Catholic News 2
ATLANTA (AP) -- Two deputies yell "Stop fighting!" and "He's got my Taser!" as they repeatedly stun a handcuffed man in the back of a vehicle, commanding him to relax even as he insists "I'm dead," shortly before he stops breathing, body-camera video shows....
BAGHDAD (AP) -- Iraqi security forces fired tear gas and gunshots in the air as hundreds of anti-government protesters stormed Baghdad's heavily secured Green Zone on Friday. Several demonstrators, mostly supporters of powerful Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, were wounded as the crowd rushed the prime minister's office and the parliament building....
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) -- Donald Trump on Friday slammed Hillary Clinton as "heartless" for backing restrictions on gun ownership that he said would leave Americans in high-crime areas unable to protect themselves. He also challenged Clinton to follow his lead and release a list of potential Supreme Court nominees....
PARIS (AP) -- The 66 people lost aboard EgyptAir Flight 804 included a businessman adored by his colleagues, a language and history scholar and a mother caring for a daughter with cancer. A look at the lives of the dead:...
CAIRO (AP) -- Search crews found floating human remains, luggage and seats from the doomed EgyptAir jetliner Friday but face a potentially more complex task in locating bigger pieces of wreckage and the black boxes vital to determining why the plane plunged into the Mediterranean....
(Vatican Radio) Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of Manila, President of Caritas Internationalis, says the way we help people caught in emergencies can be more efficient and effective by engaging local organisations, including faith-based institutions.Cardinal Tagle will speak at the Special Session on the Religious Engagement on the first day of the World Humanitarian Summit, which takes place on 23-24 May in Istanbul.In a press release ahead of the summit, Cardinal Tagle said, “We know that growing inequality, climate change, water scarcity, urbanisation, conflict for resources and the spread of extremism will put millions more in peril. We need a humanitarian system fit for purpose to address these growing needs.”“Despite local organisations, including faith-based institutions, offering extensive networks of infrastructure serving as a source of shelter, care and education, the current humanitarian system of donors too often fails to recognise them....
(Vatican Radio) Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of Manila, President of Caritas Internationalis, says the way we help people caught in emergencies can be more efficient and effective by engaging local organisations, including faith-based institutions.
Cardinal Tagle will speak at the Special Session on the Religious Engagement on the first day of the World Humanitarian Summit, which takes place on 23-24 May in Istanbul.
In a press release ahead of the summit, Cardinal Tagle said, “We know that growing inequality, climate change, water scarcity, urbanisation, conflict for resources and the spread of extremism will put millions more in peril. We need a humanitarian system fit for purpose to address these growing needs.”
“Despite local organisations, including faith-based institutions, offering extensive networks of infrastructure serving as a source of shelter, care and education, the current humanitarian system of donors too often fails to recognise them.
“As resources are stretched, if donors want to reach more people with better quality help then they must utilise better the readymade tools that they have at their disposal. The World Humanitarian Summit offers us the chance to transform the current humanitarian system by giving local organisations their rightful seat at the table.”
Caritas Internationalis says the current top-down approach to humanitarian response must be replaced by an investment in local action, strengthening grassroots capacity, and improving partnership and coordination.
Caritas organisations from the USA, Austria, the UK, Ireland, Netherlands, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Sierra Leone and Niger will be attending the meeting in Istanbul.
Caritas speakers include Sean Callahan of Catholic Relief Services and president of Caritas North America, Sabine Attama of CADEV-Caritas Niger on natural disasters and climate change, Chris Bain of CAFOD (Caritas England and Wales) on investing in humanity and Fr. Peter Konteh, executive director of Caritas Freetown in Sierra Leone on the Ebola epidemic.
The Caritas confederation is pledging to promote global leadership on conflict prevention, upholding humanitarian principles, strengthening local capacity, improving coordination and partnership and ensuring those affected by the emergencies are agents of their own destiny.
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has sent a telegram expressing his condolences for the loss of EgyptAir Flight MS-804, which crashed into the Mediterranean Sea in the night between Wednesday and Thursday, claiming the lives of 66 people - 56 passengers and 10 crewmembers. Below, please find the official text of the telegram in English... *****************************His Excellency Abdel Fattah Al SisiPresident of the Arab Republic of EgyptCairoHaving learned with sadness of the tragic crash of the Egyptian passenger airliner, Pope Francis wishes to assure you of his prayers and solidarity at this difficult time and commends the souls of the deceased of various nationalities to the mercy of the Almighty. Upon the relatives of the passengers and all those involved in the search and rescue efforts, His Holiness invokes the divine blessings of strength and peace.Cardinal Pietro ParolinSecretary of State
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has sent a telegram expressing his condolences for the loss of EgyptAir Flight MS-804, which crashed into the Mediterranean Sea in the night between Wednesday and Thursday, claiming the lives of 66 people - 56 passengers and 10 crewmembers. Below, please find the official text of the telegram in English...
*****************************
His Excellency Abdel Fattah Al Sisi
President of the Arab Republic of Egypt
Cairo
Having learned with sadness of the tragic crash of the Egyptian passenger airliner, Pope Francis wishes to assure you of his prayers and solidarity at this difficult time and commends the souls of the deceased of various nationalities to the mercy of the Almighty. Upon the relatives of the passengers and all those involved in the search and rescue efforts, His Holiness invokes the divine blessings of strength and peace.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin
Secretary of State
(Vatican Radio) The Holy See and the Democratic Republic of Congo signed a framework agreement on Friday regarding matters of common interest. A communiqué from the Press Office of the Holy See explains that the agreement, consisting of a preamble and 21 articles, notes the respective independence and autonomy of the Church and the State and their good relations, and sets the legal framework for mutual relations.In particular, the document establishes the legal position of the Catholic Church in the civil sphere in the country, and so the liberty of the Church to apostolic activity and regulate matters within its competence.Various specific areas are addressed, including the institutions of Catholic education, the teaching of religion in schools, the welfare and charitable activities of the Church, pastoral care in the armed forces and prison and hospital institutions, as well as property tax and the obtaining of entry visas and residence permits for religious personnel.The...
(Vatican Radio) The Holy See and the Democratic Republic of Congo signed a framework agreement on Friday regarding matters of common interest. A communiqué from the Press Office of the Holy See explains that the agreement, consisting of a preamble and 21 articles, notes the respective independence and autonomy of the Church and the State and their good relations, and sets the legal framework for mutual relations.
In particular, the document establishes the legal position of the Catholic Church in the civil sphere in the country, and so the liberty of the Church to apostolic activity and regulate matters within its competence.
Various specific areas are addressed, including the institutions of Catholic education, the teaching of religion in schools, the welfare and charitable activities of the Church, pastoral care in the armed forces and prison and hospital institutions, as well as property tax and the obtaining of entry visas and residence permits for religious personnel.
The framework agreement also provides for the implementation of functional understandings between the Bishops’ Conference and the State on certain matters of common interest.
Angola’s Bishop of Namibe Diocese, Dionysius Hisilinapo has denounced the forced evictions of indigenous communities from their rural ancestral lands by unidentified developers and business persons.Voicing the Church’s concern about the involuntary taking-over of ancestral land belonging to poor rural communities, the Bishop expressed alarm at the growing frequency.In the province of Cunene, for example, the land grabbing process is often accompanied by physical violence on hapless villagers. This is according to Isaiah Sipangeli a resident of the village of Curoca (Kuroka), one of the affected regions. Local residents see what is happening as a new form of colonisation.Father Jacinto Pio Wakussanga, a local Catholic priest and a civil society activist with the organisation, Association for Building Communities (ACC) in Huila province also condemned the incidents as unjust given the powerlessness nature of the affected communities.In response, Angola’s local gove...
Angola’s Bishop of Namibe Diocese, Dionysius Hisilinapo has denounced the forced evictions of indigenous communities from their rural ancestral lands by unidentified developers and business persons.
Voicing the Church’s concern about the involuntary taking-over of ancestral land belonging to poor rural communities, the Bishop expressed alarm at the growing frequency.
In the province of Cunene, for example, the land grabbing process is often accompanied by physical violence on hapless villagers. This is according to Isaiah Sipangeli a resident of the village of Curoca (Kuroka), one of the affected regions. Local residents see what is happening as a new form of colonisation.
Father Jacinto Pio Wakussanga, a local Catholic priest and a civil society activist with the organisation, Association for Building Communities (ACC) in Huila province also condemned the incidents as unjust given the powerlessness nature of the affected communities.
In response, Angola’s local government official, Belisario dos Santos, played down the crisis urging aggrieved communities to seek redress from the courts of law.
Most of the land being forcibly grabbed belongs to the indigenous pastoralists in Angola’s south. For ages, they have pastured their animals on land now being taken from them.
Angola is one of Africa’s poorest countries yet ironically one of the richest countries with regard to mineral resources. In 1975, the country gained independence from Portugal. A subsequent civil war that lasted more than 25 years crippled the country's economy and infrastructure.
(By Anastacio Sasembele, VR in Luanda)
Email:engafrica@vatiradio.va
Caritas, the social arm of the Catholic church in Sri Lanka has swung into action rushing aid to thousands of people affected by floodwaters and landslides that have so far left at least 58 people dead and 132 missing. Heavy rains have lashed the island nation since last weekend, flooding the Sri Lankan capital of Colombo and large parts of the country's central region. Over 400,000 people have been affected by the natural disaster and those who have been displaced are being temporally housed in 611 schools, churches, temples and other buildings, said the government. Caritas is assisting flood victims through its 13 branches. Father George Sigamoney, national director of Caritas Sri Lanka, said that much of the relief assistance is about providing urgently needed items." According to Prasanna Prasad Kumara, the administration officer of Caritas Anuradhapura said their officials were mobilized to help with the immediate needs of the...
Caritas, the social arm of the Catholic church in Sri Lanka has swung into action rushing aid to thousands of people affected by floodwaters and landslides that have so far left at least 58 people dead and 132 missing. Heavy rains have lashed the island nation since last weekend, flooding the Sri Lankan capital of Colombo and large parts of the country's central region. Over 400,000 people have been affected by the natural disaster and those who have been displaced are being temporally housed in 611 schools, churches, temples and other buildings, said the government.
Caritas is assisting flood victims through its 13 branches. Father George Sigamoney, national director of Caritas Sri Lanka, said that much of the relief assistance is about providing urgently needed items." According to Prasanna Prasad Kumara, the administration officer of Caritas Anuradhapura said their officials were mobilized to help with the immediate needs of the affected. Father Rohan De Alwis, the director of Caritas Colombo, said that they have already informed parish priests to take initiatives to help people. "Apart from the field officers mobilized in all parts of the diocese, self-help groups and their networks are playing an active role in providing shelter and preparing food for the displaced," said Father Alwis.
Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith of Colombo has expressed his condolences to those affected and made an open invitation for well wishers to support Caritas' ongoing efforts to provide assistance. Caritas has made a request to Sri Lankan Catholics to contribute dry rations or cash to help those affected by the flooding.
Soldiers resumed searching for the missing Friday, but held little hope of finding survivors. The search effort was halted intermittently as continuing rain threatened to trigger more landslides. In the capital, electricity has been shut down in flooded areas to prevent electrocutions, and schools were closed across the country. Tens of thousands have been evacuated from homes across the island to some 594 shelters.
The Indian navy said it was sending two ships with aid to Colombo. On Thursday, Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera had said there was an urgent need for water purification tablets, water pumps and drinking water.
