12/10/2013VATICAN Pope: When Jesus draws near, "He consoles," "always opens doors" and gives us the hope to move forward "The Lord comforts us with tenderness." God the powerful "is not afraid of tenderness." "" When a Christian forgets hope, or worse loses hope, his life has no meaning. It is as if his life was in front of a wall: nothing". Vatican City (AsiaNews)
- When Jesus comes,
"He consoles,"
"always opens doors" and
gives us the hope to move forward.
Pope Francis focused
on this during Mass celebrated this morning at Casa Santa Marta,
commenting on a passage from the Book of
Isaiah the...
12/10/2013LEBANON - SYRIA Lebanon asks for Qatari help in Maaloula nuns affair by Fady Noun The head of Lebanese security also wants information about the two Orthodox bishops abducted last April. Questions are addressed to Al-Jazeera with regards to the source behind the video released days ago showing the sisters "detained" by Islamist insurgents. Greek-Orthodox Patriarch Youhanna calls for prayers and actions to obtain the nuns' release. Lebanese Minister criticises international community for not doing enough to deal with this abduction.
12/10/2013MYANMAR - VATICAN - PIME Archbishop of Yangon: Isidore Ngei , our first Blessed, a sign of the Pope's love for the Church in Burma by Francis Khoo Thwe Archbishop Charles Bo bears witness to the joy of the Catholic community in Burma , which is preparing to celebrate 500 years of history and hopes for a visit by Pope Francis. The prelate adds, however, that it is a first step " on a long journey and “there are many others", because " we have many martyrs in Myanmar, who deserve sainthood".
12/10/2013UNITED STATES - CHINA Washington to Beijing : Free Liu Xiaobo , guarantee human rights On the fifth anniversary of the arrest of the activist and Nobel Laureate , the U.S. Secretary of State urges China to release him, his wife ( under house arrest without charge since 2010 ) and all other activists "who have only exercised their freedom of expression."
12/09/2013NEPAL Nepal: Christians , Hindus, Buddhists and Muslims prepare for Christmas together by Christopher Sharma Houses and shops of capital already decorated. Among the best-selling images are those of Jesus and the Virgin Mary. Young Hindu volunteers help Catholics decorate Cathedral of the Assumption in Kathmandu. The former hotel of the Hindu monarch organizes a Christmas party for diplomats and VIPs themed on harmony between the faiths.
12/09/2013SRI LANKA On the feast day of the Immaculate Conception, Salvatorian Sisters celebrate 125 years of service by Melani Manel Perera In an interview, Sister Dulice Fernando SDS, provincial superior of the Sisters of the Divine Saviour in Sri Lanka, talks about the celebrations surrounding the 60th anniversary of their presence in the Asian nation. Education, health and pastoral care are the congregation's main missions. In the island formerly known as Ceylon, the sisters have also been closely involved in helping war victims.
12/09/2013VATICAN - PIME - MYANMAR Pope: Fr Mario Vergara and Isidore Ngei Ko Lat, martyrs for the faith in Myanmar, to become blessed The missionary with the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions carried out his mission among the Karens of the Soku tribe, one of the poorest in pre-independence Burma. Arrested by the British at the outbreak of World War II, he was back in the mountains after 4 years in captivity setting up an orphanage and a sanatorium. Along with a young priest, Fr Galastri, he continued his mission despite fighting sparked by Burma's independence between rebels of different religions. He and Burmese catechist Isidore Ngei were killed by Baptist rebels.
12/09/2013EGYPT The confrontation between the military and the Muslim Brotherhood blocking Egyptian reconciliation The military responded to the chaos caused by the Muslim Brotherhood with mass arrests and a crackdown on its schools. Young secular protesters are arrested under new anti-demonstration legislation. For Mohammed Osman, an official with an Egyptian political party, national reconciliation is still far away. Army and Islamists aim to boycott each other.
12/09/2013IRAQ Patriarch Sako: The flame of hope lights up Christmas for Iraqi Christians by Mar Louis Raphael I Sako In his message to the faithful during Advent, His Beatitude calls for "courage" and "perseverance", following the example of Abraham. He urges the faithful to keep the faith alive, even amid "suffering, anxiety and the considerable challenges." He also calls on "fellow" Muslims to join and be part of a true "peace project" for the country.
12/09/2013INDIA Elections in India: "great concern" over victory of Hindu nationalists The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP ) wins in Rajasthan , Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. Local Catholic sources tell AsiaNews : "The results are serious, because the party is supported by the fundamentalists”. Congress (secular party at the helm of the central government) lost because "the people are exasperated with corruption, the party did not present a real political program ; inflation is bringing people to their knees ."
12/09/2013VATICAN-EGYPT-MIDDLE EAST Pope: peace and religious freedom for Egypt's Copts, the Holy Land and throughout the Middle East Francis concelebrates morning Mass with the Catholic Patriarch of Alexandria of the Copts, Ibrahim Isaac Sidrak . Recognition for "the right for Christians to live peacefully where they were born , in the homeland they have loved as citizens for two thousand years , to contribute as always to the common good".
12/09/2013CHINA Smog cloud forces closure of schools and airports, affecting the economy No relief is in sight for China's pollution emergency. With the onset of the cold weather, coal burning is up, boosting the amount of polluting particles in the air. In Beijing, the levels of particulates reached 473 mcg per cubic metre. In Shanghai, they topped 600. The 'safe' limit set by the WHO is 25 mcg. Steps taken by the authorities "aren't enough", so companies are leaving.
12/09/2013THAILAND Bangkok: parliament dissolved for early elections. But protest continues The Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra wants to return "power to the people" and return to vote "as soon as possible." A response to the mass resignation yesterday of the opposition. The demonstrators head towards the seat of the executive. The protest leaders proclaiming "Judgment Day" and want the whole Shinawatra family out of the country .
12/09/2013RUSSIA - UKRAINE Church and people in Ukraine demand autonomy from Moscow by Nina Achmatova Protests continue in Kiev against President Yaukovich’s renunciation on European integration dictated by the pressures of Russia. The patriarch of the Ukrainian Church of Kiev Filaret , sides with the protesters, and calls for unity and autocephaly .
The light that this world offers us, Is an artificial one. It maybe a bright light, brighter than the light of Christ, Bright like festive fireworks, Bright like the flash of a camera. Instead, the light of Christ is meek, It is a calm and peaceful light. It is the light of that first Christmas Eve: Without any pretence. It is this: It offers and gives peace... It is a meek light with the power of meekness; It is a light that speaks to the heart It is also a light that offers the Cross. Pope Francis
AsiaNews wishes all our friends and readers a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
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