NEWS
No discrimination
against women - The Pope
Vatican city:
Pope John Paul II has exhorted the nations of the world to respect the
rights of women. The Pope said this while officiating at the special function
held at the Vatican on March 8th - the International Women's Day. When
women are discriminated against and their rights denied, the world stands
to lose their service. In several countries governments are denying the
basic rights of women like education and employment. They are also denied
entry into the public forum, reminded the Pope. He exhorted the people
to highlight the individual qualities of women and give them due honour.
Liturgical reforms
Authority given to Syro-Malabar Synod
Pope John Paul II has given
the power to take decisions regarding liturgical reforms to the Syro-Malabar
Synod. The Pontifical Commission for Oriental Churches has also given some
guide lines regarding this matter to the Bishops.
The decree that transfers
this power regarding the liturgy is a milestone in the history of the Syro-
Malabar Church which was raised to the Archiepiscopal status in 1992.
Archbishop Allan
CBCI president
Varanasi:
Delhi Archbishop Allan de Lastic has been elected president of the Catholic
Bishops' Conference of India. Archbishop Mar Varkey Vithaythil and Archbishop
Mar Cyril Baselius have been elected as vice presidents. The election took
place at the annual CBCI assembly at Varanasi.
Communication media-venue
for the word ministry
Vatican city:
Archbishop Jon P Folei, Chairman of the Commission for Social Communication
Media, has described the media as the new venue for the ministry of the
word. In this modern age of development, it is not possible to overlook
or sweep it aside, for the simple reason that it is the media that decide
the values of the growing generations, he added.
Give Jesus to Asia
The Asian Synod document
asserts that the priority of the Church in this continent is to present
Jesus Christ to the people of Asia as the only Saviour and unique Intercessor.
While it states that inter-religious dialogue must proclaim faith in Jesus,
it exhorts us to cooperate with people of other religions to fight against
poverty and injustice. The Synod which began on April 19th will be concluded
on the 14th of this month. Pointing out that Christianity was born in Asia,
the document strongly refutes the false premises of the tendency to consider
Christianity as a foreign religion.