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(Vaticna Radio) Vatican Weekend for Saturday 28th of May, 2016 features a report on the weekly general audience of Pope Francis with pilgrims from across the world. This is followed by Linda Bordoni’s interviews relating to the World Humanitarian Summit which include the Vatican’s Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Archbishop Silvano Tommasi, the Holy See’s former envoy to the United Nations and Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle President of Caritas Internationalis. The last segment in the programme relates to Blessed Paul VI and the world of art.Listen to a programme presented and produced by Veronica Scarisbrick: &nb...
(Vatican Radio) Vatican Weekend Sunday 29th of May. 2016 features our weeklyreflection on the Sunday gospel presented this week by Monsignor Peter Verity of the Pontifical Beda College here in Rome, a bird’s eye view of the Vatican week with EWTN Bureau chief here in Rome Joan Lewis and a musical meditation to mark the Feast of Corpus Christi. A programme presented and produced by Veronica Scarisbrick:
Catholic activists in Bangladesh have welcomed a May 24 Supreme Court ruling that effectively strips police of sweeping powers that allow them to make arbitrary arrests on suspicion a crime might take place, prolong the detention of suspects and torture detainees in custody. These powers were often abused and led to the deaths of a number of detainees while in custody, rights groups said. A four-judge bench headed by Chief Justice S.K. Sinha upheld an April 7, 2003, High Court ruling directing the government to amend several controversial provisions in an 1898 law introduced by the British, which provided police discretionary powers relating to the arrest and detention of suspects. These included allowing police to arrest someone who they thought might commit a crime in the future.The judges agreed with rights groups that petitioned the court that the provisions allowing these powers were in conflict with the constitution.The Supreme Court also ordered the quick enforce...
(Vatican Radio) Around 50,000 civilians trapped in the Iraqi city of Fallujah face starvation as government forces continue their assault to retake it from the so-called Islamic State militants. The grim assessment came from the Norwegian Refugee Council, an NGO that has been delivering aid to those civilians who managed to escape from the outlying areas of Fallujah before the assault commenced. Nasr Muflahi, the Norwegian Refugee Council’s country director in Iraq, spoke to Susy Hodges about the “dire" situation facing Fallujah’s trapped civilians.Listen to the interview with Nasr Muflahi of the Norweign Refugee Council: The UN says only around 800 people have been able to flee Fallujah since Iraqi government forces launched a major offensive to retake the city. So-called Islamic State militants who control the city have imposed a curfew and its residents have been forbidden from leaving their homes. A proposal for humanitarian corr...
Nearly 1,000 people were killed in attacks on health centres worldwide over the past two years, almost 40 percent of them in Syria, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Thursday in its first report on the growing scourge. The United Nations agency documented 594 attacks resulting in 959 deaths and 1,561 injuries in 19 countries with emergencies between January 2014 and December 2015. Syria, torn by civil war since 2011, had the most attacks on hospitals, ambulances, patients and medical workers, accounting for 352 deaths. The Palestinian territories of Gaza and the West Bank, as well as Iraq, Pakistan and Libya, followed. Some 62 percent of all attacks were deemed intentional and many led to disruption of public health services. "This is not an isolated issue, it is not limited to war zones, it is not accidental. The majority of these are intentional," Dr. Bruce Aylward, executive director of WHO's emergency programme, told a news briefi...
In a rare show of solidarity, leaders of various faith communities in Kenya have united and issued a statement on the state of the nation. The statement by the religious leaders comes in the wake of wrangles surrounding the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).Opposition party supporters last week fought running battles with Police in Nairobi and five other cities. The opposition accuses the IEBC of incompetence, corruption and bias and wants the body to be dissolved.Presidential elections in Kenya are due next year, 2017.Police reaction to the protests was swift. They used water cannon and fired tear gas on the demonstrators.(engafrica@vatiradio.va)Below is the full statement:PRESS STATEMENTFor the love of our country, come and reason togetherPreambleWe the Religious Leaders representing the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB), National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK), National Muslim Leaders Forum (NAMLEF), Council of Imams and Preachers of Kenya (C...
The Catholic Diocese of Kakamega, in Kenya, has embarked on a programme of self-reliance by encouraging the faithful to contribute funds towards projects and the running of diocesan and parish activities.According to the Bishop of Kakamega, Joseph Obanyi, dwindling donor funding is what prompted the Diocese to engage Christians beginning with Small Christian Communities upwards to support the Diocese with contributions. Speaking at Don Bosco Utume Centre in Nairobi, Bishop Obanyi expressed his appreciation to all those who donated to the fundraising exercise. He said the funds raised would come-in handy for the support of diocesan operations and activities; acquisition of a piece of property and the running of Mukumu farm project where the Diocese is growing tea, coffee and sugar cane. The diocese also rears animals at the farm. In all 15 Million shillings (about US$150 000) was raised during 2015. The Diocese of Kakamega hopes to double the amount raised in 2016. Brief...
Washington D.C., May 27, 2016 / 06:46 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Religious liberty was among the primary concerns that ultimately defeated controversial legislation aimed at enforcing a 2014 LGBT executive order twice this week.If passed, the amendments could infringe upon religious liberty of federal contractors, critics say. Since the executive order does not have explicit protections for religious contractors, Catholic institutions could risk losing their contracts if they object to offering spousal benefits for same-sex partners or permitting individuals to use the bathroom that does not align with their biological sex.The amendment in question, inserted by Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-N.Y.), would bar federal money from any federal contractor who makes employment decisions “on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.” It is meant to enforce President Barack Obama’s executive order that forbade contractors from making such employment decisions.After the am...
By Junno Arocho EstevesVATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Tofollow the path of Christ means to serve the poor and the downtrodden while not turning Christianvirtues simply into ideas and humanitarian endeavors, Pope Francis said."In them, you touch andserve the flesh of Christ and grow in union with him, while always keeping watch so that faith doesnot become an ideology and charity is not reduced to philanthropy so that thechurch doesn't end up becoming an NGO," the pope told members of the general chapter ofthe Little Work of Divine Providence May 27. Founded by St. Luigi Orione,the order is comprised of two religious congregations -- the Orionine Fathers and theLittle Missionary Sisters of Charity -- who care primarily for the sick, the elderly andpeople with learning disabilities. The pope encouraged thereligious congregations to follow the example of their founder, who sought toheal the wounds of peoplein need of "bread for the body and the divine consolation offaith.""With Don Orione, I a...
CINCINNATI (AP) -- The 96-year-old Cincinnati surgeon credited with developing his namesake Heimlich maneuver recently used the emergency technique for the first time himself to save a woman choking on food at his senior living center....
