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Pope to WEA: We can learn so much from each other

Vatican City, November, 2014: This morning Pope Francis received in audience a delegation from the World Evangelical Alliance, a network of evangelical churches in 128 nations, based in New York, U.S.A., which has formed an alliance with over 100 international organisations, giving voice to more than 400 million evangelical Christians throughout the world.

The Holy Father began his address to the Alliance by emphasizing that Baptism is a priceless gift from God, which we have in common. “Thanks to this gift, we no longer live a purely earthly existence; we now live in the power of the Spirit”. He went on to remark that from the beginning, there have been divisions among Christians and “sadly, even today, conflicts and rivalries exist between our communities.

This weakens our ability to fulfil the Lord’s commandment to preach the Gospel to all peoples. Our divisions mar the beauty of the seamless robe of Christ, yet they do not completely destroy the profound unity brought about by grace in all the baptised. The effectiveness of the Christian message would no doubt be greater were Christians to overcome their divisions, and together celebrate the sacraments, spread the word of God, and bear witness to charity”.

The Bishop of Rome went on to express his joy to know that “in various countries Catholics and Evangelicals enjoy good relations and work together as brothers and sisters. The joint efforts of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and the Theological Commission of the World Evangelical Alliance have also opened up new horizons by clarifying misunderstandings and by showing the way to overcoming prejudices”.

He continued, “It is my hope that these talks may further inspire our common witness and our efforts to evangelise: if we really believe in the abundantly free working of the Holy Spirit, we can learn so much from one another! It is not just about being better informed about others, but rather about reaping what the Spirit has sown in them, which is also meant to be a gift for us. I am confident that the document ‘Christian Witness in a Multi-Religious World: Recommendations for Conduct’ can prove helpful for the preaching of the Gospel in multi-religious contexts”.

“I trust that the Holy Spirit, who inspires the Church to persevere in seeking new methods of evangelisation, will usher in a new era of relations between Catholics and Evangelicals, so that the Lord’s will that the Gospel be brought to the ends of the earth may be more fully realised. I assure my prayers for this cause, and I ask you to pray for me and for my ministry”, concluded Pope Francis.

- vis

Mumbai, November 9, 2014: Apparently alarmed at their weakening popularity in her family bastion of Solapur due to emergence of AIMIM, Congress MLA Parineeti Shinde, the daughter of former Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, has termed the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) as “anti-national” and called for banning it.

“The MIM has fundamentally been against India rather than any section of the population and harboured plans for subversion,” Shinde said in Solapur district on Wednesday and claimed: “MIM has a divisive agenda and the party is working against the country’s interest.”

She reportedly retracted the statement later.

Shinde’s attack on MIM comes at a time when she won the Solapur City Central seat in the assembly election with a meagre margin of 9000 votes against MIM’s Taufiq Shaikh. He had given her a tight fight and came second.

Reacting to her controversial statement, Shaikh reportedly said, “Such utterances are not correct. She is upset by MIM’s success in Solapur. The Congress has only given empty promises to the Muslims and weaker sections of society so far. We are contemplating reporting this statement to the Governor and urge him to take action against Ms. Shinde.”

Presumably, Shinde made this statement eyeing the Solapur civic polls as she is upset due to the MIM’s spectacular success in grabbing a significant chunk of Muslim and Dalit votes in Solapur posing a serious threat to Shinde family’s stronghold.

Meanwhile, MIM has expressed strong objection to Shinde’s statement and called for an apology. If she didn’t, MIM will file a criminal defamation case against her, MIM national president Asaduddin Owaisi told a TV channel on Thursday.

“Why is she calling for a ban on us now? Nobody spoke of a ban when we supported the Congress at the Centre from 2004 to 2012. It was we who bailed out the Congress government in Andhra Pradesh in 2011 when the main opposition party, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), tabled a no-confidence motion,” Owaisi said.

“Shinde’s statement smacks of Congress’ hypocrisy,” he said and added, “Our decision to contest Maharashtra election and our success in Solapur has thoroughly shaken her. Solapur is not a private property of the Shindes. Any party can contest elections from anywhere in India.”

However, Shinde reportedly clarified her statement as: “My statement was not for a particular party, but for all parties that are disturbing the secular fabric of our country.”

Imran Khan, a sympathizer of MIM, told Twocircles.net, “It is her (Shinde’s) frustration as her family is viewing a future rout in their own bastion (because) MIM is getting support from Muslims as well as Dalits due to its proper balancing (in election) by fielding a Dalit and a Muslim candidate from two seats of Solapur.”

Marking a debut in Maharashtra, the MIM won 2 seats out of 24 it contested. MIM ate up INC – NCP votes in the state and hence it appears that such attacks are coming out against the party, which obtained nearly 1% votes in the election.

- tcn

Repatriated nurses to benefit from one-time settlement, loan at reduced rates

Thiruvananthapuram, November, 2014: Kerala’s State Level Bankers Committee (SLBC) has agreed to the state government’s request to provide benefits to around 500 nurses who have returned from conflict-hit Iraq and Libya.

The benefits will be in the form of one-time settlements and loans at reduced rates.

P Sudeep, CEO of Roots-Norka, an agency for non-resident Keralites functioning under the Department of Welfare of Non Resident Keralites, told IANS that the SLBC has said that all educational loans up to Rs 4 lakh availed by the nurses will come under a waiver scheme.

“The banks have agreed to write off all the interests on educational loans availed by these nurses and have come out with a one-time settlement which states that only the capital (maximum Rs 4 lakh) will have to be repaid,” he said.

More than 500 nurses from Kerala have returned from Iraq and Libya since July after trouble broke out there. They had requested the Oommen Chandy government for some monetary benefits.

Most of these nurses had availed educational loans during the period of their training as nurses. Trouble in Iraq and Libya started when many of these nurses had started to repay loans after getting employment there. Many of them have been unable to pay installments for more than 18 months, resulting in hefty interest.

Sudeep said the state government has also announced a rehabilitation scheme through banks for those who returned from various West Asian countries. “In the new scheme, all those returnees who availed loans for self-employment schemes will get 15 per cent subsidy instead of the earlier announced 10 percent on the capital.

“They will also get a subsidy of three per cent in the first four years of repayment on the interest portion. This is going to be a huge benefit for those who have availed loans for buying vehicles for taxi operations,” Sudeep said.

According to the figures available with Norka-Routes around 400 nurses have so far returned home affected due to the internal conflicts in Libya, Iraq and Syria.

- tcn

Nun who pioneered to help sex workers dies

Patna, November , 2014: Sister Shalini D’Souza, the former head of US-based Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, who pioneered social action with commercial sex workers in Delhi, died of cancer yesterday. She was 76.

She was diagnosed with cancer early this year. Though the cancer had spread to her several organs by August, Sister D’Souza opted not to go for further treatment. She was under treatment at Kurji Holy Family Hospital, Patna.

Sister D’Souza was religious sister for 52 years in India and US. “Her vision, deep commitment and the daring spirit of risk taking helped the Congregation to reorient their ministry to respond to the cry of the poor and the marginalized in India and Nepal,” a press release from her congregation said.

Sister D’Souza served in schools before becoming the Director of Novices and Provincial of India Province in 1983. In 1998, Sister D’Souza was elected Vice-President and in 2003 President of the SCN Congregation, making her the first Indian to head a US-based international religious congregation for women.

“Her vision of mission made an impact on Church leadership both nationally and internationally. Through her creative and dynamic ways, she helped her Sisters discover the treasures within,” the release said.

From 1990-98, Sister D’Souza worked with the commercial sex workers in Delhi in collaboration with the Indian Social Institute, a Jesuit venture, when many jeered at those people who cared for such persons.

She destrubuted condumns to sex workers and encouraged them to use it to save them from the danger of contracting the deadly AIDS to the displeasure of Church leadership in Delhi.

She pioneered in making a safe residential home for the girl children of sex workers in Gurgaon in partnership with MSFS, a lay institute of Italy. She rescued many women and young girls from prostitution.

Sister D’Souza initiated a ministry for the female domestic workers and trafficked women at Catherine Spalding Centre, Ranchi.

She was also instrumental in collaborating with JAAN Foundation to begin ‘Premasharay’, a mid-way home for girls who are trafficked at Nazareth Convent, Ranchi.

- ucan