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Priest, two others killed in DRC church grenade attack
An unknown attacker in Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly ZaÏre), threw a grenade into a church service Sunday morning, killing a priest and two young girls and wounding 10 others, including another priest. The national government blamed an unnamed Rwandan soldier, but the Rwandan-backed rebels who control Goma blame the Army for the Liberation of Rwanda, which is backed by the Congolese government. An estimated 2.5 million people have died in Democratic Republic of Congo territory conflicts over the past three years. The violence has become such a part of the landscape that even after such a tragedy, reports the BBC, the bombed Roman Catholic congregation continued celebrating its open-air Mass after the wounded were taken to the hospital.

Gotta love the Internet
One of the reasons newspapers may have a hard time charging Web site visitors to read their articles is because the particularly good articles wind up being free anyway. On March 15, Weblog noted a Wall Street Journal article about churches radically changing their Holy Week schedules, including moving Maundy Thursday to Tuesday. The article is now available for free, courtesy The News & Observer of Raleigh, North Carolina.

Holy Week:

• Easter bunnies populate U.S. malls | Some say it's commercialization of Christian holiday (Associated Press)
  
  
• With Easter so festive, who needs Christmas? | You can adorn your house now with strings of Easter lights and an abundance of egg and bunny ornaments, as seasonal decor expands beyond December and into the rest of the year. (The Baltimore Sun)
  
  
• Pilgrims mark Palm Sunday in Israel | But only a small fraction of the number in previous years (Associated Press)
  
  
• Holiday week arrives amid scandal, violence | Christians and Jews begin what is supposed to be a week of celebration today against a backdrop of scandal in the Roman Catholic Church and escalating violence in the Middle East. (Boston Herald)
  
  
• In churches across the world, palms are a symbol of reverence | Victory, humility symbolized in Palm Sunday services (The Miami Herald)
  
  
• Prayer rally ushers in Holy Week | About 800 teen-agers attend annual event in downtown Baltimore; 'We are celebrating faith' (The Baltimore Sun)
  
  

Politics:

• Black clergy courted by GOP | Conservatives hope to make headway among traditionally Democratic African Americans. Many seem willing to listen, but some remain skeptical. (Los Angeles Times)
  
  
• Religious leaders criticize revamped Pentagon nuclear plan | A group of 23 Protestant, Catholic and Jewish religious officials said the plan does not move the world away from the threat of nuclear destruction. (Religion News Service)
  
  
• A new general for the armies of compassion | Jim Towey brings faith to job, but marching orders still unclear (The Dallas Morning News)
  
  
• South is out to deal blow to video poker | Lawmakers and religious groups have teamed up to ban video poker machines in the Bible Belt and eliminate a popular pastime that has been labeled the crack cocaine of gambling (Chicago Tribune)
  
  
• Debate of hate | Hamilton board's rejection of pledge causing a stir (The Boston Globe)
  
  

Church & state:

• Tax breaks for religious groups put on hold | ''This decision represents a victory for the First Amendment that bans state endorsement of religion,' says Louisiana ACLU executive director. (Associated Press)
  
  
• Clergy fears being fenced out | Rockville, Md. clergy and other civic leaders are fuming over a city plan to curb encroachment on residential land and limit the ability of churches and other institutions to restore damaged buildings. (The Washington Times)
  
  

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March (Web-only) 2002, Vol. 46