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European Union MPs raise alarm over treatment of minority girls in Pakistan

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European Union MPs raise alarm over treatment of minority girls in Pakistan

New Delhi: European Parliamentarians have raised concerns over Pakistan’s continued persecution of Christian and Hindu religious minorities and in particular the abuse of girls from these communities.
After the forced abduction, conversion and marriage of Christian girl Huma Younus, another 14-year-old Catholic girl has been kidnapped in Pakistan, forced to marry the kidnapper, renounce her faith, and convert to Islam.

Every year more than 1 500 Christian girls and women are kidnapped in the same way in Pakistan. The judicial system seems to be part of the problem, as Pakistani courts often rule in favour of the perpetrators.

For families, obtaining the return of their children is becoming an increasingly long and complex legal battle, due to the constant tension in Pakistan between civil law and Islamic religious Sharia law, and the difficulties minorities experience in having their fundamental rights recognised.

On 30 June 2020, Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) Fulvio Martusciello, Miriam Lexmann, Francois-Xavier Bellamy, Massimiliano Salini, Gheorghe-Vlad Nistor, Michaela Sojdrova, Salvatore De Meo, Adam Kosa, Milan Zver and Ivan Stefanec of the Group of the European People’s Party tabled a parliamentary question to the Vice-President of the Commission and High Representative (VP/HR) of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell.

“The Government of Pakistan must take the matter seriously, and take all the necessary measures to stop the forced marriages and conversions of Christian and Hindu girls” the parliamentarians insisted in their statement to the European Commission.

The MEPs asked the Commission “what tools does the VP/HR want to put in place to safeguard freedom of religion and belief, including that of Christian and Hindu girls in Pakistan?” and “how does the VP/HR intend to tackle and solve the problem of the continuing kidnappings of Christian and Hindu girls in Pakistan?”

On 21 October, VP/HR Josep Borrell formally responded on behalf of the European Commission. He stated that “freedom of religion or belief (FoRB), including the problem of forced conversions, is among the top human rights priorities of the EU in Pakistan” and that “it is regularly addressed through high-level political contacts and constitutes a key element of EU advocacy within the scope of the Special Incentive Arrangement for Sustainable Development and Good Governance as part of the EU’s Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP+)”.

He explained that “being a standing agenda item of the Human Rights Sub-Group of the EU-Pakistan Joint Commission, it was discussed in its latest session in November 2019, and also raised by EU Special Representative for Human Rights Eamon Gilmore with Federal Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari on 27 June 2020”.

VP/HR Borrell reported that “within the GSP+ monitoring process, the Commission sent a list of salient issues to Pakistan in June 2020 specifically inquiring about the adoption process of the Christian Marriage and Divorce Act, and, the implementation of the Hindu Marriage Act and the various Child Marriage Restraint Acts, given that most cases of forced conversion concern underage girls”.

He underlined that “a joint Commission services/European External Action Service GSP+ monitoring mission to Pakistan is planned to take place as soon as conditions allow”.

EU VP/HR Borrell also highlighted that “the EU has recently supported the monitoring of the situation of FoRB and provided legal aid to FoRB cases and strategic litigation under the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR)” and that “the EU, both in headquarters and through the EU Delegation and Member States missions, follows closely individual cases and seeks to assist through political advocacy and legal aid”.

Cheap EU chicken presents grave human health risk: report

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Cheap EU chicken presents grave human health risk: report

A new report published by the non-governmental organization (NGO) Germanwatch on Tuesday outlines alarming levels of antimicrobial-resistant pathogens in chicken sold by Europe’s three largest poultry producers.    

The study was carried out on chicken produced by the companies and purchased from Aldi, Lidl and other discount supermarkets across Europe — in France, Germany, Poland, the Netherlands and Spain — as well as from the producers themselves.

Overall, Germanwatch researchers found that the most contaminated chickens were produced by Germany’s PHW Group, which butchers roughly 4.5 million chickens per week (59% of samples tested), followed by France’s LDC Group (57%) and the Netherlands’ Plukon Food Group (36%).

Read more:    What is antibiotic resistance?

Renders antibiotics useless when you need them

The threat posed by the presence of such pathogens is that humans may become infected while handling or consuming the tainted meat, yet the presence of antimicrobials in the chicken effectively renders antibiotics useless in fighting the infection.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says that critically important antimicrobials (CIA HP) like quinolones are of primary importance to human health. This group of antibiotics is used as a last line of defense when all other antibiotics prove ineffective. The Germanwatch report found traces of CIA HP in 35% of its samples.

The report points out that a lack of uniform EU rules has allowed the grave health risk of antibiotic-resistant pathogens in meat to flourish across Europe. Germanwatch argues that the tests show “the need for an EU-wide ban on CIA HP antibiotics in industrial livestock production.”

The group argues that such antibiotics should be reserved for human use only and have no place in food production. Resistance rates in the US, says the NGO, have decreased significantly since the use of quinolones in poultry production was banned in 2005.

There are other ways

The Germanwatch report suggests that beyond banning the use of specific antibiotics, producers should practice more animal-friendly husbandry, thus avoiding the need to administer them in the first place.

The report’s authors conclude by advising consumers to “avoid cheap chicken and switch to organic products from smaller, farm-based livestock farms,” where few or no traces of antibiotics are to be found.

Poland ‘slammed the door shut’ on legal and safe abortions: Human rights experts

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Poland ‘slammed the door shut’ on legal and safe abortions: Human rights experts

In a statement on Tuesday, the rights experts also called on the Polish authorities to safeguard the rights of men and women protesting against the ruling. 

Across the country, thousands have taken to the streets in protest of last Thursday’s ruling by the country’s Constitutional Court. 

According to the experts, with the court verdict, Poland has “effectively slammed the door shut” on legal abortion for women in the country. It is estimated that currently 98 per cent of all legal abortions in the country are performed on the grounds of severe and irreversible impairment of the foetus. 

“Poland has decided to sacrifice women’s human right to safe and legal health services for termination of pregnancy on account of protection of the right to life of the unborn in violation of its international human rights obligations,” they said. 

‘Devastating consequences’ for women and girls 

The ruling will have “devastating consequences for women and adolescent girls” in need of such terminations, especially those who are socio-economically disadvantaged and migrant women in irregular situations who do not have the means to go abroad for abortion services, they said. 

Before the ruling, Poland had already one of Europe’s most restrictive abortion laws, made even more restrictive in practice with serious barriers and stigma, according to the rights experts. Termination of pregnancy was permitted in three circumstances only: risk to the life or health of the pregnant woman; severe and irreversible impairment of the foetus; or pregnancy as a result of a prohibited act. 

Decision ‘clearly against’ human rights standards 

The experts highlighted that international human rights mechanisms have clearly recognized women’s right to abortion in cases of fatal foetal impairment and that States have to provide for termination of pregnancy in such cases as the lack of access constitutes, inter alia, a violation of the right to be free from inhuman treatment. 

As a State Party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (since 1977) and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (since 1980), Poland has legal obligation to uphold these international human rights standards, stressed the experts.  

It cannot be justified by invoking the protection of the right to life, as the right to life and all other human rights under international human rights law are accorded to those who have been born — Human rights experts 

International human rights mechanisms recognize women’s right to access safe and legal abortion as necessary for the protection of women’s dignity and equality and implicit in the right to equality, right to private life, right to be free from inhuman treatment and the right to the highest attainable standards, they said, adding that the decision of the Constitution Court “clearly goes against these standards.” 

“It cannot be justified by invoking the protection of the right to life, as the right to life and all other human rights under international human rights law are accorded to those who have been born,” the experts said. 

“Those who believe that personhood commences at the time of conception have the freedom to act in accordance with their beliefs but not to impose their beliefs on others through the legal system.” 

‘Politicization’ leads to discrimination 

The rights experts also pointed out that the “instrumentalization” and “politicization” of women’s bodies and health leads to discrimination against them, particularly in relation to their right to access health services and the resulting preventable ill health, including maternal mortality and morbidity. 

The experts voicing their concern included the Special Rapporteurs on violence against women; the right to physical and mental health; and cultural rights, as well as the members of the Working Group on discrimination against women and girls. 

The Special Rapporteurs, Independent Experts, and Working Groups are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. The experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity.   

Pope: ‘we never pray alone: Jesus prays with us’ – Vatican News

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Pope: ‘we never pray alone: Jesus prays with us’ - Vatican News

By Vatican News staff writer

Pope Francis on Wednesday told the faithful that prayer is the eternal expression of their dialogue of love with the Father, and he invited them to persevere in prayer at every moment of their lives.

Greeting those gathered in the Paul VI Hall for the weekly General Audience, before beginning his catechesis the Pope expressed his sorrow for not being able to come close to the faithful because of covid precautions, but assured them he was close in spirit and invited them to stay safe.

He then continued his series of catechises dedicated to prayer, reflecting on the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry that took place with His baptism in the river Jordan.

Noting that the evangelists are in agreement in attributing fundamental importance to this episode, he said they all narrate how the people came together in prayer, and pointed out that this gathering had a clearly penitential nature (Mk 1: 5; Mt 3: 8).

Jesus’ choral prayer

“Jesus’ first public act is therefore participation in a choral prayer of the people, a penitential prayer, in which everyone recognises him- or herself as a sinner,” he said.

The Pope went on to say that “This is why the Baptist wishes to oppose it, saying: “I need to be baptised by you, and do you come to me?” (Mt 3: 14).

But Jesus, he explained, insists because “His is an act of obedience to the will of the Father, an act of solidarity with our human condition.

Jesus, Pope Francis reiterated, “prays with the sinners of the people of God. He does not stay on the opposite side of the river, to mark His difference and distance from the disobedient people, but rather He immerses His feet in the same purifying waters.”

Thus, he explained, Jesus is not a distant God. Inaugurating His mission, He placed Himself at the forefront of a people of penitents, “opening a breach through which all of us, after Him, must have the courage to pass.”

Jesus came for all of humanity

Pope Francis said that on that day, on the bank of the river Jordan, is all of humanity, “with its unexpressed yearning for prayer.”

Above all, he continued, there is the population of sinners: “those who thought they were not beloved by God, those who did not dare cross the threshold of the temple, those who did not pray because they did not consider themselves worthy.”

But Jesus, the Pope said, came for everyone, even for them, and He begins precisely by joining them.

He then went on to explain that by praying, “Jesus opens the door to the heavens, and the Holy Spirit descends from that breach.”

We are never alone when we pray, he stressed, “Jesus prays with us!”

Through Baptism we share in Jesus’ prayer

He told the faithful that through baptism we become brothers and sisters of Christ, and through the gift of the Holy Spirit, we are enabled to share in Jesus’ own prayer, “the eternal expression of his dialogue of love with the Father.”

Throughout the whirlwind of Jesus’ life, the condemnation of the world and the hard and sorrowful experiences he endured, the Pope said, “even when hatred and persecution are unleashed around Him, Jesus is never without the refuge of a dwelling place: He dwells eternally in the Father.”

Jesus, the Pope continued, obtained for us this gift, and He invites us to pray as He prayed.

There may be times, he continued, that during prayer we feel sluggish and empty, and it may seem that life has been completely useless. It is at that time especially, the Pope explained, that we must beg that Jesus’ prayer also become our own.

Pope Francis concluded saying that “We will then hear a voice from heaven, louder than the voice rising from the depths of ourselves, whispering words of tenderness” telling us that we are the beloved children of God, the joy of the Father in heaven.

EIB supports ALTUM to help Latvian businesses

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EIB supports ALTUM to help Latvian businesses
©Shutterstock
  • EUR 130 million in financing to support ALTUM’s measures to help Latvian businesses cope with the economic consequences of the Covid-outbreak.

  • Signed in early July, so far more than 470 Latvian businesses have been supported with various measures, including lower interest rates and longer repayment horizons.

Together with the Latvian Ministry of Economy, in mid-March Altum launched a EUR 200m Covid-19 Working Capital Loan Programme, a support mechanism for Latvian businesses impacted by the Covid-19 crisis. To expand the capabilities of this programme to safeguard Latvian businesses and jobs, in July the European Investment Bank lent ALTUM €80 million in Covid-related financing. The Government of the Republic of Latvia provided additional €50 million. So far, the European financing has helped ALTUM to support 475 Latvian companies, thus making sure that more than 1580 people’s jobs were safeguarded.

EIB Vice-President Thomas Östros commented: “Small and medium-sized businesses are essential to Latvia’s quick recovery from the ongoing economic downturn. The Latvian government and ALTUM are doing all they can to support SMEs and the Bank is glad that it can back up this programme. Since the financing was signed in August, we can already see the positive effects of the programme. We will continue to support ALTUM, a longstanding partner of the EIB, wherever we can.”

Reinis Bērziņš, ALTUM Management Board Chairman, stated: “With support from the government and the EIB, ALTUM is providing swift assistance to businesses to help them cope with the difficulties caused by the negative impact of Covid-19 outbreak. Since the start of the crisis, the combined positive effect of all of ALTUM’s financial instruments on the economy exceeds 625 million, and is increasing daily. It’s a good thing that we can continue our fruitful collaboration with the EIB to support Latvian small and medium-sized enterprises and help to safeguard many jobs.”

The EIB-backed programme consists of short-term loans (up to 3 years) to Latvian companies struggling with a substantial decrease in operations and therefore in need of liquidity support. The EIB’s funds have helped Altum to support the SMEs in a timely manner with advantageous financial conditions, such as lower interest rates and longer repayment or grace periods.

Background information

In the last five years, the EIB has provided over EUR 460 million in financing to Latvian projects. The EIB’s relationship with ALTUM dates back to 2009, when a EUR 100 million loan was signed with Latvijas Hipoteku un Zemes Banka, ALTUM’s predecessor. In the face of the ongoing crisis, the EIB and its subsidiary the EIF, make available loans, guarantees, asset-backed securities, equity and other financial instruments to mostly small and medium-sized enterprises, to boost those parts of the EU economy and the healthcare sector that were hit the worst.

ALTUM is a state-owned development finance institution, which offers state aid for various target groups with the help of financial tools (such as loans, credit guarantees, investment in venture capital funds, etc.). ALTUM develops and implements state aid programmes to compensate for the market’s shortcomings that cannot be solved by private financial institutions. In June 2017, ALTUM was awarded  the international credit rating Baa1 by Moody’s, which approves its strong financial stability.

Two Religion Reporters Cover Where Faith and Politics Meet

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Two Religion Reporters Cover Where Faith and Politics Meet

Times Insider explains who we are and what we do, and delivers behind-the-scenes insights into how our journalism comes together.

The discourse surrounding the background of the Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett and the support of white evangelicals for President Trump has deepened political divisions in the country, and the conversations are two examples of why it’s important to understand conservative Christians and their impact. For our religion reporters, Ruth Graham and Elizabeth Dias, covering more political stories as the election draws nearer has become inevitable. We asked them a few questions about digging into the facts on the faith beat.

What challenges do you face covering religion in the United States?

RUTH GRAHAM One challenge in this particular moment is that the pandemic has made reporting so much harder. That’s true on every beat, of course, but religious observance in particular has so many sensory elements that really have to be experienced in person: music, prayers, food, décor, incense, emotion. Calling people up on the phone and asking direct questions about their beliefs will never capture it all.

ELIZABETH DIAS The polarized political climate has made reporters’ jobs harder all around. I’ve found conservatives are increasingly wary of talking with us no matter what the story is, from sexual abuse in evangelical churches to Amy Coney Barrett’s Supreme Court nomination. That means these important stories often take longer to do because access to accurate information is harder to get.

Religion and politics seem inseparable these days. Has that always been the case, or has something shifted?

GRAHAM I think they seem inseparable partly because it’s election season, and as journalists we tend to view things through that lens ourselves. For ordinary believers, the connection is not always so clear. Some people clearly draw a connection between their faith and their views on national politics; others definitely don’t. I try to keep that in mind as a reporter and not force every story into a political frame.

DIAS Religion and politics both reflect shared, larger questions. They are both about power. They are both about people. They are both about how people structure life together. For centuries religion was politics, and it still is today in many parts of the world — the Vatican is a city state. Each generation works out its own relationship to these bigger questions and to history, and the election is just one way we are seeing that play out now in the United States.

Image
Credit…Rozette Rago/The New York Times

How is covering religion during the 2020 election different than in 2016?

DIAS So much was revealed in 2016: the political influence of prosperity gospel preachers, who connect faith with financial wealth; the complete marriage of white evangelicals to President Trump; the depth of the racial divides within Christianity. Four years later these themes are all present, but that does not necessarily mean the election outcome will be the same. When the votes are tallied we will learn how the president’s religious coalition has and hasn’t changed after four years.

Would QAnon ever cross into your beat? What would that look like?

GRAHAM Yes, I’m actually starting to work on a Q-adjacent story right now. It’s a movement that has really taken off among Christian conservatives, and some have argued that QAnon itself is best understood as a homegrown religious movement. So there’s a lot of natural overlap on the religion beat.

What considerations do you take when reporting on religious groups that feel distrust toward the media?

GRAHAM The rising distrust of the media among a lot of conservative religious people is a major challenge, and one that is not going away. My starting assumption these days is always that I will have to work to convince conservative believers to talk with me. I do my best to acknowledge their wariness and explain why I want to include their voice in the story. All I can do is try to build trust by continuing to produce work that takes religion and faith seriously.

DIAS Trust grows over time, so I try to build long-term relationships with people I interview and to think of the body of work I’m building, versus only one specific story. Deep listening happens slowly, and requires appropriate empathy. I also spend a lot of time talking with people off the record, even though it means I may need to do more interviews, because I want to learn from them however I can.

European Union clears LVMH-Tiffany deal as court battle looms

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European Union clears LVMH-Tiffany deal as court battle looms

European Union regulators have blessed LVMH’s $16 billion marriage with Tiffany & Co. — but the fate of the deal still hinges on a court battle in the US.

The European Commission’s Monday decision to clear the tie-up means the French luxury conglomerate and the storied jeweler have now received all regulatory approvals needed to complete the acquisition, Tiffany said in a securities filing.

The clearance came ahead of the Nov. 24 deadline the two companies had set for completing the deal announced nearly a year ago, which would be LVMH’s largest acquisition ever if it’s ultimately closed.

But it also came amid a bitter legal spat sparked by LVMH’s move to abandon the Tiffany takeover in early September, prompting the New York-based engagement ring maker to sue to keep the deal intact.

The Delaware Chancery Court has scheduled a trial for January in the case, in which Tiffany accused Paris-based LVMH of dragging its feet on seeking approval for the acquisition from antitrust authorities in key jurisdictions including the European Union.

LVMH countersued late last month, claiming Tiffany’s business prospects had turned “dismal” because of the coronavirus pandemic that led the 183-year-old retailer to post a $65 million loss in the spring. Tiffany called the argument “specious” given that it returned to profitability after one rough quarter.

LVMH has also cited a letter from the French government that purportedly barred it from proceeding with the deal in response to the US’s threat to impose tariffs on French goods. Tiffany has blasted those claims as “excuses.”

LVMH did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the EU’s approval of the deal on Tuesday.

‘Franciscan friars administer Syrian Christians in Idlib jihadist zone’

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'Franciscan friars administer Syrian Christians in Idlib jihadist zone'
(Photo: © UNHCR)Syrian women and children recently displaced from East Aleppo take shelter at the nearby Al-Mahalij industrial zone in late 2016.

Two Franciscan friars are the only remaining clergy in Idlib, Syria, and the details of their lives ministering in one of the last bastions of jihadist rule in the country, including the daily threat of being killed, tortured or attacked are revealed by Catholic aid group.

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Father Firas Lutfi, Custodian of the Province of Saint Paul for the Franciscans of Syria, Lebanon and Jordan, told the Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN ) that the friars were staying to help Christians suffering extreme persecution.

“Their suffering started a decade ago. When the war in Syria started raging in different areas of the country, militant groups took control of that region and proclaimed it an Islamic state,” said Lutfi.

He has first hand experience of the Syrian conflict having lived in Aleppo during the war which has raged for nearly 10 years.

“They confiscated the properties of the Christians, enforced the Islamic Shari’a on all the non-Muslims, took their rights to move freely in their own villages, forced the women to wear the veil.

“They destroyed and prevented any apparent Christian symbols, like the crosses above the churches and the graveyards,” said Lufti who is a member of the Jersulalem-based Custody of the Holy Land.

Father Hanna Jallouf, 67, and Father Luai Bsharat, 40, are the friars serving 300 Christian families in the villages of Knayeh and Yacoubieh in Idlib province, close to Turkey’s border with western Syria in Idlib province.

The region is still controlled by international jihadist groups, including an offshoot of Daesh, which is also known as ISIS.

PERESECUTED BY EXTREMISTS

Lutfi said: “Those extremists have often persecuted, attacked, beaten, tortured and even murdered some of our brothers and sisters.

“Most notably, Father Francois Murad who was beheaded in 2013, and recently, a lady teacher was raped and violently killed in Yacoubieh.

“The Christians in these regions face absolute persecution, fear, violence, danger, death, terrorism and hiding their faith and opinion.”

Lutfi noted, “The presence of the Franciscans is a sign of hope in the midst of the darkness and hopelessness.”

He added: “Despite the daily difficulties and the unbearable miseries, Father Luai Bsharat and Father Hanna Jallouf have stayed there because they believe in serving and trying to protect the remaining Christians, and they believe that this region should not be forsaken…”

Lufti emphasized that the friars and Christian families believe their presence in the area is of paramount importance.

He said: “Both the laity and the friars there strongly believe that they are, with their presence, contributing in strengthening the Church so that [the Church] can continue living through Her people during these atrocities.”

On June 9 Lufti told Rome Reports, “Before the war, the number of Christians [in Syria] was 2 million, or 8 percent of the entire population. Now, I don’t have an idea.

“We don’t have an exact statistic of how many Christians there are now. I assure you, maybe more than half of the entire Christian population left the country, unfortunately.”

The Report of the UN’s Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic in early October gave an indication of what civilians in Idlib face.

“In its recent report on Idlib Governorate and western Aleppo, covering the period between November 2019 and June 2020, the Commission documented 52 emblematic attacks by all parties that led to civilian casualties and/or damage to civilian infrastructure,” said the report.

“These battles were marked by war crimes, including launching indiscriminate attacks resulting in death or injury to civilians.

“Continuing previously established patterns, the Commission also documented attacks against medical facilities, schools and markets, which deprived scores of civilians of access to health care, education and food.

The battles displaced nearly one million people and the commission found that progovernment forces may have perpetrated the crimes against humanity of forcible transfer, murder and other inhumane acts92 during the offensives on Ma’arrat al-Nu’man (second half of December 2019), Ariha (29 January 2020), Atarib (between 10 and 14 February 2020) and Darat Izzah (17 February 2020)

“When civilians fled, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham pillaged their homes. In restive areas under its control, members of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham also committed the war crimes of murder; of passing sentences and carrying out executions without previous judgment pronounced by a regularly constituted court; and of cruel treatment, ill-treatment and torture,” said the report

Renewal of Vatican-China deal triggers Taiwan religious freedom concerns

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Renewal of Vatican-China deal triggers Taiwan religious freedom concerns
(Photo: © Peter Kenny)Holy Family Catholic Church in Taipei, Taiwan on Nov. 22, 2019.

Taiwan has highlighted concern for religious freedom and human rights following the Oct. 22 announcement of the renewal of the Vatican-China provisional agreement on the appointment of bishops.

The Catholic publication Crux reported that Taiwan insists the deal is not diplomatic and voicing hope it will better conditions for religious communities in the mainland.

The Vatican said on Oct 22 it had extended its controversial agreement with China over the appointment of bishops for another two years, CNN reported.

Details of the agreement have never been made public and it has been criticized by some Catholic officials as well as by U.S. Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo.

The Vatican was quoted by CNN as saying that the deal “is of great ecclesial and pastoral value” and said it “intends to pursue an open and constructive dialogue for the benefit of the life of the Catholic Church and the good of Chinese people.”

Officially, there are about 6 million Catholics in China.

Prior to 2018, Beijing had long insisted on having the final say on all bishop appointments in mainland China, while the Holy See maintained that only the Pope has such authority.

The announcement renewed for another two years an historic accord reached in 2018 that end a decades-old power struggle over the right to appoint bishops in China, despite concerns over religious liberty and human rights in the country, The New York Times reported.

The agreement calls for China to formally recognize the Pope’s authority within the Catholic Church and his final say over the country’s bishops.

The Vatican in turn recognized the legitimacy of bishops previously appointed by the Chinese government and excommunicated by the church.

Taiwan has a population of almost 24 million people and Christians account for only about 4 percent of the island nation’s population, but the country allows Christianity to be practiced freely.

In an Oct. 22 statement issued after the announcement of the deal’s renewal, Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it has kept a consistent position on the accord, and voiced hope that “it can help improve the worsening situation of religious freedom in the [People’s Republic of China].”

The ministry argued that religious freedom and human rights “have continued to deteriorate in China.”

It pointed to government measures in China aimed at “suppressing believers who resist being controlled by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)” and which force bishops to join the CCP-controlled Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association.

“This so called ‘sinicization of religion‘ in the People’s Republic of China has become ‘nationalization of religion,’ even characterized by extensive CCP indoctrination,” the statement said, insisting that since China’s Communist Party dictates what happens on important matters, Catholics in the country “are facing serious challenges to their faith and conscience.”

China regards Taiwan as a breakaway province which it has pledged to retake, by force if necessary.

Taiwan’s leaders say, however, it is clearly much more than a province, arguing that it is a sovereign state.

“My main objection to the agreement is we don’t know what it is,” the American cardinal Raymond Burke, the de facto leader of critics of Pope Francis inside the church, said in a brief interview before greeting Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at an event organized by the U.S. Embassy to the Vatican last month, the Times reported.

In September, Pompeo angered some of the Vatican’s top officials, including those negotiating with the Chinese, by publicly calling on the church to break off talks with China to preserve its moral standing.

The fact that he chose a conservative Christian magazine critical of Pope Francis  to air his grievances did not engender much sympathy among the church’s leaders.

Pope Francis prays for victims of Cameroon school shooting – Vatican News

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Pope Francis prays for victims of Cameroon school shooting - Vatican News

By Vatican News staff writer

Pope Francis, during the Wednesday General Audience, expressed sorrow over the tragic murders of at least six students by unidentified gunmen in Kumba, southwest Cameroon, over the weekend.

“I share in the suffering of the families of the young students barbarically killed last Saturday in Kumba, in Cameroon,” the Pope said. “I feel great bewilderment at such a cruel and senseless act, which tore the young innocents from life while they were attending lessons at school.”

“May God enlighten hearts, so that similar gestures may never be repeated again,” Pope Francis added.

Turning his thoughts towards the long-running socio-political conflict in Cameroon, the Pope prayed that “the tormented regions of the north-West and south-West of the country may finally find peace.”

“I hope that the weapons will be silenced and that the safety of all and the right of every young person to education and the future can be guaranteed,” he said.

The Pope also expressed his nearness to the families, the city of Kumba and the whole of Cameroon, invoking upon them “the comfort that only God can give.”

Prayers for the victims

Separately, Bishop Agapitus Nfon of Kumba has invited the faithful to join in prayer for the victims and perpetrators of the attack.

In a statement released on Saturday, the Bishop said that according to information he received, unidentified gunmen stormed Mother Francisca International Bilingual Academy in Fiango Kumba at 11:30 am on Saturday and opened fire on students on in a classroom.  “Of the twelve students assaulted, six were killed and the others who were seriously wounded were rushed to the hospital,” explained Bishop Nfon. 

During the Mass, which will be celebrated on Friday at the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Fiango Kumba, prayers will be offered for “the repose of the souls of our dear and innocent students who were murdered,” according to the Bishop. The Mass will also be offered for “God’s consolation on their parents and families and guardians, and for all our traumatized pupils and students.”

“My dear people wrapped in grief, our only true hope is God!” the Bishop said. “Let us turn to Him in our desperation and prayerfully cry to Him to come to our assistance.”

Violent attacks

“Because of this barbarous act, the people of Kumba are wailing, the entire Diocese of Kumba is mourning, our hearts have been crushed because our innocent children are no more,” the Bishop lamented. “We are crying and asking why our children are murdered? What did they do wrong? Is it because they went to school?” 

The Bishop also recalled a previous attack in May 2020 when a pregnant woman and some children were murdered in Ngarbuh, in the diocese of Kumbo.

He compared the horrifying deaths to the slaughter of the infants ordered by King Herod and the voice of Rachel in the prophesy of Jeremiah (Jer 31: 15), lamenting bitterly over her children because they are no more. 

“Today, Saturday, 24 October, 2020,” he said, “Kumba is reliving that prophecy not long after the heinous massacre of innocent children and pregnant women in Ngarbuh… “Was Ngarbuh not enough? How much of the blood of our children need to be shed before something concrete and immediate is done?” 

Appeal to government

Bishop Nfon called on the government and international bodies to “look for a lasting solution to this problem that will restore justice and peace.”

Condemning the Saturday attack, the Bishop noted that it comes barely five months after the Ngarbuh massacre which drew condemnation from many quarters. 

“Where will it be next, if something concrete and immediate is not done by the powers that be and can make things happen?” he asked, adding that Saturday was the “darkest and saddest day” for Kumba since the nation’s socio-political crisis affecting the North West and South West Regions began.

Years of unrest

Since 2016, parts of Cameroon have been gripped by unrest since Anglophone groups began to call for their independence.

Some schools in Cameroon have only recently reopened following a four-year shutdown, as the separatists’ fight for an independent state they wish to be known as Ambazonia carries on.

Currently, authorities have not been able to identify the assailants, and neither are they able to ascertain the reason why the school was targeted. 

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