Christmas Celebratory Again In Holy Land Amid Ongoing War; Patriarch Urges Pilgrims To Return
Vatican: Former Choir Director, Manager Convicted Of Embezzlement, Abuse Of Office
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Indian Cardinal opposes anti-conversion law in poll-bound state
12,000 gather as Goa starts exposition of St. Francis Xavier relics
This is indeed a strange title. It is borrowed from the Vatican II document “The Pastoral Constitution of the Church in the Modern World”. Let me quote it. “The Church admits that she greatly profited and still profits from the antagonism of those who oppose or persecute her” (GS 44).Perhaps “benefit” would have been a better choice of word than profit. Let’s not quibble over words and get to the point. What do we understand by persecution? Is it good or bad for us?I would first distinguish between persecution, harassment and isolated instances. Persecution means a planned programme against a particular community, especially by those in power. Harassment is the use of various government agencies to hound a community and make life miserable for them. Perhaps the most harassment of Christians is in the North East, especially Assam.... Let us now ask ourselves a few questions. Is persecution a virtue to be glorified? What do the Bible and Vatican II say about persecution? The first question is indeed a conundrum, with no clear answer; but as we move forward we may find some light at the end of the tunnel.In the NT the word persecute is used 10 times and persecution 14 times and martyr just once (Rev 17:6). Persecution seems integral to profession of the Christian faith. It is portrayed as a blessing (Mat 5:11). We are told that we will be persecuted (Mat 23:34, Lk 21:12, Jn 15:20). We must be prepared for this (Mat 10:16, 24:9, Mk 10:30, 13:9, Lk 21
Covid-19 pandemic is done and dusted. Seemingly. Though massive killer waves of the viral infection triggered by mutants seem to have abated, stray cases of the viral respiratory infection are still being reported, with negligible mortality though. ‘A cluster of highly infectious respiratory infection with high mortality’ was reported in China’s Wuhan Province in December 2019. Soon this strange infection, which the WHO baptized ‘Covid-19’, crossed the Great Wall, taking the world by storm. WHO declared it a pandemic. 704,753,890 were infected. 7,010,681 perished globally, as per statistics updated by WHO on April 13 this year. The wily virus which had scant respect for personalities, geographical regions, economic and military might of nations, colour and faith had the medical world scurrying to explore prevention and treatment. As treatment modalities emerged by fits and start mankind continued to be infected. Many perished falling to viral mutants that caused waves of the deadly infection. Livelihood and economies were wrecked. Clueless governments attempted to keep the virus away from citizens through lockdowns and the SMS protocol. Physicians considered prevention using vaccines against SARS-CoV-2, the viral villain more fruitful than treatment. But, the gestation time for a vaccine to be developed and authorized for human use after mandatory phase III trials is 10 years. Governments could not wait for 10 years for vaccines when citizens were succumbing in
India is in the middle of a highly decisive election because many political observers are of the view that the future of Indian democracy hinges on the result of this election. To a democracy, periodic free and fair elections are like the soul to a human body. Elections once in five years are the most effective means to make the ruling party accountable to the people. It is an opportunity for the people to throw away the party in power, if they are not satisfied with the performance of the party. In a genuine and functioning democracy, there are many ways and means to make the ruling party transparent, accountable and participatory. A few of them are the law-making process, accountability to the parliament through question answer sessions, the process of passing the annual budget, censuring government through non-confidence motion, and criticism through the media, which is considered as the fourth pillar of democracy. Above an independent judiciary is there as a watchdog. Despite having many checks and balances to make the government accountable to the people, there is always a possibility of a democracy slipping into dictatorship. It happened in many countries in the past like Germany under Hitler and Italy under Mussolini. At present Russia is practically under dictatorship. Many Indians as well as some foreign observers fear that if the ruling BJP comes to power the third time, India will have only a name-sake democracy. Although the majority of the Church leaders are
Pope John Paul II, in his message for the World Day of Social Communications, envisioned the media as a powerful tool for promoting peace and understanding. He saw its potential to bridge cultural divides and foster empathy across borders. Today, in a world dominated by technology, this vision remains as relevant as ever. ‘Artificial Intelligence and Wisdom of the Heart: towards a fully human communication’ is the theme for 58th World Day of Social Communication. Wisdom of the heart is the virtue that allows us to integrate all aspects of our existence—the whole and its parts, our decisions and their consequences, our nobility and vulnerability. It bridges our individuality with our membership in a larger community. This wisdom anticipates those who desire it and seeks out those who are worthy of it (Wisdom 6:12-16). The rapid spread of innovations, often beyond our full understanding, excites and disorients us. Today, the world is at our fingertips. Communication is faster and more accessible than ever before. Yet, with this ease of connection comes a new challenge: what message are we sending? The paradox of the modern media landscape is undeniable. The very tools that connect us can also serve to divide. Digital platforms can become breeding grounds for hate speech, violence, and negativity. They exploit our vulnerabilities, feeding us a steady stream of instant gratification and manufactured outrage. In this whirlwind, critical thinking takes a backseat, replaced
Ever since the BJP came to power at the centre under the prime ministership of Narendra Modi, violent attacks by the Hindutva organizations on the Church personnel and institutions have been increasing. Even in the middle of elections to the Lok Sabha there is no respite from such attacks. The latest is the attack on St. Mother Theresa School managed by the Missionary Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament in Telangana’s Mancherial district. Saffron clad Hindutva groups on April 16 damaged the school and assaulted the manager, a priest. Videos of the brutal attack were circulated on social media. The reason for the violent attack appears to be flimsy. The principal noticed two days back that some students had worn saffron attire to school. When he asked the students about this, they replied that they were observing Hanuman Deeksha, a 21-day ritual. The principal then asked them to bring their parents to school so that he can discuss the issue with them. The issue escalated when someone shared a video on social media and claimed that the principal was not allowing Hindu attire on campus. It resulted in mobs in saffron clothes rushing to the school and indulging in violence. Videos show the police struggling to control the mob. An NDTV report says a case has been registered against the school management for hurting the Hindu sentiments, but no mention about any case against the hooligans who destroyed the school property and attacked the principal, causing injuries to him.
