The Pope disclosed on February 10th that he had asked America during his tour in that country last month, to respect life at all stages. Abortion, euthanasia and capital punishment must be stopped. There should be an end to racial discrimination, assaults against children, women and tribals. This is what America should do.
 
 

Israel has honoured the Italian sisterhood which, during the II World War, saved 167 Jews from the Nazis. It was during the period 1943-44 that several Jews were saved from death by the Handmaids of the Blessed Mother of Zion.

"Yadhwashem", which means "Righteous Among the Nations," is the award instituted in Israel to honour those who were martyred or showed extraordinary courage during the Nazi genocide. It is this award that has been given to the Italian religious congregation.
 
 

There were 116 incidents of assults on Christians reported from last January onwards. Of these 5 were murder cases. This is the statement made in the Rajya Sabha by the Home Minister. Of the 116 incidents, 94 were in Gujarat, 10 in Maharashtra and 7 in Orissa. In Gujarat the majority were against Christian missionaries and houses of worship.
 
 

A delegation of 20 Buddhist sanyasis under the leadership of the Bishop of Sripuram in Sri Lanka, has headed towards Northern Sri Lanka in a bid to reconcile the warring Sinhalese and Tamils. The Anglican Bishop of Colombo has also joined the group. "It is not the government that is sending us there. But the security arrangements made by the government prove that they are aware of the gravity of our mandate", said Bishop Malcolm Ranjit.
 
 

Orders are issued to give the schools and colleges of the Sindh province, which government had nationalised and brought under its control, back to the Catholics. It is Weinudhin Haidar, the governor of the Sindh Province who made this announcement. This regulation has been implemented as per the assurance given at the meeting of the Pakistan Prime Minister, Nawas Sheriff with Pope John Paul II.
 
 

The young men and women of America are fasting for 30 hours on end to make the world aware of the terrible curse that poverty is. Six lakh youngsters are participating in this great venture from which the organisers of World Vision expect to collect eighty lakh dollars to help poverty-stricken people. Voluntary service and distribution of food to the poor are part of the programme. The fasting youth will go begging for alms, sleep in the open and do similar sacrifices.
 
 

Archbishop Renate R Martino, the Vatican representative at the UN, has announced that the UN resolution to completely abolish capital punishment will be whole–heartedly supported. Capital punishment is only a mask that covers up lack of reverence to human life, he remarked. He was of the opinion that capital punishment was being degraded into an effort to wreak vengeance rather than meet out justice.