Catholic News 2
GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE, Cuba (AP) -- The U.S. detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, appears to be at another turning point....
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The U.S. economy lost momentum in the final three months of 2016 as a downturn in exports temporarily depressed activity. But there were hopeful signs in housing and business investment that the economy will rebound in the coming months....
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The politically ascendant anti-abortion movement gathered Friday for a triumphant rally on the National Mall, rejoicing at the end of an eight-year presidency that participants said was dismissive of their views....
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Donald Trump on Friday pledged America's "lasting support" to the U.S.' historic "special relationship" with Britain after he emerged from his first meeting with British Prime Minister Theresa May, leader of an ally who seeks to nudge the populist president toward the political mainstream....
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Donald Trump said Friday that his defense secretary's opposition to torture would override his own belief that enhanced interrogation "does work," quietly giving ground after growing public concern about a return to Bush-era use of waterboarding and other especially harsh procedures....
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has extended his condolences to victims a tragic bus crash that occurred in Italy earlier this week.The bus was carrying Hungarian students who were returning to Hungary from a skiing trip in France.The Holy Father’s prayers for the victims and their families, and his expressions of closeness and support, were conveyed in a telegramme addressed to the Hungarian Bishops’ Conference, which was sent on the Pope’s behalf, and signed by the Cardinal Secretary of State.The full text of the telegramme follows: His Eminence Cardinal Péter ErdoArchbishop of Esztergom-BudapestHis Holiness Pope Francis was deeply saddened to learn of the bus accident in Verona, Italy, involving students of Szinyei Gimnázium, and he assures all those affected by this tragedy of his prayerful solidarity. Entrusting the deceased to the merciful love of Almighty God, he prays that their families and friends may be consoled in their grief and strengthen...
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has extended his condolences to victims a tragic bus crash that occurred in Italy earlier this week.
The bus was carrying Hungarian students who were returning to Hungary from a skiing trip in France.
The Holy Father’s prayers for the victims and their families, and his expressions of closeness and support, were conveyed in a telegramme addressed to the Hungarian Bishops’ Conference, which was sent on the Pope’s behalf, and signed by the Cardinal Secretary of State.
The full text of the telegramme follows:
His Eminence Cardinal Péter Erdo
Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest
His Holiness Pope Francis was deeply saddened to learn of the bus accident in Verona, Italy, involving students of Szinyei Gimnázium, and he assures all those affected by this tragedy of his prayerful solidarity. Entrusting the deceased to the merciful love of Almighty God, he prays that their families and friends may be consoled in their grief and strengthened by God's grace. So too His Holiness prays for the injured and all involved in this incident that they may know healing and comfort at this time of sorrow. Upon the entire community of Szinyei Gimnázium and upon all who are mourning, the Holy Father invokes the divine blessings of peace and strength.
Card. Pietro Parolin
(Vatican Radio) Archbishop Ivan Jurkovic called on the World Health Organization (WHO) to “guard against the exploitation of vulnerable individuals” in relation to blood donation and medical products of human origin.Archbishop Jurkovic, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations in Geneva, addressed the 140th meeting of the WHO’s Executive Board, which met on the theme “Principles for global consensus on the donation and management of blood, blood components, and medical products of human origin”.Archbishop Jurkovic said the principles proposed by the WHO regarding blood donation and medical products of human origin “rightfully place concern for the dignity of the donors at the centre of consideration in all matters related to such procedures”.Citing Pope Francis’ words to the UN General Assembly in 2015, he invited the WHO to take “practical and constant, concrete steps and immediate measures for ‘put...
(Vatican Radio) Archbishop Ivan Jurkovic called on the World Health Organization (WHO) to “guard against the exploitation of vulnerable individuals” in relation to blood donation and medical products of human origin.
Archbishop Jurkovic, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations in Geneva, addressed the 140th meeting of the WHO’s Executive Board, which met on the theme “Principles for global consensus on the donation and management of blood, blood components, and medical products of human origin”.
Archbishop Jurkovic said the principles proposed by the WHO regarding blood donation and medical products of human origin “rightfully place concern for the dignity of the donors at the centre of consideration in all matters related to such procedures”.
Citing Pope Francis’ words to the UN General Assembly in 2015, he invited the WHO to take “practical and constant, concrete steps and immediate measures for ‘putting an end as quickly as possible to the phenomenon of social and economic exclusion, with its baneful consequences’ including, inter alia, ‘human trafficking, [and] the marketing of human organs and tissues’”.
Below please find the full text of Archbishop Ivan Jurkovic’s address:
Mr. Chairman,
The delegation of the Holy See notes with interest the proposed principles for ethical consideration in all procedures that involve the donation and management of blood, blood components, and medical products of human origin. Since “neither human life nor the human person can ever be treated as an object to be manipulated or as a disposable commodity,” [1] the proposed principles rightfully place concern for the dignity of the donors at the centre of consideration in all matters related to such procedures and call for high ethical standards to protect the health and security of all affected persons.
Equally important is the acknowledgement that many inequities are inherent both in the procurement of, and access to, medical products of human origin. Thus, the proposed framework urges due caution to avoid exploitation of individuals who often lack access to necessary medical products of human origin but might become targets for less than voluntary donations or, worse yet, as potential victims of trafficking in human organs. In this same regard, the Pontifical Academy of Sciences will convene, on 7 and 8 February 2017, in Vatican City a Summit on Organ Trafficking and Transplant Tourism. The objectives of this Summit are to examine the extent of transplant tourism and organ trafficking, and to commit health authorities and other committed persons to work toward the prohibition and eradication of such practices, which were strongly condemned in the World Health Assembly Resolution 63.22. [2] In a similar manner, Pope Francis called upon world leaders to take “practical and constant, concrete steps and immediate measures for “putting an end as quickly as possible to the phenomenon of social and economic exclusion, with its baneful consequences” including, inter alia, “ human trafficking, [and] the marketing of human organs and tissues” [3].
My delegation has taken careful note of the various principles included in the proposal prepared by the Secretariat. Basic consensus on these principles should be forthcoming since they represent traditional values that underpin both medical practice and the very social fabric of our human communities. Indeed, governments should assume the responsibility of promoting and preserving necessary standards to ensure equity in practices related to the donation and procurement of such medical products, confidentiality for all persons involved, protection against physical and psychosocial risks, maintenance of the highest standards of medical care, and effective provision of a reliable supply of needed donations.
Mr. Chairman,
In this regard, the Holy See Delegation is keenly aware of the severe lack of available donations and that, in some cases, only ten per cent of the identified needs can be satisfied. Procedures must be established, however, to guard against the exploitation of vulnerable individuals, to avoid placing an undue burden of donating biological materials on economically disadvantaged groups, or to prevent the logic of the market from gaining the upper hand [4] in such critical and complex situations. Perhaps even more important, but not mentioned in the proposed principles, is the need to recognize and promote the “responsibility of love and charity … that commits one to make of their own life a gift to others, if one truly wishes to fulfil oneself.” [5]
Thank you, Mr, Chairman.
[1] Pope John Paul II, Address to the New Ambassador of the United Kingdom to the Holy See, 7 September 2002, Vatican City, http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul- ii/en/speeches/2002/september/documents/hf_jp-ii_spe_20020907_ambassador-great-britain.html
[2] In that Resolution, the WHO Member States indicated their determination that the growing “utility of human cell, tissue and organ transplantation for a wide range of conditions in low-resource as well as high resource countries” be firmly grounded in the “principles of human dignity and solidarity which condemn the buying of human body parts for transplantation and the exploitation of the poorest and most vulnerable populations and the human trafficking that result from such practices.”
[3] Pope Francis, Address to the General Assembly of the United Nations Organization, New York, 25 September 2015, http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/speeches/2015/september/documents/papa- francesco_20150925_onu-visita.html
[4] Cf. Pope Benedict XVI, Address to Participants at an International Conference Organized by the Pontifical Academy of Life, Vatican City, 7 November 2008, http://w2.vatican.va/content/benedict- xvi/en/speeches/2008/november/documents/hf_ben-xvi_spe_20081107_acdlife.html
[5] Ibid.
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis met with a delegation from the European Jewish Congress Friday on the International Holocaust Remembrance Day, which occurs annually on 27 January.The Secretary of the Pontifical Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews, Fr. Norbert Hofmann, was present at the meeting.In an interview with Vatican Radio (in Italian), he said the Pope “began the dialogue by mentioning the importance of this Day for the Jews, but also for us, because remembering the victims of the Holocaust is important so that this human tragedy never happens again”.The delegation, he said, represents more than 2 million Jews in Europe.Fr. Hofmann said the President of the Congress, Moshe Kantor, spoke about “the importance of ethics, that is, of the values which Christians and Jews have in common. He said that in our world we see much progress but also a decline in moral and ethical values. Therefore, we need to strengthen these values which we share. And...
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis met with a delegation from the European Jewish Congress Friday on the International Holocaust Remembrance Day, which occurs annually on 27 January.
The Secretary of the Pontifical Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews, Fr. Norbert Hofmann, was present at the meeting.
In an interview with Vatican Radio (in Italian), he said the Pope “began the dialogue by mentioning the importance of this Day for the Jews, but also for us, because remembering the victims of the Holocaust is important so that this human tragedy never happens again”.
The delegation, he said, represents more than 2 million Jews in Europe.
Fr. Hofmann said the President of the Congress, Moshe Kantor, spoke about “the importance of ethics, that is, of the values which Christians and Jews have in common. He said that in our world we see much progress but also a decline in moral and ethical values. Therefore, we need to strengthen these values which we share. And then he spoke about the importance of education and the family.”
Pope Francis, Fr. Hofmann said, agreed completely with these themes and shared a story from his childhood.
“The Pope said that, in his family, his father often received Jews… and thus, already as a child, our Pope learned to have several Jewish friends.”
Also on Friday, the Vatican’s permanent representative to the OSCE said the Holocaust teaches us that "utmost vigilance is always needed to be able to take prompt action in defense of human dignity and peace".
The Catholic Church of Pakistan has firmly slammed the latest form of discrimination against the country’s religious minorities which relegates them to the lowly sanitation jobs. The Faisalabad Waste Management Company (FWMC) has set strict conditions for those who "will improve the cleanliness of the city", namely candidates "must be from Faisalabad, healthy and non-Muslims." The National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP) of Pakistan’s Catholic bishops spoke out, stating that "the advertisement is based on discrimination and brassiness against religious minorities and non-Muslims. It is an attempt to divide society into segments and promote the view that minorities and non-Muslims are second-class citizens." "This kind of attitude,” the statement said, “is a gross violation of Article 27 of the Constitution, which says: ‘No citizen otherwise qualified for appointment in the service of Pakista...
The Catholic Church of Pakistan has firmly slammed the latest form of discrimination against the country’s religious minorities which relegates them to the lowly sanitation jobs. The Faisalabad Waste Management Company (FWMC) has set strict conditions for those who "will improve the cleanliness of the city", namely candidates "must be from Faisalabad, healthy and non-Muslims." The National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP) of Pakistan’s Catholic bishops spoke out, stating that "the advertisement is based on discrimination and brassiness against religious minorities and non-Muslims. It is an attempt to divide society into segments and promote the view that minorities and non-Muslims are second-class citizens." "This kind of attitude,” the statement said, “is a gross violation of Article 27 of the Constitution, which says: ‘No citizen otherwise qualified for appointment in the service of Pakistan shall be discriminated against in respect of any such appointment on the ground only of race, religion, caste, sex, residence or place of birth’.”
For some time, Christians have complained that the Punjab provincial government hires only Christians as sanitation workers. Last year, the head of Multan district health bureau announced that he would hire only non-Muslims to perform such work in local hospitals and rural health facilities. In 2013, the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province Parvez Khattak, had to clarify his position after stating that "Muslims cannot be hired as sweepers or cleaners” because sanitation work “can only be carried out by Christians, Hindus and lower castes."
Some studies note that about 80 per cent of garbage collectors in Pakistan’s big cities are Christians, branded "choora", a derogatory term used for Christians to define them as “untouchables”. For Professor Anjum James Paul, a Catholic and president of the All Pakistan Minorities' Teachers Alliance, the lack of economic resources among Christians is the main reason why many of them are employed in this field. "Many of these workers are school dropouts,” he explained. “Christian families find it hard to finance higher education expenses for their children. Also there is a biased attitude and discrimination prevalent in general public”. All this is a sign of “prejudice, as only a 5 per cent quota is reserved for non-Muslims” in public sector jobs. (Source: AsiaNews)
The Catholic bishops of the Philippines on Wednesday voiced their grief over the execution of a Filipina domestic helper in Kuwait and called on Filipinos to reconsider their stance on the revival of the death penalty in the south-east Asian country. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) mourned the execution of Jakatia Pawa in Kuwait on Jan. 25, 2017, saying it should serve as a clear message for Filipinos to reject the capital punishment. “The fact that Jakatia protested her innocence to the end of her life only underscores the abhorrence at the death penalty and the sadness that we feel at Jakatia’s death should make us all advocates against the death penalty,” said CBCP president, Archbishop Socrates Villegas of Lingayen-Dagupan. Pawa was accused of killing her employer’s 22-year old daughter in 2007, which she denied. While condoling the death of the maid, Bishop Ruperto Santos, who chairs the CBCP&rsqu...
The Catholic bishops of the Philippines on Wednesday voiced their grief over the execution of a Filipina domestic helper in Kuwait and called on Filipinos to reconsider their stance on the revival of the death penalty in the south-east Asian country. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) mourned the execution of Jakatia Pawa in Kuwait on Jan. 25, 2017, saying it should serve as a clear message for Filipinos to reject the capital punishment. “The fact that Jakatia protested her innocence to the end of her life only underscores the abhorrence at the death penalty and the sadness that we feel at Jakatia’s death should make us all advocates against the death penalty,” said CBCP president, Archbishop Socrates Villegas of Lingayen-Dagupan. Pawa was accused of killing her employer’s 22-year old daughter in 2007, which she denied.
While condoling the death of the maid, Bishop Ruperto Santos, who chairs the CBCP’s Commission on Migrants and Itinerant People said restoring the death penalty in the country puts overseas Filipino workers on death row abroad at risk. “The government should not push through with death penalty. If there will be penalty in our country, we will lose any moral authority and legality to ask clemency for our Filipinos who are sentenced to death,” Santos said. The prelate also called on the Duterte administration to provide assistance to other overseas Filipino workers who facing execution abroad. “There are still those imprisoned. Government should not be complacent nor rely on last two minutes. They have to act, decisively and swiftly, for those who are incarcerated,” he added. According to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), there are still some 88 Filipinos that are in death row abroad. ( Source: CBCPNews)
