Sunday, October 31, 2010
Rosary Prayers For October
This
short invocation to Mary, the Queen of the Most Holy
Rosary, is an appropriate prayer for the Month of the Holy
Rosary, as well as for reciting at the end of the rosary.
To Our Lady of the Rosary
In this prayer to Our Lady of the Rosary, we ask the Virgin Mary to help us to cultivate a habit of interior prayer through the daily recitation of the rosary.This is the object of all of our prayers: to arrive at the point where we can "pray without ceasing," as Saint Paul tells us to do.
To the Queen of the Most Holy Rosary
This theologically rich prayer to Mary, the Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, calls to mind our Blessed Mother's protection of the Church - as, for example, at the Battle of Lepanto (October 7, 1571), when the Christian fleet defeated the Ottoman Muslims through the intercession of the Queen of the Most Holy Rosary.For the Crusade of the Family Rosary
This prayer for the Crusade of the Family Rosary was written by Francis Cardinal Spellman, the cardinal archbishop of the archdiocese of New York in the mid-20th century.The Family Rosary Crusade was originally an organization, founded by Fr. Patrick Peyton, dedicated to convincing families to recite the rosary together daily.
Today, we can pray this prayer to spread the practice of the daily recitation of the rosary.
In that vein, it is especially appropriate to add this prayer to our daily prayers for the Month of the Holy Rosary.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Rosary Prayers For October
This
short invocation to Mary, the Queen of the Most Holy
Rosary, is an appropriate prayer for the Month of the Holy
Rosary, as well as for reciting at the end of the rosary.
To Our Lady of the Rosary
In this prayer to Our Lady of the Rosary, we ask the Virgin Mary to help us to cultivate a habit of interior prayer through the daily recitation of the rosary.This is the object of all of our prayers: to arrive at the point where we can "pray without ceasing," as Saint Paul tells us to do.
To the Queen of the Most Holy Rosary
This theologically rich prayer to Mary, the Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, calls to mind our Blessed Mother's protection of the Church - as, for example, at the Battle of Lepanto (October 7, 1571), when the Christian fleet defeated the Ottoman Muslims through the intercession of the Queen of the Most Holy Rosary.For the Crusade of the Family Rosary
This prayer for the Crusade of the Family Rosary was written by Francis Cardinal Spellman, the cardinal archbishop of the archdiocese of New York in the mid-20th century.The Family Rosary Crusade was originally an organization, founded by Fr. Patrick Peyton, dedicated to convincing families to recite the rosary together daily.
Today, we can pray this prayer to spread the practice of the daily recitation of the rosary.
In that vein, it is especially appropriate to add this prayer to our daily prayers for the Month of the Holy Rosary.
Diocese launches revamped website
Bishop Seamus Freeman of Ossory launched a revamped version of his diocese’s website yesterday.
The website has been re-developed over a period of months by a design
team from GetOnLine.ie, which specialises in creating and managing
online sites for parishes, dioceses and other religious organisations.
The diocese said that the website, www.ossory.ie,
opened up new possibilities for carrying out its mission and it was
“apt that we use every means at our disposal in getting the message of
God's salvation to all and sundry.”
It noted that the “recent, explosive growth and greater social impact
of these media make them all the more important for a fruitful pastoral
ministry.”
The diocese said the revamped website would offer a
“unique, user friendly, interactive website which will cater for the
needs of all visitors.”
These included visitors looking for Mass times in a particular
church, parishioners seeking the address of a priest, parents hunting
for information on a particular school, minsters of the Word preparing
the text of readings for the following Sunday or casual surfers
searching for information on the Church in the diocese.
“Ossory.ie provides an easily accessible place for diocesan users and
guests to find accurate and dependable information on the Church in
general and the diocese of Ossory in particular. Visitors will
appreciate the site's ability to provide accurate directions and maps to
all of the churches in the diocese - a very useful feature for people
attending weddings or funerals in unfamiliar areas.”
The diocese plans that the site will, in due course, also host parish
bulletins and include a feature that will allow people to subscribe to
their own parish and have the weekly bulletin emailed directly to them.
The diocese praised the design work on the website undertaken by
GetOnline.ie, which it described as “a comprehensive web design,
development and support company specialising in church web presence for
dioceses, religious orders and parishes throughout Ireland. Through
close collaboration with members of the diocesan staff, they have
designed and presented this new and comprehensive web presence for the
diocese of Ossory.”
Bishop Freeman said the redesigned site would enable the diocese and
its people to be “ever more effective in promoting Gospel values by
putting modern technology ever more effectively at the service of God's
Word."
Meanwhile, the bishop also launched the Ossory diocese programme for
the forthcoming Eucharistic Congress at a function in St Kieran’s
College, Kilkenny.
GetOnLine.ie is part of the Church Support Group that specialises in
the provision of a range of innovative digital services to parishes,
religious congregations and dioceses across Ireland.
Today, this
portfolio includes ChurchServices.tv, delivering live, high-quality
broadcasting of church services - the first in Ireland to do this and
now available with a set-up box that has revolutionised the availability
of this service; ChurchResources, ie, a buying programme that
aggregates the buying power of the church in Ireland to minimise costs
for parishes, schools and others around the country.
CiNews.ie is a
part of the family of Church Support Group.
Supporters of in vitro fertilization protest Polish church campaign against the procedure
About 70 Poles have rallied outside a Roman Catholic bishop's
residence in Warsaw in opposition to the church's campaign against in
vitro fertilization.
A liberal politician who organized the rally
on Thursday, Janusz Palikot, nailed a copy of Poland's constitution to a
wooden cross to emphasize his view that the church is violating the
separation of church and state.
One protester held a sign that
read, "Poland is not Iran" while other demonstraters chanted, "The
constitution, and not the Bible!"
The protesters are angry that
the church is trying to persuade lawmakers to vote against a government
plan to offer state funding for the medical procedure.
IVF is a highly contested issue in the traditionally Catholic country.
SIC: TCP/INT'L
Banking crisis: Archbishop Nichols calls for rediscovery of virtue
Delivering the 2010 Provost Derek Hole Annual Public Lecture at the
University of Leicester, the Very Reverend Vincent Nichols,
Archbishop of Westminster has examined the banking crisis, the present
Government's austerity measures and reflected on the challenges of life
in our society in the coming months and years.
The Archbishop's lecture
'Living the virtues in a time of austerity' also explored the
relationship between reason and faith in the elaboration of society's
values and ethics, with particular reference to the Address given by
Pope Benedict XVI in Westminster Hall on Friday 17 September.
Archbishop Nichols said that simply seeking to impose new rules on the economy and society would not be sufficient to create a just society and called for a re-discovery of virtue saying: "The virtues are not about what one is allowed to do but who one is formed to be. They strengthen us to become moral agents, the source of our own actions. The classical virtues form us as people who are prudent, just, temperate and courageous. To them is added, in the Christian lexicon and life, the theological virtues, those of faith, hope and charity by which we see that our human growth is, in fact, rooted in the gifts of God and, actually, forms us for our ultimate happiness: friendship with God."
Archbishop Nichols continued: "I would like to suggest that an important part of our recovery as a society will be achieved through the practice of these virtues. Then we will build the trust which lies at the heart of human relationships, whether in the family or the neighbourhood. This is the pathway down which institutions also have to travel, in order to restore trust. I don't doubt that this is what the vast majority of ordinary British people instinctively want. They want to belong to a world in which people care for one another. They are alienated by a selfish society. At a profound level they care more for quality of life than for the value of property. Yet the structures and values built into the way society works often frustrate that deeper and better instinct. We need to find ways of releasing this instinctive generosity, often seen in times of extreme emergency but less so routinely.'
To read the full text of the lecture see: http://www.rcdow.org.uk/archbishop/default.asp?library_ref=35&content_ref=3070
Archbishop Nichols said that simply seeking to impose new rules on the economy and society would not be sufficient to create a just society and called for a re-discovery of virtue saying: "The virtues are not about what one is allowed to do but who one is formed to be. They strengthen us to become moral agents, the source of our own actions. The classical virtues form us as people who are prudent, just, temperate and courageous. To them is added, in the Christian lexicon and life, the theological virtues, those of faith, hope and charity by which we see that our human growth is, in fact, rooted in the gifts of God and, actually, forms us for our ultimate happiness: friendship with God."
Archbishop Nichols continued: "I would like to suggest that an important part of our recovery as a society will be achieved through the practice of these virtues. Then we will build the trust which lies at the heart of human relationships, whether in the family or the neighbourhood. This is the pathway down which institutions also have to travel, in order to restore trust. I don't doubt that this is what the vast majority of ordinary British people instinctively want. They want to belong to a world in which people care for one another. They are alienated by a selfish society. At a profound level they care more for quality of life than for the value of property. Yet the structures and values built into the way society works often frustrate that deeper and better instinct. We need to find ways of releasing this instinctive generosity, often seen in times of extreme emergency but less so routinely.'
To read the full text of the lecture see: http://www.rcdow.org.uk/archbishop/default.asp?library_ref=35&content_ref=3070
SIC: ICN/UK
Diocesan Clerical Changes 2010 - Ossory
Bishop Freeman has recently announced the changes to diocesan
appointments. All changes are effective from the 29th October 2010.
The full list of appointments is:
- Very Rev. Dean Seamus McEvoy P.E., Rathdowney, Co. Laois.
- Rev. Patrick Carey, Chaplain, St. Luke’s Hospital, Kilkenny.
- Rev. Lorcan Moran, C.C., Thomastown, Co. Kilkenny.
- Very Rev. Richard Scriven, P.P., Inistioge, Co. Kilkenny.
- Rev. Sean O’ Connor, Team Member, St. John’s, Kilkenny.
- Rev Dr. Dermot Ryan, Chaplain, St. Kieran’s College and Diocesan Director of Adult Faith Development.
- Very Rev. Eamonn O’ Gorman, P.P., Seir Kieran, Co. Offaly.
- Very Rev. Peter Muldowney, P.P., Mooncoin, Co. Kilkenny.
- Rev. William Purcell, full time Diocesan Director of Vocations with residence in St. Kieran’s College, Kilkenny.
SIC: CIN/IE
Church sex abuse victims to gather near Vatican, demand crime against humanity designation
People who were raped and molested by priests are gathering in Rome
this weekend to launch a petition demanding the United Nations designate
systematic sexual abuse of children as a crime against humanity.
Organizers
said the Sunday gathering would mark the first time that abuse
survivors from around the world will gather for a day of healing and to
demand greater accountability from the Vatican.
A few hundred people
from a dozen countries are expected.
Organizers had hoped to stage
the demonstration in St. Peter's Square, but said they had to move it a
few hundred meters (yards) away because the Holy See declined to give
them access.
Organizer Gary Bergeron, abused as an altar boy by a
Boston-area priest, said Friday the issue needs to be treated as a
global one.
"If it can happen in an institution like the Catholic
Church, it can happen anywhere," he told reporters at the Foreign Press
Association.
"If it can happen to me, it can happen to anyone."
Bergeron
and co-organizer Bernie McDaid, also abused by a Boston-area priest
starting in the sixth grade, were two of the more prominent survivors of
clerical abuse to emerge after the sex abuse scandal erupted in Boston
in 2002.
In 2003 they met with the Vatican No. 2 in Rome and five
years later McDaid became the first victim to meet with Pope Benedict
XVI during the pontiff's trip to the United States.
Eight years
after the U.S. scandal erupted, however, they said the Vatican hasn't
taken sufficient responsibility, hasn't reached out to victims or put in
place universal prevention programs.
"We always realized this was a huge issue. We were ahead of the curve," Bergeron said. "The world wasn't ready to listen."
Now,
however, they said they wanted to start an awareness campaign since the
world has been sensitized to the problem following revelations this
year of thousands of victims in Europe and beyond, the bishops who
covered up for pedophile priests and Vatican officials who turned a
blind eye for decades.
"If this were any other corporation, heads
would have rolled and been fired immediately," McDaid said. "This is
totally unacceptable to me and a lot of others."
The pope has
admitted the church failed to take sufficient measures to stop the abuse
and has apologized to victims during several foreign trips.
He has
insisted victims were the church's top priority, although the Holy See
itself hasn't initiated any widescale outreach programs.
Some
60-80 deaf victims from Verona are expected to attend, spokesman Marco
Lodi Rizzini told The Associated Press.
The Verona victims have emerged
as one of the more horrific examples of abuse to come to light in Italy;
dozens have reported that they suffered rape and molestation by priests
while students at an institute for the deaf in the 1960s and 1970s.
In addition, victims from Ireland, the Netherlands, Germany and elsewhere are expected to attend, Rizzini said.
Organizers
plan to launch a petition asking the United Nations to designate
"systematic" sexual abuse of children as a crime against humanity.
Under
Article 7 of the U.N. treaty establishing the U.N. International
Criminal Court, a crime against humanity is defined as an act committed
as part of a "widespread or systematic attack directed against any
civilian population."
The statute lists murder, enslavement,
torture as well as "rape, sexual slavery, enforced prostitution ... or
any other form of sexual violence of comparable gravity."
"I'm not
here to change the world. I'm here to make sure my son isn't abused,"
said Bergeron, whose father was abused by a priest when he was a child
as well.
SIC: TCP/INT'L
Cardinal-designate Burke speaks about obligation to vote for truth
Cardinal-designate Raymond Burke stressed to Catholic voters in a
recent interview that they have a “very serious” obligation to uphold
the truth of “moral law” in the upcoming mid-term elections.
He
specifically cited protecting unborn children from abortion and
defending traditional marriage.
The American Vatican official, who was recently named by the Holy
Father as a future cardinal, spoke on Oct. 20 to Thomas McKenna,
president of Catholic Action for Faith and Family, just hours after the
Pope’s announcement.
Cardinal-designate Burke opened his remarks by saying that “as a
bishop it’s my obligation, in fact, to urge the faithful to carry out
their civic duty in accord with their Catholic Faith.”
Clarifying that
he does not endorse particular candidates, the prelate also spoke of his
duty to relay “principles” to the faithful to help inform their vote.
Speaking on the contentious topic of abortion in the upcoming mid-terms, Cardinal-designate Burke said
one “can never vote for someone who favors absolutely the right to
choice of a woman to destroy a human life in her womb or the right to a
procured abortion.”
“You may in some circumstances where you don’t have any candidate who
is proposing to eliminate all abortion, choose the candidate who will
most limit this grave evil in our country,” he explained, “but you could
never justify voting for a candidate who not only does not want to
limit abortion but believes that it should be available to everyone.”
The Vatican prelate also addressed
the issue of same-sex “marriage,” asserting that maintaining the
definition of marriage as between one man and one woman is not unjust
discrimination.
“Where there is unjust discrimination –for instance, where you say
that a fellow human being, because of the color of his skin, is not a
part of the same race as someone, say, who is a Caucasian, that is a
kind of discrimination which is unjust and immoral,” he said.
However, he added, “there is a discrimination which is perfectly just
and good, and that is the discrimination between what is right and what
is wrong.”
“Between what is according to our human nature and what is contrary
to our human nature. So the Catholic Church, in teaching that sexual
acts between persons of the same sex are intrinsically evil, are against
nature itself, is simply announcing the truth, helping people to
discriminate right from wrong in terms of their own activities.”
In his interview, Cardinal-designate Burke also urged Catholic
politicians who have caused “scandal” by endorsing positions contrary to
moral law to repent through a “genuine reform of heart.”
“That’s done through the Sacrament of Penance,” he said, adding that
political figures must publicly “renounce” their errors, recognizing and
recanting the “evil” they have promoted.
Cardinal-designate Burke's remarks on voting can be viewed at: http://www.catholicaction.org/
SIC: CNA/INT'L
Holy Land Church official finds no ‘anti-Zionist’ bias at synod
Many Christians in the Middle East harbor “anti-Zionist” resentments,
but those resentments are rooted political injustices and not theology,
according to a top Church official in the Holy Land.
Franciscan Father Pierbattista Pizzaballa said the tensions were
reflected in the recent Synod for Bishops on the Middle East, but he
rejected charges that the synod was biased against Israel.
"I don't think the Synod Fathers were taken hostage by anyone," he told the Italian newspaper Il Foglio Oct. 27.
Father
Pizzaballa is the Vatican-appointed custodian of the ancient Christian
holy sites in Israel and Palestine.
In an interview with the paper’s
Vatican analyst Paolo Rodari, he responded to charges made by Israel’s
deputy foreign minister, Danny Ayalon.
Ayalon charged that the synod had become an "important forum for
political attacks" and was "taken hostage by an anti-Israeli majority."
"That the Arab world might have little sympathy for Israel is
evident," Father Pizzaballa said, noting that 90 percent of Christians
in the Middle East are of Arab origins. He called it a "normal thing"
that this sentiment might surface "in some way" during the synod’s
discussions.
But the synod's final message also included condemnations of
anti-Semitism and anti-Judaism and a reminder that Christians must study
both the New and the Old Testaments, he said.
It is "not a given," that the synod fathers of the Middle Eastern world would write these words, he said.
Father Pizzaballa also pointed out that the synod’s final message
condemned all forms of racism and “Islamaphobia,” and called Jews,
Muslims and Christians to greater commitment to dialogue.
While individual bishops might express their opinions on these
issues, only the final message of the synod reflects the official
position of the assembled Church leaders, he stressed.
The synod’s message, Father Pizzaballa said, is “not the voice of the
Vatican nor the Church.”
It is rather "simply the voice of the synod
fathers."
The synod’s final message offered little new with respect to Israel,
he added. The gathering of bishops condemned Israel’s continued
occupation of Palestine and any use of God's name to justify violence.
These are positions "already expressed in the past” by Church leaders,
he noted.
Accusations that the synod fathers harbor an “anti-Zionist” bias are
misguided. Zionism, the belief that Israel has the right to a homeland
in the territory promised to the Jews in the Bible, is a “Western
category,” Father Pizzaballa said. “It is a way with which the West
tries to describe a situation."
"That a certain anti-Zionism might be present also among Christians
in the Middle East is evident,” he said. “But this anti-Zionism, if it
exists, it does not have theological foundations.
It is more than
anything a sentiment motivated by the Israeli-Palistinian conflict. It
is a reaction to a dramatic situation and in which immediate solutions
are not seen"
The issue of anti-Zionism surfaced after remarks by Melkite
Archbishop Cyrille Salim Bustros of Newton, Mass. in the concluding
press conference of the synod, Oct. 23.
Archbishop Bustros said the biblical ideas of the “chosen people” and
the “promised land” could not be used to justify “the return of Jews to
Israel and the displacement of Palestinians." He added, "Sacred
Scripture should not be used to justify the occupation by Israel of
Palestine.”
Father Pizzaballa said the controversy reinforces the need for
greater dialogue between Jews and Catholics and deeper study of the ways
Scripture is interpreted in each tradition.
Christians, he said, “are
accustomed to making a spiritual and allegorical reading of the
Scriptures and our reading does not always fit together with that of the
Jews."
SIC: CNA/INT'L
Islamic Fundamentalist Mass Media Targets Egyptian Coptic Church
The majority of Coptic Christians and liberal Muslims in Egypt believe
that Fundamentalist sheikhs and their mass media have played a vital
role in the latest wave of incitement against the Coptic Church,
orchestrated by Egyptian State Security.
The Salafi (one who follows the ways of the first Muslims) television channels, airing their programs from Egypt, supported by their affiliated fundamentalist journalists and mosque imams, have engaged in a coordinated smear campaign against the Coptic Church and its Pope, designed to terrorize the Copts.
Newspapers and TV channels in Arab countries gave a wide platform for Islamists to join in the campaign.
The Salafi (one who follows the ways of the first Muslims) television channels, airing their programs from Egypt, supported by their affiliated fundamentalist journalists and mosque imams, have engaged in a coordinated smear campaign against the Coptic Church and its Pope, designed to terrorize the Copts.
Newspapers and TV channels in Arab countries gave a wide platform for Islamists to join in the campaign.
It was on Al-Jezeerah TV Channel on
September 15 that the Islamist and ex-secretary general of the
International Union for Muslim Scholars, Dr. Selim Al-Awah, accused the
Pope of running "a State within the Egyptian State" and the church of
having its own militia and of hiding weapons and ammunition obtained
from Israel in monasteries and churches, preparing for a war "against
the Muslims," to divide Egypt and establish a so-called Coptic State.
Al-Awah also accused the church of abducting and torturing Christian converts to Islam in monasteries, to brainwash them back to Christianity. He warned that if the status of the Church remains as such, the "country will burn" and called on Muslims to go out in demonstrations as the "only answer left to counteract the strength of the Church."
Pope Shenouda expressed his concern about the smear campaign, he said in interviews with Egyptian state-owned channels end September "it is easy to incite the naive simple citizen, but the effects of these incitements are quite serious." He blamed the media and the instigators, who have an effect on the masses, causing hatred between Muslims and Christians and between the Church and the State.
Salafi Sheikh Wagdy Ghoneim openly attacked the Pope, alleging the presence of weapons in monasteries and the Copts for fighting against the application of Sharia law in Egypt, calling on them to leave if they do not like it. He also attacked the Copts in the diaspora for siding with the Jews in the flotilla incident and for believing that should anything happen, the United States will come to save the Copts. He said "I swear by God, you will not have time stay alive until America and the West arrive, this is for your own good, if you understand. Do you think the Muslims inside Egypt will say thank you and may Allah give you health? No, by God."
Coptic political analyst Magdi Khalil said "No one cannot deny the effect of the Salafi mass media as they have a wide audience amounting to millions." He blamed them for fabricating events to incite Muslims against the Coptic Church. "They fabricated the alleged conversion to Islam of the priest's wife Camilia Shehata, which, despite her denial of ever wanting to convert to Islam and Al-Azhar's negation that she ever went there, still draws demonstrations in front of mosques every Friday."
Al-Awah also accused the church of abducting and torturing Christian converts to Islam in monasteries, to brainwash them back to Christianity. He warned that if the status of the Church remains as such, the "country will burn" and called on Muslims to go out in demonstrations as the "only answer left to counteract the strength of the Church."
Pope Shenouda expressed his concern about the smear campaign, he said in interviews with Egyptian state-owned channels end September "it is easy to incite the naive simple citizen, but the effects of these incitements are quite serious." He blamed the media and the instigators, who have an effect on the masses, causing hatred between Muslims and Christians and between the Church and the State.
Salafi Sheikh Wagdy Ghoneim openly attacked the Pope, alleging the presence of weapons in monasteries and the Copts for fighting against the application of Sharia law in Egypt, calling on them to leave if they do not like it. He also attacked the Copts in the diaspora for siding with the Jews in the flotilla incident and for believing that should anything happen, the United States will come to save the Copts. He said "I swear by God, you will not have time stay alive until America and the West arrive, this is for your own good, if you understand. Do you think the Muslims inside Egypt will say thank you and may Allah give you health? No, by God."
Coptic political analyst Magdi Khalil said "No one cannot deny the effect of the Salafi mass media as they have a wide audience amounting to millions." He blamed them for fabricating events to incite Muslims against the Coptic Church. "They fabricated the alleged conversion to Islam of the priest's wife Camilia Shehata, which, despite her denial of ever wanting to convert to Islam and Al-Azhar's negation that she ever went there, still draws demonstrations in front of mosques every Friday."
The last
demonstrations took place in Cairo and Alexandria simultaneously on
Friday October 22, calling for Camilia's freedom from the prisons of the
Church as well as other "Muslim sisters," calling for the boycott of
Coptic businesses and insulting the Pope. The next and eleventh of these
weekly demonstrations is scheduled for Friday October 28.
Joining in the campaign against the church from London, is sheikh Haney el-Sebay, a convicted terrorist who sought political asylum in the UK and who runs the Almaqreze Center for Historical Studies there. He threatened the Copts in his speech and talked about the Coptic militias and the priest's wife Camilia Shehata. He added that Mubarak must have become a Christian as he acts against Muslim interests.
On October 19, Egypt's main satellite operator Nilesat temporarily suspended 12 Islamic channels, and warned 20 others, on grounds of violating their licenses. The reasons given were mainly for promoting religious hatred, inciting sectarianism, violence, quack medicine and sorcery. "This decision was taken after extensive study that indicated a near doubling of these channels over the past year and a recent spike of extremist religious discourse," information minister Anas Al-Feki said in a statement. Before these measures were taken, there were 94 Islamic private television channels airing from Arab countries.
Nine of the twelve suspended channels were funded by Saudi Arabia. "There is no doubt that Saudi Arabia is playing a destructive and ruinous role in Egypt," commented Magdi Khalil.
Analysts said that the suspension decision seemed to be mainly aimed at stopping the spread of strict Islamic Salafi/Wahabbi teaching that might boost support for the Muslim Brotherhood, prompted by the forthcoming crucial parliamentary elections in November.
Several angry Islamists came out attacking the government over this decision, and exposing the complicity of State Security with the satellite operators.
Sheikh Safwat Hegazi, a preacher in El-Nass, one of the suspended salafi TV channels and member of the Muslim Brotherhood, told State Security that if the channel is not opened soon, they will air from outside Egypt.
Joining in the campaign against the church from London, is sheikh Haney el-Sebay, a convicted terrorist who sought political asylum in the UK and who runs the Almaqreze Center for Historical Studies there. He threatened the Copts in his speech and talked about the Coptic militias and the priest's wife Camilia Shehata. He added that Mubarak must have become a Christian as he acts against Muslim interests.
On October 19, Egypt's main satellite operator Nilesat temporarily suspended 12 Islamic channels, and warned 20 others, on grounds of violating their licenses. The reasons given were mainly for promoting religious hatred, inciting sectarianism, violence, quack medicine and sorcery. "This decision was taken after extensive study that indicated a near doubling of these channels over the past year and a recent spike of extremist religious discourse," information minister Anas Al-Feki said in a statement. Before these measures were taken, there were 94 Islamic private television channels airing from Arab countries.
Nine of the twelve suspended channels were funded by Saudi Arabia. "There is no doubt that Saudi Arabia is playing a destructive and ruinous role in Egypt," commented Magdi Khalil.
Analysts said that the suspension decision seemed to be mainly aimed at stopping the spread of strict Islamic Salafi/Wahabbi teaching that might boost support for the Muslim Brotherhood, prompted by the forthcoming crucial parliamentary elections in November.
Several angry Islamists came out attacking the government over this decision, and exposing the complicity of State Security with the satellite operators.
Sheikh Safwat Hegazi, a preacher in El-Nass, one of the suspended salafi TV channels and member of the Muslim Brotherhood, told State Security that if the channel is not opened soon, they will air from outside Egypt.
He added, "then Egyptian security will not have any control over
us or be able to guide us." He pointed out that in the coming period the
suspended channels will re-open and will be owned by the sheikh.
Mamdouh Ismail, a lawyer for Islamist groups, said that the closure of the religious satellite channels was a gift to the church to ensure its support in the elections. He said that Security imposes on the preachers conditions in case they appear on the satellite channels, such as not to criticize the policy of the state, otherwise they could face expulsion from the channel.
Khalil disagrees that anything was done for the sake of the church, "When they were attacking the Copts, no one moved. However, when some of the channels became a political threat and crossed the red line drawn by State Security, which is not to attack the government, they were suspended."
Mamdouh Ismail, a lawyer for Islamist groups, said that the closure of the religious satellite channels was a gift to the church to ensure its support in the elections. He said that Security imposes on the preachers conditions in case they appear on the satellite channels, such as not to criticize the policy of the state, otherwise they could face expulsion from the channel.
Khalil disagrees that anything was done for the sake of the church, "When they were attacking the Copts, no one moved. However, when some of the channels became a political threat and crossed the red line drawn by State Security, which is not to attack the government, they were suspended."
He added that some of the sheikhs in the suspended channels
started calling on Muslims not to vote for Mubarak's ruling National
Democratic Party "as they hand over your Muslim sisters to the church".
According to Khalil extremist on these channels have been calling for years for the murder of Copts, issued fatwas for the permissibility of Muslims purloining Coptic property and money, accusing them of treason and being agents of foreign powers, and of being unbelievers and idolaters, ridiculing their Holy Books and their beliefs, calling for their Islamization either peacefully, by deception or by humiliation, inciting the State against them, calling for the torching of their churches and inciting against their women.
It was reported that one of the most fundamentalist of the suspended TV channels, "Al-Hekma," owned by Sheikh Mohamad Hassan, will appear soon on Lebanese-owned "Nour Sat" after changing its name to "El Rodah."
Commenting on the ongoing smear campaign and demonstrations against the Church, Coptic activist Mark Ebeid said "These allegations are extremely serious. They run on the same lines used by the Ottoman Empire as an excuse for the 1915-1923 Armenian and Assyrian Genocide.
According to Khalil extremist on these channels have been calling for years for the murder of Copts, issued fatwas for the permissibility of Muslims purloining Coptic property and money, accusing them of treason and being agents of foreign powers, and of being unbelievers and idolaters, ridiculing their Holy Books and their beliefs, calling for their Islamization either peacefully, by deception or by humiliation, inciting the State against them, calling for the torching of their churches and inciting against their women.
It was reported that one of the most fundamentalist of the suspended TV channels, "Al-Hekma," owned by Sheikh Mohamad Hassan, will appear soon on Lebanese-owned "Nour Sat" after changing its name to "El Rodah."
Commenting on the ongoing smear campaign and demonstrations against the Church, Coptic activist Mark Ebeid said "These allegations are extremely serious. They run on the same lines used by the Ottoman Empire as an excuse for the 1915-1923 Armenian and Assyrian Genocide.
SIC: PCP/INT'L
Cardinal Bertone pays tribute to Pope’s theology of the liturgy
Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone paid tribute to
Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger’s theology of the liturgy at the October 27
release of the Italian translation of first volume of the future Pope’s
collected works.
The first volume gathers together Cardinal Ratzinger’s
writings on the liturgy from 1964 to 2004.
Referring to Pope Benedict’s 2005 address to the Roman Curia, Cardinal
Bertone said that Cardinal Ratzinger’s theology of the liturgy manifests
a correct interpretation of the Second Vatican Council: not a
“hermeneutic of discontinuity and rupture,” but a “hermeneutic of
reform,’ of renewal in the continuity of the one subject-Church which
the Lord has given to us.”
Cardinal Bertone also lauded the Pontiff’s “lifetime of research,” “a
commitment that has produced over 100 books and more than 600 articles.”
“This body of texts,” he added, “attests not only the work of a scholar,
but also sheds light on the commendable generosity with which Professor
Joseph Ratzinger wanted to share the fruits of his research with a very
large and diverse audience.”
SIC: CC/INT'L
Spanish Humor Magazine 'Kidnapped' by Printer for Anti-Pope Content
Another day, another religiously persecuted comic. Following last week's outcry over the Islam-inspired superhero cartoon "The 99" and numerous incidents of violence against cartoonists
critical of Muslim extremists, a Spanish magazine has been (perhaps
unlawfully) shelved by its printer for its unfavorable comment about a
state visit by the Pope Benedict XVI.
The publisher of humor magazine Retranca
wrote that the new issue, which was timed to coincide with the Pope's
visit to Galicia, has indeed been "kidnapped" by the printing company,
Murcia Jimenez Godoy.
The Retranca cover depicts the Pontiff in a shower of money, with a headline referencing the cost of his visit, which is three million Euros.
The Retranca cover depicts the Pontiff in a shower of money, with a headline referencing the cost of his visit, which is three million Euros.
According to The Comics Reporter,
the caption says something along the lines "he's not bringing the usual
loaves and fishes or the miracle of the host but making it rain
dollars," which seems a rather valid point, and one that American
pundits often make in reference to the cost of moving and protecting the
President and his family around the globe.
Spanish news site laverdad.es says Murcia Jimenez Godoy is run by Catholics and quotes a staffer as saying this issue of Retranca
contains "dishonest and disproportionate" attacks on the Pope and the
church and that they do not wish to be involved with a publication that
"attacks the pope in a scandalous manner."
Additionally, the company
contends that because they do not have a formal contract with the
publishers of Retranca, they are not obliged to turn over the material, which we gather has actually been printed.
As Tom Spurgeon points out, the damage is only exacerbated by the Streisand Effect,
with more people all over the world now seeing the "offensive" image
than would have if the printer had simply delivered the issue without a
fuss.
SIC: CA/COM
Science is neither a panacea, nor to be feared, says pope
Science is never to be feared,
yet its discoveries will never be enough to answer all of the world's
questions, Pope Benedict XVI told scientists and researchers meeting at
the Vatican.
"Scientists do not create the world; they learn about it and attempt to
imitate it, following the laws and intelligibility that nature manifests
to us," he said in an address to members of the Pontifical Academy of
Sciences Oct. 28.
The fact that there is a constant, a law or logic that exists outside of
human control "leads us to admit the existence of an all-powerful
reason, which is other than that of man, and which sustains the world,"
he said.
Meeting for a plenary assembly Oct. 28-Nov. 1, academy members were discussing "The Scientific Legacy of the 20th Century."
The pope said that over the last century, many people developed one of two extreme views of what science was all about.
On the one hand, the development and use of nuclear weapons and other
disturbing advancements caused some people to fear science and distance
themselves from it, he said.
On the other hand, science's many groundbreaking and life-changing
discoveries led some people to think science was a "panacea" and that
science might be able to "answer all of the questions of man's
existence, and even of his aspirations," he said.
Science represents neither of these extremes; it is "a patient, yet
passionate search for the truth about the cosmos, about nature and about
the constitution of the human being," Pope Benedict said.
The church greatly esteems and encourages science, and the pope praised
the way many scientists appreciate the role philosophy plays in
enriching their work.
Science can benefit from recognizing the human person's spiritual
dimension and the human "quest for ultimate answers" about the world and
the meaning of life, he said.
Pope Benedict urged scientists to take on a more "interdisciplinary
approach tied with philosophical reflection" and asked that scientific
achievements be used to help solve "the great problems of humanity,"
promote the true good, and foster integral development around the world.
The science academy also hosted a working group Oct. 27-28 on the latest
research looking at "Human Neuroplasticity and Education."
Participants discussed how education and the unique capacities of the
human brain have expanded the cognitive potential of human beings.
Stanislas Dehaene, a French expert in cognitive neuroscience, said that the human brain wants to make sense of what it sees and to
constantly seek out hidden patterns and rules that govern behavior.
While scientists don't yet know how the brain is able to "extract" these
hidden rules, he said the special ability has enabled humans to make
huge achievements in culture and science.
Humans have "exploited the cognitive niche -- getting better knowledge
of the world," he said. Animals have good spatial knowledge, but they
are not able to integrate lots of different data in a special way.
Dehaene said such cognitive abilities were an important tool for human
survival because someone who could better understand and interpret
animal behavior, for example, would be a much more successful hunter,
and discovering the cycle of the seasons and how plants grow and make
food means humans were able to "develop a much better feeding system."
Wolf Singer, director of the Max Planck Institute for Brain Research in
Frankfurt, Germany, said there are critical windows of opportunity for
mastering certain language and motor skills that are open only during
the first two decades of life.
Up until 20 or 25 years of age, the human brain is creating and removing
neurological connections that allow for all sorts of unique skills,
like riding a bicycle or playing a musical instrument, he said.
When the window closes after 20 or 25 years of age, the brain stops
developing and no new pathways can be created, only existing connections
can be made more efficient, he said, so "you have to get it right"
early in life.
For that reason, parents and teachers are enormously important in
transmitting a whole host of skills and knowledge to future generations,
Singer said.
"If we had no educational system, our children would behave like cave
dwelling Stone Age people" because sophisticated human behaviors and
abilities are the result of "intentional instruction," he said.
Teachers should be paid well and they along with parents who do a good
job teaching children "should have the highest social prestige of all
the professional groups, not the bankers," he said.
"There is nothing more important than educating children," he said.
Learning is still possible as an older adult, he said, but age will affect how well the skill is mastered.
"You won't see a great pianist who started at age 30, for example," he said.
Adults also learn differently from children, so while children can learn
the whole structure of a language "intuitively," an adult "needs to do
it consciously" by focusing on language's rational aspects like grammar
rules and vocabulary lists, Singer said.
SIC: CNS/INT'L
Former prison chaplain to be next Kirk Moderator
A former chaplain to one of the toughest prisons in Scotland has been
nominated as next Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of
Scotland.
The Rev David Arnott, who was chaplain at Barlinnie Prison in Glasgow
was named by the Committee to Nominate the
Moderator as Moderator-Designate. Mr Arnott will preside over the 2011
General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.
A regular presenter on BBC Radio Scotland’s Thought for the Day for
more than 35 years, he has also contributed to Radio 4’s Prayer for the
Day, Scottish Television and Grampian Television.
David Arnott was born in Dunfermline, Fife, and after a scholarship
year at Hamilton College in Clinton, New York, he was taught at the
University of St Andrews and the University of Edinburgh, graduating in
MA French and Spanish and a Bachelor of Divinity (Honours) New
Testament.
Mr Arnott and his wife Rosemary have three grown-up children and six grandchildren.
Following a probationary placement at St Ninian’s Parish Church in
Greenock in 1971, the Moderator-elect was ordained to Stobhill Parish
Church in Gorebridge.
The congregation had recently endured trying
times before he confidently led into a triple union in 1975 in the
renamed Gorebridge Parish Church.
Two years later he was called to Netherlee Parish Church in Glasgow.
During his time there he encouraged the wider mission of the
congregation by strengthening its ties to St Andrews Church in Colombo
and the wider community in Sri Lanka, making new links with a local UPA
(Urban Priority Area) congregation and establishing firm relationships
with a church and school and its wider community in Transylvania. The
links he forged still remain strong today.
During his time preaching in Glasgow, he spent two years as a
part-time chaplain at Barlinnie as well as serving on many committees in
Glasgow Presbytery and was Convenor of its Business Committee, during
which time he directed the restructuring of its committee system.
In 1996 he was inducted to his last charge at St Andrews: Hope Park
which was linked to Strathkinness Church in October 2005. While there
he served as a local hospital chaplain and chaplain to two primary
schools.
He also served as an honorary Church of Scotland chaplain at
the University of St Andrews.
During his time in St Andrews he was
Convenor of both the Ministry Committee and the Superintendence
Committee and was Moderator of the Presbytery in 2007.
Throughout his church career Mr Arnott has served on various Church
of Scotland boards and committees both at presbytery and national level.
He has been Convenor of the Education for the Board of Ministry.
Having been assessor at the then Selection Schools, he was invited to
join a small working party which remodelled the selection process for
applicants to ministry. From 2006 to 2009 he was Senior Director of the
Kirk’s new Assessment Conferences.
Whilst on the then Board of Practice and Procedure he was invited to
convene a commission for the General Assembly examining the future of
the Presbyteries of Europe and Jerusalem.
He was also the Convenor of
the General Assembly’s Arrangements Committee and also the General
Assembly’s Business Committee. For several years he asked to address an
annual conference for Church of Scotland candidates on preaching and
other subjects.
The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland is chaired by the
Moderator, who leads daily worship, keeps order, rules on points of
order and signs documents on behalf of the General Assembly.
The role is an honorary one and is held for 12 months. During the
Moderatorial year the post-holder generally travels as Church
representative in Scotland, Ireland and other parts of the United
Kingdom, as well as travelling overseas in an ambassadorial capacity.
Moderators carry out a series of visits to several Church of Scotland Presbyteries as well as international tours.
SIC: Ekklesia/UK
JFK's rosary beads kept in New Ross
The rosary beads that was in the late President John F Kennedy's
pocket when he was shot in Dallas, Texas, in 1963 were given to his
Irish relatives in County Wexford by his wife Jackie it has been
confirmed.
The extraordinary gesture was revealed in RTÉ presenter Ryan
Tubridy's new documentary on JFK, indicating the importance of his
Wexford ancestral home to the American President.
President Kennedy of course visited the Kennedy homestead in
Dunganstown near New Ross on his June 1963 state visit after two earlier
low-profile trips to Ireland.
According to Ryan Tubridy, the presence of JFK's rosary beads in the
house where his great grandfather Patrick Kennedy was born reflected his
deep attachment to Ireland.
He said that, “To this day in the house which is run by Patrick Grennan, they have this extraordinary memento.”
Jacqueline felt they belonged to the Presidents ancestral home in Ireland.
President Kennedy was the first, and to this day, the only Catholic President of the United States.
Interestingly his late brother Robert who was assassinated in Los
Angeles in June 1968 also died with a rosary beads in his hands.
SIC: CIN/IE
Bankrupt Crystal Cathedral believes woes won't last long
Nearly a week after filing for bankruptcy, the founder
of the Crystal Cathedral took the pulpit on Sunday assuring the
congregation that tough times never last.
"Tough people do," said the Rev Robert H Schuller, as reported by The Orange County Register.
The 84-year-old pastor and his daughter, Sheila Schuller Coleman, told the thousands of attendees inside the all-glass church in Southern California that their current debt is close to $50 million, the bulk of it being their mortgage to the campus.
But what triggered the bankruptcy, Coleman said, was the $7 million debt to vendors whose services they employed during the 2009 "Glory of Christmas" production.
"Tough people do," said the Rev Robert H Schuller, as reported by The Orange County Register.
The 84-year-old pastor and his daughter, Sheila Schuller Coleman, told the thousands of attendees inside the all-glass church in Southern California that their current debt is close to $50 million, the bulk of it being their mortgage to the campus.
But what triggered the bankruptcy, Coleman said, was the $7 million debt to vendors whose services they employed during the 2009 "Glory of Christmas" production.
Some of the vendors include PNCEF LLC equipment
finance company, Promotional Media Inc, and Lloyd Daniel Corp.
In a video message to supporters on Saturday, Coleman, the megachurch's senior pastor, said filing for bankruptcy was one of the most difficult things she has had to do in her entire life.
"It was actually heartbreaking to be very honest and open with all of you," she said.
"Yet dad has taught me and raised me to believe that every challenge, every setback is an opportunity," she said, reflecting the positive thinking she inherited from her father.
"We are positive. We do believe that God is here with us and we're relying on Him," added Coleman, who became senior pastor after her brother, Robert A Schuller, resigned in 2008. "I do believe with all my heart that God will have the last word and it will be good."
Though Coleman placed much of the blame for the debt on the downturn in the economy and the subsequent drop in donations, reports reveal that the Garden Grove, California, church was amassing debt much earlier.
The addition of a welcoming centre in 2003, along with refurbishments on campus, was made as donations were falling through and the audience for its "Hour of Power" broadcast was shrinking.
Evangelical theologian Dr Albert Mohler believes the problem, however, is not money. Rather, it is the church's theology. The founder built his church preaching messages focused on "positive thinking". His messages were meant to inspire and uplift people, rather than teach or convert them.
His only son, Robert A Schuller, inherited the same theology. He told The Christian Post in a 2007 interview that his calling was to encourage, uplift and inspire people.
In a video message to supporters on Saturday, Coleman, the megachurch's senior pastor, said filing for bankruptcy was one of the most difficult things she has had to do in her entire life.
"It was actually heartbreaking to be very honest and open with all of you," she said.
"Yet dad has taught me and raised me to believe that every challenge, every setback is an opportunity," she said, reflecting the positive thinking she inherited from her father.
"We are positive. We do believe that God is here with us and we're relying on Him," added Coleman, who became senior pastor after her brother, Robert A Schuller, resigned in 2008. "I do believe with all my heart that God will have the last word and it will be good."
Though Coleman placed much of the blame for the debt on the downturn in the economy and the subsequent drop in donations, reports reveal that the Garden Grove, California, church was amassing debt much earlier.
The addition of a welcoming centre in 2003, along with refurbishments on campus, was made as donations were falling through and the audience for its "Hour of Power" broadcast was shrinking.
Evangelical theologian Dr Albert Mohler believes the problem, however, is not money. Rather, it is the church's theology. The founder built his church preaching messages focused on "positive thinking". His messages were meant to inspire and uplift people, rather than teach or convert them.
His only son, Robert A Schuller, inherited the same theology. He told The Christian Post in a 2007 interview that his calling was to encourage, uplift and inspire people.
Though his calling was the same as
his father's, he had different plans for the television programme as he
wanted to adapt to the changes in media. He also wanted an autonomous
board without family members, according to the local Register.
He took the helm of the church in 2006 only to resign two years later after disagreements with his father over the direction of "Hour of Power" and the church.
The younger Schuller recently explained on the "100 Huntley Street" television programme about what went down at the cathedral in the months leading to his resignation.
In July 2008, the board, with his father's direction, decided to make his brother-in-law his boss. Then in September, his boss said his sermons were "not anointed" and were not good enough for the "Hour of Power".
"By October, they said they had to have other preachers in the pulpit on Sunday morning. So I was allowed to preach any time other than Sunday morning. So with that, I resigned," the younger Schuller recounted.
That ordeal impacted his relationship with his father.
"We didn't talk for a long time," he said. But the two have resolved things and they are doing very well now, he added.
Currently, the younger Schuller is running his own media company called ComStar Media Fund. He has so far acquired two television networks and a radio station that distribute family-values programming.
His son, Robert V Schuller, has also left the Crystal Cathedral and started his own church in Orange County called The Gathering.
Meanwhile, Coleman acknowledged that "the whole world is watching Crystal Cathedral" and she sees it as an opportunity to show "that God is a big, mighty, provisional God".
"We know this is just a chapter," she said.
He took the helm of the church in 2006 only to resign two years later after disagreements with his father over the direction of "Hour of Power" and the church.
The younger Schuller recently explained on the "100 Huntley Street" television programme about what went down at the cathedral in the months leading to his resignation.
In July 2008, the board, with his father's direction, decided to make his brother-in-law his boss. Then in September, his boss said his sermons were "not anointed" and were not good enough for the "Hour of Power".
"By October, they said they had to have other preachers in the pulpit on Sunday morning. So I was allowed to preach any time other than Sunday morning. So with that, I resigned," the younger Schuller recounted.
That ordeal impacted his relationship with his father.
"We didn't talk for a long time," he said. But the two have resolved things and they are doing very well now, he added.
Currently, the younger Schuller is running his own media company called ComStar Media Fund. He has so far acquired two television networks and a radio station that distribute family-values programming.
His son, Robert V Schuller, has also left the Crystal Cathedral and started his own church in Orange County called The Gathering.
Meanwhile, Coleman acknowledged that "the whole world is watching Crystal Cathedral" and she sees it as an opportunity to show "that God is a big, mighty, provisional God".
"We know this is just a chapter," she said.
SIC: CT/AUS
Peace is possible in the Middle East, says Pope
A special two-week assembly of Middle East bishops concluded on
Sunday with a list of 44 propositions and a call by Pope Benedict XVI
for individuals, groups and nations to work together for peace.
“Conflicts, wars, violence and terrorism have gone on for too long in the Middle East,” said the pontiff in his homily Sunday.
“Peace, which is a gift of God, is also the result of the efforts of
men of goodwill, of the national and international institutions, in
particular of the states most involved in the search for a solution to
conflicts.
“We must never resign ourselves to the absence of peace,” Benedict added.
For two weeks, 172 bishops gathered in Vatican City for the Special
Assembly of the Synod of Bishops for the Churches of the Middle East.
The
bishops were joined by 14 Roman Curia officials, 30 academic experts,
and 14 non-Catholic Christians, including Rabbi David Rosen of the
American Jewish Committee and the Rt. Rev. Munib Younan, bishop of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land.
Together, the delegates discussed the future of Christian communities
in the Middle East and agreed upon 44 propositions, including the
creation of an office or commission entrusted with the study of
migration and of the factors behind it so as to find ways of stopping
it; greater use of the Arabic language in major Catholic institutions
and meetings so that Christians of Arab culture have access to
information in their mother tongue; and the renewal of ecumenical
commitment between churches through practical initiatives.
Also among the propositions was the diffusion of the social doctrine
of the Church, which the bishops noted as oftentimes lacking despite
being “an integral part of faith formation;” pursuit of dialogue with
followers of other religions to bring hearts and minds closer together;
and a follow-up synod.
“The Churches which have taken part in the Synod are called upon to
make sure that it is properly followed up by working together with the
Council of the Catholic Patriarchs of the Middle East and the official
structures of the relevant Churches, with a greater involvement of
priests and lay and religious experts,” the bishops concluded.
The October 10-24 gathering was organised as Christians in the Middle
East face increasingly difficult challenges wrought by the escalating
conflicts and the rise of radical Islam.
Although they are the largest native non-Muslim religious group in
Arab Middle East, Christians in the region are rapidly declining in
number and influence due to a variety of reasons including lower birth
rates among Christians compared to Muslims, persecution, poor
socioeconomic prospect, and political instability.
In Iraq, for example, ongoing persecution has forced hundreds of
thousands of Iraqi Christians to flee the country.
The UN High
Commission for Refugees estimated last year that since the US-led
invasion of Iraq in 2003, up to 500,000 Christians had left the country.
That translates to about half the Christian population leaving within
the short time span of six years.
Meanwhile, throughout the Middle East, the faithful today account for
only around six percent of the estimated 356 million people who live in
the Middle East.
Some Middle East scholars fear the loss of the Christian community
will not only have consequences for the Church but will also adversely
affect Islamic moderation and the status of women in the region.
“[One] contribution that Christians can bring to society is the
promotion of an authentic freedom of religion and conscience, one of the
fundamental human rights that each state should always respect,”
pointed out Benedict in his homily Sunday.
And peace, the pope stated, “is the indispensable condition for a life of dignity for human beings and society”.
“Peace is possible. Peace is urgent,” Benedict exhorted. “We pray for
peace in the Holy Land. We pray for peace in the Middle East,
undertaking to try to ensure that this gift of God to men of goodwill
should spread through the whole world.”
From Iran to Egypt, the Vatican estimates there are about 17 million
Christians, or about five percent of the region's population.
A century
ago, Christians made up around 20 percent.
SIC: CT/UK
Churches accuse Government of ‘stigmatising’ poor
Churches and Christian charities have written to the Government expressing their concern over its rhetoric on benefit fraud.
They say that recent announcements from the Government have had the
effect of “stigmatising the poor”, particularly those who receive out of
work benefits.
Although the Christian leaders stress that benefit fraud should be
stamped out, they question the emphasis being placed on it by the
Government.
“The tendency to emphasise fraud when poverty and welfare reform are
discussed often distracts attention from getting resources to those
genuinely in need, which accounts for the other 99.4% of benefit
spending,” they said.
They accused the Chancellor of conflating the figures on benefit
fraud during his speech to announce the Comprehensive Spending Review
last week.
While George Osborne claimed that £5bn was being lost each year to
fraudulent benefit claims, the church and charity leaders said the real
figure was closer to around £1bn a year.
“We agree with the Government that benefit fraud is a serious
offence, but implying that the poorest perpetrate this offence three
times more than is the case is clearly unjust,” they said.
“The fact that issues around welfare reform are vital to the social
and economic future of this country means it is imperative that the
debate is informed by accurate information”.
The leaders also suggested that the Government rhetoric on benefit
fraud was misrepresentative of the reality facing poor people.
“Our experience of working in deprived communities is that life on
benefits is often a struggle, with difficult and stressful financial
choices being a daily occurrence,” they said.
“We believe this reality is not well reflected in Government
statements and needs to be at the heart of any debate on welfare
reform.”
The letter has been signed by a number of Christians, including the
Rev Martyn Atkins, General Secretary of the Methodist Church, Simon
Loveitt, spokesperson on Public Issues for the United Reformed Church,
the Rev Ian Galloway, Convener of the Church and Society Council in the
Church of Scotland, and Lt Col Marion Drew of The Salvation Army.
SIC: CT/UK
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