Many of the victims of the Himalayan catastrophe are Hindu. Professor Chinmay Pandya spoke to AsiaNews about the relief efforts of Gayatri Pariwar, a social organisation that brings together 150 million Hindus. For him, “Relief work therefore becomes a bridge between inner awakening and social responsibility.”
In an official statement, the Bishops' Conference expresses "anguish and sorrow" for the "tragic loss of a mother and her baby," as well as "sympathy" for Savita Halappanavar's family. According to the bishops, "The Catholic Church has never taught that the life of a child in the womb should be preferred to that of a mother." However, they uphold "the equal right to life of both a mother and her unborn baby" against abortion, which is the "direct and intentional destruction of an unborn baby and is gravely immoral in all circumstances".
Mohammed Abdul Jamil, 46, from Pakistan hanged himself in his cell. A patient of the victim, Dr Rajan Daniel, he was not motivated by religion according to police but by personal animosity against the doctor fir his inability to bring relief to his ailment.
The terrorist of Pakistani origin was hanged this morning in the Yerawada central prison. He was was buried shortly after. For the head of the Maharahstra government, his execution is a "tribute to the innocent victims", because the Mumbai attacks were "an attack on the entire country." In five days it will be the fourth anniversary of the massacre, which claimed the lives of 166 people.
The goal is to re-establish harmony between the two communities, divided by communal violence in July. Unrest left 88 people dead, 400,000 people displaced. In addition to training, Caritas provided 6,000 kg of rice and mosquito nets to 2,000 families living in refugee camps set up by the Diocese of Bongaigaon.
According to the Hindu tradition, the devadasi are the "courtesans" of the temple god. In fact, they cannot marry and are exploited as prostitutes. With their children, they live a life of poverty and marginalization. A group of Sisters of the Cross of Chavanod is teaching new skills to the devadasi of 10 villages, creating classrooms for 500 children.
The secularised mindset accuses missionaries of imposing their truth without respect for others. Even within the Church, the 'dictatorship of relativism' appears to be spreading, extinguishing love for the truth of Christ and mission. A so-called 'adult' faith tries to do without Church and true humanism.
According to a professor of Education at Jamia Millia University in Delhi, "New Healthway" is "poisonous for children." It is still unknown how many schools have adopted the text. Teachers are asking the state to exert greater control, but for the authorities, the schools are the ones who must examine the contents.
Shiv Sena's founder passed away on Saturday at the age of 86. Charismatic, the controversial leader led his party on behalf of Hindu Marathis against ethnic and religious minorities. An ally of ultranationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), he played a major role in sectarian violence between Hindus and Muslims and the demolition of the Babri Masjid (Mosque) in Ayodhya. He clashed with the Catholic Church over a law designed to give the state control over pre-schools.
Residents in the village of Koderna (East Godavari District) drank polluted water, fighting malaria and typhoid. Five Sisters of the Cross were instrumental in getting a pump to bring water from a clean source as well as opening a school and a dispensary.
Savita Halappanavar's husband accuses the doctors of not terminating the 17-week pregnancy because Ireland "is a Catholic country." His wife was admitted to hospital because she had started to miscarry, but the doctors allegedly waited for the latter to finish before intervening. Now two investigations are underway. The "Catholic Church is against abortion," Carmelite clergyman says, but allows it "when the life of the mother is in danger." Now we have to wait to get "the real picture".
Fr Faustine Lucas Lobo, national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in India, visited some Christian communities in the state, urging people to look up at the life of pogrom survivals in Kandhamal as example of witness and prayer.
The Supreme Court has denied bail for another six months. Together with his wife, Sudam Munde practiced illegal abortions in the third, fifth, sixth and eighth months of pregnancy, causing the death of a 28 year old woman. Bishop Agnelo Gracias: "Yet another atrocity towards girls, but all abortions should be banned"
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