Crystal Cathedral gets a new name

Crystal Cathedral gets a new name

GARDEN GROVE, Calif.

Southern California’s landmark Crystal Cathedral has been given a new name by The Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange.

The iconic, glass-paned megachurch founded by “Hour of Power” televangelist Robert Schuller was sold to the diocese last year. On Saturday, Bishop Tod Brown renamed it Christ Cathedral during a priest ordination.

Schuller retired in 2006 after seeing his tiny ministry evolve into a global televangelist empire. But after a botched leadership transition to his son, donations began to plummet, and in 2010, the Crystal Cathedral sought bankruptcy protection.

The diocese bought the 2,900-seat cathedral and its grounds for $57.7 million. It wasn’t known when the first Catholic worship would occur at the cathedral.

Ex-Indian officer kills family, self

SELMA, Calif.

A former Indian Army officer wanted in a 1996 killing in his native country killed his wife and two of their children in their California home Saturday before apparently taking his own life, authorities said.

Avtar Singh called Selma police around 6:15 a.m. and told them that he had just killed four people, Fresno County Sheriff’s Deputy Chris Curtice said.

Selma police asked for assistance from the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office because Singh was known to have a military background and was wanted by authorities in India for reportedly killing a human-rights lawyer in 1996 in the disputed Kashmir region, Curtice said.

Chavez: Health tests ‘absolutely fine’

CARACAS, Venezuela

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said Saturday that he has undergone tests after his cancer treatment and everything came out well.

Chavez said the exams included imaging tests, which are used to check for the reappearance of tumors.

“Everything came out absolutely fine,” Chavez told reporters at the presidential palace. “I feel very well.”

NYPD fires Hasidic Jew over beard

NEW YORK

An Orthodox Jew who was weeks away from becoming a New York City police officer said he has been kicked out of the police academy for refusing to trim his beard.

Former recruit Fishel Litzman of Monsey was fired Friday after multiple confrontations with the department over the length of his whiskers, he told the Daily News.

Litzman is Hasidic and believes that cutting his beard is forbidden by God.

NYPD rules usually require officers to be clean-shaven. The department makes exceptions for beards kept for religious purposes, but even then allows only 1 millimeter worth of growth.

War-crimes court: 4 held in Libya

AMSTERDAM

The International Criminal Court on Saturday demanded the release of four of its staffers it says are being detained in Libya, where they are part of an official mission sent to meet with the imprisoned son of deposed dictator Moammar Gadhafi.

“We are very concerned about the safety of our staff in the absence of any contact with them,” said court President Sang-Hyun Song in a statement issued in The Hague, Netherlands. “These four international civil servants have immunity when on an official ICC mission.”

The four detained include at least one of two lawyers the court has assigned to help defend the legal interests of Seif al-Islam Gadhafi, who has been held by revolutionary fighters since his capture in November.

Associated Press