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Quote of the Day. "We are out here fighting … and I find out the United States of America is deporting my dad? I feel anger, betrayal, rage. But you can’t lose concentration out here." Pfc. Janos V. "Johnny" Lutz, serving with the U.S. Marines in Afghanistan, on learning that his father, a legal permanent resident, was arrested and is scheduled for deportation to his native Hungary, apparently for missing a hearing. (Los Angeles Times)

FAITH IN THE NEWS

Helder Câmara – Brazil’s archbishop of the poor  “On the 10th anniversary of his death, Brazil remembers a champion of the poor who fought the forces of conservatism.” 

Churchgoers Redefine Worship with Faith in Action “Pews were empty as Christians across the country wore their white and orange ‘Don’t Go to Church. Be The Church’ shirts in observance of Faith in Action Sunday on Oct. 11 … A collaborative effort between Outreach Inc. and World Vision, the annual campaign encourages churchgoers each year to shift their focus from themselves to others.”

Bishops advise US on humanitarian, moral issues in Afghanistan “Long-term development and humanitarian assistance, protecting civilians and dealing with the root causes of terrorism should be among the guiding principles of how the United States deals with problems in Afghanistan and Pakistan, said the chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on International Justice and Peace.”

Church-state debate: Religious groups slated for Illinois grants “In recent years, Illinois politicians have become increasingly enamored of supporting not just social programs run by religious groups, but also bricks-and-mortar projects.”

NEWS AT HOME

Health Care. Partisan split likely in key Senate health care vote “President Barack Obama’s effort to overhaul the nation’s health care system is expected to clear its last committee hurdle Tuesday — but almost certainly without the strong bipartisan endorsement he and some moderate Republicans have sought.” As Panel Votes Today, Democrats Look Ahead “The Senate Finance Committee will hold a landmark vote on health-care reform legislation Tuesday that is expected to underscore the deep partisan divisions that have emerged and hardened over five months of debate.” Congress Is Split on Effort to Tax Costly Health Plans “A proposed tax on high-cost, or ‘Cadillac,’ health insurance plans has touched off a fierce clash between the Senate and the House as they wrestle over how to pay for legislation that would provide health benefits to millions of uninsured Americans.” Universal healthcare coverage appears elusive “As a key Senate committee prepares today to pass its plan to overhaul the nation’s healthcare system, senior Democrats are acknowledging that it may be impossible to provide coverage to all Americans — a central goal of President Obama and his congressional allies.”

Afghanistan Policy.  Number of U.S. Troops in Afghanistan Overlooks Thousands of Support Troops “President Obama announced in March that he would be sending 21,000 additional troops to Afghanistan. But in an unannounced move, the White House has also authorized — and the Pentagon is deploying — at least 13,000 troops beyond that number, according to defense officials.” Views on Afghanistan Buildup Bring Clinton and Gates Together in an Alliance  “… as President Obama leads yet another debate on whether to deploy tens of thousands of additional troops there, the secretary of state and the secretary of defense will once again constitute a critical voting bloc, the likely leaders of an argument for a middle ground between a huge influx of soldiers and a narrow focus aimed at killing terrorists from Al Qaeda.”  

Environment. Cleansing the Air at the Expense of Waterways “Even as a growing number of coal-burning power plants around the nation have moved to reduce their air emissions, many of them are creating another problem: water pollution.”

Death Penalty. Europeans press the US to end the death penalty “With 37 prisoners executed last year, the United States is among the top five countries that still have the death penalty.”

Cuba Travel. Bills to lift Cuba travel ban gaining momentum in Congress “A powerful campaign to allow all Americans to travel to Cuba is rumbling through Congress, with both backers and opponents predicting eventual victory and a Cuban-American Senator holding a key vote.”

Agent Orange. Door Opens to Health Claims Tied to Agent Orange “Under rules to be proposed this week, the Department of Veterans Affairs plans to add Parkinson’s disease, ischemic heart disease and hairy-cell leukemia to the growing list of illnesses presumed to have been caused by Agent Orange, the toxic defoliant used widely in Vietnam.”

NEWS AROUND THE WORLD

Pakistan. In Pakistan, a Deadly Resurgence “At summer’s end, there were hints of optimism in the battle against Pakistan’s Islamist insurgents. The military said it had routed the Taliban from the verdant Swat Valley.”  Pakistan Aid Places U.S. in the Midst of a Divide  “The new aid package for Pakistan passed by Congress last month – a promise of $7.5 billion for civilian needs over the next five years – has unwittingly thrust the United States into the center of the perennially uneasy relationship between Pakistan’s powerful military and its weak civilian governments.” Pakistani army facing threat from Punjabi, al-Qaida and Taliban militants “Pakistan’s army made a stark admission today of the scale of the threat it faces from a nexus of Punjabi, al-Qaida and Taliban militants whose attacks are increasingly coordinated, include soldiers in their ranks and span the country.”

Iran. US ‘to hold back on Iran sanctions’ “The US believes this is not the time to impose more sanctions against Iran as part of its push to get the country to end its nuclear programme.” Russian foreign minister opposes threatening Iran with sanctions “Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said today that the threat of sanctions against Iran would be counterproductive, resisting U.S. efforts to win agreement for measures if Iran fails to prove that its nuclear program is peaceful.”

Congo. UN criticised on Congo offensive “United Nations peacekeepers have been criticised for supporting a government military offensive in the Democratic Republic of Congo. A joint report by several international aid agencies said the mission had had ‘disastrous’ humanitarian consequences.” Report targets military for Congo unrest “More than 1,000 civilians have been killed and nearly 900,000 displaced in eastern Congo by Rwandan Hutu militiamen and Congolese forces since January, humanitarian groups said today.”

North Korea. North Korea tests more short range missiles “North Korea test-fired short-range missiles into the Sea of Japan yesterday, in a gesture of defiance as it rebuilds diplomatic bridges with South Korea add the United States.” N Korea ‘readying more missiles’ “North Korea is reportedly preparing to conduct more short-range missile tests, ratcheting up tensions in the region after indicating it was ready to return to negotiations on its nuclear arsenal.”

Sojourners’ Daily Digest is a compilation of the top news related to our commitments of life and peace, economic and racial justice, and care of creation, with a special focus on news of the engagement of faith in public life.