Francis mandates clergy abuse reporting worldwide, empowers archbishops to do investigations
Pope discusses deaconesses, need for nuns to be servants not ‘maids’
Pew study finds continued support in Western Europe for paying church taxes
German bishops’ vice president expects Amazon synod to propose married priests ‘with civil job’
Persecution brought us religious vocation: Kandhamal sisters
Kudos to Pakistans Supreme Court verdict against the death sentence of a Christian woman who was convicted under the ‘blasphemy law’ in the year 2010. The law violates freedom of religion and expression in faith which is the fundamental right of a citizen. it is against the universal declaration of human rights.Therefore the UN must act against such draconian laws still existing in Islamic countries. Prophet Muhammed taught that “Have compassion on those who live on earth and He who is in heaven will have compassion on you.”
Thomas Mulackel, Bengaluru
It is good to have native bishops, but I am afraid that without real spiritual and theological empowerment of the native laity we will have more problems. This is what happens in politics. Every politician promises to give acche din to people, but ends up only in grabbing as much as he can. Even the poor and the needy are not spared. Politicians can do this because they know that most of our people are not adequately educated and motivated for an effective democracy that places the good of the nation above the gains of individuals and of the party.Our good missionaries have managed to make many ‘converts.’ But sacramentalization does not necessarily lead to evangelization. In Baptism there is no transubstantiation. The convert remains what he is. The Roman Emperor Constantine too is reported to have been ‘converted.’ As a result, crowds flocked into the Church. The once persecuted Church overnight became the persecuting Church. The bishops and archbishops became ‘lord’ and ‘archlords’! That was the starting point of the dechristianization of the Church.Only when we empower our laity theologically and spiritually will we have a healthy balance in the Church. Otherwise, claiming that we have been especially chosen and consecrated, priests and bishops will continue to do what they wish to do, even if what they do is against the values of the Gospel. Even in the Church of God we need a healthy opposition.
A cursory look at the world will tell us the human development disparities in different regions of the world. Without many efforts we can say human development is the highest in Europe, North America and Australia; then have a look at the ethos dominant in these continents and anybody would agree that it is Christian.When the United Nations defined human development, though not stated explicitly, that too was from a Christian background and perspective, and that is natural because the majority of its member states are influenced by Christian ethos. When I speak of Christian ethos, I don’t mean Christianity as a religion but as a value system or ideology.The UN defines human development as the process of enlarging people’s choices allowing them to lead a long and healthy life, to be educated, to enjoy a decent standard of living as well as political freedom, other guaranteed human rights and various ingredients of self-respect.This definition clearly brings about the essential characteristics of human development: healthy long life, education, guaranteed human rights, self-respect.The most fundamental principle that emerges from the life and works of Jesus is love, forgiveness and freedom. Love your neighbor as yourself and forgiveness explains the core of Christianity and every type of freedom comes forth only from such a philosophy. Without love and freedom human development is not possible at all.Political scientist Harold Laski has said it in anotheDevelopment: Does Christian ethos hold the key?
Our beloved Pope Francis recently exhorted through Italian newspapers all Christians of their duty to come forward to speak up against injustice, wherever it be … God expects Christians to be His legs and hands in this world … The Lord requires our service for support and liberation of the humbled, rejected and the marginalised… More than anything else, what is needed is love and compassion….
And, today, 25 September, his speech in Estonia pinpointed tolerance to sexual abuses and financial irregularities as two major irritants which distance the youth from the Church. He emphasised, we introspect and correct ourselves to bring them back.
When the ancient Greek philosopher, Heraclitus said that only constant in the universe is change – the only thing that does not change is change itself – he was speaking a universal truism, applicable to individuals and institutions alike for all time.It’s humanity’s infinite capacity to change and bring about change that guarantees salvation from decadence and degeneration.
Situation being so grave, our Holy Father has convened in February, 2019 a world conference of leaders of Catholic Church to deliberate on the woeful state of affairs we confront in many parts of the world, as we witness in Kerala now. This is a glimmer of hope for an unequivocal declaration of zero tolerance to any deviance in our morality, be you ever so high.And that, women are as m
During the Synod of bishops on youth Pope Francis will canonize on October 19 seven new saints. Besides Pope Paul VI and the assassinated Archbishop Romero, he will also canonize a 19 years old teenager-worker.Nuntius Sulprizio (also known as Nunzio Sulperio) was born on April 13, 1817 at Pescara, Italy. When Nuntius was only three years old, his father Domenico Sulprizio passed away on May 16, 1820. After two years his only younger sister too died. Since his widowed young mother Rosa was finding it difficult to meet her ends meet, she got married to a much older man. It was a time of great famine and she had no other support.Nuntius went along with her. He went to a local school run by a priest, Fr De Fabiis. Besides learning the school subjects, the boy also learned little faith. He became a pious boy, attending Mass every day and prayed to Our Lady.The man always considered his step-son an unwanted burden and treated him badly. So Nuntius’ maternal uncle Domenico Luciani brought the boy to his house. This man, a blacksmith by profession, was worse than the step-father. He made the little boy to do all sorts of manual works, giving him very little to eat, not sending him to the school and no time to play with his friends. Finding always fault with the boy, the man always abused him and thrashed him.During the work Nuntius foot got infected. Since his uncle would not care for him, but forced him to do more works, the wound became gangrenous. Unable to bear
