VOL: XVI - ISSUE: 169 – JUNE 12th, 2023 (Estd. 3rd July 2007)

Catholic News Update Asia E-Journal, 7/151 - A1, Health Camp, Gudalur - 643 211, The Nilgiris, Tamilnadu, INDIA

NEWS UPDATES

 

ASIA: Agutaya archipelago doctor who cared for 13,000 people on her own By Rupert Wingfield-Hayes, BBC
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-64948453

 

COLOMBIA: Plane crash - Four children found alive in Amazon after 40 days By Aoife Walsh, BBC News

 

 

HOLY FATHER: May the great dream of fraternity inspire good politics By Adriana Masotti, Vatican News

 

 

Pope Francis during a meeting in March 2022 with a delegation from the European People's Party group at the European Parliament. (Vatican Media)

World Meeting on Human Fraternity, 10 June 2023 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0g5YnjDMQHs

 

HOLY SEE: Parolin on #NotAlone, “The world needs hope and fraternity” By Amedeo Lomonaco, Vatican News

 

 

Nobel laureates and world leaders at the beginning of the World Meeting on Human Fraternity
The World Meeting on Human Fraternity opens with working groups centered on Nobel Prizes, the Environment, Schools, the Weak, and Associations. Speaking on the sidelines of this event, Cardinal Pietro Parolin says Pope Francis is well and has already expressed his desire to resume work.
https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2023-06/parolin-on-notalone-the-world-needs-hope-and-fraternity.html

 

INDIA: Clarion Call From A Jesuit Cedric Prakash To Church Leaders - C N U A

 

 

Today, my dear Cardinals and Bishops: the people of India: the excluded and the exploited, the other marginalized and the minorities, particularly the Christians, cry out to you: they need your prophetic voice, they need you to be visible in taking a stand for truth and justice, in being a true and good Shepherd just like Jesus- ready and willing to lay down one’s life!

What is happening in Manipur, for more than a month now, to the tribals and particularly to the Christians there, is a crime against humanity! The systematic targeting killing of the tribals and Christians, and the destruction of Churches and Christian institutions is nothing short of being barbaric; facts and figures speak for themselves. Thousands of people who lived in the hilly areas of Manipur have fled their homes and lands and taken refuge in temporary shelters. The ethnic cleansing that is currently taking place, in complete connivance with those in power draws a striking parallel to the Gujarat Genocide (when Muslims were the victims) which began in February 2002 and lasted for several months. The tribals and Christians of Manipur long for sustainable peace based on their legitimate and just demands. One does not have to be a rocket- scientist to know and understand why this current violence is taking place and who is behind it!

There are several other pre-mediated attacks, the venomous hate speeches and other forms of violence on the Christians of Madhya Pradesh (especially in Sagar and Jabalpur), in Chhattisgarh (on 6 June a newly professed Catholic nun, her mother, and others were falsely arrested from a thanksgiving Mass in the Jashpur Diocese, for apparently ‘offending religious sentiments’) and in several other parts of India; all these take place with frightening regularity. Nothing happens to the perpetrators of these heinous crimes who do so with impunity. There is sufficient evidence, after painstaking research done by completely objective and professional individuals and groups, that the acts of these perpetrators are motivated, given legitimacy and immunity by the most powerful of the land. This is certainly no ‘State Secret’! In several cases, the victims are made the ‘criminals’, have false cases foisted on them, and are even incarcerated; examples are plenty.

Besides there are many other instances today of how the pluralistic and democratic fabric of the country is being destroyed; of how the fundamentals of our Constitution (which are also values enshrined in the Gospel of Jesus) are being trampled upon; of anti-people policies and legislation which effectively cater to a small privileged section of society. We are all aware of how the poor and marginalized are denied their legitimate rights; of how the environment and our fragile ecosystems are being pillaged for the profiteering of a few; of how minorities are being denigrated, demonized, and discriminated against. Above all, of how corruption and crony capitalism is throttling the nation. The list is endless indeed!

We humbly have to admit, that despite the Synodal process which is underway, the Church in India is by and large still hierarchical, patriarchal, and clerical. Therefore, in view of the above, I am writing this letter with great pain, to you my dear Bishops, to ACT NOW, before it is too late!  Certainly, we all must pray without ceasing; but Jesus also reminds us that “not all who say, Lord, Lord….”. We are all intelligent enough to DO what we are expected to do. Unfortunately, your Collective Silence, Screams! Many wonder why! Thankfully, some Bishops, some Catholic religious leaders, and also some laity, have shown prophetic courage by taking visible and vocal stands on critical issues including the violence in Manipur! There is no doubt about that: one certainly needs to salute them and particularly for risking their lives in the face of much hostility!

 

Here are some suggestions (even if they sound preposterous) which may help restore the confidence of the people in the hierarchy, may help in bringing back some peace to the suffering people of Manipur, and hopefully, may also address some of the systemic issues which plague the nation:

 

 

i) Call a Media Conference immediately: this has to be done in the National Capital Delhi and also simultaneously in every State Capital. The Media Conference in the Capital must be addressed by the CBCI Office bearers. The demands should include:

• a) restoration of peace in Manipur immediately;
• b) safe return of all tribals/Christians ousted from their land and homes;
• c) adequate monetary compensation for rebuilding homes, Churches, and institutions destroyed;
• d) book and punish all responsible for the violence (even if they have powerful connections)

ii) As many as possible of you (even 100!) Cardinals/Archbishops/Bishops go to Manipur – for at least two days before 25 June. Invite Christian Leaders of other denominations to join you. Stay in the midst of those who are internally displaced; as Pope Francis constantly reminds us “smell of the sheep”; after all, Jesus was born in a stable and died on the cross. Your presence in the midst of the suffering people will send a strong message to all

 

iii) Organise a National Protest Day in this month of June– to highlight what is happening to the minorities, the Adivasis, the Dalits, and the other vulnerable groups of the country. Have a huge gathering in a public maidan in New Delhi – with as many Bishops as possible and people coming from all over the country.  Request other civil society groups. /Movements to join in; On this National Protest Day – let there also be public protests in all Dioceses of the country.

 

iv) Demand the immediate removal of Priyank Kanoongo, the President of the National Commission for the Rights of the Child, for targeting Christian institutions and making fabricated and unsubstantiated allegations against Christian personnel

Dear Bishops, it is important that you act now with decisiveness and with cohesiveness; it will go a long way in addressing some of the critical issues of today! Hobnobbing with those who rule us today, may bring ‘some token and temporary promises’; but in the long run however, there will be serious repercussions and irretrievable damage done both to the Church and to the secular, democratic character of our country! Please do not be fooled! (The longer version has quotes from Pope Francis’ ‘Evangelii Gaudium’ and ‘Fratelli Tutti’ which asks her to be engaged in the grim realities of today and when needed to raise prophetic voices) The directions from the Holy Father are clear… why do we fight shy of ensuring their implementation? There is much more to be written but I will stop here, once again making that plea which I made at the beginning: dear Bishops, please be Shepherds responding to the cries of the suffering people now. We all need to be reminded of those immortal words of German Pastor Martin Niemoller, “Then they came for me, and there was no one left, to speak out for me!”  Speak out now collectively and individually; speak out strongly for our suffering sisters and brothers!

 

 

Fr. Cedric Prakash SJ, Mobile: +91 9824034536 email: cedricprakash@gmail.com

 

INDIA: How Modi has extended Hindu nationalist sway over the country’s media? By Kalpana Jain, RNS

 

 

The increasingly authoritarian Modi government’s latest proposal is a fact-checking unit that will strike social media content deemed ‘fake or misleading,’ causing fears that the scope of government censorship on news organizations is expanding. 
https://religionnews.com/2023/06/07/how-indias-modi-has-extended-hindu-nationalist-sway-over-the-countrys-media/

 

NEWS ANALYSIS: Allegations of adultery and abuse of power embroil Texas bishop, Carmelite monastery in a complex scandal by Dan Stockman, Global Sisters Report
https://www.globalsistersreport.org/news/allegations-adultery-and-abuse-power-embroil-texas-bishop-carmelite-monastery-complex-scandal

 

OPINION: How Tom Hanks became my rabbi By Jeffrey Salkin, RNS
We need not only a Statue of Liberty. We need a Statue of Responsibility.
https://religionnews.com/2023/06/08/man-called-otto-tom-hanks-etzioni-communitarianism/

 

SINGAPORE: Transformed By The Eucharist By Abp. William Cardinal Goh, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxkQFXFP9wE

 

SPIRITUAL: 9 Powerful Quotes on the Holy Eucharist from the Saints By Caroline Perkins

• 1) “A thousand years of enjoying human glory is not worth even an hour spent sweetly communing with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.” -St. Padre Pio
• 2) "How many of you say: I should like to see His face, His garments, His shoes. You do see Him, you touch Him, you eat Him.
  He gives Himself to you, not only that you may see Him, but also to be your food and nourishment." - St. John Chrysostom
• 3) "God dwells in our midst, in the Blessed Sacrament of the altar." - St. Maximilian Kolbe
• 4) “Jesus has made Himself the Bread of Life to give us life. Night and day, He is there. If you really want to grow in love, come back to the Eucharist,
  come back to that Adoration.” -St. Teresa of Calcutta
• 5) “ The courage and strength that are in me are not of me, but of Him who lives in me – it is the Eucharist.” - St. Faustina
• 6) “One of the most admirable effects of Holy Communion is to preserve the soul from sin and to help those who fall through weakness to rise again. It is much more profitable, then, to approach this divine Sacrament with love, respect, and confidence, than to remain away through an excess of fear and scrupulosity.” - St. Ignatius of Loyola
• 7) "If angels could be jealous of men, they would be so for one reason: Holy Communion." - St. Maximilian Kolbe
• 8) "Do you realize that Jesus is there in the Tabernacle expressly for you - for you alone? He burns with the desire to come into your heart...
  don't listen to the demon, laugh at him, and go without fear to receive the Jesus of peace and love…” -St. Therese of Lisieux
• 9) “Always remain close to the Catholic Church, because it alone can give you true peace since it alone possesses Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament,
  the true Prince of Peace.” - St. Padre Pio

Prayer of St. Faustina before the Eucharist: O Christ, let me glorify Your goodness and mercy to the last moment of my life, with every drop of my blood and every beat of my heart. Would that I be transformed into a hymn of adoration of You? When I find myself on my deathbed, may the last beat of my heart be a loving hymn glorifying Your unfathomable mercy. Amen. https://www.churchpop.com/quotes-on-the-holy-eucharist-from-the-saints/?

SPIRITUAL: Why Catholics have a special feast for the Eucharist by D.D. Emmons, Our Sunday Visitor
https://www.oursundayvisitor.com/meaning-corpus-christi-eucharist/?

 

RELAX PLEASE: Kids Say the Darndest Things - C N U A

 

Christening Champagne - When we moved into our new home, the first one we owned rather than rented, two of my husband's friends gave him a bottle of champagne. In the hustle and bustle of getting settled, the gift was tucked away and temporarily forgotten. Three months later we held a Christening party for our third child. Champagne flowed in celebration until, running short, we remembered our housewarming gift. In front of our guests, I opened the attached card and read it aloud, "Donald, take good care of this one, it's yours!" -

 

Who is rich?  - Once, a lady with her family was staying in a 3-star hotel. She was the mother of a six-month-old baby. "Can I get a cup of milk for the baby?" asked the lady to the manager. "Yes madam", he replied, "Its cost will be added to your bill at checkout." "No problem", said the lady. While driving back, the child was hungry again. They stopped at a roadside tea stall and took milk from the tea vendor. "How much?” she asked the tea vendor. "Madam, we can't charge you for baby's milk", the old man said with a smile. "Let me know if you need more for the journey". The lady took one more cup and left. Now, "Who’s richer? The hotel manager or the old tea vendor?" -

 

Kids Say the Darndest Things - Some grade school teachers must agree with that because they keep journals of amusing things their students have written in papers.
Here are a few examples:

• - The future of "I give" is "I take."
• - The parts of speech are lungs and air.
• - The inhabitants of Moscow are called Mosquitoes.
• - A census taker is man who goes from house to house increasing the population.
• - Water is composed of two gins. Oxygin and hydrogin. Oxygin is pure gin. Hydrogin is gin and water.
• - (Define H2O and CO2.) H2O is hot water and CO2 is cold water.
• - A virgin forest is a forest where the hand of man has never set foot.
• - The general direction of the Alps is straight up.
• - A city purifies its water supply by filtering the water then forcing it through an aviator.
• - Most of the houses in France are made of plaster of Paris.
• - The people who followed the Lord were called the 12 opossums.
• - The spinal column is a long bunch of bones. The head sits on the top and you sit on the bottom.
• - We do not raise silk worms in the United States, because we get our silk from rayon. He is a larger worm and gives more silk.
• - One of the main causes of dust is janitors.
• - A scout obeys all to whom obedience is due and respects all duly constipated authorities.
• - One by-product of raising cattle is calves.
• - To prevent head colds, use an agonizer to spray into the nose until it drips into the throat.
• - The four seasons are salt, pepper, mustard, and vinegar.
• - The climate is the hottest next to the Creator.
• - Oliver Cromwell had a large red nose, but under it were deeply religious feelings.
• - The word trousers is an uncommon noun because it is singular at the top and plural at the bottom.
• - Syntax is all the money collected at the church from sinners.
• - The blood circulates through the body by flowing down one leg and up the other.
• - In spring, the salmon swim upstream to spoon.
• - Iron was discovered because someone smelt it.
• - In the middle of the 18th century, all the morons moved to Utah.
• - A person should take a bath once in the summer, not so often in the winter.
• - The law of gravity says no fair jumping up without coming back down
• - You can listen to the thunder and tell how close you came to getting hit. If you don't hear it, you got hit, so never mind.
• - A vibration is a motion that can't make up its mind which way it wants to go.
• - There are 26 vitamins in all, but some of the letters are yet to be discovered.
• - Vacuums are nothing. We only mention them to let them know we know they're there.
• - I'm not sure how clouds are formed, but clouds know how to do it, and that's the important part.
• - Water vapor gets together in a cloud. When it gets big enough to drop, it does.
• - Rain is saved up in cloud banks.
• - It is so hot in some places that people have to live in other places.

Source: Pastor Tim, Cybersalt News - June 11, 2023

 

Dog Sweater - In an upscale pet-supply store, a customer wanted to buy a yellow sweater for her dog. The clerk suggested that she bring her dog in for a proper fit. "I can't do that!" the lady said. "The sweater is going to be a surprise!" -

 

If you see a toilet in your dreams, DO NOT USE IT! -

 

"Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work." -- Thomas Edison

 

Identity - It was the beginning of the term at a primary school in Brooklyn. The teacher asked the children their names one at a time, and for each to spell their name out loud. When she came to a young boy and asked his name..... "Ravashanka Vankatarataam Bannerjee," he replied. "How do you spell that?" asked the teacher. "My mother helps me." said the little boy. -