Browse past isues
Help the mission
Support the mission
Get in touch
“A lasting solution for the holy land –
That does not involve war or high security walls – must come with dialogue, justice,
Respect and forgiveness.”
Vocations are on the rise in Asia, and the missionary spirit is increasing, evangelization is proceeding along with human development, but there are “challenges like dialogue with the other great Asian religions, disrupted by fundamentalist groups that do not shy away from resorting to violence; the lack of practical respect for religious freedom in vast areas; the widespread spirit of secularism and consumerism.” These are some of the lights and shadows in the life of the Church in Asia, according to the analysis carried out during the 12th meeting of the Special Council for Asia of the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops.
Pope Benedict has called for a “deep revision” of the world’s “dominant development model,” saying “the state of the planet’s environment and above all the cultural and moral crisis” are even more urgent than the financial crisis.
“History may be repeating itself. Until the mid-20th century, many European countries grew rich on the resources of their colonies. Now, countries including China, Kuwait and Sweden are snapping up vast tracts of agricultural land in poorer nations, especially in Africa, to grow biofuels and food for themselves.” The warning sounded in an article published in the New Scientist. Signed by Debora Mackenzie, it goes on: “The land grabs have sparked accusations of neocolonialism and fears that the practice could worsen poverty.”
On a worldwide level, the disparity in access to education is extremely large; the gap between the rich and poor nations is growing, especially in the area of education. The economic crisis taking place has consequences not only on the food crisis and the financial market, but it has also a serious impact on the formation of the youth of developing countries. Large investments and efficient policies are needed in order to rescue the millions of children in the world who suffer illiteracy and lack of schooling.
Acid attacks against women and girls are continuing despite legal campaigns to halt their spread. Over 2,600 cases have been reported since 1999, according to the Acid Survivors Foundation (ASF) of Bangladesh. Almost all the attacks have been on women or girls. Many of the victims are under 18, says ASF, which has been working to eliminate acid violence for almost a decade.
Bahrain will donate a plot of land to build a new Catholic church in the country. The decision by King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa comes in response to a request Pope Benedict XVI made to the Gulf State when its new ambassador presented its credentials last December. “Everyone is aware today that because of the rising number of Catholics, it would be desirable for them to have more places of worship,” the Pope said during the audience with Naser Muhamed Youssef Al-Belooshi, first representative of the Arab Kingdom to the Vatican.
A report launched by PREDA Social Development Foundation uncovers the horrific conditions in Philippine children’s detention centers, police cells where youths and minors are suffering abuse and even torture. The children, guilty of no crime other than homelessness and begging or sniffing industrial glue, are even detained for weeks in some holding cells of the government social services. This well-documented report is based on sound research and the eyewitness testimony of Filipino social workers, paralegal officers and international human rights researchers and lawyers and the testimony of child victims of human rights abuses. The text is supported by graphic photographs from inside the jails covering decades of abuse and the hand-drawn pictures of the children themselves. The full report is available on www.preda.org and the ITV/CNN video, that first revealed the horror of children in prison to the world, is on Youtube.
One of the greatest deficiencies of modern secular education is the history of the human ideas in their cultural, religious and political expressions. The result is especially confusing and distorted as far as Islam is concerned.
About to celebrate its 25th anniversary, the Zamboanga-based Silsilah Dialogue Movement has been opening paths of peace through dialogue. Dialogue with God, oneself, others and creation, is a spirituality. The history of the movement is interwoven with that of its founder, Fr. Sebastiano D’Ambra. The Italian-born missionary has suffered a few attempts against his life, perpetrated either by the military or the Moro rebel separatists, but never gave up his life’s dream – that became his mission – of making peace through dialogue.
