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In a country ravaged by war, forgiveness is the contribution Christians can offer to a society divided along ethnic lines and rivalries. A missionary in South Sudan shares a couple of stories on how his teaching brought about pardon, mutual acceptance and peace.
A Comboni community is inserted in the troubled city of Tumaco, in the western part of Colombia, where the impact of armed conflict is deeply felt. It provides pastoral care to the black population. One of the missionaries recounts his mission experience of living in the area for the past five years.
The theory of “just war” was intended to promote peace and set very strict conditions for a war to be considered just. Unfortunately, it has been used to endorse rather than prevent or limit war. Christian thinkers are putting it into question and calling for a new teaching on nonviolence.
After four decades of one-child policy in China, 400 million pregnancies have been terminated, men now outnumber women and the old are becoming more numerous than the young. Recently, a two-child policy has been put in place to correct these effects but it remains to be seen if balance and harmony will ever be restored.
One of the two Christian nations in Asia, it is no wonder Christmas is the biggest holiday in the Philippines. Get to see how Filipinos celebrate Christmas through the eyes of two young fathers.
Looking at the situation of families in the Philippines, Bishop Gilbert Garcera draws valid teachings from Amoris Laetitia that offer some responses in dealing with family issues. Parishes, dioceses and pastoral agents are encouraged to implement programs for families, as proposed by the papal document.
Home to Christians and Muslims, the southern island of Mindanao in the Philippines has been beset by religious conflicts. Hand-in-hand, people of both faiths continue to strive to work for peace, despite glaring differences, like links in a diverse chain.
Last July, Muslims attended Sunday Mass across France to show solidarity in denouncing the killing of an elderly priest in a church by two terrorists. The interfaith celebration signaled the need for sharing and prayer between believers of both religions as a way to defeat fundamentalism and violence.
The meeting of Pope Francis with the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar University in mid-year highlighted a continuity of efforts among different faiths to counter terrorism and promote peace in the world. Collaboration between religions is a necessary condition for the good of humanity.
Fr. Sebastian Vazhakala is considered the co-founder of the contemplative branch of the Missionaries of Charity, the priestly branch of Mother Teresa’s congregation. His life, destined for a banking career, made an about-face after his encounter with the great nun. Below is his story, in his own words.
