Kenya Episcopal Conference
Nairobi, Kenya, Dec.06,2008 (vaticans.org) - Below is the Letter of the Bishops of KenyaMy Peace I Give YouOur Dear Kenyans, May the Peace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you allWe the Bishops of Kenya, with deep concern wish to address all our Christians and Kenyans in general, at this critical and crucial moment of our country.We have witnessed with deep sorrow and concern the outbreak of violence and the breakdown of law and order that has led to, numerous deaths, injuries and destruction of property, creating fear and helplessness that has led many to flee from their homes.We wish to make a passionate appeal to all Kenyans, men and women, old and youth, from all the political parties, and from all walks of life, to refrain from viole ...Read More
Pope: Recognise Christ as the source of hope
Vatican City, Dec.06,2008 (vaticans.org) – The mystery of the Epiphany is the “manifestation to all of humanity” of “Christ, the Light of the world”. In Him alone resides the hope capable of cancelling the “darkness” which “shrouds nations”, and which is seen in the current globalisation full of conflict, disorder and pillage…. In Him, witnessed by the Church, a “just and united world” in which “all human beings ….. can live as brothers and sisters” is built. A world where “the common good prevails over the luxury of a few and the misery pf many”.These are the principal points touched upon by Benedict XVI during his all encompassing homily for the solemnity of the Epiphany, celebrated in St Peter’s Basilica.First and foremost the pope underlines the evangelical event as recal ...Read More
Cardinal Hummes: Prayer group for victims of sexual abuse by Priests
Vatican City, Dec.06, 2008 (vaticans.org) - Cardinal Caludio Hummes, head of the Congregation for the Clergy which oversees the world's Four hundred thousand Catholic Priests, told L'Osservatore Romano that he had already urged the Bishops to form a prayer cell in which the faithful and Priests could gather to pray together. This proposal for a prayer group was suggested by him in an effort to help the victims of sexual abuse by Priests that have rocked the Catholic Church in recent years.Since we all are sinners there have always been problems but in recent days very grave issues have been revealed, he told the Vatican official newspaper. After budding first in Boston in 2002 the Priest scandal started spreading to almost all Catholic diocese in U.S. Sexual abuse have also knocked most of the Roman Catholic Churches in Ireland and other countries. “Only very few clergymen were involved in serious s ...Read More
The Magic Kings
by Edmund Hill O.P.6 January 2008EpiphanyReadings:Isaiah 60:1-6Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the LORD will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.Lift up your eyes round about, and see; they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from far, and your daughters shall be carried in the a ...Read More
Five Christians kidnapped in Pakistan
Islamabad, Pakistan, Dec.05,2008 (vaticans.org) – Suspected militants associated with Taliban Commander Baitullah Mehsud kidnapped five Christians in South Waziristan, on Pakistan’s southern border with Afghanistan. The authorities confirmed the episode today. The victims were on route from Wana to Dera Ismail Khan when armed militants stopped their vehicle. They were identified as Altaf Masih, Babar Masih and Emmanuel while names of two other Christians could not be ascertained. The militants made the release of Christians conditional with the freeing of six prominent tribal militants now in custody of law-enforcement agencies. One of them, identified as Commander Raees Khan Mahsud. According to the daily paper The News, The other five were said to be very important militant commanders of Baitullah Mahsud. The Taliban commander is the same militant leader who was accused by the Musharraf government for assassinat ...Read More
Pope visits Missionary of Charity Shelter
Vatican City, Dec.04,2008 (vaticans.org) – Benedict XVI chose for his first visit of 2008 a shelter run by the Missionary of Charity near the Vatican. He came to greet the outgoing superior, Sister Mark, as well as her replacement, Sister Agnes-Marie, but he especially came to “renew [. . .] my gratitude to the sisters, the volunteers and others who collaborate here,” and “to express my spiritual closeness” to the poor and the homeless men and women “who in this house find loving welcome, acceptance and understanding, a form of daily support that is both material and spiritual.”The ‘Dono di Maria’ (Gift of Mary) shelter was inaugurated in 1988 by John Paul II and the Blessed Teresa of Kolkata in a wing of the building of the former Holy Office where then Cardinal Ratzinger worked for many years.The shelter feeds hundreds of poor men and women and provides overnight accommodation and staff ...Read More
Pope Benedict XVI will name a new primate for Poland
Warsaw, Jan. 3, 2008 (vaticans.org) - The Polish daily Rzeczpospolita reports that Pope Benedict XVI will name a new primate for Poland sometime this spring. If the Rzeczpospolita report is accurate-- and it has not been confirmed by Vatican sources-- it would contradict earlier indications that Pope Benedict would allow the current Polish primate, Cardinal Jozef Glemp, the retired Archbishop of Warsaw, to retain that title until he reaches his 80th birthday in 2009. Cardinal Glemp became the Polish primate in 1981, when he succeeded the legendary Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski as Archbishop of Warsaw and of Gniezno. Historically the title of primate was attached to the Gniezno archdiocese. But in 1992, when he approved a restructuring of the Polish hierarchy and appointed a new Archbishop of Gniezno (Henryk Muszynski), Pope John Paul II stipulated that Cardinal Glemp would remain the primate. Source: CWN ...Read More
Archbishop of Colombo condemns the assassination of MP Maheswaran
Colombo, Srilanka, Jan.04, 2008 (vaticans.org) - The Archbishop of Colombo, Most. Rev. Oswald Gomis, condemns the assassination of MP Maheswaran. Press Release: With the dawn of the New Year we have already witnessed two tragic incidents in Colombo itself. This clearly indicates that war and violence is not going to be the path to permanent peace.It is very clear that we have to seek a political solution to the crisis we are facing. We must confess to a sense of profound disappointment at the long delay on the part of the powers of the South to offer a consensual solution to this long drawn conflict.Whilst we witness daily killings, abductions and other forms of social crimes, the whole process of democracy is getting eroded. Therefore we strongly urge to the powers that be, to accelerate the process of finding a lasting solution immediately. Whilst we extend our deepest sympathy and condolence to the bereaved family of Hon. T. Maheshwaran MP and to th ...Read More
The Holy Name of Jesus
by Br. Peter Totleben, O.P.January 3, 2008One of the best things that I have discovered in religious life is the power of the Name of Jesus Christ. For the past year and a half, I have started more and more constantly to call on the Holy Name of Jesus and His mercy. This has transformed my relationship with God, and sustained me through the difficult periods of growth that come along with Christian discipleship.Jesus' Name is such a powerful prayer because names are powerful things. If I do not know a person's name, then that person is a stranger to me. But, as soon as I know his name, we are no longer strangers. We have a relationship. We can talk to one another and share our l ...Read More
Three millon people in Pope Benedict XVI's meetings in 2007
Vatican City, Dec.03,2008 (vaticans.org) - During the year 2007, almost three million faithful participated in public meetings with the Pope, either in the Vatican or at his summer residence of Castelgandolfo. According to statistics released by the Prefecture of the Pontifical Household, a total of 2,830,100 people attended the Wednesday general audiences, special audiences, liturgical celebrations and Sunday Angelus prayers during the course of the year. The Wednesday general audiences, held in St. Peter's Square and the Paul VI Hall, attracted 729,100 people. This figure reflects the number of tickets distributed, and does not take into account the thousands of faithful who arrive without tickets and also participate. ...Read More
Hope for historic dialogue between Catholics and Muslims
Los Angeles,U.S.A, Dec.03,2008(vaticans.org) – Relying on a weekend report in ‘L'Osservatore Romano’, the Associated press is reporting that Catholic and Muslim representatives have agreed to a Spring meeting in Rome to begin what many hope will develop into an historic “dialogue” between the Catholic Church and significant leaders from the broader Islamic community.Pope Benedict XVI proposed such a dialogue in his response to the now famous letter sent to the Holy See by 138 Muslim scholars from throughout the world.The Holy Father’s response was criticized by some, even within the broader Christian community, for not having been more immediate. Some of the same people had also criticized his September 12, 2006 speech to an academic community in Regensburg on faith and reason without having read the full text.Certain reports concerning his now famous scholarly presentation fa ...Read More
Vicariate of Arabia - One Diocese, 12 Countries, 3 Million Catholics
By C. M. PaulTwo and half million Catholic youths in their late teens, others in their twenties, live alone in desert work camps, on oil pipelines or platforms. For lack of means of transport or permission from employers (female domestic helps in very large Islamic families) cannot attend Mass even on Christmas and Easter. Some faithful fall easy prey to evangelical sects and Islam. Add to that another half a million Catholics hailing from South India, the Philippines, Egypt and Lebanon living with families.Welcome to the Vicariate of Arabia, territorially the largest diocese in the world, comprising 12 Islamic countries (Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Yemen and the seven countries of the United Arab Emirates).No Statistics for Migrants: ...Read More
Fifty people killed inside a Church in Kenya
Nairobi,Kenya, Dec.02,2008 (vaticans.org) - At least 50 people sheltering in a church, most of them women and children, were killed in Kenya yesterday when a mob torched the building.The victims had sought refuge at the Assemblies of God church in Eldoret, 300 kilometres from Nairobi, after rioters destroyed their homes in earlier attacks.Red Cross officials say they have been overwhelmed by the number of casualties from the violence in the area and they fear worse is to come.Yesterday thousands of armed people were heading towards Burnt Forest, a few Kilometres from Eldoret. Burnt Forest has a history of violent tribal clashes.Many observers expressed concern about the fairness of the ...Read More
CLAAS:Benazir Butto's assasination,a devastating news for Pakistan's oppressed Christians
London, U.K, Dec.02,2008 (vaticans.org) - The killing of former Prime Minister and opposition leader Benazir Bhutto is "devastating news" for Pakistan's oppressed Christian population. This was the reaction of CLAAS, an organisation that fights for the rights of Pakistan's 3.5 million-strong Christian minority.Nasir Saeed, director of CLAAS had said that Ms Bhutto had been "the best hope" for the country's non-Muslim population as well as the nation."We had spoken with Ms Bhutto about the appalling persecution that Christians currently face. She listened hard to our grievances, and promised that she would attempt to rectify the situation, once she was back in the Parliament. Pakistani Christians around the World had been praying for her ...Read More
Dangerous situation in Kenya, Bishops to appeal for peace and reconciliation
Nairobi,Kenya, Dec.02,2008 (vaticans.org) - Today, the Bishops of Kenya will make an appeal to peace and reconciliation in the country, where they spoke of an increasingly tragic humanitarian situation and concern for Christians living in some areas as well. The contents of a declaration of the Bishops Conference of Kenya, which will be announced today, has been previewed to SIR today by father Martin Wanyoike, director of the Catholic radio station Waumini. “The situation is really nasty and risks getting worse, especially in some areas of the country – says father Wanyoike -. The dioceses are sending news that a huge number of people have been killed, even if the Kenyan media gave no figures and are covering very little of what is going on. In downtown Nairobi, the situation is fairly quiet, but in the slums it is really very dangerous, because people of the kikuyo ethnic group (he most endangered because they ...Read More
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