Catholics in Karnataka state of India rededicate themselves to share Jesus experience
Bangalore, India, Nov.16, 2007 (CINS/CBCI) -The catholic community of Karnataka, at the end of the 3-day Regional Mission Congress, named Kristhotsava, held at Good Shepherd Convent Auditorium, Bangalore from 8-10 November 2007, has decided to rededicate themselves to share Jesus Experience with their brothers and sisters.
The following is the full text of the statement issued at the end of the meet:
1. PREAMBLE
We, the 1200 participants, comprising the Regional Bishops, representatives of priests, the religious and the lay Faithful from the 11 dioceses of Karnataka, after having actively participated in the deliberations of the first Regional Mission Congress, named Kristhotsava, held at Good Shepherd Convent Auditorium, Bangalore from 8-10 November 2007, have decided to revitalize our missionary efforts of sharing Jesus Experience with our brothers and sisters in our region through the guidance of the Holy Spirit. And, therefore, we are undertaking the following action plans as a sequel to this Karnataka Mission Congress (KMC).
2. JESUS EXPERIENCE IN OUR LIFE
2.1: Every effort has to be made by an individual to have this Jesus Experience in his/her life through prayer and fasting (individually and collectively), and also study of the Word of God personally, in groups, especially in the families. Only with this personal experience of Jesus in one’s life that can one confidently share it with others.
2.2: This Jesus Experience, is an on-going process, and it cannot be confined only to one’s spiritual life. And, hence, it has to be recognized by an individual in his/her everyday life experience, namely in his/her struggles, joys and sorrows, successes and failures.
2.3: The experience of Jesus is particularly realized, as a community, through the celebrations of the sacraments and the liturgical services, especially at the Eucharistic Celebrations. And, therefore, these liturgical celebrations have to be well prepared and actively participated in.
2.4: Faith without action is meaningless. Hence, we should translate our faith experience into action by recognizing the presence of God in all, especially in the poor, the marginalized, migrant workers, the sick, dalits, tribals, physically challenged, women and children.
2.5: We should be fully aware of the social discriminations and regional imbalances (North –South divide), massive poverty and illiteracy in rural regions, especially in North Karnataka. And, therefore, support to the people of these areas, both with personnel and material resources, is an immediate need.
3. SHARING OF JESUS EXPERIENCE WITH PEOPLES OF OTHER FAITHS
3.1: We acknowledge the difficulty the people of other faiths have in accepting our claims regarding Jesus, because of their religious and philosophical backgrounds. In this context, sharing of Jesus Experience has to be done by being sensitive to their beliefs and religious practices.
3.2: We should remove all prejudices and wrong opinions about other religions by taking concrete steps to acquaint ourselves with other religious traditions in Karnataka.
3.2.1: And, we should encourage our future priests and religious to study and
develop understanding and respect towards other religions.
3.2.2: We should promote inter-faiths study sessions to remove such prejudices
and misunderstandings.
3.3: Through our Small Christian Communities and neighbourhood inter-faiths harmony groups, we should foster openness to the mystery of God at work in other religions.
3.4: We will strive to promote harmony, unity and solidarity with other Christian denominations and faiths through ecumenism, inter-faiths dialogue, sharing, seminars, celebrations etc.
3.4.1: We should organize common prayer meetings, fellowship gatherings,
seminars, Bible study groups and study sessions with other Christian
denominations to build a better rapport, understanding and unity.
3.4.2: Similarly, we will invite friends from other religions to our Para-liturgical
services and other festive celebrations to enlighten them on the importance
of those celebrations; we will also celebrate their festivals to give them
Christian outlook, orientation and meaning.
4. JESUS EXPERIENCE IN THE CULTURES OF KARNATAKA
4.1: Being aware of the fact that sharing of Jesus Experience with the people is contextual, we will share our faith experience with the peoples of Karnataka by promoting the local language, art, architecture, culture and tradition. And, this has to be done with zeal and interest.
4:2: These days, the Christian values are watered down due to various factors, especially consumerism, materialism, false ideologies and priorities. As a result, the value system is changed in society.
4.2.1: Today, Mass Media make a tremendous impact on our youth and children.
Therefore, we will strive to give them proper media education to make them
responsible media consumers.
4.2.2: We will also integrate the means of social communication into our liturgies,
apostolates and faith-sharing to make our activities more vibrant, interesting
and participatory.
4.2.3: We will encourage media personnel among us to play their part in promoting
Christian values and building harmony among peoples.
4.3: Laity and Youth are to be given proper orientation in respect to sharing of their Christian faith and to actively involving themselves in our local and regional apostolates as envisaged in the Church Documents.
4.4: Laity should be encouraged to actively participate in the social and political fora, and the necessary training has to be given to them in this regard.
4.5. As stated in Ecclesia in Asia, for effective missionary activity and of sharing Jesus Experience with our sisters and brothers in Karnataka, we will make all our diocesan and regional units as effective instruments of evangelization, inculturation and inter-faiths dialogue. It is suggested to incorporate inculturation at all levels.
4.6. Seminary/Religious Formation is to be mission oriented with specific reference to history of Karnataka. Ongoing formation in missionary activities has to be regularly imparted to priests, religious and laity in the region.
5. PROPOSALS:
5.1: The participants earnestly appealed to each diocese in Karnataka to organize a Diocesan Mission Congress (DMC) by the end of 2008 to effectively implement the final Statement of Kristhostsava and also to encourage the People of God to share the Jesus Experience with the local people.
5:2: We hope that the above measures, among others, will revitalize our missionary dynamism with a spirit of commitment, enthusiasm and joy.
5.3: Review of the implementation of these action plans, in the light of the Karnataka Region Pastoral Plan has to be done periodically. END.
Catholics ethics institute sees risk and opportunity in monkey cloning annoucement
New York, Indian, Nov.16,2007 (CINS/Agencies) - The Westchester Institute, a Catholic ethics think-tank that has been deeply engaged in recent years in the stem cell debate, reacted with concern to the announcement, published online today in Nature , that Oregon-based scientist Shoukrat Mitalipov has successfully cloned monkey embryos and derived embryonic stem cells from them.
"This breakthrough is a double-edged sword," said Fr. Thomas Berg, Executive Director of the Westchester Institute. "Insomuch as research on cloned primates can provide basic biological insights into human disease and tissue growth, this is a golden opportunity. The risk lies in applying the cloning technique to humans. Such a pursuit, if successful, would be one of humanity's darkest endeavors."
Fr. Thomas Berg is familiar with Mitalipov's breakthrough research, and has interacted with the now-famed scientist for several months on the topic of cloning and embryonic stem cell research.
Mitalipov's success with monkey embryo cloning provides the theoretical foundation for scientists to pursue so-called "therapeutic" cloning in humans, the holy grail of human embryonic stem cell research. Embryonic stem cells from a cloned human embryo, because they would be genetically identical to a patient, could be used in potential treatments without prompting an immune rejection response. However, the scientific community generally agrees that prospective treatments from embryonic stem cells are likely many years away.
"Notwithstanding this new breakthrough, it's still not clear that researchers will have success if they apply Mitalipov's techniques to human cells," said Fr. Berg. "It would be unfortunate to divert time, energy, and funding into human cloning, when much needed insights into treating human diseases and maladies can be garnered just as easily from cloned monkeys.
"I spoke with Dr. Mitalipov and he himself underlined how this new kind of research in monkey cloning can actually further our pursuit of ethically uncontroversial alternatives in stem cell research, such as direct cell reprogramming," continued Fr. Berg. "If scientists can learn how monkey egg cells reprogram body cells to an embryonic-like state, this could give us the key to reprogramming human body cells without having to damage or destroy, let alone clone, human embryos."
Direct Cell Reprogramming is conceptually like taking any cell in the human body and "hitting rewind," sending that cell's nucleus back to a state which would render the cell "pluripotent", capable of producing any tissue type in the human body, equivalent in versatility to human embryonic stem cells. Furthermore, these stem cells would be genetically matched to the person who donated the body cells.
Fr. Berg concluded, "Scientists have repeatedly noted that there is still a lot of basic biological research that needs to be done before embryonic stem cells are ever going to lead to cures. That biology can be done perfectly well in monkeys. The supposed urgency to press on to human cloning is unfounded."
The Westchester Institute for Ethics and the Human person was founded in 1998 to renew, deepen, and promote the Western tradition of moral reflection. The institute pursues its objectives in cultural, political, and academic settings. Through seminars, lecture series, and research fellowships, the Westchester Institute seeks to reinvigorate contemporary moral discourse at all levels.
More information : visit www.westchesterinstitute.net or contact Michelle Gress at mgress@westchesterinstitute.net.
Catholic - Orthodox document on the nature of the Church
Vatican City, Nov. 15, 2007 (CINS/VIS) - Made public today was the final document of the plenary assembly of the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church. The meeting was held in the Italian city of Ravenna from October 8 to 14 under the presidency of Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, and His Excellency Ioannis, metropolitan of Pergamo.
The title of the final document is: "Ecclesiological and Canonical Consequences of the Sacramental Nature of the Church. Ecclesial Communion, Conciliarity and Authority."
Commenting on the 46-paragraph-long text in an interview with Vatican Radio, Cardinal Kasper affirmed that "the document speaks of the tension between authority and conciliarity (or synodality) at the local (i.e., diocesan), regional and universal levels. The important development is that for the first time the Orthodox Churches have said yes, this universal level of the Church exists and also at the universal level there is conciliarity, synodality and authority; this means that there is also a Primate; according to the practice of the ancient Church, the first bishop is the bishop of Rome."
"However," the cardinal continued, "we did not talk of the privileges of the bishop of Rome, we merely indicated the praxis for future debate. This document is a modest first step and as such it gives rise to hope, but we must not exaggerate its importance.
"The next time," added the president of the pontifical council, "we will have to return to the role of the bishop of Rome in the universal Church during the first millennium. Then we must also talk of the second millennium, of Vatican Councils I and II, and this will not be easy; the road is very long and difficult."
The cardinal also commented on the fact that the delegation from the Russian Orthodox Church had abandoned the plenary assembly, explaining that "there was an inter-Orthodox problem over the recognition of the autonomous Church of Estonia" about which Moscow and Constantinople take different views.
"This is an inter-orthodox question," he reiterated, "and we cannot interfere; yet we are extremely sad and concerned because it is important to us that the Russian Orthodox Church should also participate in our future dialogue. Hence we cannot interfere but we wish to ask Moscow and Constantinople to do their best to find a solution, a compromise.
"If they wish," the cardinal concluded, "we can also facilitate this solution, either at the bilateral level between Moscow and Constantinople, or at the pan-Orthodox level, but there is not doubt that we want the Russian Orthodox Church to anticipate. It is a very important Church, we do not want to dialogue without the Russians and we wish to work to achieve this aim."
Pressures from abroad and Chinese Catholics delay the destruction of Our Lady of Carmel shrine
Rome, Italy, Nov.12,2007 (CINS/AsiaNews) – The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Carmel in Tianjiajing (Henan) will not be destroyed right away, but the area will remain under police control and Christians who are not from the local diocese will be turned away. In the meantime Chinese Catholics continue working on the government in Beijing and are grateful for international pressures.
Our Lady of Mound Carmel lies perched on a mountain top overlooking a breath-taking view in Linxian District (Anyang diocese). Built in 1903-1905 it was seriously damaged by the Japanese during World War Two and the Red Guards during the Cultural Revolution.
Some 40,000 to 50,000 people visited the shrine until recently, but in May of this year Henan provincial authorities banned the traditional national annual pilgrimage as well as all other pilgrimages. The city of Anyang also revoked the permits it had granted to the administrators of the shrine and to pilgrimage organisers, calling pilgrimages “illegal religious activities.”
The authorities also issued a ban denying the Church the right to use public areas, requisitioning the shrine’s own compound and threatening to blow up it, shrine and the 14 Stations of the Cross included.
Pressures from local Catholics on local and national authorities have prevented Henan authorities from carrying out their demolition plan. But they have not been able to get the latter to rescind their ban on pilgrimages, especially from other Chinese dioceses. And even though local Catholics can still visit the shrine, they cannot conduct any functions.
The tradition of annual pilgrimages, which had been renewed in 1979 by the efforts of Catholics from Henan, Hebei and Shanxi, is now threatened again.
Fan Xuede, a former party member who converted to Christianity in the 1990s, has come out in defence of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. From his place of exile in the United States he sent an article to AsiaNews on June 21 urging the government to stop the destruction of the shrine.
“Don’t destroy what the Japanese couldn’t turn into ashes! The Red Guards did a lot of damage; don’t make the same mistake! Stop hurting Christians in their hearts,” he said.
Local sources told AsiaNews that the decision by Henan provincial authorities to stop pilgrimages stems from a fear that Christians from various regions might unite and challenge the power of the Communist party.
Catholics in China are just 1 per cent of the total population or about13 million. By contrast members of the Communist Party number more than 73 million.
Catholic Youth festival, an occasion to rediscover the faith
Haiphong, Vietnam, Nov.10,2007 (CINS/Asianews) – The Vietnamese Youth Cross has reached Haiphong. The encounter has awoken great enthusiasm since its initiation in 2002, organised by the then Archbishop of Thai Binh and president of the bishops’ Commission for the laity, msgr. Nguyen Van Sang.
Since then the Youth Cross has travelled through the various diocese in the North, from Thai Binh to Phat Diem, to Hanoi, the capital. It then journeyed onwards to Thanh Hoa, Vinh and Haiphong.
The people are convinced that when the Holy Cross arrives the young people rediscover their faith. It is significant that the young people from all of the parishes study catechism, pray together, carry out social and charitable activities, living the Good News and the sense of the Cross.
“Today –says one young Hanoi parishioner – is a special day. I am happy when I see young people from the many different diocese gather together, with the ten northern diocese. I remember – he adds – Christ’s words ‘follow me’. I want to follow him to discover meaning in my life. When they have Christ’s love, young people grow in shared love. We want to help the poor and unfortunate, particularly the children from rural areas”.
“I have learned from experiences through this festival – says Hung - Many young people are from far off dioceses, but we feel close like in a big family. I have been tempered for the commitments I will meet in life. It is a new “baggage” for my life’s journey”.
“The Vietnamese Church – adds Hiep – also presented the social doctrine of the Church as an orientation for young people’s social activities at the international conference in Hanoi on October 8th – 12, 2007. With participation of the government’s officials, professors of universities, institutions, Bishops and Catholic nuns and monks and some professional parishioners. I hope we will have brighter future”.
“I was struck – affirms young Hoa – by the reading, of Christ’s words: when he says ‘follow me’ the disciples immediately followed him. It didn’t matter if they were first or the tenth to follow him. I want to be just like the disciples. I think – she adds – that there has to be a spiritual dimension in the life of young people as well as a social and charitable one”. She concludes citing the words of Benedict XVI to young people: “don not be afraid to be different in today’s world, you are not disadvantaged by following Christ”.
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