Sept. 12, 2004

New web resources

Catholic News Service launches three special sections to keep you informed.

The final page of each issue of the ETC is devoted to national and international news and photographs from Catholic News Service (CNS). We pay a hefty fee each month for the opportunity to use CNS, and I know many of you would like to see more wire stories in the paper. Occasionally we end up with a hole that’s ideally suited to a CNS feature, book review, or media column, but local news tends to fill pages 1 through 9.

For some time our website, etcatholic.com, has included a link to CNS’s “story of the day”—actually a list of numerous top stories that are available to the public. News junkies will be pleased to know that CNS now offers three special-interest pages that include multiple stories on the Vatican, the upcoming presidential election, and Africa. The links are as follows:

• catholicnews.com/data/vatican/vatican.htm
• catholicnews.com/data/election/election.htm
• catholicnews.com/data/africa/africa.htm

As I write, the election page, for example, includes articles about the recently concluded Republican convention, voter-registration drives conducted at parishes throughout the country, a poll that asked Catholics how they feel about denying Communion to pro-abortion politicians, and expert views on stem-cell research, among other topics. The stories range from brand new to nearly five months old. There’s plenty of food for thought here, including a dozen pieces that focus primarily on the candidates’ positions on key issues.

Pope-watchers will find much of interest on the Vatican page—including a weekly column by the CNS Rome bureau, the pope’s comments during bishops’ ad limina visits this year, and practical tips on how to get tickets to papal audiences and Masses or (for newlyweds) obtain a personal blessing at the end of the pope’s Wednesday general audience.

CNS promises more such content in the future. Stay tuned.