Mangalore Catholic youth urged to vote

Bishop Peter Paul Saldanha of Mangalore said that a circular has been sent to all churches asking Catholics to vote without fail.

(Photo: IANS)

Mangalore:  The Diocese of Mangalore has launched movement to get more young Catholics involved in elections within and outside the community.

As part of the ‘Year of Youth-2019,’ the parishes under the diocese has been inviting youngsters to be part of the poll process, who have so far been aloof from the important process of elections, the Times of India reported.

According to church leaders, the youth have been roped in at a time when the Vatican celebrates, ‘Year of Youth-2019’.

The parishes also have been holding meetings at the church and ward levels to convince its parishioners to come in large number to exercise their franchise on the day of voting.

Since thousands Christians reside abroad, and many who reside here don’t turn up to vote, the percentage of Christian vote has been ss than other communities.
“As a result, we decided to give youngsters the opportunity to create awareness on voting as a part of the ‘Year of Youth-2019’ initiative,” a church leader said.

“They have also been given the task to create awareness among members of the community to exercise their franchise without fail,” said the priest on condition of anonymity.

Bishop Peter Paul Saldanha of Mangalore said that a circular has been sent to all churches asking members of the community to vote without fail.

He has asked people to vote for those candidates who protect democracy and secularism.

“Apart from youth and the Catholic Sabha, a group of laity also have been involved in creating awareness on elections and voting,” Bishop Saldanha said.

A youth said they have been actively involved in encouraging community members to vote, and to help them get voter ID cards.

“As youth, we feel proud to work as volunteers and create awareness among the community as well as those from outside the community on elections and the importance of voting. Our aim is to ensure that a maximum number of people vote,” said a youth.

Source: Times of India

Jharkhand Christians see conspiracy in election move

Petition in Jharkhand seeks to ban tribal people who have converted to Christianity and Islam from contesting tribal seats.

(Photo: IANS)

Bhopal:  Tribal people who have converted to Christianity and Islam should not contest India’s general election in seats earmarked for tribal candidates, according to a traditional tribal group.

Central Sarna Samiti, an organization of non-Christian tribal people based in Jharkhand state, petitioned state authorities on March 31 as campaigns continue for the April-May polls.

It called on the Election Commission of India to ban Christians and Muslims from contesting seats reserved for tribal people, arguing that those who convert have abandoned tribal culture and ethos.

However, Christian leaders say the demand aims to keep Christian and Muslim tribal people away from the political mainstream to satisfy groups pressing to make India a Hindu-only nation.

“This is yet another conspiracy of pro-Hindu groups to divide the tribal community and it will have a nationwide impact,” said Prabhakar Tirkey, president of ecumenical Christian forum Rashtriya Isai Mahasangh.

He noted that the demand is only to keep away tribal people who have converted to Christianity and Islam but not to Hinduism. “That shows who is behind it and the hatred they have for non-Hindu people,” he said.

Of the 543 elected seats in parliament, 47 are reserved for candidates from tribal communities and 84 reserved for those from socially poor scheduled castes. The reservations aim to ensure their representation in making laws.

Tirkey said that if the federal body approves the petition for Jharkhand, it will be applicable across all seats reserved for tribal people.

Archbishop Leo Cornelio of Bhopal said the move to discriminate against people on the basis of religion goes against the spirit of secularism.

“They always kick up such controversial issues ahead of the elections to parliament or state assemblies to garner votes,” he told ucanews.com

The archbishop said it is “part of the agenda” of nationalist Hindu group Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the engine room of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) that runs the governments in New Delhi and Jharkhand.

“The Hindu outfit opposes Christians because they influence people with their good work in the fields of education, health care and other social developmental work,” he said.

Hindu groups are opposed to Christians because of their work to “educate and strengthen tribal and Dalit people to stand up and assert their rights,” Archbishop Cornelio said. Education will also keep people away people from fanatical ideas, he added.

Christians comprise just 2.3 percent of India’s population of 1.3 billion and are politically insignificant as they are spread across the country.

Archbishop Cornelio said the plan to keep Christian and Muslim tribal people away from the political fray will not succeed as “many intellectual Hindus and other secular-minded people are now openly exposing their agenda through talks, write-ups and other means.”

Jesuit social worker Father Davis Solomon believes the petition is part of a long-term agenda to weaken minorities, especially Christians and Muslims.

The BJP is opposed to giving any benefits to tribal and Dalit people joining Christianity and Islam, primarily to discourage conversion.

“But they are silent about those becoming Hindus. They also want all tribal people, who follow the traditional Sarna religion, to be recognized as Hindus,” Father Solomon told ucanews.com.

Auxiliary Bishop Telesphore Bilung of Ranchi told ucanews.com that “the Sarna Samiti is sponsored by the BJP to split the tribal people ahead of the polling.”

He said the demand will not have much impact on the election. “There won’t be many takers for such divisive demands,” he said.

The prelate, himself a tribal, said it was only a “tactic to divide people on religious lines. They have employed such methods before but were not successful.”

Source: UCAN

Case against Cardinal Alencherry registered in Kerala

According to the complainant land worth about Rs. 275 million was sold, but only about Rs. 135 million was realised.

A court in Kochi registered a case against cardinal George Alencherry and three others on Tuesday in an alleged land scam in the sale of some lands of his Ernakulam-Angamali archdiocese.

The case was registered by the Thrikkakara magistrate court, which, prima facie, found misappropriation of funds in the land deal of the church, Gulf News reported.

Three others — priests Joshy Puthuva and Sebastian Vadakkumpadam, and middleman for the land deal, Saju Varghese — have also been named in the case. The accused have been sent notices by the court.

It was on a petition by one Shine Varghese that the case was registered. The complainant pointed out that there were alleged cheating and financial loss to the church in the sale of church land measuring about three acres.

When police refused to accept his complaint, the complainant approached the court which registered the case.

According to the complainant, land worth about Rs. 275 million was sold, but only about Rs135 million was realised. He accused that the accused conspired and cheated, thereby causing significant financial loss to the church.


Source: Gulf News

Foster the empowerment of women and children

Everyone should be advocates by inviting abuse victims to tell their story and help them.

Manila:  There is a rising tide of "people power" in the world today, and it is female power. Women are standing up and speaking out as never before and more people are sitting up and listening to what they have to say. Their message is basic, straightforward and its most important words are: freedom from abuse, equality, justice, education.

Across the world, the #MeToo movement is empowering women and girls to stand up and challenge those who have harassed, abused or exploited them. Women themselves are challenging the historical oppression they endured for so long in submissive docility. They are now speaking out, holding their abusers, mostly men, to account and finding the courage to call them out and bring them to justice.

It takes bravery, too, to shake of the shackles of slavery and walk free. We are in a new age but the real struggle for the rights and equality of women and children lies ahead.

Jenny, a 14-year old girl from a slum in Manila, had very little in this world. The poor are the most vulnerable. She was not well loved at home, feared her strict father and joined a street gang.

The gang introduced Jenny to Juan Gonzales. He appeared to befriend her, gave her money, a cellphone, new clothes and took her to restaurants. He was grooming her and one day he took her to a hotel room and sexually violated her. He warned her not to tell anyone and gave her money. She was confused, shocked and felt guilt and obligated because he paid her.

The abuse went on for many months and Jenny was scared and submissive and wanted to end it and had nowhere to turn. One day in a school seminar, she heard about the rights of girls to be free and self-reliant and how to report any physical or sexual abuse. She sent a text message. "I want to be free, help me."

Jenny contacted the Preda Foundation charity that helps sexually exploited women and girls. Soon she was in care and protected from the threats of Gonzales.

Jenny had emotional release therapy for weeks. She poured out her anger and hatred of Gonzales. In time, she grew in self-confidence, was empowered and determined to file a criminal complaint against him.

A few weeks ago, the court decision was promulgated. He was found guilty beyond reasonable doubt and sentenced to life in prison. Justice was done and many more children will be saved from his abuse.

It was made possible by a public awareness and advocacy campaign for the rights of women and children. We all should be advocates inviting victims to tell their story, listening, believing and helping them.

There are many thousands of similar cases like that of Jenny and they can be helped if they are believed, encouraged and supported when they want healing and justice.

While many women and girls are fighting back against violence and sexual abuse, many more are unable to. It is estimated that 35 percent of women and girls worldwide have suffered sexual or physical violence from a male. In some countries, research puts that figure at 70 percent. It causes misery, depression and powerlessness.

Where does it all begin if not in the home? It is a vicious circle of violence begetting violence. Male children who witnessed their mother being beaten by their father, and who themselves experienced violence, were found to be likely to perpetuate violence against women in their adult life.

It is what children experience, see and hear from their parents that has the most profound influence on them in later life.

On March 6, at least 20 minors aged between 14 and 17 were admitted into the Preda home for abused and trafficked girls. They had been rescued from a sex hotel and resort where foreigners of all nationalities were supplied with trafficked children for their sexual gratification. Many of the girls had suffered sexual violence. They are now recovering and following the example of Jenny.

Think about this: It is reliably estimated that 71 percent of trafficking victims worldwide are women and girls. Out of every four children trafficked three are girls, the majority of whom are trafficked for sexual exploitation.

Statistics tell the truth. When we look at the extent of abuse worldwide, we see a horrific reality.

It was established in 2018 that about 15 million girls have experienced sexual violence and rape at least once, if not more, in their lives and nine million of these adolescent girls were sexually assaulted in the past year alone.

Unlike Jenny and the other children in care at Preda, only one percent ever asked for help. Migrants and refugees in Europe and the United States are also at risk. They need help and protection.

Less than 40 percent of exploited women and children ever seek out help. Most of those who do ask for help from teachers, family and friends. Less than 10 percent of these women and minors asked for help from the police.

It’s not so long ago when women and child abuse was ignored totally. Now, there are laws to protect them but they are seldom implemented. Local governments in the Philippines give permits to operate sex bars and hotels. It’s legalized sexual exploitation.

There is much to do to educate society on women and children’s rights and eradicate misogynist attitudes and provide genuine help and support for abused women and children everywhere. May the wave of protest keep rising until the evil is overcome.

Irish Father Shay Cullen, SSC, established the Preda Foundation in Olongapo City in 1974 to promote human rights and the rights of children, especially victims of sex abuse.

Source: UCAN

Church bells turn Philippine town into tourist attraction

Return of war trophies looted from Balangiga has become a torism opportunity for poor town.

Priests touch one of the historic Balangiga bells on its arrival in the town last December. The bells, which were taken as war booty by American troops in 1901, were returned to the Philippines in December 2018. (Photo by Roy Lagarde)

Manila:  Schoolteacher Isolde Mangyao traveled about three hours with her two children to the town of Balangiga in the central Philippine province of Eastern Samar just to see three church bells.

Mangyao admitted that she made the trip to satisfy her curiosity after hearing news reports about the place. It ended up being a very interesting history lesson

"When we finally arrived, we looked at our journey as being as very meaningful, particularly when we saw the monument fronting the church where the three bells are placed," said the teacher.

In December last year, the United States returned three church bells swiped by American forces as war booty from the central Philippine town of Balangiga in 1901.

The taking of the bells and the American sacking of Samar came after Filipino freedom fighters ambushed and killed at least 40 American soldiers sitting down to breakfast on Sept. 28, 1901.

They were part of a 75-man American garrison stationed in town. It is said the bells were used to signal the attack. Rebels disguised as women had smuggled weapons in small coffins into the church to attack the Americans.

At least 28 Filipinos were also killed in what historians say was the "single worst defeat" inflicted on American forces during the 1899-1902 Philippine-American War.

In reprisal, the Americans rounded up and killed some 5,000 Balangiga villagers. All were male residents over 10 years old. The incident became known as the Balangiga Massacre.

Teacher Mangyao said she realized that the visit to Balangiga was "very important ... to understand the historical and religious contributions of the bells to our country."

The return of the bells has also become a tourism boon to the poor town, which has already played host to about 22,000 visitors since December.

"It has placed Balangiga on the tourism map," said Karen Tiopes, tourism director for the Eastern Visayas.

She said the publicity generated by the return of the bells has helped boost people's awareness of history.

A documentary film titled Balangiga: Honor and Sacrifice is currently being shot in the town to "provide a definitive explanation of how and why things went horribly wrong in Balangiga."

Written and directed by local historian Rolando Borrinaga and British author Bob Couttie, the film aims to shed light on what really happened in the small town more than a century ago.

American filmmaker Michael Sellers, who is involved in the production, said the film "will foster a new level of understanding and acceptance of a painful moment in history."

"We will tell the true, complete story of what happened in 1901, why it happened, and why the return of the Balangiga Bells to Eastern Samar has created a unique opportunity for a moment of healing and renewal," said the filmmaker.

Tour operators are expecting at least 50,000 tourists in the coming months with "concerted efforts" not only by the government but also various sectors in the community to bring in visitors.

Franklin Robedizo, provincial tourism officer of Eastern Samar, hopes the tours will help ease poverty in the province.

Source: UCAN

Pakistani farmers in the honey as Caritas means bee-siness

Catholic charity introduces beekeeping as new source of income in impoverished region.

Punjab:  Yaqoob Masih is the first Christian beekeeper in his remote village in Pakistan's Punjab province.

Born and raised among farmers, laborers and owners of small tuck shops, Masih was searching for a way to provide for his family after his father passed away.

"I was only six months old when he died in an accident. My mother raised seven kids by working as a housemaid and stitching clothes. She is my role model," said the 45-year-old.

"She wanted all of us to get an education but that wasn't feasible. I tried many times to find a job before I ended up at a technical college."

After spending several years running an electronics store, Masih was able to lease a 10,000-square-meter plot of agricultural land in 2017 in Village 50 of Punjab's Khushab district.

But after torrential rains in March, rows of black pests started appearing on the green blades of his standing crops of wheat and fodder. Masih had to buy expensive pesticides from a local market despite having already taken out a 20,000-rupee (US$142) loan.

"I get fertilizers from a shopkeeper after I promised I'd pay him back using the income from my next yield," he said. "But I've hardly been able to cover my expenses as the heat wave last year hammered my cotton crop."

Seeds of change

Masih joined a farmers' collective after the launch of the Smallholder Adaptive Farming and Biodiversity Network (SAFBIN) in April 2018.

Since then, Caritas Pakistan has held awareness sessions on climate change, nutritious food, the recycling of farm products and composting units for more than 7,000 farmers, including 2,000 women.

The biggest Catholic organization in the country also handed over different varieties of seeds to more than 300 farmers of Khushab and Sargodha districts last year. Another 150 received cowshed materials.

Masih was one of 20 farmers in these districts who each received five honey boxes on March 21 as part of a SAFBIN program.

Caritas teams organized apiculture (beekeeping) training at various farms prior to their distribution.

The equipment included protective gloves and hats, bee boxes, frames for hives and honey strainers and extractors. It was the first time the Catholic charity has introduced local farmers to the art of apiculture.

"The initiative is meant to support farmers with not much land and show them how to make their farms more integrated and connected," said Amir Irfan, the program's national coordinator for livelihood and food security.

"Priority was given to widows whose families were willing to care for honey bees. The pollination will further fertile the land," he said.

"We are focusing on increasing the biodiversity, production and income of their farms. Instead of totally relying on their crops, they will be encouraged to adopt alternate means of income such as raising rabbits and rearing more livestock in coming months," Irfan added.

Getting rid of go-betweens
According to Amjad Gulzar, executive director of Caritas Pakistan, middlemen pose the biggest challenge to small farmers.

"Due to the farmers' relatively small yields, they avoid renting vehicles to access bigger markets. Most sell their crops to a middleman, who buys it at a lower price. We are urging them to gather their yields in groups to ensure a better deal directly with the government," he said.

This also works to boost interfaith harmony, he added.

"Similarly, many trees that are essential for beehives to thrive have been lost due to deforestation."

Pakistan has just 2 percent forest cover, according to reports.

Addressing this concern, Caritas kicked off its "one million tree campaign" in December 2016. More than 700,000 saplings have been planted since then in various parts of the country

There are roughly 7,000 beekeepers in Pakistan but very few of them are Christian farmers. The country produces over 12,000 metric tons of honey a year.

Like other Muslim beneficiaries of the SAFBIN program, Masih has laid blue-colored bee boxes near his farm's irrigation channels.

The group said it plans to raise bee colonies and share the profits.

"Only ethnic Pashtuns are commercial beekeepers in our district. I thank Caritas for initiating this joint collaboration," he said.

"The organic honey will also be good for my 10-year-old daughter. The bees can produce about two kilograms in 10 days in peak season per hive. So yeah, it's a pretty sweet deal."

Source: UCAN

Myanmar nuns give hope and healing to lepers

Often shunned by their communities, leprosy patients are given a caring environment by Sisters of Charity.

Sister Lina Na Po from Sisters of Charity talks to a leprosy patient at Naung Kan leper colony near Kengtung in Myanmar’s Shan State. (ucanews.com photo)

Kengtung :  A quiet Myanmar village welcomes people who have contracted leprosy regardless of race and religion.

Naung Kan, just 8 kilometers away from Kengtung town in Shan State, has a leper colony with old and newly built homes for long-term residents along with a church, nuns’ convent, priest’s residence and a clinic.

It’s a daily routine for Sister Lina Na Po to provide medical support to leprosy patients, including some from nearby villages, every morning except Sunday.

The nun, who is in charge of the clinic, helps treat 97 long-term residents, some as old as 80. Nuns provide food, shelter and medical support to patients, some of whom receive financial support from children working elsewhere.

Most patients are Catholic but others are Buddhist and animists who are ethnic Shan, Lahu, Akha, Palaung, Wa and Chinese.

“It’s a place called home for them as the nuns show compassion, love and kindness and they don’t face any discrimination here,” says Sister Na Po from Sisters of Charity, also known as Maria Bambina nuns.

About 600 people including children reside in the colony. Some children have no disease but live with their parents. Two nearby villages have 400 people including some who do not have leprosy.

Naung Kan is a haven for leprosy sufferers who were forced to leave their mountain villages in Shan State due to discrimination.

For ethnic Shan man Carmello, Naung Kan is a place he is happy to call home. He was forced to leave his village 35 years ago after being rejected by his community. He walked for several days to reach the leper colony.

“I receive love and warmth from the nuns and I don’t want to go back to my village as I will face discrimination,” the 55-year-old father of four, who converted to Catholicism from Buddhism, told ucanews.com.

Sister Na Po says the number of people with leprosy at Naung Kan is decreasing but a new patient recently came to the clinic. An 18-year-old girl from Yangon who was working in Shan State was found with leprosy symptoms including a big sore behind her right foot and a lack of mobility in the fingers of her right hand.

“The girl wants to be admitted to the colony and we will accept her after getting a recommendation from health officials in Kengtung township,” says Sister Na Po.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says leprosy is a chronic but not highly infectious disease. If left untreated, it can cause permanent damage to the skin, nerves, limbs and eyes. Medical programs using multi-drug treatments have reduced the number of disease-afflicted people around the world.

Myanmar is one of 16 countries still reporting more than 1,000 new cases of leprosy a year. Myanmar achieved the WHO target of eliminating leprosy in 2003, meaning less than one in 1,000 people are infected. But at least 3,000 new cases of leprosy are reported in the country every year.

Sister Lucia Marcellina, superior of the Maria Bambina nuns in Naung Kan, says her daily routine involves managing meals and teaching English to the children of leprosy patients. Six nuns run a nursery school and a boarding school for students including orphans.

Funding remains a major challenge for the nuns despite help from local donors and Kengtung Diocese.

“We give moral support and provide food and medication as much as we can,” says Sister Marcellina.

The Sisters of Charity of Saints Bartolomea Capitanio and Vincenza Gerosa congregation, founded in Italy in the 1830s, opened St. Joseph’s leper hospital in 1923 with 146 lepers in Kengtung.

In 1934, Naung Kan leper colony was established by Dr. R.S. Bucker of the American Baptist Mission. In 1939, the nuns took charge of the colony as Dr. Bucker had to leave the country because of World War II.

In 1946, St. Joseph’s leper hospital and Naung Kan leper colony were united and Father Cesare Colombo of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions took charge of Naung Kan with the help of Maria Bambina nuns.

Father Colombo established three villages in Tar Lay and Mong Phyak townships for those who are cured at Naung Kan.

A memorial hall at Naung Kan displays equipment, photos and vestments of Father Colombo. The missioner was imprisoned by the Japanese army during the war but he survived and kept working with the nuns until he died in 1980.

Sisters of Charity arrived in Myanmar in 1923 and now has 196 nuns serving in six dioceses. Their mission includes a home for the handicapped and disabled, a home for the elderly, leper colonies, boarding schools and orphanages.

Source: UCAN