(Vatican Radio) The opening ceremony of the Olympic Games is on Friday, but as things stand today: is Rio De Janeiro ready to host the biggest extravaganza in sport?. Listen to the report by James Blears: Hundreds of protesters were met with Police tear gas and pepper spray as the Olympic torch arrived in Rio, by boat after a three month odyssey around Brazil. It`s estimated that the Olympics, which have happened just two years after the soccer World Cup, will cost Brazil in excess of fifteen billion dollars. That`s less than other venues in other countries, but Brazil isn`t economically match fit, with a deep recession matched by a political crisis, which has seen President Dilma Rousseff ousted. Those Brazilians who are demonstrating argue that the money expended could have been better directed and more wisely used, by helping the poor, who live in their teaming overcrowded thousands, in the poor run down favelas, skirt...
(Vatican Radio) The opening ceremony of the Olympic Games is on Friday, but as things stand today: is Rio De Janeiro ready to host the biggest extravaganza in sport?.
Listen to the report by James Blears:
Hundreds of protesters were met with Police tear gas and pepper spray as the Olympic torch arrived in Rio, by boat after a three month odyssey around Brazil.
It`s estimated that the Olympics, which have happened just two years after the soccer World Cup, will cost Brazil in excess of fifteen billion dollars.
That`s less than other venues in other countries, but Brazil isn`t economically match fit, with a deep recession matched by a political crisis, which has seen President Dilma Rousseff ousted.
Those Brazilians who are demonstrating argue that the money expended could have been better directed and more wisely used, by helping the poor, who live in their teaming overcrowded thousands, in the poor run down favelas, skirting the smart new venues and buildings, which have been completed on time. Many Brazilians can`t afford the price of tickets for the Olympics in Rio. Thousands of those tickets remain unsold.
Rio has a very high crime rate. There have been several well documented cases of athletes and workmen being robbed at gunpoint. Accordingly 85,000 troops and Police are on patrol, acting as guardians rather than trouble shooters.
Authorites promised to clean up Rio`s Guanabara Bay, which remains heavily polluted with sewage and other pollutants. Olympic sailors will have to navigate a course around this, staying tight lipped. Don`t drink the water!
null / Credit: Peter Hermes Furian via ShutterstockACI Prensa Staff, Apr 19, 2024 / 15:00 pm (CNA).The pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) on April 19 condemned the kidnapping and murder of a catechist in Burkina Faso, West Africa.In a news brief, ACN informed ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner, that catechist Edouard Yougbare was kidnapped on Thursday night by "terrorists, and his lifeless body was found near Zigni this morning."According to other local sources, along with Yougbare, who was a member of Saatenga parish in Fada Gourma, Burkina Faso, more people were kidnapped and murdered."We are heartbroken by the loss of Yougbare. He served his community faithfully and his death is a devastating blow for the people of Saatenga," lamented Spaniard María Lozano, press and public relations director of ACN International."Catechists in Burkina Faso are on the front lines, risking their lives for the good of their people. Just two months ago, ano...
Pope Francis addresses the faithful at his Wednesday general audience on March 27, 2024. / Credit: Vatican MediaVatican City, Apr 19, 2024 / 10:07 am (CNA).In the latest move in Pope Francis' reform of the Vatican judiciary, the pope issued a new motu proprio on Friday on the retirement age and benefits for cardinal judges and magistrates in the Vatican's court system.The April 19 motu proprio states that Vatican magistrates will retire at the end of the judicial year in which they turn 75 and cardinal judges at the age of 80, unless Pope Francis asks them to remain in office beyond the age limit.Magistrates and judges who wish to resign from office before the retirement age can only do so with the approval of the pope.The pope also has the prerogative to dismiss magistrates unable to fulfill their duties at any time. Upon the termination of their duties, magistrates will retain the rights to assistance and welfare provided to Vatican citizens and employees.The motu proprio, wh...
Archbishop Marek Jedraszewski of Krakow announced on April 14, 2024, the decision to begin the process of beatification and canonization of Helena Agnieszka Kmiec, a young lay missionary murdered in Bolivia in 2017. / Credit: The Helena Kmiec FoundationACI Prensa Staff, Apr 19, 2024 / 07:00 am (CNA).Archbishop Marek Jedraszewski of Krakow, Poland, announced the decision to begin the process of beatification and canonization of Helena Agnieszka Kmiec, a young lay missionary murdered in Bolivia in 2017.The prelate said that after the preliminary phase began in December 2022, he made the decision to officially open the process for Kmiec after having consulted the Polish Bishops' Conference and receiving the go-ahead from the Vatican's Dicastery for the Causes of Saints."With this edict I call on all those who have any document, letter, or information about the Servant of God, both positive and negative, to send them to the Metropolitan Curia of Krakow before June 30," the archbish...
