Catholic News 2
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Hacked emails released in daily dispatches this past week by the WikiLeaks group exposed the inner workings of Hillary Clinton's campaign leading up to her 2015 announcement that she would seek the presidency, and through this year's primary....
(Vatican) Pope Francis on Saturday appointed a bishop to the Diocese of Jowai in north-east India’s Meghalaya state. He transferred Bishop Victor Lyngdoh of Nongstoin to Jowai, both suffragans of Shillong Archdiocese. At the same time, the Pope nominated Archbishop Dominic Jala of Shillong as Apostolic Administrator of Nongstoin.Pope Benedict XVI erected the Diocese of Jowai in 2006, and appointed Father Vincent Kympat as its first bishop. Bishop Kympat died on July 30, 2011, leaving the see vacant until Pope Francis on 3 February 2014, recalled Archbishop Emeritus Thomas Menamparampil of Guwahati from his retirement to be the Apostolic Administrator of Jowai. With the appointment of Bishop Victor Lyngdoh to Jowai, Archbishop Menamparampil, who served as the bishop of Dibrugarh for 11 years and the Archbishop of Guwahati for 20 years before his retirement on 18 January 2012, will resume his retired life.
(Vatican) Pope Francis on Saturday appointed a bishop to the Diocese of Jowai in north-east India’s Meghalaya state. He transferred Bishop Victor Lyngdoh of Nongstoin to Jowai, both suffragans of Shillong Archdiocese. At the same time, the Pope nominated Archbishop Dominic Jala of Shillong as Apostolic Administrator of Nongstoin.
Pope Benedict XVI erected the Diocese of Jowai in 2006, and appointed Father Vincent Kympat as its first bishop. Bishop Kympat died on July 30, 2011, leaving the see vacant until Pope Francis on 3 February 2014, recalled Archbishop Emeritus Thomas Menamparampil of Guwahati from his retirement to be the Apostolic Administrator of Jowai. With the appointment of Bishop Victor Lyngdoh to Jowai, Archbishop Menamparampil, who served as the bishop of Dibrugarh for 11 years and the Archbishop of Guwahati for 20 years before his retirement on 18 January 2012, will resume his retired life.
(Vatican Radio) The Holy See has called attention to the plight of refugee children at a United Nations General Assembly session on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Children.“These children in extremely vulnerable situations need protection and are entitled to the rights guaranteed under the Convention on the Rights of the Child,” said Archbishop Bernardito Auza, the Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations.“It is therefore urgent to ensure that measures and policies are in place wherever these children are to be found, like refugee routes and passageways of clandestine migrants,” he continued. The full address can be found below Statement by H.E. Archbishop Bernardito AuzaApostolic Nuncio, Permanent Observer of the Holy SeeSeventy-First Session of the United Nations General AssemblyThird Committee Agenda Item 64:Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Children Madam Chair,The most recent reports on the situatio...
(Vatican Radio) The Holy See has called attention to the plight of refugee children at a United Nations General Assembly session on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Children.
“These children in extremely vulnerable situations need protection and are entitled to the rights guaranteed under the Convention on the Rights of the Child,” said Archbishop Bernardito Auza, the Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations.
“It is therefore urgent to ensure that measures and policies are in place wherever these children are to be found, like refugee routes and passageways of clandestine migrants,” he continued.
The full address can be found below
Statement by H.E. Archbishop Bernardito Auza
Apostolic Nuncio, Permanent Observer of the Holy See
Seventy-First Session of the United Nations General Assembly
Third Committee Agenda Item 64:
Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Children
Madam Chair,
The most recent reports on the situation of children in the world present a global picture that is, at first sight, rather encouraging. Serious surveys and solid analyses on health and vital records of children show that since the 1990s, the global mortality rate of children under the age of five has been reduced by more than half. In the last 15 years, all regions in the world registered major progress in child survival rates. These improvements were particularly significant in sub-Saharan Africa.
Maternal mortality rates have also been significantly reduced. In the same period that saw such dramatic reduction in child mortality, maternal deaths also decreased by 43 percent. School enrollment, access to safe water and a number of other vital and social indicators also showed steady progress. While these advances happened in a variety of contexts, indicating that progress can be achieved in highly differentiated economic, social and political environments, they were even more impressive in some of the world’s poorest countries.
These noteworthy achievements have been accompanied, however, by very negative data: 16,000 children are still dying every day, mostly from preventable or treatable causes; nearly half of all deaths in children under the age of five are due to malnutrition and under-nutrition; about a third of nearly 230 million children worldwide under the age of five have not been officially recorded, depriving them of their right to a name and nationality; millions of children are HIV infected; about one third of women worldwide between 20 and 24 years old were child brides; every 10 minutes, somewhere in the world a girl dies as a result of violence.
The grave humanitarian crises in many regions of the world have exacerbated this already disheartening picture. Fifty million children around the world are on the move. They are running from conflict, extreme poverty and various forms of abuse and exploitation. Their numbers have dramatically increased in recent years. For instance, according to Catholic Charities, the number of unaccompanied children apprehended at the U.S./Mexico border between 2004 and 2011 averaged 6,800 per year. In 2012, that total jumped to over 13,000 children, then to 24,000 in 2013, and then up to 90,000 in 2014. A couple of weeks ago, 10,000 refugees and migrants, in just two days, were rescued from sinking boats in the Mediterranean Sea. Between 20 and 40 percent of them were unaccompanied children.
Refugee and migrant children, in particular unaccompanied ones, face multiple dangers. They are prime targets for traffickers and exploiters. When a boat sinks, they are the most likely to drown. They are the first ones to suffer hunger and thirst. They are the most vulnerable to extreme weather as they move through deserts and forests.
These children in extremely vulnerable situations need protection and are entitled to the rights guaranteed under the Convention on the Rights of the Child. It is therefore urgent to ensure that measures and policies are in place wherever these children are to be found, like refugee routes and passageways of clandestine migrants.
Madam Chair,
Millions more children are caught in situations of conflict, trapped in situations of extreme poverty or live in areas of extreme environmental vulnerability. These harrowing situations of children remind us to commit ourselves to fighting the root causes of their sufferings. The Holy See notes with particular sadness that the primary cause of today’s mass displacements of populations is man-made: namely, wars and conflicts. Indeed, twenty-eight million of the fifty million children on the move were driven away from their homes by conflict. The Secretary-General’s reports on Children and Armed Conflict contain horrible lists of violations against the rights of children, which have been increasing both in number and in intensity. In certain conflicts, up to 40 percent of the victims are children. Never in recent memory have so many children been subjected to such violent brutality: children used as soldiers, suicide bombers, sex slaves, and disposable intelligence-gatherers in the most dangerous military operations. The deliberate destruction of their schools and hospitals in total disregard of international humanitarian law has become a strategy of war. As the Secretary-General stated in his 2015 report, “The impact on children of our collective failure to prevent and end conflict is severe.”
Since human choices provoke conflicts and wars, it is well within our power and responsibility to address the conflicts and wars that drive millions to become refugees, forced migrants and internally displaced persons, including millions of children. The Holy See thus pleads for a common commitment on the part of individual governments and the International Community to bring to an end every situation of violence, fighting, and hatred, and to pursue peace and reconciliation. While we wait for an end to these conflicts, it is nevertheless urgent to collaborate to alleviate the sufferings of children caught in the snares.
Madame Chair,
Other serious violations of the rights of children exist, among them child labour. Pope Francis has appealed to the International Community to “unite and renew [its] efforts to remove this cause of modern slavery, which deprives millions of children of some fundamental rights and exposes them to serious dangers.”
The dramatic progress made in the reductions in child mortality and increased access to schooling and safe drinking water must strengthen our resolve to bring similar progress to areas in which millions of children still suffer extraordinary indignities each day.
Thank you, Madame Chair.
(Vatican Radio) Environmental groups said nations have reached a deal this morning to limit the use of greenhouse gases far more powerful than carbon dioxide in an effort to further protect the environment.Listen to Ann Schneible’s report: Around 150 countries have agreed to limit the use of hydro-fluoro-carbon – or “HFC” greenhouse gases in a bid to protect the Earth's climate.Delegates worked through the night in the Rwandan capital to reach an agreement that would suit both developed and developing countries.Under the deal, developed nations commit to reducing their use of the chemicals sooner than poorer countries.HFCs are used in refrigeration and air conditioning: scientists believe they are playing a growing role in driving up global temperatures, especially as air-conditioning technology becomes more affordable for people in developing markets and more widely used in developing nations.Saturday’s agreement comes nearly three decades ...
(Vatican Radio) Environmental groups said nations have reached a deal this morning to limit the use of greenhouse gases far more powerful than carbon dioxide in an effort to further protect the environment.
Listen to Ann Schneible’s report:
Around 150 countries have agreed to limit the use of hydro-fluoro-carbon – or “HFC” greenhouse gases in a bid to protect the Earth's climate.
Delegates worked through the night in the Rwandan capital to reach an agreement that would suit both developed and developing countries.
Under the deal, developed nations commit to reducing their use of the chemicals sooner than poorer countries.
HFCs are used in refrigeration and air conditioning: scientists believe they are playing a growing role in driving up global temperatures, especially as air-conditioning technology becomes more affordable for people in developing markets and more widely used in developing nations.
Saturday’s agreement comes nearly three decades after the globally ratified 1987 Montreal Protocol, which eliminated various gasses believed to harm the ozone.
Per the new agreement, wealthier countries, including the United States and those in the European Union, will implement restrictions on the use of HFCs within the next few years.
Developing countries will cut their use of HFC in the next decade or more.
(Vatican Radio) The Vatican delegation to the United Nations this week spoke on the issue of universal jurisdiction at a session of the UN General Assembly.It could be an important tool to ensure accountability and prevent impunity in case of serious violations of international humanitarian law and human rights, and to offer redress to victims,” – said Archbishop Bernardito Auza, the Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations – “When traditional bases of jurisdiction are unable to address some heinous crimes, and when no international tribunal has competence, universal jurisdiction could become a necessary tool.”The Vatican diplomat said it is also important to safeguard the principle of universal jurisdiction from improper uses or ends.“One such safeguard would be ensuring that its application take place in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and international legal norms, including the sovereignty of States and nati...
(Vatican Radio) The Vatican delegation to the United Nations this week spoke on the issue of universal jurisdiction at a session of the UN General Assembly.
It could be an important tool to ensure accountability and prevent impunity in case of serious violations of international humanitarian law and human rights, and to offer redress to victims,” – said Archbishop Bernardito Auza, the Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations – “When traditional bases of jurisdiction are unable to address some heinous crimes, and when no international tribunal has competence, universal jurisdiction could become a necessary tool.”
The Vatican diplomat said it is also important to safeguard the principle of universal jurisdiction from improper uses or ends.
“One such safeguard would be ensuring that its application take place in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and international legal norms, including the sovereignty of States and national territorial integrity,” – Archbishop Auza said – “The use of universal jurisdiction to further political or ideological goals, or merely to intervene in the internal affairs of other States, would disregard principles of international law, including the sovereign equality of States. Such misuse of the principle would only bring the principle of universal jurisdiction into disrepute.”
The full statement is below
Statement by H.E. Archbishop Bernardito Auza
Apostolic Nuncio, Permanent Observer of the Holy See
Seventy-first Session of the United Nations General Assembly
Sixth Committee Agenda Item 85:
The scope and application of the principle of universal jurisdiction
Mr. Chair,
My delegation begins from the premise that universal jurisdiction, if it is well understood and
respects the principle of subsidiarity, has the potential to serve the common good and to
reinforce the protection of peoples. It could be an important tool to ensure accountability and
prevent impunity in case of serious violations of international humanitarian law and human
rights, and to offer redress to victims. When traditional bases of jurisdiction are unable to
address some heinous crimes, and when no international tribunal has competence, universal
jurisdiction could become a necessary tool.
The proper scope and application of universal jurisdiction is a complex issue and many
aspects of its scope and application still need to be defined and fine-tuned to gain legitimacy.
Many delegations have frequently pointed out to the Committee that the need for consistency
of universal jurisdiction is consistent with both the fundamental principles of criminal justice,
such as nullum crimen, nulla poena sine lege, the right to due process, the presumption of
innocence, etc., and with customary international law requires a concrete understanding of
when and why States could exercise jurisdiction over crimes committed outside of their
territory based neither on the nationality of the perpetrator nor the victim.
There is therefore a need to reach greater clarity on the conditions that should be place upon
the exercise of such jurisdiction of last resort, and to discuss how to safeguard national legal
systems, helping them to be fair, just and efficient; and on what ought to be the extent and the
admissibility of official immunities in universal jurisdiction cases.
My delegation thus recommends that the work of collecting expert opinions, of examining
case studies and of pursuing discussions on these questions should continue. This Committee,
with the collaboration of other bodies like the International Law Commission and the various
International Tribunals, is in a privileged position to further the discussions and debates on
these specific issues on which, in most cases, an international consensus still has to emerge.
There is therefore a need for increased mutual legal cooperation and sharing of experiences
learned in the application of the principle of universal jurisdiction.
Mr. Chair,
It is likewise important to safeguard the principle of universal jurisdiction from improper uses
or ends. One such safeguard would be ensuring that its application take place in accordance
with the Charter of the United Nations and international legal norms, including the
sovereignty of States and national territorial integrity. The use of universal jurisdiction to
further political or ideological goals, or merely to intervene in the internal affairs of other
States, would disregard principles of international law, including the sovereign equality of
States. Such misuse of the principle would only bring the principle of universal jurisdiction
into disrepute.
Mr. Chair,
My delegation will continue to follow with great interest the Committee's discussions on the
scope and application of the principle of universal jurisdiction, given the great potential good
that this principle could have in some specific situations of flagrant and massive violations of
human rights and international humanitarian law, Indeed, in cases where justice becomes
impossible to enforce at the national level, universal jurisdiction may be necessary to ensure
that atrocities against human rights and humanitarian law do not go unpunished.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Saturday morning met privately with the President of Argentina, Mauricio Macri. The president was accompanied by his wife, and their family.The Holy See Press Office did not issue a statement after the meeting, but President Macri told journalists it was “good” and “positive,” and that the two men discussed a variety of issues.The Argentinian leader is in Rome for the canonization of Jose Gabriel del Rosario Brochero, the Argentinian known as the “the Gaucho priest,” and one of seven people to be canonized on 16 October 2016.
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Saturday morning met privately with the President of Argentina, Mauricio Macri. The president was accompanied by his wife, and their family.
The Holy See Press Office did not issue a statement after the meeting, but President Macri told journalists it was “good” and “positive,” and that the two men discussed a variety of issues.
The Argentinian leader is in Rome for the canonization of Jose Gabriel del Rosario Brochero, the Argentinian known as the “the Gaucho priest,” and one of seven people to be canonized on 16 October 2016.
Sunni Muslim groups have coordinated mass demonstrations across Pakistan, chanting slogans and displaying signs calling for the Christian woman Asia Bibi to be hanged. Their protests were sparked by the Supreme Court’s postponement of the decision on the case of the mother of five, sentenced to death for blasphemy in 2010, and still waiting for the judgement in her final appeal. Hundreds of members and supporters of Tehreek-e-Labaik Ya Rasool Allah gathered this week in Karachi, Islamabad and Lahore to protest against the woman, now in prison for six years on charges of blasphemy. “It will be a war if accursed Asia escapes. We are united to guard the honor of Rasool Allah, we are His servants,” Mukhtar, on one of many protesters in Lahore supporting the hanging of the Christian woman told AsiaNews. “Was Pakistan formed to hang the lovers and spare blasphemers. Why is Asia Bibi not hanged even after the death sentence by La...
Sunni Muslim groups have coordinated mass demonstrations across Pakistan, chanting slogans and displaying signs calling for the Christian woman Asia Bibi to be hanged. Their protests were sparked by the Supreme Court’s postponement of the decision on the case of the mother of five, sentenced to death for blasphemy in 2010, and still waiting for the judgement in her final appeal. Hundreds of members and supporters of Tehreek-e-Labaik Ya Rasool Allah gathered this week in Karachi, Islamabad and Lahore to protest against the woman, now in prison for six years on charges of blasphemy.
“It will be a war if accursed Asia escapes. We are united to guard the honor of Rasool Allah, we are His servants,” Mukhtar, on one of many protesters in Lahore supporting the hanging of the Christian woman told AsiaNews. “Was Pakistan formed to hang the lovers and spare blasphemers. Why is Asia Bibi not hanged even after the death sentence by Lahore High Court and Supreme Court,” he asked, warning “the government will pay if it acts on foreign agenda and betrays us.”
Meanwhile, a high ranking Punjab judge has offered to become part of the appeals panel and sya he would confirm the death penalty issued in the first instance by the High Court of Lahore. "I have long studied the case - the Assistant Attorney General Chaudhry Ahmad Zubair Farooq said yesterday - and overwhelming evidence and testimonies have emerged against the defendant".
Bishop Shukardin Samson of Hyderabad, Sindh Province, explained to AsiaNews that it is the competence of the Supreme Court, to decide "whether to listen or not" to the opinion of the prosecutor. The problem, said the prelate, "is that there are extremist groups who are paying great attention to a story that has taken on international significance."
Meanwhile, many Christians and members of activist groups have vented their frustration on social networks. Benjamín Yousaf, Executive Director of NGO Dignity First, in defense of the Christian, wrote on Facebook that "the judges seemed unprepared" despite studying the case for 15 months. Timna Khan explained that "even the jury knows she is innocent, but they cannot judge because the mullahs hold the law hostage”.
A firm condemnation of the protests of the Islamic extremist groups was expressed by Muhammad Tahseen, a Muslim and leader of a forum that includes more than 50 associations and movements in defense of human rights: "The case against Asia Bibi is wrong and the blasphemy laws should be removed from the Constitution" of the country, he stated. (Source: AsiaNews)
Five in six children under two years old in developing countries are not getting enough of the right kinds of food, putting them at risk of irreversible mental and physical damage, the U.N. children's agency UNICEF said on Friday. Half of children aged between six and 23 months are not being fed frequently enough, UNICEF said. And a widespread lack of solid foods and variety of ingredients are depriving the same age group of essential nutrients when their growing brains, bones and bodies need them the most, the agency said. Even in well-off families in developing countries, "far too many" infants and young children are missing out, the agency said in a report published ahead of World Food Day on Oct 16."How can it be that in 2016 we still have so many children who are not getting enough nutrition (for) healthy growth?" France Begin, senior nutrition adviser at UNICEF in New York, said in a telephone interview. "The first two yea...
Five in six children under two years old in developing countries are not getting enough of the right kinds of food, putting them at risk of irreversible mental and physical damage, the U.N. children's agency UNICEF said on Friday. Half of children aged between six and 23 months are not being fed frequently enough, UNICEF said. And a widespread lack of solid foods and variety of ingredients are depriving the same age group of essential nutrients when their growing brains, bones and bodies need them the most, the agency said. Even in well-off families in developing countries, "far too many" infants and young children are missing out, the agency said in a report published ahead of World Food Day on Oct 16.
"How can it be that in 2016 we still have so many children who are not getting enough nutrition (for) healthy growth?" France Begin, senior nutrition adviser at UNICEF in New York, said in a telephone interview. "The first two years of life ... is a window of opportunity you don't want to miss," she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
Improving the quality and quantity of mealtimes for young children could save 100,000 lives a year, reduce health costs and improve productivity in adult life, the U.N. agency said. Meal rates are lowest in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa where stunting rates are highest - meaning that children's heights are low compared to their age. Less than one third of infants and young children in developing countries are fed enough of a variety of foods, leaving the majority at risk of undernutrition, the report said. Another concern is that a third of children are not being given solid foods at the recommended age of six months, the agency said. In 2000, the proportion was half of children that age.
Junk food high in fat, sugar and salt but low in micronutrients and protein, are becoming more common in children's diets in both rich and poor countries, Begin said. Studies in Senegal, Nepal, Tanzania and Cambodia found a large number of children eating unhealthy snacks, mainly in towns and cities but also in rural areas, she said. The foods are heavily promoted by companies in many countries, and parents do not necessarily know they are unhealthy for their children, Begin said. (Source: TRF)
(Vatican Radio) On the morning of Sunday, October 15, Pope Francis presides over Holy Mass for the canonization of seven new Saints.Two of the new Saints are martyrs: José Sánchez del Río, a 14-year-old boy who was killed in 1928 in Mexico during the “Cristero” struggle which opposed the government's anti-Catholic and anticlerical policies. Under torture José refused to disown his faith; a handwritten note addressed to his mother and found on his dead body read: “I promise that in heaven I will prepare a place for all of you. Your José dies defending the Catholic faith for the love of Christ the King and Our Lady of Guadalupe”.The first martyr belonging to the La Salle Order, killed in 1792 during the French Revolution. His name is Salomone Leclercq; he too chose to die in the defense of his faith.Then there is “Cura Brochero” (José Gabriel del Rosario Brochero), an Argentinean priest &ldq...
(Vatican Radio) On the morning of Sunday, October 15, Pope Francis presides over Holy Mass for the canonization of seven new Saints.
Two of the new Saints are martyrs: José Sánchez del Río, a 14-year-old boy who was killed in 1928 in Mexico during the “Cristero” struggle which opposed the government's anti-Catholic and anticlerical policies. Under torture José refused to disown his faith; a handwritten note addressed to his mother and found on his dead body read: “I promise that in heaven I will prepare a place for all of you. Your José dies defending the Catholic faith for the love of Christ the King and Our Lady of Guadalupe”.
The first martyr belonging to the La Salle Order, killed in 1792 during the French Revolution. His name is Salomone Leclercq; he too chose to die in the defense of his faith.
Then there is “Cura Brochero” (José Gabriel del Rosario Brochero), an Argentinean priest “’who smelt of sheep’ and travelled enormous distances on the back of a mule during the 19th century to bring consolation and Jesus' message of salvation to the poorest of the poor.
The Spanish Bishop of Palencia Manuel González García, founder of the Congregation of the Eucharistic Missionaries of Nazareth, the Disciples of Saint John, and the Children of Reparation. He was known for his strong devotion to the Eucharist and became known as the "Bishop of the Tabernacle". He died in 1940.
Father Lodovico Pavoni of the Italian city of Brescia, founder of the religious congregation ‘Sons of Mary Immaculate’ or ‘Pavonians’. During the industrial revolution of the 19th century he set up an Oratory for Christian education and together with his ‘labourer brothers’ he taught the poor and the marginalized trades and religious education in the belief that improving social conditions would improve the spiritual life, and improving the spiritual life would improve social conditions..
Alfonso Maria Fusco, a priest from the southern Italian city of Salerno, founder of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. John the Baptist, commonly known as Baptistine Sisters. Their mission was to evangelize, educate and promote youth, especially those who were most poor, abandoned and at risk. He was particularly close to the impoverished and neglected farmers of the South of Italy after the unification of Italy in 1861.
Finally the French Discalced Carmelite mystic and writer Elizabeth of the Trinity who died aged just 26 in 1906 from Addison's disease, which in the early 20th century had no treatment with which to cure or allieviate the suffering of its victims. Even though her death was painful, Elizabeth gratefully accepted her suffering as a gift from God. Her last words were: "I am going to Light, to Love, to Life!"
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Media reports say an intruder outside the mansion of supermodel Miranda Kerr has been shot by a security guard, and Kerr wasn't home at the time....
