Page 131 - Religion Belief
Woman chooses parents over her husband who converted to Hinduism to marry her
A woman from Chhattisgarh on Monday chose to go with her parents leaving behind her husband who was a Muslim but had converted to Hinduism to marry her.
FGM leaves permanent emotional scar on Dawoodi Bohra girls: SC
The Supreme Court today said the female genital mutilation (FGM) of minor girls of the Dawoodi Bohra Muslim community leaves a "permanent emotional and mental scar" on them and the practice may be held as violative of dignity of women as prescribed in the Constitution. A bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud referred to constitutional schemes as interpreted by the apex court over a period of time and said "the fact that the practice is essential religious practice does not make it constitutional". "You just cannot inflict any kind of injury to another person," the bench said, adding that for husbands, young girls should not go through all this. "This kind of mutilation leaves a permanent emotional mental scar on small girls. You snip her genitalia," the bench said. Senior advocate A M Singhvi, appearing for a Dawoodi Bohra Muslim group, said if this practice, which is an essential religious practice, is questioned then somebody may .
Rev Probal Kanto Dutta new Moderator's Commissary for Calcutta
The Church of North India Synod (Council) today appointed Rev Probal Kanto Dutta as the new Moderator's Commissary for the Diocese of Calcutta till a new Bishop is appointed. Rt Rev Dutta, who was discharging responsibility as the Bishop of Durgapur, will hold additional charge of the Diocese of Calcutta till a new Bishop takes charge, a CNI Synod team member told newsmen. A commissary is delegated by a superior (moderator) to execute a duty or an office. The CNI Synod team consisted of Jayant Agrawal and Suresh C Jacob from Delhi along with Bishop of Barrackpore, Rt Rev Paritosh Canning as the observer to the process of Rev Dutta taking over as the Moderator's Commissary. The Diocese of Calcutta has 29 churches under it. There are three other Diocese in West Bengal. The Diocese of Calcutta, CNI, had been set up in 1813 as part of the Church of England.
Ayush varsity in Haryana to be ready soon
Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij today said the work of setting up Shri Krishna Ayush University at Kurukshetra is in full swing and Rs 2.98 crore has already been sanctioned for its boundary wall. Vij said instructions have been given to start the construction of the university and develop infrastructure as soon as possible. The educational institution would be a perfect combination of modernity and antiquity, the minister said. It would provide post graduation courses in Aayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Sidhha and Homeopathy to make the youth of Haryana aware about the ancient and alternate medical system. Vice Chancellor of University Baldev Kumar said the university is being set up in 100 acres of land in Fattupur village of Kurukshetra. The construction work would start soon after completing all necessary formalities, he added.
Pope silent on claim he ignored abuse
Pope Francis has declined to comment on a growing scandal after a former Vatican official claimed the pontiff ignored sexual abuse allegations against a senior clergyman and called on him to resign. Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, a former Vatican envoy to the United States, said he had told Francis of the claims against prominent US cardinal Theodore McCarrick in 2013. But rather than punish McCarrick, who was forced to resign last month, Vigano said Francis had lifted sanctions imposed on him by his predecessor Pope Benedict XVI. "Corruption has reached the very top of the Church's hierarchy," Vigano said in an eleven-page letter published on Saturday in the National Catholic Register and several conservative US Catholic publications. But the pope refused to address the allegation yesterday. "I will not say a word about that. I think that the communique speaks for itself," Francis said on his plane as he flew back from Dublin to Rome. The timing of the letter's release -- right in ...
Nothing sacred: Russian spies tried hacking Orthodox clergy
The Russian hackers indicted by the US special prosecutor last month have spent years trying to steal the private correspondence of some of the world's most senior Orthodox Christian figures, The Associated Press has found, illustrating the high stakes as Kiev and Moscow wrestle over the religious future of Ukraine. The targets included top aides to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, who often is described as the first among equals of the world's Eastern Orthodox Christian leaders. The Istanbul-based patriarch is currently mulling whether to accept a Ukrainian bid to tear that country's church from its association with Russia, a potential split fueled by the armed conflict between Ukrainian military forces and Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine. The AP's evidence comes from a hit list of 4,700 email addresses supplied last year by Secureworks, a subsidiary of Dell Technologies. The AP has been mining the data for months, uncovering how a group of Russian hackers widely ...
Catholic priest says life in danger for criticizing Duterte
A Roman Catholic priest who was one of the earliest critics of the Philippine president's deadly crackdown on drugs has gone into hiding due to what he says were signs he's being targeted by motorcycle-riding hitmen. The Rev. Amado Picardal said Monday that he has gone into a "more secure location" and out of the public view after workers in a Catholic monastery that he visits in central Cebu city reported seeing motorcycle-riding men watching the compound, including a pair who asked for his whereabouts. Picardal, who has helped document alleged extrajudicial killings under Duterte's campaign when Duterte was still a city mayor, says he will continue criticizing the killings and is willing to testify if asked by the International Criminal Court, where a complaint against Duterte is being examined.
Letter: Vatican knew about disgraced archbishop's behaviour
The Vatican's retired ambassador to the United States accused senior Vatican officials of knowing as early as 2000 that the disgraced former archbishop of Washington, Theodore McCarrick, regularly invited seminarians into his bed but was made a cardinal regardless. The letter, an extraordinary allegation from a one-time Holy See diplomat, also accuses Pope Francis of knowing about McCarrick's behavior in 2013 but rehabilitating him a claim of cover-up against the pontiff himself. The National Catholic Register and another conservative site, LifeSiteNews, published the letter attributed to Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano on Sunday as the pope wrapped up a two-day visit to Ireland dominated by the clerical sex abuse scandal. Vigano, 77, a conservative whose hard-line anti-gay views are well known, urged the reformist pope to resign over the issue and what he called the "conspiracy of silence" about McCarrick. He and the pope have long been on opposite ideological sides, with the pope ...
Pope 'begs for God's forgiveness' for sexual abuse scandal
Pope Francis "begged for God's forgiveness" today for multiple abuse scandals within the Irish church but faced accusations by a former Vatican official that he had personally ignored allegations against senior clergy. In front of 45,000 supporters at the rain-soaked Knock shrine in the west of Ireland, the pope sought forgiveness over the "open wound" of the church's sexual abuse scandal and demanded "firm and decisive" measures to find "truth and justice". At a later Mass to tens of thousands of flag-waving worshippers at Dublin's Phoenix Park, the showpiece event of the two-day visit to the former Catholic stronghold, he also confessed to other abuses by the Irish church, including at its so-called "mother and baby" homes. But in the city centre around 5,000 abuse victims and their supporters braved the weather to attend the "Stand for Truth" rally. A woman dressed as a nun, with fake blood on her hands, and a man handing out homemade placards reading "the church protects ...
Kerala floods due to slaughtering of cows in open: BJP MLA
Known for making controversial remarks, Vijayapura's BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal has kicked up a fresh row by saying the devastating floods in Kerala occurred because of slaughtering of cows in the open. "In Kerala, people openly slaughter cows. What happened? Within a year, a situation like this (flood) arose. Whoever hurts the Hindu religious beliefs will face such consequences," he told reporters on the sidelines of a function at Vijayapura yesterday. The BJP MLA was apparently referring to an incident in Kerala last year, where a group of men slaughtered a cow in the open, triggering a controversy. Yatnal said Hindus had sentiments attached to cows and that nobody should hurt others' religious beliefs. He added that if the BJP came to power in Karnataka, cow slaughter will be stopped. Known for making controversial statements, the BJP MLA had last month said if he was the home minister, he would have the intellectuals shot dead as they worked for the human rights of ...
Funds will come for Kerala's re-building: CM
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday expressed confidence that funds to rebuild Kerala is not going to be a problem.
V-P, PM greet people on Raksha Bandhan
Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi today hosted several girls and women at their residences here who turned up to tie 'rakhi' to the two leaders. Both Naidu and Modi shared pictures of women tying the sacred thread on their wrists. The Vice President said 'Raksha Bandan' is a symbol of care and protection, and a celebration of solidarity, unity and humanism. He was addressing more than 100 schoolchildren from various schools in Delhi who came to his residence to tie 'rakhi'. In his monthly 'Mann ki Baat' radio address, the prime minister this morning said there are innumerable accounts of this sacred thread, binding together people of distant lands and different religions.
'Rakshya Bandhan' celebrated with fervor in Nepal
Brothers and sisters in Nepal on Sunday celebrated the festival of Rakshya Bandhan (as it is called in the country), by tying 'rakhi' and praying for the longer lives of their respective brothers."This day is special for all the brothers and sisters. The Bhaitika (of Tihar) and this Rakshya Bandhan both have importance. The festival of Bhaitika is only confined to between the limited number of brothers and it's not easy to get out of the home and we also can get out of the house and meet other brothers out of the kin," Bhumika Timilsina, who came to Pashupatinath Temple to tie rakhi to her brothers told ANI.Rakshya Bandhan is regarded as the festival to strengthen the relations between a brother and a sister. This festival's name has been derived from two words "Rakshya" and "Bandhan", which means the brother promises for the protection of his sister and the tying of the string on the wrist, bolsters the relations between the siblings.The people of Nepal are also celebrating the ...
Andhra policeman's body taken out of canal
The body of a police sub-inspector who was washed away in a canal in Andhra Pradesh's Krishna district was retrieved on Sunday, police said.
Pope to hold giant mass in Dublin as abuse victims rally
Pope Francis will visit an Irish shrine and hold a giant mass in Dublin today as he wraps up a visit overshadowed by abuse scandals and cover-ups in the Catholic Church. Francis is due to speak in front of some 500,000 faithful in Phoenix Park, as abuse victims and their supporters gather in a "Stand for Truth" rally in the city centre to demand justice. Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar yesterday urged the pope to take action against abuses and ensure justice for victims worldwide, while Francis admitted the Church's "failure". Francis said inaction over "these repellent crimes has rightly given rise to outrage, and remains a source of pain and shame for the Catholic community. I myself share those sentiments". Francis yesterday also met eight victims, including a woman assaulted by a priest when she was in hospital aged 13 and a man who was illegally adopted because his mother was unmarried. In a strongly-worded speech at the start of the pope's visit, Varadkar said the abuses in ...
Pope Francis condemns child abuse in Catholic church
During his visit to Ireland, Pope Francis spoke on the issue of child abuse in the Catholic Church and said that he shared the sentiments that led to an outrage over the 'appalling crimes'.However, the Pope did not mention the current scandal raging over a US grand jury report documenting at least 1,000 cases of pedophilia, involving the clergy, CNN reported.While speaking to a hall in Dublin Castle in the presence of political, religious dignitaries and foreign diplomats, he said, "The failure of ecclesiastical authorities -- bishops, religious superiors, priests and others -- adequately to address these appalling crimes has rightly given rise to outrage and remains a source of pain and shame for the Catholic community. I myself share those sentiments."Ahead of Pope Francis' address, Ireland Prime Minister Leo Varadkar criticised revelations of current abuse from Pennsylvania."In recent weeks, we have all listened to heartbreaking stories from Pennsylvania of brutal crimes ...
International Centre for Sikh Studies to open in India
An ambitious international centre will be established in India to impart knowledge and awareness about the Sikh faith to students and other communities around the world, amid rise in hate crimes against people of the minority community around the globe. The sprawling International Centre for Sikh Studies is being built at New Delhi's Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib Complex, and will be inaugurated on Baisakhi day in 2019. The Centre is an initiative of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) under the leadership of its President Manjit Singh GK. Indian-American hotelier Sant Singh Chatwal has made a huge contribution to the project. Amid an increase in hate crimes against Sikhs around the world, the Centre will play a pivotal role in explaining the Sikh religion and its universal message of humanity and equality, Chatwal told reporters here yesterday. He said Sikhs around the world are facing hate crimes and are misidentified because of their articles of faith. Chatwal said the
SGPC rejects Justice Ranjit Singh Commission's report on sacrilege cases
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) today rejected a report prepared by the Justice (retd) Ranjit Singh Commission which probed the sacrilege incidents. The apex religious body of Sikhs demanded fresh probe by the sitting judge of the Supreme Court to find the truth behind sacrilege of religious texts. In a meeting here, the executive committee of the SGPC, led by its president Gobind Singh Longowal, passed a resolution to reject the Commission's report. The SGPC chief also accused the Commission of fabricating the evidences while preparing the report. He further accused Justice (retd) Ranjit Singh of being the state government's "puppet". Longowal condemned the state government for allegedly storing the torn pages of the Guru Granth Sahib in 'Malkhana' (official custody), saying it is disrespect to the holy book.
UAE lauds Saudi Arabia for 'successful' Haj season
Dubai, Aug 25 (IANS/WAM) The United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Saturday congratulated Saudi Arabia on the successful completion of this year's Haj season -- the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina.
Pope says he shares outrage over clergy abuse cover-up
Pope Francis said at the start of a visit to Ireland today that he shares the outrage of rank-and-file Catholics over the failure of church authorities to punish the "repugnant crimes" of priests who raped and molested children. Seeking to respond to a global outcry over the abuse scandal, Francis cited measures taken by his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, to respond to the crisis. But Benedict never acknowledged the Vatican's role in fueling a culture of cover-up, and Francis provided no new details of any measures he would take to sanction bishops who fail to protect their flocks. "The failure of ecclesial authorities bishops, religious superiors, priests and others to adequately address these repugnant crimes has rightly given rise to outrage, and remains a source of pain and shame for the Catholic community. I myself share these sentiments," the pope said in a speech to government and civil authorities at Dublin Castle. Adding to his prepared remarks, Francis said he was ...