Tuition center offers kids a second chance

An eastern Myanmar diocese has organized a tuition program to assist poor students who face difficulty passing their school leaving exams.
The tuition program, launched by Bishop Sotero Phamo of Loikaw, aims to help children living in rural areas who are unable to continue their studies because of poverty.
The program accepts up to 40 students [...]

Bangladesh fish hatcheries raise standards

Caritas Bangladesh has since 1980 assisted thousands of fishermen to achieve self-sufficiency through the supply of fish fry and its microcredit and advocacy programs.
“I took a fisheries loan from Caritas and also obtained fish fry,” said Iqbal Hossain, a Muslim fisherman from the northwestern Rajshahi district.
“The interest rate is a manageable 6 percent and [...]

Pakistan mourns dead after plane crash

A Christian air hostess killed in Pakistan’s worst ever air disaster was laid to rest as the country observed a day of mourning yesterday for all 152 crash victims.
Bad weather has hampered search operations for bodies and the black box flight recorder of the Airbus A321 that slammed into a hillside outside Islamabad on July [...]

Archdiocese silent on transparency debate

The Church in Goa is refusing to comment over a recent government move that could allow public scrutiny of all Church activities, including its financial dealings.
“I have nothing to say,” said Father Francis Caldeira, spokesperson of Goa and Daman archdiocese on July 30, three days after the media reported on the state move.
The state Legislative [...]

Election office orders bishops’ letter probe

Kerala’s Election Commission has ordered an investigation into a pastoral letter from bishops asking Catholics not to vote for atheistic political parties.
The head of the state Election Commission, P. Kamalkutty, has directed the Ernakulam district collector to inquire into the content and circumstances behind the letter from the Kerala Catholic Bishop’s Council.
The Election Commission’s order [...]

Dalit’s job suspension was ‘discrimination’

Indian Church officials have accused the Tamil Nadu state government of religious discrimination after it suspended a dalit Christian civil servant for allegedly producing false information to secure his job.
The state government suspended C. Umashankar on July 21, saying he presented a certificate stating he belonged to the Scheduled Castes group but did not say [...]

Rome faces increased vandalism

Vandals are increasingly on the prowl in the Eternal City— and now Italian authorities are fighting back, sending more police, installing cameras and even considering using convicts to protect monuments and artworks.
Earlier this month vandals left anti-pope graffiti on the Scala Santa, or Holy Stairs, a major Catholic site that draws pilgrims from around the [...]

Suspended officer complaints of political harassment

A dalit Christian civil servant in Tamil Nadu, suspended for presenting false caste certificate, has complained to a federal panel that he was being harassed for opposing political corruption.
C. Umashankar was suspended last week from his Indian Administrative Service job saying he secured it claiming quota meant for dalits, despite being a Christian. Dalit Christians [...]

ucanews magazine July 29

Evangelical groups provoke Muslim hardliners in Indonesia, environmentalists backed by religious leaders in Korea and Indian diocese initiative helps boost job creation are some of the news in this week’s news magazine.

Zen refutes article on Beijing-Vatican ‘deal’

An Italian Catholic magazine article headlined Beijing wants Bishops appointed by the Pope betrays an “an “optimism not justified by facts,” says Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun of Hong Kong.
The 78-year-old retired bishop was commenting on the article published in the May issue of 30 Giorni (30 Days).
The writer had said that the recent ordinations of [...]

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