Friday, 29 April 2016

Saint Catherine of Siena Virgin (1347-1380)

Saint Catherine of Siena

Virgin
(1347-1380)

Saint Catherine of Siena
Saint Catherine of Siena
Catherine, the daughter of a humble Christian tradesman, was raised up to be the guide and guardian of the Church in one of the darkest periods of its history, the fourteenth century. As a child, prayer was her delight. She would say the Hail Mary on each step as she mounted the stairs, and was granted in reward a vision of Christ in glory. And He revealed to her the secrets of Christian perfection. When only seven years old she made a vow of virginity, afterwards enduring bitter persecution for refusing to marry.
Her parents persisted long in their refusal to allow her to enter religious life, her only ambition; but she made a kind of spiritual and penitential convent cell in her heart's depths, and there she found her Beloved and conversed with Him each day. At the age of fifteen she was permitted to enter the Third Order of Saint Dominic, but continued to reside in her father's house, where she united a life of active charity to the prayer of a contemplative Saint. Our Lord bestowed on her His Heart in exchange for her own, gave her Communion with His own hands, and imprinted on her body the marks of His wounds.
From this obscure home the seraphic virgin was taken by Providence to defend the Church's cause. Her life became a continuing miracle. Armed with Papal authority and accompanied by three confessors, she traveled through Italy, reducing rebellious cities to the obedience of the Holy See, and winning hardened souls to God. In the sight of virtually the whole world she sought out Gregory XI at Avignon, brought him back to Rome, and by her letters to the kings and queens of Europe made good the Papal cause. She was the counselor of Urban VI, and sternly rebuked the disloyal cardinals who took part in electing an antipope.
Long had the holy virgin foretold the terrible schism which began before she died. Day and night she wept and prayed for unity and peace. But in spirit she saw the entire city of Rome full of demons, who were tempting the people to revolt and even to slay the Vicar of Christ. With intense earnestness Saint Catherine begged Our Lord to prevent this enormous crime. Their seditious temper was subdued by her prayers, but they vented their rage by scourging the Saint herself, who gladly endured all for God and His Church. She died in Rome in 1380, at the age of thirty-three.

Filipino priest spreads Gospel 'without being preachy'

Filipino priest spreads Gospel 'without being preachy'

Oblates Father Jonathan Domingo uses the power of radio to become a voice of the poor.

 
Oblate Father Jonathan Domingo visits the site of a military encounter that killed 44 police commandos in Maguindanao province in 2015. (Photo by Jimmy Domingo)
Kidapawan City:  Early each morning, before the sun rises over the mountains in central Mindanao, Father Jonathan Domingo enters a nondescript building in Cotabato City's Sinsuat Avenue and begins the day's broadcasts by DXMS, a commercial radio station run by the Oblates of Mary Immaculate congregation.

The priest says radio is one of the best ways to preach the Gospel to the poor "without being preachy or churchy." He says preaching the word of God doesn't mean reading the Bible or the Gospel on the air.

In the Philippines, radio has the biggest audience among all the mass media. It is a thriving industry with about 1,000 radio stations broadcasting. It’s estimated that nine out of 10 households owns a radio set.

"Preaching to the poor means giving them relevant information that affects their lives," says Father Domingo, who runs the oldest Catholic radio station in the Philippines, which has been broadcasting since the 1930s.

DXMS and the seven other radio stations operated by Oblate missionaries "follow the teachings of the church" and promote nonviolent solutions to social and political conflicts especially in the southern part of the country, the priest says.

"Most media companies are accountable first to their shareholders and to advertisers," says Father Domingo.

"We are accountable only to God and the people."

A priest first

In the aftermath of a violent dispersal of protesting farmers and tribal people in Kidapawan City on April 1, the Philippine media was full of contradicting reports of who was to blame for the death of at least three protesters and the wounding of several others.

The protesters had blockaded a major highway in Cotabato province to demand government assistance to alleviate the effects of an ongoing drought in the region.

Instead of joining in the "blame game," Father Domingo and his reporters at DXMS looked for answers in the outskirts of the city. The priest went to a village in nearby Arakan town where most of the protesters came from.

"More than a journalist, I am a priest," he says. "We have to look behind the headlines, we examine the causes of poverty, hunger, and landlessness. We are missionaries," he says, adding that the two-hour drive to Arakan reminded him of the challenge he accepted when he entered the priesthood.

In 2009, months after 58 people, 34 of whom were journalists, were massacred in Maguindanao province, Father Domingo joined a group of media people visiting the site for a follow-up story.

"When I saw the place, I forgot about the story and just said my prayers," says the priest.

He said he took out his stole and led an interfaith prayer with a Muslim imam and a Protestant pastor.

"My being a journalist does not hinder me and my mission as a priest," he says. "The media should be guided by an apostolic vision and a missionary way of life to become a voice of the poor."

Accepting the challenge

Father Domingo started his media work in 2002 when his congregation assigned him to manage the Oblates' radio stations in the southernmost provinces of Sulu and Tawi-Tawi where only 3 percent of the population is Christian.

"The difference in religion is never a hindrance," says Babylyn Kano Omar, a Muslim woman who runs DXGD, another Oblates AM station in the town of Bongao in Tawi-Tawi.

"Father Jonathan believes that regardless of faith, gender or race, a person with a heart for news and compassion for the poor can be a part of DXGD," she says.

During six years in Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, Father Domingo brought together Muslims and Christians to work for a single goal: to present stories of people to the public irrespective of religion and culture.

The priest says he wants to continue the legacy of the congregation in the media ministry.

Even before Vatican II came out with the Decree on Special Communications in the mid-1960's, the Oblates in the Philippines were already involved in the mass media ministry when it took over the publication of the Philippine Commonwealth, a national Catholic weekly, after the Second World War.

In 1948, the missionaries started The Mindanao Cross, a Catholic newspaper for Cotabato province. With its expansion and the acquisition of modern machines and the introduction of high-quality printing services, the newspaper has become one of the regions major publications.

In 1985, the Oblates acquired DXMS from Cotabato Archdiocese and placed the station under the umbrella of their Notre Dame Broadcasting Corporation where it has helped build the network’s competitive strength: regional networking.

Source: UCAN

After job-swap show, Irishman pledges help to Filipinos

After job-swap show, Irishman pledges help to Filipinos

Street cleaner wants to help family who took him in.

 

Manila:  An Irish Catholic street cleaner, who was filmed by a TV documentary crew as he temporarily swapped his job in the Irish capital for the poverty-stricken Philippines, has pledged to spend the rest of his life helping the struggling family he lived with.

Mark Crosbie, a street cleaner with Dublin City Council, told how his perspective on life has changed forever since he spent a few days cleaning the streets of the Philippines' densely populated capital, Manila, for an Irish TV documentary, Toughest Place To Be, Catholic News Service reported.

As part of the program, the 47-year-old father-of-two stayed with the family of a local street cleaner, Mel Macaereg, who earns $15 a week to support his wife and six children.

But since filming ended in January, Crosbie has maintained weekly contact with his host family and has set up a charity drive to raise funds for the wider community that took him in.

"The poverty I saw over there was on a level I'd never seen before, and I struggled to adjust to life back in Dublin when I came back. I was scarred by it, but it was a positive scar,” Crosbie said.

Source: UCAN

Pakistani man's family says son was killed by Muslims

Pakistani man's family says son was killed by Muslims

Victim reportedly wanted to marry Muslim neighbor.

 

Pakistan:  A Christian man in Pakistan has allegedly been hanged by Muslims who believed he was seeing a Muslim girl who lived opposite his brother's house.

A report in the Pakistan Christian Post cites an investigation from The Voice Society that concluded Qaisar Masih, 18, was killed by the girl's family in an attack led by her father, Mohammad Billa.

Previous reports said he had been murdered for resisting drug traffickers, while according to The Voice, local police were treating it as a case of suicide.

Qaisar's family attended the local Catholic church in Pir Mahal, about 300 kilometers from Lahore. A team from The Voice met the priest there, Father John Joseph, and members of Qaisar's family.

According to The Voice, the family of Mehwish, the Muslim girl whom Qaisar wished to marry, had warned Qaisar not to have anything to do with her and threatened to kill him, reported Christian Today.

Source: UCAN

Philippine church groups fear Marcos power revival

Philippine church groups fear Marcos power revival

Memories of dictatorship galvinize opposition to Ferdinand Jr's bid for vice presidency.

 
Members of various church groups hold an ecumenical prayer service in Manila on April 26 to voice opposition to vice president candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (Photo by Mark Saludes)
Manila:  Catholic and Protestant groups in the Philippines have united to oppose what they perceive as the impending return to power of the Marcos family, who ruled the country in a dictatorial grip for two decades until 1986.

"We must stand together and say never again to martial law," said retired Bishop Deogracias Iniguez Jr. of Kalookan.

"We pray that people will see the truth and hear the cries of those who cannot bear the threat of another dictator in power," said Bishop Iniguez.

Sen. Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., son of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, continues to lead opinion polls for the vice presidency ahead of May 9 national elections.

Bishop Iniguez said the Catholic Church has the "moral obligation to announce what is good and to denounce what is evil." The prelate said a Marcos victory would be "an insult to countless martyrs of martial law."

Nardy Sabino, spokesman of the ecumenical group Promotion of Church People's Response, said the Marcos family should be held liable for human rights violations and the "looting of public funds."

Rights groups claimed the Marcos family amassed some US$10 billion. The Philippine government has so far recovered US$4 billion.

During the 21-year rule of Marcos, the country's foreign debt ballooned from US$360 million in 1962 to US$28.3 billion in 1986.

In 1985, the then-26-year-old Marcos was appointed by his father as chairman of the Philippine Communications Satellite Corp. with a US$9,700 monthly salary.

Bishop Arturo Asi of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines claimed the corporation siphoned the alleged ill-gotten Marcos family wealth out of the country.

The Protestant bishop accused the younger Marcos of "continuously covering up the unprecedented plunder and economic sabotage" that his father committed.

"People should understand how hard life was during the rule of the Marcos family," said Roy Montes, a former political detainee.

Some 3,000 people were killed while thousands more were detained, tortured, raped, or disappeared during the dictatorship.

Sentimental journey

Marcos said he is running for vice president "to continue the legacy of my father, of my parents."

"It's been 30 years since 1986. It's been a long time, all the joy, all the tears, all kinds of emotions have already been felt," he said on the side of a campaign rally in Tacloban City in the central Philippine province of Leyte.

Leyte is the home province of Marcos' mother, Imelda, a congresswoman representing Ilocos Norte province in the northern Philippines.

Marcos said there is nothing to change if he is given the chance to rewrite Philippine history.

"The past is the past. The past cannot be rewritten. What can we rewrite is the present and the future," he said.

He said he is trying to present a program to make the Philippines a better place to live and improve the country's status in the international community."

Source: UCAN

Mainland China has 112 bishops, 99 in active ministry

Mainland China has 112 bishops, 99 in active ministry

'Open' bishops outnumber 'underground' prelates more than two to one, Hong Kong Diocese's Holy Spirit Study Center says.


 
Coadjutor Bishop Joseph Zhang Yinlin of Anyang being ordained on Aug. 4, 2015. (Photo supplied)
Hong Kong:  The latest statistics of the Catholic Church in China compiled by Hong Kong Diocese's Holy Spirit Study Centre shows the number of "open" bishops or those recognized by the government is more than double that of those from the unrecognized or "underground" community.

The 2016 Spring issue of Tripod, the center’s quarterly journal, has released a series of statistics on the Catholic Church in China for 2015.

According to Tripod, there are 112 bishops in mainland China. Among them, 99 are in ministry while 13 are not.

"Not in ministry means the bishop has retired or was forced to retire," Anthony Lam Sui-ki, executive editor of Tripod, told ucanews.com.

The 2015 figure showed that there are 70 bishops for the open church community, 11 more than in 2014. For the underground community, there are 29, a drop of 13 compared to 2014.

According to reports, only Coadjutor Bishop Joseph Zhang Yinlin of Anyang was ordained and Bishop Martin Wu Qinjing of Zhouzhi was installed in the open church in 2015.

Some of the other nine bishops newly counted as open bishops previously belong to the underground church, Lam explained.

"Some bishops no longer think they are underground, so we count them as belonging to the open community," he said. However, he refused to disclose who they were.

An underground bishop getting government recognition means they have agreed to be managed by the government.


Declining vocations

Lam pointed out that religious vocation in the church in China is declining as shown from the number of priests, nuns and seminarians.

According to 2015 figures, there are 2,500 priests and 3,170 nuns in the open church, a decline of 100 priests and 80 nuns on 2014.

As for the underground church, there are 1,300 priests and 1,400 nuns, a decrease of 100 and 130 respectively.

The open church has nine seminaries across China. The number of seminarians dropped from 560 to 425. The underground church presently has ten seminaries with the number of seminarians declining from 300 to 200 between 2014 and 2015.

However, there is a significant change in minor seminaries in the open church with a sudden increase of 11 to 20 within the past year.

"The number of minor seminaries is always controversial. People may argue with the nature of some of these seminaries," said Lam.

Source: UCAN

Madhya Pradesh Police, Bajrang Dal stop church wedding in Satna

Madhya Pradesh Police, Bajrang Dal stop church wedding in Satna

Bajrang Dal informed police that members of the Kushwaha community were being converted to Christianity at the church.

 

Bhopal:  The Madhya Pradesh Police Wednesday entered a church in Satna and stopped a wedding ceremony following a complaint by the Bajrang Dal that the bride and the groom had been unlawfully converted to Christianity.

Accompanied by Bajrang Dal activists, a Kolgawan police team entered the Church of God in India and arrested 10 people, including pastor Sam Samuel and the groom’s parents.

CSP (Satna) Sitaram Yadav said the bride was a minor as she was 10 days short of turning 18.

He said the couple had converted to Christianity four years ago, but district authorities were not informed, which is a crime under the state’s anti-conversion legislation. Satna SP Mithilesh Shukla also claimed that the girl is “a Hindu and a minor”.

“Bajrang Dal informed police that members of the Kushwaha community were being converted to Christianity at the church. We registered an FIR on a complaint by the bride’s uncle,” Yadav said, adding that her father is not mentally sound. The groom, Ajay Kushwaha, 24, works with a private firm.

Besides Sections 3 and 4 of the Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act, police have invoked IPC Section 295 (A) (deliberate and malicious act intended to outrage religious feelings) and Section 14 of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act.

Church spokesman Mariyosh Joseph called the charges false and said the bride and groom were Christians. He said the Bajrang Dal and the RSS were behind the complaint.

Source: Indian Express

Different communities come together for 400-year-old Kandivli church

Different communities come together for 400-year-old Kandivli church

The church is said to have been built in the year 1555.

 

Mumbai:  Many people from other communities and parishioners from other areas of the city came forward to support the members of a Kandivli church who held a silent protest yesterday to save the 400-year-old church.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had sent a notice to the parishioners of Our Lady of Remedy Church in Kandivli West, saying 7 meters of the church's graveyard will be demolished due to the proposed widening of the SV Road.

The BMC demolition noticehas been stayed today morning by the Bombay High Court, by way of interim relief.A division bench of Justice VM Kanade and Justice MS Karnik directed the corporation to file its reply by May 4 and posted the matter for further hearing.

The church had approached the court after the corporation issued notice in February and gave evasive replies even after repeated representations.

In its petition, the church said parishioners had earlier suggested to BMC that the road could be widened from the other side. The church and the cemetery are protected under the Heritage list.

The church has, on multiple occasions, given away its land to the BMC for development. But the parishioners feel the latest notice amounts to exploitation of a peace-loving minority community.

Further, the church says that there are several graves in the said heritage cemetery, which have sentimental and religious value. The graves cannot be reopened or have a road go over them, since this would create a law and order situation in the locality and would also amount to degradation of human dignity due to the exposure of non-decomposed corpses, which is against the rules of the corporation.

The petition also alleges that the corporation is acting on the behest of a local politician who is a builder and his business prospects from a newly-constructed building on the road have been affected, which is why he is pressuring the civic body.

The portion under dispute includes 7m of the graveyard and a cross within the compound wall of the 400-year-old church. The BMC issued notice to the church under Section 299 (acquisition of open land or of land occupied by platforms within the regular line of a street) of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation (MMC) Act, which the parishioners are challenging.

The church is said to have been built in the year 1555, while the heritage INRI cross was in existence since 1932. In 1942, a Christ the King statute was placed there.

Source: DNA

CSI fails to prove ownership of its entire land

CSI fails to prove ownership of its entire land

The HC said that CSI had to establish its ownership in respect of the property.

 

Bengaluru:  The Church of South India (CSI) has failed to get an injunction order against certain persons who it alleged were trying to grab its property on Infantry Road, Bengaluru. The reversal came because it failed to prove that all of the property it claims belonged to it.

Justice L Narayana Swamy, in his judgement on April 23, said that the CSI has "failed to prove lawful possession and enjoyment in respect of the suit schedule property measuring 3.25 acres of land consisting of buildings as claimed in the suit schedule."

The CSI Trust Association, 'a religious charitable body' had filed the case for injunction against K Madhavaroyay over the property called 'Vishranthi Nilayam', headquarters of CSI Order of Sisters. The property earlier belonged to CSI's predecessor Church of England Zennana Missionary Society.

It claimed that Madhavaroyay, a 'stranger, having no right, title, interest' over the property was trying to interfere in the northern portion of the property claiming ownership over it. However the lower court not only rejected to grant an injunction against the person whom the CSI alleged was trying to interfere in the property but also noted that it was not in lawful possession of the property. Aggrieved by this order, the CSI approached the High Court.

The HC said that CSI had to establish its ownership in respect of the property. Only then would the question of interference by Madhavaroay arise. But each of the documents produced by CSI could not be considered as proof of ownership.

CSI was able to prove only a part of the 3.25 acres of land belonged to it. A gift made to its predecessor in 1908 by a British lady to the extent of 334 ft/253 ft/ 260 ft/ 370 ft was the only part of the property it managed to show the title deed for.

The HC upheld the lower court order, saying, that as the CSI sought to claim more extent of property without the proper documents to show that extent, the court could not come to its aid.

Source: Bangalore Mirror

Catholics respond to papal mandate on environment

Catholics respond to papal mandate on environment

Dioceses change modes of operation while influencing community members.

 
Children take part in the Pope4Planet campaign, which was organized by Caritas India in July last year. (Photo by Ritu Sharma)
New Delhi:  Nearly a year after Pope Francis released his encyclical on the environment, dioceses and church agencies across India have launched several projects implementing the spirit of the papal document.

Awareness campaigns and drives for tree plantation drives, organic farming, solar panels for green energy and eco-friendly methods in day-to-day life are some of the ways church people are doing their bit to save the environment.

"When the pope says something, people see it as a mandate and want to implement it in letter and spirit," said Frederick D'Souza, executive director of Caritas India, the church's social service arm.

Pope Francis's encyclical Laudato si', released June 19, expressed concern of human habits leading to a fast degradation of the environment.

Father D'Souza said awareness drives in dioceses and parishes about saving the environment have increased after the encyclical came out.

Almost every diocesan social service wing has some projects that aim to protect the environment, with many being awareness programs for organic farming methods.

"Even we (Caritas office) have reduced the use of paper in our meetings and encourage more and more screen presentations. Also the use of plastic bottles has been reduced," he said.

The Delhi Archdiocese's social service wing Chetnalaya raises awareness among staff and students of diocesan schools by encouraging the use of recycled paper and to live an eco-friendly life.

Father Savari Raj, director of Chetnalaya, told ucanews.com that they are encouraging people to use less water, use more public transportation, plant trees, use solar energy and compost waste.

The Delhi Archdiocese also has dedicating two acres of land in the northern Indian state of Haryana to make an energy environment park for children, where they can come and learn about the nature and ways to save it.

"The response to Laudato si' has been very positive until now. Catholics are environment friendly people and are always ready to bring in changes to help protect the environment," Father Raj said.

Several religious congregations are installing solar panels in their institutions to makes them less dependent on conventional electricity and generate green and sustainable energy.

For example, Jesuits in Kolkata installed solar power panels at St. Xavier's College last December.

Its principal Father Felix Raj said the endeavor expresses the Jesuits' deep concern for the environment.

Jesuit Father Robert Athickal, an environmentalist and founder of the nationwide Tarumitra (friends of trees) said his students are "keeping up the momentum" to protect the environment.

"The students are talking of organic farming as a spirituality of treating the Earth with reverence. Due to the efforts of Tarumitra students, organic cultivation has caught up in states of Meghalaya, Gujarat, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala," he said.

Some 200,000 students are part of the organization promoting ecological sensitivity.

Father Athickal said Indian thinking takes for granted that the Earth is a mother. Modern lifestyles have been destroying the matrix of life.

"We need to make ancient Indian insights of eco-spirituality alive and active in our spiritual lives. The tribal and Hindu spiritualties had a strong undercurrent of the insight that the Earth is a mother," he said.

"It is time for us to think of greater freedom to organize liturgical services outdoors consciously and conspicuously," he said.

Source: UCAN

Thursday, 28 April 2016

செய்திகள்- 28.04.16

செய்திகள்- 28.04.16
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1. திருத்தந்தை: தூய ஆவியார் நம்மை ஆச்சரியத்தில் ஆழ்த்துகிறார்

2. 2015ல் வத்திக்கான் மேற்கொண்ட நிதிநிலை விவரங்கள் அறிக்கை

3. திருத்தந்தை வர்த்தகத்திற்கு எதிரானவர் அல்ல - கர்தினால் டர்க்சன்

4. சுற்றுச்சூழல் சீரழிவு இந்தியாவில் மிக அதிகம் - கர்தினால் கிரேசியஸ்

5. திருஅவையும், இரஷ்ய ஆர்த்தடாக்ஸ் சபையும் இணைந்த முயற்சி

6. மரண தண்டனைக்கு எதிராக, பெரு நாட்டின் ஆயர்கள்

7. பசுமைச் சூழல் நிதிக்கு அமெரிக்க அரசு 75 கோடி டாலர்கள் ஒதுக்கவேண்டும்

8. செர்னோபில் குழந்தைகளுக்கு இத்தாலியில் கோடை விடுமுறை

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1. திருத்தந்தை: தூய ஆவியார் நம்மை ஆச்சரியத்தில் ஆழ்த்துகிறார்

ஏப்ரல்,28,2016. முந்தையக் காலத்தைப் போலவே, இன்றும் தூய ஆவியாரின் செயல்பாடுகளுக்குத் தடைகளும், மறுப்பும் நம்மிடையே உள்ளன எனினும், அவற்றைத் தாண்டி, தூய ஆவியார் இன்றும் நம்மை ஆச்சரியத்தில் ஆழ்த்துகிறார் என்று திருத்தந்தை பிரான்சிஸ் அவர்கள் கூறினார்.
இவ்வியாழன் காலை, சாந்தா மார்த்தா இல்லச் சிற்றாலயத்தில் ஆற்றியத் திருப்பலியில், எருசலேமில் நடைபெற்ற சங்கம் குறித்து திருத்தூதர் பணிகள் நூலில் கூறப்பட்டுள்ள பகுதியை மையப்படுத்தி, தன் மறையுரையை வழங்கினார் திருத்தந்தை.
திருஅவையின் துவக்கக் காலத்தில், தூய ஆவியார் திருத்தூதர்களை பல வழிகளில் ஆச்சரியத்தில் ஆழ்த்தி, புது வழிகளைக் காட்டினார் என்று திருத்தந்தை பிரான்சிஸ் அவர்கள் தன் மறையுரையில் குறிப்பிட்டார்.
வேகவைக்கப்பட்டக் கிழங்கை, சுடச்சுடக் கரங்களில் ஏந்தியிருப்பதை, தூய ஆவியார் செயலாற்றும் வழிகளுக்கு ஓர் உருவகமாகக் கூறியத் திருத்தந்தை, அத்தகையச் சூழலில் வாழ்ந்த திருத்தூதர்களும், சீடர்களும் எருசலேம் சங்கத்தில் கூடியிருந்தனர் என்று சுட்டிக்காட்டினார்.
விருத்தசேதனம் பெறாதவர்களை திருஅவையில் ஏற்றுக்கொள்வதில் துவங்கிய மாற்றங்கள், தூய ஆவியாரின் அருளால், இன்றளவும் நம் மத்தியில் தொடர்கின்றன என்றும், மாற்றங்களை ஏற்றுக்கொள்வதில் இன்றும் நம் நடுவே தயக்கங்களும், எதிர்ப்புக்களும் எழுகின்றன என்றும் திருத்தந்தை பிரான்சிஸ் அவர்கள் தன் மறையுரையில் குறிப்பிட்டார்.
திருஅவை வரலாற்றில் அன்று முதல், இன்று வரை தூய ஆவியார் வழங்கிவரும் ஆச்சரியங்களைப் புரிந்துகொள்ளும் வரத்தையும், தூய ஆவியாரின் வழி நடத்துதலின்படி வாழும் வரத்தையும் வேண்டுவோம் என்று திருத்தந்தை தன் மறையுரையை நிறைவு செய்தார்.

ஆதாரம் : வத்திக்கான் வானொலி

2. 2015ல் வத்திக்கான் மேற்கொண்ட நிதிநிலை விவரங்கள் அறிக்கை

ஏப்ரல்,28,2016. "மனிதகுலம் உருவாக்கும் ஆன்மீக, நன்னெறி பாதளங்களிலிருந்து, இறைவனின் அளவற்ற இரக்கமே நமக்கு மீட்பைக் கொணர முடியும்" என்ற வார்த்தைகள், திருத்தந்தை பிரான்சிஸ் அவர்கள், இவ்வியாழனன்று வெளியிட்ட டுவிட்டர் செய்தியில் இடம்பெற்றன.
மேலும், 2015ம் ஆண்டில் வத்திக்கான் மேற்கொண்ட வரவு, செலவு மற்றும் நிதிநிலை விவரங்கள் அடங்கிய அறிக்கையொன்று, இவ்வியாழன் காலையில் வத்திக்கான் செய்தித் தொடர்பகத்தில் வெளியிடப்பட்டது.
நிதிநிலை விவரங்களின் துறையைச் சார்ந்த தலைவர், இயக்குனர், மற்றும், வத்திக்கான் செய்தித் தொடர்பாளர் அருள்பணி பெதெரிக்கோ லொம்பார்தி ஆகியோர், இவ்விவரங்களை செய்தியாளர்களிடம் வெளியிட்டனர்.
இவ்வறிக்கையின்படி, கடந்த ஐந்து ஆண்டுகளாக, வத்திக்கான் மேற்கொண்டு வரும் வரவு, செலவு செயல்பாடுகளில், ஒளிவு மறைவற்ற முறைகள் அதிகமதிமாக கடைபிடிக்கப்பட்டு வருவதாக அறிவிக்கப்பட்டது.
வத்திக்கானின் வரவு, செலவு கணக்குகள், உலகத் தரம் வாய்ந்த நிதி தணிக்கையாளர்களின் கண்காணிப்பிற்கு உட்படுத்தப்படவேண்டும் என்ற எண்ணத்துடன், 2010ம் ஆண்டு, முன்னாள் திருத்தந்தை 16ம் பெனடிக்ட் அவர்களால், வத்திக்கான் நிதிநிலை விவரங்கள் துறை உருவாக்கப்பட்டது என்பது குறிப்பிடத்தக்கது.

ஆதாரம் : வத்திக்கான் வானொலி

3. திருத்தந்தை வர்த்தகத்திற்கு எதிரானவர் அல்ல - கர்தினால் டர்க்சன்

ஏப்ரல்,28,2016. திருத்தந்தை பிரான்சிஸ் அவர்கள் வர்த்தகத்திற்கு எதிரானவர் அல்ல, மாறாக, வர்த்தகச் சந்தையை ஒரு கடவுள் போல மாற்றும் போக்கினை கண்டனம் செய்பவர் என்று வத்திக்கான் உயர் அதிகாரி ஒருவர் கூறினார்.
சுரங்கத் தொழிலையும், வேளாண்மையையும் மையப்படுத்தி, சாம்பியா நாட்டின் லுசாக்கா நகரில் நடைபெறும் ஒரு கருத்தரங்கில், திருப்பீட நீதி அமைதி அவைத் தலைவர், கர்தினால் பீட்டர் டர்க்சன் அவர்கள் உரையாற்றியபோது இவ்வாறு கூறினார்.
நமது பொதுவான இல்லத்தைக் காப்பது மற்றும், சுரங்கத்தொழிலிலும் வேளாண்மையிலும் பெரும் முதலீடு செய்வது என்ற தலைப்பில் நடைபெற்றுவரும் இக்கருத்தரங்கில், திருத்தந்தை பிரான்சிஸ் அவர்கள் வெளியிட்டுள்ள 'இறைவா உமக்கேப் புகழ்' என்ற திருமடலில் கூறப்பட்டுள்ள கருத்துக்களின் அடிப்படையில் கர்தினால் டர்க்சன் அவர்கள் தன் உரையை வழங்கினார்.
கத்தோலிக்கரும் படைப்பும், கத்தோலிக்கரும் பேணுதலும், வேளாண்மையிலும், சுரங்கத் தொழிலிலும் படைப்பைப் பேணுதல் என்ற மூன்று முக்கியக் கருத்துக்களை தன் உரையில் பகிர்ந்துகொண்டார், கர்தினால் டர்க்சன்.
படைப்பின் வழியே மக்கள் இனத்திற்கு வழங்கப்பட்டுள்ள கொடைகளை ஒரு சிலரின் சுயநலம் அபகரித்துக்  கொள்வதால், வறியோருக்கு இக்கொடைகள் சென்றடைவதில்லை என்பதையே, திருத்தந்தையின் திருமடல் நமக்கு உணர்த்துகிறது என்று கர்தினால் டர்க்சன் அவர்கள் தன் உரையில் வலியுறுத்தினார்.
ஓர் அழகிய தோட்டத்தைப் பெற்றுக்கொண்ட நாம், அடுத்தத் தலைமுறையினருக்கு ஒரு பாலைவனத்தை விட்டுச்செல்லக் கூடாது என்ற வேண்டுகோளுடன், கர்தினால் டர்க்சன் அவர்கள், தன் உரையை நிறைவு செய்தார்.

ஆதாரம் : ICN / வத்திக்கான் வானொலி

4. சுற்றுச்சூழல் சீரழிவு இந்தியாவில் மிக அதிகம் - கர்தினால் கிரேசியஸ்

ஏப்ரல்,28,2016. இந்தியாவில் உருவாக்கப்படும் சுற்றுச்சூழல் சீரழிவின் தாக்கங்களால் வறியோரே மிக அதிக அளவில் பாதிக்கப்படுகின்றனர் என்று, மும்பை பேராயர், கர்தினால் ஆச்வல்ட் கிரேசியஸ் அவர்கள் விடுத்துள்ள ஒரு செய்தி கூறுகிறது.
பாரிஸ் மாநகரில் நிறைவேற்றப்பட்ட தீர்மானங்களை உலகத் தலைவர்கள் உடனடியாக செயல்முறைப் படுத்தவேண்டும் என்று 260 மதத் தலைவர்கள் இணைந்து வெளியிட்டுள்ள விண்ணப்பத்தில் கையெழுத்திட்ட கர்தினால் கிரேசியஸ் அவர்கள், தன் செய்தியில் இவ்வாறு கூறியுள்ளார்.
உலகில் சுற்றுச்சூழல் மிகவும் மாசடைந்துள்ள பத்து நகரங்களில் 6 நகரங்கள் இந்தியாவில் உள்ளன என்றும், 7 கோடியே, 60 இலட்சம் மக்கள் பாதுகாப்பான குடிநீர் இன்றி தவிப்பதும் இந்தியாவில் காணப்படுகிறது என்றும் கர்தினால் கிரேசியஸ் அவர்களின் செய்தி கூறுகிறது.
நிலத்தடி படிம எரிபொருளுக்குப் பதில், இயற்கையில் புதுப்பிக்கப்படக் கூடிய சக்திகளைப் பயன்படுத்தும் முயற்சிகளில், உலக அரசுகள், 2050ம் ஆண்டுக்குள் முழுவதும் ஈடுபடவேண்டும் என்பதை, இந்த விண்ணப்பம் வலியுறுத்துகிறது.
சுற்றுச்சூழல் சீரழிவுக்குக் காரணமாக இல்லாத வறியோர், இந்தச் சீரழிவினால் பெரும் ஆபத்துக்களைச் சந்திக்கவேண்டியுள்ளது என்பதைச் சுட்டிக்காட்டிய கர்தினால் கிரேசியஸ் அவர்கள், நம் பொதுவான இல்லமான பூமியைக் காப்பது குறித்து திருத்தந்தை கூறியுள்ள கருத்துக்களை ஒவ்வொருவரும் வாசித்து, பயனடையவேண்டும் என்று கேட்டுக்கொண்டார்.
டில்லி போன்ற மாநகரங்களில் காற்று மாசுபாட்டைக் குறைக்க மேற்கொள்ளப்படும் முயற்சிகள் பாராட்டுக்குரியன என்று தன் செய்தியில் குறிப்பிட்டுள்ள கர்தினால் கிரேசியஸ் அவர்கள், சுற்றுச்சூழல் பாதுகாப்பிற்கு இன்னும் மிக அதிகமான முயற்சிகளை இந்தியா மேற்கொள்ளவேண்டும் என்று வலியுறுத்தியுள்ளார்.

ஆதாரம் : AsiaNews / வத்திக்கான் வானொலி

5. திருஅவையும், இரஷ்ய ஆர்த்தடாக்ஸ் சபையும் இணைந்த முயற்சி

ஏப்ரல்,28,2016. சிரியா நாட்டின் ஹோம்ஸ் நகரில், இராணுவ மோதல்களால் பாதிக்கப்பட்டுள்ள சிறுவர் சிறுமியருக்கு உதவிகள் செய்யும் ஒரு  முயற்சியை, கத்தோலிக்கத் திருஅவையும், மாஸ்கோவின் இரஷ்ய ஆர்த்தடாக்ஸ் சபையும் இணைந்து மேற்கொண்டுள்ளது.
Aid to the Church in Need என்ற கத்தோலிக்க பிறரன்பு அமைப்பின் முயற்சியால் உருவாகியுள்ள இந்த இணை செயல்பாட்டின் ஒரு பகுதியாக, இவ்விரு அமைப்பின் பிரதிநிதிகள் ஹோம்ஸ் நகரை அண்மையில் பார்வையிட்டனர் என்று ஆசிய செய்திக் குறிப்பொன்று கூறுகிறது.
சிரியா நாட்டில் நிலவிவரும் போரினால் சேதமடைந்துள்ள கிறிஸ்தவ தலங்களை மறு சீரமைக்கும் பணியில் கத்தோலிக்கத் திருஅவையும், மாஸ்கோவின் இரஷ்ய ஆர்த்தடாக்ஸ் சபையும் இணைந்து செயலாற்றுவதுபோல், இம்முயற்சியிலும் இணைந்திருப்பது குறிப்பிடத்தக்கது.
இத்தனை அழிவுகளையும், மரணங்களையும் கண்முன்னே கண்டுள்ள சிறுவர் சிறுமியர், இன்னும் புன்னகைப் பூக்க முடிகிறது என்பது, நம்பிக்கை தரும் ஓர் அடையாளம் என்று, இரஷ்யப் பேராயர் Paolo Pezzi அவர்கள், Aid to the Church in Need அமைப்பினரிடம் கூறினார்.
கத்தோலிக்கத் திருஅவையும், இரஷ்ய ஆர்த்தடாக்ஸ் சபையும் இணைந்து செயலாற்றுவது, வெறும் ஏட்டளவு ஒப்பந்தம் அல்ல, மாறாக, நடைமுறையில் காணக்கூடிய ஓர் உண்மை என்று, இந்த குழுவின் பிரதிநிதிகள் கூறியுள்ளனர்.

ஆதாரம் : AsiaNews / வத்திக்கான் வானொலி

6. மரண தண்டனைக்கு எதிராக, பெரு நாட்டின் ஆயர்கள்

ஏப்ரல்,28,2016. மனித உயிர், இறைவன் வழங்கும் கொடை, எனவே, அது உருவாகும் தருணம் முதல், இயற்கையாக அழியும் வரை அதை மதித்து, காப்பது கிறிஸ்தவர்களின் கடமை என்று பெரு நாட்டின் ஆயர்கள், இச்செவ்வாயன்று அறிக்கையொன்றை வெளியிட்டுள்ளனர்.
பெரு நாட்டின் பொதுத் தேர்தல்களையொட்டி, மரண தண்டனை குறித்து அங்கு எழுந்துள்ள விவாதங்களையடுத்து, அந்நாட்டு ஆயர்கள் இந்த அறிக்கையை வெளியிட்டுள்ளனர் என்று பிதேஸ் செய்தி கூறுகிறது.
குற்றங்களின் தீவிரத்தைப் பொருத்து, அரசு விதிக்கக்கூடிய தண்டனைகள் மாறுபடும் என்பதை ஏற்றுக்கொள்ளும் ஆயர்களின் செய்தி, எக்காரணம் கொண்டும் மரணதண்டனையை திருஅவை ஏற்றுக்கொள்ளாது என்பதையும் தெளிவு படுத்தியுள்ளது.
மரண தண்டனையை ஒழிப்பதற்கும், மனித மாண்பைக் குலைக்கும்வண்ணம் சிறைகளில் நிலவும் சூழல்களை மாற்றுவதற்கும் அனைத்து கிறிஸ்தவர்களும் முயற்சிகள் மேற்கொள்ளவேண்டும் என்று திருத்தந்தை பிரான்சிஸ் அவர்கள் விடுத்துள்ள விண்ணப்பத்தை, பெரு நாட்டின் ஆயர்கள், தங்கள் செய்தியில் சுட்டிக் காட்டியுள்ளனர்.

ஆதாரம் : Fides / வத்திக்கான் வானொலி

7. பசுமைச் சூழல் நிதிக்கு அமெரிக்க அரசு 75 கோடி டாலர்கள் ஒதுக்கவேண்டும்

ஏப்ரல்,28,2016. பசுமைச் சூழலை உருவாக்கும் நிதிக்கு அமெரிக்க அரசு இன்னும் கூடுதலானத் தொகையை அளிக்க முன்வர வேண்டும் என்று அமெரிக்க ஆயர்கள் பேரவை விண்ணப்பித்துள்ளது.
பசுமைச் சூழல் நிதிக்கு 50 கோடி டாலர்கள் நிதியை வழங்கியுள்ளதாக அமெரிக்க அரசுத் தலைவரின் வெள்ளை மாளிகை அறிக்கையொன்றை வெளியிட்டுள்ளதை அடுத்து, 120க்கும் மேற்பட்ட பல்சமய அமைப்புக்கள் விடுத்துள்ள ஒரு விண்ணப்பத்தில் அமெரிக்க ஆயர் பேரவையும் இணைந்துள்ளது.
இந்த விண்ணப்பத்தின்படி, இவ்வாண்டு 50 கோடி டாலர்கள் வழங்கியுள்ள அமெரிக்க அரசு, வரும் ஆண்டில் இந்த உதவித் தொகையை 75 கோடியாக உயர்த்தவேண்டும் என்று கூறப்பட்டுள்ளது.
சுற்றுச்சூழல் பாதுகாப்பு முயற்சிகளில் வளரும் நாடுகள் முழுமையாக ஈடுபட 300 கோடி டாலர்கள் நிதி உதவி வழங்குவதாக அமெரிக்க அரசு உறுதி அளித்துள்ளது என்பது குறிப்பிடத் தக்கது.
சுற்றுச்சூழல் பாதுகாப்பு குறித்து நடைபெற்ற பாரிஸ் உலக உச்சி மாநாட்டின் இறுதியில், வளர்ச்சி பெற்றுள்ள நாடுகள், இன்னும் பத்து ஆண்டுகளில் சுற்றுச்சூழல் பாதுக்காப்பிற்கென 10,000 கோடி டாலர்கள் நிதி உதவி வழங்க மேற்கொண்ட முடிவின் காரணமாக, இதுவரை 1000 கோடி டாலர்கள் வழங்கியுள்ளன என்று CNS செய்திக் குறிப்பொன்று கூறுகிறது.

ஆதாரம் : CNS / வத்திக்கான் வானொலி

8. செர்னோபில் குழந்தைகளுக்கு இத்தாலியில் கோடை விடுமுறை

ஏப்ரல்,28,2016. செர்னோபில் (Chernobyl) நகரில் ஏற்பட்ட அணு உலை விபத்தினால் பாதிக்கப்பட்ட ஆயிரத்திற்கும் மேற்பட்ட சிறுவர் சிறுமியர், தங்கள் உடல் நலத்தில் முன்னேற்றம் காண்பதற்கு, இத்தாலியில் கோடை விடுமுறையைக் கழிப்பதற்கு, Girotondo எனப்படும் பிறரன்பு அமைப்பு ஒவ்வோர் ஆண்டும் முயற்சிகள் மேற்கொண்டு வருகிறது.
1986ம் ஆண்டு ஏப்ரல் 26ம் நடைபெற்ற இந்த அணு உலை விபத்தின் 30ம் ஆண்டு நிறைவு கடந்த செவ்வாயன்று கடைபிடிக்கப்பட்டது.
இத்தாலியின் தூரின் நகரில் துவங்கப்பட்ட Girotondo  எனப்படும் பிறரன்பு அமைப்பினால், ஒவ்வோர் ஆண்டும், செர்னோபில் குழந்தைகள், கோடை விடுமுறையைக் கழிப்பதற்கு, இத்தாலியக் குடும்பங்கள் உதவி செய்து வருகின்றன என்று ஆசிய செய்திக் குறிப்பொன்று கூறுகிறது.
இத்தகைய முயற்சியின் வழியே இத்தாலியக் குடும்பங்கள் இச்சிறுவர், சிறுமியருக்கு வழங்கக்கூடிய உதவிகளைவிட, இக்குழந்தைகள் இக்குடும்பங்களுக்கு வழங்கும் பயன்கள் பெரிதானவை என்று, Girotondo அமைப்பின் ஒருங்கிணைப்பாளர்களில் ஒருவர், ஆசிய செய்தியிடம் கூறினார்.

ஆதாரம் : AsiaNews / வத்திக்கான் வானொலி

Saint Hugh Abbot of Cluny (1024-1109)

Saint Hugh

Abbot of Cluny
(1024-1109)

Saint Hugh
Saint Hugh
Saint Hugh was a prince related to the sovereign house of the dukes of Burgundy, and received his education under the tutelage of his pious mother and by the solicitude of Hugh, Bishop of Auxerre, his great-uncle. From his infancy he was given to prayer and meditation, and his life was remarkably innocent and holy.
One day, hearing an account of the wonderful sanctity of the monks of Cluny under Saint Odilo, he was so moved that he set out at that moment, and going there humbly begged the monastic habit. After a rigid novitiate, he made his profession in 1039, at the age of sixteen years. His extraordinary virtue, especially his admirable humility, obedience, charity, sweetness, prudence, and zeal, gained him the respect of the entire community.
At the death of Saint Odilo in 1049, though Saint Hugh was only twenty-five years old, he succeeded to the government of that great abbey, which he continued for sixty-two years. During those years, the role of Cluny was immense. From it came two very illustrious Popes, Urban II and Pascal II, both disciples of Saint Hugh. The king of Castille, Alphonsus VI, owed his deliverance from an imprisonment to the prayers and intervention of Saint Hugh. A count of Macon entered the monastery with thirty knights and a great many servants, while the countess, his wife, retired to a convent founded by Saint Hugh. Donations of large terrains were made to this Abbey, permitting innumerable foundations. Urban II gave Saint Hugh the right to wear pontifical ornaments for the solemn feast days.
Saint Hugh of Cluny died on the twenty-ninth of April, in 1109, at the age of eighty-five years. He was canonized twelve years after his death by Pope Calixtus II.

Pakistani Christian forced to convert to Islam, agency says

Pakistani Christian forced to convert to Islam, agency says

Woman was allegedly kidnapped and gunpoint and forced to marry Muslim man.

 

Pakistan:  A human rights organization in Pakistan said it is assisting a young Christian woman who was kidnapped and forced to marry and convert to Islam.

Lawyer Sardar Mushtaq Gill, head of Legal Evangelical Association Development, which offers free assistance to Christian victims of abuse, said the woman, Laveeza Bibi, 23, was kidnapped April 14.

Two armed Muslims stormed her family's house in Kasur in Punjab. The men allegedly threatened her parents and took the woman away. One of the kidnappers, Muhammad Talib forced the girl to marry him.

Laveeza's father, Sarwar Masih, immediately went to the local police station, but the police were initially reluctant to file a report, the association said.

A complaint was eventually filed against Talib following protests by local Christian leaders.

Gill told Fides, the Vatican news agency, this was not an isolated case.

"In April in the area of Kasur alone, five Christian girls were kidnapped and converted to Islam and forced to marry their captors," he said.

About 1,000 cases are registered every year, with many more unreported, the association said.

Source: UCAN

Pope says pastors must 'serve, not use' laypeople

Pope says pastors must 'serve, not use' laypeople

'No one is baptized a priest or bishop,' Francis says.

 

Vatican City:  Clericalism is a danger to the Catholic Church not only because on a practical level it undermines the role of laity in society, but because theologically it "tends to diminish and undervalue the baptismal grace" of all believers, whether they are lay or clergy, Pope Francis said.

"No one is baptized a priest or bishop," the pope said in a letter to Cardinal Marc Ouellet, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops and president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America. The fundamental consecration of all Christians occurs at baptism and is what unites all Christians in the call to holiness and witness, Catholic News Service reported.

In the letter, released at the Vatican April 26, Pope Francis said that in lay Catholics' work for the good of society and for justice, "it is not the pastor who must tell the layperson what to do and say, he already knows this and better than we do."

Source: UCAN

Caritas plants trees in Karachi to beat extreme heat

Caritas plants trees in Karachi to beat extreme heat

Thousands to be planted in urban and coastal areas of Pakistan's largest city.

 

Karachi:  Caritas is planting thousands of trees in Karachi to help combat deadly heat waves that affect the Pakistani city each summer.

As part of the Trees for the Earth campaign, Caritas will plant 5,000 trees in church areas and other parts of the city, said Mansha Noor, executive secretary of the Catholic aid and development agency in Karachi.

"Our planet Earth will no longer be able to support life if we continue cutting down trees, and we all know about the heat wave disaster that killed more than 2,000 in our city last year," Noor said.

The elderly and laborers were the main victims from last summer's deadly heat wave, which also badly affected livestock and agricultural crops in surrounding areas.

Caritas is also assisting with the planting of mangrove trees in coastal areas near Karachi.

"With the collaboration of the Sindh Forest Department about 1,000 mangrove plants will likewise be planted to protect the livelihoods of fishing communities," said Noor.

Giyan Chand Essrani, Minister for Forestry and Wildlife for the Sindh government, said that the state has donated 2,000 trees to be planted around Karachi as part of Caritas' two month-long campaign.

"I appreciate the efforts of the church in Karachi and Caritas for taking this initiative to protect our humanity and city from high temperatures," Essrani said.

Archbishop Joseph Coutts of Karachi blessed the first tree to be planted in the campaign at St. Patrick's Cathedral on Earth Day, April 22.

The campaign will also include activities and promotions such as seminars and training workshops.

Source: UCAN

Chinese human rights campaigner Harry Wu dies

Chinese human rights campaigner Harry Wu dies

A former prisoner of conscience, Wu exposed the brutality of China's prison camps.

 

Beijing:  Harry Wu, a Catholic and well-known human rights campaigner who exposed the brutality of China's prison camp system, has died. He was 79.

Wu died while on vacation with friends in Honduras on April 26, said Ann Noonan, an administrator at the Washington D.C.-based Laogai Research Foundation founded by Wu.

"Harry Wu spoke out for international labor rights and religious freedom, and against the death penalty, forced organ harvesting and China's brutal one-child policy," Noonan said in a statement.

Known for lobbying in defense of Chinese rights, Wu himself was sentenced to 19 years in a Chinese prison camp after criticizing Beijing's then-ally the Soviet Union for its invasion of Hungary in 1956.

He was sent to 12 different laogai — reform through labor prison camps — where he was put to work mining coal, farming and building roads. Torture, beatings and starvation were routine, he said later.

"I was 23, a college graduate raised in an affluent urban family, and a political criminal," he wrote in Bitter Winds: A Memoir of My Years in China's Gulag.

Released after serving his full sentence in 1979, and after the death of Mao and the Reform and Opening period under new leader Deng Xiaoping, Wu was politically rehabilitated and took up a teaching position at the Geoscience University in Beijing.

In 1985, he took a place as a visiting scholar at the University of California Berkeley, writing later that he only had US$40 in his pocket when he arrived. He spent the rest of his life living in the U.S.

Wu set up the Laogai Research Foundation in 1992 and began lobbying U.S. politicians to hold Beijing accountable for a system that tortured thousands and used forced labor to produce goods on sale across the globe as China's economy boomed.

"It was Wu who let the world understand the problem of labor camps through his persistent concern about this issue," said Lee Cheuk-yan, vice-chair of Labor Party in Hong Kong.

As Wu's condemnation of the Chinese Communist Party expanded to other policies, Beijing grew increasingly intolerant.

In 1995, by-then a citizen of the U.S., Wu was arrested upon entering China, convicted for "stealing state secrets," sentenced to 15 years in prison and held for 66 days before authorities deported him back to the U.S. following intervention from Washington D.C.

Although China abolished the laogai and in 2013 also ended laojiao — reform through education — rights groups have warned in recent years that arbitrary detention facilities persist in China under different guises. Wu was considered a pioneer in exposing them all.

Source: UCAN

Michelangelo's Pietà shines again in Saint Peter's Basilica

  Michelangelo's Pietà shines again in Saint Peter's Basilica Replacement of the glass protection of Michelangelo's Pietà in Sai...