Page 117 - Religion Belief
'Targeting' Church under cover of nun case injustice:KCBC
The Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council (KCBC) Monday claimed some vested interests were attempting to tarnish the image of the entire church in the wake of arrest of bishop Franco Mulakkal over rape charges and termed it as an 'injustice'. The arrest and remanding of Bishop Franco was "painful", and the Church "regrets" the developments that led to the present situation, the KCBC said on a day when the clergyman, arrested on Sept 21 on charges of raping a nun, was remanded to 12 days judicial custody by a court in Kottayam district. The KCBC assured that the church would surely have a better mechanism to rectify mistakes within it. A statement issued by KCBC spokesperson Fr Varghese Vallikkat alleged that said some vested interests, a section of media and some disgruntled persons within the church were trying to weaken the Catholic church and put the bishops in bad light under the cover of the nun issue. KCBC wanted the faithful to identify such forces and be cautious ...
SC to hear plea on female genital mutilation among Bohras
The Supreme Court on Monday referred to a Constitution Bench a plea questioning the practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) prevalent in the Dawoodi Bohra community.
Thousands of devotees attend 'Chappan Bhog Mahotsava'
Thousands of people offered obeisance to the deity at the 'Chhappan Bhog Mahotsava', a three-day festival during which devotees make lavish offerings comprising 56 dishes to Lord Krishna in Goverdhan. The festival began on September 21 with circumambulation of the sacred Goverdhan Hill by thousands of pilgrims. It concluded Sunday night with the offering of 'prasadam' to the deity. Uttar Pradesh Power Minister Srikant Sharma took part in the festival. After offering prayer, the minister said the venue of 'Chhappan Bhog' displayed a picture of national integration as people of all castes and creeds took part in it. More than two lakh people gathered at the venue to offer obeisance to the deity, according to the organisers. Bimlendra Mishra, who came to the festival from Lakhimpur in Uttar Pradesh, said, "I have not seen such thrilling, religious, spiritual 'Chhappan Bhog' earlier.
Own up to mass Muslim detentions, Amnesty tells China
China must come clean about the fate of an estimated one million minority Muslims swept up in a "massive crackdown" in far western region of Xinjiang, Amnesty International said in a new report Monday. Beijing has ramped up restrictions on Muslim minorities to combat what it calls Islamic extremism and separatist elements in the far western province. But critics say the drive risks fuelling resentment towards Beijing and further inflaming separatist sentiment. In a new report, which included testimony from people held in the camps, Amnesty said Beijing had rolled out "an intensifying government campaign of mass internment, intrusive surveillance, political indoctrination and forced cultural assimilation". Uighurs and other Muslim minorities are punished for violating regulations banning beards and burqas, and for the possession of unauthorised Korans, it added. Up to a million people are detained in interment camps, a United Nations panel on racial discrimination reported last month, .
Sister Lucy demands explanation on expulsion from duties
Sister Lucy Kalappura, a nun who joined a number of others in protesting against former Bishop of Jalandhar, Franco Mulakkal, demanded an explanation on why she was ousted from church activities."Before expelling me from my duties, explain what my mistake is. I've been very active till date in fulfilling my responsibilities. So, it must be made clear why I am expelled," she told reporters here.Taking a jibe at the church authorities, the nun asked why no such immediate action was taken to support the nun who was allegedly raped by the former Jalandhar Bishop."What pained me is that the church couldn't raise its voice when Franco raped a nun 13 times. I felt I should go and support her. How is it that speedy action is taken against me while everybody was silent on rape? Maybe it is team of the church Vicars who took the decision," she added.Sister Lucy, who joined a number of others outside the Kochi High Court to stage a protest against the rape-accused Bishop, was reportedly barred ..
Welfare, benevolence, charity crux of Hindu religion: Adityanath
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath Sunday said that public welfare, benevolence and charity is the crux of Hindu religion. "It is nowhere said in Hindu religion to sport a Tilak or go to temple. There is no compulsion of worshipping a particular God. Public welfare, benevolence and charity is the crux of Hindu religion," Adityanath said during Ramkatha at Gorakhnath Temple here. Ramkatha is organised in the temple to mark the death anniversaries of Mahant Digvijaynath and Mahant Avaidyanath. "The quality of Indian culture is being good to others and there is no place for selfishness. The life is best, which is dedicated to welfare of others. Discharging responsibilities, moral values, truth and honesty are the different entities of a religion and India has accepted this religion," Adityanath said. He added, "We believe in Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam (the entire world is one family) and Indian culture teaches us to live for others. The mantra of our culture is in 'Sarve Bhawantu ...
Rajasthan not a 'city of sins': Pilot on Shah's 'Angad's foot' remark
Countering BJP president Amit Shah's statement that his party is like "Angad's foot" and cannot be dislodged, Rajasthan Congress chief Sachin Pilot on Sunday said the state is not a "city of sins" or "Ravana's Lanka". According to Hindu epic Ramayana, Angad was a monkey prince who planted his foot in demon king Ravana's fortress Lanka. No one, including Ravana, was able to move his foot. Shah drew the analogy between the BJP and Angad's foot at a public meeting in Sawai Madhopur on Saturday. "This (Rajasthan) is not a city of sins or Ravana's Lanka. Rajasthan is the state of saints and religious leaders. Politics in this land will be about karma and not that of 'dharma' (religion)," Pilot said at a convention of Congress' OBC department here. He also attended a meeting of Ravna Rajput community and alleged that it had been discriminated against by the Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje-led BJP government. "Various communities faced discrimination during the rule of Vasundhara Raje. Ravna .
Kerala priest, nun face action for supporting nuns' protest
A Jacobite Priest has been warned of disciplinary action and a Catholic nun restrained from church duties in a fallout of their participation in protests in Kochi demanding the arrest of rape accused Bishop Franco Mulakkal. Sister Lucy Kalapura, who returned to her parish in Wayand Sunday morning from Kochi, claimed she was informed orally by the Mother Superior that she should keep away from holding catechism classes, conducting prayers and other activities related to the Syro Malabar catholic church. "No written orders were given to me. I was only informed orally by the Mother Superior not to participate in any church-related activities," the sister told PTI. However, in a statement Father Stephen Kottakkal, vicar of the St Mary's church Karakkamala in Wayanad, said Sister Lucy had been asked to keep away from duties in view of certain concerns expressed by the parishioners. He denied the church had initiated any retaliatory measure against Sister Lucy for ...
Pope Francis honours Holocaust victims in Lithuania
Pope Francis on Sunday paid homage to Holocaust victims who perished in the Vilnius ghetto, 75 years to the day after the Nazis liquidated it, and warned 100,000 Lithuanians gathered for mass against "pernicious attitudes" leading to genocide. "Seventy-five years ago, this nation witnessed the final destruction of the Vilnius Ghetto; this was the climax of the killing of thousands of Jews that had started two years earlier," the pontiff told faithful in a homily in Kaunas, Lithuania's second city. Pre-war Lithuania was home to a thriving Jewish community of more than 200,000 people, with its capital Vilnius a hub of learning known as the "Jerusalem of the North". According to historians, around 195,000 -- nearly the entire Jewish population -- perished at the hands of the Nazis and local collaborators under the 1941-44 German occupation. Today around 3,000 Jews live in the EU and NATO member state which has a population of 2.9 million, the majority of whom are Catholic. Recalling the .
Church acting against protesters in nun rape case: Official
With the arrest of Bishop Franco Mulakkal in the nun rape case, Church authorities have begun to take action against those who supported the 14-day protest by five nuns at Kochi in the matter, a Church official said on Sunday.
Pope honours victims of Soviet and Nazi crimes in Baltics
Pope Francis paid tribute Sunday to Lithuanians who suffered and died during Soviet and Nazi occupations on the day the country remembers the near-extermination of its centuries-old Jewish community during the Holocaust. Francis began his second day in the Baltics in Lithuania's second city, Kaunas, where an estimated 3,000 Jews survived out of a community of 37,000 during the 1941-1944 Nazi occupation. During Mass in the lush Santakos Park under a brilliant autumn sun, Francis honored both Jewish victims of Nazi-era executions and the Lithuanians who were deported to Siberian gulags or were tortured and oppressed at home during five decades of Soviet occupation. "Earlier generations still bear the scars of the period of the occupation, anguish at those who were deported, uncertainty about those who never returned, shame for those who were informers and traitors," Francis told the crowd. "Kaunas knows about this. Lithuania as a whole can testify to it, still shuddering at the mention .
Asked to keep away from church duties after taking part in protest against bishop: Nun
A nun belonging to the Syro Malabar Catholic church alleged she was asked to keep away from church duties after she participated in a protest by nuns in Kochi demanding the arrest of rape accused Bishop Franco Mulakkal. Sister Lucy Kalapura, who returned here Sunday morning from Kochi, claimed she was informed orally by the Mother Superior that she should keep away from holding catechism classes, conducting prayers and other church- related duties. "No written orders were given to me. I was only informed orally by the Mother Superior not to participate in any church-related activities," the sister told PTI. The church could not be contacted for comments. Five nuns had protested near the Kerala High Court at Kochi for 13 days, demanding the arrest of the bishop who was accused of repeatedly raping a nun. There was support for the protest from various quarters and Sister Lucy had also expressed her solidarity. The clergyman, who temporarily relinquished his administrative ...
Pak refrains from raising Uighur issue with China
Pakistan has refrained from raising the issues surrounding Uighur Muslims in its meeting with China's top diplomat earlier in the week, even after worldwide criticism of China's alleged abuse of Uighur Muslims in the Xinjiang Province.According to Arab News, Pakistan's Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, Noorul Haq Qadri said that the Uighur issue was not discussed.Pakistan's reluctance to raising the issue of the Uighur community, in spite of widespread criticism, could be seen as a result of its growing proximity to China.Qadri further said that the meeting focused on measures for the constitution of an exchange program for moderate Islamic scholars, adding that a Memorandum of Understanding would soon be signed on the exchange of scholars.So far, no official statement pertaining to the meeting has been issued by the Chinese Embassy in IslamabadDivulging excerpts from the meeting, Ministry spokesperson Imran Siddique told Arab News, " China's enemy is Pakistan's ..
China, Vatican sign historic deal on appointment of bishops
China on Saturday reached a historic breakthrough with the Vatican on the appointment of bishops in the communist nation, ending a 72-year old dispute over the issue. Under the agreement, Pope Francis has recognised seven clerics ordained by Beijing without the approval of the Holy See, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said. The issue of who appoints bishops has been at the heart of a dispute since China first broke off diplomatic ties with the Holy See in 1951. Christianity is regarded as the fastest growing religion in China. According to unofficial estimates, the communist nation has 90 million christians. The Foreign Ministry said the deal, however, is provisional. Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wang Chao and Antoine Camilleri, head of a Vatican delegation and the under-secretary for Relations with States, signed the agreement, a statement by the ministry said. China and the Vatican will continue to maintain contact and push forward the process of improving bilateral ties, it ...
Vatican announces historic deal with China on bishops
The Vatican on Saturday announced an historic accord with China on the appointment of bishops in the Communist country in what could pave the way for the normalisation of ties between the Catholic Church and the world's most populous country. Beijing immediately said it hoped for better relations, while Taiwan said its ties with the Vatican were safe despite the deal with China. There are an estimated 12 million Catholics in China divided between a government-run association whose clergy are chosen by the Communist Party and an unofficial church which swears allegiance to the Vatican. The Vatican has not had diplomatic relations with Beijing since 1951, two years after the founding of the communist People's Republic. The preliminary agreement with China "has been agreed following a long process of careful negotiation and foresees the possibility of periodic reviews of its application," the Vatican said in a statement issued as Pope Francis began a visit to the Baltic states. "It ...
Nun rape: Bishop sent to 2-day police custody
Bishop Franco Mulakkal, who has been arrested for raping a nun, was on Saturday refused bail by a Kerala court and sent to two-day's police custody.
Pope begins Baltics pilgrimage as Russia threat looms large
Russia will be the elephant in the room as Pope Francis begins a four-day visit to the Baltics amid renewed alarm about Moscow's intentions in the region it has twice occupied. Francis is travelling to Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia to mark the 100th anniversaries of their independence and to encourage the faith in the nations, which saw five decades of Soviet-imposed religious repression and state-sponsored atheism. "Fifty years of occupation left their mark both on the church and on the people," said Monsignor Gintaras Grusas, archbishop of Vilnius. "People have deep wounds from that period that take time to heal." Francis lands Saturday in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius to begin four-day, three-country trip that will feature encounters with political leaders as well as the Catholic, Lutheran and Russian Orthodox faithful.
Nun rape: Arrested bishop to be produced before Kerala court
Bishop Franco Mulakkal, who has been arrested in a nun rape case, will be produced in a Kerala court on Saturday, police said.
Trump has directed his admin to advance and defend religious freedom at home, abroad: Pompeo
US President Donald Trump has directed his administration to advance and defend religious freedom at home and abroad, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Saturday, ruing that majority of the countries in the world place significant limitations on religious freedom. "President Trump has directed all of us in his administration to advance and defend religious freedom at home and abroad, because religious freedom is a universal, a God-given right, to which all people all people are entitled," Pompeo said in his address to the 13th Annual Values Voter Summit. He said religious freedom was an essential building block for all free societies. "It's a freedom that I care personally about, and I know you do as well. It's the one that drew me to serve my country in the United States Armed Forces," he said. "But sadly, today more than 80 per cent of the global population live in countries that place significant limitations on religious freedom," Pompeo said. He said, "I know it brings many of .
Ultra-orthodox Israeli radio fined for excluding women
An Israeli court has fined an ultra-orthodox Jewish radio station one million shekels (USD 280,000) for excluding women from its programmes over a two year period, local media said. Broadcaster Kol Barama's "total and deliberate exclusion damages dignity and self-worth, deepens perceptions of female inferiority and prevents the influence of women in public discourse," the court ruled on Thursday, according to the Times of Israel. Ultra-orthodox interpretations of Judaism forbid men from listening to women sing, and some of the most radical strands also oppose females appearing in public, particularly in broadcast media. A class action lawsuit was filed in 2012 by the Orthodox feminist association Kolech and the Israel Religious Action Center, the Times of Israel said. The complainants accused the radio station of failing to bring a single female voice to air during its first two years of operation, between 2009 and 2011. The court ordered Kol Barama to donate its fine to initiatives ..