Catholic News 2
PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- President-elect Donald Trump is connecting with foreign leaders and considering new Cabinet-prospects Friday as he gathers with family for a long Thanksgiving weekend at his Mar-a-Lago estate....
(Vatican Radio) Drug addiction is a ‘new form of slavery’ and a ‘wound in our society’ which should be combatted with education and rehabilitation.That was Pope Francis’ message to a Vatican conference called ‘Narcotics: Problems and Solutions of this Global Issue’, which was hosted by the Pontifical Academy of Sciences on 23-24 November.Listen to Devin Watkins’ report: Pope Francis told the two-day conference on Narcotics that those who fall into the snares of drugs are victims who have “lost their freedom” in return for “a new form of slavery”.Reflecting on the causes of drug addiction, the Holy Father said it results from a variety of factors: “the absence of a family, social pressure, propaganda from traffickers, the desire to live new experiences”.However, he said, “every addicted person brings with them a distinct personal history, which should be listened to, understood, loved, and, wh...
(Vatican Radio) Drug addiction is a ‘new form of slavery’ and a ‘wound in our society’ which should be combatted with education and rehabilitation.
That was Pope Francis’ message to a Vatican conference called ‘Narcotics: Problems and Solutions of this Global Issue’, which was hosted by the Pontifical Academy of Sciences on 23-24 November.
Listen to Devin Watkins’ report:
Pope Francis told the two-day conference on Narcotics that those who fall into the snares of drugs are victims who have “lost their freedom” in return for “a new form of slavery”.
Reflecting on the causes of drug addiction, the Holy Father said it results from a variety of factors: “the absence of a family, social pressure, propaganda from traffickers, the desire to live new experiences”.
However, he said, “every addicted person brings with them a distinct personal history, which should be listened to, understood, loved, and, where possible, cured and purified. We cannot fall into the injustice of classifying them as if they were objects or broken junk; rather, every person should be valued and appreciated in their dignity in order to be cured. They continue to have, more than ever, dignity as persons and children of God.”
He said it is no surprise that so many people fall into drug addiction since “mundanity offers us a wide spectrum of possibilities to find a fleeting happiness”.
The Pope went on to approach the problem of narcotics from both the supply and demands sides of the equation.
The supply of drugs, he said, is an “important part of organized crime”, and its supply chain must be rooted out and destroyed.
Demand for narcotics, he said, needs to be halted through education, social programmes, and family support.
He said, “Integral human formation is the priority. It gives people the possibility to possess the instruments of discernment, with which they are able to discern various options and help others. This formation is principally oriented to the most vulnerable of a society, such as children and young people, but which is also usefully extended to families and those who suffer any type of marginalization.” Prevention and rehabilitation, he repeated, are both important aspects of the problem of drug addiction.
In conclusion, Pope Francis said, “The most needy of our brothers and sisters, who seemingly have nothing to give, offer us a treasure – the face of God, which speaks to us and challenges us.”
The Salesians of Don Bosco is an international men’s religious congregation started by the 19th century Italian priest St. John Bosco, or simply Don Bosco, in order to serve young people, especially the poor and the disadvantaged. The Salesians who are in India for the past 110 years, recently ventured into an uncharted territory to better serve and interact with local folks. “Radio Salesian 90.8 FM – Voice of the Hills,” is the new enterprise of Salesian College Sonada, in Gorabari village near Sonada town, in the Himalayan foothills of Darjeeling District in India’s West Bengal state. The web version of the community/campus radio, mostly in Nepali language, that one can listen to online at www.salesiancollege.in, was inaugurated on Oct. 28. And its FM radio will be officially inaugurated on Dec. 8. Salesian priest, Fr. CM Paul, a qualified media veteran and enthusiast, is the brain behin...
The Salesians of Don Bosco is an international men’s religious congregation started by the 19th century Italian priest St. John Bosco, or simply Don Bosco, in order to serve young people, especially the poor and the disadvantaged. The Salesians who are in India for the past 110 years, recently ventured into an uncharted territory to better serve and interact with local folks. “Radio Salesian 90.8 FM – Voice of the Hills,” is the new enterprise of Salesian College Sonada, in Gorabari village near Sonada town, in the Himalayan foothills of Darjeeling District in India’s West Bengal state. The web version of the community/campus radio, mostly in Nepali language, that one can listen to online at www.salesiancollege.in, was inaugurated on Oct. 28. And its FM radio will be officially inaugurated on Dec. 8. Salesian priest, Fr. CM Paul, a qualified media veteran and enthusiast, is the brain behind and director of Radio Salesian. To know more about the venture, we called him on his mobile phone in Sonada. Today, Fr. Paul begins the first of this 2-part interview, by explaining in what way Radio Salesian is unique.
Listen:
(Vatican Radio) Preparations are underway in St. Peter’s Square for the nativity scene and the Christmas tree which has been erected, as per tradition, in the middle of the Square. This year’s tree is a 25 meter tall red spruce and is from Trento, in the north of Italy. In its original place, local schoolchildren have planted some 40 new spruce and larch seedlings to replace trees suffering from a parasite that had to be culled. At the end of the Christmas season, the wood from the tree will be used for charity.The ornaments that will adorn it are ceramic, and have been made by children in hospitals across Italy who are receiving treatment for cancer and other illnesses.The tree will also shine brightly thanks to the some 18,000 Christmas lights which have been especially chosen in respect of the environment: their LED technology allows for extremely low energy consumption. The nativity scene is not visible yet but its figures and setting pay tribute to the ...
(Vatican Radio) Preparations are underway in St. Peter’s Square for the nativity scene and the Christmas tree which has been erected, as per tradition, in the middle of the Square.
This year’s tree is a 25 meter tall red spruce and is from Trento, in the north of Italy. In its original place, local schoolchildren have planted some 40 new spruce and larch seedlings to replace trees suffering from a parasite that had to be culled. At the end of the Christmas season, the wood from the tree will be used for charity.
The ornaments that will adorn it are ceramic, and have been made by children in hospitals across Italy who are receiving treatment for cancer and other illnesses.
The tree will also shine brightly thanks to the some 18,000 Christmas lights which have been especially chosen in respect of the environment: their LED technology allows for extremely low energy consumption.
The nativity scene is not visible yet but its figures and setting pay tribute to the people who are forced to flee their countries and undertake dangerous journeys across the sea. According to the International Organization of Migration over 3000 people have died in the Mediterranean this year, but the tally is thought to be higher as many vessels and sinkings go unrecorded.
Hailing from the island of Malta, the Nativity Scene will measure 19 meters in width, and it will feature 17 statues dressed in traditional Maltese costumes as well as a replica of a traditional “Luzzu” Maltese boat.
The boat not only represents tradition - fish and life - but also, unfortunately the realities of migrants who in these same waters cross the sea on makeshift boats to Italy.
Both the Nativity and the Christmas tree will be lit on December 9, and will remain illuminated until Sunday, January 8.
(Vatican Radio) A communiqué released on Thursday by the Governatorate of Vatican City State informs the general public that lottery tickets for Pope Francis’ charities are on sale. The funds collected will be distributed in part to assist those affected by the earthquakes that struck central Italy on 24 August and 30 October, and in part to aid the homeless. The Lottery will end on 2 February 2017 with the drawing of the winning tickets. Tickets cost 10 euros each and are on sale on Vatican territory and through the website: www.vaticanstate.vaFor further information you can write to the Events Coordinator of the Governorate of Vatican City State: eventi@scv.va.
(Vatican Radio) A communiqué released on Thursday by the Governatorate of Vatican City State informs the general public that lottery tickets for Pope Francis’ charities are on sale.
The funds collected will be distributed in part to assist those affected by the earthquakes that struck central Italy on 24 August and 30 October, and in part to aid the homeless.
The Lottery will end on 2 February 2017 with the drawing of the winning tickets.
Tickets cost 10 euros each and are on sale on Vatican territory and through the website: www.vaticanstate.va
For further information you can write to the Events Coordinator of the Governorate of Vatican City State: eventi@scv.va.
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has sent a letter on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of St John Paul II’s words to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Alice Springs, Australia on 29 November 1986.The letter was sent to the Chairperson of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council (NATSICC), John Lochowiak, by the Apostolic Nuncio to Canberra Archbishop Adolfo Tito Yllana.The Holy Father writes that, “this anniversary affords me the happy opportunity to express my deep esteem for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and for your ancient cultural heritage”.He also draws from the words of Pope John II which stress, "your culture, which shows the lasting genius and dignity of your race, must not be allowed to disappear. Do not think that your gifts are worth so little that you should no longer bother to maintain them. Share them with each other and teach them to your children. Your songs, your stories, your pain...
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has sent a letter on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of St John Paul II’s words to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Alice Springs, Australia on 29 November 1986.
The letter was sent to the Chairperson of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council (NATSICC), John Lochowiak, by the Apostolic Nuncio to Canberra Archbishop Adolfo Tito Yllana.
The Holy Father writes that, “this anniversary affords me the happy opportunity to express my deep esteem for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and for your ancient cultural heritage”.
He also draws from the words of Pope John II which stress, "your culture, which shows the lasting genius and dignity of your race, must not be allowed to disappear. Do not think that your gifts are worth so little that you should no longer bother to maintain them. Share them with each other and teach them to your children. Your songs, your stories, your paintings, your dances, your languages, must never be lost."
In July the Pope’s prayer intention was for Respect for Indigenous Peoples.
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis said eternal damnation is not a torture chamber but distance from God and warned Christians never to converse with the devil, calling him a seducer who ruins lives. His words came during his Mass celebrated on Friday morning in the chapel of the Santa Marta residence.Continuing his reflections on the end of the world, the Pope’s homily focused on the day’s reading from the Book of Revelation that describes how the angel seizes the serpent, chains it up and throws it into the abyss which is then locked and sealed. He said the serpent or devil is thrown into the abyss “so that it would no longer lead the nations astray” because it is the seducer.“He is a liar and what’s more is the father of lies, he generates lies and is a trickster. He makes you believe that if you eat this apple you will be like a God. He sells it to you like this and you buy it and in the end he tricks you, deceives you and ruins your life. ‘...
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis said eternal damnation is not a torture chamber but distance from God and warned Christians never to converse with the devil, calling him a seducer who ruins lives. His words came during his Mass celebrated on Friday morning in the chapel of the Santa Marta residence.
Continuing his reflections on the end of the world, the Pope’s homily focused on the day’s reading from the Book of Revelation that describes how the angel seizes the serpent, chains it up and throws it into the abyss which is then locked and sealed. He said the serpent or devil is thrown into the abyss “so that it would no longer lead the nations astray” because it is the seducer.
“He is a liar and what’s more is the father of lies, he generates lies and is a trickster. He makes you believe that if you eat this apple you will be like a God. He sells it to you like this and you buy it and in the end he tricks you, deceives you and ruins your life. ‘But father, what can we do to avoid being deceived by the devil?’ Jesus teaches us: never converse with the devil. One does not converse with him. What did Jesus do with the devil? He chased him away, he asked his name but did not hold a dialogue with him.”
Pope Francis went on to explain how when Jesus was in the wilderness he defended himself when replying to the devil by using the Word of God and the Word of the Bible. Therefore, he said, we must never converse with this liar and trickster who seeks our ruin and who for this reason will be thrown into the abyss.
The Pope noted that the reading from Revelation describes how the Lord will judge the great and the lowly “according to their deeds” with the damned being thrown into the pool of fire and he said this is the “second death.”
“Eternal damnation is not a torture chamber. That’s a description of this second death: it is a death. And those who will not be received in the Kingdom of God, it's because they have not drawn close to the Lord. These are the people who journeyed along their own path, distancing themselves from the Lord and passing in front of the Lord but then choosing to walk away from Him. Eternal damnation is continually distancing oneself from God. It is the worst pain, an unsatisfied heart, a heart that was created to find God but which, out of arrogance and self-confidence, distances itself from God.”
Pope Francis said distancing oneself from God who gives happiness and who loves us so much is the “fire” and the road to eternal damnation. Noting how the final image in the reading from Revelation ends with a vision of hope the Pope concluded his homily by saying if we open up our hearts with humility we too will have joy and salvation and will be forgiven by Jesus.
“Hope is what opens our hearts to the encounter with Jesus. This is what awaits us: the encounter with Jesus. It’s beautiful, very beautiful. And He asks us only to be humble and say ‘Lord.’ It’s enough to say that word and He will do the rest.”
(Vatican Radio) Growing numbers of Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar poured into neighbouring Bangladesh this week, with some feared drowned after a boat sank in a river during a bid to flee escalating violence.The Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK is calling for urgent action from the international community to press the Myanmar government to lift all restrictions on humanitarian aid in Rakhine State. It says alarming reports are being received from the ground that people are slowly starving to death.At least 160,000 Rohingya are in desperate need of food, life-saving medical assistance and other forms of aid.Meanwhile Human Rights Watch has released a batch of recent satellite images that show whole villages burnt to the ground.The military admits it is conducting security operations in Rakhine but the government denies it is razing homes.Tun Khin is the President of the Burmese Rohingya Organization in the UK. He told Vatican Radio’s Linda Bordoni that persecution against...
(Vatican Radio) Growing numbers of Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar poured into neighbouring Bangladesh this week, with some feared drowned after a boat sank in a river during a bid to flee escalating violence.
The Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK is calling for urgent action from the international community to press the Myanmar government to lift all restrictions on humanitarian aid in Rakhine State.
It says alarming reports are being received from the ground that people are slowly starving to death.At least 160,000 Rohingya are in desperate need of food, life-saving medical assistance and other forms of aid.
Meanwhile Human Rights Watch has released a batch of recent satellite images that show whole villages burnt to the ground.
The military admits it is conducting security operations in Rakhine but the government denies it is razing homes.
Tun Khin is the President of the Burmese Rohingya Organization in the UK. He told Vatican Radio’s Linda Bordoni that persecution against the Rohingya Muslims goes back a long time:
Listen to the interview:
Tun Khin explains that the Rohingya have been discriminated against for decades but currently they are severe persecuted with killings, the raping of Rohingya women and the burning of whole villages.
He says hundreds of Rohingya people have been injured in attacks are not receiving medical aid. People are dying from injuries as they cannot receive treatment as their movement is restricted.
Hunger is one of the factors forcing Rohingya people to attempt to flee to Bangladesh, but they are being turned back at the border.
Tun Khin speaks of racism in Myanmar that has always set the Rohingya community apart. He explains they were recognized as a Burmese ethinic group but denied Burmese citizenship so they are effectively a stateless people.
He appeals for international recognition of the situation and of the Rohingya cause and for humanitarian intervention or else – he says “the Rohingyas will be wiped out” from Burma.
Vatican Weekend for November 27, 2016 features our weekly reflection,"There’s More in the Sunday Gospel than Meets the Eye" and "Joan Knows:" EWTN’s Rome Bureau Chief, Joan Lewis looks back on the Pope’s activities and the past week’s events in the Vatican.Listen to the programme presented and produced by Tracey McClure:
Vatican Weekend for November 27, 2016 features our weekly reflection,"There’s More in the Sunday Gospel than Meets the Eye" and "Joan Knows:" EWTN’s Rome Bureau Chief, Joan Lewis looks back on the Pope’s activities and the past week’s events in the Vatican.
Listen to the programme presented and produced by Tracey McClure:
(Vatican Radio) Church people in India have deplored Jharkhand state in Eastern India, amending a law allowing the acquisition of tribal lands for industries and mining, ignoring widespread protest from tribal people against the move.The state government run by Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) passed the amendment Wednesday. The amendment removes an earlier blanket ban imposed by law on either the state or individuals acquiring tribal land. The state government, keen to lure investment to one of the country's poorest states, has proposed amendments to two pieces of legislation to allow it to buy up protected tribal land to lease to investors for non-agricultural purposes."The Jharkhand government is attempting to dilute the rights of tribals guaranteed by the Constitution," said Premchand Murmu, a protest leader and member of the rights group Adivasi Buddhijeevi Manch, which organised Thursday's rally."We plan to continue our agitation until we...
(Vatican Radio) Church people in India have deplored Jharkhand state in Eastern India, amending a law allowing the acquisition of tribal lands for industries and mining, ignoring widespread protest from tribal people against the move.
The state government run by Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) passed the amendment Wednesday. The amendment removes an earlier blanket ban imposed by law on either the state or individuals acquiring tribal land. The state government, keen to lure investment to one of the country's poorest states, has proposed amendments to two pieces of legislation to allow it to buy up protected tribal land to lease to investors for non-agricultural purposes.
"The Jharkhand government is attempting to dilute the rights of tribals guaranteed by the Constitution," said Premchand Murmu, a protest leader and member of the rights group Adivasi Buddhijeevi Manch, which organised Thursday's rally.
"We plan to continue our agitation until we achieve our goals," he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. The rally held up traffic and blocked roads in the state capital Ranchi, as people marched in traditional costumes, carrying bows and arrows, as well as placards with anti-government slogans.
The ban aimed at protecting the land of uneducated and poverty stricken tribal people, who might sell of their land — the only source of their income — at throw away prices and become destitute. However, the amendment now enables anyone to buy tribal lands for industrial and mining purposes.
The bill was passed amid vociferous opposition in the 82-seat state legislative assembly, where the BJP and its allies have 43 seats. The state, created in 2000 purportedly to advance tribal welfare, has some 33 million people, some 26 percent of them belonging to indigenous communities.
The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes had earlier submitted a report to the federal government advising against the state's plans to amend the two colonial-era laws - the Chotanagpur Tenancy Act and the Santhal Pargana Tenancy Act.
The amendment "will hurt the poor tribal people in the state and their existence itself will come under jeopardy," said Auxiliary Bishop Telesphore Bilung of Ranchi, based in the state capital.
Opponents of the bill say the move will help transnational corporations take over vast areas of tribal lands, resulting in large scale displacement and migration of tribal people, seriously affecting their community life and existence.
Bishop Bilung, himself a tribal, said most tribal people live in the villages and depend solely on farming and forest produce for existence. "The amendment has put their life into serious danger," he said.
The church will oppose "this move that makes land open to anyone to sell and buy tribal lands," the bishop told ucanews.com as Christians joined hundreds of people for a Nov. 25 protest demonstration across the state.
About 1.5 million people in the state are Christians, at least half of them Catholics, and vast majority of them tribal people.
State chief Minister Raghubar Das told the state assembly that the amendment was in the interest of the state and the people. "The poor and the indigenous people are going to benefit the most from it," he said, arguing that industries and mines will bring more employment and financial benefits to the people.
Other State government officials say the move will help provide land to build much-needed infrastructure, and that the interests of indigenous people will be protected.
"The amendment has been proposed after wide consultations and in the interest of the people," said Revenue Minister Amar Kumar Bauri. "We have done this to ensure that the construction of critical infrastructure such as hospitals, roads, supply of electricity do not face trouble," he said.
Earlier, the church and other social forums working for indigenous communities held several protest meetings against the move. However, Das blamed the Christian community for inflaming the protest and said those behind it are people who want to convert the poor.
The opposition Jharkhand Mukti Morcha has also presented a memorandum to the state governor Draupadi Murmu urging her not give her consent to the amendment, which is necessary for it become law.
Conflicts over land in India have increased as the economy expands and more land is sought for industrial use and development projects. While several laws have been introduced in the past decade to protect the rights of farmers and indigenous people, some laws have been diluted in their implementation and not always helped the most vulnerable, activists say.
(Source: Reuters; UCANews.com)
