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Category: World Touch

Leading The World In Women Religious

In Asia, India recorded an increase of 9,398 Women Religious during 2002-2007 while Vietnam added 2,545 more nuns. South Korea and the Philippines increased by about 500. Three Kerala-based congregations and Blessed Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity were among those showing an upward trend in worldwide scenario.  Upward trend was noticed all across Africa: Tanzania and the Congo increased by around 1,500 while Nigeria, Madagascar, Kenya and Angola added 500 to 800 more nuns. The Middle East and the Caribbean also have added more nuns. Women Religious have increased in 99 nations since 2000, according to the analysis. Unfortunately, their gains are not yet quite enough to offset the 4.6% decline among Women Religious worldwide during 2002-2007. Most losers are the Western nations. For example, Italy had 11,156 less nuns during 2002-2007. The United States came second, losing 10,454 nuns during the period. All together, there are about 750,000 Women Religious serving around the world, or approximately one nun for every 9,000 people. 

WM

Illegal Weapons Are A Plague In Mindanao

The climate of violence, lawlessness and impunity makes life difficult for the people of Mindanao. The incident of kidnapping and barbaric execution of 57 people in the province of Maguindanao has gained the attention of the international press. Philippine President Gloria Arroyo declared Martial Law (lifted after eight days) in the southern provinces of Maguindanao, Sultan Kudarat, and Cotabato City allegedly to prevent further violence among the clans (especially among the Mangudadatu and Ampatuan, long-time rivals). Thousands of soldiers have been deployed and the Government has assured that they will make “every effort to punish those responsible with utmost rigor.”  But the issue is upstream, according to Fr. Eliseo Mercado of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, Professor at Notre Dame of Cotabato and well-informed on the area of Mindanao: “There is no doubt that the proliferation of illegal small arms in southern Philippines is the main problem, which contributes to an increase in the number of wounded and dead, to human rights violations, and to fueling the war between rival gangs.”  The point is that even the civilians have begun to arm themselves to defend themselves from the violence that abounds. It is estimated that over 1.1 million illegal weapons without license are in circulation in the Philippines, a large majority of the percentage being in the South. In addition, there are 1.8 million legally held weapons in the entire nation. According to data from the police, 97% of crimes recorded between 2004 and 2008 were committed using illegal weapons. “It’s a phenomenon that helps to create instability and deteriorates peace and public order,” notes Fr. Mercado.  Recently, the government issued an “amnesty” in which the owners of illegal weapons that had them registered would not incur penalties. But the results were not satisfactory, indicating that most of the weapons are in the hands of criminal gangs. “This is an important issue that the new legislators and the new government (elections are in 2010) must urgently address,” notes the missionary. “It is the future and social peace in Mindanao.”  The world’s biggest exporter of small arms is the United States, from whence come the vast majority of the weapons found in the Philippines. Recently, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton publicly declared that its government will work to stop the proliferation of small arms in the world. “It is a position we welcome, hoping that it could affect the plight of the Southern Philippines,” said Father Mercado.  

www.fides.org

Three-Quarters Of The Hungry Are Rural Poor

Lodesani said three-quarters of the more than one billion hungry people in the world are poor farmers, a vulnerable population that will bear the brunt of the consequences of global warming through catastrophes like drought and flooding. “We are already seeing the impact of climate change on food production patterns. We know there are poor areas of the world that will become poorer through lack of rainfall. Desertification is already happening,” he warned. “We have to address this now, through specific measures,” said the expert, who previously coordinated emergency food aid plans in countries like Sudan and Ivory Coast. The WFP report titled Climate Change and Hunger: Responding to the Challenge says that “by 2050, the number of people at risk of hunger as a result of climate change is expected to increase by 10 to 20% more than would be expected without climate change.” Lodesani emphasized the need for specific programs to encourage sustainable development, through “the use of land resources to produce food” without further harming the environment. With respect to biofuels, produced by Brazil and other countries, the WFP official’s view is that they reduce environmental pollution, but that further research on their disadvantages is needed. Biofuels, such as ethanol and biodiesel, are derived from crops like sugarcane and vegetable oils and, therefore, take up agricultural land. Lodesani stressed that growing plants for biofuels must not displace food crops, “especially since world population will be over nine billion in 40 years’ time.” Population growth is another challenge to be faced “when over one billion people already lack access to enough food to meet the nutritional recommendations of international bodies like the World Health Organization,” Lodesani said. When global population reaches over nine billion in 2050, it will be even more difficult to meet nutritional needs, creating a new vicious circle of poverty to be solved, he warned. “Three-quarters of the more than one billion people who are hungry today are poor farmers. This means they don’t have enough food to live a normal life, and above all a productive life, while they are the very people who are relied on to produce food,” he added. In recent years, the WFP has made it a top priority to buy food from developing countries for its aid programs. Lodesani said that, in the last three years, WFP food purchases from developing countries amounted to 80% of the total outlay of close to 2.9 billion dollars. In 2008 alone, 427 million dollars were spent in African countries, out of a total of 1.4 billion dollars. “WFP’s policy is to buy food as close to where it is needed as possible. We used to buy it through the regular markets, which is a good thing, but they don’t always benefit poor small-scale producers,” he said, referring to a new WFP program called Purchase for Progress. This program aims to give poor farmers access to a market for their surplus produce, providing them with more income while guaranteeing the subsistence needs of

www.ipsnews.net

Kung Fu Monks Become A Money-Making Brand

According to available details, the monastery does not form part of future joint ventures and its abbot, Shi Yongxin, has been kept in the dark regarding negotiations. However, many Buddhist faithful in the area have accused him of being the true promoter of the initiative: the expensive tastes of the abbot are well known; at the beginning of 2009, he “accepted” a garment woven with gold worth 160,000 yuan [15,500 euros] from a private firm.  According to Bejing News, rights of entry into the monastery and the exploitation of suggestive scenarios of Mount Song – where the religious site is located – are around 49 million yuan [approximately 5 million euros]. The government of Dengfeng is entitled to 49% of the total. The deal, however, seems to be decreasing: last year, in admission tickets alone, the monastery grossed 10 million euros.  However, the deal has not gone unnoticed in atheist China: the Shaolin monastery, 1,500 years old, is considered a place of national interest and, therefore, should not enrich anyone in particular. Home and birthplace of kung fu and Zen Buddhism, it has evolved into a tourist attraction and movie set. Its turnover includes even the production of medicines, apart from the famous monks who often travel around the world giving performances of their martial art.  Many believe that the abbot, Shi, is behind this mutation of the monastery, from a place of prayer to an amusement park. He hit headlines after accepting some 20,000 euros from businessmen who sought his blessing, and an ultra-luxury SUV, worth 100,000 euros, given to him by the local government for his contribution to the local economy.  For his part, the cleric denies all the charges. After 11 months of controversy, he returned the robe of gold (but not the SUV). In an interview with Hunan TV, he said he has no intention of selling off the monastery which “houses a priceless cultural heritage.”  

www.asianews.it and Agencies

Church Fails To Follow Population Growth

The statistics do not distinguish between the government-approved and “underground” Church communities. The report states that figures for the latter may not be entirely accurate due to the difficulties involved in getting information. The FICS spent three months gathering information through e-mails, phone calls, faxes and personal interviews. The report says there are now 628 seminarians studying in 10 major seminaries plus another 630 in 30 minor seminaries. There are a total of 5,451 nuns from 106 congregations, and only 350 Religious men. The survey also lists more than 400 Church-run organizations, including schools, research institutes, publishing houses, medical facilities and homes for the aged and orphans. A Church observer, using the pen name “Dade,” says the survey shows how small the number of Catholics still is compared to China’s 1.3 billion people. He says the Church needs to evangelize more for its overall development. Dade, whose views were posted on the website of Hebei Faith Press, noted that there were more than 3 million Catholics out of a 500-million-strong population in 1949, when the Communists took power. Over a span of 60 years, the number of Catholics has not even doubled, he said. Dade added that Church communities had not made evangelization a priority over the decades, but had instead engaged in disputes, thus missing opportunities for growth. However, statistics compiled by Hong Kong diocese’s Holy Spirit Study Centre (HSSC) in 2008 show a marked difference from FICS’ figures. HSSC puts the number of mainland Catholics at about 12 million last year, more than double the figure given by FICS. Anthony Lam Sui-ki, HSSC’s senior researcher, said his institute began collecting data from mainland dioceses in 1988, and there has always been a marked difference between its figures and the mainland Church’s official figures.    

www.ucanews.com

Tallest Skyscraper In The World

Recently, Abu Dhabi came to the rescue of Dubai with over 10 billion dollars to cover part of the debts it had accumulated. Inaugurating the building, Sheikh Mohammed of Dubai, said: “This great project deserves to bear the name of a great man. Today I inaugurate the Burj Khalifa.”  The new tower, with its 160 floors, is home to 1,044 luxury apartments, 49 floors of office space and an Armani hotel of 160 rooms, a mosque (on the 158th fl), and the highest swimming pool (76th fl) in the planet. The project was started in 2004, by 12 thousand workers. Built in record time, it represents the dream of Dubai in wanting to be a cosmopolitan metropolis and a world financial centre of luxury and wealth. Its opening in the midst of a global economic crisis is bringing losses to all investors, given that the value of their properties in Dubai has fallen by up to 50%.  Mohammed Alabbar, head of Emaar, the company responsible for the Burj, says that the building brings “hope and optimism.” “I hope that this is the beginning of a gradual move forward [beyond the crisis].” But many think that, with the ongoing crisis and the global problems of climate change, the Burj is just a monument to excess and waste.     

www.asianews.it and Agencies

Megacities

In 1950, only 14.5% of the population in sub-Saharan Africa lived in the city. In 1980, this percentage increased to 28% and in 1990 to 34%. It is expected that, by 2020, 50% of the population in sub-Saharan Africa will be urbanized and in 2025, this figure will be at 60%. In 1960, Johannesburg was the only city in sub-Saharan Africa with a population of over one million inhabitants. In 1970, there were 4 cities with over one million inhabitants: Cape Town, Johannesburg (both in South Africa), Kinshasa (in the then Zaire, now Democratic Republic of the Congo), and Lagos (Nigeria).  In the late 80s, Abidjan (Ivory Coast, Accra (Ghana), Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), Dakar (Senegal), Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), Durban (South Africa), East Rand (South Africa, is now part of the vast metropolitan area of Johannesburg), Harare (Zimbabwe), Ibadan (Nigeria), Khartoum (Sudan), Luanda (Angola) and Nairobi (Kenya) joined the list. In 2010, it is estimated that at least 33 African cities have a population of over 1 million inhabitants.  In 2015, it is estimated that Lagos will have 23 million people, becoming the third megalopolis of the world after Tokyo and Bombay. The capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kinshasa, which in 1940 had a population of 50,000 inhabitants, has now become the 23rd most populous city in the world, with 10 million inhabitants.  Even smaller cities are rapidly expanding. In Kenya, for example, in 1962 there were 34 cities. In 1999, there were 177. In Malawi, the percentage of urban population has grown from 5% in 1960 to 13% in 1995. Seventy-five percent of the urban population resides in the major cities of Blantyre, Lilongwe, Mzuzu, and Zomba. The growth rate of urban population is 5.6% per year.    

www.fides.org

A Continent Increasingly Urbanized

This development will have dramatic consequences, particularly because – according to data from UN-Habitat, a United Nations agency based in Nairobi, Kenya which deals with urban settlements – currently, two thirds of Africa’s population lives in urban slums or at least in “informal” conditions, without running water, sewerage, transport systems and adequate sanitation. The agency predicts that, by 2030, the African population will mainly live in urban settings rather than in the countryside. Therefore, there must be a serious prospect of living offered to young people in slums who are uprooted from traditional African culture and likely to fall into the temptation of crime or even terrorism. The rapid and chaotic urbanization is creating serious environmental hazards with serious consequences on the health of the inhabitants of the most disadvantaged neighborhoods. Among the risk factors, we can count contaminated water, lack of sanitation, air pollution, and the proliferation of disease-carrying insects. These problems are exacerbated by the use of chemicals in agriculture and industry. In addition to the diseases that have traditionally affected the African people (tuberculosis, AIDS or malaria), other diseases typical of industrialized countries such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and asthma are also spreading, as a result of pollution.  From the standpoint of urban development, it should be noted that a large number of African cities were developed in colonial times as administrative centers and for trade, not as modern industrial and services centers designed to accommodate a large population. Consequently, several African cities have a structure based on a center with neighborhoods for the wealthy, for businesses, and for the government, surrounded by slums. This presents a challenge for the Church and mission in Africa, where there have long been examples of missionary witness in the world’s poorest slums, like those in Nairobi.  

www.fides.org

Stamp For Mother Teresa

Her humility and compassion, as well as her respect for the innate worth and dignity of humankind, inspired people of all ages and backgrounds to work on behalf of the world’s poorest populations. Mother Teresa died in Calcutta in 1997, and is buried there. She had been a citizen of India since 1948.  In 1996, President Bill Clinton and the U.S. Congress awarded Mother Teresa honorary American citizenship. The honor has only been bestowed on five others: Winston Churchill received it in 1963, Raoul Wallenberg in 1981, William Penn and Hannah Callowhill Penn in 1984, and the Marquis de Lafayette in 2002. The stamp features a portrait of Mother Teresa painted by award-winning artist Thomas Blackshear II of Colorado Springs.  

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Treasures Of Secret Archives Revealed

High-quality reproductions of 105 documents, 19 of which have never been seen before in public, have been published in a book. The Vatican Secret Archives features a papal letter to Hitler, an entreaty to Rome written on birch bark by a tribe of North American Indians, and a plea from Mary Queen of Scots.  The book documents the Catholic Church’s often hostile dealings with the world of science and of arts, including documents from the heresy trial against Galileo and correspondence exchanged with Erasmus, Voltaire and Mozart.  In a letter dated 1246 from Grand Khan Güyük to Pope Innocent IV, Genghis Khan’s grandson demands that the pontiff travel to central Asia in person – with all of his “kings” in tow – to “pay service and homage to us” as an act of “submission,” threatening that otherwise “you shall be our enemy.” The book also includes letters written to Hitler by Pope Pius XI in 1934 and one received by his controversial successor, Pius XII, from Japan’s Emperor Hirohito.  “An aura of mystery has always surrounded this important cultural institution of the Holy See due to the allusions to inaccessible secrets,” Cardinal Raffaele Farina, a Vatican archivist, writes in the preface to the book, which was produced by a Belgian publisher. Although scholars have had access to the archives since 1881, they remain closed to the public.   

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