Pope Francis on Wednesday referred to the release of the McCarrick Report the day before, and expressed his closeness to all victims of abuse.
Speaking during the weekly General Audience in the Vatican’s Apostolic Library, the Pope also said that following “the Report on the painful case of former cardinal Theodore McCarrick” he renews “the commitment of the Church to eradicate this evil”.
After pronouncing these words, he paused for a moment of silent prayer.
The McCarrick Report, composed of 461 pages of documents and testimonies, is an exhaustive investigation into the knowledge and decision-making regarding Theodore McCarrick during his career as a priest, bishop and cardinal.
The Report, published by the Secretariat of State on the mandate of Pope Francis, is the result of a two-year investigative process.
Speaking upon its release on Tuesday, Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin said the Report “will also have an effect in this respect: in making all those involved in such choices more aware of the weight of their decisions or omissions. These are pages that encourage us to reflect deeply and ask ourselves what more we can do in the future, learning from the painful experiences of the past.”
The cooperation which already existed between the health authorities and health systems of the two countries intensified as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. In early spring, with WHO assistance, Romania sent medical supplies and equipment to support the medical system of its neighbour.
“Romania’s relationship with the Republic of Moldova is unique. Adding a robust health response to our partnership only strengthens the existing tie between our countries,” said Dr Andrei Baciu, Deputy Minister of Health of Romania.
In addition to the donation of equipment, a team of 42 doctors and nurses was deployed from Romania to support their colleagues in the Republic of Moldova. The team carried out a 2-week mission, providing medical assistance and care for COVID-19 patients, and training for medical staff in the health facilities of Bălți, Chișinău and Cahul.
“This is only one of many examples of our cooperation, which dates back to long before COVID-19,” explains Dr Miljana Grbic, WHO Representative in Romania. “Working together will ensure the best possible protection and care for citizens in both countries.”
Overcoming obstacles
Common challenges have also been discussed and solutions found through virtual platforms. In August, an online session on disease management was arranged, with leading physicians sharing experiences of treatment of COVID-19 patients, as well as of preparedness plans, treatment protocols and how to optimize human resources to respond to the pandemic. The session was hosted by the Ministry of Health of Romania and supported by WHO.
“This webinar was arranged in order to optimize our health response, exchange best practices and also share concerns,” said Dr Igor Pokanevych, WHO Representative in the Republic of Moldova. “Leading experts from both countries took part, and we were able to discuss both challenges and successes.”
Continued response
Both the Republic of Moldova and Romania are currently facing an increase in cases of COVID-19.
“Each country has had to gradually adapt its measures and actions to control the COVID-19 pandemic, depending on the epidemiological situation. And each country’s experience in detecting, treating and monitoring cases is very important at this stage,” said Alexandru Holostenco, State Secretary, Ministry of Health, Labour and Social Protection of the Republic of Moldova. “As we move into autumn and flu season, sharing available resources, information and experiences is essential,” added Mr Holostenco. “I thank my colleagues from Romania for all the support provided during this period and going forward.”
In 2018, the global median level of government restrictions on religion such as laws, policies and actions by officials that impinge on religious beliefs and practices continued to climb, reaching an all-time high since Pew Research Research Center began tracking these trends in 2007.
In its 11th report, Pew Research showed that even if the increase in government restrictions from 2017 to 2018 was relatively modest, it still contributed to a substantial rise in government restrictions on religion over more than a decade, as well as a rise in the number of governments using force, such as detentions and physical abuse, to coerce religious groups.
In this report, for the first time, Pew Research Center combined its data on government restrictions and social hostilities involving religion with a classification of regime types, to discern whether there is a link between different models of government and levels of restrictions on religion. In other words, whether restrictions on religion tend to be more or less common in countries with full or partial democracies than in those with authoritarian regimes.
The analysis found a strong link between authoritarianism and government restrictions on religion. While there are many exceptions to this pattern, authoritarian regimes are much more common among the countries with very high government restrictions on religion. Among countries with low government restrictions on religion, meanwhile, just 7% are authoritarian.
The total number of countries with “high” or “very high” levels of government restrictions has been mounting. Most recently, that number climbed from 52 countries in 2017 to 56 countries in 2018, according to the report.
As of 2018, most of the 56 countries with high or very high levels of government restrictions on religion are in the Asia-Pacific region, with 25 countries which represent half of all countries in that region, or in the Middle East-North Africa region with 18 countries, which represent 90% of all countries in the region. While Asia and the Pacific had the largest increases in their Government Restrictions Index scores, the Middle East and North Africa region still had the highest median level of government restrictions, and at its highest point since the aftermath of the Arab Spring in 2012, according to the Pew Research report.
Aside from Asia-Pacific and the Middle East-North Africa, sub-Saharan Africa was the only other region to experience an increase in its median level of government restrictions in 2018 (from 2.6 to 2.7), reaching a new high following a steady rise in recent years.
While government use of force against religious groups decreased in the region, both harassment of religious groups and physical violence against minority groups went up.
More than eight-in-10 countries in the sub-Saharan region experienced some form of government harassment of religious groups, and 14 countries (29%) had reports of governments using physical coercion against religious minorities.
Europe experienced a small decline in its median level of government restrictions, although government use of force increased slightly. The median level of government restrictions in the Americas, meanwhile, remained stable between 2017 and 2018, as the region continued to experience the lowest levels of government restrictions compared with all other regions.
In terms of social hostilities involving religion, the picture is more mixed – which makes sense given that social hostilities look at actions by private individuals or social groups and do not directly originate from government actions.
The five countries categorized as full democracies with high levels of social hostilities are all in Europe, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, and all had reports of anti-Muslim and antisemitic incidents.
To measure global restrictions on religion in 2018 – the most recent year for which data is available – the study rates 198 countries and territories by their levels of government restrictions on religion, based on their GRI, and social hostilities involving religion based on their SHI. The new study is based on the same 10-point indexes used in the previous studies.
The Government Restrictions Index (GRI) measures government laws, policies and actions that restrict religious beliefs and practices, while the Social Hostilities Index (SHI) measures acts of religious hostility by private individuals, organizations or groups in society.
…
Negotiators from the European Parliament and EU governments agreed the details … endorsed by EU governments and the European Parliament.
This may … because they are under EU scrutiny for undermining … and government negotiators raises EU spending on health, …
“The European Union welcomes the cessation of hostilities in Nagorno Karabakh,” the Lead Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Peter Stano told at a briefing on Tuesday in Brussels, according to TASS news agency.
“We have been calling for this since the beginning of military actions. We are now analyzing the consequences of the war and the situation in the region, after which we will make a separate statement,” he said, as quoted by the source.
Տեքստում սխալ կամ վրիպակ նկատելու դեպքում, ուղարկեք խմբագրին հաղորդագրություն` նշելով տվյալ սխալը, այնուհետև սեղմելով Ctrl-Enter:
European Union flags fly outside the European Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, February 19, 2020. Picture taken February 19, 2020. — Reuters pic
BRUSSELS, Nov 10 — European Parliament and EU governments’ negotiators agreed today the details of the EU’s 2021-2027 budget, clearing a crucial step for the activation of the bloc’s €1.8 trillion (RM8.7 trillion) recovery package to make the economy greener and more digital.
“A deal for Europe — Council and European Parliament negotiators reach political agreement on the EU budget & recovery package,” the spokesman for the German presidency of the EU Sebastian Fischer said on Twitter, adding the agreement still needed formal endorsement.
The deal, which took almost four months to negotiate, makes clear that governments can only get EU money if they observe the rule of law — a condition Poland and Hungary have opposed because they are under EU scrutiny for undermining the independence of the judiciary.
It raises EU spending in the 1.1 trillion budget on health, education and security by €16 billion compared to the original agreement of EU leaders from July.
It also establishes new, dedicated revenues for EU coffers so the bloc can repay the €750 billion +it plans to borrow to help the recovery after the Covid-19 pandemic.
“By 2026, we will have a basket of new revenues that should be sufficient to cover the cost of the Recovery Fund’s debt with the aim of not having cuts in funds and programmes,” one of the parliamentary negotiators Jose Manuel Fernandes said.
Over the next weeks, talks between EU lawmakers and governments will continue on the details of the €750 billion borrowing, of which €672.5 billion is to be distributed among governments as loans and grants on the basis of their national recovery plans listing various projects and reforms.
The parliament wants more of that money to be paid out up front, before the projects reach agreed milestones and targets, and more of the cash to be earmarked for projects that help reduce CO2 emissions.
Lawmakers also want the cash, for which governments can apply through national recovery programmes, to be available longer — four years instead of three.
Once governments and parliament have an agreement on that, the deal can be ratified by national parliaments in the EU’s 27 countries and the money is to start flowing in the second half of next year.
“The budget, the Recovery Fund, new revenues and the rule of law conditionality are one package for us,” said Siegfried Mursan, a senior MEP responsible for budgetary issues.
“Parliament will ratify today’s deal only if Member States stick to all parts of the agreement,” he said. — Reuters
Hubballi: Tipu had handed over his two children to Britishers as hostages in the interest of his state and the nation as well and was treating all religious persons equally, said Altaf Hallur, president, Hubballi-Dharwad City District Congress Committee. Speaking at the 270th birth anniversary of Tipu Sultan, Hallur said Tipu was a pioneer in adopting advanced technology in administration, particularly in the defence sector. “His life is the best lesson to teach to the next generation,” he added. Former KPCC secretary Mohan Asundi expressed regret over the state government’s move of not celebrating Tipu’s birth anniversary. Another leader Basavaraj Malakari noted that Tipu had great respect for Hindu religion and temples. “However, BJP, a communal party, is trying to present Tipu as anti-Hindu. Chief minister BS Yediyurappa utilised Tipu to woo Muslims when he floated Karnataka Janata Party but is now terming Tipu as anti-Hindu,” he added. Office bearers Dasharath Wali, Altafnawaz Kittur, Navid Mulla, Rafiq Dargad and others were present.
BIC GENEVA — The Geneva Office of the Bahá’í International Community (BIC) has joined with civil society actors, academics, and representatives of UN agencies and international organizations to contribute to discussions on peace-building initiatives around the world at Geneva Peace Week, which concluded last Friday.
“Peace is one of the greatest concerns of humanity today,” says Simin Fahandej, a representative of the Geneva Office. “Although there is a long road ahead, there are constructive forces moving humanity toward greater collective maturity. By bringing together different actors, Peace Week provides an important international forum for the exchange of ideas, particularly at a time when many of the challenges to peace have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Slideshow 7 images
The Geneva Office’s contributions to discussions focused on the critical need for strengthening systems of global cooperation, drawing on the BIC’s recent statement “A Governance Befitting.” In a seminar held by the Office last week, three members of the Bahá’í community with expertise in the fields of governance, economics, and the environment explored some of the implications of the BIC statement and its call for a “global civic ethic.”
Arthur Lyon Dahl, president of the International Environment Forum, observes how the BIC statement draws attention to need for strengthening legal frameworks relating to the environment. “Too much of the present global system of environmental governance is voluntary. The best efforts of some are neutralized if not reversed by the contrary actions of others driven by national or economic self-interest.
“The environmental crisis is pushing us to an acknowledgement of our global interdependence as we see that the welfare of any segment of humanity is inextricably bound up with the welfare of the whole.”
Slideshow 7 imagesA session at Geneva Peace Week in 2019. Since 2014, the annual event has gathered civil society actors, academics, experts and officials to learn about peace-building initiatives around the world.
Augusto Lopez-Claros, executive director of the Global Governance Forum, says the statement “speaks about possibilities that crisis often open up for marked social change.
“One of the things that has struck me is … the kind of rethinking that is taking place in the world today about spending priorities. I think that all of a sudden governments are realizing that the way we have allocated the resources of the state involves a lot of inefficiencies and misplaced priorities. One hears, for instance, of the need now to redefine security more in terms of social and economic welfare rather than to think of security strictly in militaristic terms, which is what we have tended to do at least since the UN was created in 1945.”
Slideshow 7 images
Maja Groff, an international lawyer based in The Hague, Netherlands, highlights the theme of human capacity, saying of the BIC statement: “It holds a very, very positive vision for humanity, for our ability to solve global challenges. … If we, collectively, fundamentally and finally, at last accept our commonality, … if we have this clear acknowledgement of our essential unity then new possibilities will open.”
Reflecting on the discussions that took place over Peace Weak, Ms. Fahandej states: “Knowledge about the need to establish peace is not enough. As the BIC statement says, the machinery of international politics and power has to increasingly be directed toward cooperation and unity. We all need to see each other as part of the same human family. That is the imperative need of this age, of this moment.”
… in a videoconference at the European Council building in Brussels, Tuesday, Nov … . 10, 2020. European Council President Charles Michel and European …
