04/16/2014VATICAN Pope: The Resurrection "is not a happy ending in a movie" but "a humble victory of God, that humanly looks like a failure" "So often we feel horrified by the hurt and pain that surrounds us and we ask, "Why does God allow this? . "It wounds us deeply to see suffering and death, especially that of the innocents". "This is the mystery of evil". Two children join Francis on the back of his jeep. Vatican City (AsiaNews)
- Christ's Resurrection "is not the happy ending of a movie," but the
intervention of God the Father "when all seems lost", "a humble
victory that humanly looks like a failure", when Jesus reached the end of
the path of humiliation and dispossession by accepting betrayal,...
04/16/2014HOLY LAND For Christian religious leaders in Jerusalem, Easter brings hope for peace in the region In their traditional Easter message, Christian religious leaders in the Holy Land emphasise that true peace "springs from the Cross and is vindicated by the Resurrection." If peace "does not seek to abolish discrimination between different communities [it] is no peace at all." In their appeal, the religious leaders call on "people of good will" to pray for a resolution to the conflicts.
04/16/2014CHINA Dongguan: 40,000 workers down tools again Strike hits Yue Yuen, a company that works for giants such as Nike, Adidas and Timberland. Workers complain about the level of payments for pensions, want higher wages, better medical insurance, and injury compensation.
04/16/2014IRAQ Iraqi government closes Abu Ghraib prison Justice Ministry announces the transfer of 2,400 prisoners to other facilities, raising concerns among lawmakers on the Security and Defence committee of Iraq's parliament. For them, the move sends the wrong message.
04/16/2014INDIA Narendra Modi's right hand man stopped for inciting hatred against Muslims Election Commission bars Amit Shah from any meeting or election speech in Uttar Pradesh. In early April, he had asked people not to vote for Muslim candidates because Muslims had raped, killed and humiliated Hindus. Modi, an ultra-nationalist Hindu, has been blamed in connection with the 2002 communal massacres in Gujarat, when almost a thousand Muslims were killed.
04/16/2014JAPAN Japan’s whalers want to return to sea "soon" The Japanese organization for whalers proposes a change in program to international community to in exchange for the resumption of activities. They also seek an injunction against the environmental movement Sea Shepherd, which follows the whalers to boycott them at sea.
04/16/2014PHILIPPINES Good Friday in Manila: a "journey of penance" to protect the country from natural disasters The Special Way of the Cross will start at 5 am in Pasay City and end in front of Manila Cathedral. All of the capital's 500 parishes will send a delegation. Prelates from areas affected by typhoons and quakes will all attend. Card Tagle calls for "solidarity" with the victims, to be one with those who suffer.
04/16/2014MYANMAR Benedict Rogers: My Easter in Myanmar, the land where I became a Catholic by Francis Khoo Thwe The Asian director of Christian Solidarity Worldwide speaks of his special bond with the country and the Archbishop of Yangon. Water as an element of purification, which unites Catholics and Buddhists who are celebrating major holidays together in 2014. The universality of the Church "does not mean uniformity", but appreciation of the local culture. The Burmese Church is "a vibrant Church".
04/16/2014IRAQ Mar Sako at Easter, the power of Christ's broken and risen body pushes Iraq to new life by Mar Louis Raphael I Sako The Chaldean Patriarch reminds faithful that "Jesus is the heart " of Easter, "the center of our faith," his resurrection "makes the sun rise" on Iraq and the whole of humanity . His Beatitude exhorts the faithful to come together and pray. Ahead of the upcoming general election, he appeals for a leader who embodies the values of freedom , dignity and social justice .
04/16/2014SOUTH KOREA Korea, ferry full of students capsizes: 2 dead and 100 missing The Sewol was shuttling from Incheon to Jeju Island: the survivors speak of a "loud bang " which resulted in the sinking of the ship. The government spring into action to rescue passengers. One of them says: "The bottom of the ship was full of shops and amusement arcades . People who were there might be dead".
04/15/2014SRI LANKA For Sri Lanka bishops, Easter is a time of reconciliation for our people by Melani Manel Perera In their Easter message (in Sinhala, Tamil and English), the country's bishops call on fellow Sri Lankans to search for "true peace" that "can be lived united with God [. . .] in the aftermath of a war that ravaged the country."
04/15/2014INDIA For Pune bishop, India is multi-religious because it is an authentic and healthy democracy by Nirmala Carvalho The 5th round in India's general election is set for Thursday. Mgr Thomas Dabre calls on the community in his archdiocese to vote for "candidates and parties who will take care of every citizen, [. . .] especially minorities. This is true secularism." Fearful of a victory by Hindu nationalists, the prelate notes that "No religious community has a monopoly over the nation's history and culture".
04/15/2014CHINA Party and military setting up local offices to monitor and protect soldiers After two senior military leaders are arrested, central authorities set up special agencies to monitor military rights. Heads of political and law commissions at county, city and provincial levels will lead the groups.
04/15/2014NEPAL Catholics in Nepal: With Christ's example, our leaders can save the country by Christopher Sharma In his homily during Palm Sunday Mass, Mgr Anthony Sharma, apostolic vicar of Nepal, slammed politicians for their failures. "They have made so many promises that they have not kept." Hundreds of people, including young people who are preparing for baptism on Easter Eve, attended the service. "We shall give a Bible to our Members of Parliament," said one. "We hope they will find inspiration."
Before the tomb, something completely new and unexpected happens, they draw near and they do not find the Lord's body, What was a simple act, done surely out of love - going to the tomb - has now turned into an event, a truly life-changing event. Nothing remains as it was before, not only in the lives of those women, but also in our own lives and in the history of mankind. Jesus is not dead, he has risen, he is alive! He does not simply return to life; rather, he is life itself, because he is the Son of God, the living God! Jesus no longer belongs to the past, but lives in the present and is projected towards the future; Jesus is the everlasting "today" of God. This is how the newness of God appears to the women, the disciples and all of us: as victory over sin, evil and death, over everything that crushes life and makes it seem less human. How often does Love have to tell us: Why do you look for the living among the dead? Our daily problems and worries can wrap us up in ourselves, in sadness and bitterness... and that is where death is. That is not the place to look for the One who is alive!
Pope Francis
AsiaNews wishes all our friends and readers a Happy Easter 2014
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