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PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- President-elect Donald Trump is connecting with foreign leaders and considering new Cabinet-prospects Friday as he gathers with family for a long Thanksgiving weekend at his Mar-a-Lago estate....
(Vatican Radio) Drug addiction is a ‘new form of slavery’ and a ‘wound in our society’ which should be combatted with education and rehabilitation.That was Pope Francis’ message to a Vatican conference called ‘Narcotics: Problems and Solutions of this Global Issue’, which was hosted by the Pontifical Academy of Sciences on 23-24 November.Listen to Devin Watkins’ report: Pope Francis told the two-day conference on Narcotics that those who fall into the snares of drugs are victims who have “lost their freedom” in return for “a new form of slavery”.Reflecting on the causes of drug addiction, the Holy Father said it results from a variety of factors: “the absence of a family, social pressure, propaganda from traffickers, the desire to live new experiences”.However, he said, “every addicted person brings with them a distinct personal history, which should be listened to, understood, loved, and, wh...
The Salesians of Don Bosco is an international men’s religious congregation started by the 19th century Italian priest St. John Bosco, or simply Don Bosco, in order to serve young people, especially the poor and the disadvantaged. The Salesians who are in India for the past 110 years, recently ventured into an uncharted territory to better serve and interact with local folks. “Radio Salesian 90.8 FM – Voice of the Hills,” is the new enterprise of Salesian College Sonada, in Gorabari village near Sonada town, in the Himalayan foothills of Darjeeling District in India’s West Bengal state. The web version of the community/campus radio, mostly in Nepali language, that one can listen to online at www.salesiancollege.in, was inaugurated on Oct. 28. And its FM radio will be officially inaugurated on Dec. 8. Salesian priest, Fr. CM Paul, a qualified media veteran and enthusiast, is the brain behin...
(Vatican Radio) Preparations are underway in St. Peter’s Square for the nativity scene and the Christmas tree which has been erected, as per tradition, in the middle of the Square. This year’s tree is a 25 meter tall red spruce and is from Trento, in the north of Italy. In its original place, local schoolchildren have planted some 40 new spruce and larch seedlings to replace trees suffering from a parasite that had to be culled. At the end of the Christmas season, the wood from the tree will be used for charity.The ornaments that will adorn it are ceramic, and have been made by children in hospitals across Italy who are receiving treatment for cancer and other illnesses.The tree will also shine brightly thanks to the some 18,000 Christmas lights which have been especially chosen in respect of the environment: their LED technology allows for extremely low energy consumption. The nativity scene is not visible yet but its figures and setting pay tribute to the ...
(Vatican Radio) A communiqué released on Thursday by the Governatorate of Vatican City State informs the general public that lottery tickets for Pope Francis’ charities are on sale. The funds collected will be distributed in part to assist those affected by the earthquakes that struck central Italy on 24 August and 30 October, and in part to aid the homeless. The Lottery will end on 2 February 2017 with the drawing of the winning tickets. Tickets cost 10 euros each and are on sale on Vatican territory and through the website: www.vaticanstate.vaFor further information you can write to the Events Coordinator of the Governorate of Vatican City State: eventi@scv.va.
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has sent a letter on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of St John Paul II’s words to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Alice Springs, Australia on 29 November 1986.The letter was sent to the Chairperson of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council (NATSICC), John Lochowiak, by the Apostolic Nuncio to Canberra Archbishop Adolfo Tito Yllana.The Holy Father writes that, “this anniversary affords me the happy opportunity to express my deep esteem for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and for your ancient cultural heritage”.He also draws from the words of Pope John II which stress, "your culture, which shows the lasting genius and dignity of your race, must not be allowed to disappear. Do not think that your gifts are worth so little that you should no longer bother to maintain them. Share them with each other and teach them to your children. Your songs, your stories, your pain...
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis said eternal damnation is not a torture chamber but distance from God and warned Christians never to converse with the devil, calling him a seducer who ruins lives. His words came during his Mass celebrated on Friday morning in the chapel of the Santa Marta residence.Continuing his reflections on the end of the world, the Pope’s homily focused on the day’s reading from the Book of Revelation that describes how the angel seizes the serpent, chains it up and throws it into the abyss which is then locked and sealed. He said the serpent or devil is thrown into the abyss “so that it would no longer lead the nations astray” because it is the seducer.“He is a liar and what’s more is the father of lies, he generates lies and is a trickster. He makes you believe that if you eat this apple you will be like a God. He sells it to you like this and you buy it and in the end he tricks you, deceives you and ruins your life. ‘...
(Vatican Radio) Growing numbers of Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar poured into neighbouring Bangladesh this week, with some feared drowned after a boat sank in a river during a bid to flee escalating violence.The Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK is calling for urgent action from the international community to press the Myanmar government to lift all restrictions on humanitarian aid in Rakhine State. It says alarming reports are being received from the ground that people are slowly starving to death.At least 160,000 Rohingya are in desperate need of food, life-saving medical assistance and other forms of aid.Meanwhile Human Rights Watch has released a batch of recent satellite images that show whole villages burnt to the ground.The military admits it is conducting security operations in Rakhine but the government denies it is razing homes.Tun Khin is the President of the Burmese Rohingya Organization in the UK. He told Vatican Radio’s Linda Bordoni that persecution against...
Vatican Weekend for November 27, 2016 features our weekly reflection,"There’s More in the Sunday Gospel than Meets the Eye" and "Joan Knows:" EWTN’s Rome Bureau Chief, Joan Lewis looks back on the Pope’s activities and the past week’s events in the Vatican.Listen to the programme presented and produced by Tracey McClure:
(Vatican Radio) Church people in India have deplored Jharkhand state in Eastern India, amending a law allowing the acquisition of tribal lands for industries and mining, ignoring widespread protest from tribal people against the move.The state government run by Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) passed the amendment Wednesday. The amendment removes an earlier blanket ban imposed by law on either the state or individuals acquiring tribal land. The state government, keen to lure investment to one of the country's poorest states, has proposed amendments to two pieces of legislation to allow it to buy up protected tribal land to lease to investors for non-agricultural purposes."The Jharkhand government is attempting to dilute the rights of tribals guaranteed by the Constitution," said Premchand Murmu, a protest leader and member of the rights group Adivasi Buddhijeevi Manch, which organised Thursday's rally."We plan to continue our agitation until we...
