Jesus, Mary and Joseph as detained refugees in California nativity

CLAREMONT - Baby Jesus is lying in a manger inside a cage, wrapped in an emergency foil blanket and separated from Mary and Joseph, who are each trapped in cells of their own.

This is the startling nativity scene created by a Protestant church in California to draw attention to the plight of migrants.

"We put them in different cages, as a symbol representing our community, and all immigrants, who are being held in detention centers and need our help," Genaro Cordoba, co-creator of the installation and spokesman for Claremont United Methodist Church, told AFP.

"Jesus, Joseph, Mary represent all our immigrants, all the refugees, not just in the United States but all over the world," he said, switching from Spanish to English.

"We have seen how they suffer, and people don't want them, and (in) our country the same thing," Cordoba added.

Karen Clark Ristine, senior minister at the church about 30 miles (48 kilometers) east of Los Angeles, explained in a Facebook message accompanying the images that the Holy Family were "the most well-known refugee family in the world."

"Shortly after the birth of Jesus, Joseph and Mary were forced to flee with their young son from Nazareth to Egypt to escape King Herod, a tyrant," she wrote.

"They feared persecution and death. What if this family sought refuge in our country today?"

The grim Nativity scene appears to address that question.

Each cell is lined with barbed wire, and both Mary and Joseph are pictured facing the infant, their arms outstretched in hope and desperation.

"Imagine Joseph and Mary separated at the border and Jesus no older than two taken from his mother and placed behind the fences of a Border Patrol detention center as more than 5,500 children have been the past three years," wrote Ristine.

A Trump administration "zero tolerance" policy launched in 2018 saw thousands of children separated from their parents at the border, a tactic apparently meant to frighten the families, before the government backed down.

Migrants including children were held in caged enclosures.

"Jesus grew up to teach us kindness and mercy and a radical welcome of all people," said Ristine.

svu-ban-amz/it

Agence France-Presse

'They will leave you empty': Pope Francis warns youth of cons of technology

BANGKOK, Thailand - Pope Francis warned against the potential pitfalls of technology and the competition for young people's "attention" on Friday, dedicating the final full day of his Bangkok trip to engaging the next generation of Catholics. 

The Pontiff is on his first visit to Buddhist-majority Thailand, where just a sliver of the population is Catholic despite the religion's long history in the country.

He has called for religious harmony and peace throughout his four-day tour, a message he will likely carry on Saturday to Japan where he will visit the sites of the world's only nuclear attacks. 

But on Friday, he shifted his focus toward Thailand's youth, warning the next generation of the downsides of fast-encroaching technology. 

"Rapid technological advancements can open up immense possibilities that make life easier, but can also result in the growth of consumerism and materialism," the Pope cautioned. 

Later in the day, he led a mass for Thailand's young adherents, urging them to remain steadfast in the face of rival influences. 

"We can be swayed by the voices of this world that compete for our attention," he said, speaking at Bangkok's 109-year-old Cathedral of the Assumption. 

"At first they seem appealing and exciting, but in the long run they will leave you only empty, weary, alone and disenchanted," he said. 

The message was a clarion call to the young worshipers in Thailand, where fewer than 400,000 Catholics make up just over 0.5 percent of the population. 

The faith arrived in the country via European missionaries in the 16th century, and the community has since remained small but spirited -- coexisting peacefully with Buddhist neighbors. 

But Thai Bishop Joseph Pradhan Sridarunsil said they were facing a crisis as interest in the religion dwindled among the youth.

"The Thai Church nowadays is facing the same situation as other countries in the world, namely a crisis of decreasing vocation," he said. 

Young Christian adults are much less likely than older Christians to say religion is very important to them, and fewer than half those surveyed pray daily, according to a global Pew Research Center report from last year. 


 Tech addicted teens

Fading interest was far from evident on Friday, however, as scores of faithful gathered outside the cathedral -- many jostling for mobile phone photos -- for Francis's second mass of the trip. 

For some, the Pope's warning words for Thailand's youth were welcome.

"There are other things attracting (teenagers)... like interesting content available on YouTube and it is easy for teenagers to be addicted or targeted by these things to become more materialistic," said Siriyaphorn Phongburut, 40, standing outside the mass. 

She urged the Church to use social media to attract young adherents, in a country where mobile phone use is rampant. 

On a busy Friday Francis also visited a shrine for Catholic martyr Nicholas Boonkerd Kitbamrung and attended an interfaith meeting, where a mixed Muslim and Christian choir sang for him in a symbolic performance.

His final official duty was his youth mass at the ornate Cathedral, packed with bishops wearing brilliant red and gold robes custom-made for the occasion -- the Pope's included. 

His pointed message was not a huge departure for the Pope, who has long sought to engage the next generation of Catholics. 

"The Pope always gives importance to youth which he believes is the foundation of society, country and religion," said Puttipong Puttansri, a Thai historian of the Catholic Church.

Francis touched down in Bangkok on Wednesday and was met by adoring worshipers eager to catch a glimpse of the 82-year-old Argentine.

His first mass on Thursday night -- replete with hymns, prayers and traditional Thai performances -- drew an estimated 60,000 people, some crying as the Pontiff passed in his Popemobile. 

There he urged respect for the downtrodden, including prostitutes and trafficking victims. 

He heads to Japan on Saturday for the second and final leg of his Asia tour, which will include visits to Nagasaki and Hiroshima, both devastated by atomic bombs by the US during World War II.

The Pope, who years ago had hoped to be a missionary in Japan, is expected to chastise the use of "immoral" nuclear weapons.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

In the #MeToo era, theologians publish 'Women's Bible'

GENEVA, Switzerland - Tired of seeing their holy texts used to justify the subjugation of women, a group of feminist theologians from across the Protestant-Catholic divide have joined forces to draft "A Women's Bible".

As the #MeToo movement continues to expose sexual abuse across cultures and industries, some scholars of Christianity are clamouring for a reckoning with biblical interpretations they say have entrenched negative images of women. 

The women we know from translations and interpretations of Bible texts are servants, prostitutes or saints, seen dancing for a king or kneeling to kiss Jesus' feet.

But while many feminists have called for The Bible, Christianity and religion altogether to be cast aside, an eclectic group of theologians instead insists that if interpreted properly, the Good Book can be a tool for promoting women's emancipation.

'FEMINIST VALUES' 

"Feminist values and reading the Bible are not incompatible," insisted Lauriane Savoy, one of two Geneva theology professors behind the push to draft "Une Bible des Femmes" ("A Women's Bible"), which was published in October.

The professor at the Theology Faculty in Geneva, which was established by the father of Calvinism himself in 1559, said the idea for the work came after she and her colleague Elisabeth Parmentier noticed how little most people knew or understood of the biblical texts.

"A lot of people thought they were completely outdated with no relevance to today's values of equality," the 33-year-old told AFP, standing under the towering sculptures of Jean Calvin and other Protestant founders on the University of Geneva campus.

In a bid to counter such notions, Savoy and Parmentier, 57, joined forces with 18 other woman theologians from a range of countries and Christian denominations.

The scholars have created a collection of texts challenging traditional interpretations of Bible scriptures that cast women characters as weak and subordinate to the men around them.

Parmentier points to a passage in the Gospel of Luke, in which Jesus visits two sisters, Martha and Mary.

"It says that Martha ensures the 'service', which has been interpreted to mean that she served the food, but the Greek word diakonia can also have other meanings, for instance it could mean she was a deacon," she pointed out.

OVERTURNING RELIGIOUS ORTHODOXY

They are not the first to provide a more women-friendly reading of the scriptures. 

Already back in 1898, American suffragette Elizabeth Cady Stanton and a committee of 26 other women drafted "The Woman's Bible", aimed at overturning religious orthodoxy that women should be subservient to men.

The two Geneva theology professors say they were inspired by that work, and had initially planned to simply translate it to French.

But after determining that the 120-year-old text was too outdated, they decided to create a new work that could resonate in the 21st century.

"We wanted to work in an ecumenical way," Parmentier said, stressing that around half the women involved in the project are Catholic and the other half from a number of branches of Protestantism.

In the introduction to the "Women's Bible", the authors said that the chapters were meant to "scrutinize shifts in the Christian tradition, things that have remained concealed, tendentious translations, partial interpretations."

'LINGERING PATRIARCHAL READINGS'

They take to task "the lingering patriarchal readings that have justified numerous restrictions and bans on women," the authors wrote. 

Savoy said that Mary Magdalene, "the female character who appears the most in the Gospels", had been given a raw deal in many common interpretations of the texts.

"She stood by Jesus, including as he was dying on the cross, when all of the male disciples were afraid. She was the first one to go to his tomb and to discover his resurrection," she pointed out.

"This is a fundamental character, but she is described as a prostitute, ... and even as Jesus's lover in recent fiction."

The scholars also go to great lengths to place the texts in their historical context.

"We are fighting against a literal reading of the texts," Parmentier said, pointing for instance to letters sent by Saint Paul to nascent Christian communities.

Reading passages from those letters, which could easily be construed as radically anti-feminist, as instructions for how women should be treated today is insane, she said.

"It's like taking a letter someone sends to give advice as being valid for all eternity."

The theologians' texts also approach the Bible through different themes, like the body, seduction, motherhood and subordination.

The authors say they consider their work a useful tool in the age of #MeToo.

"Each chapter addresses existential questions for women, questions they are still asking themselves today," Parmentier said.

"While some say that you have to throw out the Bible to be a feminist, we believe the opposite."

elr/nl/bs/ach/tom 

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Pope urges return to simple values at Christmas

VATICAN CITY, HOLY SEE - Pope Francis ushered in Christmas by urging the faithful to reject the materialism that pervades the gift-giving season, and to embrace "simple, balanced" values, as violence subdued festivities in the Holy Land.

The pontiff, at his annual Christmas Eve Mass at Saint Peter's Basilica, called on Christians everywhere to push back against the excesses of modern society, which he said was "so often intoxicated by consumerism and hedonism, wealth and extravagance, appearances and narcissism".

Christianity calls on believers "to act soberly -- in other words, in a way that is simple, balanced, consistent, capable of seeing and doing what is essential," said the 79-year old pope, leader of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics.

In many countries across the world, Christians were fearful for their future, and some were even prohibited from celebrating the holy day, a state of affairs that did not go ignored by Francis.

"In a world which all too often is merciless to the sinner and lenient to the sin, we need to cultivate a strong sense of justice, to discern and to do God's will," the Argentine pontiff said.

Condemning a "culture of indifference which not infrequently turns ruthless", the pope asked Catholics to combine prayer with an attitude of "empathy, compassion and mercy" after a year of global unrest that saw one million migrants and refugees, mostly from Syria, reach Europe in search of a better life.

Amid an unusually heavy security presence in Saint Peter's Square, the visibly pale pontiff, who is reportedly suffering from the flu, in a hoarse voice called on believers at risk of persecution to resist fear.

'PRAYING FOR PEACE'

Half a world away in Bethlehem, the head of the Roman Catholic Church in the Holy Land arrived for the traditional midnight mass at the Church of the Nativity -- built over the site where Christians believe Jesus was born.

Travelling from Jerusalem nearby, the Jordanian Latin patriarch Fouad Twal would have had to pass through the Israeli wall that separates the two cities, with Bethlehem located in the occupied West Bank.

A wave of violence has led to a sharp decline in pilgrims visiting Bethlehem and the rest of the Holy Land this year, and only a sparse crowd was on hand to welcome Twal's procession.

Violent protests and a series of Palestinian attacks on Israelis since October have killed 129 Palestinians, 19 Israelis, an American and an Eritrean. Many of the Palestinians were attackers, while others were killed in clashes.

The Bethlehem mass commemorating the birth of Jesus will be dedicated to victims of violence and their families, Twal said, with celebrations "moderate" due to violence in the Palestinian territories, Israel and the world.

Twal has also called for parishes to switch off Christmas tree lights for five minutes in solidarity with victims of violence and terrorism. Lights on trees in Manger Square were shut off for a few minutes at 7:00 pm.

The plight of embattled Christians in the Middle East, especially where they have been threatened by the advance of Islamic State group, has been thrown into the spotlight this year, and in Iraq, the mood was also sombre.

"We are praying for the restoration of peace and security and the return of the displaced to their land," said one worshipper, Farida, as she arrived at Our Lady of Salvation church in Baghdad, one member of a dwindling Christian community trickling in to churches.

She said 12 of her relatives lost their homes when IS took over Iraq's second city Mosul in 2014 and ordered Christians to convert to Islam, pay a heavy tax as second-class citizens or face death.

In Somalia, the government has banned celebrations of Christmas and New Year in the Muslim majority country, saying the festivities might attract Islamist attacks.

The same is true in oil-rich Brunei, where the country's authorities have threatened five-year jail sentences for those who violate a ban imposed on "open and excessive" celebrations.

And in the troubled nearby southern Philippines, seven Christian farmers were killed as Muslim guerrillas launched a series of attacks.

Meanwhile, the US and British embassies in China issued an unusual warning about possible threats against Westerners in a popular Beijing neighbourhood ahead of the Christmas holiday.

And security was due to be stepped up at churches in France for mass, following last month's jihadist attacks in Paris that left 130 people dead.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Pope Francis: Church must be open to change

VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis told a Roman Catholic meeting on family issues on Monday that the Church should not be a stuffy "museum of memories" but have the courage to change if that was what God wanted.

Francis urged bishops at the start of a three-week gathering, known as a synod, to humbly empty themselves of conventions and prejudices. They should not "point fingers at the others to judge them" or feel superior to those with different ideas.

In a passage that appeared to be directed at unbending traditionalists, the pope said bishops should beware the "hardening of some hearts, which despite good intentions, keep people away from God".

Yet he also made a nod to conservatives, calling for courage that "does not let itself be intimidated by the seductions of the world" and passing fads.

Since his election in 2013 as leader of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics, Francis has given great hope to progressives who want him to forge ahead with his vision of a more inclusive and less polarised Church that concentrates on mercy rather than the strict enforcement of rigid rules they see as antiquated.

Faith was "not a museum to look at and save" but should be a source of inspiration, he said, calling on the synod to have "courage to bring life and not make our Christian life a museum of memories".

The gathering of some 300 bishops, delegates, observers and 18 married couples has been preceded by intense jockeying between conservatives and liberals on sensitive issues.

It will discuss ways to defend the traditional family and make life-long marriage more appealing to young people while reaching out to disaffected Catholics such as homosexuals, co-habiting couples and the divorced.

Francis told the first working session the bishops should not just talk but try to hear what God wanted for the Church, and to listen to differing opinions among themselves.

But key participants said they did not expect any radical modifications to Church teachings on family issues.

NO RADICAL CHANGES

At a news conference after the first session, Cardinal Andre Vingt-Trois of Paris warned reporters they would be "disappointed" if they expected radical changes to basic Church doctrine on family issues such as marriage.

While he noted that the pope was the ultimate arbiter, Vingt-Trois predicted the changes would be to the pastoral approach to sensitive issues rather than to doctrine.

Italian Archbishop Bruno Forte, one of the synod's secretaries, said times had changed. "The Church cannot remain insensitive to the challenges ... the synod doesn't meet for nothing," Forte said.

The meeting is the follow-up to one held a year ago which was marked by stormy differences between conservatives and liberals on how welcoming the Church should be to homosexual Catholics.

The run-up to the synod has been dominated by gay issues.

Conservative Catholics held a conference in Rome just before it started on how homosexuals can live by Church rules that they be chaste. Activists held their own gathering, demanding full acceptance of active gays in the Church.

On Saturday, the Vatican dismissed a Polish priest from his Holy See job after he came out as gay and called for changes in Catholic teachings against homosexual activity.

The Vatican said his very public coming-out put undue media pressure on the synod. Francis appeared to refer to outside pressure, saying the synod should be "a protected space where the Church feels the action of the Holy Spirit".

Another key topic will be how to involve Catholics who have divorced and remarried in civil ceremonies.

They are considered to be still married to their first spouse and living in sin. Some bishops want a change to the rules that bar them from receiving sacraments such as communion.

Francis is believed to be in favour of the Church showing more mercy towards such Catholics on a case-by-case basis but he wants the bishops to reach common ground on the divisive issue.

The bishops, meeting behind closed doors, will submit reports to the pope. He may use these to write his own document, known as an Apostolic Exhortation, on family issues.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Advocates offer Ash Wednesday for detained immigrants

JERSEY CITY, N.J. - A group of Christian and immigrant rights advocates gathered near the Statue of Liberty in New Jersey on Ash Wednesday.

Kathy O’Leary of Catholic organization Pax Christi, New Jersey said, “Ellis Island is a tremendous symbol of this myth that our country is a country that welcomes immigrants and that we celebrate our immigrant heritage. And yet within a five minute drive we have over a thousand immigrants in detention.”

Ash Wednesday is a Christian feast day that marks the beginning of the season of Lent.

As they receive the blessed ashes on their foreheads as a sign of penance and repentance, they are protesting the reported inhumane treatment and deaths of undocumented immigrants inside detention facilities.

They are also praying for release of these detained immigrants.

“An immigrant who got caught living here without proper documentation — we’re filling up our jails with people who really should not be punished. People we don’t need to lock up, they’re not a threat to society,” said O’leary.

Immigrant rights advocate Bea Sabino said privately-owned detention facilities are benefiting from the arrest of undocumented immigrants.

“The federal government has contracts with the private prison corporations and how they make money of it is the way they have to fill a certain number of beds and they get reimbursed by the federal government,” said Sabino.

Meantime, immigrant rights advocates are also protesting against the Texas ruling to defer President Obama’s expanded Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) that officially starts receiving applications today.

"We’re here to stand in solidarity with prisoners, the inmates, especially the immigrants. We’re also thinking about our political prisoners in the Philippines, making sure that their rights remain intact," Sabino said.

Read more from Balitang America.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

LOOK: Sinulog festivities warm up Europe

SPAIN – "Viva Señor Sto. Niño!"

Filipinos in Europe chanted while dancing and carrying the image of Sto. Niño, like it is done in the Philippines.

The colorful festivities in various European cities might not be as grandiose as those in Cebu, nonetheless, Filipinos found a way to continue with the tradition they grew up with and keep their devotions alive.

“Importante para sa atin yun, siya yung kauna-unahang santo na dumating sa Pilipinas. Maraming miracles na nangyayari,” said Helen Cervantes of Asociación Visayas y Mindanao, an association based in Barcelona, Spain.

Not minding below 10 degree temperatures, Filipinos in Barcelona choreographed a mini-Sinulog at the plaza of San Agustin Church. They danced in colorful costumes and dramatized the arrival of Christianity in the Philippines.

Batangueños also joined the celebration as Sto. Niño is also the patron saint of Batangas, whose name can be traced back to one of the Holy Child’s miracles, explained Barcelona-based Batangueña, Tina de Chavez.

“Dahil nga dun sa original na nakita ng Santo Niño sa batangan ng bahay, nung bumaha nga sa Batangas City, yung batangan ng bahay na lumulutang sa tubig nakita dun yung Santo Niño na nakapatong sa batangan kaya pinangalanang batangan.”

Associations such as Asociación Bisayan Ug Mindanaoan en España, Block Rosary, Hermandad, AFICAT, Immanuel, Amistad, Pastoral Youth Ministry, and Centro Filipino also participated in the celebration.

Paris-based Filipino devotees also expressed their gratitude to the Holy Child by holding Sinulog at Sainte Bernadette Church. And then they went to a restaurant where they crowned the Little Princess of Sto. Niño.

Filipinos from different parts of London, meanwhile, converged and held Sinulog at St. George’s Cathedral in Westminster Bridge.
Fr. Jake Dicto, organizer of the celebration, was very happy with the outcome of the event.

“Viva! Pit Senor!! Napakaganda po ng ating selebrasyon ngayon sa fiesta ng Sto. Nino sa London kaya po tayo nagkakasiyahan lahat ng mga Pilipino.”

Croydon Choral Group offered a serenade while Sydenham Pinoy group presented a Tagalog folk dance.

The Wadon Filipino community did a tribal dance while East London Filipino community had a dancing nuns’ production number.

“Napakasaya po ng selebrasyon ng Sto. Nino festival dito sa Central London sa St. George’s Church. Talaga ang mga Pilipino ay nagkakaisa,” said dance performer Leo Redoban.

Sinulog represents the Philippines’ acceptance of Catholicism brought by Spanish colonizers. This one of a kind Filipino festival is held on the third Sunday of January. - With reports from Bong Agustinez in Paris and Babo Gamboa in London

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Pope Francis speaks out vs 'confusing' family values

MANILA - Pope Francis on Friday urged Catholic leaders in the Philippines to resist powerful forces that are tempting youth with "confusing" versions of sexuality, marriage and the family.

The 78-year-old pontiff delivered his message in a sermon to priests and nuns in the centuries-old Manila Cathedral, on the first full day of a trip to the Catholic Church's Asian stronghold.

The pope urged them to counsel young people, who may be confused and despondent living in a corrupt society, on traditional values.

"Proclaim the beauty and truth of the Christian message to a society which is tempted by confusing presentations of sexuality, marriage and the family," Francis said.

"As you know, these realities are increasingly under attack from powerful forces which threaten to disfigure God's plan for creation and betray the very values which have inspired and shaped all that is best in your culture."

His comments come amid a struggle in the Philippine Catholic Church between a conservative hierarchy and many followers living lives more in line with some modern Western values.

Aside from the Vatican itself, the Philippines is the only state in the world where divorce is illegal, while abortion and same-sex unions are also banned.

However the Church in 2012 lost a 15-year battle on birth control, as Congress passed a law allowing the state to hand out free contraceptives and teach family planning at schools.

Hundreds of thousands of Catholics also have illegal abortions each year, while many are pursuing live-in relationships without marrying.

Many Filipinos had hoped a visit by Francis, seen by many as being a surprisingly bold reformer, would nudge Philippine Church leaders away from some of the their most conservative positions on social issues.

Francis received a rapturous welcome when he arrived in the Philippines on Thursday for a five-day visit that is part of the Catholic Church's drive to attract more followers in Asia.

The Philippines is the Church's bastion in Asia, with Catholics making up 80 percent of the former Spanish colony's 100 million people.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

South Korea: Catholicism's unlikely Asian pillar

SEOUL - When Pope Francis visits South Korea next week, he will find a thriving Catholic community with a social and political influence that belies its minority status in one of Christianity's most muscular Asian strongholds.

The visit will recognise the vicious persecution of early Korean Catholics, with the beatification by Francis of 124 martyrs executed for their faith in the 18th and 19th centuries.

And the pope will also look to North Korea, where religion is subject to the tightest state control, when he offers a special mass for inter-Korean peace and reconciliation.

For many first-time visitors to Seoul, a common take-away memory is the surprising multitude of neon crosses glowing across the South Korean capital's nightscape.

The theory that prosperity and socio-economic development tend to breed secularism holds little water in a country where modernity appears to have fuelled religiosity.

Korean Christianity is particularly pro-active and evangelical, sending more missionaries abroad than any other country apart from the United States.

In the last national census to include religious affiliation, conducted in 2005, close to 30 percent of South Koreans identified themselves as Christian, compared to 23 percent who cited the once-dominant Buddhism.

The majority are Protestants, but Catholics are the fastest-growing group, with around 5.3 million adherents -- just over 10 percent of the population.

A minority with clout

As a minority, they punch well above their weight, with Catholics filling nearly 60, or 20 percent, of the 300 seats in the national parliament.

Of the six presidents elected in South Korea since the first free election in 1987, three were practising Christians, including the Catholic Kim Dae-Jung.

Two others, Roh Moo-Hyun and current President Park Geun-Hye, were both baptised Catholics, but non-observant.

When Catholicism was first introduced to Korea in the 18th century, it was seen as subversive and barbaric by Confucian scholars, and its followers were brutally persecuted.

That period will provide a centrepiece for Pope Francis's visit when he beatifies 124 Korean martyrs at a special open-air mass in central Seoul.

When Pope John Paul visited in 1984, he had canonised 103 martyrs -- promptly elevating South Korea to number four in the list of countries with the most canonised Catholic saints, after Italy, Spain and France.

The real growth in the Catholic Church -- and Christianity in general -- coincided with the rapid urbanisation that followed the drive to rebuild the country from the devastation of the 1950-53 Korean War.

Ripped out of their traditional social networks, the city newcomers looked for new communities and many found them in the Church.

Congregations swelled further in the wake of the Vatican II reforms which meant that mass could be said in Korean rather than Latin.

A champion of democracy

But perhaps the most significant growth motor was the active role the Catholic Church played in the pro-democracy struggle of the 1970s and 80s.

A number of Catholic leaders established themselves as human rights advocates, standing up to the military regime of the time under the threat of arrest and lengthy imprisonment.

"There's no doubt that this helped enhance the image of the Church and helped attract new members," said Don Baker, the director of the Centre for Korean Research at the University of British Columbia.

"It made it appear to be a Korean church, one that was concerned for Korean issues," Baker told AFP.

Seoul's Myeongdong Cathedral, where Pope Francis will conduct the reconciliation mass, was a focal point for the pro-democracy movement and was used as a place of sanctuary by many dissidents seeking to avoid arrest.

These days the focus is more on social issues, but there are progressive elements within the Church who still seek an active political role.

Late last year, the Catholic Priests' Association for Justice (CPAJ) joined protests calling for President Park to resign over a scandal involving national intelligence agents who meddled in the 2012 presidential election.

The Protestant church has twice the membership, but has suffered in recent years from rifts between its various denominations, and scandals involving some of its wealthiest congregations.

"There's been some disillusionment with some of the mega Protestant churches, particularly those where pastors pass control to their children," said Bae Chul-Hyun, an expert on religious issues at Seoul National University.

"Catholicism in Korea has a comparably good image, and that has pushed membership," Bae said.

By the late 1980s, the Catholic Church was held in such respect that joining began to be seen by some as a way of taking a step up the social ladder.

"I'm not sure if it would be accurate to say it is now seen as a religion primarily for the elite," said Baker.

"But you can say it is a religion in which the elite can feel comfortable."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Hayden opens up on getting license back

MANILA – For the first time since the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) returned his medical license, Hayden Kho finally broke his silence to share his feelings now that he’s allowed to practice medicine again.

In an interview with “The Buzz” on Sunday, Kho admitted there was a point in his life when he already gave up on getting back his license.

“In 2009, when they told me ‘You can no longer practice as a doctor,’ it really broke my heart. I thought that was permanent. I was not really expecting anymore,” he said.

That’s why the PRC’s decision came as a surprise to him, Kho said, especially since he was out of the country when the commission rendered its decision.

Fresh from his trip abroad where he took classes on Apologetics, Kho said he has not even read yet the documents from the PRC reinstating him as a doctor.

“Honestly I don’t know how it works. In fact, I haven’t even seen the papers that were sent to my parents’ house. I just arrived so hindi ko pa nakikita. Pinadala lang ng mom ko 'yung pictures,” he said.

Kho also clarified reports saying that getting back his license was the reason behind his decision to become a Christian.

“I did not do that so that I could gain my medical license back," he said about his faith. "Why did I do what I did? The answer to that is I wanted to seek the Lord and in my experience, when I go to those places, in India, the poorest of the poor, when I helped out, I feel God more in my life. The beautiful thing about this is God does want to let his children know who he is,” he said.

After everything that he has been through, Kho said he is grateful to have his mother beside him.

“I love you mommy. Those seven years were very tough for me. Maraming beses kami nag-away ng mom ko. Ngayon ko lang talaga naiintindihan 'yung heart ng isang mom. She’s been very very patient with me. We fought many times but the love is still there. Ngayon ko lang naiintindihan 'yung love,” he said.

Asked about the most important lesson he learned from this ordeal, Kho said: “We all long for love. Doon sa mga tao na nagkamali before, and everyone abandoned you, I have been through that place. If you need someone to love you, if you need a hand that will hold you and they are not there, always remember tha there’s a heavenly Father who wants to put his arms around you.”

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Indonesian Christians protest closure of churches

JAKARTA - Hundreds of Indonesian Christians held a Christmas service Wednesday in front of the presidential palace in Jakarta to protest at the closure of their churches due to pressure by Muslim hardliners.

Some 200 people from two churches near the capital sang hymns, recited prayers and lit candles by a busy road alongside three "Christmas trees" constructed out of plywood and bamboo.

The service, involving people of all ages from toddlers to the elderly, began under the scorching sun and continued for hours even after the weather changed abruptly and heavy rain fell.

Christians are coming under increasing pressure from extremists in Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim-majority country, and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has been criticised for failing to tackle the growing intolerance.

"We want to remind our president once again that he has not yet resolved the issue of religious intolerance in this country," Bona Sigalingging, a spokesman for one of the churches, told AFP.

The churches, in the cities of Bekasi and Bogor, were closed in 2010 by local authorities who had come under pressure from Muslim hardliners.

Authorities said it was because the buildings lacked proper building permits, although rights groups say local governments are simply bowing to extremist pressure and using the permit issue as an excuse.

As well as Christians, hardliners in Sunni-majority Indonesia have targeted Muslim minorities. Ahmadis have seen their places of worship closed and Shiites have been subjected to violent attacks.

Ninety percent of Indonesia's 250 million people identify themselves as Muslim although the constitution guarantees freedom of religion.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Pope Francis: 'Who am I to judge' gays?

VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis reached out to gays on Monday, declaring that it is not his place to judge them -- while also condemning the Vatican's reported gay lobby as a "serious problem".

The remarks to journalists as he flew back to Rome from a high-profile trip to Brazil appeared to be more conciliatory towards homosexuals than his predecessor Benedict XVI.

"If someone is gay and seeks the Lord with good will, who am I to judge?" the pope asked.

"The problem is not having this orientation, it is lobbying. That's the most serious problem."

The pope had admitted in June that there was a "gay lobby" in the Vatican's secretive administration, the Roman Curia, according to a Latin American Catholic website.

It followed earlier Italian media reports claiming that a secret report by cardinals investigating Vatican leaks included allegations of corruption and blackmail attempts against gay clergymen, and on the other hand, favouritism based on gay relationships

Francis also fielded questions about Battista Ricca, who was appointed by the pontiff to a key position at the troubled Vatican bank but is embroiled in allegations that he had gay relationships with male prostitutes.

The pope said he had ordered a "brief investigation but we found nothing on him".

"I have not seen anyone at the Vatican who is registered as gay on his identity card," he said, adding however: "We acknowledge that there are (gays)."

Nevertheless, "the catechism of the Catholic Church says clearly that we must not marginalise these people who should be integrated in the society," he added.

The Italian weekly L'Espresso this month reported that Ricca had gay relationships during his time at the Vatican embassy of Montevideo in Uruguay as well as an affair with a Swiss guard which ultimately saw him sent back to Rome in disgrace in 2010.

Because of an internal bid to cover up Ricca's activities, Francis apparently was unaware of his past before appointing him as his personal representative at the scandal-hit bank this year.

Gay rights groups had voiced hope on Francis's appointment that the Argentinian pope would be friendlier to homosexuals than his predecessor.

Benedict had angered the gay community with his suggestion in 2008 that homosexuality was as much of a threat to the survival of the human race as climate change.

Also Monday, the pope said John Paul II, a beloved predecessor, would not be canonised in December as previously mooted.

He said the pencilled-in date of December 8 would not suit pilgrims of modest means travelling to Rome by bus from John Paul II's native Poland.

The 78-year-old pontiff hailed the Polish pope as a "great missionary, a Saint Paul."

Francis also said Monday he was moving forward with reforms of the Vatican adminstration, or Curia, saying he faced no "resistance" while recognising that the Holy See was embroiled in scandals.

"There are saints in the Curia, loyal people," he said. "And if there's resistance, I haven't seen it yet."

As Latin America's first pontiff, he was given a rock star's welcome on Rio de Janeiro's legendary Copacabana beach, with a sea of faithful waving flags, dancing and chanting "long live the pope!" on the crescent-shaped shoreline.

Wrapping up his first trip abroad since his election in March, the head of the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics hammered home his plea for young believers gathered for World Youth Day to "go and make disciples of all nations" .

He waved away security concerns, saying: "A bishop and his people cannot be separated by an armoured vehicle."

"I prefer taking a risk," he said.

Brazil is the world's biggest Catholic country but its flock has dwindled while Evangelical churches have boomed. Almost 65 percent of the population was Catholic in 2010, sharply down from 92 percent in 1970, according to the census.

The pope announced that Krakow, Poland, the homeland of the late John Paul II who started the World Youth Day tradition, will host the next gathering in 2016.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Pope urges Brazil's youth to seek change, fight apathy

RIO DE JANEIRO - Pope Francis on Saturday encouraged Brazil's young people, who have protested against corruption in their country, to continue their efforts to change society by fighting apathy and offering "a Christian response."

The 76-year-old pope spoke to a crowd estimated by the Vatican to be more than 2 million people gathered on Rio's famed Copacabana beach for an evening rally where he also urged young people to shun fleeting fads and be "athletes of Christ."

Francis, nearly concluding his first overseas trip, received yet another rapturous welcome when he arrived at the crescent-shaped beach. He stopped his popemobile several times to kiss babies and an Argentine flag that was waved at the car.

Most participants planned to spend the night on the sand and adjacent pavement to hold their places for Sunday's closing Mass on the same spot, making the place a giant campsite.

Brazil, Latin America's largest nation, was rocked by massive protests against corruption, the misuse of public money and the high cost of living. Most of the protesters were young.

Francis told the gathering he knew that young people had taken to the streets in Brazil and elsewhere "to express their desire for a society that is more just and fraternal."

Speaking from a giant white stage, he encouraged them to fight apathy and be "protagonists of change" and offer "a Christian response to the social and political concerns arising in many parts of the world."

In his prepared text, he had added that they should do it in an "an orderly, peaceful and responsible way" but he improvised and did not read that part of his address.

The Vatican says that when the pope departs from his prepared text and omits phrases, his thoughts are considered valid nonetheless.

Francis has dedicated much attention in his speeches to the problems, the prospects and the power of young people.

On Friday night he urged them to change a world where food is discarded while millions go hungry, where racism and violence still affront human dignity, and where politics is more associated with corruption than service.

The day before, during a visit to a Rio slum, he urged them to not lose trust and to not allow their hopes to be extinguished. Many young people in Brazil saw this as his support for peaceful demonstrations to bring about change.

STRANGE BEACH FELLOWS

The Copacabana events were to have taken place on a pasture on the outskirts of Rio, but days of unseasonable rain turned the area into a field of mud.

Before Saturday's event, young people in jeans and nuns in their habits shared the beach with Rio residents who had streamed out of their homes to welcome back the sun after days of clouds and downpours.

The nuns wet their feet in the surf next to women playing volleyball in bikinis. Young people carrying flags from dozens of nations sat in the sand in groups to pray and play music.

In his address to the young, the pope asked them to hone and perfect their faith like athletes who train for a match.

"Jesus offers us something bigger than the World Cup," he told them, saying they could have a "fulfilled and fruitful life" if they followed him and not "momentary fashions and fads."

He asked them to be "true athletes of Christ."

Earlier in the day, a group of feminists bared their breasts on the beach in a protest against the Church's restrictive views on female sexuality and abortion.

But most Rio residents were happy to have a visit by the pope, who leaves for Rome on Sunday night.

"The Brazilians have welcomed us so warmly. The only hiccup has been the crammed public transport," said Father Martin O'Reilly who led a group of 60 young people from the Diocese of Clogher in Ireland.

With hundreds of buses still arriving in Rio bringing more pilgrims, security officials said they expected the crowd to peak at 1.5 million people during Sunday morning Mass.

Police and soldiers were deployed on waterfront streets while warships patrolled off shore. (Writing by Philip Pullella; Editing by Philip Barbara)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Nick Vujicic: We Are Living in the End of Days

NASHVILLE – Evangelist Nick Vujicic told communicators at the annual National Religious Broadcasters (NRB 2013) convention that through his global outreach ministry, "Life Without Limbs," he is able to see a strong spiritual movement indicating that we are most likely living during the end times.

"We are extremely excited in seeing how the Lord is reaching out to the world not just through our ministry, but we can see other ministries with moves of God [and] you really start to get convinced that we are living in the end of days, a time when every human being on earth will have the chance to say 'yes, I accept' or 'no, I reject' this Gospel message of Jesus," said Vujicic during the last keynote session of the 4-day event. "But how will they know unless someone tells them?"


The inspirational speaker who was born without arms or legs has taken his message of faith and hope to audiences around the world. This was his first NRB convention appearance and he told the audience that working together as the body of Christ was extremely important.

"My wife and I, we love to see people set free by the power of Jesus Christ and seeing his kindness communicated in wise and gentle ways in all venues – whether it's governmental congresses, seven presidents around the world, or crowds of hundreds of thousands in India," he said. "From Monday through Friday there, by the grace of God, we preached to 350,000 people in five days and 80,000 came to the Lord, Jesus Christ."

He added, "That is just one story out of many and I know that it's not about me and it's not even about how we did it. He does supply every need."

Vujicic also showed photos of his family, including wife, Kanae, and their first child, Kiyoshi James Vujicic.

"That is the greatest update that I can ever give you about my life," he said, while talking about his "lovely, awesome wife and child."

The evangelist, who lives just north of Los Angeles, said that he just came back from Serbia, Slovenia, and Croatia. "This year, we are going to, God willing, 26 countries that represent a population of 800 million people," he said.

Despite all the good news about his ministry work the central focus of Vujicic's life is Jesus, he said.

"The greatest news that I could ever say is that Jesus is Lord and Savior of my life. He is my friend. He is with me wherever I go. I'm so delighted to continue to grow in my relationship to Jesus."

The NRB convention concludes Tuesday evening with an awards ceremony honoring those religious broadcasters with the greats of achievements for 2013.

source: christianpost.com