COMECE Social Affairs Commission on the EU Recovery package: “we are called to live solidarity and fully include people in precarious situations”
The Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE) releases on Tuesday 13th April 2021 the statement“One year after: What place for social, ecological and contributive justice in the EU recovery package?”, reaction of its Social Affairs Commission to the largest package ever financed through the EU budget and its effects on social, ecological and contributive justice. Mgr. Hérouard, President of the Social Affairs Commission of COMECE: “we are called to live solidarity in the European Union and fully include people in precarious situations or isolation”.
One year ago, the COVID-19 pandemic hit hardly the European Union, affecting people’s health, the economy and society as a whole. Together with the ongoing climate crisis and the digital and demographic transitions, Europe now faces also double health and economic emergency.
In this context, the Bishops of the European Union welcome the EU recovery package as “a new sign of solidarity in the European Union, much needed to help the people most impacted by the crisis, and to tackle the ongoing global ecological crisis”.
COMECE urges all Member States to “fulfil their commitment of July 2020 by ratifying the Own Resources Decision in their national Parliaments” and encourages all international actors “to cooperate to find global solutions on digital taxation […] to move towards a fairer taxation system in which large companies contribute in a fair way to the recovery”.
“Against particular interests, we are called to live solidarity in the European Union and fully include people in precarious situations or isolation, and in particular those affected by the COVID-19 crisis. We ask the EU and its Member States that all economic actors, and in particular multinationals companies, some of which have benefited from the crisis, participate in a fair way to the recovery effort to increase ‘mutual trust’ in our economy. At the same time, caring for our neighbours should go in hand in hand with caring for our common home, as one human family living on the same planet”, states H.E. Mgr. Antoine Hérouard.
The COMECE Commission also appreciates the integration of new own EU resources “to ensure that everyone contributes in a fair way to the recovery, while caring for our common home and people who live in it”.
If we are to tackle individualistic trends and to put human dignity back at the centre of our policies, solidarity among nations is needed more than ever. “Solidarity – the document reads – is at the heart of the European Union and will be the key in the recovery”.
The statement was elaborated by the COMECE Social Affairs Commission and analyses some of the achievements of the European Union towards social, ecological and contributive justice since COVID-19 hit the EU. This reflection paper also includes concrete proposals for more solidarity in the recovery process and follows the May 2020 statement “Let Europe recover through justice”, first reaction of the COMECE Social Affairs Commission to the recovery plan proposed by the European Commission.
The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto, Hassan Kukah, says though Nigerians profess two main religions with strong themes of love and togetherness, s…
The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto, Hassan Kukah, says though
Nigerians profess two main religions with strong themes of love and
togetherness, such themes are rarely ever practised.
The Bishop has now attributed the frequent rise against one
another to the lack of practice of love.
He made the remark on Monday at a ceremony in Adamawa State
where he was invited as a guest of honour.
“In Nigeria, religion has become a liability to us. The
fruits of Christianity and Islam are alien to us, otherwise, we will not be
seeing the fights that go on almost daily around the country. We must begin to
do what our religions demand of us,” Kukah said.
<
p class=”MsoNormal”>The occasion was the commissioning of the 86 housing units
which the Yola Catholic Diocese built for the Christians and Muslims who had
been living as internally displaced persons (IDPs) at the head church of the
Yola Catholic Diocese.
Bishop Kukah hailed the Yola Catholic Diocese for catering
so equally to Christian and Muslim IDPs alike and especially for building a
mosque rather than just a church at the estate.
He said the dream started seven years ago when his diocese
was suddenly saddled with thousands of IDPs to house and to feed, and that the
need for the estate grew stronger by the years when it became evident that some
of the IDPs could not go back to their original homes because they had lost
everything.
He announced that even after resettling the IDPs at the new
estate, his diocese would keep providing their food and other necessities till
later in the year when the IDPs, who are expected to utilize the large expanses
of farmland surrounding the estate.
<!-- Multi-value field -->
<!-- Single-value field -->
<strong>One thing I found really fascinating in your book is when you say that Masaryk had this idea of, with the new country, also creating a new religion? What exactly was he hoping to achieve with that? Or what was it even?</strong>
“Yes, this is one of the most fascinating aspects, and an overlooked aspect, of his career as a politician.
“He saw Czechoslovakia as not just a new republic but one in which politics, morality and religion would be combined.
“He was raised Catholic, he became kind of Protestant – he never really went to church.
“He was influenced by his wife, who was an American Unitarian.
“He saw Czechoslovakia as not just a new republic but one in which politics, morality and religion would be combined.”
“His ideas of a new religion he drew a lot from 19th and 20th century scholarship on the sociology of religion, on the history of the Bible, on theology.
“So he wanted this religion to be really stripped of all he had experienced in the Catholic Church, in terms of hierarchy, in terms of rules, in terms of ritual and so forth.
“He wanted a religion that would be purely individualistic, in which the individual person would have a relationship with God; he believed in this idea of a personal connection with God.
“The individual would have this relationship with God and that relationship would motivate the individual to serve others, to serve the community, to serve the state.
“And this was his hope for Czechoslovakia, to have something like a civil religion that would inspire the citizens of this new state to serve the community and create a cohesive society.”
It struck me reading your book that it was so ambitious in the first place to create a new country, and then on top of that to also want to introduce a new religion for the people… I was wondering if we should regard Masaryk as being extremely ambitious, or some kind of megalomaniac, that he wanted to bring in a religion as well as a state for the two nations?
Photo: CEU PRESS
“I write at the beginning of the book of my visits with the late historian Antonín Klímek, who wrote a two-volume history of the new republic, Boj o hrad, and a number of other important books on the ‘20s and ‘30s in Czechoslovakia.
“I remember visiting him as he was working on his books about Masaryk and the First Republic, and the one thing that he could not really comprehend was Masaryk’s goal of creating a new religion.
“I remember sitting in his office and he would wave his arms around dramatically and would exclaim, He wanted to start a new religion!
“For Klímek this was just incomprehensible: How does someone have whether the ambition or the arrogance to think they are going to create a new religion?
“And, as I find in the book, there were a number of people around him who were inspired by his ambition, they were inspired by his vision.
“But ultimately he was really aiming to far, he was reaching too much to the stars, and both religious believers who trusted him, as well as more secular figures, such as Karel Čapek and Ferdinand Peroutka, just saw him as overreaching his ambition.”
Masaryk has become for many Czechs this kind of idealised figure of a leader. But you say that in the beginning, when he first became president, he considered being a benign dictator. I’m curious: Was Masaryk at heart a democrat?
“He was not a democrat in terms of having any faith in the messy processes of democracy.”
“Where we see the root of, how to say, the doubts we could have about Masaryk’s commitment to democracy is in how much he trusted those closest to him, beginning with his family and them moving out to his closest circle, and this of course includes Edvard Beneš.
“He did have the sense, and he uses this term to describe himself and his family and those closest to him, that he was an aristocrat, in the sense that he believed people of talent, people of morality, should have a leading role in society – and he saw himself and Beneš and his family as being among this aristocracy.
“He was not a democrat in terms of having any faith in the messy processes of democracy.
“He had no respect for political parties. He really didn’t have much trust in the whole process of elections and campaigns and so forth.
“He saw democracy as functioning best as a managed democracy, with his family and his supporters, the members of the so-called Castle – his group of supporters and closest confidantes – as the ones who would steer the democratic state in a responsible direction.
“So ultimately if we think of democracy in terms of elections and parties and the messy work of competing for votes, making alliances, making coalitions, then no, that’s not what he saw democracy as.”
Prague Castle is also a major focus of your book and you write about how Masaryk made the Castle a “central symbol of national democratic ideals” when he became president. That made me wonder, What was the Castle like prior to 1918?
Bruce Berglund, photo: Marta Berglund
“This is fascinating. I did research in the archive of Prague Castle and was able to see some of the photographs from before the renovation and it’s really much, much different from what we see today.
“For one, imagine the Third Courtyard. I know you’ve been there – any visitor to Prague has been to the Third Courtyard, the area that surrounds St. Vitus Cathedral, with the Obelisk.
“This area was cobblestoned. It was really rough, it was uneven – there were multiple levels, or multiple surfaces, to the courtyard.
“And the Castle itself was in such disrepair that it wasn’t even able to function as a centre of government.
“So this was the first order of business, when the government moves in 1918: How do we even use this place?
“One of my favourite anecdotes that comes out of the archive is that early on when Masaryk wants to have a state dinner at the Castle they had to go down to Obecní dům and borrow silverware and china to use in the Castle dining room, because there was very little.
“The situation was made worse, actually, when all of these different ministries and government officials moved into the Castle right away, in November 1918, and they start claiming space.
“And then people seeking government jobs start coming in.
“The Castle was in such disrepair that it wasn’t even able to function as a centre of government.”
“There are references in the archives that people were breaking furniture and dirtying the carpets and so forth.
“So this was a disordered, kind of chaotic environment in 1918 and 1919.”
The man charged with reshaping the Castle was the Slovenian architect Jože Plečnik. How did he come to get commissioned to do that work, especially considering that he was, you say, a devout or even mystical Catholic and Masaryk was, to some degree at least, anti-Catholic?
“Yes, this is a fascinating question and it’s something that I hunted in my research.
“There are only a few statements Masaryk himself made, to his daughter Alice Masaryková, about why he trusted so deeply in Jože Plečnik, despite the fact that Plečnik was Catholic and Masaryk was an opponent of the Catholic Church.
“A big part of it was that I think Masaryk saw Plečnik as something of a kindred spirit.
“Plečnik had an ascetic personality, Plečnik was rigidly moral like Masaryk and Plečnik had a great devotion to the classical period, to classical architecture, just as Masaryk was a great lover of classical philosophy.
“I think that’s what draws those two together.
Jože Plečnik, photo: Public Domain
“Masaryk said to his daughter once: ‘Plečnik understands what we’re doing here – we don’t have to explain it to him.’
“So there was a sense that Masaryk had that Plečnik understood the importance, the gravity, of what was being done at the Castle. That this wasn’t simply about making a set of buildings functional as a seat of government – it was creating a symbol of democracy, but also a sacred space.
“And that’s why Masaryk entrusted Plečnik with the entire Castle project.”
Something else interesting that you say is that Plečnik, when he was redesigning Prague Castle, was attacked from all sides?
“Yes. Initially I should say that Plečnik was recommended by the Guild of Czech Architects.
“Plečnik had been teaching architecture in Prague since 1912.
“He had a terrific reputation among his students, he had a terrific reputation among fellow architects and artists, and that’s the reason why Plečnik’s name first came to the attention of Masaryk.
“Now when Plečnik beings the Castle project he continues to hold the respect of the artistic community.
“Masaryk saw Plečnik as something of a kindred spirit.”
“But as the renovations are underway Czech nationalists, in particular conservative Catholic nationalists, as well as Communists and Socialists, see what Plečnik is doing as a violation of the tradition of the Castle.
“They don’t like the fact that Plečnik is a Slovene.
“But also, as I talk about in the book, the criticism of Plečnik and the Castle project was really veiled criticism of Masaryk.
“You couldn’t criticise Masaryk directly. For one it was against the law!
“But he was just so respected, so revered, during the time in the 1920s that critics on both the right and the left couldn’t attack the president directly.
“What they did instead is they used Plečnik and the Castle project as the stand-in, the proxy for their criticisms.”
Plečnik is of course known for the Castle gardens and also some stairways. But how deeply did his redesign impact the Castle? How much did he change, apart from the things that everyone knows?
“I was able to go inside the Castle, into the offices and into the apartments that he designed for Masaryk.
Third Courtyard of Prague Castle, photo: Kristýna Maková
“And that’s fascinating, just in terms of creating a functional work space.
“Masaryk didn’t live at the Castle, but he did have apartment space there.
“So to see those spaces… granted the area that Plečnik designed for the president is a small corner of the Castle.
“In his work in the 1920s and into the 1930s – he resigned as the Castle architect in 1935 – he did really transform the exterior.
“He did not complete all the projects that he intended and all the projects that Masaryk intended for him.
“He wanted to continue the gardens to the north of the Castle. He wanted to completely redo the street that goes up from Malá Strana to Hradčany – he wanted to redesign that entire area, all the way over to Letná.
“Alice Masaryková wanted Plečnik to do this as well, and this was the aim by the 1930s.
“But by this time point Masaryk was old, he was infirm, he did not have enough authority, he did not have enough energy to really push these renovations.
“Masaryk is inspiring and yet the ideas he presents are not concrete ideas.”
“And of course the Depression was going on, so there was not the money available.
“So Plečnik did recast the Castle exterior, but the vision that he had – and we have his plans, we have his models – was far more extensive, to completely the entire area of Hradčany.”
Finally, getting back to Masaryk, he started out with such lofty ideals – how successful was he?
“He was not very successful.
“He had high ideals. But what I talk about in the book is how his ideals were viewed by his closest supporters, so by people like Karel Čapek, by Edvard Beneš, by the Protestant theologian Josef Hromadka.
“And all of these figures, whether we see it from a secular standpoint in the case of Čapek, or from a Christian standpoint in the case of Hromadka… all these people were inspired by Masaryk, but they had their doubts about the vision he had for this moral republic built upon a civil religion.”
But what about the idea that he did have success in the longer term, in that he became this ideal for so many Czechs and was referred to by Havel and others of his ilk, that he became this kind of “gold standard” of a Czech?
Teresian wing of Prague Castle, photo: Kristýna Maková
“Yes, this is a good point.
“I remember a poll that was done in Lidové noviny years ago of the most important Czechs of the 20th century and Masaryk is still regarded as the greatest Czech.
“So he is this inspiring figure. But the point I make in the book is that he is inspiring and yet the ideas he presents are not concrete ideas.
“He’s someone you could say who lifts the spirit but doesn’t really provide practical teaching, which is ironic because Masaryk stressed his ideas were all about practical application.
“One of my favourite quotations, and I’m trying to think if it was from Jan Patočka or another Czech philosopher, was said Masaryk was like Socrates: He was this dynamic gadfly, this inspiring figure. What Masaryk didn’t have was a Plato, someone who would systematise his ideas and create something concrete for us.
“He also didn’t have an Aristotle, someone who would make it even more clear for the lay person.
“So yes, you can see why he’s inspiring, but there’s nothing concrete you can hold onto about Masaryk’s ideas.”
The office desk I use isn’t exactly modern art. It stems from the 40s or 50s, a hand-me-down that has served well but will never win a beauty contest. It was made during the era of everything veneer, and while it no doubt was unspoiled when new, it has become something less than striking from a visual standpoint. The oak veneer has chipped and taken damage on most outside corners and the drawers require wrestling moves to open them on occasion. Its most redeeming characteristic was summed up by a relative who declared, “It’s not much to look at, but it’s hell for stout.” I took that to mean built like a tank. It has certainly lived up to that.
In spite of the wear and tear, it serves its purpose well and will likely survive beyond any future need on my part. In the meantime, I am content with the beast and do my best to never malign it as long as it functions appropriately. In fact, there is something nice about the never wavering dependability that is generated through its use.
In religion, we are oh so used to seeing the veneer without comprehending much of the unseen framework underneath, including the joinery that holds it all together. As long as it is functional and puts us at some degree of ease, we rarely question what remains mostly unseen and unsaid. In the world of antiques and old desks, provenance (source) is everything. Without understanding origins, the value takes a drastic and sudden dip.
Is our faith representative of the veneer that is in place in many people’s lives? It’s hard to tell when there are so many voices avowing themselves in perfect harmony with God’s word. The veneer looks great, but what will we find underneath? Hardwood? Gumwood? Flake board? It’s helpful to know as it informs us of the origin and reputed durability of what we hear from various sources. What is true and real? What looks and sounds good but fails in actual use? What has been sold as one thing only to be repackaged into something entirely different to assuage the market?
Speaking with absolute conviction as to all things theological is a risky game, one undertaken by tens of thousands of preachers on any given Sunday. If it is that simple and straightforward, that certain and concrete, then what is to be done with equally adamant pastors of a different stripe? Can we not look below the surface and find something edifying about one another’s commitments to faith, even when we might nurture an opposite outlook?
To do so takes swallowing one’s pride on occasion, listening more than talking, practicing graciousness and hospitality. It means finding that place of liminality where our senses are heightened by the possibility of what comes next. Divine counterpoint keeps us aware and poised for something larger than the institutions that we represent. Can we pause long enough to hear and contemplate its meaning in our lives?
The next time you discover your religious veneer scratched or mussed up, split or even missing, rest easy knowing it’s all about what’s underneath. It might not be much to look at, but there’s a better than even chance when put to the test that it, too, will be hell for stout.
Before I get to House Bill 544, the proposed law that would proscribe the teaching of uncomfortable subjects to New Hampshire students, I’d like to imagine that we will be able travel again, sometime. Perhaps even, to other countries.
Maybe you will find yourself going to Italy again. If you travel the twisted streets of Florence you could happen upon a small but famous church, the Church of Santa Maria Del Carmine. From the outside, you will not know, and you could not assume unless you knew, that painted on the inner walls are works of great artistic, religious and cultural significance.
The most famous among these is a fresco titled “The Expulsion from the Garden of Eden.“ A Renaissance artist named Masaccio rendered it in the 1400s. It is one of the first pieces of western art to reflect perspective. In a style conveying early three-dimensionality, Adam and Eve are depicted at the moments after sin, wracked by guilt, shame and sorrow, an angel at their backs directing them further from their innocence. Michelangelo drew inspiration from the work when he painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican.
My mother is a New Hampshire artist who grew up on the Seacoast and attended Catholic schools there. She was a thoughtful parent who first introduced me to these images when I was a student in New Hampshire’s public schools. She did so as part of my religious and cultural education.
The experience made me feel uncomfortable. It made me think about guilt and sin, including the sins of the human race, my race. But it also filled me with curiosity and an interest in my religious and cultural heritage. It led to many conversations about the role of religion in discussions about gender, sex, sin, the nature of good and evil, and the role of religion in framing these topics for us, at home and in school.
New Hampshire protects this attitude of curiosity and exploration in the domain of morality, religion and history. It does so as part of our fundamental laws. Part I, Article 4 of the New Hampshire Constitution protects the rights of conscience against government interference. It thus confers upon us the right to feel guilty (i.e., to have a “guilty conscience”). Part I, Article 5 secures the freedom of religion, which confers upon us the right to unrestrained freedom in matters of worship and religious study. Part I, Article 6, protects against the establishment of any one religious sect or persuasion in preference to any other religious sect or persuasion.
Under these laws, government cannot impose mandates upon thinking in the area of religion and morality.
Now to the subject at hand. HB 544, a bill that passed through the New Hampshire House, would “prohibit[] the dissemination of certain divisive concepts related to sex and race in state contracts … and training programs.” The bill forecloses the teaching of topics. These include any conveying that: “An individual, by virtue of his or her sex or race, bears responsibility for actions committed in the past by other members of the same race or sex.”
When I saw it and I reflected on the lessons my mother taught me, I asked, “Isn’t this the central lesson of Adam and Eve?”
The bill further forecloses the teaching of topics that would cause “discomfort” or “guilt” in any form on account of “race or sex.”
But isn’t this also a subject central to the tragedy of Cain and Abel (“Am I my brother’s keeper?”)?
As I continued to think about this, I wondered whether HB 544’s consequences with regard to teaching religion will we have our teachers interlineating the Gospels?
In some ways, we should thank the supporters of HB 544 for once again giving us an opportunity to reflect on how valuable our state Constitution is when it comes to the efforts of lawmakers to tell us what we should and should not think, discuss or teach when it comes to ethics and religion. We should also thank them for yet another lesson in civics.
We now have a chance to see whether our citizen-informed system of checks and balances, including our bicameral legislature, the veto power of the governor and the review power of our courts will be effective checks when it comes to protecting our core constitutional rights to religious freedom and conscience from the incursions HB 544 threaten.
Michael S. Lewis is an attorney who lives in Concord.
Scientology Volunteer Ministers have volunteered more than a million hours in South Africa in the past year, helping the people of the country survive the pandemic.
South Africa is in a level one lockdown with a general curfew from midnight to 4 a.m. But while the country sleeps, the volunteers dressed in bright yellow jackets over head-to-toe protective gear pull up to the next taxi stand carrying portable fogging equipment and get to work.
One by one, the men and women of the Scientology Volunteer Ministers sanitization team decontaminate every mini-bus taxi overnight so it is ready to provide transportation to the 69 percent of South African commuters who depend on them (including most of the country’s healthcare workers) when they emerge in the morning for their next day’s work.
In the year since President Ramaphosa announced the first lockdown, these volunteers have:
Clocked more than a million hours of service
Sanitized 1.1 million vehicles including taxis, ambulances, buses, fire trucks and police cars
Sanitized 63,000 buildings, including orphanages, senior residences, schools, shelters and other facilities housing essential services.
They swear by the protocols covered in the information on the Scientology How to Stay Well Prevention Resource Center. These booklets and videos are available free of charge in 21 languages including Zulo Sotha and Xhosa—the native languages of nearly half the nation. The volunteers have handed out more than a million copies of Stay Well booklets in the course of their work. And despite putting themselves on the front lines for more than a year, not a single volunteer has been taken ill.
To really appreciate the impact of their work, visit the new interactive timeline on the Scientology website and watch a series of videos, including one that documents the difference they have made to the transportation sector.
One taxi driver shares what it has meant to him to have them sanitize his cab every day and provide him with these booklets so he and his passengers can understand the protocols to keep themselves well. He credits their work with his still being alive. “Corona just passed me,” He says. “I’m still alive, man.”
Another taxi driver says, “they are trying to show us that we are very important…We need them and when they are here, we are happy. Our life is saved…I’m so healthy and good because I’ve got people who care for me.”
The Volunteer Ministers have also taken on sanitizing train stations and fleets of buses.
“In my entire career life,” says an executive in the railroad sector. “I have not actually been contacted by someone who wants to assist government.” Some 300,000 people travel through the Johannesburg station daily and although their crews disinfect and clean, they have not been able to decontaminate them. When she heard that the Scientology volunteers offered to do this, she thought “Is this for real?” And she rushed to the station to see for herself and was amazed to see them performing this service for free.
“You do things with discipline, with commitment and with precision,” says another transportation executive. “That’s what I’ve learned from each one of you. The passion. It will remain with me.”
For more information, visit the Scientology.org interactive timeline, 20/21: A Look Back & A Look Ahead, at scientology.org.za/20-21.
The first significant distinction of the newly constituted Supreme Court concerns the free exercise of religion from government control. The latest evidence is the 5-4 ruling late Friday slapping down another California pandemic diktat on the freedom of worship.
The unsigned majority opinion in Tandon v. Newsom overturned an appellate-court ruling that upheld an order barring meetings of more than three families to worship in a private home.
“California treats some comparable secular activities more favorably than at-home religious exercise, permitting hair salons, retail stores, personal care services, movie theaters, private suites at sporting events and concerts, and indoor restaurants to bring together more than three households at a time,” says the majority opinion. Such disparate treatment between religious and secular activities is barred by the First Amendment, as the Court’s precedents have long held.
In a testy dissent, Justice Elena Kagan argues that the state rule passes muster because it bars both secular and religious meetings of more than three families in a private home. She was joined by liberal Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Stephen Breyer.
But the majority points out that the burden of “strict scrutiny” in such cases requires the state to prove that meetings in private homes are more dangerous for Covid transmission than those in public settings. Is there really a difference between the risks at a hair salon or theater than in a home? The state didn’t try to prove it in the case of the plaintiffs who brought the lawsuit against the pandemic order.
… discriminated against based on his religion. But the tribunal disagreed. … discriminated against because of their religion, they must show: They … conduct harmed their employment Religion was a factor in … is prohibited by any specific religion. “Rather, his …
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
We’re going to take a few minutes now to note the departure of a very much loved colleague. Correspondent Tom Gjelten is retiring after 38 years with NPR. Over that time, he has been a foreign correspondent. He’s had the national security beat. He’s covered any number of domestic issues. And most recently, for the past six years, Tom has been NPR’s religion correspondent, and we asked him if he wouldn’t mind spending a few minutes with us to talk about that assignment. And he is with us now.
Tom Gjelten, welcome. Thank you so much for being with us.
TOM GJELTEN, BYLINE: Well, thank you, Michel. And thank you for those kind words.
MARTIN: So very sad to see you go. I don’t really want to accept it. But I am excited to talk with you about your current beat because over these past six years, a lot has changed in America. And I just wondered what you’ve seen emerge in the area of religion.
GJELTEN: You know, Michel, a big story, maybe even the biggest story, has been all this controversy around sexuality and marriage. I mean, those were hot-button issues before, but they’ve really been elevated in recent years. I think one reason for that is that LGBTQ people have become more open about their sexual orientation, their gender identity. I think one result of that has been that LGBTQ people have faced increased hostility, especially from religious people.
MARTIN: And I understand that you have an example of that from your early reporting that you can play.
GJELTEN: Yeah. This was from five years ago, back in the spring of 2016. I did a story on the struggle in evangelical Christian circles to accept LGBTQ people. This was – this story was in Louisville, Ky. A main character in that story was a man named Nick Wilson. He’s a gay man in a Southern Baptist environment. Here’s a bit from that story.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED NPR BROADCAST)
NICK WILSON: Two great-grandfathers were Southern Baptist preachers, and one grandfather was a pastor. Father’s a retired pastor. Brother’s a pastor. We were always in church.
GJELTEN: With lots of gospel music, Appalachian.
WILSON: (Singing) Tempted and tried, we’re oft made to wonder…
GJELTEN: Nick learned to play the piano by ear as a young boy. He accompanied the choir at his father’s churches. But Nick Wilson was called to preach in his own church. After college, he enrolled at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, but no congregation would ordain him. They all wanted a model family man, and Nick Wilson didn’t fit the bill.
WILSON: First off, I’m single. That’s a problem. They really want you to be married. But then if you throw in gay, then it’s over with.
GJELTEN: And I can tell you, Michel, that Nick did ultimately find a Baptist congregation that was welcoming of him. He’s now the organist there. But it was a real struggle.
MARTIN: Why do you think that this – the LGBTQ story took on such a prominence in the religion beat?
GJELTEN: I think because it brought out a fundamental conflict between civil rights and religious freedom. Conservative religious people feel they should be free to exercise their religious beliefs pertaining to sexuality and marriage. LGBTQ people and their advocates say that that religious freedom argument shouldn’t be used to justify discrimination. I can truthfully say, Michel, very few stories took as much of my attention over these years as that one.
MARTIN: And what about outside of religious circles? Did you feel a kind of impact there, ripple effects there?
GJELTEN: Yeah, because it really spoke to that connection between religion and politics, which has emerged in these years as a really important thing to explore – you know, a so-called faith vote. And there has been no better example of that than all the attention that’s been given to white evangelicals and their support for Donald Trump in recent years. I say there’s been more attention to this religion and politics connection in these last few years than there ever was previously.
MARTIN: Now, you know, this is the worst question. But I have to ask.
GJELTEN: (Laughter).
MARTIN: Do you have a favorite story?
GJELTEN: I have several favorite stories. You know, I chose this beat, Michel, because, you know, after doing all those other things that you mentioned, I saw it as a way to connect with people personally and see my country in a different light. These stories have been, for me, ways to humanize people. One of my favorites was a few years ago, when I profiled a group of young Muslims talking about what it was like to grow up Muslim in America. Here’s a bit of that story, focusing on one young woman.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED NPR BROADCAST)
GJELTEN: And then there’s Aqsa Mahmud, born in Pakistan, raised in Georgia. Some of her closest friends there were born-again, Jesus-believing Baptists for whom religious faith is to be respected.
AQSA MAHMOUD: I am so grateful to have been a Muslim growing up in the South. Only in the South could you say to your friend and be like, hey, you know what? I’ve got to pray. And they’d be, like, of course. Like, they talked about God in a very personal way. Like, their relationship with Jesus made me want to have a closer relationship with God. I’ll be honest.
GJELTEN: We have this stereotype of Southerners, evangelicals being intolerant. Here was a Muslim girl who actually felt more comfortable in the South because her friends there were more open talking about faith. It really challenged those stereotyped ideas.
MARTIN: Now a personal question, Tom. Do you think that this beat changed you in any way, either as a reporter or perhaps as a person?
GJELTEN: You know, Michel, I was actually raised in a devout Christian family. I’m familiar with that world. I feel comfortable talking to people about their faith. But for most of my time here at NPR, as you said, I’ve been focused on national security, international issues. And the truth is that I did fall away from my own faith tradition. I think during these last six years, I have become more attentive to people of faith, more respectful of all those people who take their faith and believe seriously more than I was before. I think that has been, for me, an important change.
MARTIN: Well, your work certainly lives on. The legacy that you leave as a journalist, as a colleague, as a friend certainly lives on.
That was NPR’s Tom Gjelten, who has just retired as our religion correspondent after 38 years with the network. Tom, thank you so much for everything.
GJELTEN: And thank you, Michel, for being such a great colleague.
(SOUNDBITE OF SWITCH BLADE SONG, “NO PROBLEMZ”) Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
(Photo: REUTERS / Paul Faith / Pool / Files (NORTHERN IRELAND)File photograph shows Northern Ireland’s new first minister Ian Paisley (L) and deputy first minister Martin McGuinness smiling after being sworn in at a ceremony at Stormont, Belfast May 8, 2007. Hardline Protestant cleric and Northern Ireland’s former leader Ian Paisley has died, his Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) said on September 12, 2014.
A week of disorder across Norther Ireland has left growing numbers of police officers injured, and Catholic and a Church of Ireland bishops were among those who joined for an ecumenical service before walking together to a peace wall gate at the center of clashes.
A further 14 police officers have been injured as violence continues to plague Northern Ireland’s streets, the Belfast Telegraph reported April 10.
The unrest comes almost 23 years ago — April 10 — when a peace accord known as the Good Friday Agreement was signed, bringing an end to 30 years of sectarian killing by paramilitaries.
The deal bound all parties to use exclusively peaceful means and provided a pathway for a referendum on whether Northern Ireland should remain part of Britain.
In the 23 years since agreement halted three decades of brutal, bitter conflict in Northern Ireland, fears that widespread violence could return increased sharply after the 2016 Brexit referendum, when Britons voted to leave the European Union, DW reported.
As the UK prepared to leave the EU, the former British prime ministers Tony Blair and John Major were among the politicians most adamant that Brexit could undermine the peace agreement.
In Northern Ireland, the majority Protestants were viewed as mainly “loyalists” favoring remaining part of the United Kingdom, while many in the Cahtolic community were viewed as “republicans” looking to unification with the Irish Republic.
Police appealed on April 9 to parents, guardians and community leaders “to use their influence to ensure we do not see a repeat of such ugly scenes” after trouble flared in Belfast and Coleraine.
Police were attacked with missiles and a car was set on fire during another night of violence in Belfast. Riot vans and police dogs were at the scene in Tiger’s Bay, a traditionally Protestant area of the city.
Prior to the April 9, continued unrest, Rev Colin Duncan, of Shankill and Woodvale Methodist Church, welcomed those gathered as coming from different denominations but with a “common heart” and “common concern” at recent events, Premier Christian News reported.
‘SHOW OF UNITY’
“Here we are together and we’re here to give a show of unity that together we are making a stand and a voice against the violence that we’re seeing on the streets, a violence that serves no practical function or purpose at all,” he said.
“We are coming together to show that we along with others are taking a united stand against the violence we are seeing on the streets.”
Readings and prayers were heard from a range of clergy including the Rev Tracey McRoberts, rector of St Matthew’s Church in Woodvale, Father Tony Devlin from St Paul’s Church on the Falls Road, Pastor Gordon McDade of Soul Space, Father Martin Graham of St Peter’s Cathedral on the Falls Road and Rev Jack Lambe of Townsend Street Presbyterian Church.
The clergy walked together from Forthspring Inter Community Group on the Springfield Road just hours after chaotic scenes in a traditonally Catholic and Republican area with youths throwing petrol bombs, fireworks and missiles at police, the short distance to the peace wall gates.
Catholic Bishop Noel Treanor described the act as “a contribution on the part of us as church leaders to the local clergy who have been on the streets during these events”.
“It is an expression of our common Christian faith and our citizenship as Christians who at all times wish to promote understanding, peace, co-operation and solidarity, and to promote dialogue as well as the only way to address issues which are of concern to either the entire community or parts of the community,” he said.
“We as Christians wish to serve each part of the community because when one part suffers, we all suffer and it is our hope that this event and manifestation of Christian prayerful togetherness will inspire young people to realise that destruction is pointless.
“Coming together for dialogue and for prayer is ultimately the only way to bring mutual understanding, peace and justice.”
Treanor said, “Sadly, over the past week, we have experienced a return to civic unrest and violence on our streets.
“These scenes are deeply concerning for all of us who believe in and have worked together for a shared, brighter future for our society.”
Church of Ireland (Anglican) Bishop George Davidson noted, “Churches on the ground in this part of the world and right throughout the province where there have been various situations, they are our communities… and we simply want to encourage the local Christian communities to play their part and to seek to be what influence they can be.”
St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church on Sherman Way at Orion Avenue, Van Nuys. (Google Street View)
Here is a sampling of indoor, outdoor and online religious services in the San Fernando Valley area.
Temple Beth Hillel services: Havdalah online, 7 p.m. April 10 (click on the Facebook link here: bit.ly/3d0JP2l). A Shabbat service, 7 p.m. April 16 (bit.ly/3dMT1pU). The Reform Jewish temple is in Valley Village. 818-763-9148. tbhla.org
Stop Your Whining!: The Rev. Rob Denton delivers the message from a new sermon series “Attitude Adjustment,” based on Ephesians 5:18-20, Hebrews 13:15, Numbers 13-14 and Psalm 107:8, 9 a.m. (on the lawn) and 10:30 a.m. (indoors and online) on April 11. West Valley Christian Church, 22450 Sherman Way, West Hills. 818-884-6480. www.wvcch.org; www.facebook.com/westvalley.christianchurch
Our Redeemer Lutheran Church: Traditional service, 9 a.m., and a contemporary service, 11:30 a.m. (also live stream on Facebook) on April 11. 8520 Winnetka Ave., Winnetka. 818-341-3460. Facebook: bit.ly/2FhJvy1. www.our-redeemer.org
Services with the Rev. Chuck Bunnell at Prince of Peace Lutheran, St. Andrews Lutheran and on YouTube: In-person services: 9 a.m. at Prince of Peace (9440 Balboa Blvd., Northridge), and also at 11 a.m. at St. Andrew’s Lutheran (15520 Sherman Way, Van Nuys) on April 11. Video worship on YouTube here: bit.ly/3cotBQ6. For more information or for prayer request, 818-782-5953.
What Do You See? – Part Two: Pastor Timothy Jenks delivers the message, based on readings from John 20:19-31, 9:30 a.m. April 11. Sermons available on the church’s Facebook (bit.ly/33bLo8k) or here www.cplchurch.org/worship-videos-2. Canoga Park Lutheran Church, 7357 Jordan Ave. 818-348-5714. www.cplchurch.org
Second Sunday in Easter with St. Luke Lutheran Church: The Rev. Janet Hansted delivers the message, 9:30 a.m. April 11. Watch on Facebook here: bit.ly/3lJkVX4 or the Zoom link from the website. The church is in Woodland Hills. Voice mail, 818-346-3070. Email: office.saint.lutheran@gmail.com. www.stlukelutheran.com
B Free Ministry: Guest speaker the Rev. Megan More delivers the Sunday message, 10 a.m. April 11. Find the Zoom link on the website. 616-796-5598. billfreeman.org
Prince of Peace Episcopal Church: The congregation joins the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles’ Second Sunday in Easter service online, 10 a.m. April 11. Join the service on YouTube here: bit.ly/3tcimQZ. Readings for this service: Acts 4:32-35 and John 3:14-21. Also, find Sunday bulletins and links to online services here: www.popwh.org/happenings.html. The church is in Woodland Hills. 818-346-6968. The Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles: diocesela.org and on Facebook: www.facebook.com/LADiocese. www.popwh.org
Woodland Hills Community Church (United Church of Christ): The Rev. Craig Peterson delivers the message online, 10 a.m. April 11. Piano prelude, 9:45 a.m. Watch the service from the church’s Facebook here: www.facebook.com/whccucc. Voice mail, 818-346-0820. Email: whccucc@gmail.com. www.woodlandhillscommunitychurch.org
Come on People!: The Rev. Beth Bingham delivers the message, based on Acts 4″32-35 and Psalm 133, at 10:30 a.m. April 11. Also, “10@10,” a devotional and prayer with either the Rev. Beth Bingham or associate minister the Rev. Curtis Peek, 10 a.m. Monday-Friday on the church’s Facebook. Congregational Church of the Chimes is in Sherman Oaks. Watch the service here: www.facebook.com/churchofchimes. Email: office@churchofthechimes.org. churchofthechimes.org
Shifting Currents: The Rev. Stephen Rambo delivers the Easter Sunday message, 10:30 a.m. April 11 (click to watch here: bit.ly/3uBsDX9). Center for Spiritual Living-Simi Valley. 805-527-0870. www.facebook.com/cslsimi; www.cslsimi.org
The Winds of Change: The Rev. Michael McMorrow explains the message, based on the center’s April theme “Stepping into the Unknown,” 10:30 a.m. April 11 (bit.ly/3rITRJi). In addition, McMorrow gives a “Mid-Day Reset,” at noon Monday-Friday on the center’s Facebook (www.facebook.com/csl.granadahills). Center for Spiritual Living-Granada Hills. 818-363-8136. Click on the link to watch the service here: www.youtube.com/user/CSLGranadaHills. https://www.cslgh.org
I Am Inspired and Creative: Matt Toronto gives his thoughts on the center’s April theme, 11 a.m. April 11. The theme is based on Isaiah 43:19. Watch the service on Zoom here: bit.ly/39Y0TTv and use ID: 3148040257. Unity Burbank – Center for Spiritual Awareness’s Facebook here: www.facebook.com/unityburbank. Sign up for the center’s “Words of Light” newsletter here: unityburbank.org
Shabbat with Shomrei Torah Synagogue: Israeli Musical Kabbalat Shabbat service, 6-7:15 p.m. April 16 and a traditional Shabbat morning service, 10 a.m.-noon April 17 (www.stsonline.org/calendar). The Conservative Jewish congregation is in West Hills. Voice mail, 818-854-7650. www.stsonline.org
Shabbat with Temple Ramat Zion: Evening service, 6 p.m. April 16, and the morning service, 9 a.m. April 17. The Conservative Jewish congregation is in Northridge. Voice mail, 818-360-1881. Watch on the YouTube link from the website. www.trz.org
Shabbat with Temple Judea: Use the Facebook link to watch the service, 6:15 p.m. April 16. The Reform Jewish congregation is in Tarzana. 818-758-3800. Email: info@templejudea.com. The temple’s Facebook: bit.ly/3fEI0G5. templejudea.com
Shabbat with Temple Beth Emet: Rabbi Mark H. Sobel leads the service, 7 p.m. April 16. The temple’s April “Chai Times” newsletter: bit.ly/39P3m3O. The temple is in Burbank. 818-843-4787. Click on the YouTube link to watch the service: bit.ly/3rpeWcI. 818-843-4787. www.templebethemet.com
Send information at least two weeks ahead. holly.andres@dailynews.com. 818-713-3708.
A liturgical vestment is seen in this illustration photo. Results of a Gallup poll released March 29 show that just 47% of U.S. adults belonged to a church, synagogue or mosque in 2020. This is the first time this percentage has dropped below 50% in Gallup’s eight decades of doing this particular poll. (CNS photo/Eric Gaillard, Reuters)
<div class="td-a-rec td-a-rec-id-content_top td_uid_3_60729198e9526_rand td_block_template_1"><div class="a-single a-212"><a class="gofollow" data-track="MjEyLDAsMSw2MA==" href="https://www.steschools.org/"><img src="http://thedialog.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/St.E.web_.March2021.jpg"/></a></div></div>As if the bishops needed anything more to worry about these days, <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/341963/church-membership-falls-below-majority-first-time.aspx">Gallup released a poll just before Easter documenting a sharp decline in religious membership</a> among Americans over the past two decades.
Unfortunately, the percentage decline for Americans belonging to the Catholic Church was one of the steepest. What this means for the future is a subject of growing concern in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and the drop-off in Mass attendance that the pandemic forced
Gallup, which has been monitoring Americans’ affiliation with churches, synagogues and mosques for more than 80 years, says that last year was the first time that the membership number has dropped below 50%.
According to the polling company, 47% of Americans belong to some house of worship, down from 50% in 2018 and 70% in 1999. The third millennium, far from inspiring a religious revival, has seen a rapid shrinkage in religious practice in what has been one of the most religious countries in the developed world.
A growing number of Americans are not expressing any religious preference, and in all age groups, the number that are explicitly saying they are unaffiliated with any church is growing. This includes 31% of millennials and 33% of Generation Z — that is, the future.
When looked at in terms of religious groups, the largest decline is for Catholics. From 1999 until today, the percentage of Catholics has declined from 76% to 58%, double the percentage decline for Protestants. Other studies have noted a decline in sacramental marriages and baptisms among Catholics as well, also boding ill for the future.
For Catholics, the past two decades span the peak of the sexual abuse crisis. The corresponding lack of faith in the institution may be mirroring broader trends in society, however, including a decline across religious faiths and demographic groups that suggests strong cultural forces at work.
While the United States remains a religious country compared to Europe, for example, the pace of decline in the past 20 years suggests no quick turnaround in the trend line. Should the decline pick up speed in the wake of the pandemic, business as usual for many churches will not be an option.
One consequence of this decline may be an intensifying of political divisions. That is the conclusion of Shadi Hamid, writing in The Atlantic. He notes the sharp decline in church membership and the growth in “nones.” But contrary to what secularists may hope, he says society may be becoming more divided, not less.
“As Christianity’s hold, in particular, has weakened,” he writes, “ideological intensity and fragmentation have risen. American faith, it turns out, is as fervent as ever; it’s just that what was once religious belief has now been channeled into political belief. Political debates over what America is supposed to mean have taken on the character of theological disputations. This is what religion without religion looks like.”
This has impacted the Catholic Church as well, where the melding of political ideology with ostensibly religious belief has meant that the fault lines in the church increasingly mirror political fault lines.
The polarization of the faithful has been accompanied by an apocalyptic retreat to “a smaller and purer church,” on the one hand, and a willingness to embrace unhesitatingly the trends and values of a larger culture increasingly unmoored from Christian teaching on the other.
How church leaders will steer their dioceses between these twin temptations, what the church of the future will look like and how Christians will bear witness in an increasingly fractious secular culture are the stark challenges of this millennium’s first century.
– – –
Erlandson, director and editor-in-chief of Catholic News Service, can be reached at gerlandson@catholicnews.com.
NEW DELHI: Objecting to a PIL seeking to stop the practice of religious conversion, the Supreme Court reminded the petitioner that people are free to choose their religions and also the Constitution grants them the right to propagate their religion and termed the petition as “publicity interest litigation” while dismissing it. “What kind of writ petition is this? Why a person above 18 years of age cannot choose religion. Why do you think there is the word ‘propagate’ used in the Constitution? We will impose heavy cost on you,” a three-judge bench of Justices R F Nariman, B R Gavai and Hrishikesh Roy told senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, who was appearing for petitioner and BJP functionary Ashwini Upadhyay. Sensing the fate of the petition, advocate Shankaranarayanan pleaded the bench to allow the petitioner to make a representation to the government and the Law Commission on the issue. But the bench refused to grant him the liberty and said, “It is a publicity interest petition and it is very harmful.” “Counsel for the petitioner seeks leave of this court to withdraw the writ petition. The writ petition is dismissed as withdrawn,” the bench said in its order. Upadhyay also sought directions to ascertain the feasibility of appointing a committee to enact a Conversion of Religion Act to check “abuse of religion”. “Religious conversion by ‘carrot and stick’ and by ‘hook or crook’ not only offends Articles 14, 21, 25, but is also against the principles of secularism, which is an integral part of the basic structure of the Constitution. Petitioner states with dismay that the Centre and states have failed to control the menace of black magic, superstition and deceitful religious conversion, though it is their duty under Article 51A,” the petition said.
On Monday, the Bible and religion department announced that Breanna Nickel, GC class of 2010, will be joining the faculty in the fall. Nickel graduated with a double-major in Bible, religion and philosophy and peace, justice and conflict studies, and continued her studies with a master’s degree at Yale Divinity School and a Ph.D. in the theology department at the University of Notre Dame. She is currently the Conrad J. Bergendoff visiting fellow in religion at Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois.
“I am thrilled to be joining Goshen’s religion, justice and society department in the coming year,” Nickel said. “There is something very special about teaching at one’s alma mater, and I am appreciative of the legacy that I carry. I also cannot wait to work and collaborate with Goshen’s student community, and I invite any student to contact me. Introduce yourself, or let me know what you want from your college education!”
Sunday: Bishop Byrne will preach in GreenfieldGREENFIELD — The Franklin County Deanery will sponsor a Divine Mercy Celebration at Blessed Sacrament Church in Greenfield on Sunday, April 11. Bishop William Byrne will be the Celebrant and will preach. Confessions will be available from 2 to 3 p.m. The celebration will begin at 3 p.m.
First Congregational Church of Montague news
MONTAGUE CENTER — Pastor James Koyama welcomes all to the 10 a.m. in-house worship service. Health safety guidelines will be followed. The service is also available by Zoom. The link is sent out on Saturday. Please contact Ann Fisk (413-367-2812) if you would like the link.
The annual meeting will be held following the service, all are urged to attend. Meeting will be held in the Sanctuary and on Zoom.
April 17: Spring Fling Ham Supper
There will be a Take Out Spring Fling Ham Supper on Saturday, April 17. We will have a drive-thru set up in front of the church between 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. There are a limited number of dinners available so please call ahead. 413-367-2652.
Sunday: ‘Service as Prayer’ at All Souls and First Parish Unitarians
On Sunday, April 11, at 10:30 a.m., the Rev. Alison Cornish will lead the online worship service for Greenfield’s All Souls Church and First Parish of Northfield, Unitarian. Titled “Service as Prayer,” the sermon will be the third in a series exploring First Parish of Northfield’s Declaration of Fellowship. What do Unitarian Universalists view as ‘service? Is service the same as giving charity? As working for justice?
Also as part of this service, we will honor Yom Ha’shoah, the annual commemoration of the remembrance of the Holocaust, and tell the story of the founding of the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee. To obtain Internet connection information for the service, email fpnorthfieldma@gmail.com.
Shelburne Congregational Church news
SHELBURNE — The First Congregational Church of Shelburne continues this Second Sunday of Easter with a written worship resource and video. The service is centered on the image of the Good Shepherd. Worship resources are accessible via our church website @ (shelburnechurch.org).
May 1: Walk the labyrinth
GREENFIELD — May 1 is World Labyrinth Day. The Community Labyrinth Coalition invites the community to celebrate this day and learn more by walking the labyrinth on the Federal Street lawn of the Episcopal Church of Saints Andrew and James at 1 p.m. That’s when, across the globe, people will set an intention for peace, a rolling wave of energy that blesses the world. We would love to be part of the worldwide movement and would invite people to come walk anytime that afternoon. We are also hoping to partner with the Traprock Center for Peace and Justice and other local groups advocating for more peaceful relations on our Earth around this event.
(Photo: Wikimedia)Hans Küng receives an honorary degree from the National University of Distance Education in Madrid, Spain, on Jan. 27, 2011.
Hans Küng, the prominent and sometimes controversial Swiss Catholic theologian, who challenged popes, has died peacefully in his sleep in the university town of Tübingen, Germany, where he had lived and lectured since 1960.
His death at the age of 93 was announced by the Global Ethic Foundation which Küng founded in 1995.
“Father Küng was one of the most outspoken Roman Catholic theologians and one of the sharpest critics of St. John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI. He had worked with and studied with Pope Benedict, then-Father Joseph Ratzinger, in Tübingen in the 1960s,” Anli Serfontien reported for CNS on April 6.
Dr. Küng was an ordained priest who worked primarily as a scholar and writer, and was regarded by admirers and detractors alike as one of the most important Catholic thinkers of the past century, The Washington Post’s Matt Schudel reported.
“One of his early books, first published in English as ‘The Council and Reunion,’ helped provide the intellectual framework for some of the reforms instituted at the Second Vatican Council (sometimes called Vatican II) under Pope John XXIII.”
Along with Ratzinger, Küng was one of the youngest theological experts advising bishops at the Second Vatican Council from 962-65, but not long after the council he evoked controversy with his views on papal infallibility.
Due to this view he had his “missio canonica,” the license needed to teach Roman Catholic theology, withdrawn in 1979 and was no longer allowed to teach as a Catholic theologian at Catholic universities.
Thereafter he went to Tübingen, where became professor of ecumenical theology, until his retirement in 1996.
Küng remained a Catholic priest and he cultivated a global reputation as an articulate critic, fluent in six languages, of what he considered the church’s failure to adapt to modern times.
“During a 1963 speaking tour of the United States, he was invited to the White House by President John F. Kennedy, the nation’s first Catholic president, but he was banned from appearing at Catholic University in Washington,” the Post reported.
“It wasn’t Catholicism that he opposed, Dr. Küng said, but Roman Catholicism — namely, what he viewed as an insular, self-reinforcing Vatican bureaucracy that amounted to an authoritarian regime. For centuries, he said, the Vatican had neglected its spiritual mission as it pursued the accumulation of power and wealth, with the Pope reigning as an absolute monarch.”
Cambodia is shutting its most popular tourist destination, the centuries-old Angkor temple complex, to visitors for two weeks to help curb the country’s coronavirus outbreak.
Angkor, in Cambodia’s northern province of Siem Reap, is one of the most important archaeological sites in Southeast Asia.
The closing of the world-famous site is the latest in a slew of measures the country is taking after the number of coronavirus cases surged in February.
The Apsara Authority, the government agency that oversees the archaeological site, said that temporarily stopping local and foreign tourists from visiting the temples is important to help combat the virus. It said in a statement dated Wednesday that visitors are banned from 7 April through 20 April.
The Angkor site, in the northwestern province of Siem Reap, attracted 2.2 million foreign tourists in 2019, but experienced a sharp falloff last year due to disruptions caused by the pandemic. Cambodia allows in tourists, but they must undergo a quarantine.
The Health Ministry on Thursday announced 113 new local cases of the coronavirus and two deaths. Cambodia has recorded a total of 3,028 cases, including 23 deaths.
The ministry has traced the latest outbreak to a foreign resident who broke quarantine in a hotel and went to a nightclub in early February. The government on 20 February announced a planned two-week closure of all public schools, cinemas, bars and entertainment venues in the capital, Phnom Penh.
As the number of cases rose, the closures were extended throughout the country for schools, gyms, concert halls, museums and other gathering places.
A defunct luxury hotel in the capital has been converted into a 500-room coronavirus hospital, and the authorities are enforcing a new law imposing criminal punishment for violating health rules.
The use of face masks was made mandatory in Phnom Penh and four of the country’s most densely populated provinces.
The government stepped up other restrictions at the start of this month, including a two-week, 8 pm to 5 am curfew in Phnom Penh.
It also broadened its coronavirus vaccination campaign, targeting 1 million doses a month beginning in April. Through the end of March, about 400,000 people €” about one-third of them members of the armed forces €” had received vaccinations.
By the end of March, Cambodia had acquired more than 3.1 million doses of vaccines from China and through the World Health Organisation’s COVAX initiative. Cambodia has a population of about 17 million.
For several centuries Angkor was the center of the Khmer Kingdom. With impressive monuments, several different ancient urban plans, and large water reservoirs, the site is a unique concentration of features testifying to an exceptional civilization. Temples such as Angkor Wat, the Bayon, Preah Khan, and Ta Prohm, exemplars of Khmer architecture, are closely linked to their geographical context as well as being imbued with symbolic significance. The architecture and layout of the successive capitals bear witness to a high level of social order and ranking within the Khmer Empire. Angkor is, therefore, a major site exemplifying cultural, religious and symbolic values, as well as containing high architectural, archaeological and artistic significance.
Prime Minister Hun Sen said this week on his social media channels that vaccinations are voluntary, but that civil servants and members of the military would be at risk of being dismissed if they fail to be inoculated.
Religious leaders have long feared irreverent drawings that could challenge their authority. We should remember that amid the latest effort to prevent the use of Muhammad cartoons, says Bob Forder.
In recent weeks there’s been another furious response to the use of Muhammad cartoons – this time in an educational setting, at Batley Grammar School in Yorkshire.
There is nothing new about cartoons being used as a device to poke fun at the religious. They have been a contentious source of blasphemy prosecutions and allegations ever since technical developments enabled their mass print production.
An early example is Leo Taxil’s ‘La Bible Amusante’, which satirised what Taxil regarded as biblical inconsistencies and absurdities. G.W. Foote latched onto the cartoons in this book when he founded The Freethinker in 1881. He would undoubtedly have been encouraged by efforts to have Taxil’s book banned in this country. From the outset Foote republished some of the cartoons as ‘Comic Bible Sketches’, although they were supplemented by others. More than anything else it was cartoons that made The Freethinker notorious and the reason the newspaper was such an immediate success in terms of its circulation.
At the same time, the leading US freethought newspaper The Truthseeker was publishing Watson Heston’s cartoons (example below), which satirised biblical passages and celebrated US secularism and secular heroes like Thomas Paine. These were later collected together in books such as ‘The Bible Comically Illustrated’ and ‘The Freethinkers’ Pictorial Textbook’. These caused quite a rumpus, although little is known about Watson Heston.
Both D.M. Bennett (who founded The Truthseeker) and Foote were clear about the purpose of their cartoons. They reasoned that if you laugh at priests or ministers you can’t take them seriously and they therefore lose authority. He had a point – and the same could be said for imams as for priests. I think this accounts in large part for the furious response in Batley.
Foote was eventually prosecuted for blasphemy (partly for the special 1882 Christmas number of The Freethinker, which was a cartoonists’ feast). I include a copy of the cartoon from the front page (see main image). Other contents included a cartoon strip “A new life of Christ” and a particularly contentious cartoon “Moses getting a back view” with a quotation from Exodus “And it shall come to pass that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and I shall take away my hand, and thou shalt see my back parts”. The cartoon features a rather startled Moses staring at a pair of well-filled check trousers with a tear in the rear. None of this has me rolling around with laughter, but I can understand the furious response provoked in 1882 – and Foote’s courage in publishing them.
Foote got a year in Holloway Gaol and was widely regarded as a hero and martyr in National Secular Society circles. It was this that ensured he became president when Charles Bradlaugh – the NSS’s founder – resigned in 1890.
The Charlie Hebdo cartoons were published for similar reasons and are part of the same tradition.
There is, however, a significant difference between now and then. Those who objected in the 19th century were largely part of an elite which held a privileged position in society as a whole, embodied and supported by the established church. In some ways those demanding retribution in Batley can be considered amongst the least privileged in society and, for them, this is an issue tightly linked to their ethnicity and sense of identity.
This makes the issue far more complex and helps explain the disappointing woolly thinking, platitudes and fudge about the need to engage and listen that has crept in amongst what might loosely be termed the liberal left. But those condoning the dangerous and over-hasty behaviour of the Batley Grammar School governors and management really need to think again.
Secularism is a fundamental liberal democratic principle. The strength and success of liberal democracy rests not only on principles such as fair elections but also on the assumption that the political system accommodates all religions and beliefs with equal respect and access, apart from those intent on its overthrow.
A failure to understand this, and the freedom of speech it entails, is the real threat to us all, particularly the less privileged. Freedom of speech must entail a right to offend, however regrettable this might seem.
Sadly, the array of religious and community leaders (some self-appointed) assembled outside Batley Grammar School purport to represent a less privileged community. But giving in will simply enhance and protect these leaders’ own status and position within their community, at others’ expense, and run the risk of that community becoming further isolated from society at large.
COMECE launches new initiative on EU Christian cultural heritage
The Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE) launches “Christian artworks month by month”, a new initiative promoting Christian cultural heritage from the dioceses of the COMECE Bishop Delegates located across Europe.
The initiative, launched on Thursday 8 April 2021, follows the Conference “Promoting the Christian Heritage of Europe” and aims to present and reflect on Christian culture and its social relevance within the European Union.
In cooperation with the dioceses of each of its Bishop Delegates, COMECE will share examples of Christian art masterpieces through its social media channels (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin), encouraging to reflect on the European dimension of such heritage and on the diversity, richness and beauty of artworks often out of reach to a wider audience.
“Christian cultural heritage is a key element of European identity, which points to the shared history of European citizens and Churches, proving to be extremely meaningful also in present times, especially in the context of the current Covid-19 pandemic”, states Fr. Manuel Barrios Prieto, General Secretary of COMECE.
Digital visual contributions of Christian works of art will be monthly shared to foster a “culture of encounter” and dialogue, in the light of Pope Francis’ Encyclical Letter Fratelli Tutti.
DON’T mention politics or religion. This familiar warning was often sounded in pubs and around dinner tables in the days when meeting people socially was still a normal occurrence.
Discussions on politics or religion were felt to be high risk, leading to potential conflict. Combining the two could be explosive, as we have learned to our cost in the international arena. Everyone knows of the horrific conflicts which rage periodically around the world and the frequent atrocities that always accompany them and can be laid fairly and squarely at the door of the abusive mixing of religion and politics.
Now, the horror of these conflicts has motivated an extraordinary movement to create an international treaty aimed at introducing clear rules to ban all political uses of religion that undermine human equality, all religious exclusion and all restrictions to freedom of belief and worship.
The idea for a treaty was the brainchild of Salam Sarhan, an Iraqi poet, journalist and TV broadcaster. Salam has lived in London since 1991, moving to the UK from Iraq, where his family still live in the crossfire of the abusive mixing of religion and politics in Al Anbar Governorate.
Salam watched in dismay as ISIS seized control of more than a third of the country in 2014 and their leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, declared an Islamic caliphate in a sermon from the central mosque in Mosul, claiming to revive the Muslim theocracy that ended with the fall of the Ottoman Empire. Al-Baghdadi transformed the flagging Sunni insurgency into a black-clad global terrorist network that drew recruits from more than 100 countries.
His followers quickly overran vast areas of Syria and Iraq, imposing their barbaric interpretation of Sharia law on the beleaguered population. The defeat of ISIS left in its wake the almost total destruction of Mosul, Fallujah, Ramadi and many of Iraq’s age-old settlements. Tens of thousands of innocent Iraqis lost their lives.
It was a turning point for Salam Sarhan. After several attempts to mobilise a solution, he realised that the problem cannot be resolved on any local or national stage and concentrated instead on persuading the United Nations on the absolute necessity for an international treaty to ban the political use of religion.
It is a gross understatement to say that mixing politics and religion has had a destructive influence throughout human history. It lies at the heart of the most intractable conflicts worldwide. Sadly, some of the worst political abuses of religion today are carried out in the name of Islam. But you don’t have to turn the pages of history very far to find similar conflicts involving almost every religion on earth. Mixing politics and religion will always lead to the same disastrous results.
When Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini hi-jacked the 1979 revolution in Iran, he gave birth to Islamic fundamentalism, declaring that anyone who challenged his authority would be guilty of ‘moharebeh’ or waging war against God. This fictitious edict has been used ruthlessly for the past 41 years to systematically murder tens of thousands of the regime’s opponents.
The theocratic revolution in Iran and the mullahs’ policy of aggressive expansionism in the Middle East has had a seriously destabilizing impact, only made worse by the American-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 and the subsequent uprisings and insurgencies which have blighted many countries ever since. The relentless slide towards theocracy has taken hold in Turkey, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Libya, Yemen, the Caucasus and Nigeria.
Its influence has been felt by minority communities and ethnic groups in countries around the world, including many western nations. There has always been the temptation to focus all the blame on sectarian and intolerant regimes, but that is a fatal distraction from the grave mistakes the leading powers of the world often make in trying to deal with these ideological conflicts, playing right into the hands of the extremists.
Salam Sarhan says: “Year after year, the international community has to dedicate enormous efforts and resources to handling the consequences of the political abuse of religion. Instead of always trying to resolve these conflicts that cost the lives of millions, it is surely time to establish a meaningful, global response to the root causes? That is why the programme has begun to create an international consensus to prevent any invocation of religion, from mainstream as well as extremist religious groups, in support of national and political agendas. The campaign to create an international treaty to ban the political use of religion, BPUR International, has been born.”
The campaign has accelerated exponentially since its launch two years ago, with the creation of a not-for-profit limited company, headquartered in London, together with a board of trustees and a sizable advisory council and supporters list, involving senior political figures and legislative sponsors from countries around the world. Salam Sarhan, as founder of BPUR International, is Secretary General of a management team that operates from London, Geneva and Brussels.
Chair of the Trustees and main financial sponsor of the initiative is Naguib Sawiris, an Egyptian billionaire businessman. Mr Sawiris says: “In my opinion, this initiative will certainly make the world a better place and serve all international humanitarian objectives by tackling the root causes of many of the most intractable conflicts, terrorism, extremism and a long list of abuses of human rights inflicted on minorities, women, children and vulnerable people.”
BPUR International’s advisory council now boasts prominent elected parliamentarians, ministers, senior politicians and religious figures, as well as key decision-makers and business people from countries that range from Bangladesh to Ecuador. All are determined to achieve a UN treaty that bans all political uses of religion.
But they also want a treaty that bans all restrictions to freedom of belief and worship, to ensure that the rules will apply to all violations and will bypass any clashes with the deeply engraved religious teachings that many people have. BPUR International believes that their non-confrontational approach, grounded in the utmost respect for all religions, will build a global consensus to help the international community disarm extremism and deal with current and future conflicts. The BPUR International treaty is long overdue.
Our columns are a platform for writers to express their opinions. They do not necessarily represent the views of The Herald.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Cookie
Duration
Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional
11 months
The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy
11 months
The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
“Against particular interests, we are called to live solidarity in the European Union and fully include people in precarious situations or isolation, and in particular those affected by the COVID-19 crisis. We ask the EU and its Member States that all economic actors, and in particular multinationals companies, some of which have benefited from the crisis, participate in a fair way to the recovery effort to increase ‘mutual trust’ in our economy. At the same time, caring for our neighbours should go in hand in hand with caring for our common home, as one human family living on the same planet”, states H.E. Mgr. Antoine Hérouard.
The statement was elaborated by the COMECE Social Affairs Commission and analyses some of the achievements of the European Union towards social, ecological and contributive justice since COVID-19 hit the EU. This reflection paper also includes concrete proposals for more solidarity in the recovery process and follows the May 2020 statement “Let Europe recover through justice”, first reaction of the COMECE Social Affairs Commission to the recovery plan proposed by the European Commission.
The office desk I use isn’t exactly modern art. It stems from the 40s or 50s, a hand-me-down that has served well but will never win a beauty contest. It was made during the era of everything veneer, and while it no doubt was unspoiled when new, it has become something less than striking from a visual standpoint. The oak veneer has chipped and taken damage on most outside corners and the drawers require wrestling moves to open them on occasion. Its most redeeming characteristic was summed up by a relative who declared, “It’s not much to look at, but it’s hell for stout.” I took that to mean built like a tank. It has certainly lived up to that.
9(MDA3OTgyNDI4MDEzMTM0MjQzMTZlNDI0Mg004) "Retiring NPR Correspondent Looks At How Religion Beat Has Changed 6")
