«Hong Kong has been transformed into a police state»
The President of the Federation of Asian Bishops Conferences, cardinal Charles Maung Bo, speaks out following the arrest of cardinal Joseph Zen: «I express my profound concern about the threats to religious freedom in Hong Kong». «For the people of Hong Kong it is now increasingly difficult to speak out freely, so those of us outside Hong Kong who have a voice must use it on their behalf». «I call on Catholics and the wider Christian community around the world to pray for Hong Kong, especially for Cardinal Zen, on 24 May»
Cardinal Zen’s arrest, a challenge for the Vatican
While the most recurrent question in the media concerns China's intentions, the arrest of 90-year-old Cardinal Zen poses a serious embarrassment for the Holy See, whose first reaction is predominant silence. At stake is the renewal of the secret agreement with China for the appointment of bishops, but it would be a disaster if the freedom of a cardinal and of the Church were sacrificed for this.
Schooyans, the forgotten prophet for a culture of life
It is significant to note the embarrassed silence in the Church on hearing the news of Monsignor Michel Schooyans' death on 3 May at the age of 92. The Belgian Jesuit, philosopher, and theologian had written numerous essays on bioethics, demography, and international organisations, denouncing the “culture of death”. But in recent years he had noticed how this worldly ideology had infiltrated the Church.
Bux: “Only the proclamation of the Gospel produces true and enduring peace”
The ecumenical relations crisis between the Holy See and the Patriarchate of Moscow due to varying positions regarding the war in Ukraine: “it is the failure of an ecumenism based upon highly publicised encounters attempting to diminish the significance of our differences. John Paul II, on the other hand, focused upon establishing the roots of various cultures and traditions in order to insist upon the unity found in their origins: Christ and His Gospel”. “The work of the Church is not to fight for the environment or for peace, but rather to evangelise, because only Jesus can change a person’s heart. And if their heart is changed, the world will be changed”. The theologian Monsignor Nicola Bux speaks out.
Heidi Crowter, with Down syndrome: I’m suing the British government for discrimination
The woman who recently won the right to have her case against the abortion law reviewed in the London Court of Appeals because it discriminates against unborn babies with Down syndrome, speaks to The Daily Compass: “The law makes me feel like I should not exist. But people need to know that we are human beings who can have a great life. My Christian faith gives me the strength to fight this battle”.
False freedom and social harm, anti-abortion draft demolishes Roe
The US Supreme Court's anti-abortion draft, signed by Justice Alito, explains that the principle of stare decisis cannot bind the court if precedents are erroneous, such as Roe v Wade and Casey v Planned Parenthood. These rulings set an arbitrary threshold such as foetal viability, and caused both social and legal harm. The Alito draft also sets out the principles that abortion laws will have to respect if Roe and Casey are overturned.
US Supreme Court, anti-abortion draft x-rayed
In the draft signed by Justice Alito, which intends to annul both Roe v Wade (1973) and Casey v Planned Parenthood (1992), several critical points of the two abortion judgments are highlighted: the Constitution does not provide for a right to abortion, Roe and Casey are anti-democratic (usurping legislative power) and endorse a false freedom.
Ukraine: the West’s self-destruction gives the rise to a “Front for Peace Negotiations”
With Russia on one hand, the EU and the USA on the other, a fierce conflict has commenced which damages all parties involved, but a group of countries is emerging whose primary interest is to insist that this conflict end: Turkey, Brazil and India, who fear a new world recession and the reinforcement of China, provoked by the conflict between the two blocks.
Asylum seekers sent to Rwanda, Johnson's mistake
For over a year, Britain has been planning rules and measures to stop illegal immigration and has signed a special agreement to this effect with the Rwandan government. Criticism immediately poured in from France, Amnesty International, and UNHCR, the UN refugee agency. And yet the real problem to be solved does not feature among any of those alleged.
The Parable of the Sower, a theme dear to van Gogh
The Parable of the Sower is present in all three Synoptics. Vincent van Gogh found it fascinating and consequently made it the subject of several paintings. Of particular note are The Sower at Sunset, which is full of mysticism, and The Sower in Winterthur, which is full of melancholy...
Müller: A Consistory to proclaim peace comes from God
“Every war is the offspring of original sin; the weapons of Christians are prayer and the proclamation of the Gospel of Peace”. “It is absurd that Putin would call himself Christian, then give orders to kill other individuals - the very image of God; and it is inconceivable that a Christian Church become an instrument of Nationalism”. “Providing assistance to Ukraine is one issue, but to use it for other political interests is an entirely different issue”. “The sending of arms is an extremely delicate question. A point of equilibrium must be found in order to avoid an escalation, as well as the possibility that Putin threaten other countries”. So speaks Cardinal Gerhard L. Müller, Prefect Emeritus of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, in this Daily Compass interview.
