01/25/2015VATICAN Pope: many Christians are persecuted and killed because they are Christians, regardless of their confession "Christian unity will not be the fruit of subtle theoretical discussions in which each party tries to convince the other of the soundness of their opinions. We need to realize that, to plumb the depths of the mystery of God, we need one another, we need to encounter one another and to challenge one another under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, who harmonizes diversities and overcomes conflicts. Who reconciles differences". Rome (AsiaNews)
- The martyrs of today are persecuted because they are Christians, "many
Christians are persecuted and killed without distinction of confession. This is
the "ecumenism of blood "evoked today by Pope Francis in the Basilica
of St....
01/25/2015VATICAN Pope: the desire for Christian unity part of our "thirst for God" "Heartfelt appeal" for end to fighting and resumption of dialogue in Ukraine. "In becoming man God tasted our own thirst, not only our material thirst for water, but above all the thirst for a full life, free from the slavery of evil and death”. Filipinos, a "wonderful people"
01/23/2015VATICAN Mass media: learning a more authentic and human communication from the family In his message for the 49th World Day of Social Communications, Pope Francis calls the family "the paradigm of communication." In it, as in the womb, you learn encounter, language, prayer, closeness, forgiveness. The media often treat the family as "an object" over which to wage ideological battles and not as a place in which to learn to communicate. We need to "relearn to tell, not just to produce and consume information".
01/23/2015VATICAN Pope: God’s “work” is reconciliation, because "our God forgives" any sin and "always" forgives No matter how serious the sins are all you need to do is "repent and ask for forgiveness": "you do not have to pay anything," because "Christ already paid for us". Confession "more than a judgment, is an encounter” with the Lord who "embraces you." "Teach our children, our young people to confess well, so that going to confession is not like going to the dry cleaners to remove a stain. No! It is going to meet the Father."
01/22/2015ITALY - VATICAN Chiara Lubich like Teresa of Avila: her process of beatification begins by Costanzo Donegana* The process will open on 27 January in Frascati where the founder of the Focolare Movement lived most of her life and where she is buried. Her journey began as bombs fell on Trent, developing into communities that lived by the principle of unity. She undertook ecumenical work with Athenagoras and Protestant Churches. She also was open to members of other religions and to atheists in order to create "universal brotherhood on this earth."
01/21/2015VATICAN Pope: Poverty is not caused by many children, but throw-away culture Acts of “brutality” in Niger against “children, against churches", "war can never be waged in the name of God". The trip to Sri Lanka and the Philippines. St. Joseph Vaz "a model for all Christians, called today to propose the saving truth of the Gospel in a multi-religious context". "Care for the poor is an essential element of our Christian life and witness; it involves the rejection of all forms of corruption, because corruption steals from the poor, it demands a culture of honesty."
01/21/2015INDONESIA Central Sulawesi, new wave of Islamist violence: Murders, kidnappings, mutilations by Mathias Hariyadi Since last November Poso and the province have been the scene of an escalation of targeted attacks and barbarism. Police and authorities invite citizens not to go out, the farmers cannot cultivate the fields. Activists: "a wave of unconfirmed rumors" increasing "panic" among people. Appeals to the government to assure safety.
01/20/2015ASIA A billion viewers, illegal betting, and global jihadism at the 2015 Asian Cup The tournament, held in Australia between 9 and 31 January, is now in the final knockout phase. So far, it has attracted a record number of viewers in Asia, where it is already the sporting event of the year. Match-fixing and illegal betting are being closely monitored. In Mosul, the Islamic state executed 13 teenagers for their love of the game.
01/19/2015VATICAN - PHILIPPINES On his flight home, the pope said that the gift of tears, the Filipino people, the people of God, were the real protagonists On the flight back to the Vatican, Pope Francis spoke with reporters about the family and "ideological colonisation", about responsible fatherhood and Humane Vitae, as well as Neo-Malthusianism, corruption, Islamic terrorism and prudence in freedom of expression (Charlie Hebdo). He also answered questions about China and the Dalai Lama, saying that he did not reject the Buddhist leader nor did he fear China.
01/19/2015FRANCE - ISLAM After Charlie Hebdo, France and the West have to implement a "positive secularism" by Fady Noun Freedom of expression is not an end in itself. Opposite extremes of violent fundamentalism and absolute freedom must give way to the "will to live together". The West is becoming a multi-religious society. As in the case of the Holocaust, we must limit anti-religious "negationism". Lebanon is a model. Secularism is dead.
01/19/2015INDONESIA For Jakarta's Wahid Institute, the state is behind sectarian violence by Mathias Hariyadi According to a report by the prestigious institute, 51 per cent of cases of violence can be attributed to public officials and agencies. Police and security forces are negligent or share responsibility in attacks on minorities. Although the number of cases of violence has dropped, government policy has not changed. Even reformist newly elected president Jokowi has been inattentive to minority rights.
01/19/2015ASIA In 2016, 1% of the richest own more than the remaining 99% (Oxfam) The gap between the world’s wealthy and the rest of the population is increasing. Between 2009 and 2013, the wealth of the richest 1% has increased from 44% to 48%. Rules governing international taxation need to be overhauled by taxing capital more and labor less; setting minimum wages and implementing a social safety net for the poorest.
01/18/2015VATICAN - PHILIPPINES Pope: Help young people to build a better society, every child should be welcomed Celebrating Mass concluding his seventh international apostolic pilgrimage, in Sri Lanka and the Philippines, Francis recalls how "Filipinos are called to be outstanding missionaries of the faith in Asia. God chose and blessed us for a purpose: to be holy and blameless in his sight ". An appeal to the world: "Sadly, in our day, the family all too often needs to be protected against insidious attacks and programs contrary to all that we hold true and sacred, all that is most beautiful and noble in our culture."
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