(Vatican Radio) International Nelson Mandela Day is celebrated on 18th July, inspired by a call made my Nelson Mandela for the next generation to take on the burden of leadership in addressing the world’s social injustices.Since his death, Mandela Day is an opportunity to recognize the legacy of South Africa’s most prominent leader, and the struggles he endured to ensure social justice for all.Established by the UN and the Republic of South Africa, Mandela Day encourages everyone to dedicate 67 minutes of their life to others, as a way of commemorating the 67 years Mandela spent devoting his life to ensure equality and a better South Africa.Vatican Radio’s Georgia Gogarty spoke to Fr. Patrick Rakeketsi, the Associate Secretary of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Southern Africa, to talk about the significance of Mandela Day and what must be done to ensure that his vision is carried out.Listen: Fr. Rakeketsi expressed the importance of Mandela Day, p...
(Vatican Radio) International Nelson Mandela Day is celebrated on 18th July, inspired by a call made my Nelson Mandela for the next generation to take on the burden of leadership in addressing the world’s social injustices.
Since his death, Mandela Day is an opportunity to recognize the legacy of South Africa’s most prominent leader, and the struggles he endured to ensure social justice for all.
Established by the UN and the Republic of South Africa, Mandela Day encourages everyone to dedicate 67 minutes of their life to others, as a way of commemorating the 67 years Mandela spent devoting his life to ensure equality and a better South Africa.
Vatican Radio’s Georgia Gogarty spoke to Fr. Patrick Rakeketsi, the Associate Secretary of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Southern Africa, to talk about the significance of Mandela Day and what must be done to ensure that his vision is carried out.
Listen:
Fr. Rakeketsi expressed the importance of Mandela Day, particularly in South Africa, explaining that people “from all walks of life” are coming together to help those less fortunate, by going to orphanages, hospitals, retirement homes and refugee centres to give out food, clothing and in some cases pledging money to charitable organisations. He says that “this is all part of the Mandela Day”.
The theme and key message of Mandela Day is “Take Action, Inspire Change”. Fr. Rakeketsi said that this message is heard and people “are adhering to it”. He went on to say that we should aim to “make everyday a Mandela Day”. For young people, he stresses the “name Mandela, the symbol Mandela” is inspiring all people to make changes in order to make a better world.
When asked about whether Nelson Mandela’s vision for “the rainbow nation” had been achieved in South Africa, and is the country what he would have wanted it to be, Fr. Rakeketsi expressed that “there are some moments when we feel that we are not living up to his standards”, however Mandela is “a figure for challenge” and “reconciliatory”. He remains the “political ideal”, and despite “moments of panic and tension”, the figure of Mandela acts as a calming influence and “to look at the future in a better way”.
As leaders of the Catholic Church in South Africa, Fr. Rakeketsi stresses the importance of “keeping the vision” of Mandela alive in people’s minds. A world without racism, discrimination, a world with peace, prosperity, where economies can flourish and people can live together.
Fr. Rakeketsi went on to say that that Mandela’s vision goes well beyond the borders of South Africa, saying that he “touched people’s lives” all over the world. The message for the international community is “to live in peace and to promote justice and equality”. We cannot be controlled by fear, says Fr. Rakeketsi as he refers the terrorist attacks in the last few weeks, and instead calls for open communication as Mandela would have. He asks for world leaders to talk the language of Nelson Mandela, a language of “reconciliation, justice and peace”.
A Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish procession honoring the patroness of Cuba on Sept. 7, 2023. / Credit: Sacred Heart of Jesus parish in Havana, CubaACI Prensa Staff, Mar 28, 2024 / 16:00 pm (CNA).The regime of President Miguel Díaz-Canel in Cuba has prohibited several Holy Week processions in different cities of the country, including the El Vedado area of Havana as well as in Bayamo, a town that was the scene of major protests earlier this month.Last week, ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner, reported on the prohibition of processions in the Diocese of the Most Holy Savior located in the Bayamo-Manzanillo area in the province of Granma, due to the regime's fear that new protests would break out. The prohibition has been extended to the capital, Havana, according to a Catholic priest.In a March 25 Facebook post, Father Lester Zayas, pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in the El Vedado business district of Havana, reported that the day before he had been notifie...
The Catholic faithful gathered in the Cenacle in Jerusalem for the Mass of the Lord's Supper that the Franciscan friars celebrated on Holy Thursday, March 28, 2024. The Cenacle is at the center of strong tensions and disputes regarding ownership and rights of access and celebration. An ancient tradition places King David's tomb here and over the centuries Jews and Muslims have leveraged this to first expel the Franciscans and then to prevent Christian worship, which they deemed sacrilegious. / Credit: Marinella BandiniJerusalem, Mar 28, 2024 / 17:15 pm (CNA).On Holy Thursday, the doors of the Cenacle in Jerusalem were opened to welcome the Franciscans of the Custody of the Holy Land. In this "Upper Room," called the Cenacle in the Holy Land, Jesus had his Last Supper, washed his apostles' feet, and instituted the Eucharist. It was here that the Franciscans celebrated the Mass of the Lord's Supper, reenacting those same gestures. (At the Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher,...
The Oregon State Capitol in Salem. / Credit: Zack Frank/ShutterstockWashington, D.C. Newsroom, Mar 28, 2024 / 15:00 pm (CNA).The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) is reporting a significant rise in assisted suicide prescriptions and deaths in the state, a move that comes after authorities in 2022 began allowing out-of-state residents to access the lethal services.Since the state's passage of the "Death with Dignity Act" in 1997, assisted suicide numbers have been generally rising there, with a markedly sharp uptick since 2013. OHA on March 20 released its 2023 assisted suicide data summary that reported a considerable increase in suicide prescriptions in 2023. The study found that assisted suicide prescriptions in the state rose from 433 in 2022 to 560 last year.Of those 560 prescriptions, 367 people are known to have died from ingesting the suicide "medications." This is up from the 304 who died from assisted suicide drugs in Oregon in 2022.Over half, or 56%, of the assisted ...