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The 17 the Plenary Assembly of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagscar popularly known as SECAM opened officially Tuesday 19th with a Mass presided over by the President of the Assembly, Archbishop Gabriel Mbilingi. He is the Ordinary of the Archdiocese of Lubango here in Angola.There are more than 150 African Cardinals, Archbishops, Bishops and Secretaries General of regional and national episcopal conferences attending the plenary assembly. Almost all African episcopal conferences are represented here.The Bishops are looking to deepen their appreciation of the two Synods on the Family that took place at the Vatican in 2014 and 2015. As you know, these two Synods culminated in Pope Francis’ highly acclaimed Apostolic Exhortation, Amris Laetitia.Yet the Church in Africa, way back in 1994 during the African Synod described the African Church as family –the Church as family. So for the Bishops gathered here, this familiar ground but it is also new ...
PRESS RELEASE NR. 2 FROM THE COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE OF SECAMON THE 17TH PLENARY ASSEMBLY OF SECAM IN ANGOLALUANDA, July 20, 2016 VICE-PRESIDENT OF ANGOLA CALLS FOR CHURCH-STATE COLLABORATIONThe Vice-President of Angola, Ing. Manuel Vicente, has called for closer collaboration and cooperation between the Church and State for the building of a more just and morally upright society.Addressing the opening ceremony of the 17th Plenary Assembly of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) yesterday in Luanda, Angola, the Vice-President stressed the need for the two bodies to condemn violence, the abuse of children, immorality and other vices in society and the family. ‘We live in world of complexities and ideologies so much so that what happens in one part of the world has direct or indirect effect on the family and society in general in other parts of it.’ He therefore hoped that the Church in Africa will continue to support the State in pr...
Seventeen Catholic youths and four priests from Myanmar left Yangon July 18 to take part in the World Youth Day celebrations to be held in Poland July 25-31."The young people will have the opportunity to exchange cultural and spiritual experiences which they can learn from and apply in the their respective dioceses when they return," said Bishop Francis Daw Tan, chairman of the Myanmar Catholic bishops' Office for Youth.Bishop Daw Tan said he told the delegation to pray during the World Youth Day celebrations for "peace and that the rule of law prevails" in Myanmar.Father Joseph Saw Eh Khaw Htoo, director of the Office for Youth, is leading the delegation which, before leaving, had a four-day spiritual preparation program.Some 2.5 million young people from around the world are expected to attend the gathering in Krakow, the childhood home of St. Pope John Paul II who initiated the gathering in 1985.
The Catholic Bishops of Zambia have urged all the politicians in the country to make every effort in ensuring that next month’s elections are free, fair and peaceful. The bishops made the call in a Pastoral Letter to all members of the Catholic Church and all people of good will. BELOW IS THE FULL LETTER: A PASTORAL LETTER ISSUED BY THE ZAMBIA EPISCOPAL CONFERENCE (ZEC) ON THE AUGUST 2016 GENERAL ELECTIONS "NO LONGER WILL VIOLENCE BE HEARD IN YOUR LAND" (Isaiah 60:18) A CALL TO PEACEFUL, CREDIBLE AND TRANSPARENT ELECTIONS PREAMBLE 1. To all members of the Catholic Church and all people of good will. We greet you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in the words of St. Paul:" Now, may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with you all" (2 Th. 3:16). 2. As we are near the election day of 11th August 2016, we are compelled by the love of Christ (2 Cor. 5:14)to once aga...
(Vatican Radio) Egypt has seen a sharp rise in sectarian violence, with particular emphasis on Christians.This week a Christian man was stabbed to death by a mob of Muslim men, causing tensions to rise within the Christian community which has seen several attacks on both men and women in the last month alone.Vatican Radio’s Georgia Gogarty spoke with Christian Solidarity Worldwide’s (CSW) Egypt Advocacy Officer, to find out why there has been a sudden spike in violence, and why little is being done to resolve it.Listen: Since 2013, there have been increasing numbers of attacks against Christians following the ousting of Muslim Bortherhood president; Mohamed Morsi, according to a CSW spokesperson. Although attacks are rarely seen in Egypt’s main cities, unfortunately the governorates in upper Egypt experience “regular small scale sectarian attacks”. In recent months there has been “a spate of attacks against Christian communities” for...
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has sent a special envoy to South Sudan to urge for an end to violence in the country and to help establish dialogue and trust between the warring parties.Cardinal Peter Turkson, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, travelled to the capital Juba this week to give support to the Archbishop and to meet with the country’s leaders.He carried with him a letter from the Pope for President Salva Kiir and one for Vice President Riek Machar who are historic enemies and represent the different ethnic groups.For almost a year, South Sudan has been trying to emerge from a civil war caused by political rivalry between the Vice President and the President. Violent clashes across the city have left tens of thousands of people dead since December 2013 and a recent flare-up of fighting has caused more casualties, scores of displaced people and a serious humanitarian crisis.Although a cease-fire is currently in effect in Juba, the threa...
(VATICAN RADIO) At the third Evangelium Conference in Maynooth, Ireland, Bishop Cullinan explained in depth what Pope Benedict meant by “the creative minority” and gave encouraging words on the New Evangelisation in Ireland.Young adults flocked to this weekend encounter on the theme of explaining the Catholic faith in the modern world.Katie Ascough spoke with Bishop Cullinan about the position of the Catholic Church in today’s world and how the New Evangelisation has been slowly but surely blossoming in Ireland.Listen: “The Catholic Church must understand herself as a creative minority that has a heritage of values that are not things of the past, but living and relevant reality…This creative minority have really…the task of helping society to see where the truth is and to rebuild culture,” Bishop Cullinan pointed out.When asked to elaborate on his explanation of the “false alternative” which would be for the Churc...
IMAGE: CNS photo/Jok Solomun, ReutersBy Junno Arocho EstevesVATICAN CITY (CNS)-- Pope Francis sent a high-ranking cardinal to South Sudan to urge apeaceful end to the escalating violence in the country.CardinalPeter Turkson, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, metwith President Salva Kiir in the capital, Juba, July 19 and delivered twoletters on the pope's behalf -- one addressed to the nation's president andanother to the vice president.Thecardinal said the letters, which the pope gave to him prior to his departure toJuba, contained a message calling for peace in the country. Thepope's message "can be summarized like so: 'Enough now, enough with thisconflict,'" Cardinal Turkson told Vatican Radio July 20. TheGhanaian cardinal noted that "the speed with which the pope reacted to theneed of sending a message of solidarity and to call for peace is amazing.""Speakingto him some time ago, he told me, 'I want to go.' These difficult situations arealways in the Hol...
The last time Mark McCollam refinanced the loan on his three-bedroom house in Los Angeles, he figured mortgage rates would only head higher from there. He was wrong. Not that he's complaining....
