(Vatican Radio) As 2016 draws to a close, many people will be taking stock of the year and its events. So what was this year like for those with disabilities and those who work with them?It was the year that saw the world focus its attention on Paralympic athletes as they took part in Paralympic Games in Brazil. It was also the year that marked the 10th anniversary of the Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities. The Church too shone the spotlight on the issue of disability when the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Culture along with the Kairos Forum sponsored an academic symposium and a conference regarding disability, theology and culture entitled, Living Fully 2016. The aim of the June event was to highlight the gifts of all people, especially people who live with disability.For those who worked tirelessly to make the conference a reality, the year ends on a high note with the issuing of a statement and charter which has been produced directly from the delega...
(Vatican Radio) As 2016 draws to a close, many people will be taking stock of the year and its events. So what was this year like for those with disabilities and those who work with them?
It was the year that saw the world focus its attention on Paralympic athletes as they took part in Paralympic Games in Brazil. It was also the year that marked the 10th anniversary of the Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities. The Church too shone the spotlight on the issue of disability when the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Culture along with the Kairos Forum sponsored an academic symposium and a conference regarding disability, theology and culture entitled, Living Fully 2016. The aim of the June event was to highlight the gifts of all people, especially people who live with disability.
For those who worked tirelessly to make the conference a reality, the year ends on a high note with the issuing of a statement and charter which has been produced directly from the delegates of the Living Fully 2016 events and offers key recommendations.
Cristina Gangemi, is a disability advisor to the Bishops Conference of England and Wales and the Director of the Kairos Forum which seeks to highlight and respond to the spiritual and religious needs of people with disabilities. She spoke to Lydia O’Kane about this major outcome of the conference.
Listen:
“It’s quite different from various other documents that over the past 20 years…what we’ve actually put in the statement is what we the Church believe about disability …”, she said.
“What we hope to do is to take the statement and write a programme of catechesis, so it can move from just being a statement and a charter to action that parishes can engage in to make the words become a reality for them.”
Cristina adds, that “the Church, who is the greatest advocate for the sanctity of all life must be, I feel the first group, institution, organization, universal community that says, “we won’t lag behind…and we will be a leading voice; a shining light in the whole journey of human rights…””
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has appointed a new Director of the Vatican Museums, Barbara Jatta, who is set to take up the post on 1 January 2017.Born in Rome on 6 October 1962, Barbara Jatta previously held the position of Vice-Director of the Vatican Museums.She received her Liberal Arts degree in Letters from the ‘Sapienza’ University in Rome in 1986, a Diploma in Archives at the Vatican School of Paleography the following year, and a specialization in Art History in 1991.Ms. Jatta has taught courses in ‘History of Graphic Art’ since 1994 at the University of Naples.She also worked at the Vatican Apostolic Library from 1996 until 2010.
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has appointed a new Director of the Vatican Museums, Barbara Jatta, who is set to take up the post on 1 January 2017.
Born in Rome on 6 October 1962, Barbara Jatta previously held the position of Vice-Director of the Vatican Museums.
She received her Liberal Arts degree in Letters from the ‘Sapienza’ University in Rome in 1986, a Diploma in Archives at the Vatican School of Paleography the following year, and a specialization in Art History in 1991.
Ms. Jatta has taught courses in ‘History of Graphic Art’ since 1994 at the University of Naples.
She also worked at the Vatican Apostolic Library from 1996 until 2010.
The Holy Father has appointed two Auxiliary bishops for the Archdiocese of Bombay, India, Fr. Allwyn D'Silva and Fr. Barthol Barretto.Fr. Allwyn D'Silva, Episcopal Vicar of Bombay who was born on April 20, 1948 and ordained to priesthood on April 19, 1975 and Fr. Barthol Barretto, parish priest and Vicar Forane of the Archdiocese of Bombay who was born on September 16, 1961 and ordained on April 8, 1989.Fr. Allwyn D'Silva, is assigned the titular see of Dura and Fr. Barthol Barretto is assigned the titular see of Strongoli.
The Holy Father has appointed two Auxiliary bishops for the Archdiocese of Bombay, India, Fr. Allwyn D'Silva and Fr. Barthol Barretto.
Fr. Allwyn D'Silva, Episcopal Vicar of Bombay who was born on April 20, 1948 and ordained to priesthood on April 19, 1975 and Fr. Barthol Barretto, parish priest and Vicar Forane of the Archdiocese of Bombay who was born on September 16, 1961 and ordained on April 8, 1989.
Fr. Allwyn D'Silva, is assigned the titular see of Dura and Fr. Barthol Barretto is assigned the titular see of Strongoli.
(Vatican Radio) Cardinal Reinhard Marx, the President of COMECE and of the German Bishops' Conference, expresses his compassion for the victims and calls for unity after yesterday's act of violence against the Christmas market in Berlin (19 December 2016): "The news from Berlin have deeply shocked me. The violence on the Christmas market is the opposite of what visitors were seeking. My compassion goes to the relatives of the dead and injured. For all of them I will pray. In these difficult hours for the city of Berlin and for our country, it is important for us to hold together and stand united as society. "
(Vatican Radio) Cardinal Reinhard Marx, the President of COMECE and of the German Bishops' Conference, expresses his compassion for the victims and calls for unity after yesterday's act of violence against the Christmas market in Berlin (19 December 2016):
"The news from Berlin have deeply shocked me. The violence on the Christmas market is the opposite of what visitors were seeking. My compassion goes to the relatives of the dead and injured. For all of them I will pray.
In these difficult hours for the city of Berlin and for our country, it is important for us to hold together and stand united as society. "
Vatican City, Dec 20, 2016 / 01:50 am (CNA/EWTN News).- After 12 people were killed when a truck rammed into crowds at a Berlin Christmas market, the German bishops have voiced their sorrow, and have invited people to join them in praying for the victims and their families.“The news from Berlin has deeply shaken me,” Cardinal Reinhard Marx, president of the German Bishops Conference, said in a Dec. 20 statement following the incident.“The violence on the Christmas market is the opposite of what the visitors wanted, and my sympathy goes to the relatives of the dead and the injured, for whom I will pray,” he said, adding that in this “difficult time for the city of Berlin and our country, we must stand together as a society.”According to CNN, the truck barreled into crowds of Christmas shoppers at a Christmas market near the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church in Berlin’s western Breitscheidplatz neighborhood around 8p.m. local time Dec. 19, going ...
Vatican City, Dec 20, 2016 / 01:50 am (CNA/EWTN News).- After 12 people were killed when a truck rammed into crowds at a Berlin Christmas market, the German bishops have voiced their sorrow, and have invited people to join them in praying for the victims and their families.
“The news from Berlin has deeply shaken me,” Cardinal Reinhard Marx, president of the German Bishops Conference, said in a Dec. 20 statement following the incident.
“The violence on the Christmas market is the opposite of what the visitors wanted, and my sympathy goes to the relatives of the dead and the injured, for whom I will pray,” he said, adding that in this “difficult time for the city of Berlin and our country, we must stand together as a society.”
According to CNN, the truck barreled into crowds of Christmas shoppers at a Christmas market near the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church in Berlin’s western Breitscheidplatz neighborhood around 8p.m. local time Dec. 19, going roughly 40 mph.
Berlin police have confirmed that so far 12 people have died and 48 others were injured.
The driver of the truck fled the scene on foot, but was later arrested about a mile and a half from the crash site. Initial reports say the man is either Afghan of Pakistani asylum seeker, however, whether or not he entered Berlin as a refugee earlier this year remains unclear.
A passenger was found dead inside the truck, and a tweet by the Berlin police confirm that the man was a Polish citizen.
The owner of the truck company, Ariel Zurawski, told media that he believes the truck was hijacked, since his cousin, the usual driver, would never have done something like that intentionally, CNN reports.
Although it has yet to be officially confirmed, Berlin police have said they believe the truck was driven into the crowd intentionally, and are treating the incident as a terrorist attack.
In a Dec. 19 tweet shortly after the incident took place, the Archbishop of Berlin, Heiner Kock, sent a tweet thanking the police, paramedics and emergency responders for their service.
He sent another tweet inviting faithful to gather at St. Hedwig’s Cathedral in Berlin for a 12p.m., Dec. 20 prayer service for the victims and their families.
The attack in Berlin comes at a time when fears are heightened regarding the threat of terrorism in Europe.
Just in July an eerily similar attack took place in Nice, France when a truck plowed into crowds celebrating Bastille Day at the city’s Promenade des Anglais, killing 86.
Germany itself has throughout 2016 been the site of other terrorist threats and activities, including several knife attacks on trains as well as shootings and bombings.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="de" dir="ltr">"LKW fährt in Weihnachtsmarkt". Herzliche Einladung zum Gebet für Angehörige und Opfer, morgen, Dienstag, 12.00 Uhr, St. Hedwigs-Kathedrale</p>— Heiner Koch (@ErzbischofKoch) <a href="https://twitter.com/ErzbischofKoch/status/810954293478092801">December 19, 2016</a></blockquote>
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BEIRUT (AP) -- The Latest on the development in the Syrian civil war and the aftermath of the assassination of Russia's ambassador to Turkey (all times local):...
BEIRUT (AP) -- The Latest on the development in the Syrian civil war and the aftermath of the assassination of Russia's ambassador to Turkey (all times local):...
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) -- Russian investigators worked Tuesday to determine whether the assassination of their ambassador to Turkey was the work of a lone gunman or part of a wider conspiracy as the two countries, which have backed opposing sides in the Syrian war, said they would not let the killing disrupt efforts to repair their relationship....
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) -- Russian investigators worked Tuesday to determine whether the assassination of their ambassador to Turkey was the work of a lone gunman or part of a wider conspiracy as the two countries, which have backed opposing sides in the Syrian war, said they would not let the killing disrupt efforts to repair their relationship....
BERLIN (AP) -- Germany must assume a truck plowing through a crowded Christmas market in Berlin was a "terrorist attack," Chancellor Angela Merkel said Tuesday, while authorities expressed uncertainty over whether they had arrested the correct suspect....
BERLIN (AP) -- Germany must assume a truck plowing through a crowded Christmas market in Berlin was a "terrorist attack," Chancellor Angela Merkel said Tuesday, while authorities expressed uncertainty over whether they had arrested the correct suspect....
