Catholic News 2
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) -- Venezuelan cities cleaned up from a night of looting and fiery protests Wednesday as government offices closed their doors for the rest of the week in the face of a worsening energy crisis that is causing daily blackouts....
BEIRUT (AP) -- A military buildup in northern Syria, coupled with heavy fighting and mounting civilian casualties, spells the end of a cease-fire that for two months brought some relief to a war-weary country. The renewed violence is ushering in what could be an even more ruinous chapter in the 5-year-old conflict....
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Supreme Court could make it tougher for the government to crack down on public corruption, signaling Wednesday that it may overturn former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell's federal bribery conviction....
PARIS (AP) -- The lone known surviving suspect in the Paris attacks was returned Wednesday to the city where Islamic State extremists unleashed a night of mayhem and charged with a host of terrorism offenses, raising hopes that he may be able to help French investigators trace the pathways of IS fighters thought to be hiding out in Europe....
CHICAGO (AP) -- The sex abuse victim who testified against Dennis Hastert at the former U.S. House speaker's sentencing hearing said Wednesday that he ultimately decided to do so publicly after Hastert reached out to his brother for a letter of support....
CHICAGO (AP) -- Dennis Hastert, the Republican who for eight years presided over the House and was second in the line of succession to the presidency, was sentenced Wednesday to more than a year in prison in the hush-money case that included accusations he sexually abused teenagers while coaching high school wrestling....
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- In need of momentum after a five-state shutout, Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz has tapped former technology executive Carly Fiorina to serve as his running mate....
WASHINGTON (AP) -- In a rare formal policy speech, Republican front-runner Donald Trump vowed Wednesday to put American security "above all else" if elected president, warning allies they would be left to defend themselves if they don't "pay their fair share." He also called for an easing of tensions with Russia "from a position of strength, only."...
(Vatican Radio) To mark two years since the canonisation of Saint John XXIII on the 27th of April 2014, Veronica Scarisbrick brings you echoes from the era of the pontificate of the twentieth century pope who introduced a less formal way of public speaking than was the custom at the time. A programme in which you can hear his voice once again as well as the witness of some of those who personally knew him.Listen to a programme presented and produced by Veronica Scarisbrick: The story begins fifty years ago on the 11th of October 1962, at the end of the day marking the opening of the Second Vatican Council when John XXIII appeared at the window of the Apostolic Palace. According to his secretary Cardinal Loris Capovilla he had not planned to appear but when he noticed the huge expectant crowds gathered below in Saint Peter's Square he felt obliged to respond.And with his impromptu speech on that historic day, known as of the moon or 'Il discorso della luna...
(Vatican Radio) To mark two years since the canonisation of Saint John XXIII on the 27th of April 2014, Veronica Scarisbrick brings you echoes from the era of the pontificate of the twentieth century pope who introduced a less formal way of public speaking than was the custom at the time. A programme in which you can hear his voice once again as well as the witness of some of those who personally knew him.
Listen to a programme presented and produced by Veronica Scarisbrick:
The story begins fifty years ago on the 11th of October 1962, at the end of the day marking the opening of the Second Vatican Council when John XXIII appeared at the window of the Apostolic Palace. According to his secretary Cardinal Loris Capovilla he had not planned to appear but when he noticed the huge expectant crowds gathered below in Saint Peter's Square he felt obliged to respond.
And with his impromptu speech on that historic day, known as of the moon or 'Il discorso della luna' he broke new ground in terms of linguistic spontaneity on the part of a Roman Pontiff. This memorable speech lives on in people’s hearts and minds to this day and if you listen to this programme you can hear sound clips of it from our Vatican Radio sound archives.
Also in this programme you can listen to a young journalist's memories of that evening. She's Jill Bevilacqua and was in St Peter's Square when Blessed John XXIII made this speech! Some of the other guests on this programme, include a member of the papal court of the time, the late Count Carlo Cardelli, the late Monsignor Carroll- Abbing who met Pope John XXIII on many an occasion and Rosminian Father John Charles-Roux who spins amusing tales relating to the years Angelo Roncalli spent as Apostolic nuncio in Paris.
Also in this programme, other recordings from our Vatican Radio archives including one in which Good Pope John as he was familiarly known, speaks in English, a language he never quite managed to master, despite valiant efforts!
Zambia’s Catholic Bishops say they appreciate that the country still needs mining and large-scale farming. The Bishops have acknowledged that mining contributes to the country’s development and provides much-needed jobs. They also say large scale agriculture is still necessary for increased food production in the country.Nevertheless, the Bishops want the country’s mining companies and those in the agricultural sector to be more responsive to the needs of the environment and accountable to local communities affected by their activities. “Recognising that mining contributes to job and wealth creation of the country, we, however, challenge the mining sector to begin to practice responsible mining that takes into account the needs of the environment,” the Bishops say in a communiqué issued at the end of a national environmental conference held in Lusaka this week. President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, Car...
Zambia’s Catholic Bishops say they appreciate that the country still needs mining and large-scale farming. The Bishops have acknowledged that mining contributes to the country’s development and provides much-needed jobs. They also say large scale agriculture is still necessary for increased food production in the country.
Nevertheless, the Bishops want the country’s mining companies and those in the agricultural sector to be more responsive to the needs of the environment and accountable to local communities affected by their activities.
“Recognising that mining contributes to job and wealth creation of the country, we, however, challenge the mining sector to begin to practice responsible mining that takes into account the needs of the environment,” the Bishops say in a communiqué issued at the end of a national environmental conference held in Lusaka this week.
President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, Cardinal Peter Turkson, was the principal guest speaker at the conference. On Monday Cardinal Turkson addressed the meeting and gave an overview of Pope Francis’ encyclical, Laudato sì. Outlining key issues in the document, the Cardinal clarified that Pope Francis was not anti-business.
The national conference dubbed the “Laudato sì conference” was organised by the Zambia Episcopal Conference (ZEC), through its Department of Caritas Zambia. The Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection (JCTR) co-hosted the national conference whose theme was, ‘Care for Our Common Home in the Context of Large Scale Investments – Mining and Agriculture.’ The meeting was held at Lusaka’s Government Complex from 25 to 26 April.
Zambia’s open-door investment policy meant to encourage foreign multinational corporations to invest in the country has been criticised for prioritising investors at the expense of poor ordinary Zambians.
Zambia is one of the leading producers of copper and emeralds. The government has given over-reaching incentives such as extended tax breaks to lure the multinationals into investing.
Observers say that the real cost of mining and agricultural investment is borne by the poor who are usually evicted from their ancestral land to make room for new investment projects. The environment also suffers. In some areas, locals accuse mine owners of polluting rivers and sources of drinking water.
One such case is now making its way at a London court. Dominic Lungowe and 1,812 others have commenced proceedings at London’s High Court of Technology and Construction.
The matter, Dominic Liswaniso Lungowe and others versus Vedanta Resources PLC, and its subsidiary Konkola Copper Mine (KCM) has ignited much debate in the country.
Dominic and others allege that they have suffered various health problems due to negligence by the international mining giant, Vedanta Resources and its subsidiary KCM. The Zambian Government is equally not happy with the suit and Zambian President Edgar Lungu; last month criticised former Attorney General, Musa Mwenye for prosecuting the Vedanta Resources and KCM matter in a UK court.
(Fr. Paul Samasumo, Vatican Radio)
Email: engafrica@vatiradio.va
