Ghana – Damba: A Thanksgiving Festival
Each year, around May, the Gonjas people of Ghana’s Northern Region celebrate the Damba festival, where Islam and indigenous customs come together. Three days of events and celebrations. To remember the past but also to discuss currents issues.
Africa: Indigenous Peoples ‘Seriously Threatened’
The cultures and very survival of indigenous peoples in Africa are seriously threatened. They are ignored, neglected and fall victims of land grabbing and land dispossession, which is caused by extractive industries, agribusiness and other forms of business operations.
Another Face Of The Migration Crisis In Africa
Nowhere do cities expand faster than in Asia and Africa. However, to develop them in a more sustainable and socially acceptable way, will be one of the greatest challenges for the implementation of the Sustainable Development goals (SDGs).
Natural Resources: The Levels Of Inequality
According to United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), there is “a high correlation between the levels of exports of natural resources and the levels of inequality”. The more a country depends on its natural resource exports, the more it will be vulnerable to illegal financial flows and price volatility.
South Sudan: visit by Pope and Welby stirs hope
JUDGING by the media coverage of South Sudan, it is the country closest to hell on earth. Riven by civil war, and affected by horrific killings, rape, and now famine, it is the most dangerous place in the world to be a humanitarian. More than 80 aid workers, mostly nationals, have been killed there since the latest bout of fighting broke out in late 2013
Muslim leads in Jakarta poll, supported by extremists, against Christian governor
JAKARTA: A Muslim former government minister took a strong lead on Wednesday over Jakarta’s Christian incumbent governor in a divisive run-off election that has stoked religious tensions in Muslim-majority Indonesia.
Exodus (4) Where Real Freedom Begins
Empires have always tried to use work to black out the dreams of freedom, gratuitousness and celebration in the souls of the workers. Exactly for it being the number one friend of man, work lends itself to be manipulated and used against workers
South Sudan: Episcopal priest brutally killed in Yei town
YEI (13 Mar.) An Episcopal priest was found dead on the outskirts of Yei town along the Juba-Mukaya road in Yei River State on Friday, a religious leader said. Rev. … Continua a leggere
Exodus (3) Thorn Bushes and Liberations
Factories, offices, classrooms, fields and houses can be and are the site of the fundamental type of meetings in life, even of theophanies. The decisive events reach us in the places of our ordinary life, that is, while we are at work (work is also important because of this).
Exodus (2) Enriching Cries
The first prayer that we find in the Bible is a cry, a cry that rises into the sky by an oppressed people. To have an experience of liberation one must first feel the need to be liberated, and then cry, believing or hoping that there, or up there, is someone to pick up the cry
India’s top magazine selects nun for annual women award
New Delhi: Vanitha (woman), the largest circulated magazine in India, has selected a Catholic nun for its prestigious Woman of the Year Award. Sr Sudha Varghese has so far helped some 2,250 girls to graduate from high school or skill training centers.
Exodus (1) Love does not give in to power
Love does not give in to power:
To save us from empires is a woman’s gaze.
There have always been empires, and they still exist. But today we are getting used to them – which makes it increasingly difficult to recognize them. And since we do not recognize them we do not call them by name either, we do not feel oppressed by them and we do not start any process of liberation.
China: Jade – the essence of Heaven and Earth
The word “jade” communicates a sense of mystery. In Chinese, jade refers to a fine, beautiful stone with a warm colour and rich luster, that is skilfully and delicately carved. In Chinese culture, jade symbolises nobility, perfection, constancy, and immortality.
World Meeting of Popular Movements
URGENT MESSAGE
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Grassroots popular movement leaders from across the United States, along with our brothers and sisters from 12 countries met for the First U.S. Regional Meeting of Popular Movements in Modesto California, February 16-19, 2017
Amnesty: Syria regime hanged 13,000 in notorious prison
Amnesty International found that at least once a week between 2011 and 2015, groups of up to 50 people at the Saydnaya prison near Damascus were taken out of their prison cells for arbitrary trials, beaten, then hanged
Cardinal Parolin speaks at World Economic Forum in Davos
The Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, on Wednesday participated in a discussion at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
The Holy See’s chief diplomat said Pope Francis has given three goals for Vatican diplomacy: To fight poverty, to build bridges, and to achieve peace in concrete situations.
Migration and racism: regress to the culture of the enemy
Although the refrain against migrants is always the same: “Given that I am not a racist …”, in Western societies racism is coming out of the closet and is likely to be legitimized as an opinion. According to psychiatrist Vittorino Andreoli we are living “against a backdrop of disastrous civilization”, Italy and the Western world are “regressing to instinctive” impulses, to the dominion of “the enemy culture”
When religion (Pope Francis) met science (Stephen Hawking)
A surprising encounter took place between the pope, who holds that God’s mercy is infinite, and a scientist who rejects the existence of God due to the infinity of the Universe.
Turkey: Fr. Santoro’s murderer is set free
Among the thousands of “ordinary inmates” whom Ankara released to make room for “supporters of coup leaders”, is Oguzhan Aydin, the young man who killed an Italian priest in Trabzon on 5 February 2006
South Sudan says no to proposal for UN-commanded troops in Juba
JUBA: South Sudan said on Wednesday it opposed a proposal to station extra foreign troops in the country under U.N. command, something the United States, Western nations and regional countries want in order to prevent a slide back into civil war.
Which countries still outlaw apostasy and blasphemy?
Apostasy and blasphemy may seem to many like artifacts of history. But in dozens of countries around the world, laws against apostasy and blasphemy remain on the books and often are enforced.
China to shut churches in G20 host city on safety grounds – reports
Residents of Hangzhou told they could be banned from holding religious gatherings while world leaders attend summit.
Chinese authorities have reportedly ordered the closure of churches in the eastern city hosting the G20 summit later this year to “create a safe environment” for world leaders when they meet.
5 facts about the Muslim population in Europe
Recent killings in Paris as well as the arrival of hundreds of thousands of mostly Muslim refugees in Europe have drawn renewed attention to the continent’s Muslim population. In many European countries, including France, Belgium, Germany, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, concerns about growing Muslim communities have led to calls for restrictions on immigration. But just how large is Europe’s Muslim population, and how fast is it growing?
We Muslims hypocrites: Daesh, it is us
Sharia “invented” by Ulemas and taught in Islamic schools is the same law practiced by the Islamic State militants. The “religious jurisprudence, founded more than 10 centuries ago,” has “chained and rusted our brain and that of our children.” It is urgent to modernize the Muslim religion and free it from the ambiguities linked to the past. The courageous appeal of a young Algerian Muslim student.
Ethiopian Bible, the oldest and complete bible on earth
Written in Ge’ez an ancient dead language of Ethiopia, it’s nearly 800 years older than the King James Version and contains 81-88 books compared to 66. It includes the Book of Enoch, Esdras, Buruch and all 3 Books of Maccabee…
The incredible relic has been kept ever since in the Garima Monastery near Adwa in the north of the country, which is in the Tigray region at 7,000 feet.
Experts believe it is also the earliest example of book binding still attached to the original pages.
The survival of the Gospels is incredible considering the country has been under Muslim invasion, Italian invasion and a fire in the 1930s destroyed the monastery’s church.
Pakistan: Christian life in the ghetto
A visit to Lahore’s “Joseph Colony”, a degraded slum where Christians are forced to live amid indifference and discrimination.
“Joseph Colony” was an easy target when, in March 2013, a crowd of Muslims set it alight, enacting a “mass punishment” of Christians. Very few were brave enough to protest against this parody of justice.
Elie Wiesel, a beacon of light
Elie Wiesel, Holocaust survivor, Nobel Peace prize winner, dies aged 87
‘This is what we must do: not to sleep well when people suffer anywhere in the world, not to sleep well when someone is persecuted, not to sleep well when people are hungry all over here or there, not to sleep well when there are people sick and nobody is there to help them, not to sleep well when anyone somewhere needs you.’
Brexit: What future for Europe?
At its regular meeting from 8 to 10 June in Brussels, the CEC Governing Board approved an open letter addressed to its membership and partner organisations on the current situation in Europe, where we are facing an increasing number of challenges.
“Stop buying oil from ISIS and selling them weapons!”
How to stop ISIS? We must stop buying its cheap oil and stop selling them weapons. Bishop Maroun Elias Nimeh Lahham, former Archbishop of Tunis and now Patriarchal Vicar for Jordan, is in Rovigo to participate in a panel discussion on mercy during the Biblical Festival. In this interview with Vatican Insider, he tells of the drama of the refugees in Jordan, who have doubled the population of the country. And he explains why “exporting democracy” is a failed idea.
Religious freedom in crisis around the world
The nearly unanimous conclusion of people following the situation of religious freedom around the world is that matters have been getting worse, not better.
Syria, Libya, Iraq: Armed Groups and Power
It is difficult to imagine how the Middle East will be in a decade. Nevertheless, it is possible to identify elements and dynamics that will shape future scenarios. What should be highlighted is how the Middle East is witnessing a deep theoretical and practical crisis of the Nation-State as a sovereign political entity as well as a set of institutions.
South Sudan: welcoming the formation of the transitional government of national unity
The Transitional Government of National Unity will be the first test for our politicians and the South Sudanese in General to see that we can exist and work together for the common good of our country. Since TGONU has been established out of different political spectrums that has seen a well represented participation of different segments of the SPLM party as well as other political parties, it’s another chance for us South Sudanese to renew our image in the eyes of God and the International Community that we can unite and work together for peace and development of our nation.
40,000 non-Muslim migrants harassed in German centers over their religion – activists
Up to 40,000 Christian and other non-Muslim refugees, currently residing in migrant centers in Germany, are being discriminated against and harassed by other asylum seekers, and even guards because of their religion, human rights groups have said.
Christian refugee Fadi S. from Syria, who took part in the conference, said when he arrived in a German refugees camp, he was “shocked” to encounter Muslim fundamentalists from whom he had actually fled.
Francis reprimands European leaders, forcefully asking continent: ‘What has happened to you?’
Pope Francis has forcefully reprimanded European leaders, urging them to reject calls for the re-nationalization of the continent, to remember the devastating history that preceded their unification, and to “build bridges and tear down walls” in the face of the continuing migrant crisis.
South Sudan: ‘Let Us Take Care Of Our Common Home’
The Religious Superiors Association of South Sudan (RSASS), a Catholic Church’s entity, representing more than 500 members, Religious Sisters, Brothers and Priests, has issued a communiqué following a three days conference on the Encyclical Letter of Pope Francis Laudato Si. RSASS Executive Body will hand over this communiqué to the newly appointed Minister for Environment and Forestry in South Sudan, Hon. Josephine Napwon.
Lesbos: Pope takes 12 refugees back to Rome with him
As the Pope shook the hands of refugees at Lesbos’ Moria camp, word circulated that Francis could be taking about 10 or so refugees currently living on Lesbos, back to the Vatican with him. 12 are in fact going to be boarding the papal plane to Rome this afternoon and will be hosted by the Community of Sant’Egidio.
“Francis’ visits to Lesbos and Lampedusa aim to put an end to indifference”
According to the Archbishop of Agrigento (Italy), Cardinal Montenegro, the Pope will leave his mark with his visit to the Greek island too; he is among the few who have realised that the history of the world is changing. Europe is the home of people’s rights and cannot act as it is doing. Italy too, would be a poorer place without migrants. It is wrong and unfair to say that every migrant could be a potential terrorist, in fact their wars are caused partly by the need to fulfil our interests
Ending Human Trafficking by 2030
On April 7, the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the UN and the Santa Marta Group will be holding a special Side Event seeking to catalyze the coordination necessary to implement Targets 5.2, 8.7 and 16.2 of the Sustainable Development Goals. These commit the United Nations and Member States to “eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation,” “take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labor, end modern slavery and human trafficking,” and “end abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children” by 2030.
The two faces of Pakistan.
Mumtaz Qadri and Shahbaz Bhatti: a killer and a martyr. They are linked together by the Asia Bibi case and the blasphemy law issue. Pakistan remembers the murdered minister on the path to sainthood. On 1 March, Pakistan’s Christians gathered in the Islamabad-Rawalpindi cathedral to celebrate a mass in Bhatti’s memory and remember his martyrdom. The Church was surrounded by barbed wire, a regular sight when it comes to non-Muslim buildings in the country.
El Niño – millions of poor people threatened with hunger.
Around 60 million people will be affected by El Niño in East and Southern Africa, the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean in 2016.
This “Super” El Niño should have surprised no-one. Weather experts and agencies like the UN and Oxfam have provided ample warning. Unfortunately, slow onset disasters rarely make the headlines until the worst is upon people.
30 Lines from Chesterton to Help Restore Your Senses in a Crazy World.
Every age believes its madness is unprecedented, but we humans tend to repeat ourselves …
When we look at headlines and newsmakers, and people in leadership and media, it is tempting to throw our hands to heaven and think, The world is mad and out of control, and to believe that the brokenness of the era is unmatched in any previous era.
But every student of history knows this is not true.
Palmer Buckle: Homosexuals are children of God.
The Most Reverend Charles Palmer Buckle, Metropolitan Archbishop of Accra has stated that lesbians and homosexuals are all children of God whose basic human rights must be respected by all. … Continua a leggere
Mosul: Islamic State beheads 15-year-old boy for listening to “Western music”
The victim, Hussein Ayham, was arrested by a Jihadi patrol at his father’s shop. The execution took place in a public square and sparked outrage among locals. Two teenaged boys … Continua a leggere
Church of England members back same-sex marriage.
Poll shows for first time more Anglicans supporting gay couples marrying than opposing it, despite leadership’s opposition. Attitudes to same-sex marriage within the pews of the Church of England are … Continua a leggere
Chilling Out in Antarctica’s Catholic Ice Chapel.
Antarctica’s Catholic Ice Chapel Imagine visiting a chapel carved out of pure ice which you can only reach through a narrow system of tunnels. And when you get there kneeling … Continua a leggere
1% own more than rest of us combined.
62 people own same as half world – Oxfam. Pre-Davos report shows how 1% now own more than rest of us combined. Runaway inequality has created a world where 62 … Continua a leggere
Five places where Pope Francis’ political lightning might strike next.
ROME — Francis’ papacy now has spanned parts of four years, and each of the first three brought a signature diplomatic breakthrough: helping prevent an anti-Assad Western offensive in Syria … Continua a leggere
El Salvador to arrest soldiers accused of 1989 priest murders.
San Salvador (AFP) – El Salvador has vowed to arrest 17 retired soldiers accused of killing six Jesuit priests and two women in 1989. The announcement came two days after … Continua a leggere
Riyadh executes 47 “terrorists”, including Shia leader Nimr al-Nimr.
These are the first executions of the new year. Last year more than 150 people were executed. Sheikh al-Nimr had criticised the marginalisation of the Shia community in the predominantly … Continua a leggere
Obama: ISIS has committed brutal atrocities against Christians.
Obama says he’s praying for ‘God’s protection for persecuted Christians’. Washington (CNN) President Barack Obama said Wednesday he is praying for Christians being persecuted this Christmas by ISIS. “We join … Continua a leggere
Taiwan: President to honor 12 distinguished foreign missionaries.
Taipei, Dec. 20 (CNA) President Ma Ying-jeou on Monday will confer the Order of Brilliant Star with Violet Grand Cordon on 12 distinguished foreign priests, nuns, pastors and missionaries to … Continua a leggere
Arms sales increase in Asia, decrease in the United States and Europe.
Data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) show that the US still dominates the sector with 54 per cent; however, US companies’ arms sales decreased. Emerging manufacturers come … Continua a leggere
Anti-Christian persecution isn’t all about Islam.
The country with the highest total of physical assaults on Christians in 2014 — basically one every other day, which has been the case since at least 1997 — was … Continua a leggere
COP21: Did the Pope save the climate deal?
As world leaders hail what they are calling an historic deal at the climate summit, rumours abound about how the final deadlock was resolved. Exhausted delegates were held up for … Continua a leggere
Uganda: The Pope meets the President of South Sudan.
Fr. Lombardi said this was a special gesture on Francis’ part. The Pope has been keenly keeping up to speed with the country’s efforts towards peace. After his courtesy visit … Continua a leggere
The ‘tyranny of uniformity’: will the US have a diverse public square in the future?
The case of the Little Sisters of the Poor before the Supreme Court may determine if the United States will continue to have a diverse public square, said the head … Continua a leggere
Cinemas refuse to show Church of England advert featuring Lord’s Prayer.
Church of England says it is bewildered by leading chains’ stance on advert that was intended to play before new Star Wars film. The UK’s three leading cinema chains have … Continua a leggere
US Bishops Approve Formal Statement on Pornography.
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) approved a formal statement, “Create in Me a Clean Heart: A Pastoral Response to Pornography,” at their annual Fall General Assembly in Baltimore … Continua a leggere
Italian Cardinal Calls On Muslims To Publicly Condemn ISIS.
In an unusually blunt statement, the President of Italy’s Conference of Catholic Bishops (CEI) has called on Muslims to completely disassociate themselves from the Islamic State by categorically condemning it. … Continua a leggere
Fr. Albanese: “Francis’ visit to Africa is courageous”
In an interview, Combonian missionary Fr. Giulio Albanese, says shootings continue in Bangui, in the Central African Republic but “we hope the situation improves. The fact that the opening of … Continua a leggere
