day Programs • On-site Physician Clinic • Respite Care • Daily Mass Call today to schedule a tour 303-964-3804 What I like most about The Gardens at St. Elizabeth is there are a lot of ac vi es and opportuni es to volunteer. At The Gardens at St. Elizabeth you do not have to be lonely. There are lots of people to talk to. If you do not feel like talking to a person, you can always go to the chapel and talk to God, he listens! —Pearl Notartomaso The Gardens at St. Elizabeth is good because of the chapel, it is clean, there are nice places to walk, and good friends. —Stella "Margaret" Berry MAKE NEW FRIENDS IN 2015! New Resident Move In Special Call today to learn how you can get 2 months base rent-free! Time-limits on special may apply. 2835 W. 32nd Ave., Denver centuraseniors.org/thegardens What I like most about The Gardens at St. Elizabeth is there are a lot of ac vi es and opportuni es to The Gardens at St. Elizabeth is good because of the chapel, it is clean, there are nice places to walk, and good friends. —Stella "Margaret" Berry Archbishop Samuel celebrated annual fth-grade liturgies Feb. March the Cathedral Basilica Immaculate Conception. than fi fth- graders from Catholic schools attended the archbishop. PROVIDED A s Pope Francis celebrated the second anniversary of his pontif- icate March 13, a survey found he remains popular among Americans. In fact, he's growing in popularity. The Pew Research Center revealed this month that nine-in-10 Catholics view the pope favorably, even growing in admira- tion of him since his selection in March 2013. His favorability rating among U.S. Catholics is comparable to Pew's ratings for Pope John Paul II in the 1980s and 1990s. The survey conducted in February among 1,500 adults also revealed Francis' favorability is on par with surveys on the late St. John Paul II's in the 1990s and 1980s. Even non-Catholics have grown to admire him. Among U.S. adults overall, both Cath- olic and non-Catholic, seven-in-10 see the pope favorably, up 13 points since the beginning of his leadership of the Church. Six-in-10 Protestants and two- thirds of the religiously unaffiliated reported similarly. Both men and women give Francis a positive rating, and Republicans and Democrats are united in their esteem for him, the survey reported. Among Catholics, those who attend Mass weekly gave a favorable rating of 95 percent, and two-thirds expressed a "very favorable" opinion of Pope Francis. The survey was based on telephone interviews Feb. 18-22. NEWS IN BRIEF Year two: Pope's popularity grows GRAPHIC BY PEW RESEARCH CENTER

• Cover