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Bulgarian psychiatric hospitals, prisons, children’s boarding schools and refugee centres: misery and violated rights

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Newsroom
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The Ombudsman of the Republic of Bulgaria, Diana Kovacheva, published the Institution’s Eleventh Annual Report of the inspections in places of deprivation of liberty in 2023, carried out by the National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) – the NPM is a specialized directorate under the Ombudsman, which monitors, checks and evaluates the observance of rights of the person in prisons, detention centers, homes for medico-social care for children, family-type accommodation centers for children and persons, psychiatry, homes for adults with disabilities, mental disorders and dementia, centers for migrants and refugees, etc.

Data from the report reveal that in 2023, the NPM team carried out 50 inspections in the listed places, sent a total of 129 recommendations to various government bodies and tracked the implementation of specific measures to improve the conditions in the places of accommodation, detention or suffering of imprisonment.

The observations and conclusions in 2023 continue to identify systemic problems, for which the institution has repeatedly alerted the responsible institutions, but despite this, there are practically no real and adequate solutions to date.

The problems of underfunding and the chronic shortage of personnel to ensure quality medical care and health care for persons in all categories of inspected facilities remain permanently unresolved. There is also a lack of budget funding for social activities in the places where punishments are served – the social work and reintegration of prisoners continues to be questionable for many of the prisons;

The report summarizes that over the past two years, the ombudsman has put the topic of protecting the rights of people with mental illnesses first and with particular sharpness.

It is reported that a total of 25 unannounced inspections were carried out in psychiatric facilities and residential social service centers in the period 2022-2023.

“In the sense of the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment of the United Nations and the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment of the Council of Europe – State psychiatric hospitals (PSHs) are places of deprivation from freedom, as some of the patients are housed with court decisions and cannot voluntarily leave them. For this reason, the ombudsman, as the NPM, monitors with particular attention the prevention of torture and other forms of inhuman or degrading treatment in these places,” the report says .

It is also noted there that in the period from 2019 to 2022, the ombudsman as NPM repeatedly alerted the responsible authorities about the presence of chronic problems in state psychiatric hospitals, humiliating material living conditions, the chronic malnutrition of patients due to a wrong financing model were found , poor quality of medical care, lack of staffing and a sustainable policy to overcome it, including lack of social services to help reintegration of patients in the PSHs.

In this regard, the Ombudsman insists that a number of urgent measures be taken to prevent any possible form of degrading treatment or torture. First of all, to distinguish the act of “torture” as an independent crime, next – to engage in practices for effective control – on the basis of Art. 127, item 4 of the Constitution of the Republic of Bulgaria that the prosecutor’s office exercise regular supervision in the implementation of criminal and other coercive measures in all state psychiatric hospitals, because they are kept places of deprivation of liberty.

The ombudsman also recommends to update the legal framework of the procedure for applying measures of temporary physical restraint to patients with established mental disorders and to draw up a protocol for applying the coercive measures “immobilization” and “isolation”, in which it should be clearly noted with what duration and how often patients may be isolated and restrained (tied) in a 24-hour period, and to specify the grounds on which these measures are applied.

The report also insists on expanding the possibilities for civil control through the mandatory inclusion of a person with a legal education and a representative of a human rights non-governmental organization in the composition of the Commission for Oversight of the Implementation of Temporary Physical Restraint Measures, as well as unifying the method of financing for all healthcare facilities for inpatient treatment, being bound by the quality of the healthcare service provided.

The report also describes the worst case of torture since the beginning of the Ombudsman’s mandate as NPM. This is the fire that occurred on October 2, 2023 in the State Psychiatric Hospital – Lovech, in which a patient died. The young man who died in a fire in the isolation ward of the Lovech psychiatric hospital, f. e. was sentenced to lie down in the isolation ward for 9 hours, 6 of them tied up. According to the ombudsman, Diana Kovacheva, this measure is torture. She insists on special supervision of the investigation by the prosecutor’s office. And also to monitor all coercive measures in psychiatry, to change the regulation on isolation.The ombudsman’s inspection there highlighted numerous weaknesses in the system for providing quality psychiatric care and protection for the mentally ill. For example – deficits in the legal framework and practices for implementing measures for temporary physical restraint of persons in the PSHs, the lack of effective mechanisms for control by state institutions, as well as chronic problems with the quality of psychiatric care provided due to insufficient funding of the activity.

Another focus of the NPM report is related to deficits regarding the rights of children in conflict with the law.

It also indicates that in every annual report of the NPM, the recommendation is invariably made to close boarding schools and introduce modern and effective measures to work with child offenders, which include restorative justice and preventive work, as well as the creation of a protective social system. with a network of services (integrated services and educational, psycho-social and protective measures and support mechanisms) regarding children in conflict with the law.

In this regard, the report describes that in 2023 teams of the ombudsman from the NPM and Children’s Rights Directorates carried out three joint inspections in Educational Boarding Schools (EBS) and Social and Pedagogical Boarding Schools (SPBS) to assess the availability or the lack of progress on the Third Thematic Report on the Rights of Children Placed in Higher Education Institutions and Higher Education Institutions.

“As a result of the systemic pressure of the ombudsman, four boarding schools were closed, such as the one in the village of Dragodanovo, municipality of Sliven. The number of children housed in the remaining three has decreased to 88 children. Most of the children are victims of circumstances in their lives – poverty , lack of normal housing conditions, separated parents and/or those who are economic emigrants abroad The material base is in a bad state, regardless of the partial repairs being carried out The investment of resources (financial, technical and human) in the system of EBSs and SPBSs is inexpedient. The efforts of the authorities should be fully focused on the rapid closure of these institutions and the creation of a protective social system including a network of services (integrated services and educational, psycho-social and protective measures and support mechanisms) in relation to children who are in conflict with the law,” the report added.

There, it is recalled that in the Third Thematic Report on the Rights of Children Placed in Higher Education Institutions and Secondary Education Institutions, a series of chronic vices were found, that Higher Education Institutions and Secondary Education Institutions do not meet international standards, because they are from the so-called “barrack type buildings” with common sleeping quarters, bathrooms, toilets. And the children housed in them not only do not have access to quality education and medical care, but also their relatives cannot visit them due to the remoteness of the institutions and the lack of funds. In addition, educational measures bear the characteristics of criminal repression, i.e. their educational effect is to impose a sanction or restriction. The absence of subsequent periodical judicial control and provision of legal assistance to the children placed in connection with the educational measures imposed on them was noted.

Among the other problems mentioned is the fact that the applicable legislation does not allow minors placed in an educational center – boarding school to apply to the judicial authorities to request a review of their detention. As well as that in the internal law of Bulgaria there is no periodic and automatic check in relation to the detention in question.

In the Eleventh Report of the Ombudsman as NPM for another year, it is emphasized that the adoption of a national policy and strategy for children’s justice with a long-term horizon is necessary. As well as that the efforts of the authorities should be fully focused on the rapid closure of institutions for children in conflict with the law and the creation of a protected social system that includes a network of services (integrated services and educational, psycho-social and protective measures and support mechanisms) in relation to these children.

“The recommendation for the need to take effective legislative actions for the transposition into the NPC of Directive 2016/800/ of the EU on procedural guarantees for children who are suspects or accused in criminal proceedings,” the ombudsman also states.

In 2023, the NPM will carry out a total of 3 planned and 11 unannounced inspections in social institutions for children and adults.

Again, the ombudsman’s recommendation is to speed up the process of deinstitutionalisation of aged care, because the long-term residence of disabled people in institutions violates basic human rights, and the homes themselves can be defined as places of deprivation of liberty.

The report points out another worrying fact – the presence of seven institutions with a capacity of more than 100 people (one with 228), located at a great distance from municipal centers and hospitals, with a lack of specialists to take care of them.

“At the moment, only 9 homes for people with mental retardation, mental disorders and dementia have been closed. Once again, it has been established that the homes do not meet any criteria for providing quality social service for people with disabilities. The attitude towards the housed people and their staying there is not only bad and humiliating, but their basic human rights are violated,” the report said. Namely, the right to free movement and contacts with the outside world; of quality psychological and medical care; of personal space and quality sanitary and living conditions, as well as the right to individual care.

The Ombudsman has once again noted the apparent lack of will and vision to move residential care services into the community. Instead, the opposite trend is observed – the material base in these institutions remains the same, they are at a great distance from the municipal center, often the accompanying infrastructure is rebuilt with minimal funds to create sheltered housing and family-type accommodation centers. This leads to the practice of new services being actually located in the same building or in the yard of the respective residential service.

The report draws attention to the fact that in 2023, the trend for a large volume of inspections in the places of serving sentences for the Ministry of Justice continues.

“At the end of October 2022, the report of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment from its eighth visit to Bulgaria was published. The Committee points out as current and essential the problems related to violence between prisoners, the unsatisfactory conditions in prisons and detention centers in the country, the mass spread of bed bugs and cockroaches, as well as the lack of meaningful and constructive activities for those deprived of their liberty. The above findings are also confirmed by the inspections carried out by the Ombudsman in his capacity as NPM in 2023, which clearly demonstrates the continuing need to reform penal policy in the penitentiary system,” the report said.

It is emphasized that the general critical finding in this sector continues to be the lack of an effective solution to several basic problems, namely – systemic deficits in the medical care of prisoners; continuing deficits with depreciated bedding inventory; the unresolved problems with the presence of cockroaches, bedbugs and other pests in places of deprivation of liberty, etc.

Another emphasis in the report is the protection of the rights of persons detained in the accommodation facilities of the Ministry of the Interior. In 2023, a total of 2,509 such persons were covered in the inspections.

The implementation of the recommendations made in 2022 in relation to the rights of minors and persons seeking or denied international protection was checked.

In 2023, the ombudsman carried out inspections in four premises for the accommodation of detained persons in the system of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. It was found there that the material living conditions continue to be poor, with little access to daylight and a depreciated material base.

And in 2023, in his capacity as NPM, the ombudsman will carry out inspections in the centers for temporary accommodation of foreigners under the Ministry of Internal Affairs and in the centers for the accommodation of refugees under the State Agency for Refugees (SRA) under the Council of Ministers. The main focus of each inspection is an assessment of the conditions under which unaccompanied minors live and the forms of support provided.

The checks found that for 2023, according to statistics of the SRA, 5,702 applications for international protection were submitted by unaccompanied minors. Of these, 3,843 are from unaccompanied children, and 1,416 from minors. 2023 49 unaccompanied children are accommodated in social service centers.

“It is also worrying that too often unaccompanied children disappear from the SRA’s open-type accommodation centers under the Council of Ministers, within a week or two, continuing their way to Western Europe through organized and costly illegal refugee channels,” the ombudsman emphasized in the Annual report.

He draws attention to the fact that inspections in 2023 also found an increasing number of unaccompanied minors in conditions of permanently unresolved basic problems. For example – the ombudsman’s recommendation from 2022 has not been implemented and the Registration and reception center – Harmanli continues to not have a safe zone for unaccompanied minors and minors seeking international protection. The relevance of the recommendation for the introduction of a systematic policy for the protection and integration of unaccompanied minors continues. The ombudsman points out that it is necessary to evaluate the possible measures to ensure protection and support for unaccompanied minors who have received status through integration in the community and if they do not wish to be placed in residential social care.

In 2023, the ombudsman monitored the implementation of 33 coercive administrative measures on return to the country of origin, country of transit or third country and expulsion.

The monitoring teams found systemic problems when checking the personal files of foreigners – continuing the practice of under-completion of the documentation, especially regarding the appeal of orders to impose coercive administrative measures; missing evidence that the foreign citizens are aware of the content of the orders issued to them to impose coercive administrative measures, as well as their right to appeal it in accordance with the Code of Administrative Procedure; the lack of evidence that foreign nationals accommodated in the Special homes for temporary accommodation of foreigners are aware of their right to receive legal assistance and that they have met with lawyers who consulted them and informed them of their rights and legal options, etc.

Photo: Diana Kovacheva / Press center of the ombudsman

What does the church candle symbolize?

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Newsroom
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The answer is given by the Fathers of the Church, to whom we always turn and in whom we find the answer, regardless of when they lived.

St. Simeon of Thessalonica speaks of six things which the candle symbolizes, referring to the pure candle, viz. – the waxy one. He says she depicts:

1) the purity of our soul,

2) the flexibility of our soul, which we must shape according to the evangelical commandments,

3) the fragrance of God’s Grace, which should emanate from every soul, like the sweet smell of a candle,

4) as when the real wax in the candle mixes with the fire, burns and nourishes it, so the soul, burned by God’s love, gradually reaches deification,

5) Christ’s light,

6) the love and peace that reign in the Christian and become a signpost for others.

St. Nicodemus of Athos also talks about six symbols and reasons why we light candles:

1) to glorify God who is Light: “I am the Light of the world” (John, 8:12),

2) to dispel the darkness of the night and drive away the fear it brings,

3) to express the inner joy of our soul,

4) to honor our saints, imitating the ancient Christians who lit candles on the graves of the martyrs,

5) to depict our good deeds according to Christ’s words “let your light shine before men” (Matt. 5:16a),

6) to forgive the sins of those who light the candles and of those for whom they are lit.

A flame comes out of the candle and the flame emits light. Light is the main element in our services. We are called to become light as He is Light. During the pre-sanctified Holy Liturgy, the officiating priest turns to the faithful with a lighted candle in his hand and says: “The light of Christ enlightens everyone.” During the monastic haircut, the abbot holds a lighted candle and says again “Let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Heavenly Father.” (Mat 5:16), but also at the end of the Holy Liturgy we sing “having seen the true light”. Our Lord constantly calls us to become Light with our lives, with our words and deeds. This means that lighting candles should not be just some routine or mechanical action, but should become an important part of our search for God and our communication with Him.

Photo by Zenia: https://www.pexels.com/photo/lighted-candles-11533/

North Macedonia already exports nearly 4 times more wine than Bulgaria

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Newsroom
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Years ago, Bulgaria was one of the biggest producers of wine in the world, but now it has been losing its position for almost 2 decades. This is the main conclusion of the initial analysis of the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce (BCC).

Since 1961, the country has been among the first 15 countries-excellents according to this indicator, which in 1975 took even the fourth place in the world classification. Unfortunately, due to the general trends over the last 20 years and until 2007, our company lost its position in this category every year. The fact that the Bulgarian export of wine is decreasing is supported by the customs tariff item 2204 Wine from the nest, according to the data of the world foreign trade data.

For the period between 2003 and 2022, the EU countries increase the quantity of imported wine by 50%. The number of Slovakia is more than 3 times, and that of Hungary is almost 2 times. North Macedonia now exports nearly 4 times more wine than Bulgaria.

It means that Bulgaria in particular has seven times less quantity for 2022 for this twentieth year period. The Bulgarian share of the total EU27 exports from 2.3% in 2005 will drop to 0.2% in 2022. As a result, Bulgarian wine exports will decrease from 86.5 million EUR in 2007 to 16.8 million EUR in 2022.

For the period 2007-2022, EU27 exports increased from EUR 14.9 billion to EUR 27.8 billion, or almost doubled.

“This comprehensive analysis of the data on Bulgarian wine exports and those of the Balkan countries and the entire EU shows that the main reason for the native Bulgarian wine in the last 20 years and it is in the cams of the nac, and not in the world ĸconjunĸtypa. , problems that farmers in Bulgaria are currently facing, are not the most important reasons for the existence of the Bulgarian wine production and export, because even those outside the EU, that North Macedonia and Serbia not only keep their security positions, but also “Bulgaria obviously needs immediate and radical political, economic and radical changes”, writes Borislav Geopgiev, an expert on foreign affairs at BCC, in a comment.

Source: Money.bg

Maritime safety: deal on stricter measures to stop pollution from ships

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EuropeanTimes
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Photo de Maxim Kostenko sur Unsplash

EU co-legislators preliminarily agreed to update EU rules on preventing pollution from ships in European seas and ensuring perpetrators face fines.

On Thursday, Parliament and Council negotiators reached an informal deal to extend an existing ban on discharge of oil spills by ships to include sewage and garbage.

Banning more types of spills from ships

According to the deal, the current list of substances banned from being discharged from ships, such as oil and noxious liquid substances, will now include the discharge of sewage, garbage, and residues from scrubbers.

MEPs managed to secure an obligation for the EU to review the rules five years after their transposition into national law to assess if marine plastic litter, loss of containers and plastic pellet spills from ships should also face penalties.

More robust verification

MEPs ensured EU countries and the Commission will communicate more on pollution incidents, best practices to tackle pollution, and follow-up measures, following alerts by the European satellite system for oil spill and vessel detection, CleanSeaNet. To prevent illegal discharge from dispersing and therefore becoming undetectable, the agreed text foresees the digital check of all high confidence CleanSeaNet alerts and an aim to verify at least 25% of them by the competent national authorities.

Effective penalties

EU countries will need to introduce effective and dissuasive fines for ships breaching these rules, while criminal sanctions were addressed in separate legislation MEPs already agreed with EU governments last November. According to preliminary deal, EU countries shall not set penalties at such a low level that would fail to ensure its dissuasive nature.

Quote

EP rapporteur Marian-Jean Marinescu (EPP, Romania) said: “Ensuring the health of our seas demands not just legislation, but robust enforcement. Member states must not falter in their duty to safeguard our marine environment. We need a concentrated effort, utilising advanced technologies like satellite monitoring and on-site inspections, to stamp out illegal discharges effectively. Penalties must reflect the seriousness of these offenses, acting as a true deterrent. Our commitment is clear: cleaner seas, stricter accountability, and a sustainable maritime future for all.”

Next steps

The preliminary deal still needs to be approved by Council and Parliament. EU countries will have 30 months to transpose new rules into national law and prepare for its implementation.

Background

The deal on the revision of the directive on ship-source pollution is a part of the Maritime safety package presented by the Commission in June 2023. The package aims to modernise and reinforce EU maritime rules on safety and pollution prevention.

On the emergence of heresies

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Guest Author
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By St. Vincentius of Lerin,

from his remarkable historical work “Memorial Book of the Antiquity and Universality of the Congregational Faith”

Chapter 4

But in order to make what we have said clearer, it must be illustrated by separate examples and presented in a little more detail, so that in our pursuit of excessive brevity, the hasty word should take away from the value of things.

In the time of Donatus, from whom the name “Donatists” comes, when a large part of the people in Africa had rushed to the outbreak of their error, when, forgetting name, faith, confession, they had placed the sacrilegious recklessness of one man before the Church of Christ, then, of all throughout Africa, only those who, scorning the foul schism, had joined the universal Church, could preserve themselves unharmed in the sanctuary of the conciliar faith; they indeed left to generations an example, how later prudently to place the health of the whole body before the folly of one, or at most a few. Also, when the Arian poison had infected, not some corner, but almost the whole world, insomuch that a darkness had clouded the minds of almost all the Latin-speaking bishops, led partly by force, partly by deceit, and prevented them from deciding what course to pursue in this confusion – then only he who truly loved and worshiped Christ and placed the ancient faith above the new treachery remained unstained by the contagion that comes from touching him.

The dangers of the time showed more clearly to what extent the introduction of a new dogma could be fatal. Because then not only small things collapsed, but also the most important things. Not only kinships, blood relations, friendships, families, but also cities, peoples, provinces, nations, and finally the entire Roman Empire was shaken and shaken to its foundations. For after this same vile Arian innovation, like some Bellona or fury, had first captured the emperor, and then subjected to the new laws and all the highest people in the palace, it did not cease to mix and confuse everything, private and public, sacred and blasphemous, not to distinguish between good and evil, but to smite whomever he pleases from the height of his position. Then wives were violated, widows insulted, virgins dishonored, monasteries destroyed, clergy persecuted, deacons scourged, priests exiled; prisons, dungeons, and mines were crowded with holy men, most of whom, after being denied access to the cities, cast out and banished, fell upon, ruined, and destroyed by nakedness, hunger, and thirst among deserts, caves, beasts, and rocks. And doesn’t all this happen only because the heavenly teaching is displaced by human superstition, antiquity, which stood on sound foundations, is overthrown by filthy newness, the ancient established ones are insulted, the decrees of the fathers are canceled, the determinations of our forefathers turn to fluff and dust, and the fads of the new vicious curiosity are not kept within the blameless limits of sanctified and uncorrupted antiquity?

Chapter 5

But perhaps we make this up out of hatred for the new and love for the old? Whoever thinks so, let him at least believe the blessed Ambrose, who in his second book to the emperor Gratian, himself lamenting the bitter time, says: “But enough, O God Almighty, we have washed away with our own exile and our own blood the slaughter of confessors, the exiles of priests and the evil of this great wickedness. It is clear enough that those who have defiled the faith cannot be safe.’ And again in the third book of the same work: “Let us observe the precepts of the ancestors and dare not violate with gross recklessness the seals inherited from them. That sealed Book of Prophecy, neither elders, nor powers, nor angels, nor archangels dared to open: Christ alone was reserved the right to first explain it. Who among us would dare to break the seal of the Priestly Book, sealed by the confessors and sanctified by the martyrdom of not one and two? Some were forced to unseal it, but then resealed it, denouncing the fraud; and those who did not dare to desecrate her became confessors and martyrs. How can we deny the faith of those whose victory we proclaim?’ And indeed we proclaim it, O venerable Ambrose! Indeed we proclaim her and, praising her, we marvel at her! Who, then, is so foolish that, although he has no strength to catch up, he does not at least long to follow those whom no power could prevent from defending the faith of the ancestors—neither threats, nor flattery, nor life, nor death, nor palace, no guards, no emperor, no empire, no humans, no demons? Whom, I assert, because they obstinately maintained the religious antiquity, God judged worthy of a great gift: through them to restore fallen churches, to revive spirit-dead nations, to lay cast-off crowns back on the heads of priests, to blot out those pernicious unscriptures , and the stain of the new impiety with a stream of tears of the faithful poured out on the bishops from above, and finally to regain almost the whole world, swept away by the terrible storm of this unexpected heresy, from the new unbelief to the ancient faith, from the new madness to the ancient prudence, from the new blindness to the ancient light. But in all this almost divine virtue of the confessors, one thing is most important for us: that then, in the time of the ancient Church, they took it upon themselves to protect not some part, but the whole. For it was not fitting for so great and illustrious men to support with so great an effort the uncertain and often mutually contradictory suspicions of one or two or three, nor to enter into battles for the sake of some casual agreement in some province; but, following the decrees and determinations of all the priests of the holy Church, inheritors of the apostolic and conciliar truth, they preferred to betray themselves, but not the ancient universal faith. That is why they deserved such great fame – to be considered not only confessors, but first among confessors by right and by merit.

Chapter 6

Great, then, is the example of these blessed men, undoubtedly divine, and worthy of remembrance and untiring reflection on the part of every true Christian; for they, like a seven-candlestick, shining sevenfold with the light of the Holy Spirit, set before the eyes of posterity the brightest rule, how later, amidst the delusions of various idle words, they were to clash the audacity of impious innovation with the authority of sanctified antiquity. But this is not new. Because in the Church it has always been the case that the more religious a person is, the more ready he is to oppose innovations. There are countless such examples. But in order not to get carried away, let us take only one, and he should preferably be from the apostolic see; because everyone can see more clearly with what force, with what aspiration and with what zeal the blessed followers of the blessed apostles invariably defended the unity of the faith once achieved. Once the venerable Agrippinus, bishop of Carthage, was the first who, contrary to the divine canon, contrary to the rule of the universal Church, contrary to the opinions of all his fellow priests, contrary to the custom and establishment of the ancestors, thought that Baptism should be repeated. This innovation entailed so much evil that it not only gave all heretics an example of sacrilege, but also misled some of the faithful. And since the people everywhere murmured against this innovation, and all the priests everywhere opposed it, each according to the degree of his zeal, then the blessed Pope Stephen, prelate of the apostolic throne, opposed it together with his companions, but most zealously of all, thinking, in my opinion, that he ought to surpass all others in his devotion in the faith as much as he excels them in the authority of his office. And finally, in an Epistle to Africa, he affirmed the following: “Nothing is subject to renewal – only the Tradition must be respected.” This holy and prudent man understood that true piety admits of no other rule than that everything should be handed down to the sons with the same faith with which it was received from the fathers; that we should not lead the faith according to our whims, but on the contrary – to follow it where it leads us; and that it is proper to Christian modesty and austerity not to pass on what is his to posterity, but to preserve what he has received from his ancestors. What then was the way out of this whole problem? What, indeed, but the usual and the familiar? Namely: the old was preserved, and the new was shamefully rejected.

But perhaps it was then that his innovation lacked patronage? On the contrary, he had on his side such talents, such rivers of eloquence, such adherents, such plausibility, such prophecies of the Scriptures (interpreted, of course, in a new and wicked way) that, in my opinion, the whole conspiracy could not have collapsed in any other way reason, except one – the vaunted innovation has not stood up to the weight of its own cause, which it has undertaken and defended. What happened next? What were the consequences of this African Council or decree? By God’s will, none; everything was destroyed, rejected, trampled like a dream, like a fairy tale, like a fiction. And, oh, wonderful twist! The authors of this teaching are considered faithful, and its followers heretics; the teachers are acquitted, the students are condemned; the authors of the books will be the sons of the Kingdom of God, and their defenders will be swallowed up by hell fire. So who is the fool who will doubt that that luminary among all bishops and martyrs – Cyprian, together with his companions, will reign with Christ? Or, on the contrary, who is capable of this great sacrilege to deny that the Donatists and other pernicious men, who boast that they have been re-baptized on the authority of that council, will burn in eternal fire with the devil?

Chapter 7

It seems to me that this judgment has been made known from above mostly because of the deceitfulness of those who, thinking to cover up some heresy under a foreign name, usually seize upon the writings of some ancient author, not very clear, which by reason of their obscurity correspond to ujkim of their teaching; so that when they put this thing out somewhere, they don’t seem to be the first or the only ones. This treachery of theirs, in my opinion, is doubly hateful: first, because they are not afraid to offer others to drink of the poison of heresy, and secondly, because with an impious hand they stir up the memory of some holy man, as if they were rekindling coals that had already become ashes, and that which should be buried in silence, they make known anew, bringing it to light again, thus becoming followers of their progenitor Ham, who not only did not cover the nakedness of the venerable Noah, but showed it to others, to laugh at him. Therefore he earned a displeasure for insulting filial piety—so great that even his descendants were bound by the curse of his sins; he was not in the least like his blessed brethren, who would not have the nakedness of their venerable father defile their own eyes, nor reveal it to others, but turning their eyes away, as it is written, covered him: they neither approved, nor did they make known the transgression of the holy man, and therefore were rewarded with a blessing for them and their posterity.

But let’s get back to our topic. Wherefore we ought to be filled with great fear and terror of the crime of changing the faith and profaning piety; not only the teaching about the structure of the Church, but also the categorical opinion of the apostles with their authority prevents us from this. Because everyone knows how strictly, how harshly, how fiercely the blessed apostle Paul attacks some who, with astonishing ease, too quickly passed from the one who “called them to the grace of Christ, to another gospel, not that there is another,” “who, led by their lusts, have gathered to themselves teachers, having turned away their ears from the truth, and have turned to fables,” who “come under condemnation, because they have rejected their first promise,” the same are deceived by those of whom the apostle wrote to the brethren in Rome: “I beseech you, brethren, beware of those who produce divisions and seductions contrary to the doctrine which you have learned, and beware of them. Because such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their bellies, and with sweet and flattering words they deceive the hearts of the simple-minded”, “who creep into houses and seduce wives, burdened with sins and possessed by various lusts, wives who always are learning and can never come to the knowledge of the truth,” “blabbermouths and deceivers, … they spoil whole houses by teaching what they ought not for the sake of vile gain,” “men of perverse minds, rejected of the faith” , “overshadowed by pride, they know nothing and are sick of idle debates and arguments; they think that piety serves for gain,” “being unemployed, they are wont to go from house to house; and not only are they idle, but they are talkative, curious, and speak what is unbecoming,” “who, rejecting a good conscience, are shipwrecked in the faith,” “whose filthy vanities will pile up to more wickedness, and their speech will spreads like a dwelling’. It is also written about them: “But they will not succeed anymore, because their folly will be revealed to everyone, just as their folly was revealed.”

Chapter 8

And so, when some such, traveling through the provinces and cities, and carrying around their delusions, like merchandise, reached as far as the Galatians; and when, after hearing them, the Galatians got a kind of nausea from the truth and threw up the manna of the apostolic and council teaching, and began to enjoy the impurities of the heretical innovation, the authority of the apostolic authority manifested itself, to decree with supreme severity: ” But if even we, says the apostle, or an angel from heaven preached to you something other than what we preached to you, let him be anathema.” Why does he say “but if even we” and not “but if even I”? This means: “even Peter, even Andrew, even John, finally even the whole apostolic choir should preach to you something other than what we have already preached to you, let him be anathema.” Terrible cruelty, not to spare either yourself or the rest of your fellow-apostles, so that the soundness of the original faith could be established! However, this is not all: “Even if an angel from heaven, he says, should preach to you something other than what we preached to you, let him be anathema.” For the preservation of the faith once delivered, it was not enough to mention the human nature alone, but the superior angelic nature had to be included. “Not even we, he says, or an angel from heaven.” Not because the holy angels of heaven are still capable of sinning, but because he wants to say: even if the impossible were to happen – anyone, anyone, should try to change the faith once delivered to us – anathema be. But perhaps he said this thoughtlessly, rather poured it out, carried by human impulse, than decreed it, guided by divine reason? Absolutely not. For there follow words filled with the enormous weight of the repeated statement: “As we have already said, now I say it again: if anyone preaches anything to you other than what you have received, let him be anathema.” He didn’t say “if anyone tells you something different from what you have accepted, let him be blessed, praised, accepted”, but he said: let him be anathema, i.e. removed, excommunicated, excluded, lest the terrible contagion of a sheep to pollute Christ’s flock of innocents by her poisonous mixing with him.

Note: On May 24, the Church celebrates the memory of St. Vincent of Lerin (5th century)

Nexo’s claim against Bulgaria turned out to be over 3 billion dollars

By
Petar Gramatikov
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0

The claim of “NEXO” against Bulgaria, the Ministry of Finance and the Prosecutor’s Office turned out to be over 3 billion dollars. This is clear from the digital asset company’s announcement to the media at the end of January.

“The size of the arbitration claim is determined by the significant material and reputational damages resulting from the actions of the government authorities during the now closed, oppressive investigation against the company, its employees and managers. As expected, the accusations proved to be untenable, and the pre-trial proceedings found their logical end due to lack of crimes”, Nexo wrote.

The claim was filed with the secretariat of the International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) at the World Bank in Washington, according to international agreements on the protection of investments. Nexo’s interests before the tribunal will be represented by the prestigious American law firm Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, the company reports.

On December 21, 2023, less than a year after the spectacular, ostentatious action and subsequent administrative and institutional arbitrariness, all charges were dropped. The Sofia City Prosecutor’s Office concluded that “no crimes were committed” and terminated the criminal proceedings against the managers of “Nexo” – Kosta Kanchev, Antoni Trenchev, Kalin Metodiev and Trayan Nikolov, thereby categorically exonerating them, the company recalls.

“Having studied the case in depth, we believe in the strength and future success of Nexo’s claim,” Matthew Oresman, managing partner of Pillsbury LLP’s London office, was quoted as saying by the company. Deborah Ruff, head of arbitration in the international office, added: “We look forward to representing our clients in the next phase of this fight for justice.”

The damage sustained is also described. The company writes: “The direct consequences of the attack by the state authorities, accompanied by a serious media campaign against the company and the mass circulation of false statements caused colossal damage to the activity and international reputation of Nexo. The company’s investments in Bulgaria suffered large losses, and significant business opportunities on a global scale lost:

– Nexo’s joint work with three of the largest American investment banks on the initial public offering of the company’s shares on a landmark stock exchange in the United States has been terminated. The valuation of Nexo given by these banks at the time was between US$8 billion and US$12 billion.

– The signing of a long-term cooperation of Nexo with one of the most popular European football clubs with over 330 million supporters worldwide was foiled. The goal of the collaboration was the creation of an exclusive, joint, innovative financial product providing access to the potential of digital assets for the millions of fans of the football giant.

“The tarnished name and reputation of Nexo and its employees in front of local and international authorities, partners and institutions through the circulation of already proven false claims led to the loss of a series of business opportunities, potential revenues and a multi-billion drop in the value of the company”.

“The time has come to demand justice and compensation for the huge reputational and financial damage caused,” the company wrote.

Nexo intends to donate up to 20% of the compensation received to the most needy and neglected sectors in the country – children’s health care and education. “The main priority will be support for the construction of much-needed children’s hospitals and departments in Bulgaria, as well as various initiatives to increase the competitiveness of Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” on the global educational scene,” they add.

Let’s remind that in spring 2022 the Nexo team in Bulgaria considered it their human duty to take concrete actions in support of Ukrainian refugees – women, children and families – who have found refuge in the country, as well as to support those affected who have chosen to stay on the territory of Ukraine.

Nexo donated $350,000 or BGN 620,000 to help the victims in three main directions: 1. Humanitarian aid to Ukraine – $135,000; 2. Helping Ukrainian refugees in Bulgaria – $140,000; 3. Support for women and children, Ukrainian refugees, in Bulgaria – $75,000.

Nexo works with a number of local organizations actively involved in providing humanitarian, medical, legal and social assistance, vital supplies of food and clean drinking water, providing emergency shelter to those in need, protecting children and vulnerable groups, and helping for the safe passage of Ukrainian citizens across the border. The provided financial support also supports initiatives to build day care centers for Ukrainian refugee children, to provide educational resources and support for mothers with children with disabilities or developmental difficulties, including long-term support for mothers of children with disabilities or developmental difficulties, Ukrainian refugees on the territory of Bulgaria: donation of $50,000 to the For Our Children Foundation; and support for women and children, Ukrainian refugees, on the territory of Bulgaria: donation of $25,000 to the Bulgarian Women’s Fund.

Christmas, Easter and Halloween banned in private schools in Turkey

By
Newsroom
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0

The Ministry of Education in Ankara has changed the rules for private schools in Turkey. It prohibits “activities that contradict national and cultural values and cannot contribute to the psychosocial development of students”. The ministry has sent a warning letter to schools about celebrating Christmas, Halloween and Easter as early as December 2023.

A new amendment and supplement to the Ordinance on private educational institutions of the Ministry of Education was published in the State Gazette yesterday. Accordingly, a new type of institution called a “center for social activity and development” was designated, where academic development training for secondary school students would be conducted along with social, cultural, artistic and sports activities in accordance with their interests, desires and abilities .

With the new regulation, curricula implemented by international private educational institutions, excluding those that implement Turkish curricula, and all types of teaching materials used in the implementation of these curricula will have to be approved by the Education and Disciplines Council in Ankara.

With the change made regarding the annual working calendar and working hours of the school, it is taken into account in the implementation of a separate working calendar to take into account matters related to the general functioning of education and training, such as central examinations. According to the new provision, activities contrary to national and cultural values and which would not contribute to the psychosocial development of students cannot be carried out.

It is mandatory to teach in schools according to textbooks approved by the Ministry.

Following news in some Turkish media in December 2023 that “parents complain” about Christmas, Halloween and Easter celebrations held in private schools, a letter titled “Social activities to be held in educational institutions” was sent , to all provinces by the Director General for Private Educational Institutions at the Ministry of Education, Fethullah Guner.

The order in question requires private schools to organize all activities in accordance with the general and specific goals and basic principles of Turkish national education.

Illustrative Photo by Yaroslav Shuraev: https://www.pexels.com/photo/orange-pumpkin-beside-the-glass-window-5604228/

Lifesaving medical care collapsing under assault in Gaza: WHO

By
United Nations News
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0
© UNICEF/Omar Al-Qattaa - A man cooks food for his children over a wood fire in front of his destroyed home in an area west of Gaza City.

The largest remaining hospital in southern Gaza is “barely functional”, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Friday amid reports of intense attacks by Israeli forces.

There have been reports of damage to Nasser Hospital’s orthopedic unit, reducing its ability to provide urgent medical care, WHO spokesperson Tarik Jašarević told correspondents at a press briefing in Geneva.

“More degradation to the hospital means more lives being lost,” he said.

According to the UN agency, of the 36 hospitals in the war-ravaged enclave, only 11 are functioning. There are also reports that several patients have died during the Israeli operation.

The Israeli military has alleged that Hamas was holding hostages or withholding the bodies of Israelis within the Nasser compound, situated in Khan Younis.

Places of healing, not burial

The hospital has been providing lifesaving services to the most critically ill and has been a refuge to countless civilians displaced from elsewhere in the Gaza Strip.

Mr. Jašarević added that WHO was trying to gain urgent access to the complex.

“We really need to get there to bring fuel so [the] hospital can continue to function and those patients who are still there can continue to receive medical care,” he said, also stressing the need to assess the conditions of patients and for their safe referral to other facilities.

“We have been saying all this time…that patients, health workers and civilians who are seeking refuge in hospitals deserve safety and not a burial in those places of healing,” he added.

Intense bombardment continues

Meanwhile, intense Israeli bombardment from air, land and sea continues to be reported across much of the Gaza Strip, resulting in further civilian casualties, displacement and infrastructure damage, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said.

“Widespread ground operations and heavy fighting between Israeli forces and Palestinian armed groups also continue to be reported, especially in the centre of Khan Younis and east of Deir Al-Balah,” OCHA noted in a flash update issued on Friday.

Between the afternoon of 15 February and 11am on 16 February (local times), according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, 112 Palestinians were killed, and 157 Palestinians were injured, and since 7 October, at least 28,775 Palestinians were killed in Gaza and a further 68,552 reported injured.

Tiny sliver of land

OCHA also relayed reports that intensified airstrikes on Rafah and statements by Israeli officials of a ground operation have led to the movement of people sheltering there towards the town of Deir Al-Balah in central Gaza.

Over half of Gaza’s population are crammed into Rafah, which is located at the southern end of the Strip, in an area that represents just one fifth of the entire enclave.

‘Humanity must prevail’

The situation is particularly dire for pregnant women, new mothers and newborns.

The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) warned that the Al-Helal Al-Emirati Maternity Hospital in Rafah is “overwhelmed and struggling” to provide adequate care.

If the bombs don’t kill
pregnant women, if
disease, hunger
dehydration and
don’t catch up with
them, simply giving
birth could

– UNFPA

“Put simply, if the bombs don’t kill pregnant women, if disease, hunger and dehydration don’t catch up with them, simply giving birth could,” the UN agency, which works for safe motherhood, said.

Further attacks, UNFPA warned, would mark another devastating turn in the war, and thousands more could die in the violence or through lack of access to food, water and critical lifesaving services. 

Humanity must prevail, it added, reiterating the call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza and the safe and immediate release of all hostages.

‘Clock is ticking fast’

The UN independent committee monitoring the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women echoed that call.

It urged Israel to allow the provision of medicines and medical personnel and humanitarian assistance, including the special needs of women and girls such as sexual and reproductive health services, and sanitary and hygiene products.

“The clock is ticking fast towards famine and an outbreak of epidemics. The lives and health, physical and mental, of the women and girls of Gaza are severely compromised,” said the committee, which is composed of experts independent of any government and the United Nations. 

Donate to the humanitarian response in Gaza

How much does it cost to clone pets?

By
Newsroom
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0

In the state of Texas, USA, more and more people are making clones of their pets

Owners will still have a copy of their pet to keep raising even after the original dies, citing Voice of America (VOA).

“My first cat was named Chai. I can only describe him as my favorite animal in the entire world. I have never had such a bond with another living creature in my life as I have with this kitten,” says Kelly Anderson, animal trainer. Kelly’s bond with her cat was so strong that she decided to clone it.

“I struggled with depression when she was by my side. The cat saved my life more times than I can count. So it was very hard for me when she died,” the woman adds. In her anguish, she turns to ViaGen Pets & Equine, a US company that clones pets – cats, dogs and horses.

The cloning process begins with a visit to the vet’s office, where a biopsy sample is sent to the pet to be cloned.

“Once we get the sample, we do cell culture. We use some of the saved cells to create cloned embryos. Then they’re transplanted into surrogate mothers. And from there, it’s a normal pregnancy,” says Cody Lamb, who works with the bereaved owners.

The process of cloning Kelly’s cat took four years. But in the end she gets Bell – Chai’s clone.

“When I got the call that they had indeed cloned her, I think I was in shock. But she has quite different markings and a different personality from the late original. I love her very much and she is definitely like my cat, but the connection between us is not the same. But I never expected or wanted exactly this,” says Kelly Anderson.

“The feedback we get is that temperament and personality are quite similar, but the clones also have their own unique individualism,” the company added. Cloning isn’t cheap.

Kelly paid $25,000 six years ago, and the price has since doubled to $50,000, Voice of America (VOA) reports.

Some time ago, the hotel heiress Paris Hilton shared that she cloned her dog, from which she received two copies of him. Barbra Streisand also received two cloned dogs from her beloved Coton de Tulear.

Illustrative Photo by Francesco Ungaro: https://www.pexels.com/photo/black-and-white-tabby-cats-sleeping-on-red-textile-96428/

Tragedy in Confinement: The Death of Alexei Navalny Stirs Global Outcry

By
Gaston de Persigny
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0
Tragedy in Confinement: The Death of Alexei Navalny Stirs Global Outcry

The sudden death of Alexei Navalny, Russia’s most prominent opposition figure and a vocal critic of President Vladimir Putin, has sent shockwaves through the international community and Russia itself. Navalny, known for his relentless fight against corruption and his advocacy for democratic reforms, collapsed during a walk in Penal Colony No. 3 in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug on February 16, 2024, as reported by the Russian state news agency RIA Novosti, citing the Department of the Federal Penitentiary Service.

Navalny‘s death has been met with a flurry of reactions, ranging from silence and controlled narratives within Russia to outright condemnation and calls for accountability from Western leaders and international organizations. The Kremlin’s response, as relayed by presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov, was to inform President Putin and defer to medical experts to determine the cause, while Navalny’s spokeswoman, Kira Yarmysh, has been left awaiting confirmation and details of the circumstances surrounding his demise.

Navalny’s return to Russia in 2021, following an attempt on his life via nerve agent poisoning—a claim substantiated by Western laboratories but denied by the Kremlin—underscored his commitment to his cause and country, despite the risks. His subsequent sentencing to 19 years and the designation of his Anti-Corruption Foundation as an “extremist organization” highlighted the increasingly repressive environment for dissent in Russia.

The directive from the pro-Kremlin party United Russia to lawmakers to refrain from commenting on Navalny’s death, as reported by independent Russian news outlet Agentstvo, and the anonymous insights from both former and current Russian government officials to Euractiv and The Moscow Times, respectively, suggest a complex interplay of fear, control, and acknowledgment of the harsh realities faced by prisoners like Navalny.

Internationally, Navalny’s death has been mourned as a stark reminder of the perils faced by those who challenge authoritarian regimes. Statements from France’s Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, and European Parliament President Roberta Metsola not only pay tribute to Navalny’s courage and resilience but also point to the Kremlin’s responsibility for creating the conditions leading to his death.

As the world grapples with the implications of Navalny’s passing, the call for a thorough investigation and accountability is clear. The narrative of Navalny’s life, marked by his unwavering pursuit of a more transparent and democratic Russia, stands in stark contrast to the silence and obfuscation surrounding his death. It is a tragic end that raises serious questions about the state of human rights and freedom of expression in Russia, and the international community’s role in supporting those who dare to speak out.

The legacy of Alexei Navalny, as a symbol of resistance against oppression and as a beacon of hope for many Russians, remains undiminished. His death may serve as a catalyst for renewed scrutiny of Russia’s human rights record and its treatment of political prisoners, ensuring that his fight for a better Russia continues even in his absence.

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