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“Perhaps, in no other country as in the Philippines is the dichotomy between justice and charity so evident – and scandalous, too, considering its often-proclaimed Christianity.”
Catholics are looking for guidance and a larger voice from the Vatican on ethical principles for the world of finance and the environment, according to participants at a Vatican meeting on social justice in a globalized world. Some 200 people involved in social justice issues for the Church gathered for an international conference sponsored by the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. The meeting celebrated the 50th anniversary of Blessed Pope John XXIII’s social encyclical, “Mater et Magistra.”
The independence of southern Sudan, on July 9, is approaching and there is a growing concern for the fate of Christians in northern Sudan. As underlined by Fr. Asfaha Yohannes Weldeghiorghis, Ethiopian Comboni missionary, pastor of Nyala, capital of south Darfur in an interview for Sudan Catholic Radio (SCR), Christians in the North are mostly of southern origin and the support of the Churches of the South are expected. The missionary added that, since the faithful of the two countries have deep human, spiritual and family ties, they have to remain united, just like the Church of the North and South Sudan must remain united after independence, to offer mutual support. Fr. Asfaha also claimed that the Church of the North does not have the same rights of worship as for Muslims, and fears the worst after the independence of South Sudan.
A recent study by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimated global food loss and wastage at 1.3 billion tons a year, which it calls a “major squandering of resources.” The amount of food wasted is shared almost equally between industrialized and developing countries. But while developing country losses are largely the result of pests, diseases, poor storage and inadequate transport for agricultural produce, in richer countries, perfectly edible food is rejected by retailers or thrown away as household waste.
The central African nation of Congo has been called the worst place on earth to be a woman. A new study released by the American Journal of Public Health shows it’s even worse than previously thought: 1,152 women are raped every day, a rate equal to 48 per hour. That rate is 26 times more than the previous estimate of 16,000 rapes reported in one year by the United Nations.
After the conclusion of the second Archdiocesan Synod of Gulu (North Uganda), the Bishop of Lira, Giuseppe Franzelli, noted: “We recall that 100 years ago, in 1911, the first Comboni missionaries arrived here. And thanks to this, there exists a Church that walks together.”
“We are one shock away from a full-blown crisis,” stated Robert Zoellick, the president of the World Bank, at a recent meeting of the Bank and the IMF. He was referring to a critical increase in poverty, resulting from the escalating cost of food. The UN’s food price index has risen 37% since March 2010. Basic cereal prices are up 60% over this period. Wheat is up 63%, and maize 83%. Roughly, 1 million people slide into extreme poverty for each 1% rise in global food prices, the Bank’s analysts calculate.
Recent Muslim-Christian clashes have renewed fears of sectarian conflict in Egypt. But many local analysts – along with wide swathes of the public – believe sectarian tensions are being stoked by elements loyal to the ousted Hosni Mubarak regime in possible coordination with Israel. “Whoever is fanning the flames of sectarian conflict has two objectives: to distract attention from the ongoing prosecution of Mubarak and his henchmen, and to derail what’s being described as the Third Intifadah,” political activist Mugahid Sherara commented.
Hunger is everywhere, we just don’t see it. Most of us are well fed, overfed, some to the point of death. Obesity and diabetes are killers and all because of junk food, bad food, chemical-treated processed food, instant food, TV food, wasted food, too much food. The developed world, throws away enough food, bad as it is, to feed millions of hungry people. We all need to eat fresh, non-processed, home-cooked chemical-free food, less meat, more vegetables and fruits. We will live healthier and longer. In the developing world the poor have little to eat.
Charity and justice do have many points in common. They both refer to a reality where the person has the opportunity to grow, to have good relationship with people and God, and where his needs are taken care of by sharing. Frequently the poorest and vulnerable do not want to be challenged in changing their lives and accept their role in transforming attitudes and behavior. In these cases, the Christian community needs to make tough choices. Tough love is not easy, yet it is necessary to drive people away from apathy or lack of initiative and become protagonists of their own lives.
