Category: World Touch

America’s First Refugees

In the dream, Warner climbs on to the roof of her small house. As the waters rise, she swims for higher ground: the village school which sits on 20-foot pilings. Even that isn’t high enough. By the time Warner wakes, she is clinging to the roof of the school, desperate to be saved. Warner’s vision is not far removed from a reality written by climate change. The people of Newtok, on the west coast of Alaska and about 400 miles south of the Bering Strait that separates the state from Russia, are living a slow-motion disaster that will end, very possibly within the next five years, with the entire village being washed away. The Ninglick River coils around Newtok on three sides before emptying into the Bering Sea. It has steadily been eating away at the land, carrying off 100ft or more some years, in a process moving at unusual speed because of climate change. Eventually, all of the villagers will have to leave, becoming America’s first climate change refugees. It is not a label or a future embraced by people living in Newtok. Yup’ik Eskimo have been fishing and hunting by the shores of the Bering Sea for centuries and the villagers reject the notion they will now be forced to run in chaos from ancestral lands. But exile is undeniable. A report by the US Army Corps of Engineers predicted that the highest point in the village – the school of Warner’s nightmare – could be underwater by 2017. If Newtok cannot move its people to a new site in time, the village will disappear. A community of 350 people, nearly all related to some degree and all intimately connected to the land, will cease to exist, its inhabitants scattered to the villages and towns of western Alaska, Anchorage and beyond. It’s a choice confronting more than 180 native communities in Alaska, which are flooding and losing land because of the ice melt that is part of the changing climate. While some dispute the overwhelming scientific view that climate change is caused primarily by human activities, there is little argument in Alaska about its effects.

www.guardian.co.uk

No More Broken Promises

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization conference, that took place in Rome, brought together national representatives committed to fighting hunger in the world. This is a subject that is especially close to the Argentinean Pope’s heart. On World Environment Day, recently, the Pope warned: “The food we throw away is as if stolen from the table of the poor, the hungry!” In his address, Francis did not limit himself to platitudes but invited the international community to take its responsibilities seriously: “This, I believe, is the significance of our meeting today: to share the idea that something more can and must be done in order to provide a new stimulus to international activity on behalf of the poor, inspired by something more than mere goodwill or, worse, promises which all too often have not been kept. Nor can the current global crisis continue to be used as an alibi. The crisis will not be completely over until situations and living conditions are examined in terms of the human person and human dignity,” the Pope said. In the speech he gave in Spanish, the Pope denounced the “scandalous” situation today, in which current levels of production are sufficient… to enable everyone to benefit from the fruits of the earth, and not simply to close the gap between the affluent and those who must be satisfied with the crumbs falling from the table but, above all, to satisfy the demands of justice, fairness and respect for every human being,” Francis recalled. The Pope also stressed his condemnation of “financial speculation,” as a factor which causes food prices to shoot through the roof “treating it like any other merchandise and overlooking its primary function.” This is an issue Benedict XVI had also addressed often during his pontificate. “What is demanded of FAO, its Member States, and every institution of the international community, is openness of heart. There is a need to move beyond indifference or a tendency to look the other way, and urgently attend to the immediate needs, confident that the fruits of today’s work will mature in the future,” the Pope added. The Vatican’s Permanent Observer to FAO, stressed the importance of the organization’s programs, especially at the difficult economic situation the world is currently facing. Member States have the duty to continue providing FAO with the resources it needs, showing solidarity that is proportionate to the abilities and needs of each country.

www.vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/ Alessandro Speciale

Mindanao Group Wins Top Peace Award

“The dedicated efforts of the members of the Movement have not only advanced the process towards lasting peace in their communities, but have also inspired many people around the world with an example of true dialogue based on spirituality,” the award-giving body said in a statement. D’Ambra said the Award is a “recognition” of the organization’s concerted efforts to help end the patchwork of conflicts in the southern Philippine island of Mindanao involving Islamic and Communist rebels over the past 30 years. Started with a group of Muslim and Christian friends, D’Ambra has seen the Movement’s peace-building and dialogue activities grow steadily. It is also involved in sustainable agriculture, environmental advocacy and holistic healthcare. Silsilah, an Arabic word which means ‘chain’ or ‘link,’ implies “spritual linkage of humanity as created by the same God,” said D’Ambra. The organization will receive the Award at a ceremony to be held during this year’s Goi Peace Foundation Forum in Tokyo in November.

www.philippines.ucanews.com

The Light Of Faith: The Two Popes’ Encyclical

Thumbing through the pages, however, it is evident in the text – a relatively short text, 91 pages composed of 58 paragraphs – that the dominant hand is that of the German pontiff. And not just because the encyclical on faith concludes the triptych on the theological virtues starting with Deus Caritas Est on charity and followed by Spe Salvi on hope. The layout of the text, the frequent references to philosophers and live debates in the German culture of the ’60s, the insistence on some issues, and even the comparison between faith and Gothic cathedrals, where “the light comes from the sky through the windows where it represents the sacred history,” all testify that Pope Francis has decided to respect and accept the work of his predecessor. Francis explicitly expresses in paragraph 7 of the Encyclical: “These considerations on faith – in continuity with all that the Church’s magisterium has pronounced on this theological virtue – are meant to supplement what Benedict XVI had written in his encyclical letters on charity and hope. He himself had almost completed the first draft of an encyclical on faith. For this, I am deeply grateful to him and, as his brother in Christ, I have taken up his fine work and added a few contributions of my own.” The title of the Encyclical, Lumen Fidei (The Light of Faith) summarizes the fundamental dynamic which moves in line with the text: the tradition of the Church has always associated faith being the light that dispels the darkness and illuminates the path. “In modernity, that light might have been considered sufficient for societies of old, but was felt to be of no use for new times, for a humanity that has come of age, proud of its rationality and anxious to explore the future in novel ways. Faith thus appeared to some as an illusory light, preventing mankind from boldly setting out in quest of knowledge.” The text cites Nietzsche, one of the constant reference points – even if negative – of Ratzinger’s thought, for which “belief would be incompatible with seeking. But in recent decades,” he adds, “it was discovered that the light of autonomous reason is not enough to illumine the future. As a result, humanity renounced the search for a great light, Truth itself, in order to be content with smaller lights which illumine the fleeting moment. For this, in today’s world, “there is an urgent need, then, to see once again that faith is a light,” discovering that only the light that comes from believing in God is “capable of illuminating every aspect of human existence.” The road to the discovery of this bright character of faith happens naturally with the encounter with Christ and by His love. “Transformed by this love, we gain fresh vision, new eyes to see; we realize that it contains a great promise of fulfillment and that a vision of the future opens up before us.” After the introduction, the Encyclical, in four chapters, traces

www.vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/ Alessandro Speciale; www.religionnews.com/ Michael J. O'Loughlin

Pope Benedict Resigns

After the first reactions of disbelief, there was no possible doubt about it. Pope Benedict had announced his resignation as the Bishop of Rome and, therefore, as Pope. He did so in strict adherence to what is clearly established by Church Law (CIC 332) which explicitly makes provision for the eventual resignation: to be valid, it must be done personally, in complete freedom, and it must be made manifest. There is no need for anybody to formally accept it. Pope Benedict also included in his declaration the day – 28 February, and the hour – 20:00, Rome time, when his mandate as Pope would cease. He also declared that he reached such decision after much reflection and prayer, and following his own conscience. He was sure that the step he was taking was ‘according to God’s will’ and that it was ‘for the good of the Church.’ After 28 February, he would continue to serve the Church dedicating his life to prayer, since his age and his health no longer allowed him to continue to serve in the government of ‘the boat of Peter.’ He himself had mentioned that possibility a couple of years ago. It was in the ‘interview book,’ Light of the World (Vatican 2010), which he did with journalist Peter Seewald. I quote freely: ‘If a Pope sees that he is no longer capable, physically, psychologically or spiritually of continuing to carry on with the duties of his service, then he has the right, and in certain circumstances, even the duty to resign.’ Of course, we all thought it was merely a theoretical hypothesis. Clearly it wasn’t so! In 2009, he had made an interesting pilgrimage to the tomb of a saintly pope of the thirteenth century: Celestine V, in the Italian city of L’Acquila. On the tomb of Saint Celestine V, Benedict placed a Pallium, just like the one which he himself always wears as bishop of Rome. It may have been just a coincidence, but Pope Celestine V was the one who resigned from the papacy just a few months after his election. He did so, on 13 December 1294, in front of the assembled cardinals. Resignation by a Pope is an extremely rare event. Apart from some instances, which are discussed by historians, the other pope who is known to have resigned peacefully was Pope Pontian, who resigned in the year 235 when he was condemned to forced labor in the mines of the island of Sardinia, together with the priest Hippolytus. Pope Anterus was then elected as his successor. Benedict XVI leaves the helm of the boat of Peter but he will certainly continue to sustain the new pope and the whole Church with his prayer and with the tremendous witness of humility, faith and courage, in a blend that our Church had not seen for many centuries.

Fr. Fernando Domingues, MCCJ

Sea Burials

Officials across China are selling hard the option of a watery grave by offering hefty financial incentives and planting stories in state media – with only marginal success. Many local governments, however, have saved their strongest pitches for the Qingming Festival, when families nationwide take a day off to sweep their ancestors’ graves. In the southern metropolis of Guangzhou, officials recently announced a $160 bonus for families that scatter ashes at sea. In Shanghai, officials upped their offer in the past year from $65 to a more persuasive $320. Topping them all, however, are the coastal cities of Shaoxing and Wenzhou, which are offering $800 and $1,290, respectively, for sea burials. To sweeten the deal, the government often provides transportation, including all–expense–paid boat trips. The official eagerness is fueled by bureaucratic fears of chaos and anger once the country runs out of graves – a certainty in coming years, according to recent studies. To cut down on space, cremation already is required by law in cities, but land shortages have increasingly sparked risky investments for even the small graves in which those ashes are usually interred. The cheapest spots in some of Beijing’s more desirable cemeteries sell for more than $16,000, and Chinese media reports have cited luxury tombs sold for as much as $129,000. With virtually unlimited demand, many come with hefty maintenance fees after an initial 20–year lease and guarantee eviction if they go unpaid. And the problem will only get worse as China’s elderly population increases. In 2011, 9.6 million people died in China. A government report, issued last week, predicts the number will reach 20 million annually by 2025. Most provinces will run out of burial room in the next 10 years, according to the study by the Ministry of Civil Affairs. A few provinces – such as Shanxi, Shandong and Guangdong – have fewer than five years.

www.washingtonpost.com/William Wan

They Fear Home Churches

The names of the people arrested have not been published. According to the chief of police, their activity involves “promoting superstitions and corrupt beliefs during their evening meetings. Mohabat reports that the aim of the news is not only to provoke but also to create alarm, start a sort of witch–hunt in response to a phenomenon which is clearly causing concern among leaders. Awhile back, Ati News which, according to Iranian dissidents is linked to government security agencies, published a report which stated that home churches had been identified in “Islamic” cities such as Qom and Mashhad. Mashhad is a pilgrimage destination for Shiite faithful and is the birthplace of Iran’s supreme leader, Seyyed Ali Khamenei. This detail is naturally aimed at triggering the reader’s indignation. [The report affirms that “these places are rented by church leaders, concerned with young people.”] It goes on to say that “Since everyone knows Christians have religious buildings where they can go and worship, this comes across as a scheme to corrupt and cause division among religions.” According to Iranian Christian sources, the number of arrests of people who convert from Islam to Christianity has gone up in recent years. This has meant that many converts do not have free access to Iran’s official religious buildings which are carefully watched by security services, in order to verify new arrivals. Consequently, Christian converts prefer to meet at home, in small groups, to pray, celebrate, study the Bible and follow catechesis and theology courses. The Internet has definitely played a part in sparking great interest and curiosity among young people for spiritual experiences that are different to those offered by the Ayatollah regime. The rise of home churches is one of the practical effects of this feeling. Over the past years, the regime has been constantly preoccupied by a “wild” Christianity that is out of control.

www.vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/ Marco Tosatti

Shape Of Things To Come

The Pope’s intention appears to be to translate into action the Second Vatican Council’s desire for a realignment of forces within the Church that has remained largely theoretical over the last half–century. So far, most of Pope Francis’ actions have been symbolic of his much less grandiose interpretation of the personal role of the papacy than all recent popes have followed, and he has now given that style of approach some embryonic structural shape. The new team of eight will not meet as such until the autumn, though it is said the Pope began consulting them individually immediately. What is more significant is that they have been carefully chosen so that, virtually, every part of the world is represented and, in most cases, by men who have themselves been selected for leadership positions by their episcopal colleagues. Thus, the European representative is the German Cardinal Reinhard Marx, who is president of the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Community and hence can speak for the Catholic hierarchies of Europe. Similar qualifications – and a similar democratic mandate – apply to most of the others. This shifts the balance of power in the Church in favor of national or regional conferences of bishops. They have hitherto suffered from lack of status as a result of the ruling by the then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, as head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, that episcopal conferences “had no theological significance.” They were mere collections of bishops, and their theological weight was merely the sum of their parts. If they have now been recognized as key components in the Church’s new architecture, that may go a long way to incorporating the idea of episcopal collegiality at the heart of the Church. The Vatican II decree Lumen Gentium declared that the primary responsibility for the government of the Church lay with the college of bishops, with the Pope as its head. Hence, the Curia’s role should be as a civil service answering to the college of bishops headed by the Pope, not to govern the bishops on behalf of the Pope – which has been the pattern so far. This is where putting together a team of eight to advise him, and reforming the Curia, are two parts of the same project. If the team is really the beginning of Cabinet government under a “constitutional papacy,” particularly if the principle of subsidiarity is also to be followed, then the Curia will have to be reshaped and scaled back to provide appropriate structures. Clearly a period of upheaval has begun in Rome, with implications worldwide.

www.thetablet.co.uk/From the editor’s desk, 20 April 2013

Rural Health Services Ill–Equipped

Health Minister Mohamed Mustafa Hamed said that 20% of hospitals in the rural south have no doctors, and that only 40% of necessary medicines are available in government hospitals and clinics. Pharmacy students from Mansura University recently treated 400 patients during a trip to Samanoud, in the Governorate of Gharbia, 126km north of Cairo, the capital. “We discovered that the few clinics that existed in this area were only about the walls and the doors – no medicines and no service at all,” said Aly Kishk, one of the pharmacy students. Kawthar Mahmud, head of the health ministry’s nursing administration, said her ministry was dealing with a shortage of 40,000 nurses in the nation’s hospitals and clinics. The Medical Association says that as many as 230,000 doctors are registered with them, but around 30,000 have left to work in other countries. “There is mass migration of doctors from Egypt because of lack of money and tough work conditions in this country’s hospitals,” said Mohamed Hassan Khalil, head of the Right to Medicine Centre, a local NGO that defends the rights of doctors and patients to better work conditions and services.

www.irinnews.org

Brain Drain Is The Other Face Of The Crisis

Late last year, the World Health Organization said all of the country’s nine psychiatrists and more than half the doctors in Homs had left the country. Clinics run by the Syrian Arab Red Crescent are short of surgeons and other medical experts. As the Syrian conflict entered its third year, the number of refugees surpassed one million. Observers worry the “brain drain” will affect Syria’s long–term future. “These skills are much needed for rebuilding Syria tomorrow,” Nouicer said. While Syria has been affected by the departure of educated people for decades due to lack of economic opportunities and political freedom, the conflict has increased the shortages of doctors, engineers, teachers and lawyers to unprecedented levels. “One of the most alarming features of the conflict has been the use of medical care as a tactic of war,” the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria wrote in a recent report. “Medical personnel and hospitals have been deliberately targeted and are treated by parties to the conflict as military objectives.” Many professionals have had difficulty getting visas to Europe and the Gulf states, and have instead ended up in refugee camps in neighboring countries, where aid agencies are trying to make use of their skills through community mobilization and cash–for–work programs in the camps’ schools and health centers. Others have decided to stay to try to address the needs in their country.

www.irinnews.org

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