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The Catholic bishops of the Philippines who on Saturday kicked off their 114th plenary assembly in Manila, were told that “rapid changes” in society required of them a deeper understanding of and adequate response to fundamental human needs. Archbishop Socrates Villegas of Lingayen-Dagupan, the president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) made the call addressing the nation’s more than 90 bishops on “The Church at the Crossroads.” Among the agenda of the 3-day assembly at the Pius XII Center are the current “socio-political climate”, the ethical use of social media, and the proposed change to the Constitution to give way to a federal system of government. Arch. Villegas said, “We can be victims of change, but we can be its authors as well as its guardians,” It is understandable, he said, that Churches are among the shell institutions or those that ...
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Monday met with the bishops of Serbia, Kosovo, Montenegro, and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, who are in Rome for their “ad limina apostolorum” visit.The President of the International Bishops’ Conference of Saints Cyril and Methodius, to which the bishops belong, spoke to Vatican Radio ahead of the ad limina visit.Ecumenical and interreligious dialogueBishop Ladislav Nemét, SVD, of Zrenjanin, Serbia said ecumenical and interreligious dialogue is an important aspect of the Bishops’ Conference.“As for Serbia, collaboration and ecumenical relations between the Holy See and the autocephalous Serbian Orthodox Church is very good… In Kosovo, interreligious dialogue is more meaningful, because Catholics live among Muslims. In Montenegro and Macedonia it is difficult for the Catholic Church to maintain relations with the official Orthodox Church and even with two Orthodox churches, which are gro...
A Pakistani court acquitted 112 suspects in the 2013 torching of hundreds of Christian homes in the eastern city of Lahore over a rumour that one of the residents there had blasphemed, a lawyer said on Sunday. In March 2013, more than 125 homes in Lahore's Josep Colony were burned by a mob of more than 3,000 Muslims responding to rumours that a local Christian man, Sawan Masih, had made derogatory remarks about the Prophet Mohammad. No one was killed in the incident but there was widespread damage to the property of the mostly destitute Christians living in the neighbourhood. Two churches and dozens of Bibles were also desecrated in the attack.Defence lawyer Ghulam Murtaza Chaudhry said an anti-terrorism court in Lahore had acquitted 112 people accused of torching and ransacking hundreds of houses, “because of lack of evidences against them." All 112 suspects were already out on bail. Sawan Masih, a Christian road sweeper in ...
(Vatican Radio) On Monday morning, following the usual Mass at the Pope’s residence in the Casa Santa Marta, the Holy Father met with Cardinal Gérald Cyprien LaCroix, assuring the Archbishop of Quebec City of his prayers for the victims of the attack on a mosque there on Sunday night.Pope Francis stressed the importance of for all, Christians and Muslims, to be united in prayer. Following his meeting with the Pope, Cardinal Lacroix returned immediately to Canada.The Holy Father also formally expressed his condolences for the victims of the terrorist attack in a telegram addressed to Cardinal Lacroix, and signed by the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin. The full text of the telegram, written in French, is provided below in an English translation:Telegram concerning the attack on a mosque in Quebec City: Most Eminent Cardinal Gérald Cyprien LaCroixHaving learned of the attack which occurred in Quebec in a prayer room of the Islamic Cultural Cent...
Catholic educators in Indonesia have welcomed a government plan to involve schools and teachers in the fight against intolerance by having them teach the values of state philosophy. Education Minister Muhadjir Effendy said recently that the ministry would teach the tenets of Pancasila ("five principles") in all elementary and junior high schools through special activities rather than conventional teaching methods. He suggested that schools spend eight hours a week on these subjects, in the classroom and during extra-curricular activities.Franciscan Father Vinsensius Darmin Mbula, chairman of the National Council of Catholic Education, said that the government's plan is in line with principles emphasized by Catholic schools. "Catholic schools have long committed to instill these values in students," he told ucanews.com. However, with growing intolerance in the country, all efforts must be geared to re-actualize traditional values and ...
(Vatican Radio) The Vatican’s Council for Interreligious Dialogue has strongly condemned the shooting at a mosque in Canada in which six people were killed and another dozen wounded.More than fifty people were gathered for evening prayers at the Islamic Cultural Centre in Quebec City on Sunday night when the attack took place. Police have arrested two suspects in connection with the shooting, which Canadian authorities have described as a terror attack.Listen to our report: In a statement on Monday, the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue expressed great sadness and indignation at what it called “this senseless gesture”. Such “inconceivable violence”, the statement says, violates both “the sacredness of human life” as well as the respect due to a community at prayer and its place of worship.The Vatican statement also expresses solidarity with all Canadian Muslims, assuring them of fervent prayers for the victims and their ...
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Secretary of State of the Holy See, is currently visiting Madagascar from 26 January to 1 February. The Cardinal is in that country to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Holy See and Madagascar.On the first day of his visit, the Secretary of State met with President Hery Rajaonarimampianina at the Presidential Palace. The Head of State was flanked by the Prime Minister and the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. Cardinal Parolin was accompanied by the Apostolic Nuncio and some of the country’s Bishops. Also present was Cardinal Maurice Piat, the Bishop of Port-Louis in Mauritius.Leaders of other Christian denominations joined the reception that followed the meeting.President Rajaonarimampianina expressed appreciation for the visit, recalling the good relations between the Holy See and Madagascar, over the last 50 years. He spoke in glowing terms of his visit to Pope Francis in June 2014.The P...
Vatican City, Jan 29, 2017 / 09:09 am (CNA/EWTN News).- On Sunday Pope Francis said being poor in spirit doesn’t necessarily mean giving things up, but instead is rooted in humility and openness to others – an attitude capable of overcoming polemics and division, and leading to greater fraternity.“The poor in spirit is the Christian who doesn’t rely on oneself, on material riches, who doesn’t insist on their own opinions, but listens with respect and willingly defers to others’ decisions,” the Pope said Jan. 29.“If in our community there were more (people who are) poor in spirit, there would be less divisions, conflicts and polemics!” he said, adding that like charity, humility is “an essential virtue for living in Christian communities.”Pope Francis spoke to pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square for his Sunday Angelus address, which this week was attended by roughly 25,000 people, according to the Vatican pol...
Vatican City, Jan 30, 2017 / 09:34 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Francis met Monday with Cardinal Gérald Lacroix of Quebec, conveying his sorrow for the victims of a shooting the night before in a mosque in Quebec City. He condemned the attack, saying Christians and Muslims should unite in prayer over the tragedy.According to a Vatican communique, Pope Francis met with Cardinal Lacroix Jan. 30 following his morning Mass in the chapel of Casa Santa Marta.The Pope’s condolences were also communicated in a message to the cardinal sent by Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, which said that the Pope “entrusts to the mercy of God the people who have lost their lives and he unites himself in prayer to the sorrow of those close to them.”Six people were killed and 17 injured after gunmen opened fire inside the Islamic Cultural Center of Quebec during evening prayers Jan. 29.In his message the Pope expressed “his deep sympathy to the wounded and their famili...
IMAGE: CNS/Paul HaringBy Junno Arocho EstevesROME(CNS) -- Flanked by the parishioners and well-wishers he called his "newfamily," Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin of Newark, New Jersey, celebrated Massat his titular church in Rome.Thecardinal formally took possession of the Church of St. Mary of the Graces Jan.29. The church is located just a short distance from St. Peter's Basilica.Arrivingdressed in his cardinal-red cassock, Cardinal Tobin was greeted by FatherAntonio Raimondo Fois, pastor of St. Mary of the Graces, and presented with across which he solemnly kissed before he entered and blessed the people in thepacked church.Inhis homily, Cardinal Tobin reflected on the Sunday's reading from the FirstLetter to the Corinthians (1:26-31), in which St. Paul said that God"chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise."Tellingparishioners that he may be a "foolish missionary cardinal" in the world's eye,Cardinal Tobin said that such a distinction unites Christians since throughouthistory ...
