International

Eritrean bishops say seizure of Catholic schools is ‘hatred against the faith’

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Seven religious schools in Eritrea, four of them sponsored by the Catholic Church, have been seized by the country’s government this month. Catholic bishops in the country say the move was motivated by “hatred against the faith.”

“If this is not hatred against the faith and against religion what else can it be?” Eritrea’s bishops asked in a Sept. 4 letter addressed to the Minister of Public Education, SemereRe’esom.

The seven schools seized by the government include three run Protestant and Muslim groups, according to Comboni Catholic missionaries serving in the area. The schools have been nationalized, and will reportedly now be run by the country’s education ministry.

“The actions that are being taken against our educational and health institutions are contrary to the rights and to the legitimate freedom of the Church,” the bishops wrote in their September 4th letter.

The bishops also suggested that the government raise to them any objections to the way in which Catholic schools and hospitals are administered in Eritrea.

National

Nagaland to become happiest state in 11 years

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Nagaland’s Peace Channel plans to transform the Christian majority state in north eastern India into the happiest and most peaceful place in the country by 2030.

This was stated by the director of Peace Channel Father C.P. Anto in his keynote address at the 12th Peace Knit Fest 2019 celebration held at Don Bosco Youth Centre, Wokha town, 75 km north of Kohima, the state capital. The September 20 event addressed the theme “Transformed to transform.”

In order to achieve the dream, Father Anto stressed the need to move from micro identity of tribe, religion, caste, class and region to macro identity as human beings in which everyone would learn to accept and respect one another. The Catholic priest also encouraged all the participants to work collaboratively and pledge toward making Nagaland a peaceful State.

“In order to make the “Vision 2030” a reality, Peace Channel in collaboration with private college association of Nagaland and all Nagaland private school association wish to work towards achieving this dream in the days to come,” the priest stated.

From The States

Priest on bail alleges plan to kill him in jail

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A Catholic priest who spent ten days in judicial custody for “conversion” alleges a plot to get him killed in the jail.

“They tried to kill me inch by inch,” Father Benoy John, who was released on bail on September 16, told the Malayala Manorama newspaper.

The 42-year-old priest was arrested on September 6 along with catechist Munna Hansada from a Catholic mission in Rajadaha village under Godda district of Jharkhand State.

Father John, who was fitted with a pacemaker two years ago, said the junior officials of the jail gave him medicines for fever when he complained of severe heart pain.

“I pleaded them with tears to take me to a hospital, which is just two minutes away, but they refused,” recalled the priest, a native of Kerala serving the diocese of Bhagalpur, for the past four years. He also said the jail’s pharmaceutical compounder treated him.

From The States

XLRI – JAMSHEDPUR HAS A NEW DIRECTOR

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The Xavier School of Business Management, popularly known as XLRI  Jamshedpur, a premier Jesuit intuition has a new Director Rev. Fr P. Maria Joseph Christie, S.J. took over on 7th June, 2019 from Rev. Fr Abraham Enthesmkuzhy who handed over the reins of administration to Rev. Fr Christie, S.J. Fr Abraham was Director of XLRI for 11 years. Earlier too, he was Director for six years thus becoming one of the longest serving Director.

From The States

Patna Jesuit college joins Global Climate Strike

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Students of St Xavier’s College of Management and Technology, Patna have expressed solidarity with the Global Climate Strike.

They were among millions of students of colleges and schools who on September 27 took to streets at more than 4,500 demonstrations in at least 130 countries to demand politicians to urgently tackle the climate crisis.

The youth climate campaign, started by Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg outside the Swedish parliament a year ago, has grown from a solo protest to a campaign of millions of young people demanding radical action. Adults, businesses and trade unions have also joined the youth climate campaign. Sharan Burrow, general secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation, said its 200 million members in countries from South Africa to Germany, Mozambique to Turkey stood shoulder to shoulder with the students.

Asian

Church leaders warn Filipinos of martial law ‘horrors’

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Church leaders have called on Filipinos never to forget the “horrors” of martial law, which was imposed across the country almost half a century ago. The declaration of martial law by late president Ferdinand Marcos resulted in thousands of human rights abuses.

Amnesty International recorded over 100,000 victims, with at least 70,000 people arrested, 34,000 tortured and 3,240 others killed.

Bishop Arturo Bastes of Sorsogon said Filipinos have to be reminded of the atrocities of martial law, adding that there is a “sinister plot… to erase the memory of the darkest period” in Philippine history.

He said “articles should be written… to remind Filipinos, especially the young, of the horrors of martial law imposed by Marcos.”

Retired Bishop Teodoro Bacani of Novaliches said Filipinos should remember how “oppressive and harmful” martial law was to the people. “It bred a culture of subservience and corruption from which we have not recovered,” he said.

National

India cracks down on foreign donations

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Christian leaders in India are complaining that the nation’s pro-Hindu government is placing unfair restrictions on voluntary organizations receiving foreign funding.

The federal home ministry on Sept. 16 announced changes to the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA).

The new rules require all chief functionaries of voluntary groups to sign affidavits that they have not been prosecuted or convicted for forced religious conversion or creating communal tensions. There are also declaration requirements in relation to not engaging in what the government defines as “sedition” as well as details about the use of foreign funds.

Until now, only the heads of organizations needed to give such an affidavit. Now all office bearers must sign the affidavit and undertake to report any violation of requirements.

The amended rules apply to new registrations and re-registration of organizations after five-year terms expire.

A.C. Michael, a senior office holder of the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) that campaigns for Christian rights, said the onerous provisions are unreasonable and appear to be an attempt to discourage Christian leaders from managing voluntary organizations. “Thousands of these organizations are headed by religious leaders who profess and preach their faith,” he said. “It could be another step towards throttling religious freedom.”

From The States

Indian prelate urges dialogue with Hindus over ‘forced conversion’

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For almost a decade under St John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI, then-Monsignor Felix Machado was a primary architect of the Vatican’s inter-religious outreach, including putting together a star-studded 2002 summit of religious leaders in Assisi as a follow-up to John Paul’s historic, and deeply controversial, first such gathering in 1986. Machado, born in Vasai, India, outside what was then Bombay, served as under-secretary of the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue from 1999 to 2008. There he worked shoulder to shoulder with Michael Fitzgerald, the British prelate whose own passion for inter-faith dialogue will be rewarded Oct. 5 when Pope Francis inducts him into the College of Cardinals.

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