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Indian
Minister wants to close all Christian orphanages |
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Jesuit
magazine says Vatican incompetence helped Hitler to power
Rome, January 9th, 2004 (ACPress.net).
The German Catholic party,
'Zentrum', and the diplomatic incompetence of the Vatican contributed
to Hitler's coming to power, according to documents made public
by the Jesuit magazine 'Civiltag Cattolica.'
According to the magazine, they under-estimated the dangers
of National Socialism. The author of the report, Giovanni Sale,
had access to documents from the nuncio's offices in Munich
and Berlin between 1922 and 1939, which are kept in the Vatican's
archives. They have recently been made available to historians.
"Despite the radical and blatantly anti-Christian ideas
expressed by National Socialism...the Vatican authorities were
convinced that the exercise of governmental activity would somehow
force party leaders to change their attitude towards the churches,
and in particular, with regard to the Catholic Church."
"The radical ideas were attributed especially to the more
excitable elements within the party, but not to Hitler."
Zentrum MPs are partly responsible because they voted for the
National Socialists in March 1933, "but they acted in good
faith because they believed they were serving their country
to preserve social and political peace, and save the Constitution."
German Catholic bishops, in particular Cardinal Faulhaber, tried
to explain the peculiarities of the German situation to the
then Pope, Pius XI, in 1933. "They thought any comparison
with fascist Italy was completely wrong (and no help) to understand
the nature of National Socialism. They said people should not
forget Germany was a country with a Protestant majority, where
an anti-Catholic and anti-Roman spirit was alive and well",
which sounds as if the Catholic report is really trying to blame
things on the Protestants. Perhaps the magazine is attempting
to right the balance.
Source: AFP. Editing: ACPress.net
European pessimism growing
Madrid, January 12th, 2004 (ACPress.net).
Europeans are becoming
more and more disenchanted with their political institutions,
and more pessimistic about the economic future and job prospects,
according to a report by the European Commission.
At least, these are the conclusions of the so-called 'Euro-barometer'
which is concocted from the interview answers given by 16,000
over-15s in the 15 member states of the European Union. Only
15% of those asked say they trust in their political parties,
31% in their governments, and 35% in their Parliaments. All
these figures are down, as is the 41% confidence figure for
the European Union.
Romano Prodi, Commission Chairman, said: "These results
show the increasing feeling of pessimism in people throughout
the European Union. While support for the main policies of the
EU remains generally strong, we cannot ignore the fact that
this support has dropped remarkably in the last six months."
Prodi called on European leaders to take note of the opinions
reflected in the barometer at at time when they are meeting
to try and thrash out a European Constitution.
Source: La Voz de Galicia. Editing: ACPress.net
Young and fancy-free
Madrid, January 13th, 2004 (ACPress.net).
Couples are the latest
victims of the throwaway society, many of them now lasting a
matter merely of days or even hours, rather than months or years.
Television programmes exercise great influence on the young.
Indifferent to the great problems faced by society, today's
youth are more sceptical and less naive. The term 'values' is
meaningless to the vast majority. Faced with increasing unemployment
rates, many youngsters put enjoyment before their studies. Parties,
drink, sex, music and fun in general is more important to them
than preparing themselves for a career, or thinking about the
problems of mankind. They have lost their respect for their
elders, distrust their teachers, do not believe in politicians,
and keep well away from religion.
They are uninterested in very much beyond their immediate circle
of friends, and many of them are heavily into consumerism, easy
prey for advertisers. When it comes to forming relationships
based on affection, this moral disintegration plays its part
in the erosion of values hitherto held dear. The so-called 'frees'
have much more superficial relationships. They do not want commitment,
and shrink from moral values which they associate with what
adults want to impose on them. They are heavily influenced by
TV programmes, and romantic novels. Volatile in their feelings
and very unsure of themselves, their boy-girlfriend relationships
are often stormy and very short-lived.
'Frees', 'business' or 'friends with rights' are the most popular
relationships among the disenchanted youngsters of today. They
may or may not include sexual relations. They 'go out' with
each other, but without commitment and generally for a very
short time. It doesn't really matter who the other person is.
In a free relationship, one or both of them may have a sentimental
attachment to someone else. This is known, and accepted, because
the aim of the relationship is not to establish something serious,
but simply to have a good time. A 'free' is basically in it
for what he can get out of it and will only give as much of
himself as he feels like.
Source: Milenio. Editing: ACPress.net
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Government
admits religious intolerance exists in Mexico
Mexico City, January 9th, 2004 (ACPress.net).
The Head of Religious Affairs
in the Mexican government, Alvaro Castro, admitted that religious
intolerance still exists in the country, and that the 1997 Acteal
murders were one example.
Castro made the admission while attending
the presentation of a leaflet entitled 'Discover human rights
in the Bible' along with evangelical leaders. The Chairman of
the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) said that the three
states where religious intolerance was most prevalent were Chiapas,
Oaxaca and Jalisco. He gave the example of Jehovah Witness children
who have been expelled from state schools.
Evangelicals have accused the judiciary of irregularities in
the trial of those alleged to have been involved in the Acteal
murders, and Castro agreed that it was a serious matter, especially
regarding those who were "unjustly imprisoned." However,
he added that the NHRC had no jurisdiction as the case is still
technically open, so that evangelicals would need to go through
the appeal process to gain redress.
Source: MILENIO. Editing: ACPress.net
Evangelical associations
outnumber Catholic ones in Mexico
Mexico City, January 9th, 2004 (ACPress.net).
There are now more evangelical
associations than Catholic ones in Mexico; government figures
list 3,108 against 2,885.
Elio Masferrer, Chairman of the Latin
American Religious Studies Association (ALER), says one reason
is the closeness of evangelical associations to believers, and
another is the age of their leaders. Masferrer explains that
while the Catholic Church has 14,049 priests, there are 26,014
evangelical ministers. On average, there is one Catholic priest
per every 7,365 parishioners, whereas there is one evangelical
minister for every 233 members. Age is also a factor: the average
Catholic priest is 63, while his evangelical counterpart between
35 and 40.
"In this decade Mexican Catholics have increased from 70
to 85 million, which is 20% growth; but evangelicals have probably
grown from 3.5 million to somewhere over 6 million, which is
70% growth." Analysts agree that evangelical associations
are vigorous and well-organised, and are challenging Catholic
hegemony in the religious field. The states with the highest
number of evangelical Chrisians are Chiapas, Mexico State and
Veracruz.
Source: MURAL. Editing: ACPress.net
Strange
message heard in Cuba this Christmas
Havana, January 9th, 2004
(ACPress.net).
Christmas celebrations
were held in various theatres in Cuba this year, including one
with a 100-voice choir at the Amadeo Roldán Theatre, accompanied
by the Havana Soloists Symphony Orchestra. The concert was broadcast
on Cuban television.
The Cuban Council of Churches sent a strange Christmas greeting
to evangelical churches on the island, and to the Cuban people
in general, in which it expressed its hope that real peace could
replace desperation. It commented that while the difference
between rich and poor got worse, some celebrated the birth of
Christ falsely from a perspective of opulence and consumerism.
However, it added that Christians in Cuba prefer to remember
the event "with the humility that goes with the straw in
the manger which, despite being a poor covering, gave warmth
and life to the Life without limit that God grants us through
His Son."
The somewhat sentimentalist message continued by saying that
Joseph and Mary "would still end up at the same stable
so as not to have to pay for a five-star hotel or a hospital,
marvelling at the light of the stars which, often, the electric
lights of our cities make us forget." Then it waxed lyrical
as to where Jesus would be born today and which would be the
Bethlehem of the 21st century: "We can discount cold Stockholm,
ingenious Japan, methodical London or cosmopolitan New York.
Jesus would be born in conflict-strewn Colombia, among the poor
who scavenge for food among the rubbish tips in Mexico City,
in the alleyways of Brazil, in the empty Indian stomachs in
Cuzco, in occupied Baghdad (a reference to Iraq could not go
missing), or among the Aids victims of South Africa. Jesus would
not lie in a cot where mere contact with the quilt is enough
to take its temperature. He would not attend private school
nor have a nanny."
Truly, the Council have lost the plot. One understands the Cuban
context, and Jesus' concern for the poor and needy is obvious,
but Christmas is about His coming to bring salvation from sin,
spiritual peace with God in a confict-ridden world, for both
rich and poor. The message finished on a stronger note, by saying
that despite the problems faced daily by Cubans, "we are
a people rich in spirit...and full of confidence in that better
time that the Lord has reserved for us." Amen to that.
However, the message ended with a quote from Gandhi - "happiness
is not a station at which you arrive, but a way of travelling"
- which sounds nice, but is in fact meaningless, and certainly
not Christian. True happiness, from a Christian perspective,
is knowing God and being known by Him. That is the message of
Christmas.
Source: ALC. Editing: ACPress.net
Pastor honoured for social
work in Peru
Lima, January 9th, 2004 (ACPress.net).
An American evangelical
pastor, Robert Barriger, has been awarded the Civic Medal of
Lima by Santiago de Surco District Council, in the south-eastern
suburbs of the Peruvian capital, in recognition of his extensive
social work. Barriger is the pastor of one of Peru's largest
evangelical churches, 'Way of Life Christian Mission', with
over 10,000 members.
The church works with some of the most under-privileged children
in Peru, through two homes in Chaclacayo and Limatambo. The
children are either orphans or have been abandoned. The social
work of the church also includes two refuges for abused women,
and those in the process of rehabilitation from drug or alcohol
addiction. It has also recently begun the 'Family University'
project which seeks to help educate and restore family relationships.
It offers courses to strengthen families, for men, women, couples
going out, married couples and parents.
Barriger and his wife Karyn studied in San Diego Seminary in
the USA in the 1970s. When they felt the call to missionary
work they thought first of going to the Philippines, but God
gave them a vision for South America, specifically Peru. They
have two children. 'Way of Life' was started in 1989, and Barriger
says "it has to be so big otherwise society does not notice
us, we have to get into society with the Word of God."
The church's vision is oriented towards winning families and
youngsters for Christ.
Source: ALC. Editing: ACPress.net
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e s t.. o f..
t h e.. W o r l d |
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Indian
Minister wants to close all Christian orphanages
Rajasthan, January 13th, 2004
(ACPress.net).
A recently-elected Minister
in the Rajasthan state government, controlled by the nationalist
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has threatened to close all orphanages
and social institutions run by Christians.
Three of the four Indian state elections held last month were
won by the BJP, known for its Hindu fundamentalism. Madan Dilaver,
new Minister for Social Affairs in Rajasthan, says he wants
to close all Christian institutions, especially Emmanuel Bible
Institute Samiti in Kota, which cares for 6,000 orphans, runs
150 leprosy centres, and also has charge of 140 refuges for
the most needy. It seems as if he has already started his campaign,
by suggesting that the Chairman of the Institute might be involved
in "anti-Indian activities", as well as the traffic
of human organs.
Local Christians fear this could mean a return to the policy
of 'hate campaigns' against Christians by the Hindus, and they
call on the international community to intervene against Dilaver
and all those who incite religious violence.
Source: ZENIT. Editing: ACPress.net
Christians handing out tracts
disappear in Vietnam
Hanoi, January 13th, 2004
(ACPress.net).
Clashes between Christians
and police in Vietnam occurred during last month's South-East
Asian Games. House churches who wanted to make the most of the
opportunity to evangelise distributed Christian leaflets met
opposition; at least 18 Christians were put in prison while
others have disappeared.
Pastor Nguyen Hong Quang, a Mennonite cell-church leader, was
the victim of a motorbike accident. Church leaders in Saigon
suspect it was an assassination attempt by the police. The pastor,
who was only slightly hurt and able to flee while the police
chased him, says Christians who handed out tracts were arrested,
and has threatened street demonstrations if they are not freed.
In Vietnam, although the government officially recognises two
groups, dozens of house churches are considered illegal and
suffer regular repression by the authorities.
Source: InfoGlobal, Puertas
Abiertas. Editing: ACPress.net
Pastor in secret prison
move in Equatorial Guinea
Equatorial Guinea, January
13th, 2004 (ACPress.net).
The family of Protestant
pastor, Bienvenido Samba Momesori, arrested last October by
the police, have still not received any official information
as to his alleged transfer to Evinayong Prison, in the central
Rio Muni district of the country.
However, rumours have circulated in the capital, Malabo, about
the transfer. Momesori was arrested on October 26th and noone
yet knows why. At first, the police denied they had even arrested
him, but finally the family discovered he was being held in
Black Beach Prison in the capital, and were able to take him
food. Now he has 'disappeared' once more.
Another inmate at Evinayong is Felipe Ondo Obiang, ex-Parliamentary
leader and current head of the illegal political party, the
Democratic Republican Front. Obiang has been described by Equatorial
Guinea's President, Teodoro Nguema, has "particularly dangerous".
The pastor's presence in the same jail could indicate that serious
charges have been laid against him.
Yet Momesori has not been involved in politics for years. He
was once a member of the independence movement on Bioko Island,
home of the Bubi people, and was sentenced to 20 years in prison
for his activities in that movement in the so-called 'anti-Bubi
case' in May 1998. Earlier that year, there had been a Bubi
uprising in the city of Luba. However, Momesori was later absolved
and freed.
Source: Europa Press. Editing: ACPress.net
Egyptian Christian centre
attacked by army
Cairo, January 13th, 2004
(ACPress.net).
The Patmos Christian
Centre was attacked for the ninth time in six-and-a-half years
on January 5th, and in the fracas one of the employees was killed.
The Egyptian army subjected the Patmos Christian Centre to an
hour long attack. Five hundred soldiers descended upon the centre,
20 miles east of Cairo, accompanied by two bulldozers. They
blocked the entrance to the compound with a large pile of stones
and rubble and then they destroyed seven metres of adjoining
wall. Those working at the centre rushed out en masse to prevent
the army from coming onto their property. Soldiers threw stones
and bottles at the protestors. In the męlée a bus ploughed into
a crowd who were surrounding Bishop Botros who heads the centre.
The Bishop was not among those injured, but one staff member,
Kirilos Daoud, was killed. Seven people are currently in hospital,
one in a critical condition. The police have tried to find the
bus driver, but the army appear to have taken him away. Also
injured was a nun who was beaten by soldiers.
The excuse is a wall which is supposedly nearer the road than
new legislation allows. However, the army barracks and a number
of mosques are built even nearer the road, yet no attempt has
been made to demolish them. Church leaders say that the Minister
of Defence, who has been opposed to the centre since 1997, ordered
extreme and conservative Muslim officers from the local army
unit to enforce the law on the Patmos Centre. They believe the
repeated attacks are a result of anti-Christian prejudice amongst
Muslim officers rather than a simple disagreement over building
regulations. Other government representatives, including the
President's office and the Ministry of the Interior, have intervened
positively in the past to protect the centre from intimidation
and attacks by the military.
The Patmos Centre has been serving the local community in Egypt
for fifteen years. The centre is providing care and support
for mentally and physically handicapped children and orphans.
The centre is legally registered with the Egyptian authorities.
It receives between 500 - 1000 visitors every day.
Source: Barnabas Fund. Editing: ACPress.net
American Christians switching
off the sex and violence
New York, January 13th, 2004
(ACPress.net).
It is the simplest solution
if you don't like what you are watching on TV, and more and
more American Christians are beginning to do it: switch the
thing off.
A pro-family advocate says many Americans reached a saturation
point this past year and increasingly said 'No' to the filth
on television. Randy Sharp, Director of Special Projects for
the American Family Association, says many Christians are fed
up with non-stop sex and violence and are turning off the TV,
a form of protest that has caused corporate America to take
note. According to the AFA spokesman, there have been several
examples of corporations that pulled their sponsorship of rubbish
TV in the past year. In some cases, this has dealt a death-blow
to a bad show. "Some programmes, due to a lack of advertising
support, were pulled off the air completely. The American family
is changing the channel from those offensive shows. Some television
shows were cancelled this year because the viewers simply turned
them off - programmes that contained a lot of sex, a lot of
violence, nudity, and a pro-homosexual agenda."
Sharp expresses the hopes that the film industry will take a
cue from the television industry and begin to institute changes
there as well. "Our culture has been so saturated with
sex on television that people are fed up with it, and hopefully
Hollywood is getting the message that sex doesn't sell as it
used to."
Source: Religion today. Editing:
ACPress.net
One murder and two bombs
is the Christian Christmas in Iraq
Baghdad, January 13th, 2004
(ACPress.net).
The Christmas Season
for the beleaguered Iraqi Christian community was punctuated
by three bombs, two of them in places of worship, and a fatal
shooting.
Christians in Baghdad narrowly escaped carnage as a bomb went
off in their church at Christmas. The congregation had just
celebrated the birth of their Lord with a traditional service
when the bomb exploded. Thankfully no one was hurt, but the
blast shattered church windows and caused other damage. A week
later as the New Year was ushered in, another bomb was discovered
at St. George's monastery in Mosul. Again, in the face of potential
tragedy, the Christian community had cause to be thankful as
it was defused before it detonated.
Restaurant goers celebrating New Year's Eve in Baghdad were
less fortunate. Five people were killed by a car bomb in a predominantly
Christian area; it is not certain that this attack was specifically
anti-Christian. Christians in Basra are also grieving the loss
of one of their number. Bashir Toma Elias was shot in cold blood
in the middle of a market place on Christmas Eve. Elias was
doing last minute Christmas shopping before going home to celebrate
with his wife and five children. He was killed with a single
shot aimed directly at his head. Furthermore journalists from
'The Times' covering this story were warned that they too would
be killed if they continued to talk to "those Christians".
The Christian community of around 100,000 in Basra fear that
Shi'a militia groups, with names like "God's Vengeance",
will not rest until all Christians have either left Basra (2000
families have already done so since the end of the war) or converted
to Islam.
Source: Barnabas Fund. Editing:
ACPress.net
Uncertain panorama for Christians
across the Muslim world as 2004 opens
Djakarta, January 13th, 2004
(ACPress.net).
Despite one bomb exploding
in Poso, Central Sulawesi, Christians in Indonesia are grateful
that a feared campaign of bombing over the festive season did
not materialise. However there were incidences of tragic loss
of life in other areas.
In Pakistan a Christian minister was shot dead. In Egypt the
army attacked a Christian centre that cares for mentally and
physically disabled children; one employee was killed (see earlier
article). In the predominantly Muslim southern part of the Philippines
two bombs were discovered outside a cathedral and 10 were killed
when another bomb exploded, apparently aimed at a local Christian
mayor.
Prayers are requested that God will give Christians in Iraq
renewed strength and courage this year, and that the international
community will be motivated to ensure Iraq adopts a just system
of government that will ensure equality for all citizens no
matter what their faith. A broader prayer request is that Christians
across the Muslim world would be strengthened in their faith
in the face of threats, danger and constant uncertainty as regarding
the future.
Source: Barnabas Fund. Editing: ACPress.net
Chinese house churches agonise over state registration
Peking, January 13th, 2004
(ACPress.net).
Registration is still
a hot issue for China's long-suffering house churches.
The government insists on registration as the only means of
legal existence for churches. Registration means subjection
to the Communist Party's Religious Affairs Bureau and other
bodies controlled by atheists. Evangelism, finances, pastoral
appointments and Sunday sermons are all ultimately managed by
the Religious Affairs Bureau.
A house church leader in Jilin province recently wrote a letter
that vividly illustrates the dilemma Chinese Christians face.
"Several of our church workers have searched the Scriptures
and believe it is not right for the church to register. Now
our church is scattered and under persecution. But in a neighbouring
village, there is a big registered church set up 10 years ago.
Their leaders believe the church should obey the higher powers
and register with the government. Because the viewpoints of
these two churches are so different, the leaders have no spiritual
fellowship. Does our lack of fellowship with the Three Self
church constitute schism?"
Source: Religion today. Editing: ACPress.net |
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