Catholic News 2
WASHINGTON (AP) -- From Wal-Mart to General Motors to Amazon, a growing number of the world's largest companies appear to be trying to get in step with President-elect Donald Trump's demand that employers hire and keep jobs at home....
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- The widow of the Orlando nightclub gunman knew about the attack ahead of time and then hindered the criminal investigation when she lied to FBI agents after the shooting, say prosecutors who will be in a California court Wednesday to discuss transferring her to Florida....
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Donald Trump says his inauguration will have "an unbelievable, perhaps record-setting turnout." Organizers of a protest the next day call in the biggest demonstration in history to welcome a new president....
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Sylvia Douglas twice voted for President Barack Obama and last year cast a ballot for Democrat Hillary Clinton. But when it comes to "Obamacare," she now sounds like President-elect Donald Trump. This makes her chuckle amid the serious choices she faces every month between groceries, electricity and paying a health insurance bill that has jumped by nearly $400....
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Earth sizzled to a third-straight record hot year in 2016, government scientists said Wednesday. They mostly blame man-made global warming with help from a natural El Nino, which has since disappeared....
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis during his Wednesday General Audience continued his catecheseis on Christian hope and asked for prayers for this Week of Christian Unity.Below find the Pope's English language remarks:Dear Brothers and Sisters: In our continuing catechesis on Christian hope, we reflect today on the story of the prophet Jonah, who sought to flee from a difficult mission entrusted to him by the Lord. When the ship that Jonah had boarded was tossed by a storm, the pagan sailors asked him, as a man of God, to pray that they might escape sure death. This story reminds us of the link between hope and prayer. Anguish in the face of death often makes us recognize our human frailty and our need to pray for salvation. Jonah prays on behalf of the sailors, and, taking up once more his prophetic mission, shows himself ready to sacrifice his life for their sake. As a result, the sailors come to acknowledge the true God. As the paschal m...
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis during his Wednesday General Audience continued his catecheseis on Christian hope and asked for prayers for this Week of Christian Unity.
Below find the Pope's English language remarks:
Dear Brothers and Sisters: In our continuing catechesis on Christian hope, we reflect today on the story of the prophet Jonah, who sought to flee from a difficult mission entrusted to him by the Lord. When the ship that Jonah had boarded was tossed by a storm, the pagan sailors asked him, as a man of God, to pray that they might escape sure death. This story reminds us of the link between hope and prayer. Anguish in the face of death often makes us recognize our human frailty and our need to pray for salvation. Jonah prays on behalf of the sailors, and, taking up once more his prophetic mission, shows himself ready to sacrifice his life for their sake. As a result, the sailors come to acknowledge the true God. As the paschal mystery of Christ’s death and resurrection makes clear, death itself can be, for each of us, an invitation to hope and an encounter in prayer with the God of our salvation.
Dear friends, today begins the annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. In this same spirit of hope, and with gratitude for the progress already made in the ecumenical movement, I ask your prayers for this important intention.
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis said on Wednesday that Christian Unity and reconciliation are possible. He was speaking during his weekly General Audience in the Paul the VI hall where he also continued his catechesis on Christian hope.Listen to Lydia O’Kane’s report We look more 'to that' which unites us rather than that which 'divides us”. Those were Pope Francis’ words on Wednesday during his weekly General Audience as he recalled this Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.Inviting Christians to pray for this week and also recalling his visit to Lund in Sweden to Commemorate the Reformation, the Pope said “we continue the journey together to deepen our communion and to give it more and more a 'visible form.”In Europe, the Holy Father stressed, this common faith in Christ is like a green thread of hope” adding that, “communion, unity and reconciliation 'are possible.”As Christians, he said, “we are respons...
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis said on Wednesday that Christian Unity and reconciliation are possible. He was speaking during his weekly General Audience in the Paul the VI hall where he also continued his catechesis on Christian hope.
Listen to Lydia O’Kane’s report
We look more 'to that' which unites us rather than that which 'divides us”. Those were Pope Francis’ words on Wednesday during his weekly General Audience as he recalled this Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.
Inviting Christians to pray for this week and also recalling his visit to Lund in Sweden to Commemorate the Reformation, the Pope said “we continue the journey together to deepen our communion and to give it more and more a 'visible form.”
In Europe, the Holy Father stressed, this common faith in Christ is like a green thread of hope” adding that, “communion, unity and reconciliation 'are possible.”
As Christians, he said, “we are responsible for 'this message and we have to bear witness to it with our lives.”
The Pope made the comments while greeting an Ecumenical delegation from Germany.
Also during his audience and continuing his catechesis on Christian hope, Pope Francis reflected on the story of the prophet Jonah, who sought to flee from a difficult mission entrusted to him by the Lord.
He said that, “when the ship that Jonah had boarded was tossed by a storm, the pagan sailors asked him, as a man of God, to pray that they might escape sure death.
The Pope noted that, “the story reminds us of the link between hope and prayer.”
Anguish in the face of death, he added, “often makes us recognize our human frailty and our need to pray for salvation.”
The Holy Father explained that Jonah prays on behalf of the sailors and as a result, “the sailors come to acknowledge the true God.”
He also underlined that “as the paschal mystery of Christ’s death and resurrection makes clear, death itself can be, for each of us, an invitation to hope and an encounter in prayer with the God of our salvation.”
(Vatican Radio) The trial of a former child soldier turned commander in Uganda’s Lord’s Resistance Army has resumed at the International Criminal Court in The Hague.Dominic Ongwen who was allegedly abducted when he was 14 years old and went on to become one of the most feared commanders of the LRA, is pleading not guilty to 70 charges of crimes against humanity and war crimes for acts committed between 2002 and 2005.His defense team is arguing that he himself is a victim of the militia that has, according to the UN, massacred 100,000 people and abducted 60,000 children since its creation around 1987.Isabelle Guitard is Director of Programmes at Child Soldiers International and explains to Linda Bordoni that Ongwen’s case presents particular challenges owing to his status as a former child soldier, which raises questions as to how he should be treated in judicial proceedings.Listen: Guitard says that “Child Soldiers International” believes that D...
(Vatican Radio) The trial of a former child soldier turned commander in Uganda’s Lord’s Resistance Army has resumed at the International Criminal Court in The Hague.
Dominic Ongwen who was allegedly abducted when he was 14 years old and went on to become one of the most feared commanders of the LRA, is pleading not guilty to 70 charges of crimes against humanity and war crimes for acts committed between 2002 and 2005.
His defense team is arguing that he himself is a victim of the militia that has, according to the UN, massacred 100,000 people and abducted 60,000 children since its creation around 1987.
Isabelle Guitard is Director of Programmes at Child Soldiers International and explains to Linda Bordoni that Ongwen’s case presents particular challenges owing to his status as a former child soldier, which raises questions as to how he should be treated in judicial proceedings.
Listen:
Guitard says that “Child Soldiers International” believes that Dominic Ongwen should not avoid all criminal responsibility simply because of his status as a former child soldier.
“We understand that his defense will probably try to exonerate him and he has pleaded ‘not guilty’, and indeed the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court presents grounds for exclusion of criminal responsibility” she says.
She explains that this includes the argument of mental disease which refers to the mental state of the defendant whose ability to appreciate the lawfulness of his actions was potentially destroyed (by the trauma he experienced as a child soldier).
Guitard says there is also the argument of ‘duress’ according to which the defendant was potentially acting under threat of death or another serious threat and so was somewhat compelled to commit a serious act in self-defense.
She says Ongwen’s defense team has indeed indicated it may use some of these arguments, particularly the ‘duress’ argument but it is not known at this stage how they will run it.
“It is a very difficult defense to run, we think” she says.
She says that regarding the argument of mental disease psychiatric evaluation would be necessary and regarding the duress argument there is the requirement of proof that the defendant was not causing a greater harm than the one he was trying to avoid: “this is very difficult to prove”.
She says in the case of Mr. Ongwen who was an adult when he committed the crimes he is accused of.
“He was a very influential commander in the LRA and he is accused of very serious crimes: war crimes and crimes against humanity that he committed over a long period of time” she says.
Guitard says at Child Soldiers International the belief is that his victims, like any other victims, are entitled to justice and reparation like anyone else and that he should not be exonerated.
“We are not talking about punishment here, because he was a victim himself, however when it comes to the sentence, should he be found guilty and criminally responsible for these actions, it would only be fair to consider his former status as a victim as a mitigating circumstance in the determination of his sentence” she says.
Guitard says that at Child Soldiers International they believe that child soldiers should be able to benefit from a rehabilitation programme and be reintegrated in their communities if this is possible.
But she points out that Mr. Ongwen never left the LRA and was immediately indicted when he was arrested, and taken to The Hague.
What Guitard would like to see is that Ongwen’s victims are provided with significant reparation.
In a wider perspective, she says the trial is important on the international scene.
“Without this trial and without the ICC these crimes may never have been investigated because the Ugandan government was unable or unwilling to prosecute Mr. Ongwen or other LRA commanders, so because of these trials we are going to hear the stories of the victims of Mr. Ongwen, we are going to understand more about the behavior of the LRA and about the consequences of the actions in Ugandan society, and the victims may obtain reparation”.
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Wednesday gave a special greeting to a group of children from Bosnia and Herzegovina who have been participating in a special programme to foster inter-community harmony by allowing children from different backgrounds to live together in a neutral setting, which in this case is Sicily.Children from Catholic, Orthodox, and Muslim backgrounds have been living with Sicilian host families from 19 December, and will return home on 21 January. The programme is sponsored by the Luciano Lama Association.“Dear children, spending time together as brothers and sisters with your host families, you have the opportunity to grow in an atmosphere of hope,” – Pope Francis told them during his weekly General Audience – “Only in this way can you young Catholics, Orthodox and Muslims rescue the hope to live in a world which is more fraternal, just and peaceful; more sincere and more humane.”He told them to always remain firm in faith...
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Wednesday gave a special greeting to a group of children from Bosnia and Herzegovina who have been participating in a special programme to foster inter-community harmony by allowing children from different backgrounds to live together in a neutral setting, which in this case is Sicily.
Children from Catholic, Orthodox, and Muslim backgrounds have been living with Sicilian host families from 19 December, and will return home on 21 January. The programme is sponsored by the Luciano Lama Association.
“Dear children, spending time together as brothers and sisters with your host families, you have the opportunity to grow in an atmosphere of hope,” – Pope Francis told them during his weekly General Audience – “Only in this way can you young Catholics, Orthodox and Muslims rescue the hope to live in a world which is more fraternal, just and peaceful; more sincere and more humane.”
He told them to always remain firm in faith and pray for the peace and unity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the whole world.
“I sincerely thank the host families for their example of love and Christian solidarity: Orphans should always be defended, protected and welcomed with love,” – The Pope concluded – “I assure you of my spiritual closeness and I cordially impart upon all of you my Apostolic Blessing.”
National Youth Convention of Catholic youth leaders is being held from January 18 to 22 at St Joseph’s Engineering College, Mangaluru, India. Bishop Henry D’Souza of Bellary, chairman of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) Youth Council, said the convention will focus on promoting leadership among the youth.Over 3,000 youth leaders from across India are attending the convention. The theme of the convention is ‘Touched by Jesus, walking His way’ and the focus will be on ‘preparing tomorrow’s leaders today’.Organised by the Indian Catholic Youth Movement (ICYM) under the auspices of the Youth Council of the CBCI, the tenth national convention is hosted by the Karnataka Region and Mangalore Diocese in collaboration with the dioceses of Udupi, Belthangady and Puttur.Meanwhile, over 8,000 youths will hold a peace rally on January 22. The peace march will begin from Rosario Cathedral Church and culminate at St Aloysius Colleg...
National Youth Convention of Catholic youth leaders is being held from January 18 to 22 at St Joseph’s Engineering College, Mangaluru, India.
Bishop Henry D’Souza of Bellary, chairman of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) Youth Council, said the convention will focus on promoting leadership among the youth.
Over 3,000 youth leaders from across India are attending the convention. The theme of the convention is ‘Touched by Jesus, walking His way’ and the focus will be on ‘preparing tomorrow’s leaders today’.
Organised by the Indian Catholic Youth Movement (ICYM) under the auspices of the Youth Council of the CBCI, the tenth national convention is hosted by the Karnataka Region and Mangalore Diocese in collaboration with the dioceses of Udupi, Belthangady and Puttur.
Meanwhile, over 8,000 youths will hold a peace rally on January 22. The peace march will begin from Rosario Cathedral Church and culminate at St Aloysius College grounds, where Justice Kurian Joseph, Supreme Court judge, will address the youth on constitutional rights and duties – youth responsibility.
ICYM is the largest premier Catholic youth movement. It is spread over 170 dioceses in India spread across 627 districts of the country. The National Youth Convention started in 1989 and it is held once in three years in one of fourteen ecclesiastical regions of India.(UCAN)
