(CHRISTIAN POST).
A former BBC journalist and deselected Liberal Democrat candidate, David Campanale, has filed a lawsuit against his party, alleging discrimination due to his Christian faith, sparking significant controversy within the political sphere in the United Kingdom.Contin
(UCANews. Aftab Alexander Mughal, OSV News).
After being severely beaten by a Muslim mob May 25 in Sargodha, about 150 miles south of Islamabad, the Pakistani capital, a Christian man died on June 3 in a Rawalpindi hospital. Nazir Masih was 72.
June 3 videos from Sargodha showed Christians carrying Masih’s coffin through the street. They shouted “Praise to Jesus” and “Jesus is great.” The casket was draped in black cloth and bore a small crucifix, ABC News reported.
The Christian man died despite twice undergoing surgery and was buried in the city of Sargodha, in eastern Punjab province, amid tight security, said district police officer Assad Ijaz Malhi, according to ABC News.
(Victoria Isabel C. Alfa y Omega).
La diplomacia de la Santa Sede está trabajando con absoluto secreto en la «misión» que en mayo del año pasado le encomendó oficialmente el Papa al cardenal italiano Matteo Zuppi para promover la paz entre Rusia y Ucrania. Pero no es el único cometido del también presidente de la Conferencia Episcopal Italiana. Zuppi ha tenido todos estos meses un papel clave en las gestiones en Rusia para repatriar a Ucrania a los niños deportados ilegalmente hacia territorio ruso desde el inicio de la guerra, cuando las autoridades ucranianas comenzaron a detectar la extraña desaparición de menores sobre todo en los territorios ocupados por el Ejército ruso.
(Kathryn Post. RNS).
At an Anglican theological conference in January, UK priest and political commentator The Rev. Calvin Robinson stirred up a long-simmering controversy when he called women’s ordination a “slippery slope” akin to a “Trojan horse” and to “cancer.”
“This is how the liberal infestation of the church began,” Robinson insisted. “The doors were left open for the Marxist ideologies to gain a foothold, gender theory, queer theory, critical race theory — it all began with feminism.”
(Andrea Gagliarducci. ACI Stampa).
Una visita lampo di Andryi Yermak, capo dell’ufficio del presidente dell’Ucraina Volodymir Zelensky, ha caratterizzato la giornata di Papa Francesco, che lo ha ricevuto l’8 giugno. Yermak, in Italia per colloqui di governo come parte di un tour europeo che lo ha visto anche in Francia a preparare il prossimo summit per la pace, ha anche incontrato, alle due di notte, il Cardinale Matteo Zuppi, presidente della Conferenza Episcopale Italiana, e ha avuto anche un bilaterale con il Cardinale Pietro Parolin, Segretario di Stato vaticano. Sul tavolo, anche la “formula di pace” ucraina e la conferenza per la pace in Ucraina in programma in Svizzera tra due settimane, che si svolgerà senza la presenza di Cina e Russia, rendendola di fatto meno efficace di quello che potrebbe essere.
(Christian Today).
Images are circulating on social media showing the execution of three Christian men in Nigeria.
International Christian Concern (ICC) reports that the images were shared by Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
ICC said that one photo showed the men kneeling with their arms tied behind their backs in front of machine-gun wielding executioners while another showed them being shot dead.
(Alex Navajas. El Debate).
Jerusalén contará pronto con un nuevo atractivo turístico y religioso: una estatua en acero y bronce de 4,4 toneladas y 10 metros de altura que representará a Cristo resucitado. Se trata de un regalo de la diócesis italiana de Verona a Jerusalén, y se ubicará en la parte más alta de la Ciudad Vieja.
Fray Ibrahim Faltas, OFM, vicario de la Custodia de Tierra Santa, ha explicado que «esta estatua se ha realizado con un material que refleja los rayos del sol y refleja la belleza del cielo y de la naturaleza». «Su color cambia dependiendo de los rayos del sol. La ves de un determinado color por la mañana, de otro color por la tarde y por la noche de otro color», añade.
(asianews. Vladimir Rozanskij).
Una nuova figura si sta imponendo sulla scena politica dell’Armenia, dilaniata dal contrasto tra le forze di maggioranza, favorevoli alle trattative di pace con l’Azerbaigian, e quelle di opposizione che rivendicano la difesa dei territori di confine. Queste ultime dal 9 maggio scorso hanno trovato la loro guida in un religioso, l’arcivescovo Bagrat Galstanyan della diocesi di Tavowš, la zona più interessata alle ultime dispute tra armeni e azeri.
Dopo una “marcia su Erevan” per tutta l’Armenia dalla periferia verso il centro, a imitazione di quella che condusse al potere l’attuale premier Nikol Pašinyan, il vescovo sta ora incitando a continue proteste di piazza. L’ultimo corteo è partito dalla chiesa di Sant’Anna della capitale senza dire dove era diretto, “verso un posto importante” ha assicurato Bagrat, e raggiungendo infine l’ufficio del Garante per i diritti dell’uomo, “per ottenere risposte alle nostre domande, e sapere se esistono ancora dei diritti nel nostro Paese”.
(Madeleine Teahan. CNA).
Catholic bishops in Scotland have said that new data indicating that the majority of Scots have no religion comes as no surprise.
Census results from the year 2022 on ethnicity, identity, and religion in Scotland were released on May 21, revealing that 51.1% of respondents to the census claimed they had “no religion” compared with 36.7% of respondents in 2011.
The religiously unaffiliated — or “nones” as they are often referred to — now also make up the largest religious category in the U.S., according to a new report by the Pew Research Center.
(The Pillar. LUKE COPPEN).
The Vatican is considering a request to establish a fully fledged Ukrainian Greek Catholic diocese in Germany. The Vatican’s Dicastery for the Eastern Churches has asked the German bishops’ conference for its view on whether the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Apostolic Exarchate in Germany and Scandinavia should be upgraded to an eparchy, equivalent to a diocese. The move could have significant consequences for the Catholic Church in Germany, with the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) playing an enhanced role within the country’s bishops’ conference and wider Catholic life. The Synod of Bishops of the UGCC — the largest of the 23 Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with Rome — decided at a September 2023 meeting in Rome to elevate the German exarchate to an eparchy, a step requiring Rome’s sign-off. Ukrainian Greek Catholic leader Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk referred to the decision at a May 26 celebration in Munich, marking the exarchate’s 65th anniversary. Speaking after a May 21-24 meeting of the UGCC’s Permanent Synod in the southern German city, Shevchuk said: “We submitted this decision to the consideration of the Holy Father Francis and now we want to confirm it once again at the end of the Permanent Synod of the UGCC.” “Sixty-five years of the exarchate is already a bit too much,” he added. “According to Church law, the exarchate is the embryo of the diocese. This is the first, temporary step.”
(Il Fatto Quotidiano. F. Q.).
“Ieri ricorreva il decimo anniversario dell’invocazione per la pace in Vaticano alla quale erano presenti il presidente israeliano, il compianto Simon Perez, e quello palestinese Abu Mazen. Quell’incontro testimonia che stringersi la mano è possibile e che per fare la pace ci vuole molto più coraggio che per fare la guerra”. Così Papa Francesco al termine dell’Angelus. “Pertanto incoraggio – ha continuato – i negoziati in corso tra le parti, che non sono facili, e auspico che le proposte di pace per il cessate il fuoco su tutti i fronti e per la liberazione degli ostaggi vengano subito accettate per il bene dei palestinesi e degli israeliani”. “Dopodomani in Giordania si terrà una conferenza internazionale sulla situazione umanitaria a Gaza convocata dal re di Giordania, dal presidente dell’Egitto e dal segretario generale delle Nazioni Unite – ha aggiunto -. Mentre li ringrazio per questa importante iniziativa incoraggio la comunità internazionale ad agire urgentemente con ogni mezzo per soccorrere la popolazione di Gaza stremata dalla guerra. Gli aiuti umanitari devono potere arrivare a chi ne ha bisogno e nessuno lo può impedire”. E ha concluso: “Non dimentichiamo il martoriato popolo ucraino che più soffre e più anela la pace. Vi siamo vicini. È un desiderio questo della pace. Perciò incoraggio tutti gli sforzi che si fanno perché la pace possa costruirsi quanto prima con l’aiuto internazionale”.
( Monday Vatican. ANDREA GAGLIARDUCCI ).
Between the end of this month and the beginning of August, there will be at least three financial documents from the Holy See:
• The annual report of the Financial Information and Supervision Authority
• The annual report of the Institute for Works of Religion
• The annual budget of the Administration of the Heritage of the Apostolic See
The three documents would not be news in themselves if they did not represent, in their form in recent years, what the pontificate of Pope Francis has been: a great rush to establish a “difference” – a change of direction, a novelty, and a break with the past – even in situations where the past was not as dark as we tend to think or want to make people think. After all, Pope Francis has recognized several times that Benedict XVI started the fight against abuse in the Church and has praised his commitment. However, when it comes to financial issues, the work of Benedict XVI and that of John Paul II before him takes a back seat. The Pope becomes only an accessory, while the narrative is divided between the corrupt and incompetent bad guys of the previous management and the good ones of the new management. It happens, for example, when the president of the IOR, Jean-Baptiste de Franssu, in a meeting of the OMNES forum, underlines that in the past, there was no connivance of the Church with various criminals but rather incompetent people who made the Church lose money. We know what de Franssu said because this was reported in an article in the same Spanish magazine. The meeting was under Chatham House Rules, meaning that, at most, you could mention some topics but not attribute them to a source – which, in meetings with only one speaker, is equivalent to not mentioning anything at all to avoid breaking confidentiality.
(Crux. Ngala Killian Chimtom).
YAOUNDÉ, Cameroon – A traditional African leader from a region of Cameroon currently torn by conflict has described a June 3 meeting with Pope Francis in the Vatican as “like a miracle,” saying it may contribute to the cause of dialogue and peace. Fon Moolo II of Nkar was in Rome for an interreligious dialogue conference sponsored by the Focolare movement. In Cameroon, “Fon” is the local term for a king. Moolo II’s territory is in the troubled English-speaking northwestern region of Cameroon, a nation of roughly 30 million people in west Africa. “I could never have imagined that I would ever see the pope, much less meeting him,” Moolo II told Crux upon his return to the Douala International Airport in Cameroon on Saturday.
(Crux. John L. Allen Jr.).
Less than a week after Pope Francis called on people to recognize migrants as “a living image of God’s people on their way to the eternal homeland,” voters across Europe dealt a potentially serious blow to that vision by rewarding far-right, anti-immigrant parties in elections for the European parliament. While mainstream, pro-EU forces are still expected to put together a governing majority, with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proclaiming the results show that “the center is holding,” a major storyline in the June 6-9 elections nevertheless was the strong showing of far-right parties in several nations. The results were most dramatic in France, where President Emanuel Macron’s faction was swamped by the National Rally party under Marine Le Pen, forcing Macron to dissolve parliament and call snap elections for June 30. In Austria, Germany and the Netherlands too, far-right parties scored major gains. Conversely, Green and liberal parties each lost an estimated 20 seats, with the Greens dipping from 72 seats in the current parliament to just 53 in the new one.
(Faro di Roma. S.C.).
Nella mente di Papa Francesco, che ha sempre combattuto le “dogane pastorali” che escludono le persone diverse dalla comunione ecclesiale, l’espressione “frociaggine” non voleva dileggiare l’universo LGBT ma mettere in guardia dal rischio di un’ esibizionismo privo di rispetto per gli altri. Diversi preti di frontiera, gli stessi che nei mesi scorsi avevano spiegato e difeso l’apertura alle benedizioni delle coppie irregolari, hanno cercato senza successo di chiarirlo in questi giorni. Tra loro il gesuita James Martin (con il Papa nella foto), il quale ha detto di aver conosciuto “centinaia” di preti gay nella sua vita da religioso.
“Nei miei venticinque anni come sacerdote e quasi quaranta come gesuita, ho conosciuto centinaia di preti gay santi, fedeli e celibi”, ha scritto padre Martin su X. “Sono stati i miei superiori, i miei insegnanti, i miei confessori, i miei mentori, i miei direttori spirituali e i miei amici”. L’ordine dei gesuiti è noto per avere una percentuale notevolmente elevata di membri omosessuali, il che rende non sorprendente che padre Martin abbia avuto preti gay come superiori, confessori, mentori, insegnanti e direttori spirituali. Per i cattolici, ha continuato padre Martin, i preti gay hanno “celebrato messe per voi, battezzato i vostri figli, ascoltato le vostre confessioni, vi hanno fatto visita negli ospedali, hanno presieduto ai vostri matrimoni e hanno seppellito i vostri genitori. La Chiesa sarebbe incommensurabilmente più povera senza di loro”. Di questo è convinto anche il Papa che, interrogato dal padre gesuita sul tema dei fedeli omosessuali che si sono sentiti rifiutati dalle loro parrocchie, due anni fa ha precisato: “Vorrei che lo riconoscessero non come il rifiuto della Chiesa, ma piuttosto di persone nella Chiesa. Una Chiesa selettiva, di sangue puro, non è la Santa Madre Chiesa, ma piuttosto una setta”.
(Zenit. Redacción Zenit).
Palabras del Papa a los nuevos embajadores con motivo de la presentación colectiva de las Cartas Credenciales.
Por la mañana del sábado 8 de junio, el Papa recibió las cartas credenciales de los nuevos embajadores de Etiopía, Zambia, Tanzania, Burundi, Qatar y Mauritania en la Sala Clementina del Palacio Apostólico. Ofrecemos la traducción al castellano de las palabras del Papa, traducidas por ZENIT: Me complace daros la bienvenida con ocasión de la presentación de las Cartas por las que estáis acreditados como Embajadores Extraordinarios y Plenipotenciarios ante la Santa Sede para vuestros países: Etiopía, Zambia, Tanzania, Burundi, Qatar y Mauritania. Os ruego que tengáis la amabilidad de transmitir a vuestros respectivos Jefes de Estado mi saludo y mis sentimientos de estima, junto con la seguridad de mi recuerdo en la oración por ellos y por vuestros conciudadanos. Al asumir sus funciones, quisiera que reflexionaran brevemente sobre tres palabras que pueden servirles de guía en su servicio: familia, esperanza y paz:
(Richard L. Wood. America).
Catholic leaders face a critical decision next week at the semi-annual meeting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The bishops will discuss whether and how to continue their support of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, which for 50 years has served as one of the Catholic Church’s primary investments in fighting poverty in our country. Its work is urgently needed and reflects core Catholic principles.
For five decades, C.C.H.D. has supported the church’s love for the poor and respect for their dignity by adopting a strategic approach to funding empowerment and self-sufficiency in low-income, working-class and struggling middle-class communities. In my work as a researcher, I have seen the positive impact of C.C.H.D.-funded work at the community level.
(Jesús Lozano. RD).
Monasterios españoles se unen por primera vez para “dar sentido” en la sociedad
(Crux. John L. Allen Jr.).
With the imminent departure of Joseph Donnelly as the U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See, it seems likely the post will be vacant for a while. It would make little sense to try to ram through a nominee before the election in November, and afterwards it can take a new (or returning) administration six months, or more, to work its way down to the Vatican gig on the list of federal jobs to fill. As a result, we have a cesura, a pregnant pause, which could provide a moment to rethink America’s approach to whom it sends as its envoy to the Vatican. I’m going to lay out here a modest proposal I’ve been floating periodically for the better part of two decades, in the serene confidence that it’s no more likely to be taken up now than at any other point over that span. The fact I can’t get anyone to listen, however, doesn’t, ipso facto, make me wrong. Both elements of this modest proposal are intended to expand the talent pool, as well as privileging competence and preparation over politics. To wit, I suggest the United States break with what have been two unquestioned assumptions about the position since full diplomatic relations were first launched under President Ronald Reagan in 1984:
To be clear, these are American conventions, not Vatican requirements. Plenty of other nations appoint career diplomats to the Vatican role, and plenty also name non-Catholics. Let’s take each point in turn.
(Reuters. By Reuter Vatican Cyty office).
Pope Francis, who says he regularly prays “Lord, give me a sense of humour”, will welcome comedians from around the world to a cultural event in Italy to “celebrate the beauty of human diversity,” the Vatican said on Saturday. Whoopi Goldberg, Jimmy Fallon, Conan O’Brien and Chris Rock will be among more than 100 entertainers at the Vatican on June 14. The pope “recognizes the significant impact that the art of comedy has on the world of contemporary culture,” a Vatican statement said. British comedian Stephen Merchant – the co-writer of the TV comedy series “The Office” – and Italian comedian Lino Banfi will also be at the event. The meeting will take place on Friday morning, before the pope travels to Puglia to attend the Group of Seven (G7) leaders’ summit. “The meeting between Pope Francis and the world’s comedians aims to celebrate the beauty of human diversity and to promote a message of peace, love and solidarity,” the Vatican said.