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Unconvincing attempts to paint
softer picture of Inquisition
Rome, July
3rd, 2004 (ACPress.net).
Despite becoming notorious
for its tortures, burnings at the stake and other equally
unpleasant punishments meted to anyone who crossed it, the
Inquisition was not as bad as its critics make out...according
to the Vatican.
A study undertaken at Roman Catholic HQ
says such atrocities were not as frequent as once thought.
The Pope has expressed his pleasure at the discovery for being
part of his efforts to identify mistakes committed by his
church over the centuries. He reiterated the repentance of
the Catholic Church for sins committed by its members, including
the abuses carried out in the name of the Inquisition.
A new book by Agostino Borromeo entitled
‘The Inquisition’ has been published and the papal apology
was read out at its presentation. In 2000, the Pope apologised
for the first time for “mistakes committed in the service
of truth using methods which have nothing to do with the Gospel.”
Borromeo claims that of 100,000 people charged by the Inquisition,
‘only’ 50,000 ended up being burnt at the stake. This tends
to ignore the fact that the other half were probably tortured
into recanting their beliefs.
Borromeo says out of 125,000 cases of
alleged heresy dealt with by the Spanish branch of the Inquisition,
only 59 women accused of witchcraft were burnt, while 4 were
burnt in Portugal, and 36 in Italy. He also claims that more
‘witches’ were executed in Protestant countries than in Catholic
ones. The book includes the talks given at a 1998 Symposium
on the Inquisition, as well as essays by Italian, British,
French and Spanish scholars.
In Spain, the Inquisition broadened the
scope of its repression and contributed towards the expulsion
of Jews and Moors, whilst in Rome it became more institutionalised
in order to fight the Protestant Reformation. Among its most
famous victims are the scientist Galileo, the philosopher
Giordano Bruno and the preacher Savonarola.
In 1908, the Inquisition changed its name
to ‘Holy Office’, but still managed to condemn rebel bishop
Marcel Lefebvre, and theologians Hans Küng, Bernard Haering
and Leonardo Boff. It also banned various books, including
the Communist Party Manifesto. However, the attempts to soften
the image of the Inquisition by late 20th century academics
has not impressed everybody, as many of the trials were remitted
by the religious branch of the Inquistion to the civil arm,
and the outcome was usually the same for the ‘heretic’.
Source: El Universal. Editing: ACPress.net
Church of England
decides to tackle internal heresy
London, July
3rd, 2004 (ACPress.net).
The Church of England has
finally decided to put its house in order and insist its clergy
stick to orthodox doctrine. Those who fail to do so will face
sanctions.
The move comes against a background in
which the evangelical wing of the Church of England is gaining
ground, and yet in which leading liberals still make outrageous
comments from time to time. Liberals beware, the 39 Articles
are still the guiding rule of the Church, alongside the 1662
Common Book of Prayer and of course, the Bible. In extreme
cases, a vicar who taught or preached anything contrary to
the precepts outlined in Holy Scripture and the aforementioned
Anglican documents could be disciplined, or even excommunicated.
It’s about time. If it actually happens,
expect church growth to follow.
Source: Ansa. Editing: ACPress.net
Churches for sale
in Germany
Bonn, July
3rd, 2004 (ACPress.net).
The German economic crisis
is hitting churches too, and the Evangelical Church expects
its tax income to fall by between 8%-10% this year.
More than 4 million people have officially
left the Church in the last ten years, taking their offerings
with them. So much so that some parishes have seen their income
cut in half. The General Secretary of the Church Ecumenical
Council, Samuel Kobia, currently on a tour of Germany, underlined
his hope that European neighbours might make good the shortfall.
However, he also said the Council was hoping to raise money
through the sale of church buildings.
Maintenance costs, repairs and staff are
all a drain on scarce resources, and many churches are closed
due to lack of money and lack of use. Thus far these have
been isolated cases, but the worsening situation makes the
sale of buildings imperative. Some estimates suggest that
up to a third will have to go. 10% of Germans say they do
not need special places to go to practise their faith, but
over half are against church sales.
Source: Deutsche Welle. Editing: ACPress.net
Persecution continues,
but its style changes
Rome, July
4th, 2004 (ACPress.net).
The persecution of Christians
continues, but in some Arab countries, the style is changing.
Fundamentalist and dictatorial regimes are attempting to force
Christian communities to submit collectively by destroying
their schools and through ‘legal oppression’.
This information was furnished by a report
presented in Rome called ‘Helping the Needy Church 2004.’
According to Attilio Tamburrini, Chairman of the international
Catholic group ‘Helping the Needy Church’, “it is not the
cherry on the cake of human rights in a country, but the best
indicator of the true respect of those rights, which governments
always say they do respect.” So the year 2003 closed with
fewer assassinations of Christians by soldiers, policemen
and violent groups, but an increase in the destruction of
schools and the use of legal apparatus to discriminate against
Christians.
Tamburrini says “if there is a massacre
of Christians in India and the authorities arrest the perpetrators,
religious liberty is alive and well. But if they pass laws
to ‘register’ Christians and relegate them socially, then
religious freedom is doing badly. This is happening in countries
like Russia, and especially Belarus, where the situation is
worse than during the Soviet period.” On the American continent,
religious liberty is only limited in Cuba, though the situation
is worsening for the Catholic Church in Venezuela due to government
attacks.
The destruction of schools is the favourite
weapon of totalitarian regimes in Asia, such as China and
North Korea, as well as Indonesia, India and Pakistan. The
report highlights the fact that “Hindu fundamentalists suppress
Catholic and Protestant schools (in India) to impoverish the
Christian minority and keep them under domination, almost
as slaves. Muslim fundamentalists do the same, as when they
burnt down the Protestant University of Ambon in the Moluccas
(Indonesia) to stop Christians getting quality jobs
The authorities in Hong Kong have moved
to control 300 Christian schools through so-called ‘democratic
assemblies’ made up of parents mobilised by the Communist
Party to dictate the line the school should take. Peking has
intensified its fight against unregistered religious groups,
arresting many Christian leaders. The report also criticises
Israel for refusing visas to a number of Catholics in the
‘Holy Land Custody’ group. Meanwhile the Palestinian Authority
allows Islamic imams to compete with one another to see who
is most effective in encouraging suicide bombers.
The most repressive Muslim regime is Saudi
Arabia, though there are signs of a small improvement in allowing
other forms of religious expression. Yet in the Persian Gulf,
only the United Arab Emirates permits the construction of
Christian churches.
Source: ABC. Editing: ACPress.net
Accusations of
fanaticism in Aids debate
London, July
4th, 2004 (ACPress.net).
Just who are the fanatics?
The European Union accuses the Catholic Church of “fanaticism”
over its stance that condoms are not an effective measure
against Aids. Yet at the same time one might question the
‘fanaticism’ of liberal-minded authorities for the promotion
of condoms as the main way to prevent the spread of the disease.
The European Commissioner for Development
and Humanitarian Aid, Paul Nielsen, speaking on the BBC programme,
‘Panorama’, accused Cardinal Trujillo of the Vatican of fanaticism.
Trujillo said last year that the virus was 450 times smaller
than sperm and could therefore penetrate condoms easily. The
‘Panorama’ team investigated Trujillo’s claims, which were
backed up with scientific data. Trujillo argued that the promotion
of family values would be more effective against Aids than
condoms, and gave the example of Uganda where sexual abstinence
and monogamy have reduced the incidence of the disease.
Officially, the Catholic Church remains
opposed to all types of contraception, including the use of
condoms to prevent Aids, although within Catholic circles,
there is much divergence from this position. Nielsen rather
hypocritically accused Trujillo of “a lack of love towards
people” and added the bizarre statement that the Cardinal
forced people “to make a terrible choice between abstinence
and losing the blessing of the Catholic Church.” So should
the Church bless sexual promiscuity?
The programme did air a discrepant voice,
though, in the person of Rafael Llano, Auxiliary Bishop of
Rio de Janeiro, who said “people were being deceived” by the
message that condoms can prevent the Aids infection spreading.
The debate continues.
Source: BBC. Editing: ACPress.net
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