Dr. Gerard Verschuuren is an expert in the fields of biology, human genetics, and the philosophy of science. He was born in 1946 in the Netherlands, and has studied and worked at universities in Europe […]
Bangui, Central African Republic, Feb 6, 2019 / 05:53 pm (CNA).- The Central African Republic government has signed a peace deal with more than a dozen armed groups this week.
The deal was announced by the African Union Saturday, according to Reuters, but details were not publicly released.
Several previous peace deals in the last five years have failed.
The latest deal, between government forces and 14 rebel groups, comes after two weeks of discussions. Both sides are hopeful that the deal will last, Reuters reported.
The Central African Republic has suffered violence since December 2012, when several bands of mainly Muslim rebel groups formed an alliance, taking the name Seleka, and seized power.
In reaction to the Seleka’s attacks, some Central Africans formed self-defense groups called anti-balaka. Some of these groups, mainly composed of Christians, began attacking Muslims out of revenge, and the conflict took on a sectarian character.
Many Catholic churches in the country have offered refuge to Muslims and Christians alike fleeing violence, included churches in the Diocese of Bangassou, some 140 miles to the east of Alindao, where several Catholic institutions took in displaced Muslims facing violence at the hand of anti-balaka.
The country held a general election in 2015-16 which installed a new government, but militant groups continued to terrorize local populations. Thousands of people have been killed in the violence, and at least a million have been displaced. At least half of Central Africans depend on humanitarian aid, the U.N. reported last year.
The U.N. humanitarian chief for CAR, Najat Rochdi, has warned that the country will see a famine within a few years “if the situation is remaining the same and people are not going back to work their fields.”
The CAR bishops have repeatedly issued pleas for peace. They declared December 1 last year as a day of mourning and prayer for victims of violence. The day is normally celebrated as the anniversary of the nation’s establishment as a republic after French colonial rule.
Washington D.C., Feb 6, 2019 / 05:00 pm (CNA).- Society and humanity have removed God from daily life, and in doing so lost their purpose and sense of self, Los Angeles Archbishop Jose Gomez warned in a lecture delivered Wednesday.
&nb… […]
Accra, Ghana, Feb 6, 2019 / 04:10 pm (CNA).- The Catholic bishops of Ghana are condemning the actions of those involved in a violent incident during a Jan. 31 local election. According to local media reports, unidentified assailants injured eighteen people in a shooting near the capital city of Accra.
“We condemn in no uncertain terms the reported shootings and assaults perpetrated by some unidentified groups resulting in injuries,” the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference wrote in a joint statement Feb. 1.
“Of particular concern is the reported use of vigilante groups to disturb the peace and quiet of the by-election.”
The bishops warned that “such manifestations of lawlessness and insecurity” are a threat to the country’s democracy, especially as the country prepares for a general election in 2020. They encouraged the police to conduct a thorough investigation of the incident and the country’s Election Commission to “liaise with the political parties to address all the challenges and fears of stakeholders in the conduct of peaceful elections.”
“Finally, we also call on all citizens to remain law-abiding and eschew all forms of violence,” the bishops concluded.
The by-election was being held to fill a parliamentary seat in the constituency of Ayawaso West Wuogon in the capital city. One of the candidates, Delali Kwasi Brempong, reportedly tried to withdraw from the race after the violent incident but the election went ahead anyway, according to the Graphic Online.
Brempong’s party, the National Democratic Congress, accused the New Patriotic Party of fomenting the violence “to discredit Ghana’s electoral system to the international community,” an accusation that the NPP’s communications director has denied.
Ghanaian president Nana Akufo-Addo congratulated the winner of the election, Lydia Seyram Alhassan, calling it a “free, fair, transparent and credible election.” Alhassan is a member of the president’s New Patriotic Party and was pitted against a candidate from the opposition National Democratic Congress.
“The isolated incident of violence, which occurred in the early stages of the election, was unfortunate and regrettable, and I condemn it in no uncertain terms,” Akufo-Addo said in a statement.
“A by-election should be a peaceful and happy event, no matter how competitive. The Police is committed to conducting a rapid inquiry into the matter, and I expect all persons who are found culpable, at the end of the process, to face the full rigours of the law.”
Washington D.C., Feb 6, 2019 / 03:00 pm (CNA).- The Church can look to marriage and the cross for insights into restoring trust and addressing the sexual abuse crisis, a conference on lay involvement was told Wednesday.
“The cross is ou… […]
Juneau, Alaska, Feb 6, 2019 / 02:53 pm (CNA).- In a pro-life proclamation marking the 46th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, Governor Mike Dunleavy of Alaska, a Catholic, declared the day would be commemorated as a state-wide ‘Right to Life’ day…. […]
Criticizing the current liberal order is a popular activity. Authors such as Patrick Deneen, Rod Dreher, D.C. Schindler, Mark Lilla, Johnathan Haidt, and Jordan Peterson have generated significant conversation through their provocative salvos. While many […]
Vatican City, Feb 6, 2019 / 11:34 am (CNA).- The Vatican clarified Wednesday Pope Francis’ comments on the sexual abuse of women religious made during his in-flight press conference returning from Abu Dhabi Feb. 5.
“When the Holy Father, referring to the dissolution of a Congregation, spoke of ‘sexual slavery,’ he meant ‘manipulation,’ a form of abuse of power that is also reflected in sexual abuse,” Holy See Press Office Interim Director Alessandro Gisotti said Feb. 6.
The clarification refers to a specific sentence in the pope’s response to a question regarding the sexual abuse of women religious by clerics.
Francis said Tuesday that, “Pope Benedict had the courage to dissolve a women’s congregation that had a certain level because this slavery of women had entered, even sexual slavery, by clerics or by the founder.”
The Holy See Press Office clarified that sexual manipulation had occurred within this women’s religious congregation, not actual sex slavery.
Gisotti later told CBS News that Pope Francis’ remarks referred to the Contemplative Sisters of Saint-Jean in France suppressed by Benedict XVI in 2013.
Sexual abuse of women religious by priests has been a recent subject in the women’s section of the Vatican newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano.
Recent reports have also suggested incidences of the abuse of women religious by clerics in Africa and Asia.
In India, a police investigation is ongoing into a case of an alleged abuse of a nun of the Missionaries of Jesus by a bishop. The religious sister has accused Bishop Franco Mulakkal of Jullunder of sexually assaulting her 13 times between 2014 and 2016.
The sister had said that she filed a complaint against Bishop Mulakkal in March 2018 with Cardinal George Alencherry, Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly, and that he failed to report it to the police.
Mulakkal was removed from his responsibilities as Bishop of Jullundur, arrested Sept. 21, 2018, and then released on bail.
The pope said Feb. 5 he believes the problem is more common in some cultures than others but acknowledged that “there have been priests and also bishops who have done that. And I believe it may still be being done.”
The Church has “been working on this for a long time,” including through the suspension of clerics and the dissolution of some congregations involved in “corruption.”
“It’s a problem. The mistreatment of women is a problem,” the pope said. Asking for prayers, he added that he wants to go forward. “There are cases, yes,” he said, adding: “We are working.”
The issue was broached as the Vatican approaches a four-day meeting of the heads of bishops’ conferences and religious orders to discuss the sexual abuse of minors. The summit will be held Feb. 21-24.
In his response the pope also denounced the treatment of women as “second-class” and said it is often a cultural problem which in some countries can escalate even to the point of female babies being the targets of infanticide.
“I would dare to say that humanity still hasn’t matured” regarding the full equality of women, he said.
Washington D.C., Feb 6, 2019 / 11:00 am (CNA).- The president’s annual state of the union address received a divided response after highlighting life issues. The chamber of the House of Representatives showed a clear divide in the legislature over President Trump’s call for a late-term abortion ban, with pro-life advocates offering their own reactions after the speech.
In the speech, delivered Tuesday evening, Trump encouraged lawmakers to choose “results” over “resistance” while making the traditional call for bipartisan cooperation.
After speaking about his legislative priorities for the coming year, including renewed calls for physical barriers on the southern U.S. border with Mexico and a nation-wide paid family leave program for parents, the president turned to recent abortion legislation at the state level.
“There could be no greater contrast to the beautiful image of a mother holding her infant child than the chilling displays our nation saw in recent days,” the president said, referencing the passage of the Reproductive Health Act recently passed by the state of New York.
That measure has been the subject of fierce criticism for allowing the possibility of effective abortion on demand throughout all nine months of pregnancy.
“Lawmakers in New York cheered with delight upon the passage of legislation that would allow a baby to be ripped from the mother’s womb moments before birth,” said Trump. “These are living, feeling, beautiful babies who will never get the chance to share their love and their dreams with the world.”
The president also referenced recent failed legislation in Virginia which would have allowed for mothers to terminate an unborn child even during labor. Citing the defense of the measure by embattled governor Ralph Northam, Trump called the bill a means to “execute a baby after birth.”
Regarding his own legislative suggestions for Congress, the president called for new laws to ban late-term abortions, saying he wished to see “a culture that cherishes innocent life.”
“Let us reaffirm a fundamental truth: all children — born and unborn — are made in the holy image of God.”
“To defend the dignity of every person, I am asking Congress to pass legislation to prohibit the late-term abortion of children who can feel pain in the mother’s womb.”
The proposal was greeted with a decidedly mixed reaction by some lawmakers, with Republicans standing in favor of the proposal.
While many Democrats, including a large block of women representatives who sat as a group dressed in white, remained seated with their arms folded, others, including Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), applauded.
Manchin later told RealClearPolitics that “late term abortions are just horrific…totally just wrong.”
Pro-life advocates were swift to praise the president’s speech.
Tom McClusky, the president of March for Life Action, said in a statement that he was pleased Trump spoke strongly in “condemning the extremist abortion propositions out of New York and Virginia.”
“The American consensus opposes abortion after the first trimester, yet some politicians continue to embrace and perpetuate an unprecedentedly radical pro-abortion agenda,” said McClusky, noting that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D) invited Planned Parenthood President Dr. Leana Wen as her guest to the speech.
These politicians are “out of touch with the American people,” said McClusky. “It is time for politicians, regardless of party, to stand up in favor of protecting innocent life.”
Ashley McGuire, senior fellow at the Catholic Association, agreed with McClusky, describing the call to end late-term abortions as a “welcome change from the left’s celebration of third-trimester abortions and infanticide.”
While much of the state of the union address appeared to highlight divisions between the two parties, there was considerable applause for the president’s condemnation of anti-Semitism.
“We must never ignore the vile poison of anti-Semitism, or those who spread its venomous creed,” Trump said. “With one voice, we must confront this hatred anywhere and everywhere it occurs.”
Judah Samet, who survived the anti-Semitic terrorist attack on the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh in October, attended the speech as a guest of the president. That attack left 11 people dead. Samet is also a survivor of the Holocaust and was imprisoned in a concentration camp.
The president’s legislative agenda and his call for increased cooperation will both be tested in the coming weeks. Congress and the president have until Feb. 15 to agree funding arrangements for parts of the federal government in order to avoid another partial shutdown.
Vatican City, Feb 6, 2019 / 05:53 am (CNA/EWTN News).- The Vatican announced Wednesday that Pope St. Paul VI’s feast day will be celebrated annually on May 29 as an optional memorial.
“Before and after becoming Pope, Saint Paul VI lived wi… […]
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