Catholic News 2
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama and Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto reaffirmed the importance of the US-Mexico relationship Friday, promoting the benefits of trade and friendship in an election year that has sometimes stressed that alliance....
ISTANBUL (AP) -- Military school cadets who were arrested following the failed coup in Turkey were unwitting participants because their commanders told them they would be attending a "surprise party" for the new head of the academy, relatives of the youths said Friday....
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) -- Former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke, an avowed white supremacist, officially signed up Friday to run for U.S. Senate in Louisiana, saying "the climate of this country has moved in my direction."...
ISTANBUL (AP) -- A top Turkish official on Friday accused the United States of "standing up for savages" by not immediately handing over a U.S.-based Muslim cleric who the government claims orchestrated last week's failed coup. Speaking in Washington, President Barack Obama said there was a legal process for extradition and encouraged Turkey to present evidence....
CLEVELAND (AP) -- A day after accepting the Republican presidential nomination, Donald Trump pivoted back to the GOP primaries on Friday, choosing to re-litigate a pair of months-old battles with rival Ted Cruz....
ORLANDO, Florida (AP) -- Hillary Clinton will introduce her running mate Friday, seeking to snatch attention from newly crowned Republican nominee Donald Trump just hours after he closed out his convention with a fiery and foreboding turn at the podium....
MUNICH (AP) -- Munich police warned people to avoid public places Friday as they hunted for the shooter or shooters who opened fire at a shopping mall, killing six people and wounding others in a rampage described as "suspected terrorism," police and media reports said....
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has written the preface to a new book on Mother Teresa entitled “let us love those who are unloved” that is based on two speeches given by her during a meeting with young people and with religious sisters in Milan in 1973. Founder of the Missionaries of Charity order, Mother Teresa will be proclaimed a saint by Pope Francis on September 4th. In his preface, the Pope reflected on the five themes of prayer, charity, works of mercy, family and young people.Listen to this report by Susy Hodges: Pope Francis noted that Mother Teresa always began her day by going to Mass and ended it with the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. In this way, he said, it’s possible to transform our work into prayer. If we enter into the feelings of Jesus we can savour life and give a renewed look to those we meet. Turning next to charity, the Pope explained that this means being close to all those on the peripheries that we meet every ...
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has written the preface to a new book on Mother Teresa entitled “let us love those who are unloved” that is based on two speeches given by her during a meeting with young people and with religious sisters in Milan in 1973. Founder of the Missionaries of Charity order, Mother Teresa will be proclaimed a saint by Pope Francis on September 4th. In his preface, the Pope reflected on the five themes of prayer, charity, works of mercy, family and young people.
Listen to this report by Susy Hodges:
Pope Francis noted that Mother Teresa always began her day by going to Mass and ended it with the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. In this way, he said, it’s possible to transform our work into prayer. If we enter into the feelings of Jesus we can savour life and give a renewed look to those we meet.
Turning next to charity, the Pope explained that this means being close to all those on the peripheries that we meet every day, feeling compassion for those who are the least in terms of body and spirit and to bear witness to God’s caress for every wound of humanity.
When it comes to works of mercy, Pope Francis reminded that we are called to take care of every person with works of corporal and spiritual mercy. He said this is a way to reawaken our consciences that often have become dormant when faced with the harsh reality of poverty in order to enter more fully into the heart of the Gospel where the poor are the recipients of divine mercy.
Looking next at the family, the Pope noted that this is where we learn from our parents to smile and forgive each other, to welcome and sacrifice ourselves for others, to give without expecting anything in return, to pray and suffer together, to rejoice and help each other, just like Mother Teresa urged us to do.
Concluding by turning to the theme of young people, Pope Francis spoke of the upcoming World Youth Day gathering in Krakow, Poland and urged young people to serve the poor and to be builders of bridges that tear down the logic of division, rejection and fear of others. He also appealed to them to face up with courage to life, describing it as a gift of God.
In the book, Mother Teresa states that "the greatest disease is not leprosy or tuberculosis but loneliness." This, she said, "is the cause of so many conflicts, divisions and wars that afflict us nowadays."
(Vatican Radio) What is the future of interfaith dialogue in Asia today? What have been the most successful models for the inculturation of Christianity into Chinese society? What are the new frontiers for interreligious and ecumenical encounter in this rapidly-developing region?Those are some of the questions on the agenda at a conference in Hong Kong organised by the Ecclesiological Investigations International Research Network, entitled ‘Christianity and Religions in China: past, present and future’.Philippa Hitchen is in Hong Kong and reports on the setting for the third day of the conference, hosted by the Centre for Catholic Studies at the Chinese University of Hong Kong…Listen: The Chinese University of Hong Kong was founded over half a century ago with a mission to combine the ancient wisdom of the East with the latest developments of Western research and technology. Its sprawling, wooded campus is located in the New Territories, not far from the ...
(Vatican Radio) What is the future of interfaith dialogue in Asia today? What have been the most successful models for the inculturation of Christianity into Chinese society? What are the new frontiers for interreligious and ecumenical encounter in this rapidly-developing region?
Those are some of the questions on the agenda at a conference in Hong Kong organised by the Ecclesiological Investigations International Research Network, entitled ‘Christianity and Religions in China: past, present and future’.
Philippa Hitchen is in Hong Kong and reports on the setting for the third day of the conference, hosted by the Centre for Catholic Studies at the Chinese University of Hong Kong…
Listen:
The Chinese University of Hong Kong was founded over half a century ago with a mission to combine the ancient wisdom of the East with the latest developments of Western research and technology. Its sprawling, wooded campus is located in the New Territories, not far from the border with mainland China. Its modern colleges, libraries, sporting and student facilities rise up on a hillside overlooking Tolo Harbour, one of the lushest, greenest areas in this city of gleaming glass and steel tower-blocks.
The campus is dotted with modern sculptures and water features: a replica bronze Goddess of Democracy, erected amid much controversy to mark the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre, a wooden Gate of Wisdom, where students come to celebrate on graduation day, plus so many streams and fountains that the sound of running water accompanies you almost everywhere you walk.
Water and light are also the most striking features of a modern ecumenical chapel where we stopped to pray before gathering in the main lecture hall. It was built with money collected from different denominations and designed as a series of circular constructions to echo the unity which all Christians are called to rebuild in the one Body of Christ. The running water of the baptismal font serves as a continual reminder of the unity we already share, as well as the living water that Jesus offered to all who turn to him.
But the most striking place at the highest point of the campus is an eternity pool looking out over the harbour and hills of Hong Kong’s outlying islands. An ancient banyan tree symbolises hospitality and welcome, while the reflection of the clouds in the water at your feet give an extraordinary sense of heaven and earth meeting at the point where you stand. A powerful symbol of the Incarnation for some, but its architect was actually inspired by the Confucian philosophy of 'the way of heaven and the way of humanity' becoming one.
There could be no better way of beginning our next round of discussions about the very rich encounter of Christianity with Asia’s ancient religious traditions.
(VATICAN RADIO) 10 news professionals have already been killed in Afghanistan in the first six months of this year.2016 has been the most dangerous year for journalists in Afghanistan with 54 incidents of violence having occurred in the first half of the year, according to a new report by the Afghan Journalists' Safety Committee. This is a 38 percent increase of attacks on journalists since the same period in 2015.The incidents included killings, assaults, detentions and intimidation. Behind the attacks were Afghanistan’s own government, the Taliban, and other private groups, including War Lords and the Mafia.Katie Ascough spoke with Najib Sharifi, Director of the Afghan Journalist Safety Committee, to find out more about which types of journalists are being targeted and what role the Afghan government is playing in these attacks.Listen: “It’s very disappointing to see the government itself being responsible for a huge number of cases while the gov...
(VATICAN RADIO) 10 news professionals have already been killed in Afghanistan in the first six months of this year.
2016 has been the most dangerous year for journalists in Afghanistan with 54 incidents of violence having occurred in the first half of the year, according to a new report by the Afghan Journalists' Safety Committee. This is a 38 percent increase of attacks on journalists since the same period in 2015.
The incidents included killings, assaults, detentions and intimidation. Behind the attacks were Afghanistan’s own government, the Taliban, and other private groups, including War Lords and the Mafia.
Katie Ascough spoke with Najib Sharifi, Director of the Afghan Journalist Safety Committee, to find out more about which types of journalists are being targeted and what role the Afghan government is playing in these attacks.
Listen:
“It’s very disappointing to see the government itself being responsible for a huge number of cases while the government is morally and legally responsible for providing a safe working environment for journalists,” Mr. Sharifi said.
Afghan women in media have been especially targeted, running “bigger risks compared to men”, Sharifi informed. “It’s mainly because they not only face threats and violence from the Taliban and other sources, but also from their own families and from the extremist elements of the society.”
Unfortunately these women, particularly news broadcasters and hosts of entertainment shows, are facing a two-sided attack: on one side, radical groups; on the other, their nearest and not-so-dearest family and friends.
As for other types of journalists targeted by the ruthless extremists, Sharifi explained: “It’s mainly journalists who do serious investigative reporting or [are] involved in reporting political and social affairs. Journalists who investigate corruption…most of the time come under intimidation.” Sharifi implied that such an enviroment inevitably stifles freedom of expression.
When asked if there is hope for the attacks to abate, or if the problem is likely to continue, Sharifi replied: “It depends on a couple of factors. One is that if…the [Afghan] president delivers on his commitments, the safety situation will definitely improve. We also need support from international communities and international media support organisations.”
In conclusion, Sharifi shone a glimmer of hope: “Afghanistan’s president has made meaningful, very good promises; however, they have to be implemented and serious action needs to be taken about it.”
Serious action indeed. There’s no time for breaking promises.
