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A statement fromArchbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of LouisvillePresident of theUnited States Conference of Catholic BishopsWASHINGTON—Waking up to the unspeakable violence in Orlando reminds usof how precious human life is. Ourprayers are with the victims, their families and all those affected by thisterrible act. The merciful love of Christ calls us to solidarity with thesuffering and to ever greater resolve in protecting the life and dignity ofevery person.###
(Vatican Radio) U.S. bishops have condemned early Sunday’s mass shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida and are offering prayers for the victims and their families.At least 50 people were killed and 53 others wounded when an Afghan American opened fire on club goers with an assault weapon. It was the worst mass shooting in U.S. history.Bishop John Noonan of Orlando issued a statement Sunday in which he said:“A sword has pierced the heart of our city. Since learning of the tragedy this morning, I have urged all to pray for the victims, the families and first responders. I pray that the Lord’s mercy will be upon us during this time of sadness, shock and confusion. I urge people of faith to turn their hearts and souls to the great physician, our Lord Jesus Christ, who consoles and carries us through suffering with mercy and tenderness. The healing power of Jesus goes beyond our physical wounds but touches every level of our humanity: physical, emotiona...
(Vatican Radio) The United States’ Ambassador to the Holy See, Kenneth Hackett, has condemned the mass shooting Sunday 12 June at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida and says he personally, thinks “we have to do something about the access to weapons in our society.”At least fifty people were killed and 53 wounded by a gunman toting an assault weapon.Listen: Ambassador Hackett told Vatican Radio’s Tracey McClure that “we are all united in grief with the families who have suffered from this horrific massacre. This is not the first [such shooting]; it seems to be the largest. We’re just taken [aback] with the violence, the acts of terror and hate that are perpetrated on people and you really have to send your prayers out and hopes that the families will be able to get through this terrible thing. [I’m] just calling for peoples’ prayers for the families of those people who are suffering so much.”Asked ...
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis says it is a “strange paradox” that food often cannot get through to those suffering due to war but weapons can. He was speaking on Monday during his first visit to the World Food Program, the Rome-based United Nations agency that fights hunger.WFP is currently engaged in and committed to the “One Future Zero Hunger” Global Goal set by world leaders for 2030.Listen to the report by Linda Bordoni: Reflecting bitterly on the fact that that while the distribution of food supplies are often obstructed in war zones, weapons - Pope Francis said - are trafficked freely.“As a result, wars are fed, not persons” and he continued: “In some cases hunger itself is used as a weapon of war” as the number of people dying of hunger and thirst is added to that of battlefield casualties and the civilian victims of conflicts and attacks.“We are fully aware of this – he said – yet we allow o...
A group of Pakistani clerics has issued a fatwa, or religious ruling, declaring "honour killing" over perceived damage to a family's reputation against the teaching of Islam, and anyone who carries out such an attack a heretic. Hundreds of Pakistanis, the vast majority women and girls, are murdered every year by relatives after being accused of damaging a family's honour. Most cases involve young women trying to chose partners against a family's wishes. The ruling by the Sunni Ittehad Council, which includes more than 100 prominent clerics, comes after a string of particularly shocking killings including the burning to death by a mother of a 16 year-old girl who eloped with a young man."It seems were are moving towards an age of barbarism," the council said in its fatwa issued on Sunday, a rare edict on the problem in the Muslim majority country of 190 million people. "Burning women alive for marrying by their choice is against the ...
Vatican City, Jun 13, 2016 / 05:50 am (CNA/EWTN News).- In a world where information is brought instantly to our fingertips, society is becoming increasingly anesthetized to the suffering brought about by poverty, Pope Francis told the United Nations' World Food Programme on Monday.“We are bombarded by so many images that we see pain, but do not touch it; we hear weeping, but do not comfort it; we see thirst but do not satisfy it,” the Pope said during the visit to the WFP Rome headquarters. “All those human lives turn into one more news story.”In prepared remarks delivered in his native Spanish, the pontiff said the global interconnectedness created by modern communications technologies has led to an “information overload” which is increasingly making us “immune to other people's tragedies.” “It is not enough to offer broad reflections or engage in endless discussion, constantly repeating things everyone knows...
By Junno Arocho EstevesROME(CNS) -- The key to ending extreme poverty and hunger is to recognize thatbehind every statistic, there is the face of a person who is suffering, PopeFrancis said."Povertyhas a face! It has the face of a child; it has the face of a family; it has theface of people, young and old. It has the face of widespread unemployment andlack of opportunity. It has the face of forced migrations, and of empty ordestroyed homes," the pope said June 13 during a visit to the Romeheadquarters of the U.N.'s World Food Program.Advancedcommunications, while informing the world of the tragedy of poverty, has alsoresulted in a desensitized culture that has turned the real suffering of peopleinto statistics, the pope told WFP executive board members.The world is gradually "growing immune to otherpeople's tragedies, seeing them as something 'natural,'" he said. "Without faces and stories, human lives becomestatistics and we run the risk of bureaucratizing the sufferings of others...
IMAGE: CNS photo/Steve Nesius, ReutersBy ORLANDO, Fla. (CNS) -- Orlando BishopJohn G. Noonan urged people of faith "to turn their hearts and souls"to God and pray for the victims, the families and first responders followingthe worst mass shooting in U.S. history June 12."A sword has pierced theheart of our city," he said in a statement."The healing power of Jesusgoes beyond our physical wounds but touches every level of our humanity:physical, emotional, social, spiritual," he said. "Jesus calls us toremain fervent in our protection of life and human dignity and to pray unceasinglyfor peace in our world."The shooting rampage at acrowded nightclub in Orlando left 50 people dead, including the gunman, and 53wounded.Police said a lone gunman identifiedas 29-year-old Omar Mir Seddique Mateen -- opened fire inside the Pulse club inOrlando inthe early morning hours. New reports said that Mateen, who pledged allegianceto the Islamic State terrorist group, died in a gun battle with SWAT team...
PRETORIA, South Africa (AP) -- Oscar Pistorius is a "broken" man whose mental state has deteriorated and he should be hospitalized and not jailed, a psychologist called by his defense testified at the start of a new sentencing hearing Monday....
NEW YORK (AP) -- In a surprise move, Microsoft said Monday that it is buying professional networking service site LinkedIn for about $26.2 billion....
