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World Union of Catholic Women’s Organisations (WUCWO) Vice President for Africa, Rosaline Nganku Menga has praised the role played by women in the Church. “Women in Africa support vocations with prayer and with material resources. They raise funds to support diocesan Bishops with the training of priests; they assist the religious; they are catechists, heads of parish councils, members of justice and peace committees and so on,” Rosaline Nganku Menga, a Cameroonian national told Vatican Radio’s English language service for Africa in an interview.Early this month, WUCWO Africa held its 9th Africa regional assembly and golden jubilee celebrations in Malawi’s Capital, Lilongwe. The meeting took place under the theme “Women of Africa Proclaimers of God’s Mercy: “Come and See the man who told me everything I did. Could this be the Messiah?” Malawian President, Peter Mutharika along with the first lady, Gertrude, joined thou...
The Catholic University of Malawi (CUNIMA) which opened its doors and enrolled its first-year students in 2006 will on Saturday, 24 September 2016, celebrate its 10th anniversary along with this year’s graduation ceremony at the University grounds, Montfort Campus, Nguludi-Chiradzulu.CUNIMA was established by the Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM) on 16 October 2004 as an institution of higher learning and was officially opened by the late Bingu Wa Mutharika, then President of the Republic of Malawi on 28 October 2006.CUNIMA Vice Chancellor, Fr. Dr George Buleya said in an interview that the university which believes in quality and holistic education offers twenty-five programmes of study spread over six faculties.“We have the faculties of Commerce, Education, Law, Nursing and Midwifery, Social Sciences and the Faculty of Theology,” said Fr. Buleya.He said the University offers both undergraduate and postgraduate programmes and ensures that it operates with app...
(Vatican Radio) The Holy See has deposited the instrument of ratification of the United Nations Convention against Corruption at United Nations headquarters in New York.Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican Secretary of State, made the formal deposition on 19 September 2016, both for the Holy See, and on behalf of the Vatican City State.A statement said the Holy See has expressed two reservations and three interpretative declarations, which form an integral part of the instrument of accession.Therefore, in accordance with Article 68, paragraph 2, of that Convention, it will enter into force for the Holy See and the State Vatican City on 19 October.In an article for L'Osservatore Romano, the Vatican’s Secretary for Relations with States, Archbishop Paul Gallagher, said, in the future, the competent offices of the Roman Curia and the State of Vatican City will review their administrative procedures in the light of the parameters contained in the Convention, in order to ensu...
(Vatican Radio) The Cardinal Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin, under the mandate of Pope Francis, has approved new Regulations for the Medical Board of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.The Regulations were published on Friday, signed by Cardinal Angelo Amato, the Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, and Archbishop Marcello Bartolucci, secretary of the same dicastery.In a brief introduction it is explained that the miracle required for the beatification of Venerable Servants of God and for the canonisation of Blesseds has always been examined with the utmost rigour. Already in medieval times consultation was sought from medical experts for whom, on 17 September 1743, a specific Order was created by Benedict XIV. More recently, Pious XII instituted, at the Congregation of Sacred Rites, on 20 October 1948, a Commission of Doctors to which he added, on 15 December 1948 a special Medical Council.On 10 July 1959 John XXIII unified these two bodies to form a M...
(Vatican Radio) Catholic and Orthodox theologians have reached agreement on a new joint document entitled "Synodality and Primacy During the First Millennium: Towards a Common Understanding in Service to the Unity of the Church". The announcement was made at the conclusion of a plenary session of the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Orthodox and Catholic Churches which took place in the Italian town of Chieti from September 15th to 22nd.Mgr Andrea Palmieri, undersecretary of the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity, told Vatican Radio the new agreement is the result of a long process which began with the so-called Ravenna document, published in 2007 on the role of primacy in the early Church. The new document looks closely at the relationship between the primacy exercised by the bishop of Rome and other Church leaders, he said, and can therefore point to ways of “resolving problems still existing between Catholics and Orth...
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has sent a message marking the fortieth anniversary of the establishment of the Diocese of Quilmes in Argentina.“I know that you are preparing enthusiastically for this anniversary, and I join you in thanksgiving to God for the gifts received from His divine goodness,” – Pope Francis wrote to Bishop Carlos José Tissera – “He has remained faithful, giving you shepherds, from the first bishop, Jorge Novak, to this day; many priests and consecrated persons have given their lives to make Christ present among you. This fills me with joy.”Pope Francis said he urged the people of the Diocese to be attentive to the Lord “passing before them,” and to help Him present in those who are “oppressed, exploited, disillusioned, sick, or suffering because of any other needs.”Pope Francis also sent a message to the Diocese of San Carlos de Bariloche to mark the one hundredth anniversary of the foun...
The untold atrocities that Christians in eastern India’s Odisha state were subjected to in 2008, are the result of careful planning by Hindu nationalist groups of the "Sangh Parivar" network at the highest level, an Indian journalist and rights activist told the media on Thursday, alleging illiterate masses of militants were manipulated by propaganda and incited to kill. Thanks to the investigation carried out by Anto Akkara, "one can rewrite the history of Kandhamal", the district in Odisha where the atrocities were concentrated. Violence rained down on Christians with untold savagery, with Hindu extremists blaming the August 23, 2008 assassination of Hindu leader Swami Saraswati Laxmanananda on Christians, despite Maoist rebels claiming the murder. Seven innocent Christian men were sentenced to life imprisonment in 2013 over the murder. Presenting his latest investigative book entitled: ...
Amid unprecedented public outrage over its handling of a child abuse case, Myanmar's National Human Rights Commission (MNHRC) is facing scrutiny from the government after the office of President U-tin Chaw (Htin Kyaw) said it was reviewing its actions. Lawyers, activists and politicians are calling for commission members to stand down after they allegedly failed in their duty when told about the abuse of two girls employed at a tailor shop in Yangon, the commercial capital. The girls, aged 16 and 17, told reporters they were held against their will for five years and denied wages. Photographs showed they had suffered burns and their arms were lined with scars from knife wounds.The office of President Htin Kyaw - who was nominated by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi following her party's election victory in November - said it was monitoring the case. The commission is the main organisation addressing the rights abuses that monitoring groups still freq...
Washington D.C., Sep 23, 2016 / 06:56 am (CNA/EWTN News).- New clarifications about Department of Veterans Affairs rules have resolved a dispute about religious Christmas carols, gifts and displays in veterans’ hospitals, a chaplains’ group has said.“No one should try to water down Christmas for our veterans just because they object to any religious references or items. I am most grateful that the VA has clarified their policy prior to the upcoming holidays,” Chaplain Ron Crews, a retired Army Reserve colonel, said Sept. 21.The chaplain is executive director of Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty, a group of Protestant Christian organizations and ministries that provide over 2,600 chaplains for the U.S. military.“This should make clear that churches may sing Christmas carols and distribute Christmas cards at VA hospitals,” Chaplain Crews continued. “The guidelines state that hospital administrators may allow this and provide reasonable g...
IMAGE: CNS photo/courtesy Bright Stars By Rhina GuidosWASHINGTON (CNS) -- When he was a child, BassemHazboun loved helping his mother prepare French delicacies in their Bethlehem kitchen. But it was his father who kepttrying to steer him to study engineering as he reached his teens."You don't need this," his father said when Hazboun told himhe wanted to take a cooking course. But the passion he found while cooking bythis mother's side never left."My food is my identity," said Hazboun, a Catholic Palestinianwho traveled in September from his native Bethlehem in the West Bank to showcase food from hishomeland to various U.S. cities, including Washington and Connecticut, part ofthe "Room for Hope" festival. The festival aims to raise money for scholarshipsto help youth in the Holy Land study music, dance, cooking and other arts.Chef Hazboun, 39, studied at Bethlehem University, a Catholic university in the Holy Land, and is the head of the culinary arts programat Dar al-Kalima Univers...
