Inauguration of the New Catholic Church Parish in Salalah Oman

Flores, Indonesia: "Freedom of conversion from Islam to Christianity", notes the Bishop of Ruteng

Labuan Bajo, Flores (Source: Fafner Photos)

Ruteng (Agenzia Fides) - Compared to other countries of the Islamic world, where conversion from Islam to another religion is punishable even by death "in Flores, the cradle of Christianity in Indonesia, in the diocese of Ruteng, there is, every year, a small group of Muslims, 5-6 people, who convert to Christianity and are baptized. But this does not raise a scandal nor any backlash": this is what His Exc. Mgr. Hubertus Leteng, Bishop of Ruteng tells Fides. His diocese covers an area with three cities, with over 700 thousand Catholics, who account for 93% of the total population.

"Flores – notes the Bishop - is impervious to forms of fundamentalism that run across Indonesia. For historical, geographical and cultural reasons, the local population has always been open to the proclamation of the Gospel". Moreover, notes Mgr. Leteng, "in Indonesia, a country with a Muslim majority, Flores is not seen as a foreign body: it is a witness to the typical pluralism of the nation and the embodiment of the principles of Pancasila, which are at the basis of the State".

The Bishop notes that there are "attempts to trigger an inter-religious conflict, on behalf of provocateurs, but the attitude of religious leaders, civil authorities and the common people has always meant that such attempts fail".

The mission of the Church in Flores, he concludes, vigorously continues through the abundant vocations: for example the Bishop cites more than 800 aspiring nuns, who in his diocese carry out a valuable pastoral service in parishes, schools and communities.

Vatican appointed Bishop Tagle now the Archbishop of Manila

Manila, Philippine Inquirer - Imus Bishop Luis Antonio Tagle, a former member of a theological body once headed by Pope Benedict XVI before he became Pontiff, has been appointed the new archbishop of Manila.

Tagle took over the Manila archdiocese from Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales, whose resignation has been accepted by the Pope.

Tagle’s appointment was announced yesterday in the Vatican and by Charge d’Affaires Msgr. Gabor Pinter of the Apostolic Nunciature in Manila.

Tagle hosts a Sunday program, “The Word Exposed,” on ANC, Studio 23 and the government-owned NBN. He also has a Facebook page, which has been flooded with congratulations from online fans.

He is affectionately known by his nickname, Chito.

‘Am going home’

“Malaya na ako. Uwi na ako sa amin (I’m free. I’m going home),” a smiling Rosales told senior clergymen and members of the media after leading the Angelus at the chapel in his official residence in Intramuros.

"I want to remind them to not be excessive in their demands,” said Perkasa chief Datuk Ibrahim Ali

Are we not witnessing how Muslims excessively demand for mosques built  in our cities and the Qur'an being translated to local languages even Muslims are minorities? While we, non-Muslims living in their cities have to live in constant fear from threat and violence from its own people according to the dictates of their secular laws? Sensitivities demands equal sensitivity so please do not think that a translation of the Bible to local Malaysian languages could make a Muslim a convert. Our Bible is a "corrupted book" right? So there is nothing to be afraid of.  All we wanted is to share with non-Christians a "best selling novel" called THE BIBLE and maybe some would want to believe in a book that has been "corrupted" according to the Islamic teachings. -CD2000

Don’t test patience of Malays, Perkasa warns Christians Comments @ JihadWatch  By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal 

The Perkasa chief accused Christians of exploiting
sensitive issues ahead of the Sarawak elections.

KUALA LUMPUR (The Malaysian Insider) — Christians should be wary of making unreasonable demands such as asking that bibles be printed in Bahasa Malaysia, Perkasa chief Datuk Ibrahim Ali said today. 

The Malay rights group president said that Malays have been patient for “far too long” and have allowed non-Malays to make excessive demands. 

“How many Malays are Christian? Why do you have to have bibles in Bahasa? Why not use bahasa Iban, or Kadazan? 

“This is a problem of national security ... we (Malays) have been far too giving, I want to remind them to not be excessive in their demands,” said Ibrahim. 

“They are not the majority of the country,” he stressed.

Archbishop on secret visit to Bhutan’s Christians, first in 18 years

by mons. Thomas Menamparampil, sdb

Bhutan’s Christian community is growing, but authorities have forbidden all forms of proselytism, will not allow the building of churches and the public in celebration of masst. Msgr. Menamparampi, Archbishop of Guwahati (India), speaks to AsiaNews about the lives of the small Bhutanese Christian communities, many of which are never visited by a prelate. Comparing them with the first community of Acts of the Apostles, the Archbishop describes the zeal and courage of these faithful, largely Protestant, witnesses of Christ, despite government abuses and restrictions.

Timphu (AsiaNews) - Forced to pray in their homes, discriminated against in education and in public office and always closely monitored by authorities, the Christian community in Bhutan is growing. This has emerged from the recent visit of Msgr. Thomas Menamparampi, Archbishop of Guwahati (India). The prelate spoke to AsiaNews about his journey that began March 9 and ended in the last few days, where he encountered the situation of Catholics and Protestants from nine cities and villages in the country.

Msgr. Menamparampi managed to enter the small Himalayan kingdom as part of a training program for young Bhutanese, after nearly 20 years of continuous prohibitions by the authorities. His last visit to the Christian communities took place in 1993. To date, the authorities have not allowed the entry of missionaries. The country lies within the Diocese of Darjeeling (India), but the government prohibits all forms of proselytism, it has banned the construction of churches and the public in celebration of mass. To date, the only priest admitted in Bhutan is Fr. Kinley, SJ, who arranges with the permission of government training programs and education for young people, although in recent years some priests have been able to periodically officiate at private masses.

Japanese Church helping tsunami and nuclear crisis victims

Parishes in the Tokyo archdiocese are collecting blankets and other first aid items for seaquake-hit prefectures. In Ibaraki, a collection centre helps people displaced from the area around the Fukushima nuclear power plant. In Sendai, some roads are reopened, giving rescue teams access to hitherto isolated areas. (This is what the TRUE CATHOLIC CHURCH of CHRIST did for the last 2,000 years. -CD2000)

Tokyo (AsiaNews) – The Church continues to work hard to help the victims of Japan’s tsunami and nuclear crisis. Guadalupe missionary Fr David Uribe told AsiaNews that in many parishes in the Tokyo archdiocese, the faithful have organised special collections of first aid items, especially blankets, destined for the prefectures affected by the seaquake, where the number of dead now stands at around 18,000.

On Saturday, the diocese of Saitama (Ibaraki), which borders with Fukushima Prefecture, set up a special centre in the city of Mito to help the thousands of people displaced by radioactive nuclear leaks.

Bishop near quake‘s epicenter: ‘We trust in God and ask for prayers’

Japanese Catholics (Source: CathNewsIndia

Catholic Culture News - The bishops of Japan will hold an extraordinary meeting on March 16 following the Sendai earthquake and tsunami that left thousands dead.

“The situation is very difficult,” said Bishop Martin Tetsuo Hiraga of Sendai, a diocese whose 11,000 Catholics form only 0.15% of the region’s population. “The people are exhausted and disoriented. The emotional and financial impact on society is enormous. Helpers and volunteers are arriving from all over Japan.”

“We Catholics in the Diocese of Sendai are few more than 10,000, a little flock,” he continued. “However, we continue to pray for the victims and we will do everything possible to bring relief, to testify, at this time of suffering, to the message of the Christ's love.”

“Meanwhile, we trust in God and ask for the prayers of all Christians throughout the world,” he added. “We received the Holy Father's message, and we thank him for his words that instill courage and hope. Today this is our specific mission: to help the nation to raise its eyes to heaven, and to keep alive the flame of hope.”

Among the victims of the disaster was Father Andre Lachapelle, 76, a missionary from Quebec.

Damage keeps Japanese church officials from assessing needs

Photo Source: St.Mary of Vernon

By Catholic News Service

TOKYO (CNS) -- Damage from a magnitude 8.9 earthquake and ensuing tsunamis were preventing church officials in Japan from assessing needs as tsunami warnings were issued for 50 other countries and territories.

Yasufumi Matsukuma, a staffer at the Japanese bishops' conference, told the Asian church news agency UCA News that most staffers would remain in the offices overnight because of suspended rail service and continuous aftershocks.

Kashmiri translation of Bible completed, the work of a convert

by Nirmala Carvalho
The books of the Old and New Testaments, along with eight volumes of apocrypha, were officially presented at Guntur, in Andhra Pradesh. The initiative is a collaborative effort between the Diocese of Jammu-Srinagar and the Bible Society of India.

Guntur (AsiaNews) - The official Kashmiri translation of the Bible has been completed and officially presented. The work was carried out by Predhuman K Joseph Dhar, and was published officially by the Bible Society of India at Guntur, in Andhra Pradesh, in a ceremony Feb. 19, 2011 to coincide with celebrations of the bicentenary of its existence .

The drafting of a translation of a Bible in Kashmiri was launched in 1994 in collaboration with the Diocese of Jammu-Srinagar, on the initiative of the late Kunnunkal Hippolytus a scholar, and the bishop of the diocese, Father Jim Borts, a Mill Hill missionary who has been in service in Kashmir since 1963. The present translation is made up of all the books of the Old and New Testaments, as well as eight apocryphal books. Predhuman K. Joseph Dhar, a noted scholar, journalist, writer and educator, is a convert to Catholicism, and belongs to a very old and conservative family of the Shavite Brahminical order.

West Java: Catholics celebrate Christmas Mass in a parking lot

by Mathias Hariyadi
An order by Bogor Regency prohibits members of the Saint John the Baptist Catholic Church from engaging in any public activity, ostensibly because they lack a proper place of worship. Muslim extremist groups increasingly threaten Indonesia’s Christians.

Jakarta (AsiaNews) – Hundreds of members of Saint John the Baptist Catholic Church in Parung (West Java) celebrated Mass under the sun and in a tent set up in the parking lot of the Marsudirini Elementary School. Bogor Regency chief’s prohibition of Christmas celebration was thus not repealed despite repeated attempts by Tulang Kuning Church leaders to negotiate with local authorities.

The latter justified their decision citing the lack of a permit to build a church. Without it, the local parish is not allowed to perform any public functions even on its own land.

According to Indonesia’s constitution however, no one has the right to prohibit any religious community from practicing its faith and celebrating its rites and services. Yet with the rising influence of Islamic radicals, the constitution has been repeatedly violated as local authorities kowtow to Muslim extremists and show greater hostilities towards Christians.

The Parish of Saint John the Baptist has at least 3,000 members. In April of this year, dozens of Muslim extremists threatened those from the community in Tulang Kuning, preventing them from celebrating Easter Mass.

Chinese bishops deported to attend Patriotic Assembly

by W. Zhicheng - Z. Yuan

The gathering, incompatible with the faith of Catholics, aims to elect the Presidents of the Patriotic Association and the Council of Bishops. Some bishops have gone into hiding to avoid having to participate, while others have been taken against their will. The bishop of Hengshui, seized and torn from the safe cover of the faithful, dragged to Beijing.

[Read also The return of the Cultural Revolution: Chinese bishops imprisoned or hunted like criminals]

Beijing (AsiaNews) - AsiaNews sources say that some bishops and priests of the official Church have been forcibly deported to the capital to ensure their participation at the Assembly of representatives of Chinese Catholics, which the pope considers incompatible with Catholic faith.

The Assembly opened today in Beijing on a low profileand is being shrouded in secrecy: it is impossible to contact anyone and not even Xinhua is reporting on the event. The meeting should lead to the election of the national president of the Patriotic Association and president of the council of Chinese bishops, two bodies that are unacceptable to the Catholic Church because they aim to build a separate Church, detached from the pope. "It's just an election of a new round of leadership," said Liu Bainian, vice president and chairman of the PA Assembly. In fact, the gathering is the "sovereign body" of the official Chinese church in which bishops are a minority among Catholics and government representatives. Ecclesial decisions are made on the basis of rigged elections. Ahead of today's meeting, Liu Bainian had sent all participants clear indications of what to do and what to vote.

FREE ASIA BIBI RALLY in LONDON, be there!

Let's join them in our prayers! - Catholic Defender

British Pakistani Christians - Hundreds rally for Asia Bibi in Karachi (Nov 25th) despite threats of death - will you join a peace rally in the safety of London?

With the eyes of the world on President Zardari I am bemused and rather disappointed that he has still not taken the sensible and fair option of pardoning Asia Bibi. The word Justice in Pakistan has a skewered definition and this is well illustrated in the regular miscarriage of legal proceedings.

Pakistani Muslims Oppose to Pardon Pakistani Christians on charge of "Blasphemy"

I urge Christians around the world to listen to the plights of PERSECUTED CHRISTIANS in their own lands. From Pakistani Christians to Iraqi Christians to Coptic Christians in Egypt. Please remember Asia Bibi and the rest of suffering Christians from these "ungodly" people.

Protesters oppose pardon for Pakistani Christian
(Reactions can be read at JihadWatch.org of Robert Spencer

LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — Around 250 hard-line Muslims staged a demonstration in the central Pakistani city of Lahore on Wednesday, warning the president not to pardon a Christian woman sentenced to death for insulting Islam.

The innocent Asia Bibi
(Photo Source: britishpakistanichristian)

They also denounced any attempt to change Pakistan's blasphemy law, which critics say is often misused to persecute Christians like Asia Bibi and other minorities. Her case has prompted outrage from human rights groups and a personal appeal from Pope Benedict XVI for her release.

But hard-line Islamic groups in Pakistan have pushed back and some have even threatened officials in the past who suggested reforming or repealing the blasphemy law. These groups have significant power since politicians from the major parties rely on them for votes.

"We are ready to sacrifice our life for the Prophet Muhammad," chanted protesters in Lahore — many of whom were students from Islamic seminaries in the city.

CONCLUSIONS OF INTER-RELIGIOUS MEETING IN TEHRAN

(Photo Source: hurriyetdailynews.com)

VATICAN CITY, 16 NOV 2010 (VIS) - The Centre for Inter-Religious Dialogue of the Islamic Culture and Relations Organisation (Tehran, Iran) and the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue held their seventh colloquium in Tehran from 9 to 11 November under the joint presidency of Mohammad Baqer Khorramshad, president of the Islamic Culture and Relations Organisation, and of Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, president of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue.

At the end of the meeting the participants (seven in the delegation led by Mohammad Baqer Khorramshad and six in the delegation led by Cardinal Tauran), agreed upon the following:

(1) Believers and religious communities, based on their faith in God, have a specific role to play in society, on an equal footing with other citizens.

Free Asia Bibi! Christian Woman Sentenced to Death in Pakistan under 'Blasphemy Law'

By Deacon Keith Fournier

11/9/2010

Catholic Online

Christian Woman to Die for sharing her Faith in Pakistan!

We call on our readers to join with us in praying for our Christian sister Asia Bibi, sentenced to death for bearing witness to Jesus Christ in Pakistan. We must raise our voices and demand that she be freed! We also join with Bill Donohue and the Catholic League in opposing a U.N. Resolution allegedly condemning defamation being proposed by Pakistan! We have witnessed what such resolutions can mean for Christians such as Asia Bibi. They are designed to persecute Christians and criminalize Christianity.

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (Catholic Online) - The Pakistani Christian post is one of several news sources carrying the horrific story of the death sentence handed down against a Christian woman named Asia Bibi (Christian woman sentenced to Death on accusation of Blasphemy) They reported:

"A Christian woman named Asia Bibi was sentenced to death by District and Session Courts after year long trial on accusation of blasphemy filed by Muslim villagers of Ittanwali, where she was residing from generations. While working in farms with other Muslim women, Asia Bibi was dragged in religious dialogues on June 19, 2009, when Muslim women termed her an "Infidel" and Christianity a "Religion of infidels" and pressed her to embrace Islam. Asia Bibi who is married and have two children, defended Christianity with her little knowledge and told Muslim women that Christianity is only True religion on which Muslim women made a roar and accused her defiling Prophet Mohammad".

Pope names 24 new cardinals

Photo Source: The Nation

Vatican City, Catholic Culture - At his regular weekly public audience on October 20, Pope Benedict XVI announced his plan to elevate 24 new members to the College of Cardinals.

Confirming the expectations of Vatican journalists, the Holy Father announced that a consistory will be held on November 20. He named 20 prelates who will become voting members of the College of Cardinals. Four others who will receive a red hat in recognition of their long service to the Church, but because they are over the age of 80 they will not be eligible to participate in papal election.

The 20 new cardinal-electors will bring the total number of voting cardinals to 121—one above the normative maximum of 120. However the Pope has the authority to waive that maximum—as Pope John Paul II did in the past. The number will drop back down to 120 by January 2011, when the French Cardinal Bernard Panafieu, the retired Archbishop of Marseilles, turns 80.

The twenty new cardinal-electors will be:

1. Archbishop Angelo Amato, the prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints;
2. Archbishop Fortunato Baldelli, the Major Penitentiary;
3. Archbishop Raymond Burke, the American-born prefect of the Apostolic Signatura;
4. Archbishop Raymundo Damasceno Assis of Aparecida, Brazil;
5. Archbishop Velasio De Paolis, the president of the Prefecture for Economic Affairs of the Holy See;
6. Archbishop Kurt Koch, the president of the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity;
7. Archbishop Reinhard Marx of Munich;
8. Archbishop Medardo Mazombwe, the retired Archbishop of Lusaka, Zaire;
9. Archbishop Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya of Kinshasa, Congo;
10. Archbishop Francesco Monterisi, the archpriest of the Roman basilica of St. Paul outside the Walls;
11. Coptic Catholic Patriarch Antonios Naguib of Alexandria, Egypt—the relator general for the current Synod of Bishops for the Middle East;
12. Archbishop Kazimierz Nycz of Warsaw;
13. Archbishop Mauro Piacenza, the new prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy;
14. Archbishop Paolo Romeo of Palermo, Italy;
15. Archbishop Albert Malcolm Ranjith Patabendige Don of Colombo, Sri Lanka;
16. Archbishop Gianfranco Ravasi, the president of the Pontifical Council for Culture;
17. Archbishop Robert Sarah, the new president of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum—the charitable arm of the papacy;
18. Archbishop Paolo Sardi, the pro-patron of the Knights of Malta;
19. Archbishop Raul Vela Chiriboga, the retired Archbishop of Quito, Ecuador; and
20. Archbishop Donald Wuerl of Washington, DC.

The four prelates who will be raised to the College of Cardinals, but ineligible to vote in a papal election because of age, are:

1. Msgr. Domenico Bartolucci, the longtime director (now retired) of the Sistine Chapel choir;
2. Msgr. Walter Brandmuller, the former president of the Pontifical Committee for Historical Sciences;
3. Archbishop José Manuel Estepa Llaurens, the former ordinary for the Spanish military forces; and
4. Archbishop Elio Sgreccia, the former president of the Pontifical Academy for Life.

Most of the Pope’s choices were expected, although the names of Archbishops Mazombwe and Vela were not often heard in the speculation prior to the papal announcement. Interestingly, both of these archbishops are already retired—although they remain eligible to take part in a conclave. Cardinal-elect Mazombwe, who is 79, will lose that eligibility next September.

Archbishop Marx will be the youngest of the new cardinals, and the youngest member of the College as a whole. Msgr. Bartolucci, who is 93, will become the 4th-oldest member of the College.

Among the prelates whose names are conspicuously absent from the list of new cardinals are two leading archbishops of the English-speaking world: Archbishops Vincent Nichols of Westminster and Timothy Dolan of New York. Both archbishops have succeeded cardinals who remain under the age of 80: Cardinals Cormac Murphy-O’Connor of Westminster and Edward Egan of New York. Vatican tradition weighs against the appointment of a new cardinal from any archdiocese whose former leader remains a cardinal-elector.

Iraqi Christians Ask for Our Prayers

The American Forces and its allies will be pulling out from Iraq this year leaving the war-torn country desolate with continuous threats of violence from warring faction often Christians caught in between.

Let us pay heed attention to the request of Archbishop Louis Sako, the Archbishop of Kirkuk, offering our prayers and sacrifices for them.

I wish to urge also our peace-loving Muslim brethren to add their voices to spare Christians from sectarian violence in the region. This is the right time for them to show true solidarity with the Catholic Church in its desire to promote peace and tolerance between our religions.

Iraqi archbishop warns minorities could be 'scapegoats' after US withdrawal

Rome, Italy, Aug 26, 2010 / 07:31 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Civil war could be on the horizon in Iraq, according to a high-ranking Catholic prelate in the country. Minorities, including Christians, would suffer most if that were the case, Archbishop of Kirkuk Louis Sako told SIR news on Thursday.

Archbishop Louis Sako of Kirkuk, Iraq (Source: CNA)

As President Barack Obama brings the number of American troops in the Middle Eastern nation down to 50,000 by next Monday, Archbishop Sako told the Italian bishops' news agency that the future looks grim for the country's minorities.

"The war of 2003 turned Iraq upside down," said the archbishop, referring specifically to the nation's army, security, economy and national unity. He also lamented that the country has become polluted, corrupt and "intellectually impoverished" in recent years, the latter due to the loss of teachers who have been killed or fled the violence.

While granting that there is generally greater liberty in the country, he said that the movement towards democracy is "slow" due to the long-term plans of the U.S. government.

"It seems to me that the U.S. may have never wanted to resolve the problems of Iraq (by) fostering and protecting the formation of a strong government," he noted, adding that the pressure being exerted on the local government by neighboring nations is "worrying."

And with the U.S. withdrawal, he told SIR, "Iraqi fear of a civil war that could bring ethnic and religious division to the country is increasing."

He predicted that Sunni, Shiite and Kurdish factions would each be able to gather an army, while leaving the minorities as "the scapegoats of this situation."

Catholic Church in Malaysia grows, despite Islamic pressure

by Jeremy Lim

In the Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu, Catholics are nearly 10% of the population. Many churches increase the number of Masses to cope with the influx of the faithful. Islam is spreading at a faster speed, especially due to social pressure: non-Muslims are considered inferior.

Kota Kinabalu (AsiaNews) - Catholic community in the Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu, capital of Sabah, is growing where the faithful are now more than 180 thousand, nearly 10% of the population. Sabah is one of 13 states of Malaysia and is situated in the northern part of Borneo.

Many churches have increased the number of Sunday Masses, to cope with the influx of the faithful. The church of Stella Maris, for example, decided to celebrate on Sunday a third function in Bahasa Melayu, the local language, along with two others in English.

Leonard Chin, faithful of the parish, told AsiaNews that "the Catholic population is growing steadily, albeit slowly. We have built new churches and at Easter 80 people were baptized in a parish that has 5 thousand faithful”.

Alongside the Catholic community, Islam is also spreading: "There are two reasons - Chin continues - for which Muslims are growing more rapidly. On one side they have more children, one the other many members the Kazadan ethnic group, who have been Catholic since the arrival of missionaries in the 19th century, converted for political reasons”.

In Malaysia, the state religion is Islam, religious freedom is guaranteed by the Constitution, although there are several violations of this right. In fact, says Chin, "many people are inclined to convert to Islam" because of social pressure that is brought to bear on non-Muslims, who are considered inferior.

Out of a population of 23 million inhabitants, 60.4% in Malaysia are Muslims and only 9.1% are Christians, mostly Catholics. The vast majority of those living on the island of Borneo where the State of Sabah is located.