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Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco
The chairman of Italian Episcopal Conference – cardinal Angelo Bagnasco stated that the Church as the only one is fighting for authentic children’s rights today, as well as the rights of elderly and ill people and families, when the domineering culture would like to isolate and sterilize what is still human in our civilization.
– The Church is not dying, as if sometimes one would like it to be and how it is presented: divided, stifled by testimonies, able to survive. The Church is united and – despite the difficulty – it wants to face the difficulties of the time humbly, vigorously and with foresight – said the Italian cardinal, opening the meeting of the Constant Council of the Italian Episcopate. In his opinion, in the Church something extraordinary is happening: people of limited possibilities and poor people are able to get convalescence and do great deeds. It is the last reason for which the Church cannot mean nothing, as well as Christianity which it is being fed on.
A short hagiography of a myth
A text raising many emotions, presented recently by professor Karen King from Harvard University suggesting that Jesus apparently had wife, is a false information or a ‘constructed’ papyrus– thinks professor Francis Watson from the University in Durham in the UK. He proves that the widely quoted text in media was built from small fragments of words mainly coming from the apocryphal ‘Gospel of Thomas’, a text of Gnostic origin, section 101 and 114, composed in a new context. In the opinion of the British expert of the New Testament, we deal with a composition of the modern author of limited knowledge of the Coptic language. He points out that in a short fragment there are expressions characteristic not for four canonic Gospels but the ‘Gospel of Thomas’ recently uncovered in 1945 in Nag Hammadi.
We must not forget that when it is said about a bride, the Church can be her, like it is in the Apocalypse Book, and also in the two thousand-year old Christian tradition. It may also be, like in the Song of Songs, a soul of the man looking for God or according to the gnostic tradition - a disciple striving for perfection.
A private house of the Pope
In the presence of 200 honoured guests during the celebrations on 22 September this year a restored private house of the Pope in Pentling near Ratyzbona was opened. – It is supposed to be a place of meeting with the life and work of Joseph Ratzinger – said archbishop Gerhard Ludiwg Muller, a prefect of the Congregation of the Faith Teaching, during the opening ceremony of the house. Most rooms were restored in it and made usable, as well as the former study of Fr. Prof. Joseph Ratzinger was reconstructed. Since this October everybody interested can visit the house. Being a professor of theology at University in Ratyzbona, Fr. Ratzinger lived in it in the years 1969-77.
The celebrations were attended among the others by: brother of Benedict XVI prelate priest Georg Ratzinger, a personal papal secretary prelate priest Georg Ganswein and the apostolic nuncio in Germany archbishop Jean-Claude Perisset.
Doctors do not want therapeutic abortion
Abortion is never necessary to save the mother’s health – said doctors during the international symposium in Dublin, organised by the Irish Committee of the Mother’s Health. In this way they protested against stigmatising the Irish health service which is unjustly accused of neglecting women’s health due to the absolute prohibition of abortion existing in this country.
In the opinion of the doctors at the meeting in Dublin, one should notice the differences between consciously committed abortion and a therapy which may be dangerous for the baby’s life. In their belief, Ireland does not need liberalisation of the abortion law because a woman can always count on an essential therapy here. Sometimes it may be dangerous for the embryo but a baby always gets out unscathed, even after chemotherapy.
During the symposium it was emphasized that Ireland is under a strong pressure of abortion industry today, which wants to enforce abortion in this country under the pretext that it serves to women’s health.
INVERTED COMMAS
We should avoid stereotypes but acknowledge the law of non-European nations to independent creating democracy according to their traditions and religious beliefs.
Statement of ecclesiastical commissions for justice and peace
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Aldo Moro –an Italian politician murdered 34 years ago by Red Brigades may be canonized. Attempts about opening the canonization process were started in his home place, in the region of Apulla – in Bari town.
Vatican Radio informed that Apostolic nuncio in Belarus archbishop Claudio Gugerotti had visited 7 imprisoned oppositionists with the consent of the authorities of the country. A Vatican diplomat assured them about a prayer of Benedict XVI.
In Belarusthere were parliamentary elections. Not only were the pro-governmental candidates accepted to the parliament. Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe evaluated that the elections had been neither free nor impartial.
In Greece the gap in budget may be twice higher, than it was assumed. It may happen, that 20 mld euro may be missing.
Ehud Olmert - the former prime minister of Israel was sentenced to one-year imprisonment insuspension. Olmert committed an illegal action in subsidizing private companies at the time when he was a minister of industry and trade.
The Greeks and Spanish protested in the end of September against budget reductions. Hundred thousands of protesters went out into the streets of cities to demand scheduling new elections. Police were intervening.
In Uruguay the lower house of the parliament has voted an act legalizing abortion. 50 deputies were for, whereas 49 – against.
Wsiewołod Czaplin - an influential Russian priest started collecting signatures in order to carry out a referendum concerning uniting Russia, Ukraine and Belarus.
Iran will take responsibility for any attack against its territory – the Iran mission stated at the Organization of United Nations in reaction to the pronouncement of the prime minister of Israel Benjamin Netanjahu in the forum of the General Meeting of the Organization of United Nations. He threatened with an attack on Iran if this country went beyond ‘a red line’ which should be marked for Teheran by the international community in the works on the nuclear program.
(AA)
"Niedziela" 41/2012