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Electronic multinationals are accused of using cobalt from companies employing children, as young as seven years old, working in dangerous conditions. Human rights activists urge these giant corporations to take responsibility over the source of the raw materials for their components.
The Virginia lawyer, governor and senator was picked by Hillary Clinton as her running mate to bring American Catholic voters back to Democrats in the November 8 elections. Is he up to the mission?
The liturgy is rich in signs and symbols that can help not only in catechesis and devotion but in attracting non-believers to the Catholic faith. It is in this regard that liturgy can be inculturated to include the familiar, (i.e. ethnic actions, symbols, etc.) without diluting the Christian meaning and message that the liturgical action wants to convey.
“Inner peace can be reached only when we practice forgiveness. Forgiveness is letting go of the past and is, therefore, the means for correcting our misperceptions.” – Gerald G. Jampolsky, author of Love Is Letting Go of Fear
A papal visit to any country is always considered a blessing. But what took place on the eve of November 29, 2015 in Africa has become a unique event in the history of the Catholic Church. For the first time, a Holy Jubilee began in a place far away from Rome. When Pope Francis flung open the Holy Door of Bangui’s Immaculate Conception Cathedral in the Central African Republic, those present witnessed a sort of “world upside down.” It was the Pontiff himself who stated very clearly that the poor – those in the peripheries like Africa – are at the very center of God’s Kingdom. In effect, the Pontiff has given Africa – more importantly, its poor – the boost and the voice it needs to be noticed by the world.
A heart filled with passion for service to the young has brought Fr. Vicenzo to go beyond peripheries into the “no man’s land” – the dark corners, inhospitable situations of abuse and exploitation – reaching out to the young who have been left to themselves in the rough corners of life.
Much has been said and proposed by governments and international organizations to help curb the effects of climate change. And yet there still seems to be a palpable indifference from industries and even common folk, perhaps because the consequences are not that felt amid the comfort of urban zones. It is the rural folk and the indigenous tribes – the ones who commune with and are closest to nature – who suffer the most.
There is no doubt that music is effective in communicating a message, evoking an emotion, or simply eliciting a response from a listener. That is why Church music is tailored in such a way that it encourages worship. Nowadays, however, there is an ongoing debate between traditional and contemporary liturgical composers and musicians over which kind of music can be considered appropriate in the liturgy. Without losing sight of the Church documents written specifically for this purpose, the Christian contemporary composer must now strike a balance between music which is acceptable and which can attract and sustain not only interest among mass-goers especially in this internet age, but also nurture and increase their faith.
Global violence is growing. While we are not facing the prospect of large-scale wars, there are many deadly conflicts that are killing, wounding, and displacing millions of people around the world. These are ethnic conflicts and religious wars between sects, tribes and indigenous rebels. What possible belief and value is universal enough to appeal to all sides and groups and help to end the conflicts?
Time and again, governments, research institutions, and even media organizations have released statistics about poverty, with the ultimate goal of addressing, if not solving it. However, despite the quantitative and qualitative analysis given by these groups, poverty remains. Is it a matter of definition? Is it measured by the lack of food or material possessions? Is it perpetuated by government inaction? Only when one has understood the true meaning of poverty can one truly begin to deal with it.
