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MOSCOW (AP) -- The Latest on Russian opposition protest (all times local):...
Hundreds of civilians have fled their homes and are seeking refuge in churches in Myanmar's conflict-torn Kachin State following an ultimatum given by the country's military. Church social workers say that more than 600 civilians, mostly Christians, are taking refuge in Catholic and Baptist church buildings in Tanai township, some 200 kilometers north of the state capital of Myitkyina. The military air dropped letters on June 5 warning residents to leave the area around Tanai by June 15. If civilians remained, they would consider them to have links with the rebel Kachin Independence Army (KIA), the letters said. The Rev. Je Di, pastor of the local Kachin Baptist Church, has reported clashes between the KIA and military. "Children, elderly and women are severely affected by the renewed fighting," he told ucanews.com. The region has gold and amber mines that are concentrated near Tanai and where an estimated 100,000 people work. Most of them a...
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis said Mass in the chapel of the Casa Santa Marta on Monday morning. In remarks to the faithful following the Readings of the Day, the Holy Father reflected on the gift of consolation, focusing specifically on the spiritual aptitudes most conducive to receiving the gift of consolation from God and sharing the gift with our fellows.Consolation is not autonomyThe reading from the 2nd Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians teaches us that consolation is not – Pope Francis said – “autonomous”:“The experience of consolation, which is a spiritual experience, always needs ‘someone else’ in order to be full: no one can console himself, no one – and whoever tries to do it ends up looking into the mirror – staring into the mirror and trying to ‘make oneself up’. One ‘consoles’ with these closed things that do not let one grow, and the air that one breathes is that narcissistic air of self...
Prottests agains martial law in the southern Philippines and clashes between security forces and a local terrorist group in Mindanao made Independence Day celebrations on June 12 "a farce," according to a Catholic bishop. "As long as there is martial law and unrest in Marawi City, the 'independence' of our nation is a farce," said Bishop Arturo Bastes from northern Sorsogon Diocese. The celebration has been marred by protest rallies and demonstrations condemning ongoing clashes and martial law in Mindanao. Bishop Bastes said by declaring martial law, the government "trample[s] on the freedom of citizens." "People are not in the mood for celebrating" the nation’s independence, Bishop Bastes said, adding in a way he supported the demonstrations against the declaration of martial law. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte declared martial law across the southern region of Mindanao on May 23 after the Maute, a...
The Lesotho Catholic Bishop’s Conference together with the Inter-Regional Meeting of Bishops of Southern Africa (IMBISA) have commended the people of Lesotho for the peaceful manner in which they voted in a snap election called by the country's out-going Prime Minister, Pakalitha Mosisili, who last week conceded defeat.“Overall the elections were peaceful and well organised. Though there is room to improve on some challenges identified above. As Church we applaud this and that it must lead to a long lasting process of how Basotho people relate to each other,” said the Bishops in a “2017 Kingdom of Lesotho National Assembly Elections Preliminary Report.” Tom Thabane of the All Basotho Convention (ABC) party is set to bounce back as Prime Minister. In 2014, Thabane fled Lesotho for South Africa claiming an army plot to assassinate him.In their report, the Bishops appeal to the people of Lesotho to embrace peace, reconciliation and reforms.&ldqu...
Zambia’s Bishop of Monze Diocese and episcopal Chairperson of the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB)'s Communication ministry, Moses Hamungole has urged Catholic Radio stations to be inclusive in their programming by giving a platform to even non-Catholics as this would bring about communion in the body Christ.Bishop Hamungole was speaking recently during a 4-day training programme on Online Journalism and grant proposal writing skills for Diocesan Communications Secretaries and Catholic Radio station managers held at Kasisi Retreat Centre on the outskirts of the capital, Lusaka.Bishop Hamungole also encouraged Catholic Radio stations to continue producing not only religious programmes but also material that touch on all aspects of human life.“It is also important that you do not segregate between our Church members and non-Catholics, this is a greater way of promoting communion in the body of Christ,” he said.Bishop Hamungole noted that there are f...
(Vatican Radio) A statement from the Institute for the Works of Religion, popularly known as the Vatican Bank, published its annual financial report on Monday, showing net gains of €36 million for the year 2016.That figure is more than twice the €16.1 million income of the previous year, which the statement says was achieved through “a prudent approach in managing IOR’s investments in a year characterised by high volatility, global political uncertainty due to unexpected outcomes of major electoral events and low interest rates”.The statement shows that in 2016 the IOR served nearly 15,000 clients worldwide, who entrusted to the Institute assets worth € 5.7 billion.Please see below the full statement from the Institute for the Works of Religion (IOR)Vatican City, 12 June 2017 – For the fifth year, the Istituto per le Opere di Religione (IOR) has published its financial statements. The financial statements have been audited by the independent ...
By Cindy WoodenVATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis is giving priests belonging to the Diocese of Ahiara, Nigeria, 30 days to write a letterpromising obedience to him and accepting the bishop appointed for their diocese or they will be suspended.The papal text in English was posted June 9 on the blog of Archbishop IgnatiusKaigama of Jos, presidentof the Nigerian bishops' conference. Cardinal JohnOlorunfemi Onaiyekan of Abuja told Catholic News Servicethe same day that the text was what Pope Francis said. The Vatican press office released the text June 10.Nigerian church leaders had met Pope Francis June 8to discuss the situation of BishopPeter Ebere Okpaleke, who was appointed bishop of Ahiara by then-PopeBenedict XVI in 2012, but who has been unable to take control of the diocese because ofprotests, apparently by the majority of priests.Initially the Vatican issued only a short communique on themeeting with the pope, describing the situation in the diocese as "unacceptable" and sayi...
IMAGE: CNS photo/L'Osservatore RomanoBy Cindy WoodenVATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Generosity, hard work, solidarity anda recognition of the dignity of the human person are essential for facing themajor challenges posed by natural disasters, a large influx of migrants and acrisis in creating jobs, especially for young people, Pope Francis told Italian President Sergio Mattarella.Making a formal visit June 10 to the Quirinal Palace, Italy's presidential residence,Pope Francis said he looks at Italy with hope because "the dignity of theperson, family and work" are values that inspired generations of Italians-- including his forebears -- and continue to inspire people today.Using those values to "transform challenges intooccasions for growth," he said, is seen particularly in "thewelcoming of the numerous refugees who have landed on your shores," therescue work in the Mediterranean carried out by Italian ships and the vastnetwork of volunteers who assist the newly arrived migrants.Still, Pope ...
By Junno Arocho EstevesVATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Too often, national and international policies leavemigrant children at the mercy of traffickers and sexual predators and are signsof a widespread failure to protect the innocent, a Vatican official said.Inaddition, policies that involve criminalizing and detaining child migrants "arean insult to human dignity" and are "the dramatic evidence ofexisting inequalities and failing systems," said Archbishop Ivan Jurkovic,Vatican observer to U.N. agencies in Geneva."The graveerror of the detention model is that it considers the children as sole,isolated subjects responsible for the situations in which they find themselvesand over which they have little, if any, control," the archbishop said. "Thismodel wrongly absolves the international community at large fromresponsibilities that it regularly fails to fulfill."Archbishop Jurkovic spoke about the plight of child migrants during a U.N. Human Rights Councilpanel discussion June 9on "Unaccompanie...
