OCT. 25, 00 (CWNews.com)-- A special joint committee of Catholic and Jewish scholars has produced a preliminary report of their findings regarding the Vatican archives from World War II. The 20-page report will be made public on Thursday in Rome by the 6-member committee. The scholars were charged with the task of examining the 11-volume collection of World War II archives. That collection, in turn, was published between 1965 and 1981, by a team of four Jesuit scholars commissioned by Pope Paul VI. The Vatican's chief spokesman has announced that the preliminary report constitutes a "positive judgment" on the validity of the existing Vatican sources.

Oct. 24, 00 (CWNews.com) - Britain's Parliament has elected Labour MP Michael Martin as Speaker of the House of Commons, the first Catholic to hold the post since the Reformation. Speaker Martin has been described by most of today's British newspapers as "right wing" because of his opposition to abortion and to lowering the age of homosexual consent.

Oct. 24, 00 (CWNews.com) -- Pope John Paul II might attend a soccer game at Rome's Olympic Stadium as part of the observance of the Jubilee for athletes on October 29. The game, pitting the Italian national team against an international squad, has been scheduled especially for the Jubilee. And Pope John Paul, an avid amateur soccer player in his youth, remains an interested fan.

Oct. 25, 00 (CWNews.com) - International debt relief was a key theme when Pope John Paul II announced that 2000 would be a Jubilee Year, and various religious and international organizations picked up the idea. The US House of Representatives on Wednesday passed a massive foreign aid bill that removes restrictions on funding of groups that perform abortions overseas, but also includes millions for the forgiveness of debts of the world's poorest countries. The pro-life representatives hoped that Texas Gov. George W. Bush will be elected president next month and issue a new order reinstating the ban.

NEXT EXPOSITION OF THE HOLY SHROUD TO BE IN YEAR 2025 Rome, Oct 25 (NE): A million people have visited the Holy Shroud of Turin during the 72 days of the present Holy Year's exposition. Pilgrims from more than 170 countries have come to this exposition, the longest in history. Archbishop Severino Poletto of Turin, Pontifical custodian of the Shroud, stated during a recent press conference that the next exposition will take place "probably in 2025, date of the following Holy Year, unless exceptional events take place." In March and August of this Holy Year the Shroud was carefully examined by teams of different scientists. The Sindone 2000 Congress took place in Orvietto with the presence of important scientists from different specialties who evaluated all the studies that have been made until today. As a conclusion, the participants, among them scientists from different confessions and even some agnostics, asked the Holy See to declare the Shroud of Turin an authentic relic of the Lord Jesus.

VATICAN, Oct. 26, 00 (CWNews.com) -- Pope John Paul II will sign a "motu proprio" on October 31, formally naming St. Thomas More as the patron of politicians. At a Vatican press conference on Thursday, October 26, Cardinal Roger Etchegary explained that St. Thomas More provides political leaders with a model of moral integrity. His example, the cardinal continued, should help to remind politicians of "the absolute priority of God, including in public affairs."

VATICAN, Oct. 26, 00 (CWNews.com) -- As he met with a new ambassador from Lebanon, Pope John Paul II renewed his appeal for "specially guaranteed international status" for the city of Jerusalem. "Jerusalem should be a particularly strong symbol of unity and peace and reconciliation for the whole human family." For that reason, he continued, the current conflicts in Jerusalem are "particularly disquieting." He suggested that the conflict between Israel and Palestine was not likely to be resolved unless and until the status of Jerusalem is settled, and that international guarantees would furnish a means of ending the current stalemate on that issue.

VATICAN, Oct. 26, 00 (CWNews.com) -- A group of 3,000 Slovenian Catholics made their Jubilee pilgrimage to Rome on Thursday, and heard Pope John Paul II encourage them to become active in defense of life. The Pope told the Slovenian pilgrims that "a half-century under a totalitarian regime has left many Christians with feelings of inferiority and of fear. It is time to get over that timidity!" He urged them to work "on a basis of equality" with "all men of good will" in restoring the political, economic, and cultural life of the country. "Above all, defend life!" the Pope urged. "That is the crucial problem for the survival of the Slovenian people!"

Oct. 26, 00 (CWNews.com) - A Catholic lay community has issued a rallying call for next week's Halloween celebrations. The Surrey-based Cor Lumen Christi community has launched a "Night of Light" campaign to remind the world that, despite its pagan origins, Halloween-- as its name suggests-- is the eve of All Hallows or All Saints Day. "Halloween isn't just a gamey thing," community member Andrew Fava said today. "There are actually people who are on the other side from where we stand who are working for the devil." He added, "Just as our prayers and our life as Catholics and Christians has a positive effect on the world around us, so their activities and prayers and sacrifices are having a very negative effect on the world." Fava added that children who dress up for fun and take part in traditional Halloween sports like apple-dunking, are unwittingly taking part in something more more sinister. "We're not killjoys," he said. "We're absolutely the opposite. What people see as having fun is very negative and they don't know about it." Cor Lumen Christi is calling on parents, teachers, and parish priests to organize alternative "Night of Light" celebrations. These might include an All Saints vigil Mass or all-night adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. "We don't want to take the fun away from kids," said Fava, "but we do want them to enjoy something that's positive rather than something that's very negative. We reclaiming this year of Jubilee; we feel this year in particular is a good time to reclaim this great feast of All Saints for Christ." Bishop Ambrose Griffiths of Hexham &Newcastle diocese has backed the campaign. He said today, "Halloween is the time to rejoice in God's glory displayed in his saints but we have allowed it to become focused upon witches and devils. I welcome this initiative to recapture it for Christ."