Catholic News 2
MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) -- A former prime minister who holds dual Somali-U.S. citizenship was declared Somalia's new president Wednesday, immediately taking the oath of office as the long-chaotic country moved toward its first fully functioning central government in a quarter-century....
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Democratic senators fighting to derail Jeff Sessions' nomination as attorney general repeatedly challenged Republicans Wednesday by reading aloud from a critical letter from Martin Luther King Jr.'s widow, a day after the Republicans silenced Sen. Elizabeth Warren for doing the same....
LILONGWE, Malawi (AP) -- Madonna was asked "uncomfortable questions" by a judge in Malawi during the pop star's successful application to adopt more children from the southern African country, according to a court document obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press....
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Donald Trump on Wednesday slammed the court that is deliberating his immigration and refugee executive order for having motivations he described as "so political."...
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Republican-led Senate worked nonstop Wednesday toward a confirmation vote on Sen. Jeff Sessions, President Donald Trump's pick for attorney general, who faced a firestorm of Democratic criticism over his record on civil rights and other issues....
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis appealed to government leaders to be strong in the fight against the scourge of human trafficking.Marking Wednesday’s ‘International Day of Prayer and Awareness Against Human Trafficking’ marked annually on 8 February, and focusing this year on the trafficking of children and adolescents, the Pope had words of encouragement for all those who in different ways, help minors who have been enslaved and abused to be freed from this terrible oppression.“I urge all those in government positions to combat this scourge with firmness, giving voice to our younger brothers and sisters who have been wounded in their dignity. All efforts must be made to eradicate this shameful and intolerable crime” he said. He explained that the 'International Day of Prayer and Awareness Against Human Trafficking" falls on the feast day of Saint Josephine Bakita: "this enslaved, exploited and humiliated girl in A...
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis appealed to government leaders to be strong in the fight against the scourge of human trafficking.
Marking Wednesday’s ‘International Day of Prayer and Awareness Against Human Trafficking’ marked annually on 8 February, and focusing this year on the trafficking of children and adolescents, the Pope had words of encouragement for all those who in different ways, help minors who have been enslaved and abused to be freed from this terrible oppression.
“I urge all those in government positions to combat this scourge with firmness, giving voice to our younger brothers and sisters who have been wounded in their dignity. All efforts must be made to eradicate this shameful and intolerable crime” he said.
He explained that the 'International Day of Prayer and Awareness Against Human Trafficking" falls on the feast day of Saint Josephine Bakita: "this enslaved, exploited and humiliated girl in Africa never lost hope" he said but persevered in her faith and ended up as a migrant in Europe where she heard the call of the Lord and became a nun. Let's pray to Saint Josephine Bakita for all migrants and refugees who are exploited and suffer so much".
The Pope also recalled the beatification on Tuesday in Japan of Justo Takayama Ukon, a Japanese lay person who died a martyr in Manila in 1615.
“Rather than bowing to compromise, he renounced honor and wealth, and accepted humiliation and exile. He remained faithful to Christ and to the Gospel” he said.
For this reason, the Pope said, “he represents an admirable example of strength in faith and dedication in charity.”
Pope Francis also mentioned the upcoming ‘25th World Day of the Sick’ in memory of Our Lady of Lourdes. He said the main celebration will take place on Saturday in Lourdes and will be presided over by the Cardinal Secretary of State.
He concluded asking for prayers for all sick people, especially those are in grave condition and are alone, and also for those who care for them.
Catholic Bishops of the Ibadan Ecclesiastical Province in Nigeria have concluded their first plenary meeting of the year, Tuesday.In a pastoral communiquè issued after the meeting, the Bishops condemned the killings in Southern Kaduna state by suspected Fulani herdsmen. They also speak out about the desperation among Nigerians as a result of insecurity and unfulfilled electoral promises on the economy in the country.“The freefall of the naira (local currency) is another force tightening the noose around the neck of ordinary Nigerians, reducing their purchasing power and complicating their woes even further. So far, the effort of government to shore up this major issue can only be described as token, and much more needs to be done in these different sectors,” the statement reads in part.The Bishops urge the clergy and people of the ecclesiastical province to fully and fruitfully participate in the celebration of the Marian Year which starts from March to October ...
Catholic Bishops of the Ibadan Ecclesiastical Province in Nigeria have concluded their first plenary meeting of the year, Tuesday.
In a pastoral communiquè issued after the meeting, the Bishops condemned the killings in Southern Kaduna state by suspected Fulani herdsmen. They also speak out about the desperation among Nigerians as a result of insecurity and unfulfilled electoral promises on the economy in the country.
“The freefall of the naira (local currency) is another force tightening the noose around the neck of ordinary Nigerians, reducing their purchasing power and complicating their woes even further. So far, the effort of government to shore up this major issue can only be described as token, and much more needs to be done in these different sectors,” the statement reads in part.
The Bishops urge the clergy and people of the ecclesiastical province to fully and fruitfully participate in the celebration of the Marian Year which starts from March to October 2017. The primary objective of this Marian Year is to commemorate the centenary of the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Fatima in Portugal in 1917, the Bishops explain.
The Bishops also express their concern about anomalies and divergent practices creeping into Catholic Worship and Liturgy within the region. Most of these practices, the Bishops say, are introduced without consultation with or approval of the competent Ecclesiastical Authority.
Catholic Bishops of the Ibadan Ecclesiastical Province comprise the Archdiocese of Ibadan and the Dioceses of Ondo, Ekiti, Ilorin, Oyo and Osogbo.
(Email: engafrica@vatiradio.va)
Find below the full statement of the Bishops of Ibadan.
RESTORING CONFIDENCE IN NIGERIA
A COMMUNIQUE ISSUED AT THE END OF THE FIRST MEETING OF THE CATHOLIC BISHOPS OF IBADAN PROVINCE FOR 2017 HELD AT THE JUBILEE CONFERENCE CENTRE, OKE-ADO, IBADAN. Feb 6-7, 2017
Preamble
The Catholic Bishops of Ibadan Ecclesiastical Province in Nigeria have end, after our first meeting for the year from Feb. 6-7, 2017, HELD AT THE JUBILEE CONFERENCE CENTRE, OKE-ADO, IBADAN. Feb 6-7, 2017 having prayed and deliberated over pertinent issues of Church and national interest, hereby issue the following communique:
1. The CBCN Plenary in Ibadan Province
We thank God and take much pride in the successful hosting last September, of the Second Plenary Meeting of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) in Akure, Ondo Diocese, in September 2016. We express our special gratitude to the Bishop of Ondo Diocese Most Reverend Jude Arogundade, the Clergy, Religious and Faithful of the Diocese. We thank also the Governor of Ondo State, His Excellency, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, the government and the people of Ondo State for the enthusiastic welcome accorded the Conference. We pray that God may abundantly bless them and reward them adequately for their exceptional hospitality.
2. The Marian Year
We wish to mobilize the Clergy, Religious and Lay Faithful of Ibadan Ecclesiastical Province to fully and fruitfully participate in the celebration of the next Marian Year holding from March to October, 2017. The main objective of the Marian Year is to commemorate the centenary of the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Fatima in Portugal in 1917. We urge that the opportunity be used to reiterate the messages of Fatima relating to the universal call to repentance and evangelization. It is necessary as well to reconfirm through catechesis, seminars, workshops, Bible study and similar activities, the presence and role of Mary as Mother of Jesus Christ, Mother of the Church and of all Christians. We urge all our people to fervently pray for thr success of the celebration
3. Order in Worship and Liturgy
We restate our concern for divergent practices creeping into Catholic Worship and Liturgy in the Church, especially within our Province. Such practices are often introduced without consultation with or approval of competent Ecclesiastical Authority. We hereby remind Bishops to pay close attention and correct such anomalies. While our Liturgical Committee prepares measures to help regulate some of these issues we urge all our Priests, Religious, and other agents of evangelization to follow the rubrics and approved practices of the Church during worship and liturgical gatherings. This, by no means stifles creativity or inspiration but rather presents us all as loyal ministers of the faith and of the Universal Church. We also urge that in all celebrations in our Province, emphasis be placed on the use of the Yoruba language.
4. The State of the Nation
It is difficult to deny that Nigeria is undergoing very serious challenges and problems at the moment. While many of our problems are not peculiar to Nigeria alone, it is true to say that we as government and people of Nigeria do not seem to know how to confront our challenges. After nearly two years of the current administration, Nigerians should no longer hear past administrations blamed for the woes of the present. Our present governments, especially at Federal and State levels, have had enough time to demonstrate the capability to bring about the changes promised to Nigerians. It is no longer news that Nigerians are truly suffering. Some of this can be understandable under a recession, however, there ought to be clear signs in national life by now that the government and people of our country are truly working to bring things under control. Regrettably there is not much evidence of this currently. Instead, there is a growing sense of desperation in the general populace that the much expected change has been slowed down. This unfortunate situation provokes general bad will manifested in the current proliferation of false information, violent clashes, calls for the break-up of Nigeria and pervasive criminality. It is necessary and urgent to restore the confidence of all Nigerians in the Nigerian nation.
We condemn the needless loss of life in the Southern Kaduna crisis which has confirmed an impression that government is lackadaisical in responding to the needs of some sections of the nation. This impression should not be allowed to take firm root. Government exists for all and must never be seen to favour any group or ignore the needs of another. We admonish the government to be more proactive in protecting the life and property of Nigerians. We appeal to all men and women of goodwill to succor the needy and all those affected by the crisis. We acknowledge the recent effort of the Federal government in providing a number of jobs and giving some welfare packages to some poor citizens of Nigeria. We urge the government to do more in this regard and ask State Governments to replicate this programme in the States.
We call on the government at all levels in Nigeria to continue to optimize strategies to bring about positive change in the nation. As things stand, much of the government’s strategies do not seem to be working well. The campaign against corruption seems to be losing steam as convictions are rare and the initial recovery of stolen funds has slowed down. The reform of the power sector is at a standstill with only some parts of Nigeria experiencing better or constant supply of electricity and road infrastructure is not improving much. Boko Haram insurgency, which seemed to be the nation’s main security concern, has been largely reduced its occasional attacks and the alleged Fulani herdsmen clashes with local communities seem to cancel out whatever gains can be celebrated in security. The freefall of the naira is another force tightening the noose around the neck of ordinary Nigerians, reducing their purchasing power and complicating their woes even further. So far, the effort of government to shore up this major issue can only be described as token and much more needs to be done in these different sectors.
We appreciate the sacrifice of our security agencies which have helped to keep Nigeria together so far. We pray for all who have died in various conflicts in Nigeria and for those who have paid the highest price in our defense of our country and condole with their families. In spite of the recent unfortunate bombing of the IDP camp where dozens of innocent people were killed, our soldiers and security agencies deserve our support and appreciation. It is our prayer that Nigeria will soon experience the peace for which we have always desired and prayed.
We call on the Nigerian government to be more forthcoming with information concerning government, its officials and policies in Nigeria. Public perception is essential in any democracy and it is important for the public to be adequately and correctly informed about important public personalities and issues. The fiasco that is currently going on about the state of health of President Muhammadu Buhari need not occur if information surrounding the matter had been better managed. There is certainly need to restore the confidence of the Nigerian public in the information outfit of the government.
Conclusion
We remain grateful to our Almighty and merciful God who has kept us and our country Nigeria in His love and care regardless of our woes and pains in different facets of life. Our faith in God as the source of all good things remains unshakeable and we believe firmly that our salvation can only come from obeying His commandments and doing His will in the Church and our nation. Let us all do more than criticize the state of things but work hard together to create a better society We invite all the faithful to fervently pray the rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary for peace and for better times in our families, in our nation and the world at large.
Most Rev. Gabriel Abegunrin
President
Most Rev. John Oyejola
Secretary.
(Vatican Radio) The Secretary for Relations with States in the Secretariat of State of the Holy See, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, is recently returned from an official visit to Japan. During his trip, Archbishop Gallagher met with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and celebrated Mass in the city of Hiroshima.In an exclusive interview with Vatican Radio on his return, the Secretary for Relations with States explained the visit was to return the favor of the visit of Japan’s Foreign Minister to the Vatican in 2016. “It was right to reciprocate [the visit],” he explained, “to build up this cooperation, which exists.”Click below to hear the extended conversation between Alessandro Gisotti and the Vatican’s Secretary for Relations with States, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher… Archbishop Gallagher also reiterated the common commitment of the Holy See with Japan regarding the elimination of nuclear weapons. “They are – for v...
(Vatican Radio) The Secretary for Relations with States in the Secretariat of State of the Holy See, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, is recently returned from an official visit to Japan. During his trip, Archbishop Gallagher met with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and celebrated Mass in the city of Hiroshima.
In an exclusive interview with Vatican Radio on his return, the Secretary for Relations with States explained the visit was to return the favor of the visit of Japan’s Foreign Minister to the Vatican in 2016. “It was right to reciprocate [the visit],” he explained, “to build up this cooperation, which exists.”
Click below to hear the extended conversation between Alessandro Gisotti and the Vatican’s Secretary for Relations with States, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher…
Archbishop Gallagher also reiterated the common commitment of the Holy See with Japan regarding the elimination of nuclear weapons. “They are – for very personal reasons – obviously working for a nuclear-free world,” he said, “but they do feel the nuclear powers have to be part of that debate,” he continued. “Unless we get the nuclear powers on board,” he continued, “nothing is going to change substantially.”
Archbishop Gallagher also spoke of the visit in the broader context of the Holy See’s diplomacy.
“I think the Holy Father wishes – in what he refers to as his ‘creative diplomacy’ – he wishes this to be an expression of the Church’s general service and mission,” Archbishop Gallagher said.
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has asked for prayers for the Rohingya people in Myanmar who are persecuted and forced to flee from their homes.He delivered his appeal during the weekly General Audience asking those present to join him in prayers “for our Rohingya brothers and sisters who are being chased from Myanmar and are fleeing from one place to another because no one wants them.”“They are good people, they are not Christians, they are peaceful people, they are our brothers and sisters and for years they have been suffering, they are being tortured and killed, simply because they uphold their Muslim faith” he said. And together with the some 7,000 people present in the Paul VI Hall in the Vatican, he prayed the ‘Our Father’ for all exploited and humiliated migrants, and in a special way for the Rohingyas. Pope Francis was marking the Feast day of Saint Josephine Bakita, herself a Sudanese slave who was freed and went on to become a ...
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has asked for prayers for the Rohingya people in Myanmar who are persecuted and forced to flee from their homes.
He delivered his appeal during the weekly General Audience asking those present to join him in prayers “for our Rohingya brothers and sisters who are being chased from Myanmar and are fleeing from one place to another because no one wants them.”
“They are good people, they are not Christians, they are peaceful people, they are our brothers and sisters and for years they have been suffering, they are being tortured and killed, simply because they uphold their Muslim faith” he said.
And together with the some 7,000 people present in the Paul VI Hall in the Vatican, he prayed the ‘Our Father’ for all exploited and humiliated migrants, and in a special way for the Rohingyas.
Pope Francis was marking the Feast day of Saint Josephine Bakita, herself a Sudanese slave who was freed and went on to become a Canossian religious sister in Italy. She was canonized in the year 2000.
Human rights groups have urged Myanmar’s government to back an independent international investigation into alleged abuses by security forces against members of the Muslim Rohingya ethnic minority, including killings, the razing of homes and the reported systematic use of sexual violence.
The estimated 1 million Rohingya face official and social discrimination in Buddhist-majority Myanmar, also known as Burma. Most do not have citizenship and are regarded as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, even when their families have lived in the country for generations. Violence in 2012 forced many to flee their homes, and more than 100,000 still live in squalid refugee camps.
(Vatican Radio) For five years the Syrian city of Aleppo has been a key battleground in the country’s brutal civil war. This former financial hub was home to 250 thousand Christians with hopes and dreams. Now it has become a place of loss and suffering. With a fragile ceasefire in place, aid agencies are keeping up their work to help those who have lost everything as a result of the conflict.Head of Press and Information for Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) UK is John Pontifex, who recently returned from a visit to the city. He was able to see at first hand the devastation wrought and the lives torn apart there. But as he told Lydia O’Kane, what he also witnessed were stories of courage, determination and faith.Listen to Lydia O’Kane’s interview with Head of Press and Information for Aid to the Church in Need UK, John Pontifex Faith and Courage“We were deeply deeply impressed by examples of courage”, he said, adding that it was those &ldquo...
(Vatican Radio) For five years the Syrian city of Aleppo has been a key battleground in the country’s brutal civil war. This former financial hub was home to 250 thousand Christians with hopes and dreams. Now it has become a place of loss and suffering. With a fragile ceasefire in place, aid agencies are keeping up their work to help those who have lost everything as a result of the conflict.
Head of Press and Information for Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) UK is John Pontifex, who recently returned from a visit to the city. He was able to see at first hand the devastation wrought and the lives torn apart there. But as he told Lydia O’Kane, what he also witnessed were stories of courage, determination and faith.
Listen to Lydia O’Kane’s interview with Head of Press and Information for Aid to the Church in Need UK, John Pontifex
Faith and Courage
“We were deeply deeply impressed by examples of courage”, he said, adding that it was those “stories of courage and determination and faith that really resonated with us and made us feel that the work of God is to be found in Aleppo…”
The visit also gave John Pontifex the opportunity to see for himself the toll the civil war has taken on the residents of the city. “Many of the people we spoke to made it very clear that they were frightened, traumatized and sick. When we spoke to those providing medical help, stress related illnesses, heart trouble, respiratory trouble… were too many to enumerate and we had the sense that the personal toll that this crisis has inflicted on people is only now beginning to become apparent”, he said.
Providing Relief
Most people in Aleppo do not have jobs or an income and are almost entirely dependent on outside help, but the ACN spokesperson said that despite the devastation, he was impressed by the emergency relief programme that had been rolled out with aid distribution points in different parts of the city, soup kitchens, and necessary provisions.
Over the last few years the Christian community has dwindled due to the conflict that has engulfed the country. Asked if he thought those still in the city want to stay, Mr Pontifex said that the people they spoke to told them that, “we are going just to wait and see how things develop. Many of them though spoke of their great desire to stay…”
With a ceasefire continuing there is still a long road to travel in order to rebuild Aleppo’s once thriving industrial and financial centre. But Aid to the Church in Need says it is there for the long haul helping people to rebuild their homes, their lives and to give them a brighter future.
