Pidato Tahta Suci kepada PBB tentang Ketahanan Pangan

Address of Holy See to UN on Food Security

"The Right to Food Is … Intrinsically Linked to the Right to Life"
GENEVA, Switzerland, MARCH 9, 2011 (Zenit.org).- Here is the address Archbishop Silvano Tomasi delivered Tuesday at the 16th ordinary session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva regarding food security.

Pendapat Vatikan Mengenai Pembangunan Berkelanjutan

Holy See Statement on Sustainable Development

"The Economy Needs Objective Moral Formation in Order to Function Correctly"

NEW YORK, MARCH 9, 2011 (Zenit.org).- Here is the address Charles Clark, professor of economics at St. John's University, delivered Monday on behalf of the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations to the Second Preparatory Committee for the U.N. Conference on Sustainable Development.

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"Ekologi Manusia" adalah Prioritas Pertama dalam Karya Lingkungan

"Human Ecology" Is 1st Priority, Says Pontiff
Work for Environment Should Emphasize Importance of Humanity

VATICAN CITY, MARCH 11, 2011 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI says the "groaning of creation" is being caused in part by men's pride, but work for the environment must give first priority to "human ecology."

The Pope said this in a message to the bishops of Brazil in support of their annual Lenten campaign. This year the campaign is focused on fraternity and life on the planet.

The Feb. 16 message, addressed to the president of the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil, Archbishop Geraldo Lyrio Rocha of Mariana, said the first step for establishing a correct relationship with the world is recognizing our condition as creatures.

"[M]an is not God, but his image," the Holy Father affirmed, "that is why he must try to be more sensitive to the presence of God in what surrounds him: in all creatures and, especially, in the human person in whom there is a certain epiphany of God."

Harapan Terwujudnya Pertemuan Paus Roma Dengan Patriak Rusia

Time Seems Right (or Nearly So), But Nothing on the Horizon
By Paul De Maeyer

ROME, FEB. 21, 2011 (Zenit.org).- "Welcome, Mr. President, this meeting of ours is very important," Benedict XVI told Russian President Dmitry Medvedev last Thursday when the president visited the Pope in the Vatican.

These words underscore something of the visit's significance, Medvedev's first after the establishment of full diplomatic relations between the Holy See and Russia. It was at their first meeting in December 2009 that the president and Pope agreed to upgrade existing ties to the level of full diplomatic relations.

Bernard Nathanson: Dari Pro-Aborsi Menjadi Aktivis Pro-Life

Abortionist-Turned Pro-Life Activist Dies at 84

By Karna Swanson

NEW YORK, FEB. 21, 2011 (Zenit.org).- Dr. Bernard Nathanson, the obstetrician and leading pro-abortion advocate who changed his views on abortion and later converted to Catholicism, died today at the age of 84.

Once a leader of the pro-abortion movement, Nathanson was a keynote speaker at the First National Conference on Abortion Laws in 1969, and that same year he was a founding member of the National Association for the Repeal of Abortion Laws, which is now known as NARAL Pro-Choice America. 

Gereja-gereja di Indonesia Berada Dalam Penganiayaan

Indonesia: Christian Churches Under Attack

UN Official Condemns Rising Religious Fanaticism

JAKARTA, Indonesia, JAN. 13, 2011 (Zenit.org).- Christian communities in Indonesia are reporting multiple attacks on churches and places of worship in 2010, while U.N. officials are calling for the cessation of sectarian violence and discriminatory laws that lead to interreligious conflict. 

Theophilus Bela, secretary general of the Indonesian Committee on Religion and Peace and president of Jakarta Christian Communication Forum, was part of a delegation last month to the United States to raise awareness of the anti-Christian persecution in his country.

The delegation met with religious leaders, government leaders in the White House, National Security Council, and State Department, and U.N. officials.

Bela noted that Navanethem Pillay, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, stated that attacks on religious minorities in places like Egypt, Nigeria, Pakistan and Indonesia should serve as a wake-up call to authorities everywhere to combat rising fanaticism. She underlined the duty of all countries to protect the freedom of religion by eradicating sectarian violence and rooting out discriminatory laws that can lead to conflict.

Assaults

Among the attacks on Christian places of worship, Bela reported that the Catholic chapel of Christ the King in Desa Blimbing was hit by a homemade bomb on Dec. 7.

A homemade bomb was also found at a Marian shrine in Prambanan at the end of November.

The Catholic chapel of St. Joseph in Pare was set on fire on Oct. 12.

On Sept. 11, a group attacked the Catholic parish church "Alleluya" in Tanah Grogot and broke the windows.

Similarly, the windows were broken at St. Bellarminus Catholic School in Jatibening by a mob of radical Muslims on May 7. The next day, the mob returned, but police were able to avert another assault.

The Catholic hospital "Brayat Minula" in Banjarsari was hit with stones, and a window was broken on the same day that Cardinal Julius Darmaatmadja, former archbishop of Jakarta, was due to visit for the inauguration of a new building for the institution.

A Catholic chapel in Capar was threatened on Feb. 18 by members of the Muslim Reform Movement.

The Catholic church of St. John the Baptist in Parung was prohibited from celebrating Mass on the feast of the Ascension due to a radical cleric from the local Muslim Ulama Council who often speaks out against the church.

Another radical Muslim cleric closed access to the building site of the Catholic church of St. Mary Immaculate in Kali Deras, halting progress on the construction.

Local authorities closed a place of Catholic pilgrimage in honor of Mary in Desa Jati Mulya due to protests by local Muslims.

Other radical Muslim organizations pressured local authorities to prohibit the celebration of Mass at the Catholic retreat center "Wisma Semadi Klender" in Jakarta, though the decision was later reversed through the intercession of Bela.

Radical Muslims also protested at the rectory of the Catholic parish of St. Mary the Immaculate Heart in Cicurug, and the pastor was forced to sign a letter promising that the house would be only be used as his residence and not for worship.

The Catholic chapel of Rancaekek of the parish of St. Odilia in Cicadas was closed down by local authorities.

Local authorities halted the building of St. Mary Catholic church in Purwakarta due to fear of the local radical Muslim groups.

Protestant churches

Bela's report also included attacks on various Protestant Christian churches over the past year.

This included violence against the Huria Kristen Batak Protestant congregation in Pondok Timur, which was forced to begin celebrating services outdoors on an empty lot after authorities closed and sealed the church in July. The congregation suffered various assaults during their Sunday services, and on Sept. 12, a group of aggressors on motorcycles stabbed a 50-year-old man and beat the pastor over the head.

Bela reported that five Protestant Christian churches were burnt down and demolished, including in some cases the homes of the pastors and workers. Some ten other churches suffered mob attacks with stones, guns or threats by radical Muslim groups. Another 14 churches were closed by local authorities.

The report concluded by stating that there have been more anti-Christian attacks, but without sufficient data on details.

Jauhkanlah Kami Dari Yang Jahat

Deliver us from evil

IN November last year, one of the world's leading exorcists quietly slipped into Sydney at the invitation of the Catholic Church.  

"While Twilight and Harry Potter are not in themsevles demonic, they can lead to a fascination in this world," says Bishop Julian Porteious." Picture: Adam Knott Source: The Australian

It was a long journey for Father Jeremy Davies, exorcist for London’s Westminster Archdiocese, but there was important business afoot for the grey-haired 74-year-old. The destination for Davies, co-founder of the International Association of Exorcists in Rome, was Mary MacKillop Place in North Sydney, where the tomb of Australia’s only saint lies. Waiting for him were 27 other priests, including Bishop Julian Porteous, the Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney, second only to Cardinal George Pell in the Sydney Archdiocese.

Dari Harry Potter ke Yesus Kristus: Pelajaran Buat Katolisisme

Penulis: Joe Egerton Joe Egerton draws on a course he offered at the Mount Street Jesuit Centre to argue that J K Rowling has given Christians a valuable resource to introduce some of the central beliefs of the Catholic faith to a generation that knows the life of Harry Potter far better than it knows the life of Jesus Christ.

The anticipation that preceded the release of the latest Harry Potter film was a reminder that a whole generation in the UK would score higher on questions about J K Rowling’s life of Harry Potter than they would on St Matthew’s life of Jesus Christ.

Bocoran Wikileaks: Vatikan Komit Melaksanan Copenhage Accord Untuk Perubahan Iklim

WikiLeaks cable notes Vatican commitment to accord on climate change
 
WIKILEAKS-VATICAN Dec-9-2010 (630 words) xxxi

The Vatican was committed to getting countries aligned with the Copenhagen Accord on climate change, according to the first Vatican cable to appear on the WikiLeaks website.

The confidential cable claimed a Vatican official at the Secretariat of State would support U.S. government "efforts to have countries associate themselves with the Copenhagen Accord by the January 31 deadline" as well as "encourage other countries discreetly to associate themselves with the Accord as opportunities arise."

Uskup Yang Tidak Disetujui Paus, Menduduki Jabatan Puncak di China

Unapproved bishop elected to top China job

Published Date: December 9, 2010

By ucanews.com reporter, Hong Kong

Bishop John Fang Xingyao of Linyi, new head of the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association

A bishop who does not have papal approval was today elected president of the Bishops’ Conference of the Catholic Church in China (BCCCC) while a Vatican-approved bishop became head of the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association (CCPA).

The pope’s letter of 2007 indicates that holding the CCPA position was incompatible to Church doctrine.
Bishop Joseph Ma Yinglin of Kunming, 45, who was ordained in 2006 and still has not received papal approval, was elected BCCCC president by 312 votes for and one abstention on the last day of the Eighth National Congress of Catholic Representatives.

Bocoran Wikileaks: Diplomat AS Terkejut Terpilihnya Benediktus XVI

Pope’s election took US diplomats by surprise

Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger prepares for communion at the funeral Mass for Pope John Paul II at the Vatican before the papal conclave (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite/ File) Ref

30 Nov 2010
Source:http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2010/11/30/popes-election-took-us-diplomats-by-surprise/

Pope Benedict’s election to the papacy took American diplomats by surprise, it emerged this week.
They predicted that Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger would get a flurry of votes from his fellow cardinals at the beginning of the conclave but that he would be unable to muster the support needed to become Pope.
An April 19 2005 telegram from Rome to Washington signed by Bernt Hardt, says diplomats were “shocked” and “speechless” about the election of Cardinal Ratzinger.

Uskup China Yang Loyal Ke Paus Dipaksa Untuk Menghadiri Pelantikan Uskup Patriotik

Chinese Prelates Forced to Official Church Meeting

Patriotic Association Aims to Elect New Officers

ROME, DEC. 7, 2010 (Zenit.org).- Several Chinese bishops loyal to Rome have reportedly been forcibly taken to Beijing to participate in the assembly of the Patriotic Association.

According to AsiaNews, dozens of bishops were forced to the capital to participate in the assembly, where a national president of the Patriotic Association and a president of the council of Chinese bishops are to be elected.

The Catholic Patriotic Association is the body through which the Chinese government recognizes religious personnel and registers places of worship. Religious practice is only permitted in China with the oversight of the association.

This explains the difference between the "national" or "official" church, and the faithful who oppose such control and who wish to obey the Pope directly. The latter constitute the non-official, or underground, Church.

AsiaNews reported that various underground bishops claimed illness to avoid attending the assembly. Others are in Beijing, but refusing to concelebrate Masses with official bishops. Still others were physically forced to attend.

Bishop Feng Xinmao of Hengshui was taken by police officers despite members of the faithful and priests who tried to shield him, AsiaNews reported. One parishioner was injured in the exchange. Once in custody, the bishop was kept in isolation and taken Monday to Beijing for the meeting.

UCANews estimates that some 40 bishops and about 300 priests, religious and laity are attending the meeting.

Growing colder

Forcing underground bishops to attend the Beijing meeting shows China taking another step to distance itself from the Vatican.

In late November, the nation took a turn against normalized relations by ordaining a bishop without pontifical mandate.

Kaukus Kongres AS Desak Presiden Obama Untuk Mengingat Tuhan

US Lawmakers Urge President to Remember God

Say Obama Misstated National Motto

WASHINGTON, D.C., DEC. 7, 2010 (Zenit.org).- A group of US lawmakers are urging President Barack Obama to remember the nation's religious heritage as expressed in its national motto and foundational documents. 

Congressman Randy Forbes of Virginia, along with 42 bipartisan members of the Congressional Prayer Caucus, sent a letter to the president Monday in which they pointed out that he recently misspoke when he said the national motto is “E Pluribus Unum” (out of many, one), and asked him to publish a correction.

Since 1956, the official national motto of the United States has been “In God We Trust.” The motto also appears in the national anthem, and on the nation's currency.

In a speech given Nov. 10 to students in Jakarta, Indonesia, Obama said that the United States and Indonesia share a similar history: "It is a story written into our national mottos. In the United States, our motto is 'E Pluribus Unum.'"
The members of the Congressional Prayer Caucaus said that it was "unacceptable" for the president to misrepresent the national motto: "The president is the primary representative of our nation to the world, and whether mistake or intention, his actions cast aside an integral part of American society.”

“President [Ronald] Reagan once warned that 'If we ever forget that we're one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under,’” the letter added.

The lawmakers also lamented that on various occasions, the president has omitted a reference to the Creator when quoting the Declaration of Independence. Instead of stating that all are "are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights," the lawmakers assert that Obama stated that "each of us are endowed with certain inalienable rights."

The letter said that the "omissions and inaccuracies" misrepresent the United States, and undercuts "important parts of our nation’s history.”

“Trust in God is embedded into the fabric of society and history in the United States," the note concluded. "If we allow these threads to be pulled, we will begin to unravel the very freedoms that birthed America.”

The Congressional Prayer Caucus is a bipartisan group of Members of Congress dedicated to preserving America's religious heritage and protecting religious liberties.

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On the Net:

Full text of the letter: http://www.forbes.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=216891