ROBERT JOHN KENNEDY: CHRISTMAS QUIZ 2017: FOR THE PARISHIONERS OF CHEM...

ROBERT JOHN KENNEDY: CHRISTMAS QUIZ 2017: FOR THE PARISHIONERS OF CHEM...: CHRISTMAS QUIZ 2017:  FOR THE PARISHIONERS OF CHEMPARUTHIVILAI, MEKKAMANDAPAM AND EATHAVILAI  - PREPARED BY PARISH PRIEST R J KENNED...

CHRISTMAS QUIZ 2017: FOR THE PARISHIONERS OF CHEMPARUTHIVILAI, MEKKAMANDAPAM AND EATHAVILAI - PREPARED BY PARISH PRIEST R J KENNEDY. கிறிஸ்துமஸ் வினாடிவினா 2017

CHRISTMAS QUIZ 2017: 

FOR THE PARISHIONERS OF CHEMPARUTHIVILAI, MEKKAMANDAPAM AND EATHAVILAI 

- PREPARED BY PARISH PRIEST R J KENNEDY.

கிறிஸ்துமஸ் வினாடிவினா 2017

 

ROBERT JOHN KENNEDY: CHRISTMAS QUIZ 2018: FOR THE PARISHIONERS OF CHE...

ROBERT JOHN KENNEDY: CHRISTMAS QUIZ 2018: FOR THE PARISHIONERS OF CHE...: CHRISTMAS QUIZ 2018:  FOR THE PARISHIONERS OF CHEMPARUTHIVILAI, MEKKAMANDAPAM AND EATHAVILAI  - PREPARED BY PARISH PRIEST R J KENN...

CHRISTMAS QUIZ 2018: FOR THE PARISHIONERS OF CHEMPARUTHIVILAI, MEKKAMANDAPAM AND EATHAVILAI - PREPARED BY PARISH PRIEST R J KENNEDY. கிறிஸ்துமஸ் வினாடிவினா 2018

CHRISTMAS QUIZ 2018: 

FOR THE PARISHIONERS OF CHEMPARUTHIVILAI, MEKKAMANDAPAM AND EATHAVILAI 

- PREPARED BY PARISH PRIEST R J KENNEDY.

கிறிஸ்துமஸ் வினாடிவினா 2018

 

Engaging the Scriptures today

If we can see God in our narratives, it is a lot easier to see God in our Sacred Texts.

A growing number of Filipinos have become interested in reading the Bible, making it the most read book in the Philippines. (Photo by Joe Torres/ucanews)

By Father Alejandro Ochia Gobrin
Manila:  My congregation has the practice of sending missionaries who have been in the ministry for a considerable time to a kind of spirituality course, a going-back-to-the-roots updating process.

I was privileged to participate in 2014 in a such a group in Los Negrales, Madrid, where I encountered an article by the Italian Jesuit Carlo Martini entitled "My personal journey after Jesus."

The article describes Martini's journey of knowing Jesus from the Scriptures until he was confronted with the questions: "Are you willing to give faith to my words as words of God? Are you willing to recognize that my mission is the mission of the Father? Are you willing to trust me the ultimate consequences, like Peter who said: 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God?'"

I saw a movement in Martini's quest from text to the person of Jesus.

When I hear the words "text" and "interpretation," I always remember the German philosopher H.G. Gadamer, who said that understanding the text is to reach a "fusion of horizons."

But the questions of Martini remain. We have heard of the ideas of deconstruction, demythologization and the dismantling of the ancient Gospels in the search for the historical Jesus. But we failed to paint a picture of Jesus because we lost the power and beauty of His narratives.

As the Pontifical Biblical Commission insisted, we affirm that an "historico-critical" method takes a privileged place in the study of the Scriptures. But what we encounter in the Sacred Texts is an imaginative, "theopoetic" language, symbolic and mythical.

What is important is not the factual description but the effective communication of meaning, thus, the historico-critical method may not be enough. We need to engage in imaginative ways of interpretation.

The challenge we are facing today is not only the search for meaningful ways of engaging with the Bible. We are also confronted with another equally important issue in our Biblical ministry: How to teach the Word?

I have been following American educational psychologist Benjamin Bloom's ideas on learning, so I divided my teaching strategy to be (a) cognitive, (b) affective and (c) skills building.

I was fascinated by the idea of letting learners understand the text, love the text and learn how to touch and interpret the text with confidence.

But still I found it difficult to deeply penetrate learners with the Word. I was looking for something more poetic, or maybe something dramatic.

When I came home from the missions in Colombia in February last year, I found my mother watching Ang Probinsyano, a Philippine television series involving police and gangster intrigues.

I was amazed that at 87 years old she was still religiously following the series. Programs like this are very powerful, so I enquired why. The most common response I get is, "Because I can relate to it."

"Relate" involves not only "fusion of meanings" but definite mental adherence, affective response, conviction valuation and applicative participation.

How do we engage with the Scriptures so that we can relate to them? Our text is not only a literary text but a faith text.

We may have to engage the Scriptures as narratives (stories) for us to be able to relate to them. I call this way the "Narrative Way," which is engaging the Scriptures as narratives of life happening today to people in the community.

Narratives are powerful. They create a world of their own. They can transform. They can dictate actions. It is interesting to note that even the business world exploits the power of narratives.

The Narrative Way seeks to engage the entire person or community in Biblical interpretation, which is like a young boy interpreting a song or a painter redoing the Starry Night of Vincent Van Goh. The boy brings everything in him to give life to the music or the art.

Biblical narratives are sacred because God is there. The real end game for Biblical studies is discovering God in the text.

Discovery happens when we are able to relate the text to our own narratives. Our own narratives are sacred because God is there. Evidently, we are our own narratives.

God is present in our narratives. If we can see God in our narratives, it is a lot easier to see God in our Sacred Texts.

Father Alejandro Ochia Gobrin, CMF, is a professor of biblical studies and pedagogy in Manila.

Source: UCAN

Genetically edited twins and the issue of 'superhumans'

As science develops at a tremendous pace, moral and ethical considerations struggle to keep up.

Hong Kong:  The claimed creation of the world's first genetically edited babies — twin girls in China — has stirred debate amid profound ethical and spiritual implications.

This includes conflicting views on the desirability or otherwise of a future with so called "superhumans" bred with disease resistance and other perceived advantages.

One fear is that such predestination would overwhelmingly only be available to the rich and influential.

The poor, meanwhile, would continue to be subject to the whims of nature, including congenital defects and susceptibility to maladies.

At the end of November, scientist He Jiankui confirmed in an address at the Second Summit on Human Genome Editing held in Hong Kong that twins Lulu and Nana had been born with altered genes.

Genetic editing is a technique that involves DNA being inserted, deleted, modified or replaced in the human genome.

In this case, the twins were said to have had their genes altered to, among other things, make them resistant to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that causes AIDS.

He Jiankui, an associate professor at the Southern University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen, China, apologised for what he said was an earlier "leak" revealing his experimentation.

The disclosure sparked an international furore. However, Father Joseph Tham, a professor in the school of bioethics at the Catholic Church's Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum in Rome, said he was not surprised by the news as such a case of genetic editing was going to happen sooner or later.

The academic priest, who attended the human genome editing summit and listened to He's address, told ucanews.com that the earlier development of so-called test-tube baby technology was the beginning of the "materialization" of the human embryo.

In the fields of experimentation and research, it was natural to try to perfect embryos, Father Tham noted.

"Just like the iPhone, there are always new models launched in the market, claiming that the new model is better than the old one," he said.

"This is the tendency of human beings and the inevitable development of technology. Technology always has such a tendency and it is also an ideal for scientists – unceasingly surpassing the past."

Ways are being sought to make people healthier and to prolong life, including through organ regeneration and disease resistance, Father Tham said.

There is great potential to change the human condition through a variety of interventions, genetic modification being one of them.

"What is even more irresistible is that when one day these technologies become safe and effective for everyone to use, they will be popular," Father Tham said.

However, many matters of concern will arise in the form of ethical issues, he warned.

For example, there is the question of what happens to the embryo as an experimental product after it has been modified.

"What are the consequences?" he queried. "Can it be successful? Is it safe? No one knows and there is no answer."

Father Tham also stressed that the Catholic Church's position is that embryos should not be used as an "experimental product."

In his posthumous book Brief Answers to the Big Questions, British physicist Stephen Hawking, who died in March, outlined his various fears about the future of mankind.

One matter of deep concern for Hawking was that wealthy people would use the genetic modification technology to improve the genes of themselves and their children, creating smarter superhumans with a longer life expectancy.

In this regard, Father Tham said there was cause to contemplate whether or not it is a good thing to aspire to create such superhumans.

Father Tham raised the specter of some individuals, although being very intelligent, physically attractive and powerful, turning out to be "a bad guy".

"How could we deal with him?" Father Tham asked. "That is the problem."

The priest added: "Humans should pursue a more perfect and better life, but is it just limited to physical and material perfection? Should we think more about our spiritual and virtuous perfection?"

Father Tham noted that the Catholic Church believed becoming a saint was the most perfect human attainment.

A person with physical disabilities or deficiencies could be perfect because of inner goodness and a saint from the spiritual point of view, Father Tham said, suggesting success in life can follow setbacks and failures.

Father Tham said the genetic editing of the twin babies Lulu and Nana in China had been condemned by many scientists at the Hong Kong summit.

However, they had only focused on the fact that He announced the result of his experiment too early as the technology is still very immature and the consequences unknown.

The other scientists were worried that the case of the twins would hinder the research and development of genetic technologies in the future.

However, the blame was being apportioned just from a "secular" perspective, rather than from an ethical stance.

At present, Britain, the United States and China do not have a blanket ban on researching human genetic modification technologies using embryos.

But the priest believes that the implication of the way He was criticized was that there remained scope for genetic editing to be considered safe and effective.

"Technology is like a knife which can help people or hurt people," Father Tham said. "It depends on whether it can be used ethically."

However, as science and technologies were developing at a tremendous pace, it seemed dealing with moral and ethical considerations was too slow to keep up.

Clearly, for Catholics, there is a need to pray and study the big ethical questions that arise from genetic editing in order to avoid negative consequences.

Source: UCAN

Filipino tribal girl's Christmas wish is to go back home

Church groups try to provide some festive cheer to children driven from their communities by conflict.

Rorelyn Mandacawan, an 18-year-old Manobo tribal girl, hangs a Christmas lantern during an activity in Manila where displaced tribal students have sought refuge. (Photo by Mark Saludes)

Manila:  There is no escaping Christmas in the Philippines, especially in Manila, even for tribal girl Rorelyn Mandacawan who hardly understands what the celebration is all about.

The 18-year-old is one of 70 young tribal students from Mindanao who came to the Philippine capital in June to seek support for their community that has been plagued by armed conflict.

Rorelyn and the other students have sought refuge in the city because of alleged threats to their lives from soldiers who accused them of supporting communist rebels.

In one forum attended by students of a Catholic university in Manila, Rorelyn was asked what she wanted for Christmas.

"I just want to go home," she said.

Deep in her heart, however, Rorelyn knows that it would be impossible for her to go back to her community, especially after the government extended martial law in Mindanao for another year.

"I did not know anything about Christmas," she told ucanews.com. "But our teachers told us about what it should mean," added the girl.

Her teachers talked about the birth of "Jesus the Savior" and all the "good things" that people should do, like promote peace.

Rorelyn said she remembers home when she hears people talking about Christmas.

Home for her is the village of Nasilaban in the town of Talaingod, in Mindanao's Davao del Norte province, where peace seems elusive because of conflict.

"If Christmas means peace, then there is no Christmas in our village," she said.

Absence of peace

Rorelyn and her friends' ordeal started on June 29, 2017, when a government militiaman shot at a teacher at the village school.

"It was terrifying," recalled Rorelyn. "The man also aimed his rifle at us."

In August 2017, the young girl first came to Manila to speak about the situation in her village under military rule.

She returned to her village in March but fled two days later when a firefight between soldiers and guerrillas erupted.

The government closed all roads to Nasilaban and accused the teachers and students of orchestrating the attacks.

Rorelyn and one of her teachers walked for nine hours under the cover of darkness to reach safety.

The tribal people of Talaingod are not the only indigenous community that has been displaced by the conflict in the southern Philippines.

The group Save Our Schools Network has already documented at least 535 attacks on tribal schools across Mindanao since martial law was declared in May 2017.

At least 58 schools have reportedly closed since Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte came to power in July 2016.

The group said martial law in Mindanao had seen "widespread violations of basic human rights in the course of the government's counter-insurgency program."

Duterte declared martial law across the southern region following the terrorist attack in Marawi last year that left almost half a million people homeless.

The military has denied allegations of human rights abuses since martial law was introduced.



Helping children laugh again

To alleviate the situation for tribal children, a network of church groups has initiated activities to make them "feel that Christmas has not abandoned them."

"We would like to at least make them forget about the conflict even if it's for a moment," said Redemptorist priest Teodulo Holgado, spokesman of the group Sandiwa.

Christmas gatherings are being held in religious communities for children "to be children even for a day."

"We want them to laugh, play, and sing and dance. Conflict has taken away their childhood," said the priest.

In his message, Archbishop Antonio Ledesma of Cagayan de Oro in Mindanao called on Catholics to "share the spirit of Christmas" with victims of conflict.

"Let this year's celebration of Christmas be a reason for all of us to help resolve the root cause of armed conflict and foster long lasting peace," said the prelate.

Rorelyn knows that her journey home will not happen this Christmas, but she is hopeful that "one day I don't have to wait for December to experience what Christmas has to offer."

Source: UCAN

State bans Christmas in parts of China, Santa included

Christmas-themed performances and other 'religious propaganda activities' now banned in some areas.

File photo.

Hong Kong:  As Christmas approaches, officials in China have requested strict controls on festive celebrations as the country continues its crackdown on religions at the end of a year that has seen stepped-up persecution of Christians.

Shops and street vendors alike are reportedly being banned from selling wares considered "controversial" by the state in various parts of the country.

Meanwhile, some underground churches — including those organized at people's homes, and others not sanctioned by the officially atheist, communist government — have been warned not to hold any gatherings.

A notice issued by the Urban Management Bureau in Langfang city of Hebei province in northern China on Dec. 15 that was circulated online requires all local law enforcement agencies to "comprehensively ban all Christmas items such as Christmas trees and Santa Claus placed along the street."

Moreover, they have been instructed to "clear away all Christmas stickers, banners, signs, light-box advertisements and other related promotional items."

Christmas-themed performances and other "religious propaganda activities" have also been strictly forbidden at public areas like parks and malls.

If any are detected, they must be "closely monitored and reported in a timely manner," the edict states.

In addition to schools, parks, malls, supermarkets and commercial districts, local authorities must also closely monitor vendors, who can be prosecuted if found selling Christmas trees, Christmas apples or images of Santa.

Christmas has been slowly gaining in popularity among young Chinese despite it lacking a public holiday or the cultural roots that make it such a big deal in Western countries.

Reports last year claimed Christmas apples were proving a hit among the food-loving Chinese public, causing their prices to soar.

The state-run Global Times even cited one student in Chongqing who sold over 4,000 to his schoolmates in just two weeks.

Some critics suggested their sales were partly a result of China's love of Apple products like the iPhone. Others say it relates to tradition: the Chinese refer to Christmas Eve is ping'an ye, which means a safe and peaceful night; this is similar to the Chinese word for apple, pingguo.

But the social and political landscape appears to have become less Christmas friendly this winter.

"All law enforcement agencies should attach great importance to [this warning] and strictly follow the requirements," the notice read.

"During the festival, especially on Dec. 23, 24 and 25, all agencies must remain vigilant and alert, and carry out intensive inspections to ensure a clean city environment," it continued.

A bureau employee, who declined to give his name, told the Global Times on Dec. 17 "the action is not targeted at Christmas, but is part of local authorities' efforts to [ensure places like Langfang] get rated as a 'national civilized city' [by the state]."

According to the report, the award is presented every three years to honor those cities that can boast of a strong economy, good social development, impressive new infrastructure, and outstanding public services.

The employee said managing roadside stalls and migrant vendors was a routine affair, especially over Christmas when illegal sales proliferate.

The report quoted a professor at China University of Political Science and Law as saying that urban management bureaus' main goal was to better regulate retailers rather than outlaw Christmas altogether.

Some Catholics interviewed by ucanews.com suggested the crackdown in Langfang was drawing such concern and public ire that "we suspect the authorities may be forced to change their tone."

That being said, some social groups are showing the government their support.

A video that went viral recently shows a group of elderly women in military-style camouflage clothing on the streets of Huaihua city in Hunan province in central China scolding a shopkeeper for having Christmas decorations.

One of the women is shown reading a statement proclaiming Christmas as "the birthday of an old foreign man" (Jesus).

She also associates the festival with the Eight-Nation Alliance – a military coalition that was set up in response to China's Boxer Rebellion – suggesting those who celebrate Christmas are effectively condoning the past "slaughter" of their countrymen.

"Why should we celebrate his birthday as he never benefited the Chinese?" she asks in the video, which has taken flak even from the Chinese public.

One parishioner at a church in Hebei, who gave his name as Paul, told ucanews.com the state has been using Christmas to stir up love of the motherland.

"I heard some places are now allowing Christmas trees be placed there in the name of patriotism," he said.

A priest in northeastern China, who declined to give his name, said many underground churches had received notices to cancel their Christmas Mass, as well as related services and activities, or face the consequences.

He had not received any such warning but said he would have no choice but to obey one should it come.

Source: UCAN

Indonesian Church slams funeral cross desecration

Muslims force Catholic family to cut top off burial cross before allowing burial in public cemetery.

Jakarta:  Indonesian Church leaders have strongly condemned a requirement that resulted in the removal of the upper part of a burial cross for a dead Catholic before he could be buried in a public cemetery in Yogyakarta.

The stipulation was a result of protests against the cross from Muslims.

Semarang Archdiocese condemned the incident in a Dec. 19 statement, calling it "a violation of the constitution that contradicts the state's ideology of Pancasila" which respects diversity.

The case has gone viral on social media and sparked outrage among Catholics and rights activists.

The row centered around the burial of Albertus Slamet Sugihardi, a parishioner of St. Paul Church in Pringgolayan, Yogyakarta.

According to Semarang Archdiocese' Commission for Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation, the upper part of Sugihardi's burial cross was cut off before he was allowed to be buried on Dec. 17 because Muslim groups claimed the cemetery was a special one for Muslims.

Muslim groups claimed the cross cutting was carried out with the approval of the dead man's family.

However, the commission said Sugihardi's wife was forced to sign an approval letter drafted by local officials after the event took place in a bid to calm the storm that broke after the incident was reported on social media.

Agus Sumartoyo, head of the commission's investigative team said, "the duty of the apparatus is to protect those who are weak and not to pressure them so they budge to create pseudo harmony."

Agustinus Sunarto, a local activist, also accused local residents of preventing a wake being held at Sugihardi's home. Instead, prayers had to be said in the parish church.

Soleh Rahmad Hidayat, a local community leader, said the impromptu ban on Christian symbols was demanded by residents, who wanted to make the cemetery exclusive for Muslims.

Father Paulus Christian Siswantoko, executive secretary of the Bishops' Commission for the Laity called the affair another example of "growing and deepening religious intolerance" in Indonesia.

"The government needs to address the issue immediately, before it spirals out of control," he told ucanews.com

"All people must respect other religious symbols, such as the cross," he added.

Alissa Wahid, national coordinator of the Gusdurian Network, a freedom of religion group, said the incident demonstrated that majoritarianism was gaining strength in Indonesia.

In this case "the majority [Muslims] feel that they are the ones to determine everything and the minority must respect them," she said.

Interior Minister, Tjahjo Kumolo, has ordered the local authorities to immediately rectify matters.

Reaffirming faith in the fight against climate change

India, on its part, is on track to meet at least two of the three commitments it made in Paris.

New Delhi:  Conversations in India rarely revolve around the subject of climate change. The discussions around the topic are largely limited to the highest offices and international forums, while the countrys citizens remain mostly disassociated from it. And yet it is no secret that the country will be the worst affected in the world once the full-scale repercussions of the global crisis are realised.


The UN report by the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released earlier this year noted that a mere increase in global temperatures by 1.5°C will "disproportionately affect disadvantaged and vulnerable populations through food insecurity, higher food prices, incomes losses, lost livelihood opportunities, adverse health impact, and population displacements".

These sombre warnings show why India will be one of the most significantly-affected nations, given its huge population, inequality and poverty levels. The country's vast coastline also puts a large number of livelihoods at risk. Apart from rising sea levels, deadly heatwaves and catastrophic cyclones are also becoming more frequent, which are manifest evidence of climate change. With this background, the climate change negotiations that were recently concluded at Katowice in Poland should be enthusiastically welcomed.

The 24th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, or COP24, involved fortnight-long negotiations between 196 countries to finalise a rule book that had been under formulation since 2016 as a follow-up to the 2015 Paris Agreement. The countries were supposed to ensure that the rule book is finalised so that all provisions of the Paris Agreement become operational by the intended date of implementation, January 2021.

The successful achievement of a compromise among the countries, firstly, comes as a relief. Since the announcement by President Donald Trump in 2017 that the US would be withdrawing from the Paris Agreement, the very survival of the climate pact stood in jeopardy.

Under the Paris Agreement, global cooperation was required on three fronts: first, the nations had to set carbon-reduction targets for themselves; second, the countries were to be held accountable for meeting these targets; and finally, the rich states were meant to subsidise the transition of developing nations to a carbon-free future. But, most of it was feared to be difficult to achieve with the withdrawal of US.

In fact, over the last few years, rising right-wing nationalism upset the global solidarity that was crucial to avoid an inevitable catastrophe. The US renegading on the deal has encouraged others to behave along similar lines. Saudi Arabia, for instance, played a key role in attempting to ensure that the summit does not "welcome" the IPCC report. Last month, even Brazil chose a climate-change denier as its Foreign Minister and the nation pulled out of hosting COP25.

In the face of such dangerous manifestations, the outcome of COP24 seems promising. The rule book ensures that from 2020, the fight against climate change will be driven by actions rather than promises. The agreement defines the responsibilities of each of the 195 signatory states for tackling climate change, report progress and intensify their efforts in the future. The very act of reaching an agreement shows that even if multilateralism has been desecrated in the last few years, it is not yet dead.

The negotiators at the summit believed that the rule book is a robust tool to combat the worst effects of climate change. But the reality is not as promising. Against the Paris Agreement's long-term goal of limiting the increase in global average temperature to well below 2°C, the current pledges put the world on track for up to 4 degrees of warming.

It might disappoint many that COP24 could not urge governments to commit to more ambitious targets, especially after the findings of the IPCC report. All eyes will now be on the next deadline in 2020 when countries are expected to demonstrate that they have met their previous targets and set new tougher ones for themselves.

India, on its part, is on track to meet at least two of the three commitments it made in Paris. The intensity of the country's greenhouse gas emissions was to be reduced by 33-35 percent below 2005 levels by 2030. Second, 40 percent of its power capacity was to be based on non-fossil fuel sources. Third, India promised to create an additional ‘carbon sink' of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes through additional forest and tree cover by 2030. India is well on its way to achieve the first two targets.

It is heartening that most of the countries around the world are resolute in their commitment to the fight against climate change. Katowice has once again reaffirmed that belief. The world now has a solid road map for the actions it needs to take to carry on the fight. What is missing is strong leadership, the sense of unified urgency and scaled-up national ambitions. Hopefully, 2020 will change that. As Greta Thunberg, the 15-year-old Swedish activist said at COP24: "Until you start focussing on what needs to be done rather than what is politically possible, there is no hope."

(Amit Kapoor is chair, Institute for Competitiveness, India. The views expressed are personal. He can be contacted at amit.kapoor@competitiveness.in and tweets @kautiliya. Chirag Yadav, senior researcher, Institute for Competitiveness, India has contributed to the article)

IANS

Pope urges children of Catholic Action to be “channels” of goodness

Some 65 children and their formators belonging to Italy’s Azione Cattolica Ragazzi (ACR) organization met Pope Francis in the Vatican on the occasion of Christmas.

By Robin Gomes
Pope Francis on Thursday urged children members of Italy’s Catholic Action lay movement to be generous with their "channels" of goodness and welcome in building a “world that is more fraternal, more supportive, more Christian”.
Azione Cattolica Ragazzi (ACR), made up of youngsters between 4 and 14 years of age, is the children’s wing of Catholic Action of Italy (AC), a lay organization under the bishops founded in 1922 for the spiritual and moral renewal of society through the education and formation of young people.

Formation to mission

Addressing some 65 children and their formators ahead of Christmas, Pope Francis pointed out that the theme of their formation this year was the Gospel episode of the encounter between Jesus and the two sisters Martha and Mary of Bethany.
The Pope said that young people from Italian dioceses were rediscovering the call to be the friends of Jesus, to know Him better and better and meet Him every day in prayer, so as to be His missionaries.  He said it is a matter of transmitting the beautiful message of salvation to their peers and also to adults, that we are all loved by the Lord.  This, he stressed, is the true, great, good news that God gave to the world with the coming of his Son Jesus in our midst.

Charity

The Holy Father thanked and encouraged the group in their charity which this year focused on supporting the right to food and the dignity of those who till the land.
ACR also presented the Pope their gift of personal hygiene products for the many poor who are served by the Office of Papal Charities in the Vatican.  Appreciating their thoughtfulness, he said they were offering this joy to other children who experience situations of suffering and moments of difficulty, especially the lonely and perhaps also mistreated.  
“Be generous with all of you "channels" of goodness and welcome, to build a world that is more fraternal, more supportive and more Christian,” he urged. 

சாலையோர சிறாருடன் இந்திய ஆயர் பேரவை கிறிஸ்மஸ்

விசுவாசியின் இதயம், கிறிஸ்துவின் மீதுள்ள அன்பால் நிறைந்திருக்கும்போது, ஏழைகளோடு பகிர்ந்துகொள்ளும் முறை பற்றி அந்த இதயம் அறிந்திருக்கும் என்று, பெங்களூரு பேராயர் கூறியுள்ளார்

மேரி தெரேசா – வத்திக்கான் செய்திகள்
ஏழைகளின் குரலுக்குச் செவிமடுத்து, அவர்களின் துன்பங்களைப் பகிர்ந்துகொண்டு, அவற்றை அகற்றுவதற்கு நடவடிக்கை எடுப்பது, உடனடித் தேவையாக உள்ளது என்று, பெங்களூரு பேராயர் பீட்டர் மச்சாடோ அவர்கள் கூறியுள்ளார்.
பேராயர் மச்சாடோ அவர்கள் வெளியிட்டுள்ள கிறிஸ்மஸ் செய்தியில், ஏழைகள் மற்றும் சமுதாயத்தின் விளிம்புநிலையில் உள்ளவர்கள் மீது அன்பு காட்டப்படும்போது, அது, ஆண்டவரின் ஆசீர்வாதங்களைக் கொண்டுவரும் என்று கூறப்பட்டுள்ளது.
ஒரு விசுவாசியின் இதயம், கிறிஸ்துவின் மீதுள்ள அன்பால் நிறைந்திருக்கும்போது, இறைவனால் அன்புகூரப்பட்ட ஏழைகள் மீது அக்கறை செலுத்துவது பற்றி, அவர் அறிந்திருப்பார் என்றும், பேராயரின் செய்தி கூறுகின்றது.
கடந்த ஆகஸ்டில் வெள்ளத்தால் பாதிக்கப்பட்ட, Kodagu மாவட்டத்திற்கு, 14 கோடியே பத்து இலட்சம் டாலருக்கு அதிகமான நிதியைச் சேகரித்துள்ள, பல்வேறு நிறுவனங்கள் மற்றும் குழுக்களுக்கு நன்றியும் தெரிவித்துள்ளார், பேராயர் பீட்டர் மச்சாடோ. (Fides)
மேலும், புதுடெல்லியில், இந்திய கத்தோலிக்க ஆயர் பேரவையின் தலைமையகத்திற்கு, சாலையோரச் சிறாரை வரவழைத்து, அவர்களுடன் கிறிஸ்மஸ் விழாவைச் சிறப்பித்து, பரிசுப்பொருள்களையும் வழங்கியுள்ளனர், ஆயர் பேரவை அதிகாரிகள். (CBCI)

மகிழ்வாய் இருப்பதற்கு புனிதராய் வாழுங்கள்

வத்திக்கான் பணியாளர்கள் மற்றும் அவர்களின் குடும்பங்களுடன் கிறிஸ்மஸ் நல்வாழ்த்துக்களைப் பகிர்ந்துகொண்டார் திருத்தந்தை பிரான்சிஸ்

மேரி தெரேசா – வத்திக்கான் செய்திகள்
புனிதர்களாக இருங்கள், மகிழ்ச்சியாக இருங்கள், புனிதர்களாக வாழ்வதற்கு அஞ்ச வேண்டாம் என்று, திருத்தந்தை பிரான்சிஸ் அவர்கள், வத்திக்கானில் பணியாற்றும் அனைவரிடமும் கேட்டுக்கொண்டார்
வத்திக்கானில் பணியாற்றும் அனைவரையும், அவர்களின் குடும்பத்தினரையும், டிசம்பர் 21, இவ்வெள்ளிக்கிழமை நண்பகலில் சந்தித்து, அவர்களுடன் கிறிஸ்மஸ் நல்வாழ்த்துக்களைப் பகிர்ந்துகொண்டு உரையாற்றிய திருத்தந்தை பிரான்சிஸ் அவர்கள், மகிழ்வாய் இருப்பதற்கு புனிதராய் வாழுங்கள், இதுவே எனது கிறிஸ்மஸ் வாழ்த்து என்று கூறினார்.
கிறிஸ்மஸ் மகிழ்வின் விழா என்றும், பெத்லகேம் குழந்தையின் மகிழ்வால் தாக்கப்பட்ட அனுமதியுங்கள், இதுவே, புனிதத்துவப் பாதை என்று, இச்சந்திப்பில் கூறினார், திருத்தந்தை பிரான்சிஸ்.   .
கிறிஸ்மஸ் குடிலை நாம் பார்க்கும்போது, அதில் வைக்கப்பட்டுள்ள நம் அன்னை மரியா, புனித யோசேப்பு, இடையர்கள், வணிகர்கள், தொழிலாளர்கள், ரொட்டி சுடுபவர்கள் என, எல்லாரும், குழந்தை இயேசுவைப் பார்த்து மகிழ்ச்சியாக உள்ளனர் என்றுரைத்த திருத்தந்தை, ஆயிரம் கவலைகள் இருந்தாலும், அவர்கள், கடவுளிடமிருந்து இக்கொடையைப் பெற்றதால், மகிழ்ச்சியாக உள்ளனர் என்றார்.
இந்தக் குடிலில் உள்ளவர்கள், நாம் வேலை செய்யும் இடங்களையும், நம் வேலைகளையும் நினைத்துப் பார்க்க வைக்கின்றனர் என்றும், நம் பணியிடங்களுக்கு அருகிலும் புனிதம் விளங்குகின்றது எனவும், ஆறாவது ஆண்டாக திருத்தந்தை பணியாற்றும் நான், பல்வேறு புனிதர்களை இந்தப் பணியிடங்களில் பார்த்து வருகிறேன் எனவும் திருத்தந்தை கூறினார்.
இப்பணியாளர்கள் எப்போதும் மகிழ்வாக வாழ்வதற்குக் காரணம், தங்களின் மகிழ்வை மற்றவரோடு பகிர்வதற்குத் தெரிந்துள்ளதே என்றுரைத்த திருத்தந்தை பிரான்சிஸ் அவர்கள், புனிதராக, பயப்படாமல் வாழுங்கள் என்று ஊக்கப்படுத்தினார்.

திருத்தந்தை 16ம் பெனடிக்ட் அவர்களுக்கு கிறிஸ்மஸ் வாழ்த்து

கடந்த அக்டோபரில் திருத்தந்தை ஆறாம் பவுல், பேராயர் ஆஸ்கர் ரொமேரோ உட்பட ஏழு இறைஊழியர்கள், புனிதர்களாக அறிவிக்கப்படுவதற்கு முந்திய நாள் மாலையில் திருத்தந்தை 16ம் பெனடிக்ட் அவர்களைச் சந்தித்தார், திருத்தந்தை பிரான்சிஸ்

மேரி தெரேசா – வத்திக்கான் செய்திகள்
“அன்னை மரியிடம் நம்மை அர்ப்பணிப்போம், இதனால், குழந்தை இயேசுவுக்காக, நம் இதயங்களைத் தயாரிப்பதற்கு அவர் உதவுவார்” என்று, திருத்தந்தை பிரான்சிஸ் அவர்கள், இச்சனிக்கிழமையன்று தன் டுவிட்டரில், பதிவுசெய்துள்ளார்.
இயேசுவின் பிறப்பு பெருவிழாவைச் சிறப்பிக்கும் நாள் நெருங்கிவரும்வேளையில், இவ்விழாவுக்கு, ஆன்மீக வழியில், நம்மை சிறந்த விதமாகத் தயாரிப்பதற்கு அன்னை மரியின் உதவியை நாடுவோம் என, திருத்தந்தை பிரான்சிஸ் அவர்கள் கூறியுள்ளார்.
மேலும், டிசம்பர் 21, இவ்வெள்ளிக்கிழமை மாலை 6.15 மணியளவில், திருத்தந்தை பிரான்சிஸ் அவர்கள், முன்னாள் திருத்தந்தை 16ம் பெனடிக்ட் அவர்களைச் சந்தித்து, கிறிஸ்மஸ் நல்வாழ்த்துக்களைப் பகிர்ந்துகொண்டார்.
வத்திக்கானில், Mater Ecclesiae என்ற இல்லத்தில் தங்கியிருக்கும், முன்னாள் திருத்தந்தை 16ம் பெனடிக்ட் அவர்களை, இவ்வெள்ளி மாலையில் சந்தித்து, சிறிதுநேரம் உரையாடிக்கொண்டிருந்தார், திருத்தந்தை பிரான்சிஸ்.
திருத்தந்தை பிரான்சிஸ் அவர்கள், திருஅவையின் தலைமைப் பொறுப்பிற்குத் தேர்ந்தெடுக்கப்பட்டது முதல், கிறிஸ்மஸ் காலத்திலும், ஏனைய முக்கிய நாள்களிலும், திருத்தந்தை 16ம் பெனடிக்ட் அவர்களைச் சந்தித்து, கலந்துரையாடி வருகிறார்.
கடந்த ஜூனில் புதிய கர்தினால்கள் சிவப்பு தொப்பி, மோதிரம் ஆகியவற்றை பெற்ற நிகழ்வுக்குப் பின்னரும், 14 புதிய  கர்தினால்களுடன், திருத்தந்தை 16ம் பெனடிக்ட் அவர்களைச் சந்தித்துள்ளார், திருத்தந்தை பிரான்சிஸ்.

Why does the soul of India respond to Christmas?

It appeals because it provides reassurance of an intimacy between God and human beings.

File photo.

By Reverend Valson Thampu
New Delhi:  For about a decade, I ran something that I ventured to call the "Ministry to Parliamentarians". The annual highlight of its activities was a Christmas get-together. It used to evoke flatteringly good responses from lawmakers and ministers. Political personages of diverse hues used to react spontaneously to the spirit of Christmas.

On such occasions, I used to make the leaders talk about their views on Jesus Christ and their experiences of Christianity. The common refrain in their responses used to be, as the former president, Giani Zail Singh, said on one such occasion, Jesus is a challenging role-model for leaders, especially for parliamentarians.

Many of them emphasized the spirit of service that, thanks to Jesus Christ, the Christian community exemplified. Some of them even connected Jesus' servant-leader model to the caring culture of the Christian community

A. Rao, a sturdy scholar alike in English literature and Hinduism and my colleague in New Delhi's St. Stephen's College, used to wonder with me; "Among the founders of religions, it is Jesus who appeals to me most, though I can't tell why."

Swami Vivekananda maintains that the mystery of Jesus cannot be explained in terms of spiritual evolution. Millennia of evolution — each generation taking up from where its predecessor left off — cannot lead to the emergence of a Christ. It has to be a vertical inruption or breaking in of God into human destiny.

Karan Singh, an ardent follower of Indian evolutionist philosopher Sri Aurobindo, held the belief that Christ visited and lived in Kashmir, which is commemorated by the Rozabal Tomb. This is not the place for me to undertake a full-length account of this folklore. It suffices for our purpose to merely mention that the people of India experience a special affinity to Christ.

It is widely known that there are tens and thousands of crypto Christians — non-Christians who cherish their faith in Jesus Christ, without anyone ever trying to evangelize them.

It is farthest from my intent to argue the superiority or inferiority of religions and their founders. My business here is a simple and factual one: to flag the fact that Jesus has spoken, and continues to speak, to the soul of India. What could be the reason for it?

The answer is writ large over the Christmas Event. Its most significant feature is the conspicuous absence of everything explicitly religious and ritualistic.

The Christmas Event is situated in the barest ingredients of life. A newborn baby. A woman in pain. A man in bewilderment. An inn, shut tight against human need. A cattle-shed. Shepherds. A star in the sky. Three wise men, come from a distance. Some angels singing, of all people, to shepherds!

Why poetry, not prose, should be the medium of this communication is a mystery. But poetry, as Blaise Pascal said, antedates prose. Poetry is the medium of humankind's infancy.

At the heart of Christmas is a universal insight. What human beings need is not religion, but God. Religion gets overrun by rituals, traditions and customs. It becomes progressively blind to the human predicament. God's core concern is for the individual.

Jesus is God revealed as person-specific love. As the Bible says, "God knows you by your name." Not only that. "He has seen you from your mother's womb". He invites you to abide in him; and he wishes to abide in you. Christmas inaugurates a reassuring state of intimacy between God and human beings.

This intimacy between God and human beings, inaugurated through the birth of Jesus, has several implications, of which we can consider only a few. It supersedes religious, cultural and social stereotypes. Stereotypes are convenient crutches: they help and hinder at the same time.

They help within the confines of the status quo; hinder progressing to the not-yet. The Bible reveals God as a continual exhortation to perfection and fullness of life. Freedom is the matrix for attaining this transformed life. The thirst for the new is universal.

In the secular context, this is experienced as a longing for change. Change is a shift from the given, but often stops short of the new. Alienated from God, human beings are condemned to the plight of Sisyphus — strenuous efforts continually falling short. This is similar to our plight in electoral politics. Our freedom of choice is limited to voting out parties. Change in government does not amount to change in governance. The new is desperately like the old.

Secondly, God-human intimacy redeems the interpersonal space. There is a good reason why Jesus was born in a cattle shed and not in a palace. Jesus represents the counter-paradigm predicated on the greatness of serving, rather than in being served. The chasm that no political philosophy or model of government known hitherto has been able to bridge lies between serving and being served.

The political good news in the Christmas Event is that good governance is indeed possible. But, for that to become real, rulers have to be servants, not just in words, but in spirit and in truth. For rulers to be servants, they have to be ruled by God, the God of love. In Christmas, God as love takes on the form of a servant.

The universality of Christmas, which speaks to the Indian soul, stems from what is missing from the jigsaw puzzle of life. The global famine is the famine of love. Love is in exile because its rival, paradigm power, has usurped it. The Christmas Event is an implicit rejection of power as the shaping principle of life.

In Christmas, God becomes a neighbor to humankind. Not as an abstract idea but in flesh and blood. Of all blessings in this world, the rarest is a loving, enduring neighbor. An African proverb has it that a neighbor is more precious than a blood-brother at a distance.

Our world teems with strangers. Every effort is being made to infect us with stranger-anxiety in the name of nationality. It is no small matter that a stranger is suddenly revealed to be a neighbor! It signals the sunrise of godliness.

The proof that God is in our midst is not that there are imposing temples and churches, but that strangers are transformed into neighbors; and neighbors into sisters and brothers. Christmas is, therefore, a festival of the neighbor — a sort of godly Diwali or festival of lights, in which we light up life as neighbors to each other.

Reverend Valson Thampu belongs to the Protestant Church of South India. He was English professor and principal of New Delhi's St. Stephen's College.

Source: UCAN

Papuan father seeks justice for slain son

In the restive Indonesian province military personnel opened fire on protesters four years ago.

Yones Douw (left) and Obed Gobay (right) speak to journalists after a public discussion on the shootings that occurred on Dec. 8, 2014 in Paniai district, Papua province. (Photo by Katharina R. Lestari/ucanews.com)

Jakarta:  Obed Gobay, a 50-year-old Papuan from the Mee ethnic group, couldn't stop tears falling as he spoke of his son who was killed four years ago.

In 2014, on Dec. 8, Apius Gobay died when Indonesian police and military personnel opened fire on several hundred protesters gathered in Enarotali, the capital of Paniai district in the interior of Indonesia's remote Papua province.

He was among four Christian students killed in the incident, which also left at least 17 people injured.

The crowd had assembled in an open area in front of police and military posts to protest against military personnel the previous night beating teenagers from a village called Ipakije.

"I was at home at that time as my left arm got broken when I was gardening," Gobay told ucanews.com.

"A neighbor came to my house and told me that my son was killed.

"I was shocked, but I could do nothing because of my condition."

His son Apius, 18, was a student at a state-run senior high school in the town. He was on his way home from school when the incident took place at around 10 a.m.

"I could only pray to God that my son's body could be buried at the site where he died according to our tradition," Gobay said.

"And God answered my prayers even though local authorities initially asked me to bury his body in a public cemetery uphill."

Gobay, who is a farmer and member of the Tabernacle Bible Church, or Kingmi Church, is now fighting for justice.

He raised the case with various rights' activists and the then chairman of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid bin Ra'ad al-Hussein.

There were conflicting reports about what happened.

Police said the students died when protesters attacked the police and military posts, and it was not clear who fired the shots.

Prior to the shootings, the local general election commission building in the mountainous district caught fire and a roadblock was set up by police, angering local residents.

It was believed that tensions started to build when teenagers confronted the driver of a vehicle about headlights. The driver, who was from a local military unit, returned later with others and allegedly beat the teenagers.

Investigations over the shootings were conducted by members of the National Police and the Indonesian military who said they had been unable to have the bodies identified.

According to Amnesty International-Indonesia, two policemen were detained for 21 days and given an administrative sanction for violating proper procedures when dealing with the crowd.

"This is nonsense to families of the dead victims," said Papang Hidayat, a researcher at the rights' group.

"Some people were also injured in the shootings. Police could conduct ballistic tests on firearms if they wanted to," he said.

In January 2015, the National Commission on Human Rights formed a team to undertake an initial investigation into the shootings and reported four months later. It found evidence of gross human rights violations and called for a more detailed probe.

Yet, investigations stalled due to a lack of funds. Also, there was an unwillingness by families of the victims to allow the team to conduct exhumations because they doubted that the investigation would be conclusive.

"That's why we haven't made conclusions yet," Amiruddin al-Rahab from the commission said, adding that the institution had been looking into the case anew since January.

Gobay is not alone in his fight for justice. He has received support from his church and the local Catholic church as well.

According to Yones Douw, head of the Kingmi Church's Justice and Peace Department, letters had been sent every year to the government to urge that investigations be finalized.

Recently, he accompanied Gobay to a meeting with rights' activists at the Amnesty International-Indonesia office in Jakarta.

"We came here to seek justice," Douw said, recalling that the government had offered four billion rupiah (now about US$275.862) compensation to each family of those killed.

But for Gobay, his son's life cannot be replaced with money. A fair and transparent investigation is what he longs for.

"If the government cannot resolve the case, let the United Nations deal with it," he said, believing that the truth will someday be revealed.

Source: UCAN

Duterte threatens to put tribal people in hamlets

'Hamletting' was among the human rights violations committed by the former Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos.

President Rodrigo Duterte announces that he would place tribal communities in hamlets during a speech before village leaders in Mindanao on Dec. 18. (Photo courtesy of the Presidential Communications Office)

Manila:  Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has warned that he will place tribal people in "hamlets" to keep them from being influenced by communist rebels.

In a speech on Dec. 18, the president said he would implement the policy before the year's end "so that [his critics] won't invent stories."

"I will hamlet them. Why? Because if they remain scattered, they are really in danger," said Duterte during a summit of village leaders in the southern region of Mindanao.

"I cannot get their loyalty if they are scattered because they are afraid to be far from each other," said the president.

He said the hamlets would be declared tribal territories that will be guarded by the tribal people themselves, although soldiers and policemen would be asked to secure the areas.

The president said the plan would be implemented "throughout the Philippines."

Duterte's plan is reminiscent of the United States' Strategic Hamlet Program during the Vietnam War that aimed at combatting the communists' influence over the rural population.

In the Philippines "hamletting" was among the human rights violations committed by former dictator Ferdinand Marcos in the 1970s.

Hamletting involves putting villagers in one place in an attempt to prevent them from having contact with insurgents.

Duterte earlier announced that he would move tribal communities to "temporary shelters" as part of his counterinsurgency plan in Mindanao.

"Now I will hamlet them," he said on Dec. 16.

"You natives won't be able to say that you're being imprisoned. But I will make a secure place for you that will be your territory in the meantime," he added.

Pya Macliing Malayao, secretary-general of tribal group Katribu, said she was not surprised by Duterte's announcement, especially after martial law in Mindanao was extended for another year.

"In the background of these attacks [on tribal communities] are big corporations and so-called development projects that are encroaching ancestral territories," said Malayao.

Duterte said in his speech that communists have always tried to control the tribes and arm them, which is why reviving the peace negotiations with the rebels would be "futile."

Peace talks between the government and the communist rebels collapsed in 2017 after Duterte ordered the terminations of negotiations following rebel attacks on military camps.

Source: UCAN

New Hanoi archbishop installed

Now Archbishop Joseph Vu Van Thien will have to grapple with heated disputes over confiscated church land and properties.

New Archbishop Joseph Vu Van Thien of Hanoi celebrates his installation at St. Joseph Cathedral on Dec. 18. (Photo courtesy of Hanoi Archdiocese)

Hanoi:  A new archbishop of Hanoi, Vietnam's capital, has been installed amid heated disputes with the government over former church properties.

Archbishop Joseph Vu Van Thien, 58, was Dec. 18 installed as the sixth archbishop of Hanoi at St. Joseph's Cathedral.

Present at the special Mass were Archbishop Marek Zalewski, non-resident representative of the Vatican to Vietnam, and Monsignor Antoine Camilleri, under-secretary for the Holy See's Relations with States.

Monsignor Camilleri travelled to Vietnam on an official visit for talks with the government on relations between the Vatican and Vietnam.

Cardinal Peter Nguyen Van Nhon, former archbishop of Hanoi, Archbishop Joseph Nguyen Chi Linh, president of Catholic Bishops' Conference of Vietnam, other bishops and thousands of priests, Religious and lay Catholics also attended the ceremony.

"I am really happy to be welcomed warmly by all of you," Archbishop Thien told a gathering in the capital before the Mass.

"I feel moved at your love for me today."

He stressed that church leaders must serve people according to Jesus' spirit of service.

"I come here as a servant sent to receive the archdiocese like my family," he said.

"I need your prayers, solidarity and support for my new mission."

Archbishop Thien added that he would fail in his mission if he did not have cooperation from all of God's people.

"Please pray for me to have graces of sagacity, bravery and strength to recognize God's will and meet expectations of the lambs," he said.

Some Catholics told ucanews.com that Archbishop Thien is expected to try to help solve ongoing disputes between the archdiocese and the government over former church properties that were confiscated.

They said Archbishop Thien gained practical experienced on how to deal with issues involving former church properties and facilities while serving for 16 years in the diocese in the port city of Hai Phong.

There he took back possession of Hai D??ng Martyrs Shrine, a former house for retired clergy, and the Ba Dong minor seminary building.

The now archbishop of Hanoi also ordained some 70 priests, opened 40 new parishes, re-established Catholic associations and promoted charitable activities.

Thirteen priests from Hanoi Dec. 7 had a formal dialogue regarding government construction at an old church school with officials from the People's Committee of Hoan Kiem District. The priests said the district had violated the church's rightful land ownership and ignored an urgent petition against the building project submitted last month.

Source: UCAN

Vatican mission oversees Chinese underground bishops stepping aside

Underground bishops told to cede their positions to state-approved clerics.

Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli (center) with Bishop Guo Xijin (left) and Bishop Zhan Silu of Mindong Diocese (right) at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on Dec. 10. (Photo supplied)

Hong Kong:  A Vatican delegation has travelled to China to oversee the placement of formerly illicit bishops into dioceses that had been run by underground bishops.

The arrangements were made between a Vatican delegation led by Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli and seven former illicit bishops from the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association and two underground bishops from Mindong and Shantou dioceses of eastern China respectively at a Beijing meeting on Dec. 10.

Bishop Zhan Silu told ucanews.com that he and six other former illicit bishops would become bishops of their respective dioceses.

According to China's state-run Global Times on Dec. 14, Bishop Guo Xijin of the underground church community of Mindong, in Fujian province, promised to take up a post as an auxiliary bishop. He would stand aside for Bishop Zhan who will become the diocesan bishop.

The underground and government-sanctioned churches in Mindong would merge following the handover, Bishop Zhan was quoted as saying in the news report.

Asked how well the underground church would accept the change, Bishop Guo replied, "There is nothing to worry about, as this is the will of God."

However, he had not yet been informed about how and when the handover would happen, and whether he would be issued a 'bishop's license' by the Chinese government, according to the report.

Bishop Guo said in the interview, "My main duty now is still pastoral work, but I will discuss with Bishop Zhan about the management of the diocese."

A Mindong priest named 'Father Cha' posted an item on his WeChat social media account saying that Bishop Guo called a meeting with the Presbyterial Council (or Council of Priests) on the night he returned from Beijing.

The post said that, in a letter signed by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican's secretary of state, and Cardinal Fernando Filoni, the prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, the Holy See expressed its appreciation regarding Bishop Guo.

The Holy See also urged Bishop Guo to continue his pastoral work to priests, sisters, consecrated people and lay people who originally belonged to the Mindong underground church, and well-maintained communion with the newly appointed Bishop Zhan.

Archbishop Celli said underground Bishop Peter Zhuang Jianjian of Shantou would step down for Bishop Joseph Huang Bingzhang who like was previously excommunicated but was recognized by the Vatican after the provisional agreement on the appointment of bishops was reached with Beijing in September.

However, Bishop Zhuang stated when contacted by phone, without elaboration: "I have not retired."

Bishop Zhuang told ucanews.com on Dec. 17, he previously visited Beijing and that Archbishop Celli asked him to retire, but he had not replied.

A source from Shantou, who wanted to be anonymous, told ucanews.com the Chinese government had asked the underground bishops to be "obedient" in relation to official directives.

Source: UCAN

Bulandshahr violence: Ex-bureaucrats slam Yogi, Modi

The police have registered a case against 88 persons, of whom 25 have been named.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. (File Photo: IANS)

New Delhi:  A group of former bureaucrats came down heavily on the Uttar Pradesh BJP regime and Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Bulandshahr mob violence saying "politics of hate has taken the most dangerous turn" even as Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday said his government should be "thanked" for defeating a "political conspiracy" to spread anarchy through communal violence in the state.

Questioning Modi's "stony silence" over the December 3 mob violence in which a police officer was killed, the former bureaucrats and diplomats, in an open letter, said the Bulandshahr incident showed the "perverted" fundamental principles of governance and constitutional ethics of the Yogi government under which, "hooliganism and thuggery have been mainstreamed into governance".

The letter signed by 83 former civil servants including former Foreign Secretaries Shiv Shankar Menon, Shayam Saran and Sujata Singh and former Ambassador and DGP Julio Ribeiro, called for the resignation of Adityanath and urged the Allahabad High Court to initiate a judicial enquiry taking suo-motu cognisance of the violence and the "cold blooded murder" of Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh.

"The Bulandshahr mob violence instigated and engineered with malicious intent, marks the most dangerous turn yet in the direction taken by the politics of hate in recent times.

"It shows that in India's most populous state, fundamental principles of governance, of constitutional ethics and of humane social conduct stand perverted. The Chief Minister of the state acts as high priest of the agenda of bigotry and majoritarian supremacy -- an agenda which now seems to take precedence over everything else," they said.

Under Adityanath, hooliganism and thuggery have been mainstreamed into governance, not just to intimidate minorities but to teach a lesson to anyone, including police personnel and others in the administration, who dared to be even-handed in their approach to minority communities, they said.

"The pace of erosion has been frightening and with each slip, we seem to sink further into a lawless abyss.

"This was a deliberate attempt to display majoritarian muscle and send a message to Muslim communities living in the region that they have to live in fear, accept their subordinate status and conform to the cultural diktats of the majority community," the letter said adding that there was no doubt as to who the political elements were, that aided and abetted the violence.

"The Chief Minister refuses to acknowledge the gravity of the incident and its communal intent, condemn the perpetrators of violence or direct the police to take action against them, instead asks them to focus attention on those responsible for illegal cow slaughter.

"He (Adityanath) may try to mislead by calling it an accident, this was murder with an intent", they said alleging that the slain police officer was an "impediment" to the communal plans of local BJP and Sangh Parivar elements and "had to go".

Turning their attention to Modi, the former civil servants said: "Our Prime Minister, who is so voluble in his election campaigns and who never tires of telling us how the Constitution of India is the only holy book he worships, maintains a stony silence even as he sees a Chief Minister handpicked by him treat the same Constitution with sheer contempt.

"It is evident that for the Sangh Parivar, constitutional morality is of no value, and is necessarily subordinate to the ideals of majoritarian supremacy," they said asserting that never before in recent history had the politics of hate, division and exclusion been so dominant and the poisonous ideology, which had penetrated deep into the body politic.

"This is a crucial moment and we can't take it lying down anymore," they said calling for a crusade against the politics of hate and division -- "a politics which aims to destroy the fundamental principles on which our republic is founded."

Facing heat for focusing more on cow slaughter than the killing of the police officer, an unfazed Adityanath hit out at his detractors claiming the Bulandshahr violence, was a "political conspiracy" hatched by those who have lost political ground.

"The state government has uncovered a big conspiracy. Those who wanted to spread anarchy and lawlessness through cow slaughter, their motive has been defeated.

"Those who are making these comments are trying to hide their failure. They should thank and praise the government for preventing a big conspiracy to spread communal tension in the state," Adityanath told the media in Lucknow.

IANS

Church leaders seek justice for slain Indian journalist

Sister said he paid with his life for exposing corruption and abuses of tribal people.

Indian journalist Amit Topno was found murdered on Dec. 9 in eastern Jharkhand state. (Photo courtesy of family)

Bhopal:  Catholic and other church leaders have joined journalists and rights' groups in demanding a detailed investigation into the murder of an investigative reporter – a tribal Christian – in India's eastern Jharkhand state.

The body of Amit Topno, who extensively covered a local tribal resistance movement, was found under a bridge near the state's capital, Ranchi, Dec. 9.

An autopsy found that he had been shot through the head, media reports stated.

Investigating officer Ramesh Kumar Singh called it a murder. But police had not arrested anyone as of Dec. 19.

"We want a free and fair investigation into his murder," said Father Davis Solomon, a Jesuit social worker based in Ranchi.

"He was particularly active in digging out corruption in villages of the state where his work was focused."

Topno, a member of the Gossner Evangelical Lutheran Church, provided exclusive television coverage of tribal oppression through his freelance video journalism, the priest said.

The 35-year-old was part of a video volunteer group called India Unheard. His video reports dealt with bribery, illegal mining and the unjust denial of government benefits to tribal people, according to his colleagues.

"He exposed several hidden stories," one colleague from India Unheard, told ucanews.com.

"He was a brilliant journalist who always stood for public causes despite having meagre means for his sustenance."

India is one of the world's deadliest countries for journalists, according to Reporters Without Borders, which ranked India 138th out of 180 nations in its 2018 press freedom index. North Korea was 180.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a volunteer group, says 48 journalists have been killed in India since 1992, when the group began keeping records. At least 33 of them were murder targets while others were killed in crossfire or on dangerous assignments, media reports said quoting CPJ records.

Topno is the seventh journalist to be killed in India this year.

Activists and colleagues say the state administration, which the pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party ran until Dec. 11, was upset with Topno covering police attempts to suppress a tribal movement for autonomy.

The movement, quoting constitutional provisions, demarcated their land with stones. They claimed their freedom by rejecting the authority of the state.

Father Solomon and some other Christian leaders were among more than 100 people, mostly journalists and social activists, who joined a procession by candle light Dec. 14 in Ranchi demanding justice for Topno.

Political activist Sushanto Mukherjee said there are plans by people concerned over Topno's case to meet the senior superintendent of police to discuss the murder.

"Given the issues Topno covered in his journalism, the case is serious and we want that probe to be carried out under the supervision of a retired judge," Mukherjee said.

Topno's younger sister, Aten Topno, told ucanews.com that her brother was a "man immersed in helping others" – so much so that he refused to marry in order to dedicate himself to village and tribal people.

He used to video record irregularities regarding government work projects and directly went to higher authorities seeking action.

This earned him many powerful enemies and ultimately he paid for his journalism with his life, Aten said.

Source: UCAN

Indian Christians seek Christmas protection

Past seasonal attacks cited as justifying deployment of police at Christian churches and institutions.

File photo.

Bhopal:  Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh has been asked to ensure police protection for Christians in the lead-up to Christmas amid fears of attacks by hard-line Hindu militants.

The ecumenical Christian group Persecution Relief has sent a letter to Singh making the request and backing it up with a list of violent incidents during past Christmas periods.

"There is high tension, unrest and a sense of deep insecurity among the Christian minority community during this season," stated the Dec. 14 letter requesting the deployment of police personnel at Christian churches and institutions across India.

"There have been many occasions where churches, Christian institutions and Christian homes were attacked by anti-Christian, right-wing religious fanatics."

Notwithstanding Singh's office issuing an advisory to all states to ensure law and order during Christmas celebrations, more specific action was needed, the letter argued.

Most past cases of violence in northern states went unreported because victims were afraid to go to the police as they often turned a blind eye to attacks and refused to record complaints.

Many northern states governments controlled by Singh's pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) stand accused of supporting extremist Hindus.

Persecution Relief founder Shibu Thomas, who attached a list of 10 attacks during the Christmas seasons of 2017 and 2018 as an appendix his letter, told ucanews.com that Christians in India have been going through a very difficult period.

The persecution of Christians, who comprise just 2.3 per cent of India's 1.3 billion population, increased after the BJP came to power federally in May 2014.

"At least 150 Christian pastors have been jailed since January this year across India, an all-time high," Thomas said.

Most pastors were jailed on charges of breaking laws against conversion now in force in seven states.

The laws make conversions through allurement, force or coercion an offence punishable by imprisonment.

"We are living in a dangerous situation," commented Catholic Archbishop Leo Cornelio of Bhopal.

"Christians are attacked and sent to jail for alleged conversions. Muslims are targeted for terrorism."

The senior archbishop said that attacks against Christians are a part of a well-orchestrated strategy to defame the Christian community as law breakers.

"It takes a hell of a lot of time to settle a court case because of huge delays in Indian court systems, and by then, when they get cleared, the damage is done," Archbishop Cornelio said.

Christian leaders such as Thomas maintain that administrations of BJP-ruled states have in recent years supported fanatics.

"We had never previously seen such a situation where police personnel, accompanied by Hindu fanatics, enter Christian churches and homes to arrest pastors," said Thomas.

Father Maria Stephen, public relations officer of the Catholic Church in Madhya Pradesh, of central India, asks; "Unless we feel safe, how can we celebrate Christmas or any other functions in our families and churches?"

He said the national government should provide security to Christians in order to give them confidence to join Christmas events.

Records presented in the federal parliament early this year showed increased sectarian violence during the past two years.

In 2017, 111 people were killed and at least 2,384 injured in 822 communal clashes across the country.

In 2016, 86 people were killed and 2,321 injured in 703 incidents. In 2015, there were 751 incidents recorded involving violent acts against Christians.

Source: UCAN

Mumbai court refuses to quash sedition case against Jesuit

Authorities have sought to link Father Stanislaus Lourdusamy to January clashes between poor Dalits and upper-class Hindus.

File photo.

Bhopal:  The top court in India's Maharashtra state has refused to quash a case against an 82-year-old Jesuit rights' activist priest accused of aiding a banned Maoist movement.

The Bombay High Court rejected the application of Father Stanislaus Lourdusamy to quash the case, with the bid to have charges dropped based on a contention that he continues to be only a suspect until investigations are complete, church officials said quoting court documents they received Dec. 17.

Charges against the priest, including sedition, were filed under stringent laws covering the prevention of so-called 'anti-national activities'.

In August this year, Maharashtra state police raided homes of nine human rights activists, including that of the priest, linking them with a January 2018 violent clash between socially poor Dalits formerly known as 'untouchables' and upper caste Hindus in the state's Bhima Koregaon village.

Police suspect the incident, which killed one person and injured at least 30 policemen, was aided by Maoists involved in subversive activities.

Police also linked the nine rights workers with a public meeting, held in the state's Pune city Dec. 31, 2017, before violent clashes occurred.

Five of them were put under house arrest. The other four, including the priest, have not yet been arrested.

Police have said they are also investigating whether there was involvement by the rights workers in a plot to kill Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Father Lourdusamy, popularly known as Stan Swamy, lives and works in Jharkhand state and has not visited Maharashtra state for years, said colleague and fellow Jesuit Father Davis Solomon.

"It is unfortunate that he is suspected in this case," Father Solomon told ucanews.com.





Lawyer Mihir Desai, appearing for Father Lourdusamy, urged the court to quash the case against him considering his advanced age and that he was better described as a suspect than as an accused person, media reports said.

Government pleader Aruna Kamat Pai, appearing for the police, confirmed that the investigation had not yet been completed.

Father Lourdusamy has been convener of an organization called Persecuted Prisoners Solidarity Committee and prisoners in Jharkhand include arrested Maoists.

In September, he described the case against him as "a complete concoction and absolute falsehood."

The priest has sought to create awareness among tribal and Dalit people on their rights over their land and underground minerals.

"I fear that these activities of mine have angered powerful interests within the government," he said.

The priest complained that as well as having a case of sedition foistered on him, authorities were were now trying to link him to banned organizations.

Source: UCAN