Catholic News 2
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) -- It turns out the moon is older than many scientists suspected: a ripe 4.51 billion years old....
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Six high-level Volkswagen employees from Germany were indicted in the U.S. on Wednesday in the VW emissions-cheating scandal, while the automaker itself agreed to plead guilty to criminal charges and pay $4.3 billion - by far the biggest fine ever levied by the government against an automaker....
CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) -- One by one, family members of nine slain black parishioners confronted Dylann Roof for the last time Wednesday, shouting at him, offering forgiveness and even offering to visit him in prison as he awaits execution for the slaughter....
BEIRUT (AP) -- Nearly two months into the assault, Turkey has become bogged down in an unexpectedly bloody fight to retake the Islamic State group's last stronghold in northern Syria. It has been forced to pour in troops, take the lead in the battle from its Syrian allies and reach out to Russia for aerial support....
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Barraged by questions about Russia, Donald Trump's pick for secretary of state promised a far more muscular approach toward the Kremlin on Wednesday, abandoning much of the president-elect's emphasis on improving ties between the Cold War foes. Instead, Rex Tillerson suggested the outgoing Obama administration responded too softly to Moscow's takeover of Ukrainian territory....
NEW YORK (AP) -- Breaking with presidential precedent, Donald Trump said Wednesday he will continue to profit from his global business empire after he enters the White House this month....
NEW YORK (AP) -- A defiant President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday adamantly denied reports that Russia had compromising personal and financial information about him, calling it a "tremendous blot" on the record of the intelligence community if material with any such allegations had been released....
Church and rights campaigners in Pakistan have expressed alarm over the mysterious disappearance of four progressive activists and bloggers in the space of a week.Salman Haider, a college professor and poet, Ahmad Waqas Goraya, author of a left-wing blog site Rationalist Society of Pakistan, as well as Asim Saeed and Ahmed Raza Naseer, who run Twitter accounts promoting liberal views went missing in Lahore and Islamabad last week.Although it’s not yet clear who is behind the disappearances, they are being seen as an attempt to silence voices critical of state policies, extremists and human rights abuses.A series of protests has been announced by activists in Karachi, Islamabad and Lahore to demand the safe return of the missing men.The Catholic bishop’s National Commission for Justice and Peace has also expressed grave concern over the disappearances that took place between Jan. 4 and Jan 5."The missing professor and the others were talking for people. If they see...
Church and rights campaigners in Pakistan have expressed alarm over the mysterious disappearance of four progressive activists and bloggers in the space of a week.
Salman Haider, a college professor and poet, Ahmad Waqas Goraya, author of a left-wing blog site Rationalist Society of Pakistan, as well as Asim Saeed and Ahmed Raza Naseer, who run Twitter accounts promoting liberal views went missing in Lahore and Islamabad last week.
Although it’s not yet clear who is behind the disappearances, they are being seen as an attempt to silence voices critical of state policies, extremists and human rights abuses.
A series of protests has been announced by activists in Karachi, Islamabad and Lahore to demand the safe return of the missing men.
The Catholic bishop’s National Commission for Justice and Peace has also expressed grave concern over the disappearances that took place between Jan. 4 and Jan 5.
"The missing professor and the others were talking for people. If they seemed provocative, they could have been brought to court and given a chance to defend themselves. I am all with them,” Father Emmanuel Yousaf Mani, national director of the NCJP, told ucanews.com.
In a statement issued on Jan. 9, Pakistan’s independent human rights commission called for the return of the activists and urged the government to fulfil its obligation to provide a safe environment for human rights defenders.
"Pakistan has never been a particularly safe country for rights activists. Many have been killed, injured, abducted and threatened for their work," the commission said in a statement.
"The events of the last week demonstrate that the dangers already extend to digital spaces. We cannot be sure if the four cases are connected but expect that would be looked into as well.
"At the moment, the most important thing is the immediate recovery of all four. We hope the authorities will respond to the urgency of the task at hand, the statement added. (UCAN)
(Vatican Radio) Australia’s ambassador to the Holy See says her government is in “listening mode” and keen to cooperate closely with the Vatican on questions such as disarmament, combatting human trafficking, or promoting child and maternal health.Ambassador Melissa Hitchman, who presented her credentials in September, was sharing her reactions to the Pope’s annual address on Monday to diplomats accredited to the Holy See.She said her country will welcome Pope Francis’ words on global peace, security and migration, while seeking to share expert advice on issues facing the Pacific region.Listen to Ambassador Hitchman’s conversation with Philippa Hitchen: Ambassador Hitchman begins by noting “a certain synergy” with previous papal speeches, as well as the recent message for the 50th World Peace Day. She adds that peace and security is “core business for the Australian government”, both bilaterally and in a multi...
(Vatican Radio) Australia’s ambassador to the Holy See says her government is in “listening mode” and keen to cooperate closely with the Vatican on questions such as disarmament, combatting human trafficking, or promoting child and maternal health.
Ambassador Melissa Hitchman, who presented her credentials in September, was sharing her reactions to the Pope’s annual address on Monday to diplomats accredited to the Holy See.
She said her country will welcome Pope Francis’ words on global peace, security and migration, while seeking to share expert advice on issues facing the Pacific region.
Listen to Ambassador Hitchman’s conversation with Philippa Hitchen:
Ambassador Hitchman begins by noting “a certain synergy” with previous papal speeches, as well as the recent message for the 50th World Peace Day. She adds that peace and security is “core business for the Australian government”, both bilaterally and in a multilateral setting, so the Pope’s focus was of particular interest, especially his words about the need for leadership and the “seeds of concern” both in Europe and beyond.
Pathways to peace
The ambassador says the Pope makes an “important contribution” by saying things “that other global leaders can’t”. She says in terms of achieving peace and security goals, there are “many different pathways” at international, national and regional levels, and her government is ready to work together in grassroots, bilateral and multilateral settings.
Combatting terrorism
Commenting on the Pope’s words about combatting terrorism, she recalls that Australia has had firsthand experience and therefore feels for those in Europe who’ve been affected over the past year. She notes that in his 2016 address, the Pope mentioned some 4 countries that had experienced terrorism whereas this year he mentioned 14.
Cooperating with religious leaders
Ambassador Hitchman says her government works with religious leaders at multilateral level in Geneva and New York, as well as at events like the Davos Forum, where the Pope will send representatives later this month, and the Global Foundation meeting taking place in Rome this weekend. Beyond a government-to-government level, she says there is much interest and participation by Australia in second and third track level cooperation with religious leaders in terms of education and health strategies, as well as full respect for freedom of religion.
Dignified welcome for migrants
Questioned about the Pope’s call for a “dignified welcome” for migrants, the ambassador points to recent action by the Australian government to seek resettlement for refugees currently held in offshore camps, including an agreement that its leaders hope will “continue to be sustained with the U.S. government” for resettlement in America or elsewhere.
Balancing rights and responsibilities
She says she believes the Pope’s words “will be welcomed by the Australian government” which she says promotes a “strong border policy”, but also “a very strong humanitarian programme and a strong refugee resettlement programme, and they work in tandem”. She notes the Pope’s “more nuanced approach” balancing the “responsibilities as well as the rights of migrants, and his concern for the capacity of countries to absorb refugees.
Areas of common concern
Ambassador Hitchman highlights areas of common interest between Australia and the Holy See, including anti-trafficking efforts, disarmament, where Australia has “considerable expertise” and child and maternal health. Australia, she says, is “in listening mode” and is willing to cooperate closely in response to the Pope’s invitation for collaboration with the Vatican Secretariat of State”.
Australian 'value add'
She says her country is especially willing to “value add” by providing advice and targeted cooperation in regions like the Pacific where the Holy See does not have such high levels of diplomatic representation.
Minneapolis, Minn., Jan 11, 2017 / 06:09 am (CNA/EWTN News).- On the night of Jan. 4, Nathan Leonhardt was locking up the Cathedral of St. Paul in Minneapolis when he found something extraordinary.Inside the church doors was a newborn baby boy. Shortly after 6 p.m., local police officers received a call that the baby had been abandoned at the Cathedral.“I was speechless. I froze for what seemed to be 10 seconds, but it was probably more,” stated Leonhardt, according to the Catholic Herald.“They picked a good spot to drop him off. It’s a church – we love children,” Leonhardt continued.Upon the police officers’ arrival, Sgt. Charlie Anderson said that “everybody in that call instantly fell in love” with the child, according to CBS Minnesota.“In this job you see so much bad in people. Violence, death and destruction. It’s just nice to have a call like this every once in a while, to remind you why you wear the badge,...
Minneapolis, Minn., Jan 11, 2017 / 06:09 am (CNA/EWTN News).- On the night of Jan. 4, Nathan Leonhardt was locking up the Cathedral of St. Paul in Minneapolis when he found something extraordinary.
Inside the church doors was a newborn baby boy. Shortly after 6 p.m., local police officers received a call that the baby had been abandoned at the Cathedral.
“I was speechless. I froze for what seemed to be 10 seconds, but it was probably more,” stated Leonhardt, according to the Catholic Herald.
“They picked a good spot to drop him off. It’s a church – we love children,” Leonhardt continued.
Upon the police officers’ arrival, Sgt. Charlie Anderson said that “everybody in that call instantly fell in love” with the child, according to CBS Minnesota.
“In this job you see so much bad in people. Violence, death and destruction. It’s just nice to have a call like this every once in a while, to remind you why you wear the badge,” Sgt. Charlie Anderson stated.
Fr. Ubel baptized the child while waiting for the responders, and named him Nathan John, after the Cathedral custodian who found him. It is Fr. Ubel’s hope that the child will be adopted by a Catholic family. The baby is now in the care of the Ramsey County Child Protective Services.
“The fact that this child was left off at a Catholic church is not an insignificant detail to me,” stated Fr. Ubel.
This case was also something particularly special for Sgt. Anderson, who had been married at the Cathedral of St. Paul and also attended the seminary there for a few years. He is also a father of three children, saying that the call “tugged at his heartstrings.”
When the police arrived at the Cathedral, they knew that they had to makes sure the baby was warm before they transferred him to the Children’s Hospital. According to Sgt. Anderson, the group of responders gathered together for group hug and made sure the baby had enough heat.
But, the officers didn’t go home after that. Instead, they went shopping for the child and bought him some essentials that were delivered to the hospital.
“We picked up some onesies, a bouncer seat, some booties, a monkey hat, a Sophie giraffe toy that all my kids loved,” Sgt. Anderson said.
Although the baby seemed to have been born prematurely, weighing about 5 pounds, he is now safe and in good health. The police are not opening an investigation into the case, and Sgt. Anderson wants the mom to know that she is not in trouble.
In the future, Sgt. Anderson hopes that he will be able to see the child again, saying that the incident will stay with him forever.
“I’ll always think of him. And hopefully one day if that opportunity presents itself, I can think of nothing better.”
