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MONDAY February 28, 2000 vol. 11, no. 41 SECTION THREESee why so many consider the Daily CATHOLIC as the "USA Today for CATHOLICS!"
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(NOTE: For a review of the Holy Father's "Jubilee Journey" to Egypt, see DAY ONE and DAY TWO and DAY THREE
WORLDWIDE NEWS & VIEWS with a Catholic slant continued: | ||
Meanwhile in Germany, a recent report shows that the Deutchland has undergone a transformation from mainstream religions to the more new-age "do-it-yourself" sects and the pendulum is ready to swing back for their is an inate void with the latter religions. The bishops of Germany want to be ready to receive these wandering souls into the Church but make sure the Church in Germany is doctrinely prepared for there has been much dissension as many German Catholics have adopted a "smorgasbord Catholicism" - picking and choosing what they want to believe and disgarding the rest. continued inside.
MAINZ, GERMANY, FEB 25 (ZENIT).- Based on the observations of the
Bishop's Adviser on Sects in Mainz, the current trend in Germany is
toward a "do it yourself" mentality as regards religion. Theologian
Eckhard Türk just completed his 1999 report on sects.
Dr. Türk wrote, "Everyone who wants to and has the necessary small
change gathers the elements for a religion put together for himself on
the esoteric market: from astral projection to Zen Buddhism, from
consciousness expansion to Yin and Yang, he chooses the elements for a
religion put together for himself." He added that authoritarian sect
leaders and gurus are largely "out," while anything that adds to
personal well-being from a religious standpoint, and which can easily be
combined with other elements, is "in."
Based on such developments, repeat questions didn't want simple information, but psychological and theological counselling. According to Türk's data, in 1999, a total of 789 telephonic and written requests for counselling were received in the diocesan office on sect and world view questions. About a third of these requests required long-term counselling.
The advisor on sects also noted that in the past year there were an increased number of requests for information that cannot be classified as one of the known sects or psycho-groups. Questions about books and brochures entitled, "Nourishment with Just Prana Light," "Your Days are Numbered," "Uncover your Past Lives," "Germany Needs Mary's Help," and "Divine Knowledge," were hard to answer, because the groups behind them are so poorly known. At the same time, as in previous years, there were a large number of questions on Satanism, Magic, the occult, UFOs, Nostradamus, and Exorcisms. Some of these areas appear to have a growing trend.
Courses for Interested Parties in over 100 Seminaries and Conferences The theologian noted that minicourses on this theme were held in almost 100 seminaries and weekend conferences in the Diocese of Mainz last year. The Office for Sect and World View Questions is also present on the Internet with corresponding information. The point of all this is to give the life-giving power of Christian message anew to men and women. According to Türk, the task is to enable "people to find their way in the incomprehensible market of sense and salvation offerings, and to be able to develop an identity from the Christian faith." ZE00022520
Enough is enough! That is how many in the United States Congress feel about the planned subterfuge of the Vatican as a Permanent Observer to the UN by Catholics for a Free Choice who are squarely a front for the larger, more dangerous and largest culture of death advocacy - Planned Parenthood who are now pushing the drive to remove the Holy See from their status because Rome stands in their way of pushing population control through abortion and sterilization. Thus they have introduced resolutions that would censure those who are trying to undermine Rome such as Frances Kissling, founder of CFFC, who snidely remarks the whole intent is to keep the Vatican "on its toes." If she were truly Catholic she would be "on her knees" in reparation for her anti-Catholic stance of pro-abortion. continued inside.
WASHINGTON, DC (CWNews.com/C-fam) - The US Congress this
week began considering resolutions condemning the ongoing
attack on the presence of the Holy See at the UN. The
resolutions threaten that a Vatican ouster from the UN
would "further damage relations between the United States
and the United Nations," according to a report from the
Catholic Family & Human Rights Institute (C-fam).
A campaign to revoke the Vatican's status as a Permanent
Observer at the UN began last year under the leadership of
the pro-abortion US group, Catholics for a Free Choice.
Nearly 400 organizations, mostly pro-abortion advocates
like International Planned Parenthood Federation, have
joined the call for UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to
"review" the Holy See's status with a view to downgrading
them to non-governmental organization status.
Even campaign organizer Frances Kissling does not believe
her campaign will be successful. Rather she expects the
campaign will "keep the Vatican on its toes" during UN
conferences. It is understood her intention is to
intimidate the Holy See delegations and its allies in the
developing world. The Holy See participates in a coalition
of Latin American and Muslim states that has successfully
kept abortion from becoming an international human right.
The Senate and House resolutions emphasize that the attack
on the Holy See comes mostly over the question of abortion.
The resolutions, introduced by Rep. Christopher Smith,
R-New Jersey, in the House, and by Sens. Rick Santorum,
R-Pennsylvania, and Bob Smith, I-New Hampshire, in the
Senate, praise the Holy See's work at the UN. The
resolutions also counter the claim that the Holy See is not
a state and thereby should be afforded no place at the UN by
pointing out that the Holy See has traded diplomats for 1600
years and is recognized as a state by as many 169 nations.
The resolutions "strongly object to any effort to expel the
Holy See from the United Nations as a state participant by
removing its status as a nonmember state Permanent
Observer," and says "that any degradation of the status
accorded to the Holy See would seriously damage the
credibility of the United Nations by demonstrating that its
rules of participation are manipulable for ideological
reasons rather than being rooted in neutral principles and
objective facts of sovereignty."
While the Holy Father dialogued with Muslim leaders in Egypt, south in Nigeria the unrest between Muslim and Christian has resulted in at least 400 dead in the city of Kaduna, in northern Nigeria. The Muslim president of Nigeria has spoken out against the application of the "sharia" as a violation of the Nigerian Constitution and Catholic leaders there have decried the the application of this Muslim law, which forces Christians to be marginalized, as the beginning of the end of democracy there, noting that the few militants behind the violence are receiving funding from outside Nigeria. continued inside.
ABUJA, NIGERIA, FEB 25 (ZENIT).- The number of dead resulting from the
conflict between Christians and Muslims over the enforcement of the
Islamic Law ("sharia") in the city of Kaduna, in northern Nigeria, has
risen to 400.
Today, after a period of silence, Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo
spoke out, denouncing the application of the "sharia" as a violation of
the Constitution.
There was an eerie calm in Kaduna today. The army now controls the areas
that were the scene of pitched battles with machetes, work instruments,
and firearms. According to a nun who works in the city, this morning a
band of Muslims tried to attack a group of Christians who survived the
arson of a village near Kaduna, but the police intervened in time. At
present, the streets of the city are being swept clean. There is filth
and burnt material everywhere, to say nothing of bodies lying on the
ground awaiting burial.
The Archbishop responded to the above questions without hesitation. "Those circles that have emerged against Obasanjo have contacts abroad and use the sharia issue to exacerbate spirits. It is not accidental that the ambassador of Saudi Arabia attended the ceremony introducing the sharia in Zamfara, yet no representative from the central government of Nigeria attended. All know that Saudi Arabia has promised economic aid to the states that establish the Islamic Law. However, before they never helped Nigeria."
Observers wonder why the conflicts broke out in Kaduna, and not in other states where the "sharia" will be enforced. "Kaduna is of Christian majority. But there is a small, well-organized fanatic minority that is funded from outside. How can Christians accept the law of a minority imposed by force which is against the federal Constitution? Sadly, the fanatics argue that the Constitution was written by Christians and that they cannot accept it. They accuse Christians of separating religion and politics, whereas for them they are one and the same thing," the Archbishop explained.
In the meantime, two other states, Niger and Sokoto, have turned the "sharia" into law, which will be enforced in May. The governor of Niger has echoed the words of his counterpart in Zamfara: "The sharia will not apply to citizens of other religions." This is in contrast with what is actually happening in this state, however, where the separation of men and women and the legal restrictions (such as the prohibition on the consumption of alcohol and others) affect all.
Sokoto, however, is a strong center of Islam in Nigeria. Sultan Attahiru Bafarawa, head of the Muslim community, decided to speed up matters and have the "sharia" enforced on May 29. "I have decided to create the necessary structures for the introduction of the sharia, because it is a wish of the people and because Sokoto is the center for the propagation of Islam in Nigeria," the Sultan announced.
According to observers, the acceleration is in keeping with a plan for Islamization that could affect at least 6 of the 36 states that make up this young country, the most populous of the African continent, which was opening to new relations with the West, after 15 years of military dictatorship. ZE00022505
In Calcutta, apparently conversions of a religious nature need police okay before taking place. Christians, however, are protesting this move to enforce a state-run religion and pushing for freedom for many faiths to co-exist peacefully together in this troubled area of the world where Mother Teresa personified quiet, loving peace in all the turmoil and squalor. The problem is there's a double standard in India for the police approval only applies to those converting to Christianity, not to other faiths. continued inside.
CALCUTTA, India (CWNews.com) - Hundreds of Christians
protested outside a government office on Thursday against a
state government order that anyone seeking a religious
conversion must receive police permission.
Religious conversions have become controversial in India
with extremist Hindu groups claiming Christians have
tricked or forced the poor or uneducated into converting to
their religion. In recent years, Christians, who make up a
tiny minority of the population, have been subject to
attacks and even murder by extremists.
The order by the Orissa state government requires people
who are converting to Christianity to apply to a local
official and receive police clearance. The United Forum of
Catholics and Protestants said the order is
unconstitutional.
Here is a story you won't see on the front pages of most major newspapers around the country but should since they devote so much time to sensationalizing accounts of pedophile priests. This involves the guilty plea by two prison inmates and their mother that they filed a false claim of molestation by a priest in order to defraud the Archdiocese of Boston. Though the former priest was found guilty, it shows the greed of those who would capitalize on that to bilk the archdiocese out of more money that they had no right to receive. continued inside.
BOSTON (CWNews.com) - Two prison inmates and the mother of
one of the men were charged this week with trying to
defraud the Archdiocese of Boston by filing a false claim
they were molested by a priest as children.
Sean Murphy, 35, and his mother, Sylvia Murphy, 57, were
indicted by a grand jury on a conspiracy charge and two
counts of attempted fraud in the amount of $850,000. Byron
Worth, 41, of Ashburnham, who is in prison with Murphy on
unrelated charges, was indicted on conspiracy and attempted
larceny charges. Murphy and Worth allegedly attempted to
recruit other inmates at the state prison in Shirley,
Massachusetts.
The men falsely claimed to have been sexually abused by
former priest John Geoghan when they were children. Sylvia
Murphy allegedly falsified school records to show the
family lived in the parish where the priest served two
decades ago.
The archdiocese has reportedly paid out millions of dollars
to settle lawsuits claiming Geoghan, 65, assaulted 77
children while he worked in five parishes over 30 years.
The Holy Father has launched a solidarity campaign for the devastated country of Mozambique which has been set back years by the devastating effects of the recent cyclone "Eline." Death, disease, starvation are all very real factors for this country, especially with the Save River overflowing and hundreds of thousands homeless. The Pope's prayers as well as his support of aid to Mozambique are the only hopes that the residents have at this time of tribulation. Mozambique hugs the Indian Ocean in the far southeast part of Africa on the Tropic of Capricorn where more storms are threatening. continued inside.
MAPUTO/CAIRO, FEB 25 (ZENIT).- Two weeks of rain and cyclone "Eline"
have put an end to years of effort for Mozambique's progress. The
country, which was already in difficulty after 2 years of war, has come
to a sudden standstill, to the detriment of numerous micro development
projects being carried out by several organizations. At present, 800,000
people are in danger of epidemic; and 600,000 are homeless, having
escaped from certain death, carrying a minimum of clothing on their
backs. At least 70 persons died as a result of the cyclone, according to
the U.N. "Cholera, meningitis and malaria are the most immediate risks,
and some are already dying from these ailments," UNICEF executive
director Carol Bellamy said, on her return from Mozambique.
From Cairo, John Paul II offered prayers for Mozambique and appealed to
the international community to give "effective" signs of solidarity.
Vast areas of the country are submerged and can only be reached by
helicopter. A good part of the southern province of Gaza, and the
central province of Inhambane, are inaccessible by land. South African
radio reported that special teams have arrived from the United States.
The World Health Organization has warned about the risk of epidemics,
particularly cholera and malaria, caused by stagnant water. French and
South African humanitarian agencies are collaborating by air.
The U.N. has made an appeal to collect $14 million to be distributed to
8 humanitarian agencies working in the area, managing food, health,
water, hygiene, education, communications, and coordination. Since last
Wednesday, some 500 persons are being treated for malaria in the Manhica
hospital north of the capital, Maputo. Even before the floods, malaria
was the principal cause of mortality in Mozambique. The Foreign Minister
said that extensive areas of agricultural production have been
destroyed. The government has requested $65 million from the
international community for emergency aid.
According to Fr. Antonio Rusconi, director of Radio Maria in Mozambique,
"the hospitals are full because of malaria. For example, the hospital
next door to our center has not a single place left. The risk of cholera
is greater outside the capital because the water isn't good." Given the
situation, the Catholic Church has opened its places of worship so that
the homeless can be sheltered.
ZE00022502
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