Irish bishops call on political leaders to address shocking child poverty
http://www.myspiritfm.com/apps/articles/default.asp?blogid=0&view=post&articleid=131080&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0
(Vatican Radio) Catholic bishops of Ireland have called on political parties in Northern Ireland to urgently tackle what they describe as a “shocking increase in levels of childhood poverty.” On Tuesday, 12 April, Archbishop Eamon Martin, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All-Ireland, led delegations from the Northern Ireland Catholic Council on Social Affairs (NICCOSA) to two official meetings with political parties in Northern Ireland. The first meeting was in Belfast, with members of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), led by First Minister Arlene Foster MLA. The second meeting, with members of Sinn Féin, led by Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness MLA, took place in Armagh.The Irish Catholic Bishops Conference said the Church delegation welcomed the opportunity to discuss a range of issues with each party. After the meetings, Archbishop Martin said the delegation had expressed concern for “the shocking increase in levels of child...
(Vatican Radio) Catholic bishops of Ireland have called on political parties in Northern Ireland to urgently tackle what they describe as a “shocking increase in levels of childhood poverty.”
On Tuesday, 12 April, Archbishop Eamon Martin, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All-Ireland, led delegations from the Northern Ireland Catholic Council on Social Affairs (NICCOSA) to two official meetings with political parties in Northern Ireland. The first meeting was in Belfast, with members of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), led by First Minister Arlene Foster MLA. The second meeting, with members of Sinn Féin, led by Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness MLA, took place in Armagh.
The Irish Catholic Bishops Conference said the Church delegation welcomed the opportunity to discuss a range of issues with each party. After the meetings, Archbishop Martin said the delegation had expressed concern for “the shocking increase in levels of childhood poverty during the mandate of the last Assembly. We are asking all of the political parties in our meetings to make tackling childhood poverty and other forms of social need a top priority in the next Programme for Government”.
The role of Churches in providing service to society’s vulnerable, need for civic forum
Archbishop Martin continued, “It was most encouraging that both parties recognised the vital contribution of Churches and faith groups in providing a range of services that support some of the most vulnerable in our society. We highlighted the need to respect the right of faith-based groups to provide these services in accordance with their particular religious ethos and values. We also asked both parties to consider how Churches and wider civic society could engage in a more structured dialogue with the next Assembly, mindful that the model of a civic forum was an important component of the Belfast Agreement.”
Among others in the delegation led by Archbishop Eamon Martin: Bishop Donal McKeown, Bishop of Derry; and both Father Timothy Bartlett and Dr Nicola Brady of NICCOSA attended the meeting with the DUP. Bishop John McAreavey, Bishop of Dromore; Ms Deirdre O’Rawe of Accord NI; Father Timothy Bartlett and Dr Nicola Brady (NICCOSA) participated in the meeting with Sinn Féin.
Building a caring culture of life
Dr Nicola Brady said, “As we did last week in our meeting with the SDLP, we emphasized to both parties the importance of consistent support for a culture of life, beginning with the commitment to the protection of the life of the unborn child, including those with life-limiting conditions. We encouraged the parties to work for the establishment of a perinatal hospice facility for Northern Ireland and to recognise the need to provide the best possible care for mothers and unborn children in cases of difficult or crisis pregnancy. We shared our conviction that the best possible future for humanity lies in building a culture of life and care in which the dignity of our beginning and end as persons is reverenced and respected, rather than in a culture where the value of life is diminished and destroyed.”
Education: raising standards
Bishop Donal McKeown, chair of the Northern Ireland Commission for Catholic Education, said, “It is vital that the next Assembly works with all the stakeholders in education to raise standards and aspirations among young people and their families, from all backgrounds, and to enhance the opportunities to achieve their full potential.” The Church delegation highlighted the importance of a strong ethos in raising standards in schools and the right of parents to choose a faith-based education for their children. Bishop McKeown said, “We explained that this does not contradict the commitment of our schools, precisely because of their Catholic ethos, to work for a shared and reconciled society by promoting inclusion and respect for diversity.”
Full Article
http://www.myspiritfm.com/apps/articles/default.asp?blogid=0&url=10&view=post&articleid=275395&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0
Pope Francis speaks to the United Nations General Assembly in New York City, Sept. 25, 2015. / L'Osservatore Romano.Rome Newsroom, Apr 25, 2024 / 07:22 am (CNA).Pope Francis is reportedly considering returning to the United States in September to speak before the United Nations General Assembly.The news was initially reported by the French Catholic newspaper La Croix and has not yet been officially confirmed by the Vatican. A source from the Vatican Secretariat of State, meanwhile, told CNA this week that "a formal invitation has arrived from Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, and Pope Francis seems inclined to respond positively."If the New York trip occurs, the pope would visit the United Nations during its "Summit of the Future," which the international body will convene from Sept. 22 to 23.The possible trip to the United States could change the pope's already-busy September travel schedule. The Holy See Press Office has announced that Pope Francis will be in Indonesia...
http://www.myspiritfm.com/apps/articles/default.asp?blogid=0&url=10&view=post&articleid=275385&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0
Chuck Robbins, the chief executive of the multinational digital communications conglomerate Cisco, signs the Rome Call for AI Ethics, a document by the Pontifical Academy for Life, on April 24, 2024, at the Vatican. / Credit: Vatican MediaRome Newsroom, Apr 24, 2024 / 11:06 am (CNA).The CEO of Cisco Systems signed the Vatican's artificial intelligence ethics pledge on Wednesday, becoming the latest technology giant to join the Church's call for ethical and responsible use of AI.Chuck Robbins, the chief executive of the multinational digital communications conglomerate, met privately with Pope Francis on April 24 before signing the Rome Call for AI Ethics, a document by the Pontifical Academy for Life. Pope Francis meets with Chuck Robbins, the chief executive of multinational digital communications conglomerate Cisco, on April 24, 2024, at the Vatican. Credit: Vatican MediaThe document, first published by the pontifical academy in February 2020, has previously been signed ...
http://www.myspiritfm.com/apps/articles/default.asp?blogid=0&url=10&view=post&articleid=275384&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0
null / Credit: Brian A Jackson / ShutterstockCNA Staff, Apr 24, 2024 / 13:35 pm (CNA).Catholics Charities Corporation in Ohio was found partially negligent this week in the 2017 death of a 5-year-old boy who was being supervised by one of the organization's caseworkers at the time he died.A jury in Cuyahoga County ruled in the wrongful death suit that the Catholic charity group was 8% responsible for Jordan Rodriguez's September 2017 death, local media reported. Rodriguez's body was discovered buried in his mother's backyard three months after he died.The boy's mother and her boyfriend earlier pleaded guilty to several charges stemming from his death, including involuntary manslaughter. Jordan was developmentally disabled and incapable of speaking.In the civil wrongful death trial this week, Catholic Charities Corporation was ordered to pay $960,000 into Jordan Rodriguez's estate. Several ...